Flames of Auriel (A Caeles Adventure Book 1) (27 page)

A man with sun-worn hands crushed the parchment until the nails of his hand bit into his palm. The messenger who had delivered the letter waited near the door, shifting from foot to foot, his head wrap wrung between sweaty palms. Messages from the north never had good news. He just hoped the royal in front of him did not kill the messenger.

The royal made his way over to the portrait on the wall as piercing obsidian eyes met the painted ones. Dark hair on a browned face set the background for an intense glare painted onto the eyes of the man. There was no doubt that the man in the painting was related to him. Even the glare was the same.

“Think an army will keep you safe do you?” His voice a venomous whisper.

“Majesty?”

Ignoring the messenger, his lips curled into a cruel grin. “Enjoy your new queen while you can. I will take everything that you cherish and turn it against you. Just like you did to your own. Not even the Dark One can save you now.”

The edges of the room started to darken as the King of Camel laughed. The sound of it promising painful times to come. The scene rippled and faded from view leaving a rolling sea in its wake.

A frown marred the pretty face of the young woman enjoying the sea air. The visions of the desert king still lingered in her pale eyes. A sense of foreboding washed over her at what she had just witnessed. Nothing good could come of that laugh.

“Ollie!” A voiced called out from further into the ship. The Ramian princess turned away from the ship’s railing to head back to her waiting company.

“I’m coming!” She moved toward the voice, but nagging feeling made her pause.

Something was coming.

Her eyes jerked back toward the sea as she hurried to the ship’s side. Her hands gripped the railing until her knuckles turned white as black sails came into view. She released the railing of the ship bound for her family’s home and changed her course. She needed to send a messenger bird to her cousin. Asher needed to know what was coming. She feared she would not be making port anytime soon.