Kindle the Flame (Heart of a Dragon Book 1) by Tamara Shoemaker Read Free Book Online Page B

could decimate their entire tribe, even throw themselves into the sea for all he cared. They had killed his mother; without thought and knowledge in their rock-headed stupidity, they had killed the only creature he had ever known or loved.
    He lifted his gaze to the horizon and turned his steps toward it. He needed to find his purpose, and his purpose lay many, many steps to the south-east, where the King lived.
    His mother had always said that his destiny lay in the hands of the King, perhaps even with the Dragons. He'd often dreamed of the searing heat of Dragonfire.

Chapter Four
Sebastian
    S ebastian's robe itched where it clasped his neck. The gold bar that brought the two corners together chafed his Adam's apple. He'd see a red mark there this evening when he leaned over the water bowl for his daily ritual cleansing.
    “An emissary from the Elven Clan arrived this morning, my lord.” Sebastian's steward, Pomley, entered the council chamber unfurling a parchment scroll.
    “And what do the Elves want now?” Sebastian fingered the gold clasp, pulling it away from his throat, growing more irritated with it as time passed. He considered opening the clasp and letting the cloak fall to the ground; he imagined the gasps of the council members and then the gossip rippling through the rabble outside the council chambers.
    The sheep needed a leader with a robe. The robe was a symbol of royalty. He lowered his hand and placed it in his lap.
    “Goblins from the Greys are moving through the Ridges of Rue. Their hunting parties are picking fights in outlying Elven villages, and the Elvendimn are growing impatient.”
    Sebastian sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Tell them to take care of it themselves. It's a relatively small issue; why are they asking for help from the King's sentries?”
    Pomley glanced back at the scroll. “They say, my lord, that the Goblins are using the dark arts—they're spreading their magic across the Elven villages, putting the Elves to sleep before destroying them.”
    “Ah.” Sebastian repressed a smile. His council would find it most unseemly, though he did little to hide his dislike for the Elves, snooty creatures. “Have they chosen their champions for the Tournament this year?”
    “Not yet, Your Grace, and one of their most promising prospects lived in a village in the foothills of the Ridges of Rue. He's now dead, Your Grace, a pincushion to the points of many Goblin spears.”
    “Pity.”
    Sebastian flexed his fingers and stood, treading the marble floor, tucking his hands behind his back under his robe. He paced with his head bowed, creating a deliberate picture of introspection and deep thought before the twelve council members. He shot a glance at the open doors at the end of the hall where the rabble waited outside, watching his session, clamoring to speak to the great King.
    Should he reach out his hand to tame the Goblin Greys? In all his thirty-five years, he had yet to see a single Goblin use an ounce of rational thought before blindly attacking his enemy. Perhaps royal force was necessary.
    But that was the whole point, wasn't it? The Goblindimn were responsible for taming their own Goblins, and if they were failing, then it was on their own heads. A few dead Elves here or there would not make a monstrous difference in the census of his armies. Goblins were far fiercer than Elves anyway when it came to battle. Even the best Elves, though keen archers, rarely excelled in hand-to-hand combat.
    His main interest was in the Dragons. Now there was a military advantage. Winged creatures who breathed fire, armor plated in the finest scales. Unfortunately, they were the most difficult to tame, too. Thirty-three Dragons now rested in the military barracks he housed in The Crossings. At least eighty more were in the throes of training with the Dragon Clan to the northwest. Two hundred Dragons and their Dimn already trained daily at the army bases on the Three Maids islands and the