Morgan Rice - A Sea of Shields

With every step Reece took, he thought of Selese. He thought of the vengeance he had carried out on Falus. It was satisfying. But it would never bring Selese back to him. It would never change what had happened to her. For Reece, it was just the beginning. He wanted to kill them all, every single Upper Islander in this room. And Tirus, most of all. The very man he was being forced to apologize to.

Reece came closer, ever closer, to Tirus, still seated on his throne. Reece began to mount the ivory steps leading up to it, one at a time, ascending higher and higher, closer to him. He felt everyone watching, all the arrogant and smug Upper Islanders relishing this historic moment, the moment that a true and honest warrior would be forced to kneel and apologize to a traitorous, lying pig.

Reece burned at the thought of how politics forced one to act; to betray one’s morals; to betray one’s sense of right. It forced one to compromise principles, even integrity, for the sake of the greater good. But weren’t principles and integrity in and of themselves the greater good? What did one have without them?

Reece understood Gwen’s decisions. They were the decisions of a wise and tempered ruler. But being a ruler, if that’s what it meant, was something Reece wanted nothing to do with. He would rather be a warrior than a ruler any day. He would rather have limited power and live his life to the highest integrity, than have the greatest power and have to compromise who he was.

Reece finished ascending, taking the final step and standing before Tirus, staring back defiantly as Tirus stared at him.

The tension was so thick in the room, so palpable in the air, Reece could almost feel it.

“You have taken one of my sons from me,” Tirus said, his voice cold, hard. “Murdered him in cold blood.”

“And he had taken my wife from me,” Reece countered, equally somber.

Tirus frowned.

“She was not your wife,” he replied. “Not yet, anyway. And he did not murder her. She killed herself.”

Reece scowled.

“She took her own life because of the false reports your son gave her. It was he who murdered her.”

“He did not wield the blade,” Tirus said.

“He wielded a message,” Reece countered, “which is stronger than a blade.”

Tirus reddened, clearly fed up.

“Your act is deserving of death,” he concluded. “But as an act of mercy to Gwendolyn, I have chosen to allow you to live. All you need do is apologize. Kneel, and apologize for taking my son’s life.”

Reece felt himself burning with every conflicting emotion, everything inside of him screaming out that it was wrong. All of this was wrong. It might be good politics, but it went against a knight’s code of honor. Tirus’s son deserved to die. Tirus himself deserved to die, this pig who had betrayed the Ring, who had partnered with Andronicus and had tried to murder them all.

Yet, despite every ounce of his body protesting, Reece slowly, painfully, forced himself to take a knee before Tirus.

Tirus smiled, relishing the moment.

“Very good,” he said. “Now—apologize. And make it good.”

“I apologize…” Reece began, then trailed off, the words catching in his throat.

Tirus glared down, impatient.

“For what?” Tirus demanded.

Reece felt himself overpowered with emotion, with passion, unable to contain it. The whole world became a blur, his mind swirling. He felt as if his entire life had led him to this one moment in time. As if all destiny had converged, right here. The moment in his life where all paths met, the intersection between what was wise and what was right .

Reece raised his head, looked up, and stared Tirus right in the eye.

“I apologize…” he continued, “…for not taking your life, too.”

As he spoke the words, Reece reached down, grabbed a dagger from his belt, lunged forward, and, before Tirus or anyone else could react, he plunged it into Tirus’s heart.

Tirus let out an awful shriek as Reece leaned in close, scowling, holding the dagger still. Reece knew he had just signed his death sentence; he knew he was utterly surrounded, and was about to be killed by everyone in that room. He knew he had just set the Ring into a tailspin, a civil war, that countless thousands of men would meet their deaths.

But he no longer cared. He had done what was right . His beloved Selese was avenged. Honor was restored. Chivalry was alive. No matter what happened, he would die with honor.

“Greetings,” Reece said, “from Selese.”

A QUEST OF HEROES (Book #1)

A MARCH OF KINGS (Book #2)

A FEAST OF DRAGONS (Book #3)

A CLASH OF HONOR (Book #4)

A VOW OF GLORY (Book #5)

A CHARGE OF VALOR (Book #6)

A RITE OF SWORDS (Book #7)

A GRANT OF ARMS (Book #8)

A SKY OF SPELLS (Book #9)

A SEA OF SHIELDS (Book #10)

ARENA ONE: SLAVERSUNNERS (Book #1)

ARENA TWO (Book #2)

TURNED (Book #1)

LOVED (Book #2)

BETRAYED (Book #3)

DESTINED (Book #4)

DESIRED (Book #5)

BETROTHED (Book #6)

VOWED (Book #7)

FOUND (Book #8)

RESURRECTED (Book #1)

CRAVED (Book #2)

Morgan Rice is the #1 Bestselling author of THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, a young adult series comprising ten books (and counting), which has been translated into six languages.

Morgan is also author of the #1 Bestselling ARENA ONE and ARENA TWO, the first two books in THE SURVIVAL TRILOGY, a post-apocalyptic action thriller set in the future.

Morgan is also author of the #1 Bestselling epic fantasy series THE SORCERER’S RING, comprising ten books and counting.

Morgan loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit www.morganricebooks.comto stay in touch.

“Grabbed my attention from the beginning and did not let go…. This story is an amazing adventure that is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. There is not a dull moment to be found.”

“An ideal story for young readers. Morgan Rice did a good job spinning an interesting twist…Refreshing and unique, has the classic elements found in many Young Adult paranormal stories. Easy to read but extremely fast-paced…. Recommended for anyone who likes to read soft paranormal romances. Rated PG.”

“A great plot, and this especially was the kind of book you will have trouble putting down at night. The ending was a cliffhanger that was so spectacular that you will immediately want to buy the next book, just to see what happens.”

“Morgan Rice proves herself again to be an extremely talented storyteller….This would appeal to a wide range of audiences, including younger fans of the vampire/fantasy genre. It ended with an unexpected cliffhanger that leaves you shocked.”