Free Island Shifters: Book 02 - An Oath of the Mage by Valerie Zambito Page B

Wolves rang through the palace. The skirmish was over, but the bloodlust still hung in the air like a tangible entity. Scarlet clad bodies and servants in livery lay unmoving on the floor at every turn.
    Maximus’ cherished tapestries, pulled from the walls, lay in slashed heaps. Soldiers picked through broken vases, furniture, and porcelain dishes for anything of valuable still salvageable.
    “What did you say?” Davad asked Mendel.
    “Excuse me, my Lord. I did not say anything.”
    Davad twitched his head sharply. That was the second time he had thought he heard voices whispering close to his ear, invasive and filled with malicious undertones. The sensation was unnerving. “Never mind,” he snapped.
    On the third floor of the palace, soldiers lined both sides of the corridor in front of King Maximus’ chambers. As they approached, Commander Mendel immediately ordered the guards to stand down, and they threw open the doors to the suite.
    Davad strode through and instantly scanned the interior. There were several people in the room with Maximus, who currently had his back turned to the door and was gazing out of a window as if it were any other day. Bo Franck, the scarred Captain of House Everard’s army, a Saber, and three female servants, one of which was Belle, Maximus’ long-time house manager.
    Davad smiled. “Maximus! I would ask how your day is going, but it is clearly not going very well.”
    Maximus’ dark eyes turned to him then, and Davad suddenly felt the urge to kneel but, with some effort, he resisted.
    “I know you are not a fool, Davad, so stop acting like one.”
    He laughed. “A fool! I have control of the city and you are imprisoned! Who is the fool here?”
    “And, how long do you think this will last? House Everard has twice the size of any standing army, and I still have the House support of Gregaros, Knapp, and Hamilton. You have two allied Houses.”
    “Your House support and legionnaires are in custody, Maximus. You are finished.”
    “The people of Iserlohn will never accept an unlawful attempt to overthrow a legitimate reign, Davad. Surely, you realize that.”
    Davad nodded. “You are right, Maximus. The people would never accept this if it were not absolutely necessary.”
    The King’s eyebrows rose in question.
    “The people would never accept the illegitimate ousting of a sane King,” he replied. “They will, however, praise me for my actions once they learn of all of your crazy antics. In fact, the talk has already begun. They have heard how you have led Iserlohn’s largest port city to ruin, the children and women starving to death under your regime. Lord Winslow will testify to your erratic behavior during Court, and Lady Conry will tell of your attempts to rape her. Oh, yes, you have been a very naughty King, Maximus.”
    “You disgust me.”
    “And, you disgust me, Maximus! You and your vile shifter family!”
    “That is what this is about, isn’t it? You have always resented the fact that my family can wield magic.”
    “Of course, I do! As should any decent citizen of this land. You were much too powerful. But, the fact is, they will be of no help to you now. I have planned this very meticulously. Your daughter cannot shift at the moment and your son in marriage, well, let’s just say that we will not be seeing him around any time soon.”
    “What have you done?”
    Davad leveled his gaze squarely at his nemesis. “Not for you to worry about. Not where you are going in any case.” He slowly unsheathed his sword. “At the cost to your lives,” he said to the others in the room, but did not take his eyes off Maximus, “stand back and do not interfere.”

C HAPTER 7
    A Child’s Tale
     

     
    For the first time since Rogan had returned to the royal seat of Deepstone to live in the King’s palace, the magnificence of the great hall escaped him. On any other day, he marveled at the unparalleled skill of the intricate masonry carvings and Dwarven runes that