Read Dynasty of Evil for Free Online

between six and ten. Unlike Lucia, most of them had no qualms about killing innocent civilians—or one another—to claim their prize. By the time the bloodbath was over Salto was dead, along with two other patients, one member of the hospital nursing staff, three security guards, and four bounty hunters.
    The only reason Lucia’s name wasn’t on the list of casualties was because of Serra. The healer had dragged her back into the room and performed emergency surgery while the gun battle raged outside. She managed to save Lucia’s life despite being freshly pistol-whipped … and despite the fact that Lucia had stuck a gun in her face only minutes earlier.
    Lucia owed her life to the young healer, and from that day forward she had vowed to keep Serra safe, no matter where she went or what she did. It wasn’t easy. Before marrying Gerran, Serra had moved around a lot. Never content to stay in the same place, she seemed totravel to a different world every few weeks. It was as if she was searching for something she could never find, or running from something she could never escape.
    At first the healer had been reluctant to have someone constantly watching over her, but she couldn’t stop Lucia from following her as she moved from planet to planet. Eventually, she came to appreciate the value of having a trained bodyguard on hand. Serra was willing to go anywhere and try to help anybody, and the Outer Rim could be a violent and dangerous place.
    Over the years, however, Lucia had become more than just the princess’s protector: she was her confidante and friend. And when Gerran had proposed to Serra, she accepted his offer only on the condition that Lucia still be allowed to serve at her side.
    The king hadn’t liked it, but in the end he had relented and made Lucia an official member of the Doan Royal Guard. But though she had sworn an oath to protect and serve the king and all his family, her true loyalty would always be to Serra.
    That was why she was so nervous as they approached the throne room. Though she hadn’t admitted anything to the princess, she had a pretty good idea of why the king wanted to see them.
    When they reached the entrance Lucia was required to hand over her blaster; by custom only the king’s personal guard could possess weapons in his presence. Though she did so without comment or protest, she always felt uneasy when she didn’t have a weapon within easy reach.
    She had accompanied the princess to enough audiences with the king to become accustomed to the magnificent blue and gold decorations of the throne room. But it looked different this morning: larger and more imposing. The typical crowd of retainers, servants, dignitaries, and honored guests were nowhere to be found. Except for Serra’s father-in-law and four of his personalguards, the room was empty—what was said in this meeting was not meant to go beyond these walls.
    If the yawning chasm of the strangely empty throne room bothered Serra, she gave no outward sign as she approached the raised dais where the king was seated on his throne. Lucia followed a respectful three steps behind.
    Physically, the king resembled an older version of his dead son—tall and broad-shouldered, with strong features, golden shoulder-length hair, and a closely trimmed beard that was slightly darker in color. But while Lucia had come to know Gerran during his marriage to Serra, she knew little of his father’s personality. She saw him only from a distance at official functions, and in these settings he had always been formal and reserved.
    At the foot of the blue-carpeted stairs Serra stopped and dropped to one knee, bowing her head. Lucia remained standing at attention behind her.
    “You sent for me, Your Majesty?”
    “The terrorists who orchestrated the attack on my son’s airspeeder were killed last night.”
    “Are you certain?” she asked, looking up at the king seated in his throne above her.
    “A security patrol responding to an