Dragonvein (Book Two) by Brian D. Anderson Page A

with tremendous effort was he able to tear his eyes away and start toward the exit.
    “Say nothing of this to Lord Dragonvein,” she called after him.
    He paused briefly in his step, but made no reply.
    While making his way dejectedly to his own room, feelings of guilt began to set in. Why did I do that, he kept asking himself? What was I thinking? Only when he was a few yards away from his door did he notice that the dwarves he passed were looking at him strangely. It was like a red rag to a bull. He wanted to lash out at them. He wanted to lash out at anyone, if only to forget what a bloody fool he had been.
    Once inside his room, he found a bottle of wine and slumped heavily into a chair opposite the dresser. With every emotion from humiliation to rage and regret battling for space inside his head, he downed nearly half the bottle in a single gulp. It was only then that he caught sight of his reflection in the dresser mirror.
    The bottle slipped from his grasp and shattered on the stone tile floor.
    Gingerly he touched his cheeks. His scars…they were gone. Every single one of them. Staring back at him was someone he didn’t know. Or at least, had not known for a very long time. He could barely recognize the boy he had once been in the man he was now seeing.
    Tears streamed down his face as he slid from his chair and wept into his hands. After a few minutes he regained a small portion of his composure and crawled onto the edge of his bed. The torrent of emotions raged in his heart like a cyclone, sending him into fits of anger one moment, then unfathomable sorrow the next. Finally, anger won out. He rose and found another bottle of wine, draining it nearly dry in a single gulp. He would not allow his feelings to rule him. Not Specter.

Chapter Five
    E than knocked on Markus’ door, but there was no answer. He was certain that he had heard him go in earlier. He tried the knob, but it was locked.
    “Markus?” he called out. “Are you all right? I thought I heard glass breaking.”
    After a long silence, Markus finally responded. “I’m fine. I just need to be alone for a while.”
    Ethan frowned. He could hear in his friend’s voice that something was seriously bothering him. “Are you sure?” he asked.
    “Yes, damn it!” he shouted back. “Just leave me alone.”
    “O…Okay.” Ethan lingered for a few seconds longer, but it was pointless so he returned to his room. Whatever was bothering Markus, he obviously had no intention of sharing it.
    Jonas came by a while later. He had located King Ganix, who was still busy making preparations for their departure.
    “You should be pleased to know that things are well in hand,” Jonas told him. “We’ll be well supplied and carrying enough gold to bribe a bloody king if needs be.”
    “Did he tell you how we’ll be getting to the Dragon Wastes?” Ethan asked.
    “When I asked him that, he just smiled and held a finger to the side of his nose.”
    “I suppose it will have to be a surprise then,” said Ethan.
    Jonas scowled. “I don’t like surprises.”
    Ethan considered out loud if he should visit Lylinora, but Jonas said he had tried earlier and was told by the guards most firmly that she was not receiving anyone at present.
    Seems like everyone is having problems today, Ethan thought. A short time later Jonas excused himself so that he could return to help King Ganix.
    Ethan spent the rest of the day reading quietly, deciding to take his meals in his room rather than the main dining hall. He had just finished dinner when an exhausted looking Kat arrived.
    “Maile and Asta are acting like it’s the last time we’ll ever play together,” she complained as she flung herself onto Ethan’s bed. “I should never have told them I was leaving.”
    He laughed. “You might wish you weren’t.”
    She leapt up and planted her hands firmly on her hips. “Don’t you start. I’ve had to listen to Lady Thora ranting on about me leaving every time we’re in