Golden Crown Series 02: The Twin Dragons by Rue Volley Read Free Book Online

as her face was covered with dirt. I even walked over the spot a few times to be sure the earth swallowed her up properly. There was no love lost there, none at all.
    “Mother, ” Cas said and I turned and looked at him as he pulled me from my haze.
    “Yes?”
    “What do you think?” he said and I looked around and quietly cleared my throat.
    “Sections?” he added and I nodded to him.
    “I would think you know best, you have always been good at these things, Cas.”
    He smiled and wrote on his clipboard as I watched him.
    “Remember when you decided to re-design your room?” I asked him and he looked up and nodded to me.
    “It was atrocious,” h e said and I laughed.
    “I thought you liked it.”
    “There was no reason to have all those childish things around for so long.” He said and I paused.
    “Childish things? You were eleven.”
    “Eleven is far too old for toys.”
    “You think so?”
    Cas stopped and stared into my eyes.
    “Yes, it was time to become more grown up.”
    I stepped up to him and touched his hair as he sighed.
    “T hat sounds like August, not you,” I whispered and he glanced up at me.
    “Sometimes it is hard to tell a difference.”
    “Not to me,” I said as I touched his chin and he moved slightly to break my touch. It was a bit unlike him.
    “So what do you think?”
    I smiled at him. “I think you have grown up too fast and I hate it.”
    “Mother ,” he said as he shook his head.
    “Okay…sections would be great. Do you have a theme yet?”
    “Well of course I do!” he said as he turned the clipboard and I saw the pictures he had attached to it like a collage. I leaned in and grinned.
    “Masquerade Ball, ” I said and he nodded.
    “It will be amazing.”
    “I have no doubt,” I added as he left me standing there as people moved all around us. His ability to be in charge came from Miko, I do believe, and perhaps it was the only thing she gave him that was worth anything at all. Everything else she had to give fed the flowers here and maybe that is the reason we had so many problems growing anything when the boys were young. In fact, this garden used to look like a terrible nightmare and yet the boys still gravitated towards it almost as if she would never set them free.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Six
    Unexpected Shine

“I want these both wrapped and delivered,” Ryan said as he stood in the jewelry store and seemed a bit excited even for him. He has a way of not showing any emotion anymore and I almost prefer it that way. I stood by the counter and let my pale fingers run along the glass until I stopped and saw a beautiful piece staring up at me. It was a necklace far too elaborate to be sitting in any store. I mean it looked museum quality and yet here it was with a large cut diamond at it center and many running up each side of it. All rounded in shape and it surprised me that I enjoyed looking at it so much. I tend to like things that are ridged and squared off like the wedding ring I wear, which means nothing to anyone but me. I looked down at the square cut ruby and then I saw Ryan’s reflection in the glass and looked up at him.
    “Pretty,” h e said as he looked down on it.
    “It is an exqui site piece, created for royalty,” the clerk said.
    “Oh yes?” I asked as he looked at me and smiled.
    “That is what we were told when it was brought in.”
    “What story does it have?” I asked him and he sighed as he looked down at it.
    “Well, it was made by a jeweler in Romania for the daughter of the King. It is called the Heart of Fire.”
    “That sounds intriguing.”
    He smiled at me and then glanced at Ryan.
    “Diamonds have always had folklore attached to them and I find it intriguing myself,” the clerk said.
    “Like what?” I asked him and he cleared his throat.
    “Well, I don’t want to bore you Ma’am,” he said and I shook my head.
    “I am not bored or in a hurry.”
    He then pulled the necklace out and sat it in front