Wicked Path (The Daath Chronicles Book 2)
Read Wicked Path (The Daath Chronicles Book 2) Online
Authors: Eliza Tilton
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© 2014
Eliza Tilton
Cover Art by
Eugene Teplitsky
(
http://eugeneteplitsky.deviantart.com
)
Map by
Cory Tilton
Fan Art by
Kayla Starr
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ISBN 978-1-62007-614-9 (ebook)
ISBN 978-1-62007-615-6 (paperback)
ISBN 978-1-62007-616-3 (hardcover)
~To Judy--whose real life adventures rival any fantasy~
ucy stomped along the blood-red corridor leading to her father’s private chambers. Five of her elite guards flanked her, adorned in black armor, chrome masks and razor katans; they were a vision of death. No one would dare to step near her with them by her side.
As Lucy reached for the iron handle that opened the side entrance, a familiar voice entered her head. “
No, child, the way is not safe; enter through the secret passageway to the north.”
Lucy veered right and headed down the opposite hallway, her entourage trailing like an elaborate cloak. She stopped at an intricate sculpture of a twisted rhino, grasped the large horn, and pressed in. The sculpture slid to the side to reveal a long hallway. Two of her guards walked in first, then she followed.
The guards stood outside the iron door while she entered into the room. With its slate walls, the library seemed empty, but Lucy knew every tome had a hidden spot within the wall.
She bowed her head forward, ignoring the incredulous black statue of her father that loomed beside her. “Hello, Father.”
King Reagan pushed a silver circle on the wall and slipped a tome back into its place. He slowly turned his head to regard his daughter. White hair fell past his shoulders, contrasting against his forest green skin.
“You wear your human form often,” he said. “Do you prefer it to your true self?”
Lucy straightened her shoulders. “Of course not, Father. This is more practical, considering my comings and goings.”
King Reagan stepped toward Lucy. His raised-collar robe swished with his steps. “Let’s not forget you are human.”
Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “Half.”
He nodded and waved at the egg-shaped seat, inviting her to sit. “We have much to discuss, little one.”
Lucy didn’t have time for one of her father’s drawn out conversations, but she couldn’t be rude either. “Father, I am pressed for time. Dago will be arriving in Daath in a few days. I need to return and await his arrival. You know how demanding he can be.”
“Understood, child, but remember, you do not serve him. He is a temporary regent until your brother is well. Have you visited Lucino?”
She winced at her brother’s name. His burns had charred a good portion of his skin and the healing had been slower than normal. His foolish obsession had nearly cost him his life and hers. A mistake she had a hard time forgetting.
“Do not fret, he is well,” King Reagan stated, misinterpreting Lucy’s silence.
Lucy responded by clasping her hands together in her lap and eyeing her father. Her fingers clenched and unclenched as she waited for him to say more.
King Reagan grabbed a large metal case off the crystal desk in the corner and brought it to her. He unhooked the latches and revealed six metal bracelets. “These are nanobuilds. They will provide you with a cloak of invisibility. You can use this to spy on Dago, and for your guard to pass through Tarrtainya undetected.”
The Elite Guard always remained in their Reptilian form, strong, tall, and savage, with yellow eyes and dark, leathery skin. They considered it a dishonor to shape change into lesser species. This gadget would expand Lucy’s power as well as her guards’, strengthening their forces in Tarrtainya, and allowing the Elite Guard to leave Mirth for the first time.
Exhilaration skittered through her veins.
She would be unstoppable.
Lucy’s father closed the case and left it in her lap. “We only have three cycles left before the first sun collapses. Our people need to transfer to the new world before our atmosphere becomes unstable. The Council sees this change as an opportunity to rid our race of the weaklings. As the royal family, we have a duty to save all our people, not just ensure the strongest of our species survives.”
King Reagan cared for their kind, but Lucy found most of them just as intolerable as the humans. She nodded, feigning agreement.
“If Dago is The Council’s errand boy, we’ll need to be rid of him quickly. No one but me will know of the guards going with you. Use them wisely. In the meantime, dispose of the human boy before he stirs more trouble.”
“Gladly,” she replied coldly.
King Reagan lifted her chin with his leathery hand. “Lucino is lost and confused, and The Council watches me too closely. Until your brother’s mind clears, this task falls to you.”
Lucy met her father’s ancient gaze, seeing the approval in his eyes. A fire lit inside her, pulsing with determination. “I will see it done.” A smirk spread across her face.