A Birthright of Blood (The Dragon War, Book 2) Read Free Page B

himself—and about half the other towns in the
kingdom—but soldiers have been drinking in the Green Duck for two
hundred years. If he changed this name, he'd truly have a rebellion on his hands." She patted
Rune's cheek. "You owned a tavern; you know how soldiers are
with their drink. Now quickly—help me with a poster!"
    She looked around furtively.
The street was empty. The soldiers inside the tavern were singing
raucously. Kaelyn unrolled a poster, and Rune opened a bottle of
glue. Within an instant, the poster bedecked the tavern's outer
wall; it would greet anyone come to drink.
    "Relesar
Aeternum, true king of Requiem, reigns in the south. Death to
Cadigus!"
    Kaelyn grabbed Rune's arm and
tugged him.
    "Now come on! We have many
more posters to hang, and the night won't last forever."
    He walked after her, wincing.
"Kaelyn, your fingers have bruised my arm by now—and that's
with me wearing armor!"
    She glared at him. "If
we're caught, you'll have more than bruises. Hurry. And be quiet."
    They
walked down the silent street. Torches stood in palisades, lighting
the night. Dragons flew in patrols above, blasting
streams of fire that crisscrossed the night. Every few blocks, they
encountered more soldiers. Most were other pairs on patrol, their
rank low and their faces hidden behind helms; they did not spare
Kaelyn and Rune a glance. On one street, they passed an officer; he
bore two red spirals upon each shoulder, denoting him a dialanse ,
a young officer two or three years out of the academy.
    "Hail the red spiral!"
Kaelyn and Rune said, standing at attention and saluting.
    The officer regarded them, gave
a lazy salute, and kept walking down the street. His legs wobbled.
This one was drunk.
    If
my father caught an officer wandering the streets in his cups, he'd
have the man flayed, Kaelyn thought. But for now, she had more pressing concerns than the
fate of a young commander. She kept marching down the streets until
she and Rune neared the amphitheater.
    It loomed before them, a great
ring of stone, large enough to seat fifty thousand souls. Her father
used to force Kaelyn to come here, sit in the upper tiers, and watch
prisoners fed to lions and wolves. Frey rarely hanged or beheaded
his enemies; to him, death was a show, a horror to celebrate. Frey
was not a man for the noose or the axe, killings too quick for his
liking. He lusted for disemboweling, for quartering, for flaying,
for feeding flesh to wild beasts. And he delighted in sharing his
love with his children.
    Shari
always loved the executions, Kaelyn remembered. Her sister herself had once broken a man upon the
wheel, grinning as she swung the hammer.
    Her knees began to shake, and
sweat ran down Kaelyn's back. For a moment, the past pulsed too
powerfully, memories of her family torturing its enemies… and
torturing her. She too had felt their lust for blood. Her flesh
still bore the scars of Shari's blades, of Frey's punisher, of the
joy they took in beating her.
    Only
Leresy never hurt me, she remembered. He
always cried when Father and Shari beat me. He always comforted me
afterward.
    But of course, her twin brother
too enjoyed his bloodshed. Leresy would watch in fascination as
beasts tore into flesh. He would stay up all night, reading books of
old battles. He would collect torture instruments in his chambers
like some men collected statues.
    But
he never hurt me, Kaelyn remembered. I'm his twin. He sees me as part of himself. And he loves himself
more than anything.
    "Kaelyn?" Rune
whispered. "Are you all right?"
    She looked at him. He was
watching her in concern.
    "No," she whispered.
"None of this is all right. But we will make it right. Grab a
poster."
    Kaelyn kept guard, glancing
around with her hand on her sword, while Rune glued a poster to the
amphitheater's wall. They moved onward, two soldiers on patrol.
    We
don't have much time, Kaelyn thought. When
the first posters are seen, dragons will swarm. This city will burn.
    "Hurry," she said