Betrayal Foretold: Descended of Dragons, Book 3 by Jen Crane Read Free Book Online Page B

when our eyes met a look of regret passed over his features. Then his face and voice both hardened.
    “That’s enough questions,” he growled at us. “If you refuse to cooperate I’ll force you, and you’ll regret it more than I will, I assure you.”
    My head snapped in shock at the sharpness of his tone. I looked to him for an explanation, but he avoided my gaze.
    “You bloody try it,” Bay seethed.
    “Easy, Bay. Let’s hear him out.” I had faith in Gaspare, despite his sudden onset of hostility. I laced my arm with hers, running my fingers over her weathered hands.
    “He’s no interest in negotiating. That much is clear,” she said.
    “You’ll not take us into captivity. I’ll die first.” My mother joined the conversation. Her words were quiet but firm. She had yet to look up.
    “You may get your wish!” Gaspare snapped.
    This cruelty appeased the crowd, which quieted, watching as the scene unfolded.
    I could be quiet no longer. I was all for keeping the faith, for working things out calmly, but Gaspare was being uncharacteristically unreasonable. I’d never seen that side of him, though Gresham had warned me he wasn’t always the nice guy I’d seen. His exact words were, “a hardass with a keen grasp of the greater good.” What was the greater good for Thayer? My insides turned to stone. Eliminating notoriously dangerous and despised dragons fit the bill.
    “Now, wait just a minute,” I said and struggled to move my hands from their clenched position on my hips.
    “I’ll have no more argument from your kind,” he boomed, his prejudice knocking the breath from me.
    It was then I realized it wasn’t just his cruelty immobilizing me, but some other force. He had used his power to force my arms to my side, my neck stiff and straight. I moved my eyes to find Bay and my mother in the same state.
    “What have you done?” I whispered, my faith he would never hurt me waning fast. “What are you doing?”
    “I warned you cooperation was your best move.” Gaspare’s eyes were intent, hard, but not cruel. I didn’t understand him.
    Ewan, who wasn’t restrained as we were, edged toward Gaspare. “Prime Minister Shaw, Stella’s done nothing wrong. Please don’t do this.”
    “I’ll do as I see fit,” Gaspare snapped. “And right now I see fit to eliminate them. The people of Thayer will never again have to worry about these three. Now get back before you share their fate.”
    What the hell ? Where was this coming from? How did it escalate so fast? He said, “eliminate them.” I had thought we were being incarcerated.
    “I’ll risk it,” Ewan said, his fists balled at his sides. “You can’t do this. I won’t let you.”
    Gaspare smirked. “Watch me.”
    Gresham, who to that point had been content to let his boss control the situation, approached with authority. “Gaspare, you can’t be serious. They must at least be allowed a trial. When it comes to Bay and Edina I can understand your outrage, but Stella is innocent.”
    “Oh, I’m serious, Rowan. It is within my authority to eliminate threats to Thayer’s safety in extreme circumstances. No one would disagree this is an extreme circumstance. Yes, I’m serious. And within my rights. Now step aside.”
    I gasped so loudly Gaspare finally looked my way. He bulged his eyes at me, looking distinctly like a madman. Maybe he had gone mad; it was really the only explanation.
    “No,” Gresham said. “I cannot let you kill these women. I will not.”
    “Women, ha!” Gaspare scoffed. “Dragons. They’re dragons first. There’s nothing you can do to stop me. Move, Rowan, or I’ll move you.”
    I cut eyes to those in the crowd who’d crept forward, the most bloodthirsty. The ugly, snarling woman’s lips pulled tight in a profane grin as she stood slavering at the prospect of violence. The mammoth man bobbed his head and ran a hand hungrily over the back of the machete he clasped in the other.
    I’d often joked the world was