Free Redemption Of The Sacred Land (Book 3) by Mark Tyson Page A

went. It was speculated that the magic that took the Sacred Land destroyed him in the process, but no one can be sure because no one has ever seen that much essence being used at once.”
    “So, this Oracle person could be behind everything that has happened to us so far?”
    “The signs are there, but who knows?” Gondrial shrugged. “We can only proceed on known facts. Naneden has Lux Enor and the Sacred Land, Toborne has the Silver Drake, and we just released the most deadly assassin I have ever known.”
    “Veric? A deadly assassin?” Dorenn asked.
    “The deadliest. He frightens the wits right out of me. I know I have played pranks on him in the past, before I knew who he was, but I would never do anything of the sort now. There is a very good reason why the Oracle imprisoned him here; a rogue assassin like Veric could destroy any plans he made with Naneden and Toborne.”
    “We never have had the information we needed to take the Sacred Land, have we?” Dorenn lamented. “We have been going around in circles, thwarted by secret after secret. The enemy has been able to use our own weaknesses against us at every turn. We have been defeating ourselves. The enemy has us scattered and unorganized, plagued by the past and our unwillingness to talk about it.”
    Lady Shey nodded. “You are beginning to gain that wisdom I told you about. My family is an unusual one. There are secrets my mother and father still keep from me because they are an unusual couple and secrets are the only way they know to keep me, well, us safe.”
    “I think you are old enough to know any secrets they keep by now,” Gondrial said.
    “Oh? You think I am old enough?”
    Gondrial backpedaled. “I simply meant you can take care of yourself now. No need to keep secrets from you.”
    “I am sure Mother and Father have their reasons.”
    Rennon, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. “I may not know all of the story here, but you mean to say that they left you when you were a child as an orphan in the streets? Didn’t you say you were orphaned? I knew you were lying back then.” He turned to Dorenn. “I told you she was lying.”
    “Would you please shut your ignorant mouth!” Gondrial said. “You are correct that you don’t know the whole story.”
    Rennon was so taken aback that Gondrial spoke in the defense of someone that he leaned back in his chair and visibly closed his mouth.
    “Of course, she is right,” Veric said as he entered through the flap in the tent. “My daughter, I mean. We did have our reasons to keep secrets from her.”
    “Are you done so soon, Father?” Lady Shey asked.
    “No, I came back to get one of you, preferably Dorenn. It occurred to me that I have no idea how my trap looked with me in it.” He took Shey’s hand and pulled her up next to him. “You already know of your brother, Seancey, but it’s time to tell you our most hidden secret.”
    “No, Father, I don’t want to know.”
    “You have an older sister.”
    “Do not tell me her name!” Shey insisted. “Wait until we gain the upper hand and get out of danger. Please, I beg you, Father. I was already captured once. The less I know, the better at this point.”
    “All right, my daughter, I understand. We will all be a family when this is over, I promise.”
    “I know you will do your best, Father.” She embraced him.
    Morgoran and Ianthill joined Veric. “We will go with you to describe the trap,” Morgoran said. “Shey, I want you to sit down with Dorenn and Rennon and have that talk you keep saying you will have. When we return, we will make preparations to go to Brookhaven. I think it’s about time we made our way back there.” He nodded his head with authority, and the three of them exited the tent.
    “I think you know as much as I know now, from Fadral to where we sit. I’m not sure what else I can tell you.”
    Gondrial spied a barrel with a spigot in the corner. Two mugs were overturned on top of it. “Well, I see