Noble of Blood Trilogy Box Set: All 3 books; Blood Price, Blood Ties, and Blood War in 1 set

by A L Wright

  Smiling at him, Josaleene opened her purse to dig for the coins she needed. Just as she was about to upend the entire contents into her palm, a hand rested on her shoulder from behind. Gasping as she jumped, she swung her head around to see who was behind her.

  “My dear lady, you looked frightfully cold here, standing in front of me. And touching your shoulder confirms that. Do you not have a coat?” The man's voice was rather nasal sounding, most likely due to the fact that his nose sat slightly crooked on his face. He smiled down at her, making an obvious effort not to stare down at her cleavage.

  “My Lord.” Josaleene curtsied. “I am afraid I dashed out of the manor without it. And I insisted my lady in waiting stay at home tonight. Frightfully shortsighted of me, as she would have reminded me to dress a bit warmer.” She turned back to the old man in the booth and began to dig into her purse again.

  Once more the man’s hand came to rest upon her shoulder, this time not moving away as she turned back around.

  “Here good sir, fare for both the lovely lady and myself. It would be rather rude of me to just stand here and watch her catch a chill as she fidgets with her purse.” The crooked nosed man passed over several large coins. Winking at her, he said, “Keep the change old timer.”

  Still with his hand on her shoulder he nudged her towards the door.

  “Thank you kindly, My Lord. I greatly appreciate your generosity. But you needn't worry about me.” Josaleene was a bit perturbed at this man, who presumed to pay for her without asking.

  Taking in a deep breath, she calmed herself. A proper lady would not worry about those things. A proper lady would graciously accept this man’s attempt at being a gentleman. And she did need to find a Lord to gain access to the parties that would lead her to a Noble.

  Placing her hand upon the one that was still on her shoulder, Josaleene looked into the man's eyes.

  “Pardon my manner. You are most generous to a forgetful soul. I pray you would accompany me for the show tonight?” She smiled coyly, batting her lashes at the man.

  “I would be honored if you would join me in my private box. It has a splendid view. By the by, I have not yet heard your name. What are you called, my dear?”

  “Josaleene, My Lord. And might I inquire of your name?”

  “Lord Waylan Roughby. But please, just call me Waylan.” Lord Roughby took her hand and after kissing the back of it placed it into the crook of his arm, and led her up the stairs to his box.

  During the show, she tried to be as polite as possible without making it seem that she was desperate to keep his company. She passed him shy smiles and patted his hand a few times during conversation to keep physical contact. It was hard for her though, as the man kept shooting her lewd looks the whole time, his eyes roaming all over her.

  This was the first time she wished she hadn't ripped the lace from the cleavage of her dress. She practically felt naked next to this man, the way he was eying her. Now concentrating on the show, she was very near the verge of tears when she felt his hand come down upon her thigh. She had to stifle a cry as she jumped slightly at his touch.

  “My dear, are you alright?”

  Clearing her throat, she said, “Yes, My Lord. These operas always make me misty eyed. The passion of the singer cuts through my soul.”

  His fingers tightened on her thigh, making her breath catch. “Yes, I do know what you mean about passion.”

  Shutting her eyes momentarily she wished she had chosen better wording. Improvising and running forward with the moment, Josaleene breathed in and prepared herself for the next step of her plan.

  “Yes, our passions are our rulers, are they not?” She opened her eyes and peered at him from beneath her lashes.

  Waylan reached over with his other hand and stroked her cheek. “I wish to leave now, but I must insist on seeing you out of this place as well. There is a late party happening at a friend's estate, should you wish to join me.”

  Trying to ignore the hand on her cheek, she took in a deep breath. This could be her chance. If it was a late party it had to have Nobles in attendance.

  “My Lord, Waylan, I would love to join you at this party. May I presume we are to leave at once?” She did not want to rush the man, but needed to get out of the dark seating area she shared with him.

  “Well then,” Waylan said as he eyed her lewdly once more. “Let's begone straightaway.”

  After she rose, he placed his hand on the small of her back, the heat from it searing through her dress.

  Outside the venue, Waylan waved for his coach that was parked down the street. The coach came to a stop in front of them and he held the door open for her. Holding her hand as she climbed in ahead of him, he took the opportunity to feel her leg some more, running his palm up her outer thigh, until she scooted out of his reach. But then he sat beside her, placing his hand on her knee, massaging it lightly for the whole trip.

  Josaleene was thoroughly disgusted by the man, and it felt as though the ride took forever. Even though it was only a few moments.

  They pulled up in front of a massive estate house with an enormous manicured lawn that sported lengthy ponds all around. Josaleene could hear the music coming from inside, low enchanting melodies that were much, much different from the bawdy tunes that filled the tavern where she worked. There were Lords and Ladies walking the grounds of the estate, waiting for carriages to arrive or to simply walk off the wine they had drank too much of.

  After she exited the carriage, she was ushered to the large doors on the estate. The doors opened, and the greeter announced their presence to the crowd. She assumed that Waylan was a very minor lord since only a few people of the couple hundred in attendance turned to look.

  One man did look their way though, and held her in place with his stare. He was richly dressed, his suit made up of mostly black, but cut with a deep red sash. She couldn't help but to think that his color of clothing very much matched her own. But as she held onto his stare, the thought of their manner of dress was fleeting.

  “Darling Josaleene. Do not stare too much at the Nobles, they get upset easily.” Waylan turned her toward him, and cut her view of the man off. “Let us dance our way across the floor and towards the refreshment tables, shall we? I could use a drink.”

  Before she could protest, he took her hand in his and wrapped the other hand about her waistline, whisking her onto the dance floor. The lesser lord was an unusually good dancer, and for a few brief moments, she forgot all about Waylan's lewd stares and annoying nasally voice and just enjoyed the fluid movements of the dance.

  They stopped abruptly and Josaleene looked up to see what the source of interruption was. She came to stare upon the face of the man who had caught her attention earlier. The Noble man was even more beautiful up close. He smelled wonderfully dark, like the jasmine that bloomed at night, and his alabaster skin was smooth and unmarred by wrinkles. Deep eyes, dark as the midnight sky., shining with intelligence and interest. There was even a twinkle of light in them that was more than just the torch lights casting their beams around the room.

  Josaleene couldn't look away, she couldn't breathe. All she could do was stare as this man's aura wrapped around her and claimed her as his.

  Waylan clearing his throat brought her back down to earth. She looked over in time to see him bowing low. Distractedly, she dropped a curtsy, not sure exactly what to do in this powerful man’s presence, but decided to follow Lord Roughby’s example.

  “My Prince. It is such an honor to see you here. I hope that your endeavors this night find for you exactly what you are looking for.” Lord Waylan Roughby spoke in a reverent tone that was also a bit strained.

  Still staring at Josaleene, the Noble Prince said “Yes, good sir. I believe that it already has.”

  The Prince bowed to Josaleene and merely nodded to Waylan, without bothering to look at the lord. He then turned and made his way across the floor and up the staircase in the back of the ballroom.

  Imperial prese
nce now withdrawn from her, Josaleene suddenly felt very alone.

  Chapter 10

  Josaleene and Victor rode out of the gate and into the village a few moments later. They rode at a slow pace through town because she wanted to savor being outside the Palace. She smiled as they passed by the theatre she used to frequent, when searching for her path to becoming a Noble.

  Finally, their meandering came to a halt outside a shop with a large eye painted on the door. Josaleene knew of several such seer's shops around the village, but after digging around found this lady was reputed to be an actual visionary and not just the type to throw generic good fortunes around to make some quick coin.

  She allowed Victor to help her dismount and quickly walked towards the door while Victor tied off their mounts.

  "My Princess, I beg of you to wait for me, I do not like these fortune teller gypsies. They lie for gold and their prices are much too high for lies." Victor was hurrying to get the ropes tied off so he could catch up.

  Josaleene pulled up short in front of the door. There was a vibration in the air in front of her. It was so slight, she wondered if Victor would notice it. Putting her hand up, she waved it in the air in front of her, feeling the vibration ripple around her hand. It seemed almost thick in the center, nearer the eye on the door. Staring at the painted eye, she noticed it was painted like a snake's eye and not a human. What she thought was eyelashes actually looked like a wing sprouting from one corner of the eye.

  Victor walked briskly past her thinking her hesitation was only her waiting for him to enter the shop before her. She watched as he passed her and saw that he did not notice anything unusual as he opened the door.

  He held the door open for her after he entered, and she took a deep breath as she walked past the painted eye.

  Many different sights and scents attacked her senses as she walked in the small front area of the seer's shop. From different oils and incenses to a faint hint of animal blood, the smells had her looking all over to try to peg them all down. When she looked straight back she noticed an older woman behind a counter. The woman was dressed in loose draping garments with a faded silken cloth tied around her head. Unruly and very curly wisps of silver-streaked black hair poked out of the cloth in defiance. Her nails were painted bright red and she wore many silver and copper bracelets on both wrists. Her hands were slightly shaking as she stared at the guests who entered her shop.

  As she noticed Josaleene looking at her hands, she dropped them from the counter and down where they couldn't be seen betraying her nervousness.

  Josaleene stole a glance at Victor who looked unconcerned with the woman. He probably assumed she was just nervous that two Nobles had entered her place of business.

  Looking back at the woman she saw a flicker of fear in the woman’s eyes, but more than that there was resignation like she had known this moment would come. She did not yet speak, and the only sound was the occasional horse passing by outside, and the metal bracelets clinking together as she again started to fidget with her hands.

  Seeing no reason to continue to make the seer nervous, Josaleene walked toward the counter.

  "Greetings Seeress. I have need of your talents. I am hoping to know a little about the events that will surround my child’s birth, and I was told that you are the only true visionary around. Will you help me? I will pay whatever your price."

  "And what if the price is your blood?" Croaked the woman. Squinting her eyes, she peered at Josaleene expecting a harsh reply.

  "I do not believe that my blood is worth much, but my child's blood has importance. I just know it." Smiling at the older woman she pulled a small silken purse from her belt and opened it. Pulling out several large gold coins, she laid them on the counter and pushed them to the middle.

  "Your blood will be the price you pay no matter whether I give you a reading or no. And that is not a threat from me so please let your guard know he can be at ease here. I knew as soon as you crossed my doorstep who you were, and I have expected your arrival for many, many moons now. However, I was not expecting tonight to be the night you would walk in here. My name is Mordred, my Princess. Now, let us go to the back room where you can sit and be comfortable."

  Mordred scooped up the coins then turned and walked through a doorway, shoving a hanging sheet aside and leaving her to wonder how she knew she was the Princess. Josaleene began to follow her, but stopped short when Victor grabbed her hand. Not thinking at all about her guard's sudden possessiveness, she closed her hand around his and patted the back of his hand with her free one, and motioned with an incline of her head for him to follow.

  She let go of Victor’s hand as she approached the sheet dividing the rooms. She felt another vibration in this doorway, but sensing nothing harmful about it she pushed the sheet aside and walked through. There were close to a hundred candles lit around the room, of many different colors and sizes. Josaleene watched as Mordred walked around the room extinguishing all but the white and black ones.

  Turning around from the last candle, she set the snuffer down and gestured to a large overstuffed chair. "Please do sit down and get comfortable"

  Josaleene lowered herself into the fluffy seat with Victor looming behind her. Mordred walked over to a small table where there were several items. One was a small pouch with the drawstring pulled closed. Another was a board, square with symbols placed in what she supposed was important patterns. There was also a small bowl with ashes in it, and a very sharp looking ritual knife laying across the bowl.

  Picking up the knife and bowl she came back towards Josaleene.

  "Now as I said you are safe here, but the reading requires a few drops of your blood. To be honest, the omens I have received about you have told me quite a bit about events surrounding you. But they have told me nothing about you, or your child. For that I will need the blood." Mordred was eying Victor to make sure he wouldn't make any sudden moves on her.

  Josaleene held out her hand to the aging woman. Quick as a snake Mordred pierced one of her fingers and squeezed out a few drops of blood to catch in the bowl below it. Returning to the table she sat herself down on a small cushioned stool. Placing the bowl in the middle of the table, she took a match out of her robes and struck it. She tossed the match into the bowl and POOF! the blood went up in a small burst of flame. It died out just as quick but continued to smoke for a few minutes.

  Wide eyed, Josaleene leaned forward to watch closer. Mordred opened the small pouch to pour out a dozen small crystals into her other hand. She moved the hand with the crystals through the smoke a few times then tossed them down onto the square board. Watching, mesmerized as the crystals scattered across the board, she was startled when one crystal came close to rolling off the board, then seemingly stopped itself and rolled back to stay on.

  "Did you see that Victor?" Gasped Josaleene.

  "It was a fancy trick is all, Princess," he replied.

  "No tricks are played here. The stones know where they want to land after they taste the blood in the smoke." Mordred was staring intently at the board. Sighing, she pointed to the top of the board, and the two crystals that landed there. "Two will travel north to find answers to a question that should never have come to be. Both will return with no answer but will bring with them a heavy burden of knowledge."

  Mordred then pointed at the left side of the board and the two crystals that landed there. "These two mean you harm. They are jealous of your position in the Court. They do not think you deserve that position or the power of the child you carry. They will seek to displace you."

  She then points to the right side of the board where six of the crystals had fallen. "This is very ominous indeed. This quarter represents large battles and with so many crystals falling there it only can mean that a war is coming."

  Fixing her sight on the last two crystals, one of them the crystal that almost fell off the board but rolled back she sighed. "These two represent powerful beings, separating themselves from others of their kind. Self-im
posed exile maybe? This one in particular" she says while pointing at the crystal close to the edge "is self-destructive at the time, but with the right influence or catalyst he will right himself and survive the event that drove him to running away."

  "Where am I on this board? Do you see what will happen to me?" Josaleene asks nervously.

  "All of these events are centered on you. The two that travel north do so seeking answers to your predicament. The two that seek you harm, well that part is obvious enough. Do well to stay out of harm’s way and you will be safe. Safe from them anyway. Large battles, I think both past and present are represented here. Your condition is unprecedented but was rooted in a long ago war. I also see war coming back to the realm. Our very survival hinges on the outcome of whether this one" Mordred pointed back to the stray crystal "survives or dies before they are needed to fight in this war."

  Mordred looked back up from the board and pinned Josaleene with a very intent stare.

  "There are much, much larger things happening than you merely birthing a child. You and this child will both play a large part in these events. Your child is powerful. More powerful than any Noble come before it. You must survive to bear this child. The land around you depends on it for their survival. Your part will be to make sure that this person,” she again points at the crystal that almost fell "lives after you are gone.”

  Mordred closed her eyes and mumbled quietly. “The serpent slumbers now, but once awoken will seek retribution.”

  Opening her eyes, Mordred folded her hands on the table in front of her. "That is all that I can tell you, Princess. I know there are many questions, but the answers will unfold in time."

  Rising from her chair, Josaleene placed the small purse with the rest of the money on the table. "You have earned this, and maybe more. I truly do not know the monetary worth in this information. But if what you are telling me is true, then I think our survival will be the best payment I could give."