Children of Fire Read Online Free Page A

the future. He had called the mother—Ilana—one of his best girls. No doubt he figured the daughter would take after her in beauty. In time she could earn as much as the mother in the back rooms of the whorehouse. More if Luger was depraved enough to rent her out before she reached her womanhood.
    But for all the sins and vices widely available in the port city of Callastan slavery was still technically not legal. With the image of the babe struggling—and somehow succeeding—to draw her first painful breath outside the womb still fresh in his mind, Methodis made a sudden and rash decision.
    â€œThe body of the mother must be taken away for burial. The constables will be curious as to what happened to her.”
    Luger shrugged. “A hard childbirth under a cursed moon,” he said by way of explanation. “If they don’t buy that, I’ll kick them a couple of coins to look the other way. Plenty of dead whores in this neighborhood.”
    â€œThey will also ask about the child,” Methodis pressed. “What happened to her; who plans to care for her? They might be curious as to why a man who is not the father claims ownership of the girl. Do you really want to tell them you bought Ilana?”
    Smooth as silk a small knife appeared in Luger’s hand. He rubbed the flat of the blade along his own chin as if in deep thought.
    â€œAre you threatening me, Methodis? Do you really think you’re so valuable to the people of this neighborhood that I won’t kill you where you stand?”
    The doctor chose his next words carefully.
    â€œIt’s hard to find a healer willing to work in a district as close to the docks as this one. Before you kill me you better have a replacement in mind. You’re not the only one who has regular need of my services. The other tavern owners in the district might become very angry with you.”
    â€œTheir anger can be soothed with silver,” Luger countered, a dangerous glint in his eye.
    â€œAll this for one girl?” Methodis asked. “Think of the time and expense of raising her. Is it worth it? Hardly sound business.”
    An expression of uncertainty crept across Luger’s face, though the knife continued to trace its menacing path across the stubble of his chin.
    â€œAnd how will this look in the neighborhood?” Methodis added, playing his final card. “You claim you aren’t the father, yet you seem unnaturally obsessed with this child. If you keep her there will be questions. Whispered rumors of how Luger couldn’t keep his hands off one of his own girls.”
    Luger snarled and hurled his knife into the ground at the doctor’s feet. “I don’t lay with my own whores!”
    Methodis glanced down at the blade embedded an inch deep in the wooden floorboard, still quivering from the force of the throw.
    Looking up into Luger’s one glaring eye he said, “I will take the mother’s body away for burial. And I will take the child with me when I go.”
    â€œThe little bitch is yours,” Luger hissed as he turned away and stomped down the corridor.
    The doctor breathed a sigh of relief before returning to the back room. Methodis was surprised to see that the child had stopped crying. The serving girl was gently rocking the babe back and forth in her arms, pointedly facing away from the mother’s body on the bed.
    At the sound of his approach the girl spoke. “You’re going to take her away from all this? The baby, I mean? Take her somewhere safe?”
    â€œYou can hold her for a while longer,” Methodis said gently. “I have to clean up the mother.”
    â€œShe was from the Western Isles,” the serving girl whispered. “Her name was Ilana. She told me it meant ‘lucky.’”
    Methodis nodded. He’d noticed his patient’s olive skin and almond eyes when he’d first arrived to help birth the child.
    In silence he cleaned