A Sea of Shields

by Morgan Rice

  Reece scowled.

  “She took her own life because of the false reports your son gave her. It was he who murdered her.”

  “He did not wield the blade,” Tirus said.

  “He wielded a message,” Reece countered, “which is stronger than a blade.”

  Tirus reddened, clearly fed up.

  “Your act is deserving of death,” he concluded. “But as an act of mercy to Gwendolyn, I have chosen to allow you to live. All you need do is apologize. Kneel, and apologize for taking my son’s life.”

  Reece felt himself burning with every conflicting emotion, everything inside of him screaming out that it was wrong. All of this was wrong. It might be good politics, but it went against a knight’s code of honor. Tirus’s son deserved to die. Tirus himself deserved to die, this pig who had betrayed the Ring, who had partnered with Andronicus and had tried to murder them all.

  Yet, despite every ounce of his body protesting, Reece slowly, painfully, forced himself to take a knee before Tirus.

  Tirus smiled, relishing the moment.

  “Very good,” he said. “Now—apologize. And make it good.”

  “I apologize…” Reece began, then trailed off, the words catching in his throat.

  Tirus glared down, impatient.

  “For what?” Tirus demanded.

  Reece felt himself overpowered with emotion, with passion, unable to contain it. The whole world became a blur, his mind swirling. He felt as if his entire life had led him to this one moment in time. As if all destiny had converged, right here. The moment in his life where all paths met, the intersection between what was wise and what was right.

  Reece raised his head, looked up, and stared Tirus right in the eye.

  “I apologize…” he continued, “…for not taking your life, too.”

  As he spoke the words, Reece reached down, grabbed a dagger from his belt, lunged forward, and, before Tirus or anyone else could react, he plunged it into Tirus’s heart.

  Tirus let out an awful shriek as Reece leaned in close, scowling, holding the dagger still. Reece knew he had just signed his death sentence; he knew he was utterly surrounded, and was about to be killed by everyone in that room. He knew he had just set the Ring into a tailspin, a civil war, that countless thousands of men would meet their deaths.

  But he no longer cared. He had done what was right. His beloved Selese was avenged. Honor was restored. Chivalry was alive. No matter what happened, he would die with honor.

  “Greetings,” Reece said, “from Selese.”

  COMING SOON

  BOOK #11 IN THE SORCERER’S RING

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  Books by Morgan Rice

  THE SORCERER’S RING

  A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1)

  A MARCH OF KINGS (Book #2)

  A FEAST OF DRAGONS (Book #3)

  A CLASH OF HONOR (Book #4)

  A VOW OF GLORY (Book #5)

  A CHARGE OF VALOR (Book #6)

  A RITE OF SWORDS (Book #7)

  A GRANT OF ARMS (Book #8)

  A SKY OF SPELLS (Book #9)

  A SEA OF SHIELDS (Book #10)

  THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY

  ARENA ONE: SLAVERSUNNERS (Book #1)

  ARENA TWO (Book #2)

  THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS

  TURNED (Book #1)

  LOVED (Book #2)

  BETRAYED (Book #3)

  DESTINED (Book #4)

  DESIRED (Book #5)

  BETROTHED (Book #6)

  VOWED (Book #7)

  FOUND (Book #8)

  THE VAMPIRE LEGACY

  RESURRECTED (Book #1)

  CRAVED (Book #2)

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