Soul of Kandrith (The Kandrith Series) (48 page)

“
I’d
do
it
again
.
It
was
worth
it
to
punish
her
.” Vez pointed at Sara, then prudently vanished.

No. Numb with horror, Lance sank to his knees and covered his face with his hands as the pantheon began to fade away.

The last to go was Nir. Before sheathing His sword, Nir casually flicked off the blood. Afterward, Lance was never certain whether He’d done it on purpose—perhaps out of guilt for the way His priest had treated Sara—but a drop of the God of Malice’s blood landed on the glowing ball, sizzling on impact.

Between Sara’s fingers it began to revolve and scintillate, throwing off rainbows.

“
Now
,” Loma said and used his hands to push the ball into Sara’s chest.

* * *

Sara gasped. Her hand flew to her chest. “Goddess, that
hurt
.”

Someone laughed, a weak chuckle. No, not someone, Lance. Her memories of how she’d gotten from the log to this field were murky, but she knew she had her soul because of him. “Lance.” She reached out.

Tears ran down his cheeks as he pulled her into an embrace, the baby nestled between them. “Sara, oh, Sara, you’re back. I love you.”

Sara cupped his face, enjoying the silky feel of his beard against her palms, and looked deep into his eyes. “I love you, too.” Their lips touched sweetly.

Between them, their son blew a spit bubble. Wordlessly, Sara held out her hands, and Lance gave her their son. She cradled him tenderly, heart and eyes brimming over at the sight of the beautiful child they’d created together. A child with a soul and a future.

As if that were a signal, Rhiain and Edvard roared in triumph and nudged Lance so hard they almost knocked him over. Esam thumped him on the back, face shining with joy.

She spared a thought to wonder where Esam had come from—where were they?—but decided to save her questions for later.

They had plenty of time.

The babe began to cry. Her breasts tingled as her milk came in.

“I think he’s hungry,” Lance said, eyes crinkling.

While he and Esam bid each other farewell, Sara settled herself on the grass and fumbled open her bodice with one hand. She flinched as the babe latched on.
Ow
. She remembered Rochelle complaining about sore nipples when she’d given birth to Tulio; how had she dealt with it?

Sara inserted a finger into his mouth, breaking suction. He wailed, and she took advantage of his wide open mouth to get him latched on properly. There, that was tolerable.

“Stubborn mite.” Lance sat beside her and stroked the baby’s cheek with one finger.

“Of course, he’s stubborn. Just look at his father.”

“Who, me?”

“Yes, you.” Her heart ached with tenderness for both of them. “Only the stubbornest man in the world could’ve healed me. And don’t claim you did nothing.” She laid her fingers on his lips, hushing him. “You took care of me all those months when I couldn’t care for myself. You kept me from harming myself when I grew fascinated with pain and taught me how to love. The babe and I wouldn’t be here if not for you.”

He huffed a laugh. “That wasn’t stubbornness,” he confessed. “I did it because I was afraid of losing you. I held on when anyone sane would’ve let go because you—and now the boy—are my beating heart.”

She leaned her forehead against his. “As you are mine.”

* * * * *

Accompany Sarathena Remillus on her journey of love, betrayal and adventure in the first installment of the Kandrith series, available now!

Gate to Kandrith

Sarathena Remillus, daughter of the newly elected Primus of the Republic of Temboria, has been given a mission: discover the secret of slave magic. Anxious to escape the corruption and treachery of the capital, Sara welcomes the chance to finally prove herself far away in Kandrith, the tiny nation of former slaves.

Accompanying her on the journey is Lance, a Kandrithan to whom Sara owes her life. Lance despises the nobility, and is determined to resist his desire for Sara, despite her attempts to entice him into divulging the secret of his magic.

Soon their travels become fraught with peril, and Sara discovers she’s fallen victim to the ultimate betrayal. To end a war between two nations, she will have to make the ultimate sacrifice...

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About the Author

Nicole Luiken wrote her first book at age thirteen and has
never looked back. Her novels have won the Golden Eagle Children’s Choice Award
and the Gold-Medal Moonbeam, and have been nominated for several more. Although
mostly known for her YA paranormal novels, Nicole has a soft spot for fantasy
and romance. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with her family. It is physically
impossible for her to stop writing for more than three days in a row. Visit her
website at
www.nicoleluiken.com
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ISBN: 978-14268-9521-0

Copyright © 2013 by Nicole Luiken Humphrey

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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

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