Conquering Lazar Read Online Free PDF

Elbi from her perch and gave her a lazy grin. "Luckily for me, he is with his other brothers right now. I don't think I would be sitting comfortably for quite some time otherwise."
    Elbi sat on the ground, knees bent beside her. "I'm scared, Briar."
    Briar exhaled a large puff of smoke and gave a weak smile. "We are safe for now. We just need to do as they asked, and learn what we can."
    "From Nico? We don't even know him. Why can't it be Malachi or Donte? Why aren't they here?"
    "We can trust Nico with our lives. I owe him mine." She stamped out her rolled cigarette in the sand and began to pick the loose leaves from her lips, spitting them messily onto the dirt. "If it weren't for him, I would have been raped and killed." There was a faraway look to her as she revealed this information.
    Elbi stood and brushed the remnants of sand from her covered legs. The two women looked at the soldiers who began to file into the courtyard. Their presence ruffled the other harem women and where once they had been tittering to each other like small hens, the footfall was enough to quiet them and push them into their respective roles.
    "Something does seem to bother you," Elbi spoke out of the side of her mouth.
    "It's nothing we need to discuss now," Briar said. And before Elbi could prod any further, she stood up and walked away from her. It annoyed Elbi. She was more curious than angry.
    "Ladies, please if you would, come sit before me and my men," Nico commanded.
    In the early morning light she could see him quite well. He was well muscled but his face looked worn. There were small cracks in his otherwise chiseled face. The lines sat heavy around his eyes. His tattered clothing—which he was still wearing, she noticed, despite having to present himself in front of the entire harem—looked even thinner in the growing dawn. He wore a long scimitar on his hip. His shoulders were broad, and before she could really consider the narrowness of his hips, she felt eyes burning into her. She looked up to see that Briar was staring at her from across the courtyard. She knew precisely what Elbi was prepared to admire, and she raised her eyebrows and winked at her, quick as lightning. Elbi shook off the suggestion and brought her eyes back around to Nico.
    "My name is Nico, for those of you who have not met me yet. The brothers of Lazar, as I am sure you know, have instructed myself and my men," he waved his arm widely toward the men who had now formed a line, shoulder to shoulder, "to teach you the way of the warrior. You face dire times, and I will not tell you a single lie. Should the Jaden army capture you, you will wish yourself dead, as I'm sure many of you already know. But if you love your life, you will listen to the teachings we have for you. And you will obey."
    Nico began to walk amongst the women, carefully considering each one. Elbi looked to see if he had lust in his heart when he looked at them, but truthfully, if he did, she could not discern it. This struck her curiosity and she thought that perhaps this Nico actually would be able to help them. A man who could walk amongst a bevy of beautiful women, especially women he had at his command, without so much of a hint of wanton desire, was a man in control of even the deepest, most primal parts of his being.
    Elbi interrupted him, embarrassed by her meek, childish-sounding voice. "Where is Malachi?"
    "The brothers are with their advisors this morning. They are busy making plans to better fortify Casen. We all take your safety very seriously."
    "He will not be observing us?" Elbi's voice cracked. Her heart rate sped up. For some reason, the idea of going this long without Malachi formed a panic in the depths of her belly.
    "He needn't watch everything you do, Elbi," Mistress Tula said impatiently.
    She hadn't seen Mistress Tula arrive. The woman stood with her arms crossed tightly against her chest and her lips formed in a firm line. "You will do as these men direct, or I will punish