Blood Song: The First Book of Lharmell Read Free

feared what would happen to me if someone found out about it. It wasn’t normal to crave blood. It was monstrous, but monsters were no more than made-up creatures in tales to scare little children, or the delusions of a mad person. Did that make me mad?
    The compulsion to go north nagged at me through the night. I argued with myself, back and forth, reasoning that I might discover what was wrong with me if I went northward, and then that it was foolish to even contemplate such a thing. It could be terribly dangerous. There was something not right about that black forest.
    Sometime before dawn, restlessness forced my decision. It was foolish to remain at home if Lilith travelled northwards to meet Prince Amis. Cowering at home would accomplish nothing.
    If she would go.
    The hunger thrummed through me. She must go.
    When the keep began to stir, I wrapped a wool shawl around my nightgown and, taking my tea tray with me, I paced the freezing flagstones to Lilith’s room.
    She was curled on her bedroom chair and wrapped in a blanket, her tea tray lying untouched beside her. I poured her a cup, added lemon and sugar and handed it to her. She accepted it automatically, still gazing out the window at the freezing morning. From this high up we could see the tree-tops of the surrounding forest and a lot of heavy grey cloud. Far off, the Teripsiin Mountains rose steeply, their caps permanently frozen white and disappearing into the overcast sky.
    ‘Thinking about Lester?’ I asked.
    She nodded.
    I sat down on the rug at her feet, curling the fur from her bed around me. Despite the fires burning in the grates, the tapestries on the walls and the thick rugs on the floor, our rooms were always chilly.
    From the doorway I saw Leap approaching, his eyes on my lap and a purr starting up. He liked to be cuddled on cold mornings but I surreptitiously shooed him away, not wanting to provoke Lilith. He stopped, his eyes widening. Then he gave a quick lash of his tail and stalked off.
    ‘Sister,’ I began. ‘I must confess that I never liked Lester. He lacked northern manners, don’t you agree?’
    Lilith glared down at me. ‘What would you know about northern manners? You’ve never been to the north.’
    ‘Well, neither have you,’ I pointed out. ‘Shouldn’t you see it before you become an old married woman? Even if you decide not to marry Prince Amis, you should at least travel a little.’
    Lilith turned her pale face back to the window. ‘Zeraphina, why in the world do you even care?’ Her voice was incredibly tired.
    That stung. I cared about things.
    I cared about the north.
    I squashed that thought and tried another tack. ‘Lester wouldn’t want you sitting around pining yourself to death, would he?’
    Lilith shrugged. The dull morning light made her look colourless, and her wan features told me that she hadn’t slept well the night before, or any night since Lester had died.
    ‘A change of scenery might help, mightn’t it? It could be like a holiday. We could go to the north and –’ I shrugged – ‘just look around.’ I winced. I was making it sound as inconsequential as a picnic.
    ‘I want to forget him,’ Lilith whispered. ‘I just want everything to stop. I try to look ahead and it’s like there’s nothing there.’ Her eyes were bleak.
    ‘There’s the north,’ I offered.
    ‘Do shut up about the north. You’re as bad as Mother.’
    We fell silent. I was out of ideas so I poured myself some tea and clutched the cup between my hands, the warmth spreading through my fingers.
    Outside, the sky was heavy with snow. Soon a powdery white layer would blanket the land and Amentia would grow even colder and bleaker. Another harvest season had come to an end and the granaries were near-empty. The people were living on the stores that were meant for next season’s planting. Mother would have her work cut out assuring them that first Lester’s kingdom and now Amis’s would bail us out.
    I would turn