The Broken Council (The Guardian Chronicles 1) by Steven R. Burke Read Free Book Online Page A

situation.
    “Well,
you already know why I asked you to stay behind.   I thought you were gifted with stealing
information from people’s minds,” she retorted playfully. “Remember, I have
magic as well.   Just because I do not
possess the same abilities as you does not mean I do not know when my mind is
being probed.   You have met my father
before, haven’t you?”   She was toying
with him now.   “He told me that you were
able to block his probing attempts the last time you two met.”   Why am
I taken by this man?   How does he fit
into my plans?
    The
general was turning slightly red with anger at what he perceived to be mocking
words.   He had no idea that she knew so
much about him.   “So, I guess there is
more to this chance meeting than meets the eye?”   There was no denying the attraction he had
toward her. He was a man after all.   She
was more beautiful than any woman in Nairi, and he had never met the likes of
her in all of Tuwa.   Logic and reason
said that what he was thinking and feeling was irrational, but he could not
deny what he was beginning to feel for this elven princess.   Why an
elf…they are so infuriating.
    “Do
you not sense the special bond that has formed between us already?   I have known for some time now that we would
meet, and I have also known that our destinies were somehow inextricably
linked,” she said with a sultry tone in her voice.   “I know all of this because one of the
guardians revealed these glimpses of the future to me.   She knew that our union was vital to the
future of the races.”   She had a lustful
look in her eyes as she stared the general down.   She moved closer to him as she spoke.   He could smell her sweet fragrance and sense
her burning desire.   Our union…what is she talking about?
    “So,
what do we do now?” he asked quizzically.   He was taken aback by what was happening and how fast things were
unfolding.   He instinctively knew that
they would end up together somehow, though he did not know how or why it would
happen.   The elven laws regarding mixing
with other races were strict, and the punishments for violating them were
severe.   That was not what concerned him
at the moment; he was too intent on what was happening.   It was as if he were dreaming a dream that
would vanish the second he questioned what was taking place.   Still,
why am I thinking this way?   I vowed to
never love again.   Who is manipulating
us?
    “We
must go at once to meet with Mistress Kana,” she said with ever-mounting
anticipation.   It is happening just as she had said it would.   She felt a rush of wild excitement and
passion surge through her body.   I will get what I want and save many of the
elves from the ill fate that awaits those who will not follow me .   General Yukio will be by my side, and then I can go to work on changing
the destiny of the elven nation.
    “Why
are we meeting with an elemental?” Yukio queried cautiously.   A feeling of great trepidation coursed
through his body at the prospect of meeting with a guardian face-to-face.   “Have we been invited to meet with her
ladyship?”   He did not know what to think
at this point.   He had let his curiosity
override his common sense.   He realized
that the princess was anticipating marrying him and that together they would
become heavily involved in altering the elves’ destiny.   He had always been in control of his life and
took comfort in knowing he could still use his power against this powerful
princess if events got out of control.   How could I have been so blind ?   All I
had to do was delve deeper into her thoughts instead of touching so much on her
feelings.   I should get out of here.
    “She
is expecting us and is rather anxious to meet you,” she said excitedly.   There was no point in blocking the mental
intrusions by the general.   By allowing
him access into her mind, he would be more willing to follow her to Mount Quang
for their