Queen of Secrets by Elizabeth Briggs

Author:Elizabeth Briggs [Briggs, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Eight

Garon

Things had been going so well. I’d protected Dahlia, cut down Corgin, and had nearly defeated Vermot when five other Ravens had emerged from the darkness and surrounded me the second my disguise vanished. That was when I’d realized they weren’t after Dahlia anymore—they were after me.

I’d managed to fight them off at first, but then they were on me. My sword was knocked from my hand and I lunged for it but was knocked down. I managed to slip away on my hands and knees, but a hand grabbed my ankle and held me back. I yanked hard and managed to free my foot from my boot, but then the others grabbed me moments later and threw a hood over my head. Something hard hit me, and everything went dark.

I came back to life when my feet banged against cobblestone and the cold air smelled of horses, piss, and chimney fire. We were in Ralston, where I assumed I was being dragged back to the Ravens’ headquarters for my punishment.

We stopped and someone performed a series of knocks on the door. Thinking quickly, I kicked off my second boot, hoping Dahlia might be able to find it somehow. A foolish notion, but all I had at the moment was fear, anger, and a dash of hope.

They dragged me inside and down the narrow halls, until I was tossed onto a cold floor, my hands bound behind my back and my ribs aching anew. Whatever tonic Fellina had given me must have worn off by now, along with my disguise.

Was Dahlia safe? Had she taken Nial down? That was all that mattered. Except if they killed me now, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t go after Dahlia again. As long as Kabel was alive, he would be a threat to her.

Someone ripped the hood off my head and I blinked at the sudden brightness from the torches on the wall. My stepfather stepped out of the shadows in front of me, while Vermot stood behind him. Other members of the Ravens watched from the sidelines, but didn’t interfere. Traya was one of them and she gave me a quick nod, reminding me of what she’d said earlier.

Kabel loomed over me, rubbing his hands together. “We gave you a mission and you failed to complete it. Upon your return, you were punished for your insolence. But instead of accepting your punishment, you escaped and betrayed us.” He drew his sword, which was inlaid with onyx and had black birds flying across the metal—the sword of the Raven Master. “And now you must pay.”

I glared up at him. “You betrayed us first. The Ravens used to work for the royal family of Talador. It was our duty to protect the kingdom from threats both within and without. But you’ve twisted our purpose in a quest for money and power. You’ve turned us into lowly mercenaries and thugs.” I forced myself to get to my knees, though it was difficult with my hands bound behind my back and my ribs still aching.

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.