Read Online Born Of Fire And Darkness (Book 2) by India Drummond - Free Book Online Page B

creature. Although I find your reticence charming at the moment, that will not always be the case. Do not make the same mistake as your mistress. Do not underestimate my power… or my hunger.”
    “I will consider your words carefully.” He bowed to her and the boy before turning to go. My son.
    Graiphen knew he must be careful. A wrong choice would mean death. But which path was right?

Chapter 7
    Korbin could see that every mile he and Octavia moved away from Vol tortured her. She seemed plagued by guilt at leaving her people behind; still, she did not complain aloud.
    Because Octavia was in a hurry to reach Durjin and even more so to do her business and return, she requested the carriage move every moment possible of the daylight hours, rather than a more leisurely, comfortable pace. Since the carriage, the wagon that carried their belongings, horses, two drivers, and a servant had all been commanded by the emperor to assist however Korbin instructed them, he received no argument at the rush.
    Each night, they stopped at an inn that had been arranged and prepared for them. They received the best room available and every innkeeper fawned over them, offering anything they might need. Octavia received the offers politely, but she was quiet and distant. She joined Korbin at meals, but immediately afterward, would steal away alone to practice her meditations.
    She had brought only one small bag, while he had packed three large trunks. He supposed she had no clothes appropriate for court, and when he spoke to her about buying the necessary garments, she gave him a level look that made him wish he hadn’t mentioned it.
    “If the emperor wants my advice so badly that he’ll disrupt my life and work for it, he won’t care what I’m wearing,” she said.
    Korbin didn’t agree with the assessment but kept silent, knowing he was fortunate to have been able to talk her into going at all.
    More than once, through an inn wall, he heard her shout in the night. The first time, he rushed to her door to see if she was all right. When he knocked, she answered in a thick, sleepy voice, telling him she’d only had a dream. That night, he sat in the darkness, listening hard, but when he heard no more sounds, he eventually went back to his own fitful sleep.
    On the journey, they made idle chatter, and he learned more about her new apprentice. He spoke of moving into Eliam’s house and the joys and trials that accompanied that. Octavia told him about some of her more interesting cases and her frustration with her newfound popularity. He talked about the constant jockeying in the senate.
    They never spoke about what they’d faced together, of the deaths and pain, how they felt, what they hoped for, what they feared. She’d made it clear that talk of the past was off-limits. The wounds were still too raw and painful for her. He wished she could open up but he didn’t want to force his desires on her, so he respected her silence.
    After ten days of hard travel, they arrived in Durjin one evening, their carriage taking them through the city to an inn where they would stay as the emperor’s guests. The servant who had accompanied them unloaded their trunks and sent a message to the palace announcing their arrival.
    Korbin feared they might be kept waiting for days or even weeks. The emperor had a reputation for reclusiveness, and even though he’d been the one to send for them, Korbin understood the often unpredictable nature of powerful men. His father had been one such man, probably still was. Graiphen would often call a lower-ranked person, even another Dul, demanding to see him immediately, only to keep the man waiting half the day.
    Korbin was surprised, then, that the next morning when he and Octavia sat in the inn’s dining hall over breakfast of smoked ham and prune compote, an imperial messenger interrupted their meal with a reply from the palace. Korbin read the scroll before handing it to Octavia.
    “After lunch? He plans to