Soul Relenter (Soul Saga #3) Read Online Free Page B

coming along?”
    “Yes,” Mitan answered. “Your gold is in the back of the carts that accompanied me. I know you won’t be disappointed with the sum.”
    “For your sake, I hope not.” Drake drank from his glass of whiskey and returned it to the table. “Weekly reports through messengers will suffice now. There is no reason for you to travel here any longer. However, if something goes amiss, I will demand your presence—and it won’t be to converse.” The threat hung heavy in the air. Mitan was a strong man, stronger than any soldier he had known, but the king frightened him. He was intelligent and powerful, rumored to be a god. “You may go.”
    Mitan bowed and left the study, closing the door behind him. Drake stared at the dancing flames for a moment before he rose to his seat, leaving his full glass of whiskey on the wooden surface , and walked to his bedchamber. The bedroom he had occupied with Accacia was still forbidden. He couldn’t force himself to sleep there. Instead, he slept in Aleco’s old bedchamber, which was slightly larger than his old bedroom.
    Drake stripped off his clothes and crawled into bed then stared at the ceiling. Nothing in the room had been changed. An old rock collection that belonged to Aleco was still on the nightstand, and Drake found a variety of plants in the drawer of his cabinet. Drake didn’t throw away anything in the room. He didn’t care for the belongings. It served as a reminder of his power. He was unstoppable.
    The memories of his older brother came into his mind every now and then. He hadn’t always hated his brother, but it seemed that way most of the time. Perhaps if his parents hadn’t blatantly favored him he may have harbored some affection toward his twin. A part of him knew that was untrue. He would have hated him either way.
    Drake remembered when they were young boys , about the age of thirteen. Their father had brought home a large dog, an animal he found in the countryside. The beast was large, as tall as their father when it stood on its hind legs, and it had a massive jaw. It could break off your hand.
    “Is it a wolf, father?” Aleco asked. “It looks like the ones in the forest. ”
    “No, it isn’t, you idiot,” Drake spat. “It’s just a dog—you know—like a pet.”
    Aleco ignored his brother and looked to their father. Their father patted the dog on the snout and fed it a piece of raw meat, which it s wallowed whole. “Actually, you’re right, Aleco. It is a wolf. That was a very astute guess.”
    The lines of Drake’s face stretched into a scowl but no one noticed. Their attention was glued to the new family pet.
    The dog walked over to Aleco and sniffed his outstretched hand. Aleco waited patiently for the wolf to trust him and allow Aleco to touch him. Eventually the dog deemed Aleco to be trustworthy because it rubbed his head against Aleco’s leg. Aleco rubbed the dog’s fur and scratched him behind the ears. The wolf’s tongue hung outside his mouth and his drool seeped onto the tile floor of the keep. “I think he likes me,” Aleco said excitedly. “What she would we call him, father?”
    “I don’t know, son. Do you have any ideas?”
    Aleco thought for a moment. “How about Rufio?” he asked.
    “That sounds like a good name.”
    Drake walked over to the wolf and reached for its back, wanting to pet its fur with Aleco. Aleco eyed his brother’s hand. “Don’t touch Rufio, Drake. Stick out your hand first.”
    Drake ignored him and reached for the dog. Rufio suddenly spun around and growled at Drake, trying to bite his extended hand with his sharp teeth. Drake immediately back ed away but the dog continued to snarl at him, bearing its fangs in obvious mistrust. Drake tried to reach out his hand for the dog to smell it, but it tried to bite Drake instead.
    “I told you, Drake. ” Aleco sighed. “You never listen to me. Now Rufio will always hate you.”
    The insult stung Drake , and he pushed Aleco as hard