A Sea of Broken Glass: A Dark Flintlock Fantasy (The Lady & The Darkness Book 1) by Sonya M. Black

Author:Sonya M. Black [Black, Sonya M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781733739313
Publisher: Sonya M. Black
Published: 2019-03-19T04:00:00+00:00

***

Bran was dragged awake by rough hands. His sleep addled brain barely had a chance to process his surroundings before he was thrown into a chair. Leather straps were drawn tight around his ankles, and another was pulled across his chest. The manacles that still held his arms behind his back dug into his tailbone.

“Did you touch him?” Commander Merrick’s cold voice asked from the shadows.

The guard that had dragged Bran into the room offered Merrick a salute. “No, sir.”

“Good, you can leave.”

The click of a door closing was the only sound in the room. Merrick tangled his hand in Bran’s hair and pulled hard enough to make his eyes water. He stared at a spot on the wall and focused on breathing.

“What are you doing in this part of the world?” The sickly-sweet smell of wine mixed with rot assailed Bran as Merrick spoke. “You’re after the girl, aren’t you? You’re her Shield after all.”

A few strands of Bran’s hair pulled free before the pressure against his scalp eased. He’d never liked Merrick. The man had the same lust for power that ate at Tolbert. The main difference was that Merrick’s taste for wine and women left him little time for climbing the ranks. He was easy prey for someone planting demons among the paladins.

“I can track her, you know,” Merrick murmured in Bran’s ear. “It’s not hard. Just follow the taint in her blood.”

Bran’s forehead knotted up. What was Merrick talking about? Had Ris fallen prey to the Darkness? He struggled against his bonds. He had to get out of there. Had to get to Ris.

“That touched a nerve.” Merrick leaned in close and inhaled, his breath brushing Bran’s cheek. “Ah, there it is. The fear. So lovely.”

Bran stilled. Breathe. He forced himself to relax. To release his fear and focus only on inhaling and exhaling.

“Your precious charge is headed south. The only thing that direction is the Bonelands. Is she trying to find the Heart?”

The question caught Bran off guard, and the Lady’s request came back to him. Unseal her magic and find the Heart. He had refused the Lady, but had she asked Ris as well? Had Ris accepted the request? He had to escape to keep Ris from doing something stupid and reckless.

“It doesn’t matter if you don’t say anything. I’ll be able to find her, no matter where she goes.” The surety in Merrick’s voice sent a thread of cold unease racing through him.

“What do you mean?” The question slipped out before Bran could stop it.

“Ha! The mighty Lord of Light doesn’t know.” Merrick offered a wicked smile. “I can’t believe you haven’t remembered after all this time. Your precious charge is a descendant of both the Lady and the Darkness.”

“Light,” Bran whispered. How could he have forgotten? He’d been so focused on protecting the Lady’s family line from discovery that he’d neglected to take into account the other side of her heritage.

Merrick’s eyes sparked with delight. “As long as she is away from her Shield, I can find her no matter where she hides.

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