Chael's Luck (A Knights of Dorathan Novel) Read Free Page A

I
mean, there are those like Caleb who like to think they know what
is going on, but once I’m Knighted, it will be harder, won’t
it?”
    He was quiet for a moment. “Is it the test
you’re scared of?”
    “Of course not. I’ll take the test and I’ll
pass. I was born to a long line of Shadow Knights, yeah?” I threw
his favorite line back at him and he grinned.
    “Yeah.”
    “I’ve just been thinking… what happens to you
if they find out?”
    “They won’t. You’re my first born, Chael; my
only child. You’ll be a Shadow Knight and you’ll be one of the
best. After all of the hours you’ve put into training, you deserve
it.” He folded the map and went to his room, leaving me alone with
my thoughts.
     
    *****
     
    I lay in bed, listening to the thunder
rumbling over the hills. I grumbled and rolled onto my side,
pulling the covers over my head as another flash of lightning lit
up the room. Whisk, the large, grey, wirehaired hound my father had
given me as a sixteenth birthday present, raised his head, whined,
and stuck his face under my bed. The rain hit the window pane with
such force I had to look up to see if it would hold under the
pressure. The wind slowed for an instant and I heard the sound of
something hitting the barn wall. Whisk cocked his head at me.
    “Maybe he’ll get hung up in some ropes and
hang himself,” I grumbled. Whisk whined and I rolled my eyes.
“Fine. Let’s go see how he’s doing.” I put a pair of pants on under
my nightshirt, pulled on my boots, and grabbed an apple from the
fruit basket.
    I opened the door and was pushed backward
with the force of the wind. Whisk went to sit behind my father’s
chair.
    “What? This was your idea!” I raised an
eyebrow at my dog. He lay down at my objection. “You’re lucky I
don’t make you sleep outside!” I whispered loudly. When that didn’t
seem to faze him, I closed the door behind me and bent my head
against the gust of wind that met me outside.
    Lightning flashed.
    One, two, three… My count was interrupted by
the booming of the thunder. I swung open the barn door and closed
it behind me. The pounding of Klora’s panicked struggles in his
stall echoed within the dark building.
    “Hush now, boy.” I lit the lamps and stood by
his stall. The black stallion shied at the sound of my voice,
turned away from me and kicked out with one hind leg. The wood
resounded with the impact and I sighed, frustrated.
    “I came to see if you’re alright and you try
to kick me. Come on, now. I brought you an apple.”
    Klora ceased his pacing, his nostrils
flaring, his ears turning constantly as they took in the sound of
the rain hitting the barn.
    “There you are.” I opened the stall door and
quickly closed it should he get the idea to run. He pawed at the
straw under his hooves. “Klora, easy now.” I made sure to keep my
voice smooth and quiet. “You have to calm down. Look at you. You’ve
worked yourself into a sweat and you’ve barely room to move in
here. You should be trying to get some sleep. I should be trying to
get some sleep. How are we supposed to pass the Knights’ test if
we’re dropping from exhaustion?”
    I took a step toward him. When he didn’t try
to kick, paw, or bite, I took another, still talking. “You know,
Dad says you’re a good horse. Personally, I think you’re a little
high strung.”
    His eyes rolled back to show off the whites
as another burst of thunder rolled over the countryside.
    “Easy now. Don’t you want the apple?” I
brought my hand up slowly and ran it gently up and down his face.
“You know, it’s not going to be easy tomorrow. It wasn’t going to
be easy to start with, but now that it’s been raining for a week,
the testing area will be a swamp. That means you’ll have to try and
pay a bit more attention where you’re stepping and not so much
attention to the crowd that will be there to watch.” The gods only
knew how he was going to react to all the cheering that