Free A Birthright of Blood (The Dragon War, Book 2) by Daniel Arenson Page A

the columns rose into shadows, and
the guards stood still and dark between them. The lamps burned,
casting flickering light.
    Lord Cain turned to stare at
Rune. Those dark, shrewd eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him.
    "Is this your boy, Valien?"
the entombed lord asked and grunted. "Is this pup the so-called
heir you've been trumpeting around? He looks more like a girl to me.
Ha! This one is prettier than my daughter. My arse is hairier than
his cheeks." He thrust out his chin at Rune. "Do you
talk, little girl? Or do you merely drag around behind your lord as
a trophy?"
    Rune felt his temper flare. He
grabbed his sword.
    "You know Shari Cadigus,
daughter of the emperor?" he said to Cain. "You know of
her missing wing? My teeth tore it off."
    Cain snorted. "So you
fought another woman, and you couldn't even kill her. And you think
you can fight men in battle? You think you can slay Frey Cadigus?"
He hacked a laugh. "And you want me to help you! I wager you
need help to wipe your own backside."
    Rune growled. "I flew to
battle. I fought Frey's men. You haven't left this cavern in years!
And you call me a—"
    "Rune!" Valien said,
voice rough, and his eyes blazed. "We've not come here to argue
with Cain, but to seek an alliance."
    Cain's laughter boomed and
echoed across the palace. He clutched his belly. "Ha! This
boy who would be king cannot even talk without his lord lecturing
him. What sort of king allows a knight to interrupt his words?"
He sat back upon his throne. "Be gone, boy, before I send word
to the capital that you hide in my hall."
    "Me, hide in your hall!"
Rune said and snorted. "You've been rotting here for too long,
old man. Will you not emerge to fight? Will you leave your army
here in the shadows to collect dust, or will you emerge into the sky
as a dragon?"
    All mirth left Cain's eyes. His
face darkened, and his lips peeled back in a snarl.
    "Emerge into the sky? A
sky full of imperial dragons bearing Frey's sigil? Fly in a sky
another man rules? No, boy. Am I not a man? Am I not a lord?"
He spat on the floor. "I will not fly over another man's
fields, forests, or forts. I am Lord Cain! I march and fly above
earth that I own."
    "You own nothing but a hole
in a wall," Rune said, disgusted.
    "Aye, little girl, and
wouldn't you love to rule this hole in a wall? Wouldn't you love to
command the army that dwells here? They are true warriors. They are
true men, tested in battle, not babes fresh off the teat like you."
    Rune took a step forward. "You
want lands? You want skies to call your own? You want to see
sunlight again, old man? I will give you land and sky if you join my
cause. Fight with me, Cain, and I will give you what you desire."
    Cain snorted. "Will you
now, boy? You will give me lands, is that so? I will take what
lands are mine, not have a whore's daughter give me a treat like a
dog." He spat on Rune's boot. "If Frey should fall, I
will command all the south of Requiem—from Castra Luna in the north,
down to Ralora Cliffs in the south, and east across the plains of
Osanna to the port of Altus Mare."
    Rune's eyes widened and he
guffawed. "But that's half the kingdom!"
    "Aye," said Lord Cain
and cackled. "Would you rather rule half a kingdom or all of
nothing?"
    Valien stepped forward, face red
beneath his beard. "Enough, Cain! Enough of this bantering.
Are you two leaders or fishwives?" He took another step forward
and clutched Cain's shoulder. "Cain. We are old friends, you
are I. We are both warriors. Now fight with us. Let us swing
swords and blow fire together. Cadigus has you hiding in a hole like
a rat. Join us, dethrone the man, and you will have the lands you
crave."
    Cain grumbled under his breath.
He gave Valien a long look, then turned his eyes toward Rune; his
tufted eyebrows turned with his stare like shutters.
    "Does he know how to
fight?" he said. "The boy is too soft and too young. Can
he kill?"
    Rune nodded, thinking back to
Castra Luna, and ice filled his belly. "I've killed