Legends of Marithia: Book 3 - Talonsphere Read Free

they are discovered.”
    Karven turned toward the sea, leaving the darkness of Kassina’s tower behind them.
    “What decisions?”
    “Many aren’t important. I kept Queen Andrielle from knowing of your needed sacrifice, until the time was right. Your marriage was vital to break the alternate future in our visions.”
    Vartan saddened at the thought of what he must do to activate Talonsphere. He had not truly come to terms with that sacrifice, even if he kept telling himself that he was ready.
    Karven continued.
    “I know I’ve never shared my history, but it’s not what it seems. Nymira and I made the choice to live our human lives many years ago, and once we found each other, we settled and started a family. We had one child, Niesha. She was so beautiful and talented, gifted by our blood, and became a powerful sorceress. We had no idea that she had fallen in love with a vampire, Danton. She hid her relationship from us, and broke the sacred laws by bearing his child. Kassina is my granddaughter.”
    The names sounded familiar, as Vartan had heard whispers in many taverns of the day that the queen of the underworld was created.
    “So, it really is true.”
    “Yes, it is. Kassina was the subject of the Blood Red Moon prophecy. With her birth; the lord of darkness simply waited for the right opportunity. It came when my daughter and Danton were murdered by a foolish king.”
    Karven slowed and Vartan sensed his disturbance.
    Rolling waves glistened on the horizon.
    “But you could have saved them!” Vartan said.
    Karven blew jets of fire. “Bah! As humans? Stripped of our powers? We were weaklings and could do nothing but watch as our daughter’s life came to an abrupt end, and our granddaughter was taken into the grip of darkness.”
    “How long ago was this?”
    “Close to a thousand years ago.”
    They broke free of land, soaring over the moving blanket of water.
    “Karven, where is your daughter, Niesha? She would’ve been reborn?”
    “You were always perceptive. Indeed, she was reborn. She never forgave us for not saving them, even though we were powerless to do so. Her heart darkened, and regardless of all of our efforts, she resisted our attempts to redeem her. When she came of age, she fled. I’ve never seen her since.”
    Vartan’s eyes watered at his words, remembering his own loss of his beloved mother at the hands of the queen of the underworld.
    Keturah’s voice entered his mind. He speaks the truth, Vartan. I sense sadness in his heart, as well as yours.
    They circled around Greenhaven as if they were tethered to it by an invisible line. Vartan marvelled at the speed of Karven’s flight.
    “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have reacted like a child. I don’t know what came over me.”
    “All is forgiven. What worries me is that you may have been overheard earlier, and rumours can spread like a sickness in a city’s soul.”
    Vartan breathed deep and stared at their stronghold; the castle built to the size of a city. He remembered when the city prospered with its many trade routes. As a child, he could only view it on the horizon from his family’s farm.
    How times have changed.
    “You’re right, and if a sickness presents itself, then we will cure it. Tell me, is this why you fight? You feel responsible for all of this darkness?”
    “Do I feel responsible for Kassina turning out the way she is? In a way, I suppose I do. But I never regret the day our daughter was born, and her choices were her own. I often find myself wondering, where could she be hiding?”
    “Have you ever searched for her?”
    “Ever? I watch for signs every day. There are guilds specialising in this, but I’ve been unable to approach them, and it’s too late. Whenever a shadow is cast by a dragon, I look up with hope. Whenever I take to the skies, I try to feel her presence. Truth be told, she could be anywhere or nowhere.”
    Vartan turned back to see Shanka struggling to keep up. The skies were tinged with