Read Online Shadow's End (Light & Shadow) by Moira Katson - Free Book Online Page A

passionate, Miriel had never had trouble persuading others to join her cause; even I, cautious to a fault, had agreed from the start. But Jeram would have none of it.
    “Join the Army ?” He stared at her as if she had gone mad.
    “You would not have to join it,” I offered. “Your men are trained, now, to disrupt a march. They can break the Ismiri supply chains, spoil rations, set horses free. We could have them pick off soldiers as they march—anything could give the Royal Army the advantage that tips the balance.”
    “I’m not risking them for this,” he said flatly. “What have they done, that they should pay for the sins of the nobles?”
    “It’s not just the nobles—“ Miriel began, but the Merchant cut her off.
    “My Lady, I must agree with Jeram.” His tone was regretful, and he held up a hand to stop her protests. “You are a kind girl,” he said, “with a gentle heart. A caring, woman’s heart.” Miriel’s eyes flashed at this, but the man did not notice. “It is bitter to leave the farmers to stand alone against the Ismiri, yes. But we must safeguard our own men.”
    “For what?” Miriel cried. “What greater cause could there be than this?”
    “ I must give them a fighting chance against the Royal Army.” Jeram leaned against the hearth and crossed his arms. “Let those soldiers deplete their strength against Dusan’s forces—then we may be in a position to meet them in open battle.”
    “No,” Miriel said, bewildered. “Those men are not your enemies now.”
    “They could be. We will not fight them if we do not have to do so—but neither will we aid them.” He spoke as if she was a fool, as if her worry was weakness, and I felt my own anger awaken. This was not an echo of Miriel’s passion, it was the burning coil of resentment that had gone unspoken for so many weeks, here in the heart of the rebellion.
    “You’re leaving your countrymen to die.” My pulse was roaring in my ears. “Families. Children. We could move quickly enough to save some of them. You would be the saviors of the nation, the Council would be beholden to you.”
    “The Lords would never give us that credit.” Jeram’s face twisted. “They’d hang us as soon as look at us, and savor the peace we earned for them while we rotted in our graves.”
    “Wilhelm—“ Miriel began heatedly, but she was cut off.
    “Wilhelm is a King. A King . He is a Warlord. He is no friend to the people—and you, My Lady—“ Jeram broke off, breathing hard, and continued in a voice that reminded me eerily of the Duke. “ You must decide whether it is the rebellion you support, or the nobles. We’ll waste no time on traitors.”
    “Perhaps it would be better if we discussed this in the morning.” The Merchant was between them, placatory, but Miriel pushed past him.
    “No,” she said tightly. “We end this now.”
    “You don’t want that,” Jeram warned, and the Merchant put up his hands just as I reached for the dagger in my boot.
    “In the morning,” he repeated. “We will make decisions in the morning. My Lady, I believe you and your servant should retire for the night. Aron will escort you.” I cast Miriel a look, but there was nothing to be done—aside from bolting, we had no choice. Reluctant to break the only outside alliance we had left, we followed his man up to our rooms, and my cheeks burned to see his smirk at our misfortune. As he closed the door behind us, I saw him smile, and my blood ran cold. I knew that smile. That was a killer’s smile.
    The key turned in the lock, and I looked over to Miriel, who stood frozen with fear. She had seen his smile. She knew it as well. It was Kasimir’s smile, Gerald Conradine’s smile. It was the smile Guy de la Marque had worn during the few short weeks that Miriel was a Queen-in-waiting. It was a smile that promised us that death stalked us, and that it would wait for its moment.
    “They’re going to kill us,” Miriel said , panic rising in her