Free Shared By The Dragon Clan Complete by Rosette Bolter

were now
on the horizon. Stacey could see that they were veering off to a road on the
left, presumably towards the town. She reached down and interlocked her fingers
with Zane, to feel secure. He squeezed back. It was good to know he was there
but Stacey now realized she was feeling less worried that she’d upset Zane
before, and more worried about what laid around the corner for them.
    The thought
of being caught by the police again and thrown in jail, wasn’t a thought she
wished to entertain…
    The town
approached up ahead. In front of them they took the left road and were careful
to stay well to the side. The forests soon cleared and the road spread out in
different directions. Rural streets with houses stretched along the town’s
perimeter, while shops and businesses had gathered in the centre, and remained
a part of the road they were on. Stacey couldn’t help but feel lost and out of
her depth, even though Zane was leading the way.
    “Where are we
going?” she asked him as they passed the town’s entrance sign. “Who have we
come to see here?”
    Zane
surprised her by giving a straight answer.
    “My brother,”
he said.

 
    CHAPTER
EIGHT
     
     
    Conrad Hunter, master swordsman and
ex commander of the royal guard, could be found that morning at the front of
his estate, training a small group of mercenaries in the art of sword play. It
was no secret that many shifters couldn’t be killed with ordinary human weapons
such as knives or guns, but with the right sword and enough skill behind it,
man could become a dangerous foe.
    Conrad knew
not of his brother’s betrayal of the King, but sensed something was in the air
that day. There was great change coming he was sure, and since his retirement
and seclusion some years ago, change was not something he appreciated.
    Even as the
contest of swords carried out in front of him, two students clashing against
one another, Conrad’s eyes had drifted out towards the front gates,
anticipating the arrival. He bowed his head a moment, pondering who or what it
was, or if perhaps he was just a little out of his mind that day.
    “Stop,” he
said to the men in combat. “Just stop for now.”
    One of them
angrily thrust his sword in the earth, whilst the other backed away.
    “I
apologize,” Conrad said. “But that’s enough for today. Something… Something’s
going on. You best be out of here. Please.”
    The men
looked at each other, confused, but did not offer any sign of resistance.
Conrad turned to one of his servant hands and signaled for the training area to
be cleaned up. Then he proceeded on foot towards the house.
    No sooner had
he opened the door was he greeted by his butler who was in some distress.
    “Yes?” Conrad
murmured. “What is it?”
    “King Horatio
has died last night,” the butler exclaimed.
    “Horatio?
How?”
    “According to
the press – he was murdered. By your brother.”
    Conrad’s head
tilted slightly. “So. That’s it then.”
    “There’s been
a number of calls. I wrote everything down for you in the study.”
    “All right.
Thank you.”
    “Call if you
need anything, Sir.”
    “I know.”
    The study was
located on the second floor of the house – towards the right end of the hall
where there weren’t any windows and often grew dark. Conrad went up the stairs
slowly, pondering whether such events were likely to be true. Zane had always
proven himself to be a most loyal and uncompromising servant to the King – much
more so than Conrad had ever been. The King Horatio was unpopular for his
arrogance and immature tempers, but still, it seemed unlikely that would have
been enough to push Zane over the line. If this was true, then he must have had
a very good reason…
    Conrad turned
the door to the study and let it swing slowly open. Sitting in a chair against
the left wall was a man in dark robes he immediately recognized. But was not
happy to see.
    “So you’ve
been informed, I trust,” the Human Mage