Read Heritage: Book Three of the Grimoire Saga for Free Online Page B

late to back out of her responsibilities now that she’d taken the bloodline, but he kept silent.
    Evelyn took a deep breath. “The drenowith killed my aunt. They took her from me too soon, before she could teach me. I just know it.”
    “What makes you think so?”
    She groaned. “Don’t be an idiot. It’s obvious! They led her to the Stele all those years ago and nearly got her killed in Carden’s dungeon—you know the story all too well. And a week or so back, when she tried to get her revenge on them by stealing some muse’s blood, they decided to end her once and for all. It’s the only thing that makes sense!”
    Braeden couldn’t deny her logic. Aislynn tried to kill a muse named Adele and almost succeeded. Braeden didn’t have any theories of his own, and if anyone killed Kara, he would get revenge in the same way. For twelve years, Aislynn had been his mentor and, for the longest time, she was the only one alive who knew of his double life. But the moment she’d threatened Kara and used her as bait, he disowned her. He had to admit he would have killed her himself if she’d gone too far and taken Kara from him completely.
    “The drenowith might be involved, but we can’t know for sure,” he finally admitted.
    “Oh, I’m certain,” Evelyn spat.
    “How?”
    She shook her head. “There’s just no denying it, Braeden. What she did started a feud between the drenowith and the Ayavelian race. I’m not saying I’m proud of her choice, but I will never forgive the muses for taking her from me.”
    “We already have a war on our hands, Evelyn. Don’t start another one with creatures as powerful as the drenowith.”
    “I won’t. I’m not stupid. But I will never trust a drenowith again, nor will I let one live if I find it.”
    Braeden sighed. He couldn’t blame her for that hatred, even if it wasn’t healthy.
    A sob pricked his ear. Evelyn cradled her face in her hands, shoulders hunched and shaking. She cried into her palms, the dam apparently breaking in the middle of her throne room.
    Braeden patted her back. “I shouldn’t have intruded. I’ll leave you alone.”
    Instead of nodding or ignoring him completely, as he’d expected, Evelyn wrapped her arms around his torso. She burrowed her cheek into his chest and hugged him so tightly it hurt.
    His voice caught in his throat. His shirt absorbed the young queen’s tears as she held onto him, apparently forgetting their years of mutual disdain. She trembled, the nails of her thin fingers digging through the fabric on his back.
    Kara flashed across his mind. What would she have said if she walked in at this moment?
    Unsure of the right thing to do, he continued patting Evelyn. She sobbed and leaned in closer. He sighed and slipped his arm around her, trying to imagine what Kara would want him to do.
    He cleared his throat and let his mind wander back to Evelyn’s theory. Something about this story didn’t sit right with him. While he could believe Garrett would kill Aislynn out of revenge, he didn’t believe Aislynn would be so naïve as to expose herself. She would have stayed close to the kingdom, all the while knowing full well Garrett was out for blood.
    “How did Aislynn die?” he asked.
    Evelyn mumbled a response through his shirt.
    “What?”
    The queen lifted her chin enough to answer. “No one knows.”
    “How is that possible?”
    “Last I spoke to her, she was going to her room to rest. A few hours later, I woke up screaming and in the worst agony of my life. I didn’t even realize I was being awoken as the Blood until one of the generals mentioned it. They sent a small army to Aislynn’s room, but no one was there.”
    “Has anyone else gone missing?”
    Evelyn wiped her eyes. “General Krik. No one knows where he is, either. Some rumors say they were lovers, and something went wrong on a rendezvous, but that’s treasonous. If my aunt had a lover, he wouldn’t be secret. She would never have hidden such a thing