Shatter by Glass by Emmi Lawrence

Author:Emmi Lawrence [Lawrence, Emmi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: LGBT; Suspense; Paranormal
Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Published: 2014-10-14T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Like all the others before it, the storm left heaping piles of sand against every southward-facing wall and within every nook and crevice. I’d have to rake it from the outside causeway and help with the steps, but that could hold until later.

I’d woken Luca early for the funeral, kissing him softly in a way I’d have loved to do every morning. He’d been subdued since, but had given me a sweet—almost heartbreakingly sweet—smile when I questioned whether he was up to going.

The sun hadn’t yet broken the horizon when we arrived at the burial grounds, and yet dawn had the sky glowing pink in the east. The bulk of the Stormrocks sat to our left, some of the smaller mountains of rock edging into the burial grounds. At a distance, those smaller mounds looked like part of the grounds itself, blending among the wide cairns. The cairns were built thicker on the bottom to prevent the windswept sand from grinding them down too fast. The older the rock, the brighter it seemed.

The Meye family cairn was made from dusty red and gray rock. A shadow in the burial grounds. New and imposing. Along the outside, a steady, skilled hand had carved the names of Lake and Ellia’s parents. I couldn’t see, but I knew Dafid’s name had likely been added beneath them.

When we joined the small crowd gathered, Luca stepped closer to me. We didn’t touch, but I could feel his knuckles by mine, a graze away.

“There’s usually so many more people,” said Luca. “Is this the kind of send-off every conjurer could expect here?”

“This is the kind of send-off someone can expect when they cut ties with everyone they knew,” I responded quietly.

Luca sighed. “Guess he should be thankful his family is letting him lie with them.”

I ignored the bitter edge to Luca’s voice and glanced to where he’d been looking. Ellia stood stoically, a bright blue cloak flapping in the leftover gusts from the storm. Her daughter, Nilos, stood to one side, Lake to the other, both of them looking far more uncomfortable being here. If memory served, it was Adriano Lauritte standing behind Nilos, occasionally giving her an encouraging smile when she looked over her shoulder. Scratch that. The smile was far more suggestive than encouraging. Nilos knew it too by the flush that spread up her cheeks.

I glanced around quickly, catching sight of Marona standing near Issillo. She gave me a nod, her gaze drifting to Luca before she focused back on Dafid’s wrapped body.

In front of us, one of the men turned his head, and I almost did a double take. But Tadd Shuvano twisted just far enough for me to be sure that it was him. If I’d had any doubt, when I shifted to get a better look, I could see Valco standing nearby, his posture practically screaming that he’d rather be anywhere else right now.

Most of the others seemed to be friends of the family, probably come to support Ellia and Lake rather than see Dafid put to rest.

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