Guns of the Temple (The Polaris Chronicles Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

Captain?” Taki asked.
    “Two years, so far,” Lotte said. “The others, only a year.”
    “Oh God, and what a time it was. I came in as a private and got promoted to root vegetable,” Draco said.
    “And what a greasy latke you’d make!” Hadassah chuckled.
    “Dumbass, you can’t even cook.”

2
    Deep in the heartland of the Osterbrand Imperium, the last traces of spring were dying beautifully around Lucatiel von Halcon. As she made her way up a winding trail hewn from the exposed slate of a mountainside, the air tasted more and more like nectar, and pink cherry blossom petals fluttered through the air to litter the stones around her. And yet, all of this elegance only provoked a familiar pang of dread.
    “Those damnable trees are in bloom again.” Her older brother spoke her thoughts even as she formed them.
    “I still curse them every season,” Lucatiel said, pleased. Such occurrences affirmed their bond, just like the softened noses and charcoal-black hair inherited from long-forgotten parents. It was a secret point of pride for her that even their scars were well-matched.
    “I’m told that the citizens love it.”
    “But they were never made to clean every single petal off the ground,” she said. Lucatiel brushed a silky fleck from between the cinches of a sleeve and watched it fall to the ground. She fought the urge to snatch it from the air along with its numerous brethren. They were no longer the old man’s property, she reminded herself.
    “Why did he ever do that to us in the first place?”
    “To teach us the importance of small details, of course,” she replied, poking her brother in the arm to show how aghast she was. “The little things always change the course of battle. You should remember that.”
    He smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “My apologies. I was simply complaining for its own sake.”
    “Don’t complain too loudly, dear brother. We owe Ba’gshnar everything. Our lives, our skill, our commissions. The very fact that we can be together,” she said, shaking off the thought of separation like an evil aura.
    “Yes, I know full well how much he has done for us, and I will always be grateful. That is why I look forward to seeing him again. Even when I remember all the times he punished us for silly reasons.”
    “To be fair, you were quite rebellious. It’s a wonder he never outright strangled you, especially after you tried to desert that one time.”
    Her brother laughed. “You don’t know it, but after I got back, the old man made me rub his smelly feet for days on end. I’d take a strangling over that, any time.”
    Lucatiel giggled before stopping to look up at the gentle drizzle of pink and white from the treeline above. “I know it may sound like betrayal, but after that damned desert I’m even glad to see the blossoms falling. I feel like I can finally appreciate their beauty.”
    With thoughtless grace, she ran a hand through her hair to dislodge small shards of color. They floated gently to the ground, joining the others to accumulate like clouds of fluffy pink. Her brother held his breath while he watched her, before obviously averting his gaze. Lucatiel did not mind, however. His praise and attention were fair recompense for the protection she provided him.
    “I’ve said it before, but it’s good to have hair again, and to see yours, Luca,” he said, extending his hand to her.
    She took his hand in hers and gently kissed it before intertwining their fingers together and drawing closer to his side. The two progressed up the steps hand in hand and reached the top of their ascent. They passed under a gate of crudely hewn cedar within a copse of fragrant pine, and returned to the place they had left a year ago.
    The bihara was a study in color for all who entered. Lush green from the forest canopy gave way to brilliant hues of pink and white from the cherry trees outlining a path to the interior. A cluster of yurts maintained vigil in the center,