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Back The Alcazar Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map
  4. Part One
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. Part Two
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. Part Three
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. Part Four
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. Part Five
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. Part Six
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. Acknowledgments
  48. About the Author
  49. Books by Amy Ewing
  50. Back Ad
  51. About the Publisher

“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.