Schism: The Battle for Darracia (Book 1) by Michael Phillip Cash Read Free Book Online Page A

queen.”
    It was a long -standing feud; her resentment at Drakko still simmered. When he stubbornly had taken the Planta woman as his wife then had the audacity to crown her as queen, Beatha’s coldhearted heart had turned to stone.
    Staf grunted in assent and motioned his son closer.
    Pacuto ambled over, confident and excited about tonight ’s plan.
    “ Follow V’sair.”
    “ But Father, I need to be here.” His reptilian eyes flashed with anger.
    This earned him an livid glare. Blood rushed to Staf’s face as resentment filled his chest. “Enough!” he ordered. “Follow the prince and kill him.”
    “ I can do that and be back in time for the coup.”
    “ I expect no less from you. Take two guards. Remember, he has Hother.” The stallius was the fastest mount in Darracia.
    “ Pah. Winata can beat him any day,” his son boasted. “I’ll be back before you even begin, with his head on my belt to show his parents when you destroy them.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 7
     
    V’sair stormed through the castle to the stables, angry at his parents, furious to have Tulani as company. She was Quyroo, red skinned with thick mud-colored braids that came down to her slender hips. Every so often he caught her black star-shaped eyes watching him. It was forbidden for her to make eye contact with a royal, and her boldness astounded him.
    “ I can’t keep up with Your Highness,” she called out to him, her long dress hampering her from keeping up with his wide-legged stride.
    He stopped, yanking her hand and pull ing her along with him. The drinks he’d had with Zayden made him feel reckless. Their palms fit strangely together, and he felt the warmth of her blood pulse under her skin. He wanted to disengage his hand from hers but also wanted to hold it tighter. He didn’t know what he wanted and felt mightily uncomfortable.
    “ Highness, please,” she pleaded. “Go slower. Surely your lady mother does not expect us to run the whole way.”
    V’sair turned on her, his eyes blazing. “You dare to imply that you know what my mother, the queen, is thinking?”
    Tulani wasn’t afraid of him, and squaring her shoulders, she looked up to him boldly and shrugged. “Certainly you realize I know your mother better than anyone here. She took me from the treetops of Desa fifteen years ago and has kept me at her side ever since.”
    V ’sair was breathing hard, his chest moving quickly. “I didn’t ask for you to come. You will only slow me down,” he said haughtily. He was smarting that for his first trip to the Desa alone, they had saddled him with a baby-sitter, not only younger than him but also female.
    “ Oh, you think so,” she challenged him, standing firm. “You will never find my family’s encampment without me. You are a Darracian. You don’t understand the Desa,” she finished acidly.
    She had hit a nerve , and V’sair’s voice grew thunderous. A vein bulged on his forehead, pulsing with anger. “I could have you arrested.” He met her eyes with a steely gaze.
    “ Ah, but I am your mother’s favorite. She sent me with you for a reason.”
    “ Why?” he demanded.
    Two guards marched past them, and V ’sair pushed Tulani into a small corridor. She was openly defiant, and for some reason, V’sair didn’t want anyone else to see it. She nettled him; he turned to find her face inches from his own. Instinctively they held their breaths until the echoes of the booted feet receded. In close confines they stared at each other, her moist eyes watching him with amusement.
    “ I know not the queen’s mind, do I, Prince?” she asked him. Though her voice was a subservient whisper, it bordered on sarcasm. The corridor was quiet; only water dripping from a high ceiling broke the silence. He had known this girl his whole life but never really had noticed her before. Her unwavering gaze irritated him, and he wondered whether