by K Dowling
“I’ll make sure it’s you that hangs in her place.”
He does not wait for her to respond. He takes his leave in silence, his shoulders squared against the pressing heat of the night. Without the gold of his uniform, it takes him only moments to disappear entirely into the darkness of the crooked alleyways. Seranai stares into the street, feeling revulsion pooling within her stomach like bile.
The demons within her have settled into silence. An eerie calm passes over her.
So the fearsome General James Byron has fallen for a Cairan. The great, infallible guardian finally has a weakness.
A thin smile curls the corners of her lips. She glances up at the new moon and sees only dark, formidable sky.
She will make arrangements to return to the Forbidden City, if that is what he requires of her. Perhaps it is time, after all, to introduce herself to Roberts the Valiant. Returning Nerani to her cousin will certainly sweeten the deal. And there is not much time remaining until the Hawk’s promised return.
And then, she thinks, ignoring the sharp throbbing of her head. And then.
James Byron has just given her a bit of rope, and she will see to it that when the time comes, it is she who ties the noose.
About the Author
KA Dowling is an award-winning writer living just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. She has been writing stories as long as she can remember, and has been daydreaming about fantastical worlds and imaginary heroines for even longer than that.
Dowling lives with her husband and their smelly Boston Terrier, King Henry, both of whom graciously put up with her late night writing spells and her exasperating propensity to leave a trail of distracted clutter in her wake. Her favorite animal is the Tyrannosaurus Rex and she has wanted to be a sea-faring pirate for much of her adult life. This story is her way of living vicariously through her fictional characters.
She’s thrilled that you’ve picked up her book, and she hopes you enjoyed every last word. To read more of what Dowling has written, check out her website at www.kadowling.com.
