Free Well of the Damned by K.C. May Page A

May the Savior welcome him into His loving embrace,” she
said. The words came out ragged and soft. “Have you caught the
killer?”
    “The
killer was slain. Let’s leave it at that,” Gavin said. If
Keturah wanted to know more when she was older, he would tell her.
For now, this was enough. “Sorry I had to give you the bad
news. Keturah, he was a good man and would’ve made sure you and
your mama got what you need.” To Nicholia, he said, “You
don’t have to worry about money. Tell me how much he was giving
you, and I’ll send triple.”
    “Bless
your generous soul,” she said.
    “Do
we still have to live at grandmother’s house?” Keturah
asked her mother.
    “Hush
now,” Nicholia said.
    Gavin
thought this day couldn’t get any worse, but he had a feeling
it was about to. “Is your home in Saliria flooded?”
    Nicholia
nodded. “My mother’s home in Tern hasn’t flooded
yet. We’ll be fine there for a time.”
    He
exhaled in relief. The last thing he needed was to have to explain to
Liera that Rogan’s bastard daughter and the woman who’d
borne her were staying as guests in the palace. “If that
changes, I want to know about it.”

Chapter 10

     
 
    Gavin
sat alone in the downstairs library with his head in his hands,
wrestling with his thoughts. In the two hundred years since the
palace had been abandoned, the demon Ritol had destroyed the
furniture and artwork and most of the books, but Feanna and his
sister-in-law Liera had painstakingly arranged to have this room
restored. They’d followed Gavin’s description of the way
it had been when he’d met king Arek face to face during his
first back-traveling excursion and had done an extraordinary job,
though the style of furniture was updated and the colors were
slightly brighter. This had easily become his favorite room in the
palace.
    His
thoughts returned again to the brown-eyed girl, Keturah Kinshield. He
couldn’t get her face out of his head. Why, if Rogan was this
girl’s father, would he have named Gavin? It didn’t make
sense. Had he been trying to protect himself or his family?
    He
sensed Feanna’s approach and turned to watch her appreciatively
as she entered the room and closed the door. Her curvaceous figure
was accentuated by the buttery yellow dress, scooped just low enough
in front to draw his eye. The lace-accented gown brought out the
golden hue in her hair flowing over her shoulders in gentle curls.
Though she wore dresses fancier and more befitting a queen than the
simple ones she’d owned when they first met, she was still the
demure and humble yet determined woman he fell in love with. He rose
and placed a kiss on her lips and, inspired by their softness,
another.
    “Now
that you’ve chosen Jophet as Supreme Councillor of the
Militia,” she said, taking a seat across from his desk, “I
want you to name Lilalian as my champion.”
    He
raised his brow in surprise as he sat beside her. “Why?”
    “She
was so heartbroken over not being chosen, and she’s a good
leader and battler. I don’t want her to leave us.”
    “Feeling
sorry for someone ain’t a good reason for giving them an
important job. I was planning to name Tennara.”
    She
scowled. “But I prefer Lila.”
    “Tennara’s
the better choice, but I’ll take more time to consider. I
didn’t expect you home so early today,” he said. “How
was your visit to the orphanage?”
    He
saw something in her gray eyes that he had never seen before. It
worried him, and he took her hand and asked what was the matter. Her
eyes welled with tears, and she bowed her head before sobs overtook
her. “Oh, sweetheart,” he said, kneeling before her and
drawing her into his arms. “It’ll be awright.” He
held her for several long minutes while she cried, her breath coming
in ragged gasps. Finally, when she regained control, she pulled back
and dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief she’d made a part
of her wardrobe.
    “It
was awful, Gavin. Some of those