Felling Kingdoms (Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

your betrothed, yes? What will you do with the children?”
    “I have not decided,” she confessed. “It depends on how many he fathers.”
    “Oh,” the King paused. “Dear Robyn, all the women conceived,” he said gently. “Two are having twins. He will have eleven children if the births go smoothly.”
    Robyn stared at him, her lips cracked where a disbelieving breath had slipped. “ Eleven? ”
    “I am sorry to bring you this news. The Head Mage must not know.”
    She nodded. ‘Or he did not wish me to know.’ She swallowed and composed herself smoothly. “No matter. I am sure I will have a few of my own to think about anyway.”
    “Yes, yes, my dear. When will you be married?”
    She waved a hand as they resumed walking. “When he defeats the Arch Mages.”
    “There is no telling when that will be,” he replied as if reading her mind. “No matter. It will give you more time to know him better. A man changes in battle. He becomes confident and sure and better understands his capabilities. It is a thing all leaders must undergo.”
    ‘If he makes it out alive.’
     
     
     
     
    When Gabriel woke, the sunlight was already streaming through the cracks in his curtains. Coal was soundly asleep wrapped around his head, his paws stretched over Gabriel’s collarbones. Gabriel’s body felt stretched and drained. He laid there for some time staring at the canopy and feeling the cat’s warm breath on his cheek. It took him half an hour before he dared try and sit up. Coal made no attempts to assist.
    He shuffled to the washroom for a drink of water, feeling parched and looking ghostly in the mirror. He had to pause after, lying on the floor and propping his feet on a chair to drain blood into his head.
    The door to his room unlatched. “Head Mage, are you awake?” he heard the soft voice of Afton ask.
    “I’m in here,” he replied quietly, thankful for once that she was blind. She appeared in his doorway and gasped. “I’m fine,” he assured as she rushed to his side and crouched down.
    “You should be in bed, Head Mage.”
    “I have work, Afton.”
    “No, no, my lord, you gave t’ Council t’ day off so you could rest.”
    “I have rested,” he argued. She sat back on her heels and frowned. The scars around her eyes crinkled.
    “You look terrible.”
    “You can’t see.”
    She gently put a hand on his forehead. “I see just fine. Put your trousers on.”
    “Some days trousers are overrated.”
    “You would disgrace yourself in front of me?”
    “ You came in here.”
    She smiled a little. “Come lay down in t’ library. I still need to work t’ toxins out of your muscles. Leave t’ trousers.”
    “That’s more like it,” he said and slowly raised himself to his feet, shuffling through the study into the library. Afton had laid out a mat on the table.
    He laid face first on the table. She dug into him until he winced, working him from neck to heel, flipping him over, and working back up. She finally came to his head and laced her fingers into his hair. She pulled and twisted in the most relaxing manner he had ever experience. She slowly worked her way onto his face and pressed various places. He melted in her hands and was practically comatose by the time she got to his ears.
    He woke sometime later with the light of afternoon streaming through the slender window. It took him a moment to realize where he was and how late it had gotten. A blanket was draped over his body, and he slowly sat up. Afton had set a pair of trousers and a shirt out on a chair. Judging by the lack of kinetic energy nearby, he was alone.
    He threw the blanket around his shoulders and shuffled to his desk to survey new reports. A thick book was open on the top with names scrawled across. Some bore Classes and Elements beside them. There were still so many left to Class, and he was two days behind.
    His study door swung open slowly catching his eye on Lael. “Have…you forgotten how to dress yourself…or did