To Whatever End (Echoes of Imara Book 1) Read Online Free

are heroes! Surely a mere song is far less than they deserve.”
    The man stood. “Nothing but trouble. I figure if it wasn’t for them and their friends, we never woulda had a war in the first place. New king,” he said, nearly spitting out the words. “New king and a pig’s eye, not gonna get you nothin’. Shoulda left things alone.”
    Cecily groaned inside. Some called them heroes; not everyone agreed. She knew there was little point in trying to convince malcontents that the former King Hadran had been a vicious murderer. The details seemed to matter little. She looked up at Daro. He traced the lip of his mug with a finger.
    The minstrel was going on again about their virtue and heroism. “Why, Master Daro himself, he saved many who would have perished in the fires of the Madrona Massacre! How could one fault such heroic efforts?”
    “Here’s what I’m thinkin’,” the man said as he walked closer to their table, exaggerating each stride and striking his boots hard on the floor. “I’m thinkin’ this lot put one king on a throne, why don’t they go kill him now and put me up there? What say you to that? I’d do a damn fine job of it too, if I say so.” His friends at his table laughed. The man kept walking and stopped in front of the minstrel.
    Cecily wanted to stop this before it went too far. “You shouldn’t speak about that which you know nothing,” she said, only loud enough for the man to hear. “We’re not here for attention. We’d just like to sit and eat in peace, so if you’ll kindly take your seat.”
    The minstrel was attempting to regain control of the situation. He flipped his cloak and raised his hand, but the man cut him off before he could begin. “I’ll not take orders from the likes of you. What’re you still doing with this Imaran beast anyway? The way I hear it, you come from noble blood. Maybe you’re headin’ to the city to have a bit of a thing with the king on the side, eh? That’s why Rogan’s king, folks! This little lady had a romp in a stable and rewarded him with a crown!”
    Cecily’s eyes narrowed and her mind darted quickly through a list of unpleasant things she could do to him. The sound of a chair scraping on the floor stopped her and she saw Daro slowly get up from his seat. He stood a head taller than both the minstrel and the heckler. He straightened his back and glared at the man with an icy stare. “You will not speak to my wife like that,” he said, his tone low and even.
    The man paled slightly but stood his ground. “I’ll take my seat when you folk move on. You’re not welcome in this town.”
    Daro stared at him, unblinking. The man looked back at his friends and two others stood and walked over to join him; both men fingered knives at their belts. One side of Daro’s mouth lifted in the slightest smile. Cecily recognized the look of his body relaxing, his arms loose at his sides. He wasn’t one to charge into a brawl, but he was ready to coil up and spring at the men.
    The room had gone still. The other patrons leaned away, and a few even scurried to the outskirts of the room. The innkeeper stood near the door, wringing his hands. Edson stayed in his seat and darted nervous glances between Cecily and Daro.
    Cecily desperately wanted to avoid a fight. Reasoning with these men was not going to get them anywhere, though, so she decided to take a different approach. She stood, her movement slow and deliberate. The minstrel moved aside and watched with his mouth slightly open.
    Cecily lifted her chin and took a step toward the men. She brushed Daro’s arm with her hand, hoping to keep him back. She knew the second Daro made a move, the men would attack. “You would do well to keep your ignorance to yourself and refrain from speaking ill of others,” she said, her voice carrying across the room. “I suggest you do as my husband asked and take your seat.”
    The man in the center rested his hand on the hilt of his knife. Cecily Reached