Dying Wish: A Novel of the Sentinel Wars by Shannon K. Butcher Read Free Book Online

outcome. Understood?”
    There was a general rumble of assent among the thirty or forty men present. Iain didn’t recognize all of them—men had been coming from the far corners of the world after hearing rumors of Jackie’s presence.
    “She’s going to accept a vow from each of you, and then make her decision. So please file up in an orderly fashion.”
    Drake, Helen’s husband, stood guard at the stairs, doing crowd control. His sword was out and visible, as a warning to any who might consider causing trouble.
    On the opposite side of the stage stood Andra. Her black leather, combat boots, and readied stance didn’t fool Iain. If the green tint to her skin was any indication, she was nervous about these proceedings. Paul was at her side, his hand low at her back in a protective gesture. Apparently, he was worried about her as much as she was worried about Jackie.
    Madoc scowled at the men from his post near the rear doors. Nika stood in front of him, staring off into space, her head cocked to the side as if she were listening to something no one else could hear. A faint smile curled her lips for no obvious reason.
    One by one, each warrior filed up to offer Jackie his vow. The first man in line was Nicholas, his horribly scarred face so full of hope that it almost made Iain wince. He was a good man, but he wasn’t exactly the most handsome man around, and Jackie didn’t have a whole lot to go on. Looks would matter, if only in a small way.
    The moment Nicholas stepped up, bare chested and smiling, Jackie looked up and flinched. It was a small movement, covered up in milliseconds, but Iain saw it and knew Nicholas was out of the running. Poor bastard.
    Still, he knelt, sliced a shallow cut over his heart, and offered her his vow. “My life for yours.”
    Jackie’s gray eyes widened as she saw the blood. She swayed on her feet, and Helen put an arm around her shoulders to steady her.
    Cain was next, and Iain hoped that the leaf tattoos he’d given the other man—the ones that would help disguise his lifemark’s lack of leaves—were no longer red and swollen, thanks to their natural ability to heal fast.
    No one seemed to be looking at Cain’s chest. All eyes were on Jackie. Good.
    “Nice ring he’s wearing,” muttered Madoc from behind Iain.
    “Leave it alone,” warned Iain. “You owe me that much.”
    “Yeah, yeah. My fucking lips are sealed.”
    Iain nodded, letting the matter drop.
    The line progressed, and with each man who bled for her, she seemed to lose a bit of color. The weight of all those promises seemed to crush her until her breathing was fast and shallow.
    Iain made his way to the end of the line, pretending like he wanted this as much as the rest of them. No one knew it was too late to save him, and he had to keep it that way, even if it meant going through this ridiculous charade.
    Samuel was in front of him, and he took his turn kneeling at her feet and offering to die for her. The ring portion of his luceria was pristine against the scarred flesh of his left hand. As he neared her, the colors in his ring began to move, swirling with yellows and golds.
    Iain’s ring no longer contained any discernible color. It had faded to a pale, snowy white with age. So far he’d found no way of disguising it, but several of the older men’s rings were also washed-out, so he simply pretended that it wasn’t a problem, and everyone else took their cues from him. As long as he kept his monster incheck, didn’t try to hide his lifemark, and pretended his honor was still intact, no one would question his soul’s status.
    Samuel rose and moved away, his face alight with hope.
    Iain could find none. He couldn’t even find the sorrow that his hope had died long ago.
    Shrugging away the thought, he stepped up to Jackie. Her eyes were wide, and her pupils had shrunk to reveal paler gray rays among the darker ones. Her hair was shiny and clean, unlike the first time he’d seen her. She’d cut away the