By the Sword - By Sara Flower Page 0,64

wiles of an enemy female knight. General Edandir’s daughter would die that day because of misplaced belief.

What a fool. Ittonifer himself was going to make her a commander, and she refused.

It was just as well. Malinor did not need a woman in its army. Females were made for a different purpose. And General Edandir deserved to lose his child. He had refused to give Chrissa back.

Images of the delicate, pale damsel crossed his mind. Naeshi would go searching for her once every man from Sanctus was slain. There were only so many places to hide in a military camp. He would burn the entire thing down if he had to. He would find her.

And make her pay a high price for leaving me.

Several magicians had taken Aterun’s place in subduing the beasts. They stood around the large metal pens that held the animals.

The ground shook and everyone’s attention shifted to the hill afar off. Sanctus’ general emerged over the hill. He was riding a sleek firedrake. It was pitiful in comparison to the beasts that Malinor would soon set free.

I would have killed him last night if it weren’t for that pansy archer.

Naeshi’s moment had come. He was about to lead the army of the Malinorian Empire into the most important battle in its history. The battle that Malinor would win. He had stolen the glory from Jalarn. At last.

The army of Sanctus was very close. The banging from their drums could be heard now. Jalarn studied his men. He had whipped them into finer shape than anyone else could have. Even the young lads that he had to break in days before stood in rigid determination, ready to fight. They would not fall easily.

Jalarn was proud of his decision to have lightweight armor designed for all of the men. Ittonifer had approved of his idea. The soldiers would move much faster than before, and they would not tire as quickly. With the beasts and magic spells in addition to Jalarn’s skilled army, the Sanctus warriors did not stand a chance this time.

Then again, it is not my army anymore. Thanks to a warlock that is going to be dead very soon.

Jalarn’s throat was bruised where the magical grip had nearly strangled him to death. Despite the fact that he was alive, Jalarn bristled at the thought of having to bear the humiliation of being back among the commanders. Ittonifer most likely just wanted to teach him a lesson. It was one he would never forget.

Jalarn’s men eyed him strangely when he approached them without his scarlet cape, but none dared to ask why he was not wearing it. It pleased Jalarn that they still feared and respected him. In reality, he was still their general. He would work his way back into Ittonifer’s favor soon. He would never, ever become so enthralled in something other than the prince.

He caught sight of Naeshi sitting atop the Pegasus mare. Ittonifer couldn’t have chosen a more incompetent fool to lead the army. Though undeniably strong and skilled with the sword, the man had a pea brain.

Jalarn remembered the day many years ago that he had first become a Malinorian soldier. Still just a young boy then, he had been hopeless and afraid. He had been so weak and pathetic. Ittonifer had seen to it that Jalarn and his mother starved, because of her lowly birth status. He had never approved of his younger brother’s marriage to a peasant. After Ittonifer’s brother had died, Jalarn and his mother were forced out of the castle. Jalarn’s parents had cared deeply for one another – a rare occurrence in Malinor. On their own, Jalarn and his mother had lived a pathetic, destitute life until she finally died from starvation. Jalarn would have died, too, had Ittonifer not noticed his strength the day that he had won the fatal fight against the other boys. When Ittonifer caught wind of Jalarn’s mother’s death, he brought Jalarn to the barracks for training.

As Jalarn’s skill deepened, Ittonifer had granted him the entire west wing of the castle. Jalarn had worked himself nearly to death on more than one occasion to get there. The years passed on until every last ounce of empathy had been driven from his soul. He had become exactly like Ittonifer. Jalarn had hated everyone and everything all the way up until a few nights ago when Talya had spared his life. He had been so confused then as to why she would do such an