Shard Knight (Echoes Across Time Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

crept along the corridor until he reached the hidden door to his mother’s room. Beyond the door, muffled shouts and the sound of combat did little to put his mind at ease. As he twisted the knob set low on the wall, he pushed in, and his mother’s dark closet opened in front of him.
    Amid rows of formal gowns, day dresses, handbags and jewelry trees, the queen’s middle shoe rack provided cover for the door on the closet’s interior.
    Ronan pulled free the knife hidden in his boot, stepped into the queen’s closet, and pushed on the shoe rack until it clicked shut behind him. He moved past dressers, gowns, and a full-length mirror until he stood in front of the door to the queen’s bedchamber. With his hand gripping the doorknob, he sucked in a few short breaths and pushed the door open.
    Chaos reigned in the queen’s quarters. Arianne crouched behind a long walnut desk tipped onto its side. Her face held an expression of stark terror. A translucent blue spirit shield shimmered around her providing a barrier of magical protection.
    In front of the desk, blood spread outward beneath a shard healer’s corpse. Next to his head, a small glowing white shard sat perched on the plush carpet.
    From the shard’s milky center, swirls of white light weaved and intertwined bouncing off its glassy surface.
    Knight Kristin Delamar who had earned her shard during Ronan’s first year at the citadel stood next to the fallen shard healer in front of the desk. A translucent spirit barrier surrounded her, and in her outstretched palm blossomed a small orb of bright blue magical energy. The ball shot from her hand, crossed the room within a second, and struck the magical shield of Knight Orren Reuben.
    Ronan staggered backward and tried to make sense of the pandemonium spread across the battered room. Knight Orren had taught Ronan the basics of small group battle tactics. He considered the man’s moral fiber unblemished, and couldn’t understand why he attacked his mother.
    Next to Knight Orren, Knight Clement Tarbell, a battle knight known to frequent Freehold’s brothels readied his steel kite shield and shard blade. One of Knight Orren’s magical shields surrounded the traitor making him one of the deadliest creatures to ever walk the world’s surface.
    Ronan could understand a man with Clement’s code of ethics committing treason, but not Orren.
    Another knight, a shard healer, lay flat on his back staring through glassy eyes into empty space.
    Ronan recognized the dead healer.
    Knight Aldric Morefield studied at Freehold’s seminary and had plans on rising to priesthood. From his position among the combatants, Knight Aldric had fought alongside the traitors. The white shard of the healing sect shimmered inches from his outstretched arm.
    In a blurred flash of motion, Knight-Sergeant Phineas Brunte leaped over the desk and landed next to Kristen. The veteran knight led the citadel guard and remained one of Master Tyrell’s closest friends. He wielded a two-handed double bladed shard ax. Yellow energy traveled up the handle and swirled around the twin blades lending the weapon a menacing presence. Brunte’s eyes went wide when he caught sight of Ronan standing outside the queen’s closet. “Your Highness! Run!”
    “I’ve got him Phineas,” Kristen said.
    Ronan had no plans on leaving his mother, but he couldn’t imagine how he’d have any impact on this fight. A moment later a translucent blue shield sprang to life around him. Although he saw through the magical barrier, the shapes of people and objects appeared distorted.
    “Ronan!” Arianne reached out to him.
    Ronan lowered his head and dashed across the room positioning himself next to his mother.
    Arianne gripped Ronan’s arm with trembling hands. “Where’s Tyrell?”
    “I don’t know mother. I haven’t seen him.”
    “Stay near me Ronan. Don’t leave my side. Do you hear me?”
    She gripped his arm so hard he thought she’d stop the blood flow. He