Sourcethief (Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A
Author: J.S. Morin
she
demanded.
"You. Look at you! It is as if Soria played
dress-up instead of becoming a warrior. Soria claims to hate long hair,
preferring illusions when her disguises call for it, yet yours falls halfway to
your backside. You are thinner too, obviously not as used to real work as
Soria, and you've plumped yourself up a bit as well," Tiiba said, cupping
his hands below his own chest. Juliana felt her cheeks flush.
"Just a bit," she admitted. "I never
had to worry about them getting in the way fighting until rather recently, and
I had no armor to worry about fitting." It occurred to her that Rakashi's
wanderers' oath might not apply in Veydrus. In Tellurak he was honor-bound not
to father any children while away from home, so Soria felt at ease around him.
She had always suspected that might be all that held him back from pursuing her
romantically, but it had held him back, and that was enough.
"Well, your Source certainly looks stronger
than hers, so maybe the extra armor is not so necessary."
"Really? That much stronger? I had always
thought maybe a little ..."
Tiiba laughed.
"Listen to you ... you know no one in both
worlds as qualified to make such a judgment. It is nothing like the difference
between mine and Rakashi's, but the difference is notable.
"If I might delve into another difference
between you and Soria, you seem to be more erudite," Tiiba said, gesturing
to the book on Juliana's desk, whose title proclaimed it to be The Peace of
Tallax .
"It was left for me, I think to give to Kyrus.
There were two books, this one and a book of amateur prophecies that Rashan
Solaran wrote. I gave Kyrus the other one, and he's studied it half to death.
This one ..."
"I have read it," Tiiba said. "It is
a very old story and traveled far beyond the borders of the Kadrin Empire, if
indeed it even originated within what would become its borders. I know the
story."
"Then you know why I hesitate to give it to
him."
"Yes," Tiiba said. "If he is as
strong as you claim, then I can see why."
* * * * * * *
*
Kyrus had a standing invitation to the emperor's
table each night for dinner. Initially he had indulged Emperor Sommick and
attended the pretentious, crowded, drawn-out feast that was offered in the main
dining hall. Once he discovered that he could get his dinner from the same
cooks, delivered to any room in the palace he chose, he rarely bothered with
the emperor and his sycophantic courtiers. The palace servants were deferential
to the emperor and his guests, but they feared "Brannis" enough that
they would not deny his request to be served separately. Once they accepted the
duty though, they found that Sir Brannis was far more forgiving, personable,
and patient than Emperor Sommick, and he paid the staff a bit extra for the
convenience of personal service.
While he would occasionally work through his
dinnertime—his plates of rare delicacies surrounded by notes, books and
reports—this night he shared his dinner with Sorceress Celia. The emperor's
comment earlier in the day about their relationship made him feel the need to
be more diligent about the attention he paid her. Rumors of the two of them
being anything other than shy lovers wending their way down the road toward
betrothal would work against him.
Ever since the death of his friend Iridan—Rashan
Solaran's son and heir apparent as warlock—Kyrus had been playing the long
game, working toward the day where he saw a weakness he could use to throw down
the demon warlock and end the destruction his mere presence in the empire
seemed to cause. His uncle, Caladris Solaran, had warned him that Celia was
being used to ensure his restraint when Rashan was around. His uncle and the
warlock had gone to some length to trick Kyrus into believing that Celia was
twinborn and Kyrus's object of affection from Tellurak. Kyrus's belief in that
lie was Rashan's protection. The warlock trusted that Kyrus would keep his
careless use of magic in check if his beloved was
demanded.
"You. Look at you! It is as if Soria played
dress-up instead of becoming a warrior. Soria claims to hate long hair,
preferring illusions when her disguises call for it, yet yours falls halfway to
your backside. You are thinner too, obviously not as used to real work as
Soria, and you've plumped yourself up a bit as well," Tiiba said, cupping
his hands below his own chest. Juliana felt her cheeks flush.
"Just a bit," she admitted. "I never
had to worry about them getting in the way fighting until rather recently, and
I had no armor to worry about fitting." It occurred to her that Rakashi's
wanderers' oath might not apply in Veydrus. In Tellurak he was honor-bound not
to father any children while away from home, so Soria felt at ease around him.
She had always suspected that might be all that held him back from pursuing her
romantically, but it had held him back, and that was enough.
"Well, your Source certainly looks stronger
than hers, so maybe the extra armor is not so necessary."
"Really? That much stronger? I had always
thought maybe a little ..."
Tiiba laughed.
"Listen to you ... you know no one in both
worlds as qualified to make such a judgment. It is nothing like the difference
between mine and Rakashi's, but the difference is notable.
"If I might delve into another difference
between you and Soria, you seem to be more erudite," Tiiba said, gesturing
to the book on Juliana's desk, whose title proclaimed it to be The Peace of
Tallax .
"It was left for me, I think to give to Kyrus.
There were two books, this one and a book of amateur prophecies that Rashan
Solaran wrote. I gave Kyrus the other one, and he's studied it half to death.
This one ..."
"I have read it," Tiiba said. "It is
a very old story and traveled far beyond the borders of the Kadrin Empire, if
indeed it even originated within what would become its borders. I know the
story."
"Then you know why I hesitate to give it to
him."
"Yes," Tiiba said. "If he is as
strong as you claim, then I can see why."
* * * * * * *
*
Kyrus had a standing invitation to the emperor's
table each night for dinner. Initially he had indulged Emperor Sommick and
attended the pretentious, crowded, drawn-out feast that was offered in the main
dining hall. Once he discovered that he could get his dinner from the same
cooks, delivered to any room in the palace he chose, he rarely bothered with
the emperor and his sycophantic courtiers. The palace servants were deferential
to the emperor and his guests, but they feared "Brannis" enough that
they would not deny his request to be served separately. Once they accepted the
duty though, they found that Sir Brannis was far more forgiving, personable,
and patient than Emperor Sommick, and he paid the staff a bit extra for the
convenience of personal service.
While he would occasionally work through his
dinnertime—his plates of rare delicacies surrounded by notes, books and
reports—this night he shared his dinner with Sorceress Celia. The emperor's
comment earlier in the day about their relationship made him feel the need to
be more diligent about the attention he paid her. Rumors of the two of them
being anything other than shy lovers wending their way down the road toward
betrothal would work against him.
Ever since the death of his friend Iridan—Rashan
Solaran's son and heir apparent as warlock—Kyrus had been playing the long
game, working toward the day where he saw a weakness he could use to throw down
the demon warlock and end the destruction his mere presence in the empire
seemed to cause. His uncle, Caladris Solaran, had warned him that Celia was
being used to ensure his restraint when Rashan was around. His uncle and the
warlock had gone to some length to trick Kyrus into believing that Celia was
twinborn and Kyrus's object of affection from Tellurak. Kyrus's belief in that
lie was Rashan's protection. The warlock trusted that Kyrus would keep his
careless use of magic in check if his beloved was