Read New Title 1 Online

Authors: Unknown

New Title 1 (40 page)

Epilogue

 

Tardieh turned the knob and let the door creak open. He had dreaded this moment and had avoided it for as long as he could, but the time had come. He took a deep breath and stepped inside the room.

Arthur’s room.

Someone had to do the inventory and decide what to do with Arthur’s belongings. He could have asked one of his household staff to do it, but it felt like blasphemy. Arthur had been a second father to Tardieh. To let some stranger sort out his belongings was just wrong. No,
he
had to do it and him alone.

Tardieh didn’t need to flick the light on to see that his old friend’s nest had been left untouched since his tragic death. After the ordeal with Balaur, Tardieh had been silently pleased to hear that Remi, Arthur’s nephew and murderer, had met his fate. He wasn’t one to celebrate death but this time around, he had.

He let his eyes roam over the simple yet comfortable place. It was intact, as if Arthur had just left and would come back at any time now. But he wouldn’t. Just like Tardieh’s father.

He exhaled a long breath and opened the wardrobe. Arthur’s distinctive scent invaded his nose. A bunch of white shirts, perfectly ironed, black suits, socks, matching jocks, formal shoes, and a small trunk.

Tardieh frowned. He’d seen that old trunk before, a long time ago.

It had been his father’s, King Petran’s.

How odd. Tardieh had been told that all his family’s belongings had burnt down, when his house went up in flames, after his father’s assassination.

Unable to stop himself, he crouched low and picked up the dusty box. It looked like it hadn’t been touched for a very long time.

Strange. Why would Arthur have kept such an old relic? And more to the point, why hadn’t he mentioned it to Tardieh?

With many questions going through his mind, he sat on the bed and opened the trunk. Several pieces of old memorabilia lay inside. A small watercolor canvas of Tardieh as a kid, his archery medals, a diamond ring that once belonged to his mother, and many more. By Apa Dobrý, Arthur had managed to salvage the last remaining memories of Tardieh’s family.

When the war broke out between dragons and vampires in the early 19
th
century, Tardieh was a full-grown man who refused to grow up. His relationship with his father had never been top notch and when he reached adulthood, it got worse. His father, the almighty king of all vampires, had wanted Tardieh to follow his footsteps, but Tardieh had other plans that didn’t include becoming his father’s shadow. Then, he got snatched by the enemy, and saw what a sheltered life he had lived in. It was those horrible months incarcerated that finally forced Tardieh to grow into a man. When he was released, by Zoricah – it was the first time they ever met – he had only one thing in his mind – to apologize to his father and become a worthy suitor to the throne. The latter came to pass earlier than he imagined; the former, he had never managed to accomplish. He arrived back at his house in Romania, weak from months of torture, craving to see his family, only to find blood. All the servants had been massacred, his family members, even the children had been killed. And his father had met the same fate. 

Even after so many centuries, those memories still cut him deep.

He took a deep breath and kept on rummaging through Arthur’s box. A yellowed envelope caught his attention. It was addressed to Arthur and Tardieh would have never opened it, if it wasn’t for the handwriting on it. His father’s.

He slowly opened the delicate flap and pulled out a worn out letter.


My dear Arthur,

If you are reading this letter, it’s because my worst fears had ensued and I have fallen in the hands of our enemy.

I pray to thee to not let grief prevent you from doing what is right. You must protect my son; you must find him and take him away. I have a small chalet in the new world, a land called America. I am told the dragons’ deceit has not yet reached its shores. I beg thee, my dear friend, take my boy and protect him, help him become the king I know he can be.

I apologize in advance for burdening you with such a task, old friend, but I have no one else to turn to. My enemy has ears and eyes that reach far afield. My house has become my very tomb. Nonetheless, I envisage aiding you in your quest.

And for that, I must tell you the truth.

 

What did you think of this novel?

If you enjoyed this novel, then write a quick review, so that other readers can learn about it too!

Despite popular belief, authors do like to hear what their readers think of their novels!

 

**********

 

And the journey continues…

“Vampire Legacy (Book 4 of the Dragon Heat series)”

Available now in all e-book stores.

 

When Tardieh discovers a letter from his late father, he opens a door to old memories. The letter from Petran is a tale of intrigue, attempted murder, and betrayal, but leaves more questions than answers in its wake.

Petran, the King of Vampires, an ancient monarch known for his cunning ploys and many lovers, knows the animosity between draconians and vampires is brewing in Romania. Upon discovering his draconian neighbor has fallen ill with a strange Curse, Petran is determined to discover the cause, and a cure. In doing so, he finds an unexpected ally in his neighbor’s daughter, a striking Draconian Duchess.

All Lady Natalia, the Duchess of Moldavia, wants is to save her people from a Dragon Lord’s tyranny but she’s only a woman, who has no place meddling in politics. With his health failing, her father has big plans for her, so when the King of Vampires agrees to help her find a cure for the Curse plaguing her people and her father, Talia begins to see him as more than an old family friend. He awakens desires in her she knows she should not have but cannot resist, or deny him.

 

Acknowledgements

 

This book would have never been written without the help and constructive feedback from my fantastic mother and the unconditional support from my amazing husband. I know it’s a terrible cliché but I would’ve never become a writer if it wasn’t for my family.

Thanks to all my friends and fans – without you to read my crazy stories, I would’ve probably been locked up in a mental institution by now. 

 

**********

 

Copyright 2014 by Ella J Phoenix
Cover art by Liz Drysdale

 

 

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be produced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or illegal purchase of copyrighted materials.

All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Other books

The Shy Bride by Lucy Monroe
Tess by Emma Tennant
A Sheetcake Named Desire by Jacklyn Brady
Familiar by Michelle Rowen
False Friends by Stephen Leather


readsbookonline.com Copyright 2016 - 2024