The Stolen Prince (Blood for Blood Book 1) by Tom Wright, K.L. Gee Read Free Book Online Page B

probably The Drums’ way of warding off an air sucker, but someone ahead called out.
    “Light!”
    The tunnel in which they were walking suddenly split open, and the roof tapered into a ceiling that stretched upward into a great cavern. Ancient tunnels and passageways were carved into the rock all around them and above them. A series of slices into the rock above allowed the day’s light to stream into the cavern, highlighting broken blocks of stone that were once homes. Hundreds of Terra wandered about the floor or on the walkways against the tall walls.
    They had arrived at the great city built underneath the mountain.
    Tip turned to Skeet and Hakon. Soberly, he said, “Come, boys. Let’s find your mother’s name.”
    “I’ll come as well,” Gage said.
    Skeet followed his father, looking around at the different tribes as they walked. He remembered the city inside The Drums being large when he was a child, but he was surprised to see it was still so massive. He let his awe distract him from the thought of seeing his mother’s name carved deep into stone, still unavenged.
    They turned from the main cavern down a dark passageway. Tip held up his torch to see in the darkness. This hallway was carved with strange figures and in a language Skeet didn’t understand.
    “Hakon,” Skeet whispered to his brother. “Do you understand these?”
    Hakon was watching them closely as they walked. “It’s a story, I think.”
    “It’s a legend,” Guardian said behind them. “More true than any story.”
    “What legend?” Skeet asked. “Do we know it?”
    “We’re almost there,” Tip interrupted. He stood to the side and let them pass him into another cave. At first, it appeared smaller than the cavern. There was a fire burning in the center, sending a small glow onto the wall nearest them. Skeet looked up and realized it only appeared small because there was so little light, and it was dwarfed by the darkness above them. There wasn’t sufficient light to see the ceiling.
    Tip led them along the length of the wall, gently brushing his hand against the bumps and ridges of carved names. Names were carved along every inch, some deeper than others. They seemed to walk forever, deeper into the dark and farther and farther from the fire at the entrance.
    Finally they were there. Skeet knelt down, glancing along the wall for his mother’s name.
    “There,” Hakon said behind him, pointing his finger at the wall. Skeet let his hand reach out and touch the name. His father did as well. Gage and Hakon stood apart, watching.
    Skeet wondered, as he often did, who had been the man to kill his mother? It was a raid during the Second Vengeance from the Alem. It had been an officer of the Alem army. They had known that much. The officer had done far worse things to his mother before he killed her. A boiling rage swelled up inside Skeet, and his urge to hurt something or someone became too hot to bear. Skeet looked up at his father, almost to ask his permission, but Tip was looking at Gage.
    “Don’t worry, Son,” Tip said, eyes on Gage. “We’ll avenge her.”
    But how? Skeet thought bitterly. When we are here to beg for peace?
    ***
    The beating in Hakon’s head got louder and louder as he sat inside in the caverns of The Drums. While the rest of his tribe had prepared a camp inside the city, Hakon could only muster enough focus to clean the weapons. The beating wasn’t so strong in this open cavern. It had been loudest inside the cave where his mother’s name was carved.
    Not your real mother , Hakon reminded himself. As much as he tried to steel himself, he couldn’t help but feel an intense amount of grief over her name. She had been the only mother he had known, and she had treated him like a son. His memories of her were faint, but the image of her smile and goodness still burned in his mind.
    “Prince!”
    Hakon turned toward the voice. No one from his tribe would dare to call him that. Knowing this, the other