Veil of Shadows Read Online Free Page A

through the crush of people gathered in the common area outside the west hall.
    “Don’t you think? I mean, hell, I came here to fight and all, but she doesn’t have any right to tell these people they aren’t worthy of protection.”
    Ignoring her wasn’t going to make her disappear, he decided. So he stopped in his tracks and crossed his arms over his chest.
    “I don’t recall hearing her saying that. What I heard was a woman willing to fight to secure these lands—she can’t do that if she’s too busy taking care of refugees.”
    The woman’s lip curled. “Seems to me that the purpose of this whole damn army is to protect the refugees.”
    “The best way to do that is to eliminate those who are preying on them,” Xan replied with a shrug. “Once the demons are gone, the refugees will no longer need the protection of the army. It is not an easy choice to make, but it seems a wise one.”
    “Maybe.” Vena made a face. “I’m not too impressed. But she doesn’t need to be such a bitch, does she?”
    “If it keeps people alive, she can be the queen bitch,” somebody said from behind Vena.
    She went red and then white. Xan barely managed to restrain his grin as she turned to face the commander of the Roinan rebel army.
    Kalen Brenner was a name known pretty much throughout the world. One would have to have lived under a rock to not know this man. Vena obviously hadn’t lived under a rock.
    Syn stood at his side, her slender arms crossed over her chest. With a faint smile on her lips, she glanced up at the commander and said, “Captain Bitch, Commander. We don’t have kings and queens here.” Then she dismissed Vena and focused on Xan.
    Xan had spent much of his life learning to school his emotions, his reactions, everything. In that moment, he was very glad.
    He would hate for his reactions to show in just that moment.
    He looked at Captain Laisyn Caar and thought only one thing:
    Want .
    It was a powerful, all-consuming urge that damn near obliterated every other thought in his mind.
    Feeling more than a little dazed, he stared at her, committing her features to memory. He’d felt a stir of interest when she’d addressed the whole of the group earlier, but now, standing this close to her, interest didn’t begin to touch it.
    She had cat eyes. Green-gold, with a hint of amusement and disdain in them that was ridiculously arousing.
    She was slender, almost delicate, with narrow arms, narrow hips and only the slightest of curves. Her mouth was bow-shaped and full—very soft, very kissable.
    Her eyes weren’t the only catlike feature, either. The smile on that very kissable mouth, her softly pointed chin, even the way she held herself.
    She studied him, her gaze lingering on the hilt of the long knife she could see over his shoulder. Xan held silent as she finished her survey and then looked at him. “Interesting blade you have there—it’s a bit larger than the standard-issue ones we have on hand. Pulsars and blasters are more widely used here than knives.”
    “I can use either,” he said, absently touching a hand to the pulsar strapped to his left thigh.
    She lifted a brow and nodded toward his knife. “And how good are you at the blade?”
    He just smiled. The knife fit in his hand like it had been made for him. And it had—he’d made it himself. He’d been crafting his own blades for years.
    Syn’s smile widened and then she looked away from both Vena and Xan, dismissing them. “Commander, we’re scheduled to meet with Elina and Lee in the next few minutes.”
    The commander nodded. Neither of them spared Vena or Xan a second look.
    Xan only lingered long enough to admire the view as she walked away. Then he let the crowd swallow him, leaving Vena standing there, still blushing furiously.

    “It’s not going to happen,” Kalen said shortly.
    He didn’t even bother glancing at the report disc Elina had put together for him.
    Lee, Elina and Syn stood in front of his desk. Elina