Read Online Rise of the Mare (Fall of Man Book 2) by Jacqueline Druga - Free Book Online Page A

you believe that Nito was the
reason for the attack?”
    “She drew them in.”
    “On what basis do you make this
accusation?” he asked of me.
    “I followed the beast,” I answered.
“I locked on to my sister as it carried her away and it took her to
Nito.”
    “If Nito had nothing to do with it,
then why did the beast not just devour the child like everyone
else?” Iry pointed out. “He took her to Nito. Also, how did the
flock make it beyond the watchful eye of the master gatekeepers?
There are gatekeepers to protect all of the Straits, they would
have to know the vulnerable entrances to get in, and we know they
do not think that deeply.”
    “There is talk that they followed her
here,” the Elder said. “That she brought them with her.”
    I shook my head in disbelief. “And
they took my sister?”
    “Why should I believe the woman?” the
Elder asked Iry.
    “For the same reason Nito did this,”
Iry replied. “Nito wants her because she is a Mare. A Mare cannot
lie.”
    “This is true.” He reached out and
touched me. I recoiled, not before his bony, ice cold hand locked
on to my shoulder. I felt his presence drain me. When he did, for a
split second his hideous face turned normal, then transformed
again. He hissed a breath. “Very well. This is a crime against her
own. She must appear before the king. The king shall hold court,
and it will take place today midday.”
    “No,” Iry argued. “The king is Nito’s
father. They are joined by the same bloodline. He will protect
her.”
    Iry had to be speaking wrong, they
did not share the same blood line. Sybaris could not have children.
That was why they took human infants, raised them as their own,
then turned them as adults.
    “The king is fair,” said the Elder.
“Because she is a Mare, he also has the ability to pull the
information forward for the court to decide. I have that ability as
well, but it would drain her and she is too vital to you and to us.
She has chosen you is that not correct?”
    Iry looked at me and I nodded.
    “Then she is your responsibility. You
know what you need to do?”
    “ What?” I asked. “What do you
need to do?” Iry hushed me.
    The cloaked Elder pulled his hood
back over his face and stepped into the darkness. “You have not
long to prepare her. Once the sun crosses the high sky and moves
west you will need to go to the High Court.”
    “We will, and thank you.” Iry took me
by my arm and led me from the lair.
    “What do you need to do with me?” I
asked again. “What is he talking about?”
    “I’ll tell you later, once we get to
the city of the Ancients.”
    I pulled away. “What about my
sister?”
    “If we want to help Sophie, then we
need to go about it correctly. And that is by going to the high
court.”
    “Why do they care? Why would they
choose to help me? We are human, after all.”
    “Nito committed a high crime. She
deliberately caused the loss of life to over two hundred
humans.”
    “Again, why would they care?”
    We arrived at the waiting vehicle and
he opened the door for me.
    “Because we have promised to protect
you,” Iry replied, “and more so, by causing the death of so many,
as harsh as it sounds, she shorted our food supply.”
    My mouth dropped open.
    He shrugged. “Sorry.”
    I got inside the vehicle and sunk
into my seat. “Swell,” I muttered, like I heard Tanner say a
hundred times.
    We set off on our journey to the City
of the Ancients.

TWENTY - TANNER
     
    “ You want to do what? ” Davis asked me.
    I had approached him with what I
thought was a really cool idea.
    He scratched his head, looked at me,
and chuckled. “You’re nuts.” Then he proceeded to move about his
office barking orders to the team.
    “I’m serious.”
    “Tanner, I commend you for being
ambitious. I’m actually implementing one of your suggestions right
now. We have the weapons, we have the manpower, and now you want to
change it up?”
    “In a way.”
    Davis threw up his