Read Siege of Night for Free Online Page B

taunting each other. There was also a thick rope tied to an overhanging branch, displaying a series of fat knots. The children all took turns swinging back and forth over the river only to cast themselves into the clear, slow-moving water.
    The little girl shrank back down behind the log and sat forward with her legs crossed. She gazed around a bit, enjoying the peace of the outdoors while she continued to gather her courage. The trees along the riverfront rattled their leaves every time the sweet-smelling, pollen-filled breeze picked up slightly. Baby birds chirped away, voicing their displeasure that mother had not yet arrived with a wiggling treat.
    Her eyes fell on a slow-moving caterpillar inching along the side of the rotting log. She reached out and gently picked it up with two fingers before placing it in her palm, allowing it to inch up to her finger. When the worm reached her fingernail it bucked its head up and down like a horse, not knowing where else to go. Her huge smile split her face as she raised it up in front of her nose. Her light, crystal-blue eyes gazed upon the little green miracle—one of nature’s many, but one of the few she ever got to see up close.
    Suddenly, she shrieked as a thick, strong hand engulfed hers, crushing the tiny caterpillar, turning it to mush. “I’ve had it with this, you little brat!” yelled the large, stout man through his thick, brown, ruffled beard. His large, dark eyes gleamed with anger as he dragged the girl through the grass, not even bothering to switch hands as the wet caterpillar remained pinned. “This will be the last time, I promise you!”
    “Grimton, please, you’re hurting me!” she shrieked while hopelessly pulling back against the large man. It was a strange thing, really. There was no doubt she would be punished harshly for sneaking out. She had become all-too-used to the frequency of her punishments. Of all the things for a child to get used to...
    But that was not the burning source of her current pain. What truly broke her heart in this fleeting moment was watching the other children disappear out of sight. The sounds of their laughter and games faded into silence as she was dragged like an old sack across the field, viewing nothing but her bare feet sliding over the tall grass. She wanted to know their names; wanted to play with them, even though she couldn’t summon the courage when she had the chance.
    When they got to the street he jerked her arm hard to make her stand upright, then told her to shut up and let him do the talking if anyone stopped to ask questions. Grimton and Tamera were able to walk the streets freely, but the little girl had remained a secret for some time now. By taking a few back routes, they were able to enter the stone cottage without anyone seeing them.
    “Where did you find her?” came the surprisingly low voice from the kitchen. A tall, lanky woman with her blonde hair tied back in a white ribbon came storming into the room. Tamera’s lips were curled into a permanent sour pucker, as if she always held a lemon wedge in her mouth. The second she was in range, a fierce backhand sent the little girl sprawling across the floor.
    “ This is what they’ve given us to work with?” she growled while pointing down to the girl, who was only now starting to look back up from her landing spot. A thin line of red seeped from the corner of her mouth, but her eyes remained completely dry and her face emotionless.
    “How could the queen do this to us?” complained Grimton as he threw his hands in the air. “I’ve trained the finest warriors in all the land. My former students have been hired to assassinate kings. Kings! She hires us for this so-called mission, tells us this task is more important than any other assignment to date, and gives us this spoiled child to turn into a professional killer?”
    “All she wants to do is sneak off and play!” complained Tamera as she grabbed the little girl by her long, black hair,