Blood Price (Noble of Blood Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

Scribed into the walls were containment inscriptions that glowed while the Chamber was in use.  These spells also monitored the progress of the turning, and allowed the Chamber to leech power from the Noble that rested inside, borrowing from the magic of their life force.  Once the power started to seep from the Nobles body, the Chambers spells took that power and directed it to the human there, just like it had been created to do so long ago.
    The couple were instructed to sleep while in the chamber.  Unlike during the war, the inhabitants of the Chamber did not need to stay awake.  The Noble inside acted as a center for the power so the human could undergo the transformation.  This also allowed any possible magical abilities to be reabsorbed back to the Chamber, so the human would become a Noble but without any danger of swelling His ranks with magic users.
    He had to keep his people peaceful, but ready.  Which is why he created an army of strong warriors.  And so far was able to keep the creation of magic users at a minimum.  The ones who did come out with any abilities were capable of only small things, like lighting candles with a wave of their hand, limited omen reading or extra strength.
    One had come out with the ability to heal wounds.  She was sent off immediately to attend his military, much to her Chooser's chagrin.
    Walking into the Chambers cavern, he stopped and marveled at the magical creation in the center of the room.  He revered it for being a catalyst in the winning of the ancient war, but hated it for cursing his Samana and taking her from him. This mixture of feelings hit his senses hard every time he came near the Chamber. 
    The Chamber was about 8 feet long, and just over 5 feet wide.  The stone that it was made from was carved from a bed of lava rock.  It was dark slate gray with glittery black obsidian scattered throughout.  The cover was the same except for setting of red jewels in the middle, set in an odd arc pattern.
    Reaching inside and running his fingers along the chiseled inscriptions he noticed a change.  They had gone from quickly chiseled runes tapped into the walls in haste, and had turned smooth to the touch as if water had slowly run over it for a millennia.  He turned up his senses and as he ran his hand along the interior small sparks shot from the inscriptions.  They recognized his power as their creator.
    'I wonder then if I could even change the spell.'  But even as he formed the thought he knew he could never do this, because then the future of his race would be doomed.  If he changed the spells they could no longer create more Nobles.  There may not be a war now, but he knew the possibility was ever looming.  Especially lately.  His armies were always fighting in the further off reaches.  And even though he may lose one or two men from his military every couple of decades, it had already taken too long to swell his ranks to what they were now.
    He couldn't take from the humans too often.  They would grow weary of his demands, becoming suspicious and eventually hostile.  He needed to keep the peace between their races.  He had to stay ready.
    He couldn't change the spells.
    He couldn't save Josaleene.
    ---
    The couple almost made it back to their quarters, but Josaleene protested about being shut up in their room, and begged for Dartein to take her out of the palace. 
    "I want to be out in the night, and not just out on the balcony.  The moon is full, Dartein.  I want to bathe in its light!"  She pouted at him playfully, and he knew he could never refuse anything she wanted.  "Let us take horses across the town bridge to the meadow just past the river.  It would be so romantic."  Her eyes twinkled at him and his reservations melted away.
    "My sweet, I am so frightful of losing you and I just want to keep you all to myself now."  He told her.
    "If your father is right, if I am doomed to leave this world in a screaming bloody mess then I do not want