Goddess of War Read Online Free Page A

nodded.
    “Apologies,” Raina said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
    “You two fit in even better than I anticipated.” He stroked his black beard. “And what are your names?”
    “Allan.”
    “Raina.”
    “Lovely,” he said. “Now let’s get you two stationed.”
    “Stationed?” Preeti had hoped that they could just stay in the monastery where it was safe.
    “You need to work.”
    Allan asked Preeti’s question before she could. “Why?”
    “For the anonymity or it. You can’t wear the uniform and not earn your keep. Trust me, do as I say and no one will suspect who the two of you really are. Come.” Errison motioned for them to follow.
    Raina gripped the front of her cloak, feeling for the chain Desi had created. Desi now hung around Raina’s neck, beneath the cloak, in the form of a beautiful silver and crystal necklace.
    “I can get you into the capital city where you’ll be hidden even better than out here in the countryside.”
    “Capital city,” Raina said, putting her hands in her pocket. The prospect of seeing more of this world started to intrigue her. “I admit, I do like the sound of it.”
    “As do I,” Allan said.
    “Good,” Errison said with a nod. “Because I figure you’d do well in the Royal Mission.”
    Raina slowed her pace.
    “Royal Mission?”
    Errison glanced over his shoulder.
    “Are you not up for it?”
    Allan nudged Raina. “We are up for anything. Aren’t we, Pree—Raina?”
    Raina pursed her lips. “Of course. I just figured we’d stay more hidden.”
    Errison stopped walking and turned to face the two of them. He folded his hands in front of him.
    “Do you trust me?”
    Raina nodded slowly. “Yes. We trust you,” she said. “We will do whatever it takes.”
    “Good,” Errison said, turning away from them once again. “Because the crown prince could use some extra protection.”

    After supper, Allan walked the gardens. Each blooming flower reminded him of home where their mother loved to plant only the most rare of plant species. None of them were present in the monastery’s garden, but he enjoyed looking at them and smelling their scent.
    The girl from earlier, with the short brown hair and green eyes sat on a bench with a blank piece of parchment on her lap and a quill in her hand.
    “Evening,” he said to her.
    Her eyes flickered up to catch a glance of him, and then went back to her parchment.
    “Evening,” she said softly.
    Allan put his hands in his pocket and stepped closer to her. “Any chance you know what the white flowers are called?”
    She didn’t even look up. “They’re called gardenias.”
    Allan nodded. “Oh. Thank you. Peculiar name for a flower. What’s yours?”
    She lowered her quill and looked up at him, her eyes worried.
    Allan couldn’t make sense of why she would look at him in that way. He turned away from her.
    “Never mind,” he said. “Have a good night.”
    “Olia,” she called after him.
    Allan paused.
    “My name is Olia.”
    Smiling, Allan glanced back at her. “Now that,” he said. “Is a beautiful name.”
     

 
    THE JOURNEY TO Rhene’s capital city was longer and colder than Raina and Allan anticipated. Neither had experienced such a bitter chill and kept their fur cloaks pulled tight. In just a few days they’d seen so much of the world they’d been led to believe was a desolate place. Despite the cold, it was still the most beautiful place Raina had ever seen.
    Littered with giant birds and sweet pink fruit that hung low from white trees, The Meadows of Balston were Raina’s favorite. Somehow seeing all of those new things helped ease her sorrow for the loss of her mother and father. The fact that she would never see their faces again still hadn’t settled in.
    On the ninth day, Raina and Allan were exhausted from riding since dawn. The horses were tied to a tree while Errison, Olia, Raina and Allan sat in a clearing around a fire.
    While Allan read from the tiny journal Errison gave to