Love's First Flames (Banished Saga, 0.5) by Ramona Flightner Read Free Book Online

answer. “Do you?” Her voice shrieked a near echo down the alley. The young boys at the end of the alley glanced toward them, but then turned their backs and continued their marbles match when they saw Mrs. Masterson.
    “Aunt, whatever you imagine we did, we’re sorry,” Gabriel said. He moved toward Jeremy, whose right eye had begun to swell shut, only to be pushed to his aunt’s other side. Gabriel now stood with his aunt between him and his brothers.
    “Do you want to know what happens when orphan boys are bad?” She turned to glare at them, her blue eyes sparkling with venom. “Their families throw them out, like unwanted shoes, and they end up in places like this.”
    Jeremy, Richard and Gabriel turned to stare at the door. Richard opened his mouth to speak but bit his lip when Gabriel glared at him. “What is this place?” Gabriel asked.
    “A home for unwanted children. Like you. For you aren’t, and never have been, wanted.”
    “That’s a lie, and you know it,” Gabriel said, his blue eyes lit with anger as he gripped his hands together as though preparing for another fight. “Our parents wanted us. Our Uncle Aidan wants us.”
    “You dare to contradict me? You dare to doubt the word of the one person in this world who came to take you in after your miserable parents died? Never forget this. If there is ever another episode like the one I heard about today, with my poor sons subjected to the heathen behavior of you three boys, tormenting them on their peaceful walk home from school, this will be your home.” She pointed to the austere wooden door.
    Gabriel nodded, his shoulders relaxing. His aunt watched as her threat didn’t seem to affect her nephews as much as she’d envisioned it would. A calculating smile flirted with her lips. “Your home, Gabriel. Jeremy’s would be on some stop off on an orphan train. Richard’s, somewhere on a crew bound for South America. I will ensure you would never live together again. You would never have your brothers around you again if you act as you did today.” She shook Jeremy again for good measure.
    He moved to kick her but missed, causing dust to rise in the air as his foot connected with a pile of day-old horse dung.
    Gabriel gripped his hands and nodded. “We understand, Aunt. My brothers and I are sure sad Nicholas fell into the pond in his best clothes.”
    Richard muttered, “Like hell I am.”
    Gabriel glared at Richard while Aunt Masterson cuffed Richard on the head and pushed him a step in front of her.
    “Now that we understand each other, we shall return home where you will finish your duties. As for your penance, you will not receive supper tonight to allow you more time to ponder your actions.”
    “Yes, Aunt,” they mumbled.
    ***
    “GABE? YOU AWAKE?” Jeremy asked as he squirmed around on his cot, the wooden slats squeaking with his movement.
    “Yeah, don’t wake Rich.” Gabriel whispered only loud enough to be heard over Richard’s gentle snore. He heard Jeremy scoot to the foot of his cot and then the soft tread of his stockinged feet as he approached the foot of his bed. “Climb in then.” Gabriel held up his blanket, attempting to fight back a shiver as the cold leaked in.
    He hissed as Jeremy dove in, elbowing him in his stomach.
    “Sorry,” Jeremy whispered as he curled up next to Gabriel. He yawned, but Gabriel knew it would be a while before he settled again. “Tell me a story, Gabe.”
    Gabriel sighed, holding his youngest brother to him. “One day, in the not-too-distant future, our uncle Aidan is going to walk through our aunt’s door. He’s going to . . .” Gabe wove a tale as wondrous as the ones their mother used to tell them, of knights on noble journeys, finally returning home to their families after years apart. However, this knight, rather than a mythical being, was their uncle Aidan, and he would slay their dragon, in the form of Aunt Masterson.
    Gabriel sighed as he felt Jeremy fall to sleep next to