Free The Elder Blood Chronicles Book 3 From the Ashes by Melissa Myers Page A

Shade.
She won’t allow a guard on her night and day, as she should. I do
what I must to keep her safe. Without Symphony, there isn’t much
point in this rebellion now is there?”
    “I won’t do it,” Shade said firmly. “I’ll
guard her if she knows I’m there, but I won’t skulk in the shadows
with her oblivious to my presence.”
    Lutheron gave an exaggerated sigh and looked
back to Charm. “I will leave it to you to explain it to him. See
that you are prepared for her arrival. Until then I have no further
orders.”
    “When should we expect her to arrive, Sir?”
Charm asked politely as he stood from his chair and cast a
withering look in Shade’s direction.
    Shade glared back at him and shook his head
in silent refusal. The simple idea of spying on Symphony was
appalling to him. He didn’t want to invade her life in that way. To
put himself in her place and know that someone was watching him
twenty-four hours a day, was horrifying.
    Lutheron pursed his lips and glanced out the
window toward the wreckage of the city, then let out a long breath.
“Three days, I would guess. I want most of this mess cleaned up
before she arrives,” he answered and then motioned toward the door.
“You may go. I have a few things I need to discuss with Vaze and
then I’ll send him to Shade to arrange a hunting time.”
    “Yes Sir, good day Sir,” Charm said crisply
and headed to the door with Victory and Shade in tow.
    “I thought he didn’t like the sir treatment,” Shade mumbled as they left the room.
    “When he is in that sort of mood, it is best
to be proper. By the way, never object openly like that. If it’s
something you truly cannot stomach, than give it time and speak
with another of the councilors. Remedy would have listened to you
and likely agreed,” Charm said in a voice that seemed
exhausted.
    “When he is in that sort of mood it’s best
not to speak at all, let alone object,” Victory sighed and smiled
weakly at Charm. “My apologies for leaving him in such dark spirits
before you arrived. Had I known you had an appointment with him I
would have delayed my arrival.”
    Charm shrugged. “Lutheron has a mean bark,
but very rarely ever bites. You have to be a complete moron to
provoke him into physical violence.”
    “Why did you look at me when you said that?”
Shade asked, noting that the rogue’s eyes were still on him, even
as he spoke.
    “The answer to that should be obvious. You
need to learn to read the tides better, Shade. There are days when
you can press your luck, and then, as Victory says, days you should
just shut the hell up.”
    “I’m not scared of him,” Shade pointed out as
he motioned behind him with a sweep of his hand. “I’ve seen
scarier,” he added and then frowned as he noticed everyone in the
room staring at him. “I’m going back to my ship. If you want to
convince me you can do it there.”
    “Did you do an inventory of the ships there
as Remedy asked for earlier?” Charm asked before he could
leave.
    Shade paused by the door and nodded. “Four
Eagles, three hawks, eight doves and a sparrow though I have no
idea who had a sparrow. They stopped making that class years
ago.”
    “What?” Victory and Charm said in unison both
of them staring at him as if he had spoken complete gibberish.
    Shade cleared his throat and sighed then
began again. “Four Eagles or transport ships. By the look of these
I’d say they have been used for cargo vessels rather than passenger
transport. Three hawks such as my own ship in size. Eight doves
which are the same as a hawk in size but have no weapon systems.
The doves are generally used for luxury transport for the wealthy.
Then the sparrow which is a one person ship very small and not very
useful. They were originally designed for spying but failed in that
purpose as they give off too large a magical signature,” Shade
explained with exaggerated patience and then nodded his farewell to
them.
    Stepping from the door, he gazed