Read Online Born of Shadows by Sherrilyn Kenyon - Free Book Online Page A

slung ten feet away from them.
    It landed in the dust with a loud clatter.
    Throwing her head back and spilling her black hair across her shoulders, Narcissa let loose a fierce battle cry, then charged at her. Desideria barely caught herself before she stabbed her own sister through the heart—that was what she’d been trained to do when someone attacked her and they were stupid enough to leave her an opening. Yet even though it was their warrior’s code, she refused to kill Narcissa ing a practice fight.
    Even if it meant days of starvation for her.
    They’d already buried two sisters from training mishaps. Desideria had no desire to bury a third.
    Instead she allowed Narcissa to shove her to the ground where her sister rained blow after blow on her face. Desideria kicked her back, then flipped up to land on her feet. She moved in to retaliate.
    “Enough!”
    They froze at the shout from their trainer. At six feet in height, Kara was a well-trained soldier. Her short, slicked-back black hair matched Narcissa’s and they all shared the same sharp, exotic features and black eyes. Muscular and curvaceous, Kara and her twin sister had once been members of the High Guard for their queen. A queen who just happened to be Desideria’s mother and Kara’s older sister. Once Desideria and her four sisters had reached a trainable age, Kara had honorably quit the Guard to be their private instructor.
    Kara had been merciless to them ever since.
    Kill or be killed—that was her aunt’s only motto and it was one she strove to drive home to her nieces.
    “Narcissa, hit the showers. We’ll talk later about your outburst.”
    Narcissa curled her lip as she wiped the blood from her nose and glared at Desideria. Without a word, she headed across the ring for the stairs that would take her into the shower rooms.
    Her aunt turned that deep, fierce scowl on her. “You…”
    Desideria sighed in resignation as she ignored her bleeding lip and swelling eye. “Punishment. I know.” Well at least the good news was she’d lose some of the extra weight her mother always complained about her carrying. Not the way she wanted to do it, but…
    Kara glowered at her. “Why didn’t you strike when you had the chance?”
    Because Cissy may get on my nerves to the nth degree, but at the end of the day, she’s still my older sister and I love her. I would never really hurt her, never mind kill her. Desideria knew better than to even breathe a hint of that sentiment out loud. Kara would never understand it.
    She was Qillaq and they didn’t have those weaknesses.
    When she didn’t answer right away, her aunt grabbed her by the shirt and jerked her until they were nose to nose—an impressive feat since Desideria was a full six inches shorter. The force of her jerk caused Desideria’s braid to fall over her shoulder and dangle loosely down her back. “No mercy. Ever. No matter who it is. When you fight, any fight, your opponent is your enemy. Do you understand?”
    Desideria nodded.
    Her aunt shook her. “Do. You. Understand?”
    “Yes.”
    Kara slung her away and she barely caught herself before she went tumbling into the dirt. “Pathetic waste. Just like your worthless mongrel father.”
    Those words resonated deep inside her and before she could rein herself in, she attacked.
    Laughing at her audacity, Kara sidestepped her charge and unsheathed her own sword to engage her.
    Desideria hesitated as she realized what she’d done. But it was too late. She couldn’t back down. A challenge issued was a challenge met. To withdraw now would be an official and public beating.
    True to the nature of her people, her aunt was ruthless as she tried her best to kill her.
    But Desideria didn’t want to hurt her aunt any more than she’d wanted to kill her sister. It’s your father’s blood tainting you . That accusation had been made by everyone around her. And it was true. Unlike her sisters, she was only half Qillaq which made her less in the