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

improved a little, but the wariness remained in his face.
    Sadie’s gaze narrowed on Reun and her hand went to the canvas pouch on her belt, where she kept her luna-ball. In case she needed to go wolf.
    She caught Taeral’s eye, and he shook his head slightly. “Father,” he said, moving to Daoin’s chair. “This is Reun. He’s come to see you, just as you said. He’d like to speak with you. He is a…friend.” He glared a challenge at Reun with the word friend , daring him to say otherwise.
    Daoin looked at him for a minute, and then stood slowly and came around the table.
    If Reun hadn’t noticed the state Daoin was in before, he did now. The Seelie’s eyes widened, his mouth parted in shock, and he actually seemed to wither. “Lord Daoin,” he gasped. “What’s happened to you?”
    “Lord?” Daoin’s brow furrowed, then he broke into a sunny smile. “Well, I do have a castle. We live here now. Do you like my castle?”
    “I…your castle?”
    “Yes. I found it, when…I was…” He trailed off, and his silver eyes locked on nothing for a moment. Then he shook himself and smiled again. “I’m sorry. What’s your name? Sometimes I forget things.”
    “Reun,” he stammered. “My name is Reun.”
    “Reun…you’re bleeding,” he said with a slight tremor in his voice. He moved forward, raising a hand slowly to press his palm against the gash in the Seelie’s stomach. A shiver went through him as blue light traced the outline of his hand.
    When he drew back, the wound was healed.
    “There. Now—” Daoin glanced over at me, and then frowned. “I know you. Gideon,” he said. “You’re bleeding, too.”
    “Er. Yeah, but I’m fine,” I said. I didn’t want to upset him any more than he already was. Once in a while he had fragments of flash memories about his captivity, and sometimes they shut him down for hours. The sight of blood seemed to be pushing him down that path again.
    “You’re bleeding,” he repeated, moving toward me. He reached out and touched my face with trembling fingers. More blue light, and the lingering ache in my head eased, then vanished. “I washed the blood away,” Daoin said in a cracked whisper. “Every day I washed the blood, but you were still…you were…”
    Then Taeral was there, gently steering him back toward Reun. “Come, Father,” he said, his voice breaking as he glanced at me. “Your friend has an important question for you.”
    I let out a shuddering breath. At some point, Daoin had known that he had another son—me. But Milus Dei captured him before I was born, and they’d convinced him I was dead. In the most horrific way possible.
    I’d wanted to tell him the truth. But even if he understood, he’d just forget ten minutes later. One more reason to hate those bastards…they’d taken my real father before I ever got to meet him.
    Daoin had pulled himself together a little, now that he wasn’t looking at me. “My son says you want to ask me something,” he said to Reun. At least he remembered that he was Taeral’s father, most of the time.
    “Yes. Well, perhaps I should not trouble you…”
    “Ask him,” Taeral said coldly. “That is what you came for.”
    Reun swallowed, and his jaw twitched once. “Lord Daoin, I’d like to ask you about…a lady you knew.”
    “You mean Sadie? I know her.” Daoin smiled and looked back at the table. “She’s right there. She lives in my castle.”
    “No. I do not mean her,” Reun said in stiff tones. “This lady. Her name was Aeshara. Do you remember her?”
    “Aeshara.” Daoin closed his eyes for a long moment. When he opened them, his expression was blank. “I’m sorry,” he said. “Sometimes I forget things.”
    Reun bowed his head. “Yes, I can see that,” he whispered.
    “But I remember your name now. It’s Reun. And this is my son, Taeral…have you met my son?” He turned to Taeral with a faltering smile. “I think I’m tired now,” he said. “I’d like to go to