The Land Of Shadows Read Online Free Page A

“Can you forgive me, Awo? I keep saying I was forced but I should have fought harder! There was no excuse for my brutality.” A new wave of tears engulfs him and he weeps as though he is mourning the loss of something precious to his soul.
    For minutes I watch him sobbing, until he lies tired and drained on the floor, staring at the metal door that completes his gilded cage.
    “How has it come to this?” A sigh shudders through him. “Why, after all these years of torture and only a few days of freedom, has it come to this? Is this truly my new life? Am I cursed forever to be crushed under your feet like a vile snake?” Grinding his teeth, he forces out the questions that leaves me breathless. “Will I forever pay for the sins of my parents? Why should I be the one to be cast out?”
    I try to wake but I’m left to drift between flashes of the Shadowland, and of Carter, begging for forgiveness he will never receive.
    ~*~
    Storm~
    I am normally a patient man. Especially if you compare me to Raighne, who of late has been walking around like a predator stalking his prey. I truly pity the soul who dares to cross paths with him. It can’t be easy to watch your wife fade away in front of your eyes and know there’s nothing you can do to save her.
    Getting back to the part about me being a patient man … I can only last so long then I’m all thunder and lightning. I’m about to rain on Luna’s parade. No one skips training with me three days in a row without a valid excuse.
    So we had that little run in. She better get over it fast and get back to training. I have never set foot in Luna’s home, but today will be a time for firsts.
    I straighten my shoulders and knock once. Luckily, I only have to wait a few seconds before the front door swings opens. The hostility I expected is nowhere to be found on Lorcan’s face. Luna’s father smiles as he steps aside to let me in. “Storm, what a surprise. Please, come inside.”
    I smile back at him as I step inside the modest furnished house. Who would have thought a farmer and a baker would become parents of the most powerful twins on Vaalbara. “Peace be with you, Lorcan.”
    “Peace be with you.” He looks at me with a questioning gaze.
    Now that the formalities are out of the way, I take the opportunity to glance around the house Luna calls home. The house that greets me is in stark contrast with Luna. It’s warm and smells of flowers and freshly baked bread. It’s as close to a family home as you can get. I can’t keep the scowl from settling on my face. Why would Luna be such a difficult person, if she comes from a home like this? What happened to her that she changed into the bitter person she has become?
    “I have come to hear about Luna,” I get right to the point.
    Lorcan is a large man and one of King Evan’s finest landsmen. He knows how to turn any piece of dirt into healthy farmland. When he shows me to the nearest chair, I take a seat.
    “What about Luna?” Lorcan shifts in his chair, looking uneasy. I don’t buy into his act for one minute. He’s an honest man and doesn’t carry a lie well. He’s definitely hiding something.
    “She has missed three days of training. Is she not well?” For Luna to miss training she would have to be half-dead. I take in every movement Lorcan makes.
    “No … all is well-”
    Before he can lie to me again I put him on the spot. “Lucius seems to be avoiding me on the training field at all cost.”
    Lorcan nervously glances toward the ceiling. Is she up there listening?
    “Is Luna here? Can I have a word with her?” I try to keep my tone as pleasant as possible.
    Panic flits across Lorcan’s face. “No!” The response comes far too fast. “I have to get back to the lands, Storm, and I am sure you have other trainees to attend to. Luna has just gone away for a little while, but she will be back soon.”
    Does he really expect me to believe that? Nonetheless, I stand and walk with him to the door. “Thank