The Tomb of Azmon (Her First Knight, #9) / Her First Knight (ePub)

While traveling to Azmon's tomb, Riona is joined by Sinead -- who has introduced herself as Riona's future wife. Rather than falling for Riona, however, Sinead finds herself in love with Inara. While Riona and Sinead fight for Inara's affections, Ava and Liadan head deep into Wildoras, there to summon the Godga in dragon form and destroy her once and for all. Don't miss the final installment of this lesbian romance series!

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The horses, seeing the undead rising from the snow, whinnied and bucked, kicking and struggling to get free. Sinead, Gesine, and Lorcan released their horses, allowing them to run away up the snow toward the tomb, and almost as one, the five knights drew their swords.

The skeletons kept marching up the snowbank, eyes glowing, hissing with dark laughter. Some still had ropey bits of flesh attached to their graying bones, stringy hair, rotten teeth. Inara felt her skin crawling to look at them.

"They're just . . . bones, right?" said Sinead nervously. "We can kill bones!"

"Y-Yeah, yeah, just bones," agreed Riona, who also sounded faint with fear.

If their lives weren't in danger, Inara would have found it amusing that the two of them were so frightened of walking corpses when they had both slaughtered their way easily through cannibalistic goblins and orcs back in the Shadowlands. Now, for the first time, the two of them were doubting their abilities.

--

"I shant marry her, you know," Riona said after a while. All of her armor pieces had been removed, and now there was only one vambrace left, which Inara was fumbling to unbuckle.

"You have to marry her," said Inara, struggling to keep the tears from her voice, keeping her eyes down on her work.

"Why?" said Riona at once, speaking through her teeth.

"Because it's for the good of your people!" Inara cried in exasperation.

"I shall end the curse of Azmon," Riona said darkly, "but my personal life is my own! I shall marry whom I please --"

"Riona, don't be rebellious! Your people need this alliance --"

"And what about what I need, hmm?" said Riona over her. Losing patience, she ripped the vambrace off her arm and tossed it away, drawing Inara's gaze to her own in the process. She touched Inara's cheek and said softly, "I need you."

Inara closed her eyes to hold back tears and tilted her head as Riona's gentle fingers caressed her cheek.

--

Liadan sniffed, and Ava knew she was on the verge of tears. She smoothed her small hands over Liadan's arms to sooth her. The knight had changed out of her armor for the evening and was wearing a tunic and trousers (for Queen Treasa had requested such attire at supper). Ava loved the feel of Liadan's bulging arms behind the sleeves. Her big, beautiful wife, with her wild red hair and beautiful blue eyes. Did she really deserve her?

"When we have more daughters," said Liadan, "we mustn't part them, or else they shall grow apart and turn on each other, as Ceana and I turned on each other."

Ava paused when she reflected on Liadan's words. "When we have more?" she repeated, amused. "I thought you were afraid to keep having them? I thought you didn't want any more?"