Blood Genesis Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: Tessa Dawn
generations are to be sired with human women, those not begotten of gods and men, then so be it. At least we will retain our souls. And Jessenia will preserve our legacy.”
Jaegar stared at Jadon in stunned stupefaction, silent for what felt like ages. And then he broke out in raucous laughter. “Oh, Jadon. You truly never give up, do you?’ He stood up abruptly, watched as his twin took three judicious steps back, and then bounded down the stairs, strolling within inches of his rival. He clasped him by both shoulders. “Brother, you think too much.” His voice hardened. “You fear too much. There is nothing on this planet to challenge us, nothing to be afraid of. Don’t you get it? T here is nothing g reater than us .” He bent over and placed a familial kiss on Jadon’s right cheek. “Tomorrow is a new beginning. You have tonight to decide where you stand. Either way, we will meet back at the castle at dusk, following the execution, where you and I will convene in the great stone hall before the hearth of our ancestors.” He relaxed his grip and softened his voice. “We will forge a new covenant then. Whilst our men gather together in the courtyard… at last , our kingdom will become unified. All-powerful. D ivine .” He savored the last word on his tongue. “And as for the future, the direction we will take going forward, you and I will decide this together , then.” He smiled, feeling suddenly light of heart. “Oh, Jadon, just wait. This time tomorrow we will be as gods—I swear it.”
As if Jaegar’s hands were burning Jadon’s flesh, the prince brushed them off his shoulders and slowly backed away. “Then that’s it?” he said, his voice clearly despondent. “There’s nothing I can say?”
Jaegar stiffened and met his brother’s reproving gaze. “There is one thing.” He scowled with disappointment. “You can answer one question… correctly .” He leaned forward. “Will you and your loyalists be at the execution tomorrow? Will you take part in this one final sacrifice?”
Jadon nearly recoiled. “No.” His voice brooked no argument. “You know that we will not.”
Jaegar dropped his head into his hands. He brushed his thick, wavy hair out of his eyes and yanked the ends in frustration. And then he virtually exploded with anger. He punched Jadon in the jaw, rotated his wrist for good measure, and clipped him with his elbow on retreat. When the prince staggered backward, he lunged forward once again and struck him with a crisp, punitive uppercut, right beneath the chin.
Jadon’s head snapped back; his teeth visibly rattled, and it sounded like he may have lost a molar. He stumbled to the side, spit out a glob of blood, and braced his jaw in a trembling, angry hand. And then he stepped forward and smiled —a wicked, mischievous grin. He dipped his hand beneath his royal cloak and palmed the hilt of his dagger.
Jaegar took a cautious step back. “So it comes to this, dear brother?” He laughed out loud, all the while eyeing the jewel-inlayed shaft of Jadon’s blade. “Mm, I see. Well, at least this is the twin I remember.” Without hesitation, he brought his hand to his hip, reached into his own leather scabbard, and brandished his private stiletto, stroking the golden tip like a long-lost lover. “Just say the word, my prince , and may the best man win.”
Jadon stood there like a grain of sand, caught between two halves of a broken hourglass—he couldn’t go forward, and he couldn’t go back.
“Tick tock; tick tock.” Jaegar clucked the sounds with his tongue, wondering what Jadon was thinking: Was he counting his loyal followers, considering the lives of his men? Or was he thinking about their father and the thin little strand, wrapped around Jaegar’s finger, that sustained the king’s fragile life? Was he calculating the future, evaluating an outcome he was helpless to change, or was he just now realizing he would never leave the castle alive, should he manage
Jaegar stared at Jadon in stunned stupefaction, silent for what felt like ages. And then he broke out in raucous laughter. “Oh, Jadon. You truly never give up, do you?’ He stood up abruptly, watched as his twin took three judicious steps back, and then bounded down the stairs, strolling within inches of his rival. He clasped him by both shoulders. “Brother, you think too much.” His voice hardened. “You fear too much. There is nothing on this planet to challenge us, nothing to be afraid of. Don’t you get it? T here is nothing g reater than us .” He bent over and placed a familial kiss on Jadon’s right cheek. “Tomorrow is a new beginning. You have tonight to decide where you stand. Either way, we will meet back at the castle at dusk, following the execution, where you and I will convene in the great stone hall before the hearth of our ancestors.” He relaxed his grip and softened his voice. “We will forge a new covenant then. Whilst our men gather together in the courtyard… at last , our kingdom will become unified. All-powerful. D ivine .” He savored the last word on his tongue. “And as for the future, the direction we will take going forward, you and I will decide this together , then.” He smiled, feeling suddenly light of heart. “Oh, Jadon, just wait. This time tomorrow we will be as gods—I swear it.”
As if Jaegar’s hands were burning Jadon’s flesh, the prince brushed them off his shoulders and slowly backed away. “Then that’s it?” he said, his voice clearly despondent. “There’s nothing I can say?”
Jaegar stiffened and met his brother’s reproving gaze. “There is one thing.” He scowled with disappointment. “You can answer one question… correctly .” He leaned forward. “Will you and your loyalists be at the execution tomorrow? Will you take part in this one final sacrifice?”
Jadon nearly recoiled. “No.” His voice brooked no argument. “You know that we will not.”
Jaegar dropped his head into his hands. He brushed his thick, wavy hair out of his eyes and yanked the ends in frustration. And then he virtually exploded with anger. He punched Jadon in the jaw, rotated his wrist for good measure, and clipped him with his elbow on retreat. When the prince staggered backward, he lunged forward once again and struck him with a crisp, punitive uppercut, right beneath the chin.
Jadon’s head snapped back; his teeth visibly rattled, and it sounded like he may have lost a molar. He stumbled to the side, spit out a glob of blood, and braced his jaw in a trembling, angry hand. And then he stepped forward and smiled —a wicked, mischievous grin. He dipped his hand beneath his royal cloak and palmed the hilt of his dagger.
Jaegar took a cautious step back. “So it comes to this, dear brother?” He laughed out loud, all the while eyeing the jewel-inlayed shaft of Jadon’s blade. “Mm, I see. Well, at least this is the twin I remember.” Without hesitation, he brought his hand to his hip, reached into his own leather scabbard, and brandished his private stiletto, stroking the golden tip like a long-lost lover. “Just say the word, my prince , and may the best man win.”
Jadon stood there like a grain of sand, caught between two halves of a broken hourglass—he couldn’t go forward, and he couldn’t go back.
“Tick tock; tick tock.” Jaegar clucked the sounds with his tongue, wondering what Jadon was thinking: Was he counting his loyal followers, considering the lives of his men? Or was he thinking about their father and the thin little strand, wrapped around Jaegar’s finger, that sustained the king’s fragile life? Was he calculating the future, evaluating an outcome he was helpless to change, or was he just now realizing he would never leave the castle alive, should he manage