The Duelist 9 by Eric Vall

Author:Eric Vall [Vall, Eric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-06-10T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Zoie and Sha-Kane stood opposite one another, with their shoulders squared and their jaws set in a standoff.

“How long have you known?” Zoie demanded of the osprey-man, and his feathers literally ruffled with irritation and maybe a hint of shame.

“Since Horus was born,” he answered. “Their mother, Alana, she and I…”

“Why haven’t you told them?” Zoie snapped, and her cat ears pressed back flat against her head. I was again taken aback by her ferocity, but of course she had never been the type to lie down and accept an injustice, especially against those she considered her family. “Doler was cruel to them. Why did you condemn them to his parenting?”

“I thought it was for the best, at the time,” Sha-Kane explained, and there was no missing the edge of indignation to how he spoke. Part of him was angered at how Zoie was speaking to him, even though he knew she had every right to be suspicious and hurt on behalf of Shay and Horus.

“And now?” Zoie asked. “Archus Doler is dead. He has been for some time. What possible reason could you have to continue hiding this from them? Do you not wish for them to know their true father?”

“There is nothing I wish more fervently,” the Councilman answered in a cold tone. “They are my blood, my children, and I could not be prouder of their accomplishments. But I have my reasons. I do not wish to besmirch their honor with my past mistakes. There are things I must yet contend with, so I will thank you to let family affairs stay within the family.”

“Shay and Horus are my family,” Zoie said, and her blue eyes glittered with determination. “Shay is my wife just as she is Alex’s. Horus is my brother by law. I would protect them with my life.”

“And for that, you have my thanks,” Sha-Kane said. “Truly. But you must understand, I have no wish to hurt them. I simply want to be a worthy man when I tell them the truth. I don’t want Horus to have to inherit the burden of my past mistakes.”

Zoie leaned back slightly as she realized just what the osprey-man meant, and her eyes went wide.

“You owe a blood debt,” she said softly, and I saw her posture change from defensive to stunned. “Don’t you?”

Sha-Kane bowed his head in what was both a nod and an admission of shame. “I do. And I will do whatever it takes to see Horus and Shale-Lea never have to pay for more of the mistakes I made in my youth. So, please, I beg you, don’t tell them just yet. I swear I will, just as I swore to Alex.”

“You knew?” Zoie turned to face me, and her expression was shocked.

“Only since we went to check out the pirate loot,” I said quickly. “And he said the same to me, that he had affairs to sort out, that he wanted to make sure he was worthy before dumping a major reveal on them like that.

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