Soul Unbound (Key to the Cursed Book 3) by Jean Murray Read Free Book Online

ball, lest he lose
his eye sight. He surveyed the field full of tents. Creation banners waved high
atop white canopies. He turned to find a sea of black and gold shelters with
the Underworld crest embroidered on flags waving in the breeze. Warriors were
scattered on the open grass, sleeping, sharpening their blades or recovering
from their wounds. The smell of blood circulated in the air. Dressed wounds
were visible on all the warriors sitting around a small fire. Fatigue dulled
the gold glow of their eyes.
    A time of war.
    A war Bomani had never been a part of.
    The pounding of hooves in the distance rumbled
beneath his feet. Bomani whipped around. The warriors now stood at his side.
Even the Creation’s soldiers exited their tents to investigate. White stallions
raced in formation across the horizon. At the point of the formation white and
gold flags bobbed in cadence to the horses’ gallops. One black stallion draped
in red with his master on his back led the charge, like the head of a spear
slicing through flesh. Suspicion whispered through Bomani’s mind. Voices of his
ancestors. Only one Creation god was permitted to wear the color of blood and
death.
    Bomani jerked awake before the answer came to
light. The ache in his head burned with intensity. He hated the phantom
memories. As a fledgling they had been unbearable and often indistinguishable
from reality. Flashes of incoherent scenes, never quite fitting together.
Memories—not his, but his predecessor’s. At first he had tried to piece
together the story, but eventually he had given up. The memories of his
ancestors became less and less over the years. He had not had one in over a
century. One of many reasons this dream was even more disturbing.
    Why after all this time?
    He surged to his feet, uncomfortable in his own
skin. Agitated, he needed to move. Maneuvering around the rubble he headed for
the exit. The rays of light filtered in through the cracks in the concrete. Searing
his eyes as well as his skin, the burn worsened with each step. Despite the
threat he breached the upper warehouse. The chains hanging from the ceiling
rustled with the wind whistling through the broken windows overhead.
    Bomani shrunk back to the shadows. His survival
instincts warred with the unbearable draw to go, where?
    Pain speared through his skull and buckled his
knees. He grasped his head and bellowed. Pigeons burst into the air. Stray
feathers floated lazily down to the dirt floor. The pull on his chest grew. His
skin burned on the inside, even the unexposed areas.
    Was Asar calling him home?
    He was surprised his father had not come and
demanded his return to Aaru. Born of the Underworld Lord’s blood, Bomani was
forever linked to his creator. Yet, Asar would not call him this way.
    Bomani staggered to his feet. Nightfall was still
too far away, but when it did come—gods help him.
    He would find the exiled goddess .

Chapter Six
    Theris stared at the door Siya slammed in his face.
His goddess had withdrawn from him in the last few weeks. Now, she was keeping
secrets. He had known her too long not to pick up on the level of anxiety
through her usual unreadable disposition. Something or someone had spooked her.
A scout would not raise this level of alarm in his Commander.
    Unsettled, he swung his gaze to the lower level of
the warehouse. He glared at the now sleeping younglings. Too gods damn many.
They were the local receptacle for bastard children. He had commanded the
fiercest of soldiers. Now he was relegated to nursemaid, babysitting hormone
laden younglings.
    He stalked to the holding garage. The smell of hay
choked his senses. Apparently, he was a stable boy as well. He snagged a bale in
one hand and feed in the other. Another fucking mouth to feed. This mouth he
would delight in putting down—permanently. Ignoring the snorts and hoof
stomping, he walked up the length of the steel girders of the paddock.
    He lifted the empty feed container out with a long
steel pole.