Avondale Read Online Free PDF Page A

help him prepare for the night. Unfortunately, he ran into Rafe as he hurried up the stairs.
    “Where’ve you been?” Rafe asked.
    “Out in the city,” Tiberius said, happy to see his friend, but hoping not to linger. “And you?”
    “Protecting the city from a vicious Forkus,” Rafe said with a grin.
    “I saw you, I was on the watchtower.”
    “There was room for you on the wall.”
    “I would have been there if I could have.”
    “Don’t kid yourself,” Rafe said, irritation showing in his voice. “It’s not like we would be able to do anything if one of those bloody creatures actually got close enough to attack the city. We would just be the first to die.”
    “I thought you loved the nobility of dying in combat.”
    “Combat yes, fighting monsters from the blighted lands below, not so much.”
    “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you at dinner.”
    “Of course,” Rafe said. “My father will have to give a report.”
    They both hurried away in different directions. Rafe and Tiberius were the same age, and the two boys had cultivated a friendship over the years. Rafe was a gifted fighter, but struggled to live up to his father’s famous reputation. Unlike Tiberius, Rafe was a natural with a sword. He could fight well with any weapon, but unless he became the Earl’s champion when his father stepped down, Tiberius knew Rafe would be crushed.
    He hurried to his room, which was a nicely appointed space opposite his brother Brutas’ rooms. Leonosis had a suite of rooms and Brutas had two adjoining rooms, one for sleeping and the other for study. Tiberius, on the other hand, had just had a single room; there wasn’t even a fireplace. He used a brazier to stay warm at night. The room was large enough for a small desk, a wardrobe, and a massive four-poster bed. He rushed inside and closed the door. It was still dark in the room, which meant that Robere had not arrived yet. Tiberius hurried forward in the darkness, his bed a massive shadow against the far wall.
    Tiberius had shelves of books and knickknacks he’d collected over the years, but his most prized possessions he kept in a trunk under his bed. He dropped to his knees beside the bed and pulled out the heavy wooden box. He flung it open and then carefully removed the two book fragments from his tunic. He was anxious to read them, but he forced himself to hide them away and begin cleaning up instead.
    He had just poured a pitcher of water into a basin on his table when Robere came in with a lamp and a small bucket of coals for the brazier.
    “Master Tiberius, you’re early,” the older man said.
    “Really? I thought I was right on time for a change.”
    “What mischief are you up to?”
    “No mischief, I just rushed to the palace when the alarm sounded. The Prefect didn’t have time to give us loads of busywork today.”
    “You saw the attack then?”
    “Yes,” Tiberius said.
    “Very exciting,” the servant said, placing a towel on the table beside the basin. “There is nothing more thrilling than seeing the Earl’s soldiers defending Avondale. Dinner shall be a victory feast.”
    Tiberius dashed water on his face so the servant wouldn’t see him grimace. The soldiers who had fought the Forkus would regale the court with tales of their exploits and dinner would drag on for hours. If Tiberius slipped away early, it would cause suspicion, so he would have to wait even longer to explore his new find.
    After scrubbing his face and hair, Robere helped Tiberius pull off his clothes and get dressed in his evening formals. The third son of the Earl could wear practical clothes while he went off to study at the temple, but when he rejoined the family, he was expected to look the part. The clothes were silky and very comfortable, but Tiberius knew they wouldn’t last long in the city. He wore a dark red tunic, with an ivory sash. His leather breeches were replaced with baggy linen pants that tucked into stiff boots that were polished to a high