Perilous Travels (The Southern Continent Series Book 2) Read Online Free
Author: Jeffrey Quyle
time with her more than he’d expected.
"This is Becca," Tatiana introduced when they reached a table of more young courtiers. "Why she doesn't have an escort all night long is a mystery to me," Tatiana said, and Grange immediately understood her meaning. Becca was a ravishing beauty, with a dark complexion and long, black hair that was swept over one shoulder.
"Grace told me to save myself for her friend, so I have," Becca said without any pretentions. "I've heard about you from Grace of course, but she didn't mention that you were so exotic and dashing."
"She's never told me that either," Grange spoke truthfully, embarrassed by the compliment.
"And a sense of humor too!" Becca smiled. "Now I'm sorry I only have you for three dances. Do you think I might keep him longer?" she asked Tatiana.
"You'll have to take that up with Yardy; she's supposed to have him next," Tatiana declined to comment. "But I'd like to have him back later, so don't throw the schedule completely out of kilter. He's a good dancer," she added, then departed, leaving the other two standing at the table as Becca's friends sat by them.
"Shall we go have a glass of wine?" the girl asked.
"I'll have a small glass," Grange agreed, and the pair left the table, Tatiana’s fingertips lightly resting on Grange’s arm.
"I'm sorry I didn't introduce you to everyone at the table, but I don't know all their names," Becca apologized as they crossed the room.
"The crowd here is unusual," she commented.
"That's what Tatiana said too," Grange affirmed as they reached a table with wine glasses. They each picked up a glass, and Becca raised hers in a toast. "Here's to new friendship," she proposed.
Grange returned her wide smile as he raised his glass to tap it with hers, then they drank the wine.
As they did, the orchestral music came to a sudden, jarring stop, and a woman screamed somewhere in the hall.
"What is that about, I wonder," Becca asked, unconsciously stepping closer to Grange.
There was a ripple of movement throughout the room at that moment. Grange looked around in confusion, and then saw that scattered men were pulling knives and swords from their hips and hidden pockets in their clothing.
He stepped next to Becca, and pulled his own sword off his hip. "What's happening?" he asked in confusion, looking around.
"It's the men with red ribbons," she answered. "They're the ones with weapons."
"Who are they? What do they want?" Grange asked.
Three of the armed men approached a group standing nearby, and separated a man away from the others, marching him away from the others and out of the hall.
"Where do you live?" Grange asked. "I want to take you some place safe."
There was another scream from the front of the room just then. “It's Grace!" Becca exclaimed in alarm.
Grange looked up in alarm. Grace was being held by men with red armbands, and as he watched, they stuffed a gag in her mouth and wrapped a blindfold over her eyes, preventing her from using her abilities to defend herself.
There was yet more screaming, and Grange saw that Ambassador Bartar was being pressed up on stage at the point of a sword.
"Will you be safe?" he asked Becca urgently. "I've got to go help."
"Go on Grange," she told him. "I'll be fine." She impulsively hugged him and kissed his cheek, then released her grasp on him.
"Stay safe!" he urged her, as he turned to run forward, ready to help Grace in any way he could.
"Grange!" a new voice called his name as he left Becca, and he skidded to a stop, then looked around and saw Eli standing near a door.
"Come this way! We've got to save Grace," the senior apprentice said.
Grange turned and ran towards the other wizard.
"I didn't know you were here!" Grange exclaimed. "What's happening? What do we do?"
"I didn't get a fancy public invitation like you and Grace," Eli said with a touch of bitterness. "But someone decided I should be
"This is Becca," Tatiana introduced when they reached a table of more young courtiers. "Why she doesn't have an escort all night long is a mystery to me," Tatiana said, and Grange immediately understood her meaning. Becca was a ravishing beauty, with a dark complexion and long, black hair that was swept over one shoulder.
"Grace told me to save myself for her friend, so I have," Becca said without any pretentions. "I've heard about you from Grace of course, but she didn't mention that you were so exotic and dashing."
"She's never told me that either," Grange spoke truthfully, embarrassed by the compliment.
"And a sense of humor too!" Becca smiled. "Now I'm sorry I only have you for three dances. Do you think I might keep him longer?" she asked Tatiana.
"You'll have to take that up with Yardy; she's supposed to have him next," Tatiana declined to comment. "But I'd like to have him back later, so don't throw the schedule completely out of kilter. He's a good dancer," she added, then departed, leaving the other two standing at the table as Becca's friends sat by them.
"Shall we go have a glass of wine?" the girl asked.
"I'll have a small glass," Grange agreed, and the pair left the table, Tatiana’s fingertips lightly resting on Grange’s arm.
"I'm sorry I didn't introduce you to everyone at the table, but I don't know all their names," Becca apologized as they crossed the room.
"The crowd here is unusual," she commented.
"That's what Tatiana said too," Grange affirmed as they reached a table with wine glasses. They each picked up a glass, and Becca raised hers in a toast. "Here's to new friendship," she proposed.
Grange returned her wide smile as he raised his glass to tap it with hers, then they drank the wine.
As they did, the orchestral music came to a sudden, jarring stop, and a woman screamed somewhere in the hall.
"What is that about, I wonder," Becca asked, unconsciously stepping closer to Grange.
There was a ripple of movement throughout the room at that moment. Grange looked around in confusion, and then saw that scattered men were pulling knives and swords from their hips and hidden pockets in their clothing.
He stepped next to Becca, and pulled his own sword off his hip. "What's happening?" he asked in confusion, looking around.
"It's the men with red ribbons," she answered. "They're the ones with weapons."
"Who are they? What do they want?" Grange asked.
Three of the armed men approached a group standing nearby, and separated a man away from the others, marching him away from the others and out of the hall.
"Where do you live?" Grange asked. "I want to take you some place safe."
There was another scream from the front of the room just then. “It's Grace!" Becca exclaimed in alarm.
Grange looked up in alarm. Grace was being held by men with red armbands, and as he watched, they stuffed a gag in her mouth and wrapped a blindfold over her eyes, preventing her from using her abilities to defend herself.
There was yet more screaming, and Grange saw that Ambassador Bartar was being pressed up on stage at the point of a sword.
"Will you be safe?" he asked Becca urgently. "I've got to go help."
"Go on Grange," she told him. "I'll be fine." She impulsively hugged him and kissed his cheek, then released her grasp on him.
"Stay safe!" he urged her, as he turned to run forward, ready to help Grace in any way he could.
"Grange!" a new voice called his name as he left Becca, and he skidded to a stop, then looked around and saw Eli standing near a door.
"Come this way! We've got to save Grace," the senior apprentice said.
Grange turned and ran towards the other wizard.
"I didn't know you were here!" Grange exclaimed. "What's happening? What do we do?"
"I didn't get a fancy public invitation like you and Grace," Eli said with a touch of bitterness. "But someone decided I should be
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