Daughter of the Wolf (Pathway of the Chosen Book 2) by Cat Bruno

Author:Cat Bruno [Bruno, Cat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Painted Quill Press
Published: 2015-12-27T00:00:00+00:00

*****

“All I ask is for you to meet him.”

“He is the son of a whore.”

“His mother, from what I know of her, was no such thing. She was priestess in training when Crispin met her,” Caryss countered, trying to keep her words even.

“The boy’s mother was born in a brothel, a daughter of a whore,” Herrin mumbled, gruff and grave. “There will be none such who carry my name.”

She nearly laughed at his anger, for he was lying half-naked, his robe sweat-soaked and stained as the poppy milk withdrawal continued. Herrin was still weak, and, even now, his eyes were fog-touched and his hands trembled. The king, as it was, seemed less like a threat and more like a doddering old man, she thought.

As she wiped his chest with a soap-scented linen, she told him, “Perhaps he will not want your name, my lord.”

His rash-covered, pock-marked hand struck her cheek as he waved it about in dismissal of her words. But the King was frail, and the pain was slight as Caryss continued to wash him.

“All men want the Mannacore name,” Herrin told her, his hands falling wanly to his sides.

“He is a boy,” she scolded, “And wants what any might. A chance to explore and learn beyond his mother’s skirts.”

For a moment, the King’s eyes cleared and he looked at her as he said, “Your plan is for the Islander to teach him the ways of the sword.”

Part-accusation, part-question, Caryss hesitated before answering. “If that is what the boy wishes.”

“What interest do you have in him?” the King asked, more alert than he had been since her arrival in the King’s City.

Herrin still did not know about her own babe, although nearly all else did as soon as they looked upon her. Caryss thought long on how to explain, knowing that she could not be completely truthful with Herrin, even now.

“It was the boy who found me, King Herrin. On the eve that I entered the Grand Palace, I spotted him.”

“Impossible!” the King cried, trying to sit up.

Holding him down gently, Caryss explained, “He was not there in the flesh, but in vision, following after Crispin as a dog would to his master. Yet Crispin could not see him, nor could the others. I talked to him that night and told him I would come, if he so wanted. He has known nothing but farm life for ten moon years nearly, and the boy grows anxious and bored. That is what I have promised him, the chance to see Cordisia.”

After a moment, Herrin told her, “He will not be safe once his identity becomes known.”

“Then none will know him. Do you even recall his name?” she asked, pulling the soiled robe from him as she realized the King was not arguing against actually finding the boy.

With a snort, he muttered, “I cannot recall what Crispin called him, but know that it was not a Rexterran name.”

Herrin shivered while she searched for a clean tunic. Caryss had crossed the room, yet heard his words all the same.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.