THE DUKE'S CAPTIVE VELARYN

e, there i

ot budge, did not flinch, his gloved hands clasped together under chin. Behind the gleaming oak desk, the old doctor stood str

not tolera

repeated, voice

Adam's apple prominent. "Not

fireplace crackled, casting flickering shadows across the stones, but

th an adu

st as no enemy had ever managed. He, the strongest warrior in Ebon

silver eyes narrowing, "you so

shook. "There. there i

orward, predator

o proceed. "Rumors. Documents, lost in scattered writings. It is rumored on

ile

owly, Orio

ela

t was primal, as if an old, dormant pa

more than ten, dragged by chains down the streets of the capital like an animal. Moonlight

an exotic jewel one collected. Orion's father had avoided t

she had been sent away to marry an eastern king, while others

e Velaryns had b

e," Orion

n who could not father children by their wives but did father children by Velaryns." He exhaled, voice dropping further, as if it was

orrec

's voice continued to ring out in his head. "A ma

ld not p

lowly, calmly. "Ho

d. The last recorded Velaryns had either been captured or

one," inter

ips parted, only to

ere was no warmth in i

man

leaned back, tone soothing. "Well

y that he lost balance. "N-No,

on waved a ha

vy doors creaked shut, leavin

le the flickering flames from the flam

ch

n h

ommitted years-his entire lifetime-to building his empire unshakable. His enemi

matter if there wasn't an he

an unsettling twist

e. If there had to be o

meant reducing th

ough the fort walls as if an animal roamed the darkness. Rain hamm

ck at t

not look u

ored coat, the silver pin over his chest gleaming. Henry. His best, if not only, soldier. The

alm, but his eyes flicking over the untouched glass of whis

declared Orion. "R

. Then, slowly, "Yo

y looked up. "

nod. "Most are gone. The ones that rem

meone who does,

hey are. They comprehend that they are hunted, exploited,

to reverence me greater tha

r an unusually long perio

e is a

uicken, but an inner quic

speak of a creature-a woman covered in gold, untouchable, unseen." He paused

sed tightly over t

ink this one

His expression did not cha

he

rkened in the

in a region from which

r did exist,

causing the fort walls to quake. Henry bar

w, all that awaited him was to cl