By Vengeance Guided (The Lost Shrines Book 1) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Amberlyn Holland
he did for the girls tonight. Track Liadan down. Judge her. If she is guilty, punish her and free me from this curse."
"Those girls already had the knowledge to call for my help. You do not. I chose to give them the words that would unleash my Attribute. I will not give that to you."
Daen narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but Caerwyn held up a hand to forestall him.
"I am not saying no, but I will need some time to think on it."
The Prince glanced from Caerwyn to his three Hounds in human form and nodded. A grim smile graced his lips when he spoke. "Of course. I'll check on our host and see if he's managed to scrounge up suitable accommodations."
As soon as he exited the room, Maddyn was at Caerwyn's side, shaking his head in exasperation. "You can't seriously be considering getting involved in this human's mess?"
"Yeah," Phelan came up to flank his brother's side. "The guy's obsessed with some girl. The girl gives him the brush off. Now he's out to prove it must be her fault, not his. Story old as time."
"I think there may be more going on here," Caerwyn said.
"No," Maddyn said, putting a firm hand on Caer's bicep. "You want there to be more going on here, just because Hafgan's name came up."
"Seven years," Caerwyn growled, standing toe-to-toe with Maddyn. "Seven years I have been denied vengeance."
"It's our oldest law," Phelan said calmly, trying to get between the two snarling men. "We cannot use our Attributes in service for ourselves."
Caerwyn closed his eyes and allowed his posture to soften. His anger wasn't at Maddyn. He knew the Hounds had loved his parents as much as he had. That they wanted Hafgan to pay as much as he did.
"I've been searching for seven years to bring the Isles' Council proof that Hafgan is a danger. To find some way to get them to allow me to go after him. I have six weeks until the solstice. Six weeks until the Council meets again to find some proof. To find something, anything that will convince them he is a danger to humans and Milesans alike."
"You think this woman, this Liadan, is the key? You truly believe Daen isn't simply another love-sick puppy? That she somehow enchanted him? She put her valley at risk for what gain?"
"You heard him. At the time, she wouldn't have been putting the valley at risk. She was trying to move ahead. Now that she is in charge, maybe she is only scrambling to undo it."
"There's a lot of guess work and maybes. All on the word of a man who admits he's obsessed and irrational on this particular subject."
Caerwyn shook his head and laughed, a sound devoid of any humor. "I've got nothing better to do for the next six weeks."
The room was silent when Daen returned. The Prince's face remained smooth and unperturbed by the perusal he received from all four men.
Caerwyn broke the silence. "I will look into your request. If I feel there is merit, I will give you the words to call on my Attribute."
He stood close to Daen, allowing his six-inch height advantage to make its own statement. "You realize, if I choose to loose my Vengeance on your behalf, neither of us will have a say in the outcome. The hand of the Goddess will guide my Attribute to its appropriate judgment. I can't guarantee you will get anything you want or feel you deserve."
The Prince blinked then a serpentine smile crawled across his face sending a spike of disquiet along Caer's nerves but he stood his ground.
"I understand. I trust the Goddess to offer something…appropriate. You will do it then?"
"I will investigate, but I will need to find some proof sorcery was involved for it to be severe enough to rouse my Attribute. Otherwise, it is simply the kind of games played between men and women for millennia."
The smile faltered and something dark slithered in and out of Daen's eyes.
"I'm sure you'll find Vengeance is the only answer to these circumstances."
*****
The sweet, illogical babble spilling from Tanis soothed Lia's nerves in a way nothing else could.
"Those girls already had the knowledge to call for my help. You do not. I chose to give them the words that would unleash my Attribute. I will not give that to you."
Daen narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to speak, but Caerwyn held up a hand to forestall him.
"I am not saying no, but I will need some time to think on it."
The Prince glanced from Caerwyn to his three Hounds in human form and nodded. A grim smile graced his lips when he spoke. "Of course. I'll check on our host and see if he's managed to scrounge up suitable accommodations."
As soon as he exited the room, Maddyn was at Caerwyn's side, shaking his head in exasperation. "You can't seriously be considering getting involved in this human's mess?"
"Yeah," Phelan came up to flank his brother's side. "The guy's obsessed with some girl. The girl gives him the brush off. Now he's out to prove it must be her fault, not his. Story old as time."
"I think there may be more going on here," Caerwyn said.
"No," Maddyn said, putting a firm hand on Caer's bicep. "You want there to be more going on here, just because Hafgan's name came up."
"Seven years," Caerwyn growled, standing toe-to-toe with Maddyn. "Seven years I have been denied vengeance."
"It's our oldest law," Phelan said calmly, trying to get between the two snarling men. "We cannot use our Attributes in service for ourselves."
Caerwyn closed his eyes and allowed his posture to soften. His anger wasn't at Maddyn. He knew the Hounds had loved his parents as much as he had. That they wanted Hafgan to pay as much as he did.
"I've been searching for seven years to bring the Isles' Council proof that Hafgan is a danger. To find some way to get them to allow me to go after him. I have six weeks until the solstice. Six weeks until the Council meets again to find some proof. To find something, anything that will convince them he is a danger to humans and Milesans alike."
"You think this woman, this Liadan, is the key? You truly believe Daen isn't simply another love-sick puppy? That she somehow enchanted him? She put her valley at risk for what gain?"
"You heard him. At the time, she wouldn't have been putting the valley at risk. She was trying to move ahead. Now that she is in charge, maybe she is only scrambling to undo it."
"There's a lot of guess work and maybes. All on the word of a man who admits he's obsessed and irrational on this particular subject."
Caerwyn shook his head and laughed, a sound devoid of any humor. "I've got nothing better to do for the next six weeks."
The room was silent when Daen returned. The Prince's face remained smooth and unperturbed by the perusal he received from all four men.
Caerwyn broke the silence. "I will look into your request. If I feel there is merit, I will give you the words to call on my Attribute."
He stood close to Daen, allowing his six-inch height advantage to make its own statement. "You realize, if I choose to loose my Vengeance on your behalf, neither of us will have a say in the outcome. The hand of the Goddess will guide my Attribute to its appropriate judgment. I can't guarantee you will get anything you want or feel you deserve."
The Prince blinked then a serpentine smile crawled across his face sending a spike of disquiet along Caer's nerves but he stood his ground.
"I understand. I trust the Goddess to offer something…appropriate. You will do it then?"
"I will investigate, but I will need to find some proof sorcery was involved for it to be severe enough to rouse my Attribute. Otherwise, it is simply the kind of games played between men and women for millennia."
The smile faltered and something dark slithered in and out of Daen's eyes.
"I'm sure you'll find Vengeance is the only answer to these circumstances."
*****
The sweet, illogical babble spilling from Tanis soothed Lia's nerves in a way nothing else could.
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