Death of a Darklord Read Online Free PDF

arms. “Turn around.” It was an order.
    Konrad sighed, but turned his back, arms crossed over his chest. His straight back said plainly that he considered it all very silly.
    Elaine raised herself on her arms, elbows locked. Her arms shook slightly with the effort. Her lips were a narrow line, breath held. The white gown she wore covered her more than some dresses Blaine had seen her in, but that wasn’t the point. He didn’t understand why a thick gown was more shameful than a low-necked dress, but it was to most women. Or at least to Elaine. He knew better than to argue.
    He held the robe out so that one arm was partially open for her. Elaine leaned her back against the headboard, using it to prop herself up. She shoved one arm into the sleeve. He shifted as faras he could to tuck the sleeve on her shoulder. Pain stabbed up his leg. He fell back in the chair, gasping.
    “If you would let me help, we could be headed downstairs by now,” Konrad said.
    “No,” Elaine said. Her voice was loud, but breathy.
    “Modesty is a virtue, Elaine, but this is ridiculous. Let me turn around.”
    “No!”
    It began to dawn on Blaine, for the very first time, that Elaine wasn’t this careful around any other man in the house, including the servants. Blaine was sometimes slow on such things, but once an idea hit him, it didn’t leave. Elaine liked Konrad.
    Blaine glanced from the man’s stiff back to Elaine struggling into her robe. Konrad was a widower, able to marry again. He supposed that Konrad was handsome; Blaine had just never considered him in that way. Certainly not as a prospective husband for his sister. He’d never considered any man as that.
    Elaine lay back, gasping, on the pillows, the blue robe pulled tight over her chest. Her blue-green eyes stood out fever-bright against her pale skin. Her light wavy hair fell around her face like a golden curtain. She looked almost ethereal. With a shock that went all the way down to his toes, Blaine realized his sister was beautiful. It was a shock, and almost frightening. How had he never noticed?
    The question was, had Konrad noticed? He had never seen any sign that the tall warrior thought of Elaine in that way. Of course, until today he’d never thought of her that way, either.
    “Can I turn around now?” Konrad’s voice was thick with scorn.
    Elaine seemed too tired to notice. “Yes,” she said.
    Konrad turned around. His darkly handsome face was set in a frown. Because he was looking for it, Blaine saw the wince in Elaine’s eyes. It distressed her that Konrad frowned at her. Darn. That Konrad’s opinion mattered to her that much bothered Blaine. It was silly, but he was jealous. The moment he realized it, Blaine pushed it away from him. He let it go. If the dour Konrad could bring his sister happiness, then who was he to complain? Of course, if Konrad hurt her, that was a different matter. Keeping one’s sister safe was a brother’s job, wasn’t it?
    Konrad pulled back the covers. Elaine drew the robe closed over her gown. Without being asked, he picked up her slippers from the floor and slipped them on her stockinged feet. It was a curiously intimate gesture.
    He tied the robe’s sash with abrupt hands, as though she were yet a child.
    Two bright spots of color burned on Elaine’s cheeks. She was careful not to look directly at Konrad’s face; she couldn’t bear to meet his eyes.
    He lifted her in his arms, as if she weighed nothing. Elaine put her arms around his neck, face pressed against his shoulder. She looked pale and ill and lovely in Konrad’s arms. And entirely too much at home for Blaine’s liking.
    “Can you make the stairs by yourself, Blaine? If not, I can come back up and help you down.”
    Blaine shook his head. “I can make it.” He would make it down the stairs by himself, or with someone else’s help. Blaine would have taken anyone’s help in the house before Konrad Burn’s, right now.
    Konrad nudged the door open and walked