The Blood Mage Chronicles The Complete Series by Saffron Bryant

Author:Saffron Bryant
Format: epub

Chapter 5

A sudden cramping pain in Ash’s stomach wrenched him awake and he gasped for breath with winded lungs. He curled into a ball and wrapped his arms over his head.

“Get up, you wretched vermin!” His mother landed another solid kick to Ash’s side.

Ash scrambled to his feet and pressed his back against the far wall. Rae was already there, her hair tussled. The wood against Ash’s back left a chill along his spine and scratched him with splinters. The pale light of early dawn leaked through the hole in the roof and bathed their room in pink tones.

Their mother looked like a demon from the Book of Truth. Her bloodshot eyes squinted at them from beneath a tangled web of black hair and her lips pulled back from her teeth in a silent snarl.

“Just because it’s the Day of Talon doesn’t mean you can laze about! We’ve got to be at the temple by midmorning, and you two have got a lot to do by then.”

She staggered away from the door and back into the kitchen. The crumpled dress she’d been wearing the day before sported patches of dirt and spilled drink, and she left a trailing stench of sweat and vomit.

Rae and Ash shared a glance before pulling on their ragged coats. It was going to be one of those days. They hurried out of their room, through the kitchen, and out of the front door as fast as they could.

The crisp morning air wrapped around them and brought bumps to Ash’s skin. He hugged his chest as he slipped on his thin boots. His stomach rumbled, gnawing hunger chewing at the edges.

“We haven’t eaten since lunch yesterday,” Rae said.

Ash grimaced. Given their mother’s mood, they weren’t likely to eat again for quite some time.

“Your leg looks better.”

Ash glanced down at the stitches running down his calf. He’d almost forgotten the injury and the dull throbbing had become an occasional twinge.

“Thanks to you,” he said.

Rae grinned. “Come on, Mylk will want milking.”

They climbed down the ladder and took the metal bucket from the side of the house to where Mylk stood tied to the stilts, chewing on a wilted patch of gray grass.

Rae stood in front of Mylk’s face and patted her forehead while Ash tucked the bucket underneath. After a few pulls, warm milk squirted, splashing the sides and steaming in the cold morning air.

“Did you bring the cups?” Ash said.

Rae didn’t take her eyes from Mylk as she pulled two small glasses from her jacket and tossed them to Ash. He took the first and dipped it into the bucket of milk. “The usual for you, madam?”

“Please,” Rae said with a grin.

Ash handed her the warm glass of milk before scooping up his own. It tasted like heaven on his tongue and went a small way to filling the gaping hole in his stomach.

Rae finished her glass and wiped the white mustache from her upper lip. “That was amazing. What would we do without old Mylk?”

“Probably starve to death.

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