Read Bonded: Book One of the ShadowLight Saga, an Epic Fantasy Adventure for Free Online Page A

his
wake, sniffing at Emma, though sticking to their master's side. Lothar propped
himself up against a slick stone ledge. Her host surveyed her curiously.
    Emma fidgeted; she felt bare
in front of him with her dress no more than underclothes.
    A thought broke through
the haze and she blurted, "Erik? Where’s Erik?"
    "He attends your
mother," said Lothar nonchalantly.
    After a loud clap of the
man's lank hands, a servant scuttled in carrying a tray with a container and
goblets. Like the odd chamber, the wares swirled with designs too deft for even
the finest potter.
    "My mother?" Emma
chewed the fullness of her lower lip.
    "Why of course. Your
mother sent you here." The lean man moved around her like a twig bending
in the wind. "To make a pact with this country."
    "That couldn't be."
Emma closed her eyes, forcing herself to puzzle through the haze. Her head
ached. "What sort of pact?"
    While pouring
cherry-colored liquid into each gilt glass, Lothar locked his gaze on the girl
as a cat surveys its supper. He handed her a goblet.
    Emma noted how the wolf’s
haunches quivered as the silver wolf padded to her side. She scratched his
thick fur, his sleekness comforting under her palms; as she did, she connected
with the beast. Her mind filled with the image of the goblet. Its foul liquid
spilled over the lip, melting the gold as it spewed over. Emma blinked. The
image vanished. She stared at the cup without reaching for it.
    Lothar’s face tightened,
his jaw line fluttering.
    "Svol! Arvak! Go."
    The wolves tucked their
tails and slunk out of the room. The servant woman bowed her head as quickly as
the wolves had cowered, and crept from the chamber as well.
    Lothar looked at Emma
with renewed interest, taking in every piece of her until his eyes caught hers
and a broad smile darkened his pale face. His leer sent a wave of nausea into
her throat.
    "What do you mean
by pact? With what country? And where did this dress come from?" Emma bit
her lip, realizing her emotions raced before her tongue.
    Lothar pushed the goblet
into her hand, forcing her to take hold. He grasped her arm, guiding her to
stand.
    "A lovely gown and
it fits you well. Quite well."
    Heat rose in Emma’s
cheeks. Even Erik would not have ogled her so indecently.
    Erik! Her memory snapped. "Erik would not be with
my mother."
    "They have come to
an understanding for what is in your best interest." Lothar closed in on
her, lifting his cup to his lips. "Drink. You would not deny me the
manners of a proper host, would you?"
    In one even swig, the
lord emptied his goblet.
    "Thank you, but I’m
not thirsty."
    Emma wished the wolves
had stayed. She understood them, as she did most animals. Humans were more
complex, masking their emotions under complicated motivations.
    Lothar cocked his head
curiously. Then he turned his back to her, pouring himself another glass.
    "You won't find a
sweeter berry anywhere—the finest in all of Alvenheim, cultivated by the few
songvaris left."
    He swiveled back around
and sipped his drink while eyeing Emma over the edge of the glass.
    Emma's head spun. Alvenheim.
Songvaris. What was he talking about?
    She wrestled to retain
the images of her family and fix them in her mind. The pain in her head
thrummed. She touched her temples, her sun-kissed hair falling into her face. Emma’s
throat stung as she looked at the ruby substance inside the glass.
    Maybe one sip. Maybe
it will ease the ache in my head.
    She held the cup to her
lips, the coolness of the rim soothing. Lothar crossed the short distance
between them, smiling down on her.
    Emma drank. The sweet
substance swamped her mouth, trailing down her throat. Before she realized it,
she’d drained her glass. She sank back comfortably as a warm tingle filled her
belly and limbs.
    "I knew you would
like it. It's elderberry wine with a drop of something special."
    His smile broadened.
    Emma beamed back at him.
The tension released from her head with a pleasant buzz, all her