Read Self-Made Scoundrel for Free Online Page A

dark in the room he still saw sparks out of the corner of his eyes. “I saw you.”
    “Are you okay?” Ceric finally asked, walking toward him with the lantern. Dershik blinked and shielded his eyes, turning away from its light as well as from his brother’s face. He didn’t want to see Ceric worried about him, or angry with him. It would make leaving harder.
    “I’m fine,” Dershik said. “Ceric, if I go then maybe you can be the Baron. And marry Jerila. What do you think?”
    “Father would look for you,” Ceric insisted. “You would never get away. And I can’t be the Baron. Father says I’m too timid. He says people won’t take me seriously as a leader and says I could never hold the seat. I want to be a priest.”
    “But what about Jerila?” Dershik asked, hoping the mention of the girl might steel his younger brother against his fears. Ceric looked down at the ground and shook his head.
    “I like Jerila but…I’m only a boy. We’re both young. She might just like me now. Sister Kiyla says young hearts often change.” His brother looked sad. “She might grow to like you better. And well, there will be girls in Whitfield.” At this Ceric’s face brightened. Dershik was a little surprised to see his brother’s fondness for girls, given his age. His brother shrugged. “But please don’t go. Please.”
    Dershik sighed. He didn’t know what he should do now. He knew his brother was right. His father would try to find him. How long could he last out in the Valley by himself? How far would he get? And what would happen upon his return? His head throbbed.
    “If you go, I’ll tell on you right now.” Dershik looked up. His brother was trying to seem formidable but it just made Dershik tilt his head to the side and laugh.
    “I could just tie you up and gag you. It could be a whole watch before they come looking for you.” He offered the information to his brother and saw him gulp down his fear. Still, the boy stood there, steadfast in his resolve.
    “Well, they would come find me and I would tell them. So they’d know to go out and look for you straightaway instead of searching the grounds first.” Ceric nodded as he spoke, as if trying to reassure himself this was a good enough deterrent for his brother.
    “Look, why are we setting ourselves against each other?” Dershik mused, taking the lantern from his brother. “I’m not going.” Sighing he surveyed the bed and kicked the butchered remains of the mattress. “We’ve got enough problems without taking things out on each other.”
    “Why did you do that to your bed?” Ceric squawked, seeing it for the first time. “Where’re you going to sleep?”
    “Upstairs,” Dershik revealed, looking to his brother. Ceric’s head fell to his chest and Dershik indicated the lantern. “You mind if I take this?” Ceric shook his head and waited as Dershik gathered up his sheets and blankets, leaving the torn ones behind. He balled them up and slung his pack over his shoulders.
    “What about Jerila?” Ceric asked, following him to the door. Dershik shrugged and waited while Ceric pulled the door open, holding it for him.
    “I don’t know, Ceric. We’ll figure it out as it happens. I’ll see what I can do.” It was all he could say, in all honesty. Jerila hadn’t even moved in yet. They both walked up the stairs to the third floor, the guard looking at them strangely when they approached. “I’m moving my room, Garic,” Dershik answered his look.
    “In the middle of a party, sir?” The guard laughed, shaking his head. “Couldn’t wait till morning?”
    “No,” Dershik said, not wanting to continue the conversation. He walked past him, hearing Ceric mouth an apology to the guard and walked to one of the rooms he knew was empty. Dershik held the door open, shining the lantern in so Ceric could enter unafraid.
    It was a simple room, right above his old one. The difference was it had one bed and a library within it, as well as a