Requiem's Hope (Dawn of Dragons) (29 page)

BOOK: Requiem's Hope (Dawn of Dragons)

12.34Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

ads

"The Oak Throne of Requiem," the young man said to his
king. He bowed. "Every king needs a throne."

Jeid looked at the young man and smiled. Dorvin had first come to him
bursting with rage, ready to fight the world. Today Jeid saw a solemn
warrior of Requiem, wise and strong. He placed a hand on the young
man's shoulder.

"Your sister gave you the name Eleison, an ancient word for
mercy. I will sit on this throne you carved me, but you will always
stand at my right-hand side, a noble son of Requiem, first among her
warriors."

Dorvin raised his head, and his eyes shone with tears. "I will
forever fly at your side, my king."

In the light of summer, the forests green and the sky clear, King
Aeternum sat on his throne and gazed upon his kingdom—the columns
that rose around him, the rustling birch trees, and the mountains
that grew beyond. His family stood at his side. Laira, his wife, the
light of his heart. Maev, his daughter, the beacon of his soul.
Dorvin, a young warrior who had become like a son to him. They stood
with him in his hall, and some of his pain, some of his loneliness,
eased to see them with him. He was not alone. When he raised his eyes
to the sky, he saw the others there, a hundred dragons beneath the
sun.

Yet two lights were missing, two holes inside him.

I pray for you, Tanin and Issari,
Jeid thought.
Return to
us.

He rose from his throne, shifted into a dragon, and took flight. The
others flew at his side—a bride, a daughter, a brother in arms. They
flew higher, circling around the sun, and gazed down upon their
kingdom. Laira sang softly as she flew, her golden scales bright in
the dawn.

"As the leaves fall upon our marble tiles, as the breeze rustles
the birches beyond our columns, as the sun gilds the mountains above
our halls—know, young child of the woods, you are home, you are
home." Laira's voice rose and the others sang with her.
"Requiem! May our wings forever find your sky."

The story will continue in . . .

REQUIEM'S PRAYER

Dawn of Dragons, Book Three

COMING SOON

To receive an email when
Requiem's Prayer
is released, join Daniel Arenson's mailing list (you'll also receive a free ebook as a gift):
DanielArenson.com/MailingList

If you enjoyed
Requiem's Hope
, please review the novel on Amazon. Thank you!

AFTERWORD

Thank you for reading
Requiem's Hope
. I hope you enjoyed the book.

The third
Dawn of Dragons
novel,
Requiem's Prayer
, will be released soon. While you wait, you might want to read my other Requiem novels; I've written nine more, all currently available. You can learn more about them on my website:
DanielArenson.com/Requiem

Want to know when
Requiem's Prayer
is released? Here are some ways to stay updated:

* Join my mailing list at:
DanielArenson.com/MailingList

* Like me on Facebook:
Facebook.com/DanielArenson

* Follow me on Twitter:
Twitter.com/DanielArenson

And if you have a moment, please review a Requiem novel or two online. Help other fantasy readers and tell them why you enjoyed reading. And please help spread the word! Lend a Requiem novel to a friend, talk about Requiem online, and help others discover the books.

Thank you again, dear reader, and I hope we meet again between the pages of another book.

Daniel

NOVELS BY DANIEL ARENSON

Standalones:

Firefly Island
(2007)

The Gods of Dream
(2010)

Flaming Dove
(2010)

Misfit Heroes
:

Eye of the Wizard
(2011)

Wand of the Witch
(2012)

Song of Dragons
:

Blood of Requiem
(2011)