Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

he was not going to correct the Lord. He’d let the crazyprick think he hated his brothers if it made the Lord happier.

“Unfortunately, no matter what a child doesto its parent, that parent still retains some love for them. Isn’tthat true, Tove?” the Lord inquired.

An uneasy feeling twisted in Cole’s stomach.He did not like the direction this conversation was taking.

His father hesitated before replying. “I loveall my children, yes, but my loyalty is to you. Orin andAlvaro chose the wrong path and will face the consequences of theiractions.”

“That they will,” the Lord agreed. “But Imust question if you’ll help them escape when the time comes.”

“I would never help them escape, myLord,” Tove said.

Cole’s uneasy feeling grew, and this time, hecouldn’t stop his gaze from traveling to the dragons. Two of thebeasts had crept closer and were only ten feet away.

He contemplated grabbing his father andrunning from this place, but the dragons would never let themgo.

“I want to believe you, Tove, I really do.However, though I have no children, I know the bond between aparent and their child is special. I do recall the love of myparents; my mother died to keep me alive,” the Lord said.

Cole wished his mother hadn’t been soselfless.

“I assure you, my Lord, that I would handover any traitor, son or not,” Tove replied.

The Lord tapped his fingers against his chinand stared down at them. “I truly want to believe you, but I can’t.Kill him.”

Cole had just processed the command when thedragon closest to them surged forward. With a snap of its powerfuljaws, it consumed the top half of his father’s body. Blood sprayedover Cole. His father had to be in serious pain, but he didn’t makea sound when the dragon chomped down again.

Cole twisted his head away when the next snapof those jaws caused another wave of hot blood to spray him. Andthen the dragon swallowed.

CHAPTER 63

It took a few seconds for the full impact of whathappened to hit him. In that time, Cole became acutely aware of theblood sliding down his face and dripping off his chin. Each drophitting the gray stone floor sounded like a gunshot fired inside asteel room.

His head slowly turned back to where he lastsaw the father he loved so much. In the place of the man who’d beenhis dad, mentor, and best friend was only a pool of red liquid.

The man who broke through his unbearablegrief over the loss of Cole’s mother and saved a lost boy who wasdrowning in his sorrow was gone. The man who, for a month after hismother’s death, had come into Cole’s room every night when he wokecrying.

When Cole proved to be inconsolable, hisfather would carry him into his room and settle him in his bed.Nestled against his dad’s side, Cole would finally fall asleepagain.

Over the following five months, his daddidn’t bother to put him in his room first but simply let him sleepbeside him from the night's start. Cole had outgrown such things,but he still recalled those nights and the love sheltering him evenafter his mother’s love was gone.

His father was as broken by her death, buthis love for Cole triumphed over his sorrow. During those troubleddays, he nursed his son back to life while a part of him remaineddead forever.

Then Cole’s shock and grief wore off, and awhite-hot fury the likes of which he’d never known erupted throughhim. It was so intense that his claws lengthened and his fangsextended as the lycan broke free in a way it never had before.

He launched himself at the dragon. Thecreature reared back as Cole sank his claws into its throat. Thedragon’s eyes rolled as Cole sawed at the wall of musclesurrounding its throat. The beast’s teeth snapped as it twisted itshead to get at him, but Cole was wedged up beneath its head and outof the way of its powerful jaws.

“Stand down!” the Lord bellowed, but Colebarely heard the command, and he didn’t obey it.

Animalistic snarls filled the room, and ittook him a couple of seconds to realize those sounds were comingfrom him. However, they were not enough to deter him. He waslost to the mindlessness of the wolf and the thirst forvengeance.

The dragon swiveled enough that teeth rakedhis arm. He ignored the agony and blood those teeth created as hehacked through sinew as thick as steel. Warm breath plumed againsthis back as the dragon twisted its head to snap at him.

Smoke burst from its nostrils, and secondsbefore it released a plume of fire, Cole slid to the side to avoidit. He was too lost in the bloodlust of the lycan to be able tocontrol those flames. The dragon’s fire blasted against its neckbut didn’t leave a mark on its flesh.

The blood soaking Cole dripped off and filledhis mouth as he slashed through the monster’s flesh. The metallicliquid caked his nostrils until he could barely breathe, but hecontinued to avoid the dragon’s jaws while seeking to destroy themonster.

Around him, the slithering sounds of theothers barely penetrated the beat of his heart rebounding in hisears.

“That is enough!” the Lord shouted. “Stayback!”

The command rebounded throughout the greathall, but Cole barely heard it as the dragon’s movements grewsluggish and its head tilted at a funny angle. Then its powerfuljaws sank onto his arm and clamped down.

The pain the bite created only fueled hisdesire to destroy as he sank the claws of his free hand into thegap he’d made in the beast’s neck. His flesh gave way as thedragon’s teeth scoured his bone.

As the creature sought to tear his arm fromhim, Cole lifted upward with his free hand. Sinew and skin gaveway, and a hissing scream issued from the dragon as he tore thething’s neck upward.

Bone cracked and popped as a rending soundfilled the air. The dragon bit down harder as its blood spilledover him.

Cole continued to pull upward until hesevered its spinal cord and it couldn’t hold onto him any longer.The dragon released its grip on his arm seconds before Colesucceeded in tearing its head the rest of the way off.

When the dragon’s head fell to the groundwith a