Master of Myth (The Antigone's Wrath Series Book 1) Read Online Free

she read.
    “To conquer, entirely, with one heart and one way of thinking,” he translated, saving her from having to ask.
    She set the blade down and waited patiently for his explanation. She never pushed Danton to talk about his past, as much out of respect for him as to avoid talking about her own, but it seemed now she had no choice. If he weren’t forthcoming, she would have to force him. She hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
    When he spoke, his accent thickened, as though the story pulled him back to his French roots. “Back in my youth, I knew my father’s family had ties to them. It seemed a point of fact, rather than anything out of the ordinary. My grandfather was always encouraging me to take their pledge, as he and my uncles had done. I had no interest in causes, so I avoided it for a long time.
    “When my parents died and the estate was left to me, there was an assumption I would step into my expected duties. Again, I avoided it by making excuses, being busy with the management of family affairs, and, soon after, settling in with my new wife, Sabine. We had only been married a year before our son was born.
    “One evening, as I rummaged through some old diaries of my father’s, I came across a strange sketch. It depicted a hidden panel to a safe I had not known existed. Naturalement, I had to investigate, lest there be anything of value I had to account for in the estate holdings. Sabine, the curious thing she was, was at my side the whole time. When I was finally able to open the safe, the things we found inside were not what we expected. I cannot accurately describe everything it contained, but Sabine informed me that all the objects were highly charged magical items. I had no care for such things, but it was a fascinating subject for my wife. I saw no harm in it, and left her to do as she would with them.
    “As you might imagine, this was not a wise choice on my part, but, lovely as she was, I could deny her nothing. I had all but put it from my mind when the Brotherhood came calling one evening. There were three of them, dressed head to toe in black, but only one of them spoke. He told me I could either join the Brotherhood or hand over the items my family had been charged with keeping. I promptly told him I had no intention of doing either, to which he said no more, and the men departed.
    “Time passed, and I forgot the incident.” He slouched in the chair, weary. “One of my uncle’s shops had been struggling, and I went to see if I might lend some assistance in his efforts to save it. It was only a few hours away, so I saw no reason not to go. Five days later, as my carriage passed through the outskirts of town on my return, fire brigades rushed past, nearly running us off the road. I suspected then what I would find when I reached my address, but I refused to believe it.” He swallowed hard and took a deep, steadying breath. “The flames were visible for blocks before I came to my home. I watched helplessly as men tried to douse the great bonfire. The house and everything, everyone, in it was consumed. Later, there were unconfirmed reports of shouts and breaking glass before the fire started, but nothing could ever be proven. The day I buried my family, I received a telegram thanking me for the return of the items to the Brotherhood.”
    Rachel closed her eyes and leaned her chin against her templed fingers. “My deepest regrets to you, Danton. I did not wish to bring back forgotten pain.”
    He didn’t meet her gaze, and his voice was cold. “Your sympathies are noted, Mon Capitaine , but do not confuse my reluctance to relate the story with having forgotten it. I remember it every moment of every day. It is why I have trained so hard and for so long to achieve proficiency with weapons. It is so when I meet one of those bastards, I can kill him with the mercy they denied my wife and child.”
    Rachel raised an eyebrow. “Then you will have no objection to killing any one of them on