Breaking Away (The Man in the Shadows) by Erin M. Truesdale Read Free Book Online

weren’t away in the mountains at this exact moment... you are almost always away! ...A miracle!”
    As quickly as she had come, she was gone, like a flash of lightning, like a nightmare. Befuddled, James slumped into his lush office chair. What had his sister just offered to him? And what had he just agreed to? Deep in his brain, a tiny sliver of the ‘secret’ situation felt peculiar, like a picture hanging on a wall just a tad off, always just slightly crooked. No matter now much you adjusted it, it would falter to left of center ad infinitum. Nevertheless, he was indeed the exact person the High Lord himself would have come to first for such a mission, that fact could not be argued. He was the general who led his troops to victory time and again, defeating the menacing hoards of rabid werewolves and orcs in the mountains and beyond, to the northwest.
    Over a decade of his life was spent ascending the military’s hierarchy faster than any other enlisted soldier. Before he knew it, he was not a grunt any longer, but in command, in complete control. He had hundreds of men under his sphere of influence. He was trusted, loved. But with power came a price. He realized quickly that there were those in the Empire who did not approve of his success, of his great power. Those who thought he did not deserve it, that they themselves deserved it more. At the same time, no matter what the rumors suggested or what the side long glances gleamed, he didn’t care what anyone else thought. These successes, these joys, had not been handed to him! He had devoted his life to his country, to his world, to his High Lord, to the Empire itself. He had earned every stripe on his uniform, and he intended to make the most of it. He had sacrificed much for this honor, for this service, and no one would take that away from him.
    Closing his eyes, he began to meditate, so he would not agonize over it for another precious minute. His mind sang to him, James... you are wanted, you are loved, trusted, beloved ... Do it for the good of the world, for the livelihood of the souls!... His eyes burst open like supernovas. As a good person with good morals who’s always tried to make good decisions, he rationalized that there was only one right decision, and he sat up straight. This mission would be the embodiment of what being devoted was all about, and he’d be immortalized for it, even if he didn’t make it back alive.
    A rush of words escaped his lips then, as if forced out by some type of built up pressure. The words were, “I’ll do it.”
    ***
    High Lord Jamlamin Tarmikos stood in front of his throne, hands clasped tensely behind his back, jaw tight, teeth grinding, waiting for James to arrive. He was told that James would be there at eight o’clock sharp, and it was currently three minutes until eight. Lamin stared at the clock across the room, each second that ticked by seemed like an hour unto itself. Under his black robes, he sweated profusely, his nerves getting the better of him. How could I have been so stupid? he asked himself, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. High Lord... gods be damned! You would be stripped of your title if anyone found out...
    A thundering broke the silence, the double doors cascading open like a surge of waves crashing on a sternly shouldered cliff. James walked in, looking stellar and brave, each step self assured, confident, a half smile conveying not only caution, but joy. He held his head high and his shoulders aloft and affirmed. Lamin sighed, visibly relieved. Figuring James would likely refuse such a risky assignment, he had recruited Greta to ask James if he would accept the mission on his behalf, seeing as they were so close. Lamin figured wrong, because there was James before him now in all his militarized glory; he had also underestimated Greta in her persuasion skills. This miracle might be deserving of a raise, Lamin thought, mischievously. Unclenching his teeth, he let out his breath with the