Fields of Blood (The DeathSpeaker Codex Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

traitor, am I?” Reun’s smile was bloody and uncertain. “Come now, Taeral. You know as well as any that a gealdht is unbreakable. Even now, you suffer under the burden of your own.”
    “One more word that is not an explanation, and I’ll open your throat.”
    He sighed. “Very well. Then I tell you that I promised Foley to lead him to the Hive, ensure that he and his men could gain access, and shield him from harm during the relocation of their headquarters.”
    “The dead guy already gave me that impression,” I said, too pissed off to keep quiet any more. “Why the hell did you promise that? You had to know what those monsters were doing down there. You helped them do it to Sadie.”
    “Yes, I did. I’d also planned to set them all free, once the move was completed and my promise fulfilled. I knew they’d not kill the prisoners…save one.” He looked at Taeral with sorrow in his eyes. “My promise was given in exchange for Foley’s word that he would not allow Daoin to be destroyed.”
    Something in Taeral’s face changed. “You lie,” he said roughly. “A Seelie noble, swearing to protect the life of an Unseelie? You must think me a greater fool than you, if you expect me to believe that.”
    “It’s true. I need Daoin alive…I must surrender to him.” Reun shivered slightly and clutched his bleeding gut a little tighter. “Though I’d not known that Milus Dei had identified the DeathSpeaker, until I’d already sworn to serve them.”
    “Yeah, well, humans are tricky bastards like that,” I said. “And that’s not all Foley lied to you about. They were going to kill Daoin anyway. They left him back in their vault to bleed out while the building blew up around him.”
    Fury lit Reun’s features. “Yes. And that’s why I’ve slain the rest of their soldiers, now that you’ve released me from the gealdht. ”
    I was about to tell him that he might’ve missed a few thousand soldiers, but Taeral shot me a warning look. “Why would you surrender to my father?” he said. “The Unseelie do not recognize your ridiculous notions of nobility. If this is a matter of the Courts—”
    “It is personal.” Reun closed his eyes briefly. “Daoin is the only chance I have to reclaim what is left of my Aeshara.”
    I frowned. “What’s an Aeshara?”
    “She was my wife,” he whispered.
    Damn. Well, at least that explained Murdoch’s nightmare form back at the substation. The indescribably beautiful green-haired woman the bogeyman turned into, the one that scared Reun into a non-responsive statue, must’ve been his wife.
    But that didn’t explain what any of this had to do with Daoin.
    “Aeshara is dead,” Reun said without any prompting. “I killed her. Now I’ve no memory of her, save the rage and humiliation that led to her death…but Daoin does. I’ll gladly surrender to him in exchange for those memories.”
    I didn’t understand any of that. But apparently, Taeral did. “Well, Seelie, you’ve wasted your time,” he said, and most of the disgust had gone out of his tone. Now he sounded almost pained. “My father does not remember your wife.”
    A flash of anger contorted his features. “Surely, Lord Daoin can recall—”
    “You do not understand,” Taeral said sharply. “Restore Grygg. Then, you’ll come and see for yourself.”
    Reun settled down to a glare. “Very well.”
    I really wanted to ask Taeral why he’d even think about letting a wife-killing Seelie noble talk to his crazy, defenseless father, but the look on his face kept the question at bay. Besides, I was probably about to find out.
    And something told me I really wasn’t going to enjoy the answer.
     

C HAPTER 5

     
    G rygg was less than thrilled to hear that he wasn’t allowed to rip Reun’s limbs off, but at least he backed down and let the Seelie pass.
    Taeral led the way to the parlor. When we entered, Sadie and Daoin were still at the table, both of them watching us. Daoin’s color had