A Rule of Queens (Book #13 in the Sorcerer's Ring) by Morgan Rice Read Free Book Online Page A

sky and rocks. Those gods have never answered my
prayers. I pray to the ancient god of the Ring.”
    Thor looked at him, surprised.
    “I have never known an Upper Isle men to share
the faith of the Ring,” Conven said.
    Matus nodded.
    “I am unlike my people,” he said. “I always
have been. I wanted to enter the monastic order when I was young, but my father
would never hear of it. He insisted I take up arms, like my brothers.”
    He sighed.
    “I believe we live for our faith, not for
others,” he added. “That is what carries us through. If our faith is strong
enough, really strong enough, then anything can happen. Even a miracle.”
    “And can it return my son to me?” Thor asked.
    Matus nodded back at him, unflinching, and Thor
could see the certainty in his eyes.
    “Yes,” Matus answered flatly. “Anything.”
    “You lie,” Conven said, indignant. “You give
him false hope.”
    “I do not,” Matus retorted.
    “Are you saying faith will return my dead
brother to me?” Conven urged, angry.
    Matus sighed.
    “I am saying that all tragedy is a gift,” he
said.
    “A gift?” Thor asked, horrified. “Are you
saying the loss of my son is a gift?”
    Matus nodded back confidently.
    “You are being given a gift, as tragic as that
sounds. You can’t know what it is. You might not for a long time. But one day,
you will see.”
    Thor turned and looked out at the sea, confused,
unsure. Was this all a test? he wondered. Was it one of the tests his mother
had spoken of? Could faith alone bring his son back? He wanted to believe it.
He really did. But he did not know if his faith was strong enough. When his
mother had spoken of tests, Thor had been so sure he could pass anything that
was thrown his way; yet now, feeling as he did, he did not know if he was
strong enough to go on.
    The boat rocked on the waves, and suddenly the
tides turned, and Thor felt their small boat turning around and heading the
opposite direction. He snapped out of it and checked back over his shoulder, wondering
what was happening. Reece, Elden, Indra, and O’Connor were all still rowing and
manning the sail, a confused look across their face, as their small sail
flapped wildly in the wind.
    “The Northern Tides,” Matus said, standing, hands
on his hips and looking out, studying the waters. He shook his head. “This is
not good.”
    “What is it?” Indra asked. “We can’t control
the boat.”
    “They sometimes pass through the Upper Isles,”
Matus explained. “I have never seen them myself, but I have heard about them, especially
this far north. They are a riptide. Once you’re caught in them, they take you where
they please. No matter how much rowing or sailing you try to do.”
    Thor looked down, and saw the water below them
rushing by at twice the speed. He looked out and saw they were heading toward a
new, empty horizon, purple and white clouds spotting the sky, both beautiful
and foreboding.
    “But we’re heading east now,” Reece said, “and
we need to head west. All of our people are west. The Empire is west.”
    Matus shrugged.
    “We head where the tides take us.”
    Thor looked out in wonder and frustration,
realizing that each passing moment was taking them further from Gwendolyn,
further from their people.
    “And where does it end?” O’Connor asked.
    Matus shrugged.
    “I know only the Upper Isles,” he said. “I have
never been this far north. I know nothing of what lies beyond.”
    “It does end,” Reece spoke up, darkly, and all eyes
turned to him.
    Reece looked back, grave.
    “I was tutored on the tides years ago, at a young
age. In the ancient book of Kings, we had an array of maps, covering every
portion of the world. The Northern Tides lead to the eastern edge of the world.”
     “The eastern edge?” Elden said, concern in his
voice. “We’d be on the other end of the world from our people.”
    Reece shrugged.
    “The books were ancient, and I was young. All I
really remember was that the