Read Online Kindle the Flame (Heart of a Dragon Book 1) by Tamara Shoemaker - Free Book Online
Authors: Tamara Shoemaker
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nose, he'd lost control again.
This time the palace guards had been nowhere near the room; there had been no one to spread rumors and hate-mongering among the servants, no fear of his actions leaking out to the general populace. Olivia’s deadened responses to his advances had both infuriated and dismayed him again. She had been like a corpse in his arms.
Two months later, when Olivia's maidservant had come for him one morning, pale and trembling, it had severely frightened him. He'd braced himself for news of Olivia’s death.
“She is in a family way, Your Grace.”
He'd sat immobile upon the throne he had won from his brother, the one his men fought to keep from the usurper, Nicholas Erlane. His mind had reeled in a thousand wheels of fire, articulate speech roaming far from him.
He, Sebastian, a father!
Sebastian, the lesser brother, the one who had always lived in Liam's shadow, the sire of progeny? Let the people favor Liam's twins if they dared. Liam was dead. He, Sebastian, had produced an heir!
If only his parents could have seen him so victorious! He would have spit in their faces.
He pulled himself from his memories and sat up. He stared at Selena, her face poised in the forgetfulness of sleep, and ran a finger across her cheek. Standing, he wrapped his robe about him and exited the room for the terrace.
He'd been so careful. The finest foods had made their way to Olivia's chambers, the best wines. Liam's twin brats were never allowed near their mother, and their high-pitched cries for her had been shuttered in the nursery.
Sebastian had visited Olivia every day, carefully touching her belly where his child grew, marveling at the tiny kicks that met his hands.
The night the child came, the healers and apothecaries surrounding the queen's bed had shaken their heads, their faces shadowed with gray despair. The babe had come too early, there had been too much blood.
By morning, Sebastian's heir, a boy not much bigger than his hand, had lain curled with Olivia on the furs. The spark of life had fled from them both.
When word came to Sebastian, he'd locked himself in his chambers, by turns hurling furniture at the stone walls and collapsing on his bed in gasping, heaving sobs.
When at last reason had returned to him, he'd calmly ordered the death of Liam's twins. If his son could not sit on the throne of Lismaria, neither should his brother's. Not in this world or the next, if there was such a world.
Sebastian's hands cramped where they gripped the terrace railing, his memory foaming darkness as he remembered the urgent cry of his messenger. “They're gone, Your Grace!”
In passion and fury, he'd spurred his men into action, spitting out the dooming words, “Find them. And then kill them.”
He'd pulled more soldiers than he could spare from his army to search for the twins, but they had disappeared as surely as steam in direct sunlight.
Liam's line still lived. But Sebastian would never stop searching for them. He'd sent men across Lismaria, and later West Ashwynd, but the children were nowhere to be found. As time wore on, he'd given up hope that he would stumble across them. But they were always there, always in the back of his mind. As long as Liam's blood remained, Sebastian's throne would never be safe.
Sebastian glanced over his Tournament fields, his jaw tightening. Perhaps the twins were dead; perhaps they had been killed somewhere along the way. But he could never rest in complete peace until he was sure.
Chapter Five
Kinna
K inna reached the bottom of the stairs, her head pounding with the anger that had begun when the blond boy on the viewing loft had demanded that she give up her space.
How dare he? Presuming that he was the only one that could fit into a good four spans of space. How big did he think he really was?
Granted, he may have had a point that he needed to be near an exit in case the necessity arose for his quick flight to the arena, but still ... the arrogance.
She
This time the palace guards had been nowhere near the room; there had been no one to spread rumors and hate-mongering among the servants, no fear of his actions leaking out to the general populace. Olivia’s deadened responses to his advances had both infuriated and dismayed him again. She had been like a corpse in his arms.
Two months later, when Olivia's maidservant had come for him one morning, pale and trembling, it had severely frightened him. He'd braced himself for news of Olivia’s death.
“She is in a family way, Your Grace.”
He'd sat immobile upon the throne he had won from his brother, the one his men fought to keep from the usurper, Nicholas Erlane. His mind had reeled in a thousand wheels of fire, articulate speech roaming far from him.
He, Sebastian, a father!
Sebastian, the lesser brother, the one who had always lived in Liam's shadow, the sire of progeny? Let the people favor Liam's twins if they dared. Liam was dead. He, Sebastian, had produced an heir!
If only his parents could have seen him so victorious! He would have spit in their faces.
He pulled himself from his memories and sat up. He stared at Selena, her face poised in the forgetfulness of sleep, and ran a finger across her cheek. Standing, he wrapped his robe about him and exited the room for the terrace.
He'd been so careful. The finest foods had made their way to Olivia's chambers, the best wines. Liam's twin brats were never allowed near their mother, and their high-pitched cries for her had been shuttered in the nursery.
Sebastian had visited Olivia every day, carefully touching her belly where his child grew, marveling at the tiny kicks that met his hands.
The night the child came, the healers and apothecaries surrounding the queen's bed had shaken their heads, their faces shadowed with gray despair. The babe had come too early, there had been too much blood.
By morning, Sebastian's heir, a boy not much bigger than his hand, had lain curled with Olivia on the furs. The spark of life had fled from them both.
When word came to Sebastian, he'd locked himself in his chambers, by turns hurling furniture at the stone walls and collapsing on his bed in gasping, heaving sobs.
When at last reason had returned to him, he'd calmly ordered the death of Liam's twins. If his son could not sit on the throne of Lismaria, neither should his brother's. Not in this world or the next, if there was such a world.
Sebastian's hands cramped where they gripped the terrace railing, his memory foaming darkness as he remembered the urgent cry of his messenger. “They're gone, Your Grace!”
In passion and fury, he'd spurred his men into action, spitting out the dooming words, “Find them. And then kill them.”
He'd pulled more soldiers than he could spare from his army to search for the twins, but they had disappeared as surely as steam in direct sunlight.
Liam's line still lived. But Sebastian would never stop searching for them. He'd sent men across Lismaria, and later West Ashwynd, but the children were nowhere to be found. As time wore on, he'd given up hope that he would stumble across them. But they were always there, always in the back of his mind. As long as Liam's blood remained, Sebastian's throne would never be safe.
Sebastian glanced over his Tournament fields, his jaw tightening. Perhaps the twins were dead; perhaps they had been killed somewhere along the way. But he could never rest in complete peace until he was sure.
Chapter Five
Kinna
K inna reached the bottom of the stairs, her head pounding with the anger that had begun when the blond boy on the viewing loft had demanded that she give up her space.
How dare he? Presuming that he was the only one that could fit into a good four spans of space. How big did he think he really was?
Granted, he may have had a point that he needed to be near an exit in case the necessity arose for his quick flight to the arena, but still ... the arrogance.
She
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