The Alcazar (The Cerulean Duology #2) - Amy Ewing Page 0,104

you’ve run to the protection of Culinnon now?” Hektor said with a sneer. “After all these years of abandoning your family?”

“I’m not running away,” Matthias said mildly. “I’ve brought a gift for you, Mother.”

His eyes flickered to Agnes and then he turned to the ship.

“Bring them out!” he called.

Leo choked on his own breath and Agnes gave a half squeak, half whimper as Xavier McLellan appeared on the deck of the clipper.

“Oh my,” Ambrosine said, folding her arms across her chest. “What an unexpected surprise.”

A second later, Kiernan appeared beside him and Hektor let out a barking laugh.

“You found the bastard?” he said to Matthias. “You of all people?”

Kiernan was watching the two men with unabashed fear in his eyes.

“Now, Hektor,” Ambrosine said. “Is that any way to talk about your older brother?”

“Brother?” Leo croaked as Ambrosine strode forward.

“Bring them down!” she called, and the sailors shoved at the two men and they stumbled down the gangplank. Xavier’s face was cold as stone but Kiernan was pale and quivering.

“Well, Ezra,” Ambrosine said. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you attached yourself to . . . him.” She shot Xavier a disdainful look. “You always did like serving the biggest bully in the play yard.” She sighed. “What an embarrassment, to have to call you son.”

“But . . .” Agnes was shaking her head, confused. “But his last name is Kiernan.”

“His father’s name,” Ambrosine said. “One of the first mistakes I ever made, before I was married. Since Ezra is technically a Byrne, I raised him here, though being illegitimate, he was never allowed to take the Byrne name. And he has been a disappointment ever since.”

Sera had never felt any great love for the man who had stuck needles in her arm, but he wilted before her now, a sad, pathetic creature.

“I see you’ve finally got what you wanted,” Xavier said to Ambrosine, jerking his head in Agnes’s direction. He had not even said hello to his children, no remark about their safety or comment on how well they looked. Sera knew she shouldn’t be surprised, but it made her sad all the same.

“I always do,” Ambrosine replied. “Even if I have to wait eighteen years.”

“Please don’t hurt us,” Kiernan whimpered.

“Shut up, Ezra,” Xavier snapped.

“Yes, Ezra, listen to your master,” Ambrosine said.

“I didn’t bring them here so you could hurt either of them,” Matthias said.

“I’m not remotely interested in your intentions, Matthias,” Ambrosine said dryly. “They are here and that’s all that matters.” She snapped her fingers and the Misarros sprang forward.

“Take them to the wailing caverns,” she said. Kiernan let out a cry of despair as the Misarros dragged him off. Xavier yanked his arms free.

“I can walk myself,” he growled. He strode forward, sparing Sera one curious, resentful glance before his eyes fell on his son. “I didn’t think you could be a bigger disappointment than you already were, Leo. For once in my life, I was wrong.”

Leo’s face flushed blotchy red and Sera felt her vision blur with anger.

“I know this might be hard for you to believe, Father,” Leo said. “But I don’t live and die by your judgment anymore.”

Xavier only smirked. “Don’t you?” he said, then a Misarro shoved him in the back, leading him off the dock to follow Kiernan.

“Well,” Ambrosine said, running a hand over her furs. “What a morning. Leo, Agnes, come with me. We are going to have a little family discussion with your uncles.”

29

Leo

THEY LEFT SERA AND VADA STANDING ON THE DOCK AND entered the estate. Leo’s head was spinning.

His father’s words still echoed in his ears but their sting was quickly fading. For a moment, Leo had a flash of his old self, the shallow coward from Old Port who desperately needed Xavier’s approval, but then he’d seen Sera glaring and felt a surge of heat in his chest. His father’s opinion wasn’t the only one that mattered anymore—in fact, his opinion didn’t matter at all.

How Matthias had come to bring him here and why, Leo couldn’t begin to guess. From the look on Agnes’s face, she was just as confused as he was.

Ambrosine led Agnes and Leo and their uncles to a small parlor—they passed Bellamy in one of the glass halls and she stared at Matthias with shock. Hektor gave her a look that plainly said, “I’ll explain later.”

The parlor walls were alternating strips of onyx and glass, like zebra stripes, and the furniture was all varying shades of green. Ambrosine folded herself into a high-backed,