Night of the Storm: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Eura Chronicles Book 2) by K.N. Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

care. And Ryus do not beg.”
    Oksana nodded. “Yes, father,” she said, her lips trembling.
    Liam stood in the doorway, keeping back so that the soldiers didn’t notice him. His mind raced with ideas of what to do.
    Where was Lilae? She’d slipped out the back and vanished.
    A tall soldier, with a long brown beard braided to his chest and a tattoed bald head, backhanded Oksana.
    Liam sucked in a breath. His hand reached for where his sword used to be.
    “I can’t watch this,” he said through clinched teeth to Delia.
    “The Elder says that we need to remain unseen,” Rowe replied.
    “Wait, men. The Shadow Elves didn’t do anything. Let’s just let them go,” the soldier said.
    “Captain Garthem, let me string them up with the others.”
    Oksana closed her eyes.
    “No,” Garthem said, a grin coming to his thin lips. “Take the woman to the camp for now. She can be of use for a few days. Kill the old man.”
    The other soldier pulled on the rope the old man was yanked onto his back. He freed his dagger from his belt and readied it at the man’s throat.
    “No,” Liam shouted as he stepped from the doorway.
    Liam froze as a flash of light flew past him. He gripped the doorframe.
    All within a flash of a second, she used the soldier’s dagger, stabbed him in the heart, sliced the rope, and vanished away with the old elf.
    Stunned silence filled the village as everyone’s eyes were fixed on the empty space where the elf had been. His daughter covered her mouth.
    Their eyes hadn’t caught what had just occurred— but Tryan eyes were so equipped for tracing Shadow Elves, that it was unmistakable to Liam what Lilae had done.
    While it was barely a flash of light to the villagers, Liam could clearly see Lilae’s determined face.
    A grin came to his face—a surprised one, but also pleased by her determination and fearlessness. Lilae inspired him.
    Liam should have saved the old man.
    Then, it happened again, and the villagers started to run, leaving the soldiers to arm themselves.
    Lilae swooped in and saved the woman, vanishing with her, and reappearing alone to stand face-to-face with Garthem.
    Garthem’s eyes met hers, and the color from his skin faded as she held his gaze.
    What had he seen that reduced him from a loud instigator to the shivering mortal that stood there?
    “Let’s go,” she said, appearing beside Liam. “Meet me in the jungle.”
    He jumped at seeing her move so quickly, and before he could speak, she was gone again.
    Liam stood aghast for a moment, his heart thumping as he processed what had just happened.
    There was something eerie about Lilae’s powers.
    Yoska had once said something about The Flame that lingered in his mind.
    Even though she was younger and not trained in her power, she was even more powerful than Liam, Yoska had said.
    Liam finally let out the breath he’d been holding and looked back at Delia and Rowe.
    “We better move quickly,” Delia said as she gathered her skirts and emerged from the inn.
    “Seems we’ve lost our elves but have gained two Tryans,” a soldier said as he and another soldier blocked Liam’s path.
    “Where do you think you’re going?” The soldier towered over Liam, hate in his eyes.
    Liam looked up at the man. “Please step aside.”
    Rowe stepped forward, between Liam and the soldier. Taller than any man in the village, Rowe looked down at the soldiers. “Is there a problem?”
    Liam noticed that Rowe had grabbed an ax from the wall in the back.
    The soldiers noticed as well, and eyed the large weapon within Rowe’s hands.
    He stood ready, with his feet apart and a glower on his face.
    “Really? And what are the two of you going to do against all of us?”
    “We seem to have lost our captives for today,” the soldier said, a bit more hesitant now that Rowe had stepped forward. “Somebody needs to be hung in their stead,” he said loudly, summoning more of the soldiers.
    Rowe motioned them forward. “Come on. I beg you.