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Chelsea Handler Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang (epub
Brit Brinson [Dia of the Dead Dia of the Dead (epub)
Cody Goodfellow [Radiant Dawn Radiant Dawn (epub)
Cate Tiernan [Immortal Belove Immortal Beloved (epub)
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Carl Ashmore [Time Hunters 01 The Time Hunters (epub)
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Clara Benson [Angela Marchmon The Incident at Fives Castle (e

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.As he glimpsed Lisanda’s mournful expression, he thought of Danvell Takary and of the sword the Elven woman had plunged into his chest.Are Sannil and Kalli safe? he thought, now worried for his father and sister.At least they weren’t in The Nest.The capital would be in the most danger of any town.Still, he needed to figure out Fatholl’s intentions for the sake of his family, not to mention Lisanda’s.There was only one thing he knew—whatever this was, it was only the beginning.Jek couldn’t look away from Lisanda as he watched sadness slowly overtake her, her eyes lowering, her body slouching.He could see the weight of her father’s death upon her now that the frenzy of their escape was done.It was tempting to halt everyone so he could dismount and hold her, but he refrained.Eventually, they were riding toward a corner of the palace.“What are we doing getting so close?” Vala asked, her concern evident.“It’s safe,” Micah assured her.Jek knew that Vala trusted Micah as much as he did, and it obviously was for this reason she didn’t object.Had it been anyone else, the Queen would’ve demanded a guarantee of her daughters’ safety.Jek hadn’t yet found the same crushing grief on her face and Jessend’s as he did when his eyes fell back on Lisanda, but he knew it was coming.Everyone grieved in their own way and in their own time.The sun had begun to set, and the crackle of a campfire broke through the noise of the wind.They passed between trees, and soon Jek found himself in a familiar opening with one palace wall casting a great shadow over him.The little blond man beside the fire jumped at the sight of them.“Is that you, Micah Vail?”“It is.”But before they could say more, a behemoth of a man crashed through the bushes and ran toward them like a dog catching scent of its master.The horses startled, many rearing up, others turning to flee.They all struggled to stay in their saddles.“Giant!” Goreng screamed at him.“You’re scaring our visitors!”Giant suddenly looked frightened himself.His clenched fists flailed around his chest, and his eyes went wide with shock.He grunted out something and ran to his brother, who was at least half his size.As they regained control of the horses, Jek jumped off and hurried to help Lisanda down, eager to touch her, to comfort her.Once she was standing, he crushed her to his chest.Her arms came up to squeeze him back.“What’s this all about?” she asked, showing no signs of letting go.“Nothing.” He kissed the top of her head.She smiled when they finally parted.Jek found Micah on his knees hugging Goreng.They were about the same height in that moment.Then Micah stood and opened his arms to Giant.The man grunted happily, lifting Micah off his feet and spinning him around as if he were a small child.“Who are these men who live so close to the palace?” Vala asked.The blue Takary cloak bearing the image of soaring wings made her tone no less regal than it already sounded.“Are they employed by us?”“My queen,” Micah said, “these are friends of mine.They’ve been an asset to the Takary family for many years.” Jek waited for Micah’s eyes to shift and give him a knowing look.But to his surprise, they didn’t.They were held by Vala’s gaze.Even as she walked by Micah toward Goreng, his worried glance followed her, expecting rebuke.She sighed but didn’t look back at him.“So many secrets,” she muttered.“I’m Vala Takary.” She clearly expected Goreng to bow.He did, even got to one knee to show the utmost respect.Giant mimicked his brother, though he was still taller than Vala on his knee, even with his head bowed.“Yes, yes—I recognized you, Queen Takary.It is the highest of honors to meet you in person.” Goreng reached his small hand toward hers.She let him take it, and he kissed the back of it sweetly.Giant laughed out a grunt, puckered his lips, and shoved his hand at her face like he wanted to snatch off her nose to kiss it.Vala stepped away from him just as Goreng took his brother’s hand, turned his palm up, and lowered it to the height of Vala’s stomach.She hesitantly placed her hand on his.“Gently,” Goreng whispered.Like a bear trying to drink from a delicate glass, Goreng carefully held the Queen’s slender hand as he brought his thick lips toward it.He was kissing the air as he moved closer, as if to practice.A hair away, he practically halted all movement.At the speed of molasses melting under the sun, he brought his lips to her golden-brown skin, feathering her hand with the faintest of kisses.Completely giddy, Giant jumped up—startling Vala into shrieking—and danced beneath the nearby canopy.Jek tried to hold in laughter, though Lisanda and Jessend giggled loudly, so he happily joined in.But Goreng was red with embarrassment.“I apologize about my brother,” he said, standing and bowing.“Your brother?” Vala exclaimed.“Is such a thing possible that he’s your blood brother?”“Yes, yes—we share the same blood.But he’s harmless, just like me, my queen.He won’t hurt anybody—I swear it.”“I see.And what are your names?”“I’m Goreng, and he’s known as Giant.We’re here to help with whatever you need.What brings all of you out this way and with all these guards?” Although the question was posed to Vala, Goreng let his eyes show that he knew Micah would be the one answering.“The palace has been taken,” the King’s adviser said, not as indignantly as one would expect, but with a deep sadness instead.“You probably shouldn’t stay here too long, just in case they find the secret passage in the Princesses’ dressing room.”Goreng’s fingers twiddled.“Yes, yes—I see.Is there time for tea?”This is what he asks? Jek was dumbfounded.He doesn’t care to know who took the palace or why, only if there’s time for tea?Micah let out a sound between a scoff and a chuckle.“Not for us.There are some matters Vala and I need to discuss.”“I wouldn’t mind some tea while we speak,” she said.“Certainly!” Goreng was delighted.“Yes, yes—I’ll put a kettle over the fire right now.”“Wait,” Micah said.But Goreng ran off, apparently pretending not to hear.“We could use some food as well,” Jessend said.“Don’t drink the tea,” Micah warned them, “unless I can convince him to make a separate pot for us.Give me a moment.” He joined Goreng by the fire.“Excuse me.” Lisanda left the group to set her tired body in a weathered chair by a battered table.Jek excused himself as well and followed her.He studied Lisanda’s face, soon recognizing the same expression of dejection as she’d worn when he’d kidnapped her from the palace, wrapped her in a filthy tarp, and made her walk for miles without food or water.He hadn’t seen her this miserable since then.Coming from behind, he bent and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.She lifted a hand to stroke his arm, letting out a sigh.“I’d always had a niggling fear that being king would get my father killed,” she muttered, careful to keep her voice low.“Half of them die before they reach old age.And now we don’t even know where my brother is or what he’s thinking of doing.He might try to take back the palace without gathering the rest of his army first.He’s always been half insane about family, power, revenge…” She took her hand off Jek’s arm to flutter it.“Those sorts of things.”Just hearing Lisanda speak, with her deep voice and lively accent, made Jek feel that everything could be fixed.“We’ll get through this,” he assured her.She rubbed his arm and nodded.“I’m so sorry about Danvell.”She nodded again.Tears pooled in her eyes, but she ruthlessly wiped them away as she furrowed her brow [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]