Read Online Lord of the Blade by Elizabeth Rose - Free Book Online

winding
staircase of the west tower of Torquey Castle.
    The baroness's tower.
    Orrick stood patiently at his side.
    "Go ahead, lad," prompted Orrick, placing
his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You must see that the amulet makes
its way to the baron's first born."
    Corbett's heart beat loudly in his chest and
his mouth went dry. He knew the baroness was giving birth above
stairs and if the thought of confronting the woman wasn't enough to
scare him, the idea of watching her give birth was. He could hear
her screams of pain echoing down the cold stone walls, and the
sound of the midwife desperately trying to comfort her. The wailing
reminded him of the dungeon at Blake Castle when his grandfather,
Lord Steepleton, saw to use it for prisoners of war. But that was
the sound of death. This was the sound of life. Not much different
in his mind.
    Corbett wasn't ignorant to the process of
birth. He'd been present when his own mother gave birth to his
sister, Wren. And If he hadn't been forced to leave his home at
Blake Castle two days earlier, he would have been present when she
gave birth to the twins as well.
    But this was different. The baroness was
frightening, and he had no desire to occupy the same room as her.
She had a deception about her. Corbett knew Orrick felt it too, but
wouldn't admit it.
    "Am I truly your apprentice, Orrick?"
Corbett felt honored to be assisting his father's best friend, but
he didn't really believe he had any of the qualities required to be
a sorcerer's apprentice. He was of fostering age and should be
raised by another lord to insure peace between the lands. He
wondered if this were his father's subtle way of telling him he
loved him - though he'd never said it. But being raised by a
sorcerer meant he’d never have the chance of becoming a knight like
his father.
    "You have the gift of prophecy, my son. I
realize you're young, but you show potential."
    "Prophecy?" Corbett studied the man's
wrinkled face, trying to understand. "Are you speaking of the
dreams I have that sometimes come true?"
    "They have more than once come true," smiled
Orrick. "You're special, my boy. Through your dreams you can see
what others cannot."
    Orrick might be right, but it didn't comfort
Corbett. He disliked Torquey Castle the moment he laid eyes on it.
It was dark and gloomy and the people feared the Baron of Torquey's
wife. The worst part was that his father, the baron's former
captain of the guard, would now be living back at Blake Castle
while Corbett's new home would be here. His grandfather, Lord of
Steepleton, had died two days earlier and now Evan Blake would be
returning home to rule in his place. Ironic, thought Corbett, that
his father finally returned and now he himself was to leave
instead.
    He already missed his younger sister, Wren,
and most of all his mother. How he wished he could be home to see
his new brother and sister. But Blake Castle was his past now. He
would be raised by Baron Torquey's sorcerer. He knew his father had
good intentions, but all Corbett had ever wanted was to follow in
his father's footsteps. Now he'd never be lord of a castle and
never use a blade the way his father did to protect his liege lord.
He'd never have the chance to go into battle with his head held
high, all because he was 'gifted' as they say.
    He toyed with the baby ring he wore on a
chain around his neck. It was a ring with the Blake crest of an
eagle. Corbett had received it on the day he was born, as well as
his younger sister, Wren. The new siblings would receive it too,
now. It was all he had to comfort him. His only remembrance of a
family so far away.
    Suddenly, Corbett’s dream was interrupted by
two green eyes. Devon’s eyes. They weren’t the eyes of passion, but
the eyes of torment and fear. They were once again calling out to
him for help.
    He shouted out and sat up in a sweat. He
grabbed for his dagger under his pillow, ready to kill anyone who
would harm this lovely woman. But there was no one there,