RW1 Ravyn's blood Read Free Page B

gently, taking the arm that Anthony had taken.
    Mentally shrugging, Kal followed. The cave continued to widen out as they half walked, half crawled through the underground network. It only dawned on him after they’d been walking some time that there was light in the cave that extended to nowhere else.
    Druas smiled encouragingly at his observation. “This is our safe haven. The lights only react to initiated brothers and those they bring in. No normal means of light, either by magick or fire, will work here. The drop from the surface offers no way out, and the side entrance can only be found by those who already know where it is. If someone comes after us, they’d be lost in darkness forever, which is why we weed out the bad eggs from the Danse by telling you all not to come. You’d be surprised how many can’t follow that simple order.”
    Kal was chilled at the notion of being lost in a dark cave forever. He was glad he didn’t possess a curious spirit.
    Suddenly they stepped into a large open room that was well lit, more so than any part of the cave he’d seen previously. Gems glittered in the wall and on the floors. Priceless gems were thrown about like they meant nothing, scattered and forgotten in the mountain of wealth.
    “Well, what do we have here?” a voice called from above him. “Can it be our Dageus come home at last?” Kal raised his eyes and met those of a man that could’ve been his own age.
    “Who are you?” he blurted out before he could talk himself out of it.
    The man laughed. “Well, he certainly gets to the point like Dageus, doesn’t he?”
    The brothers nodded their heads in agreement and didn’t seem overly displeased at Kal’s outburst.
    “I am the Dragon Prince Salvatore Demante, heir to the dragon thrown.”
    Kal bowed without thinking, one hand tucked over his heart and the hand that hung at his side twisted with his middle and ring finger crossed. Startled, he straightened, only to see the other brothers coming out of the same pose. They all looked at him, pleased.
    “It is Dageus,” Germany said, grinning. Kal went to open his mouth to tell them no and give him his true name, but Salvatore held up a hand, and it silenced him instantly. What was going on? he wondered.
    “We’ll explain the rest after initiation,” Druas assured him as the silence stretched endlessly.
    “When is that?” he wondered aloud. Anthony smiled and tossed off his jerkin, belt, and various weapons before tackling the ties on his pants.
    “Now,” he said. “Strip.”
    Without a word, Kal did as he bid and prayed to God he wasn’t going to get gang raped.
    Kal watched the others strip off their clothes with embarrassed fascination. The Shifters that had been co-occupants with the vampires of Haven had been very casual about their nudity, but he never expected these stern warriors to be. The Jaguar Shifters had a very natural nudity. They had a peculiar way of looking completely clothed even though they were buck naked. The Ravyns looked naked, not like the animals had, as if the clothing they wore were the equivalence of putting a sweater on a dog, but like warriors who had spent the afternoon chiseling their bodies to perfection before stripping to shower off the grime.
    Kal starred down at his thin, dirty body in disgust. Next to them, he was just a boy. All of them had sculpted bodies that any man would envy, and they managed to carry it in a lean, natural fashion that spoke of physical fitness. Not an ounce of extra fat marred their torsos, and each possessed the wicked good looks of male courtesans. The thin scars that appeared randomly across their skin from previous battles were the only imperfections that he could see.
    “Um, I know this sounds bad, but can you all give me your names again?” Kal asked, struggling to remember all their addresses.
    “Of course,” Allasandro said with a big grin. “I’m Allasandro. That’s Druas, Anthony, and Germany.” He pointed to each brother