Heir of Amber and Fire by Rachanee Lumayno (non fiction books to read TXT) 📗

I lightly touched his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” I said. Beyan smiled sadly in response.

“Sometimes I just feel consumed by hate,” he said. “I hate that my father is a shell of who he once was. I hate feeling guilty over wishing things were different. I hate King Hendon for ruining my family with his evil and impossible task, for putting my father in such a horrible position and then punishing my family for the failure of his men.”

“Do you hate Joichan?” I asked. “I know he injured your father, but it seems to me he actually saved your father’s life, by getting him out of the way before he roasted those soldiers.”

“He could have done it in a less brutal manner,” Beyan said. “But a feral beast isn’t capable of rational thought.”

I held my tongue, not wanting to give away my secret accidentally in defense of Joichan.

Beyan gazed into the fire, thinking. Finally: “Yes. Yes, I hate Joichan too. He’s the reason this all started in the first place. If he hadn’t attacked Calia... if my father hadn’t had to go find him... if he hadn’t swept my father aside with his claw.... Then everything would be different. I’d be different.

“I understand that, even after all this time, King Hendon still is offering a sizable bounty for proof that the dragon has been destroyed. I despise the king, true. But I would happily bring Joichan’s head to him, on a silver platter and with ribbons tied to the dragon’s horns, if it meant my family’s fortunes would be restored. And that’s what I intend to do.”

Chapter Twenty-One

BEYAN FINISHED HIS tale just as the sun peeked over the horizon. It was still too dark in the growing dawn for Beyan to see the horrified expression on my face. Not that he was looking at me. He was still staring into the dying embers of the fire, lost in the memories of his childhood.

While his story rightly saddened and revulsed me, I was also strangely drawn to his passion. He was willing to risk his sanity, his future, and even his life if it meant he could help his father and possibly restore his family to its former glory.

My mother had sent me to Beyan’s father for help, unaware of the misfortune that had befallen Kye and his family. I now had to rely on Beyan to help me find my father. And yet, Beyan wanted to kill my father. What should I do?

A lone traveler would be an easy target for bandits on the road. The events of the night could occur again, and without the help of my companions I knew I wouldn’t survive a similar encounter. So, I would stay with the group. For now. Maybe once we got closer to Annlyn I could strike off on my own to find Joichan. Surely it would be easy enough to find a giant dragon in the area.

As I mulled it over, I found I was reluctantly embracing the idea of breaking away from my group. Aside from the safety of traveling with them, I also genuinely liked them. Rhyss with his sarcastic comments and happy-go-lucky nature. Compassionate Farrah, who had become an invaluable teacher. And Beyan....

I pushed the thought away as one of our sleeping companions stirred and opened her eyes. Farrah sat up slowly, still in a drowsy haze, and saw us sitting by the now-cold fire. “Why didn’t you two wake me?” she asked with a yawn. “Did either of you get any sleep at all?”

“We’re fine,” Beyan dodged the question. Farrah looked at me quizzically. I shrugged.

“What’s the plan for today?” Farrah asked. “We’re getting close to Joichan’s cave, aren’t we?”

“I believe so,” Beyan said. “It’s probably within a day’s ride from here, but we’ve been on the road for so long, I think it would be best if we went to Annlyn and refreshed our supplies.” Annlyn, as the southernmost of the Gifted Lands, had always seemed so mysterious and exotic to me. The citizens of Annlyn were rumored to be a people of intuition. Not fortune tellers, exactly, and definitely not charlatans. But they were very wise, and able to see things about you that you didn’t know about yourself. Since the kingdoms of Calia and Annlyn were so distant from each other, we rarely had visitors from there. Beyan’s announcement filled me with anticipation; I would finally get to see this famed land for myself.

Soon after, Rhyss woke up and we quickly broke camp and set off. We didn’t have to go far. A short ride later, our little group had arrived in Annlyn. We dismounted and left our horses at a stable just inside the gates, making sure to grab our packs for our walk around the kingdom’s capital city.

The first thing I noticed about it was how serene and calming it was. Cool gray, white, and black stone lined the streets, climbed up the buildings, and set off the tinkling fountains that flowed practically everywhere. Marveling at all the water I saw, I realized we were standing in a literal oasis in the hot and steamy south. It seemed like all of Annlyn was out enjoying the day; we were surrounded by crowds of people in the streets, on errands or visiting with each other.

The second thing I noticed were the Calian riders.

Even though they weren’t arrayed as the ones I had seen a few weeks past, opting for plain saddles instead of official Calian trappings, I knew who they were the minute I spotted them. Carefully picking their way through the crowds, they were watching the passersby a little too closely. I shrunk into myself, wishing I had thought to wear my headscarf, hoping they would overlook me.

Rhyss was oblivious as always, but Beyan and Farrah both noticed my apprehension and gave me funny looks. Farrah opened her mouth, about to say something, but Beyan spoke first. “My father