Golden Son by Pierce Brown Read Free Book Online

worse, there’s the price on my head. Not officially, of course. That is illegal, becauseIamnotanenemyofthestate.Yetmyenemyisfarworse.Farcruelerthananygovernment.
    SheisthewomanwhosentKarnusandCagneytotheAcademy.
    TheysayeverynightsinceIstoleJulian’slifeinthePassage,hismother,JuliaauBellona,hassat at the long table of her family’s highhall upon the slopes of Olympus Mons and lifted the semicircular lid of the silver tray brought to her by the Pink manservants. Every night, the tray remainsempty.Andeverynightshesighsinsadness,peeringdownthetableatherlargefamilyonly torepeatthesamevindictivewords:“ItisclearIamunloved.IfIwereloved,therewouldbeaheart here to sate my hunger for vengeance. If I were loved, my boy’s murderer would no longer draw breath. If I were loved, my family would honor their brother. But I am not. He is not. They do not.
    WhathaveIdonetodeservesuchahatefulfamily?”ThenthegrandBellonafamilywillwatchtheir matriarch uncoil from her chair, her body withering from hunger, nursing instead on hate and vengeance,andtheywillremainsilentassheleavestheroom,morewraiththanwoman.
    WhathaskeptmyheartfromherplateistheArchGovernor ’sarms,money,andname.Politics,the verythingIhate,haskeptthebreathinme.Butinthreedays,thataegiswillbeashadowofmemory, andallthatwillprotectmearethelessonsmyteachershavegivenme.
    “It’llbeaduel,”oneofthelancerssays.Thenlouder.“Can’tturnthatdownandkeephishonorfor long.NotifCassiushimselfoffersit.”
    “Old Reaper has a few tricks up his sleeve,” Tactus says. “You might not have been there, but he didn’tkillApollowithhissmile.”
    “Usedarazor,didn’tyou,Darrow?”anotherlancerasks,tonemocking.“Haven’tseenyouonthe
    fencinggroundsoflate.”
    “You’veneverseenhimthere,”saysanother.“ThePixieavoidswhathe’snotgoodat,eh?”
    Roquestirsangrilybesideme.Iputahandonhisforearmandturnslowlytoregardtheoffending lancer.Victrasitsbehindhim,idlywatchingthescene.
    “Idon’tfence,”Isay.
    “Don’t?Orcan’t?”someoneaskswithalaugh.
    “Leavehimbe.Razormastersareexpensive,”Tactusnoteswithaslygrin.
    “Isthathowitis,Tactus?”Iask.
    He makes a face. “Oh, come now . Just having a go at you. So gorydamn serious. You used to be moreplayful.”
    Roque says something to make Tactus scowl and turn away, but I don’t hear. I’ve sunken into memory,wherethisGoldengameonceseemedsoeasy.Whathaschanged?Mustang.
    “You’re more than this,” she whispered as I left her for the Academy. Tears swelled in her eyes, thoughhervoicedidnotwaver. “Youdon’thavetobeakiller.Youdon’thavetocourtwar.”
    “WhatotherchoicedoIhave?” Iasked.
    “Me.I’mtheotherchoice.Stayforme.Stayforwhatmightbe.AttheInstitute,youmadefollowers ofboysandgirlswhohaveneverknownloyalty.IfyougototheAcademy,youabandonthattobemy father’s warlord. That’s not what you are. That is not the man I …” She did not turn, but her face changedashersentencetrailedaway,lipsdrawingahardline.
    Love?WasthatwhatwebuiltintheyearaftertheInstitute?
    Ifso,thewordstuckinherthroat,becausesheknew,asIknew,thatIhadnotgivenherallofme.I hadnotsharedallthatIam.Greedily,Ikeptsecrets.Andhowcouldsomeonelikeher,someonewith so much self-worth, bare herself and throw her heart at a man who gave so little in return? So she closedhergoldeneyes,shovedtherazorintomyhands,andtoldmetogo.
    Idon’tfaulther.Shechosepolitics,governance—peace,whichiswhatshethinksherpeopleneed.I chosetheblade,becauseitiswhatmypeopleneed.ItfillsmewithastrangeemptinessknowingthatI wasenoughforherwhenIwasneverenoughforEo.Roquewasright.Ipushedheraway.
    Ididn’tpushSevroaway.Iaskedhimtobestationedwithme,thensuddenlyhewasreassignedto PlutolikemanyoftheHowlers,relegatedtoprotectingfarconstructionoperationsfrompettypirate raids.InowsuspectPliny’shandinthat.
    Mypathhasneverfeltlonelier.
    “You’ll not be abandoned,” Roque says, leaning in close. “Other families will want you for