Read The Sorcerer's Ring: Book 05 - A Vow of Glory Online
Authors: Morgan Rice
A
V O W
O F
G L O R Y
(Book #5 in the Sorcerer’s
Ring)
Morgan Rice
About
Morgan Rice
Morgan
Rice is the #1 Bestselling author of THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, a young adult series
comprising eight books, which has been translated into six languages.
Morgan
is also author of the #1 Bestselling THE VAMPIRE LEGACY, a young adult series
comprising two books and counting.
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 five books and counting.
Morgan
loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit
www.morganricebooks.com
to stay in touch.
Select
Acclaim for Morgan Rice
“Rice
does a great job of pulling you into the story from the beginning, utilizing a
great descriptive quality that transcends the mere painting of the
setting….Nicely written and an extremely fast read.”
--Black
Lagoon Reviews (regarding
Turned
)
“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. The series focuses around one girl…one
extraordinary girl!...Easy to read but extremely fast-paced....Recommended for
anyone who likes to read soft paranormal romances. Rated PG.”
--The
Romance Reviews (regarding
Turned
)
“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.”
--Paranormal
Romance Guild {regarding
Turned
}
“Jam
packed with action, romance, adventure, and suspense. Get your hands on this
one and fall in love all over again.”
--vampirebooksite.com
(regarding
Turned
)
“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.”
--The
Dallas Examiner {regarding
Loved
}
“A
book to rival TWILIGHT and VAMPIRE DIARIES, and one that will have you wanting
to keep reading until the very last page! If you are into adventure, love and
vampires this book is the one for you!”
--Vampirebooksite.com
{regarding
Turned
}
“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.”
--The
Romance Reviews {regarding
Loved
}
Books by Morgan Rice
THE SORCERER’S RING
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)
THE SURVIVAL
TRILOGY
ARENA ONE: SLAVERSUNNERS (Book #1)
ARENA TWO (Book #2)
THE VAMPIRE
JOURNALS
TURNED (Book #1)
LOVED (Book #2)
BETRAYED (Book #3)
DESTINED (Book #4)
DESIRED (Book #5)
BETROTHED (Book #6)
VOWED (Book #7)
FOUND (Book #8)
THE VAMPIRE LEGACY
RESURRECTED (Book #1)
CRAVED (Book #2)
Copyright
© 2013 by Morgan Rice
All
rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no
part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any
form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the
prior permission of the author.
This
ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be
re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book
with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If
you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for
your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for
respecting the hard work of this author.
This
is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places,
events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are
used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.
CONTENTS
“Life every man holds dear; but
the dear man holds honor far more precious dear than life.”
—William Shakespeare
Troilus and Cressida
Andronicus
rode proudly down the center of McCloud's royal city, flanked by hundreds of
his generals, and dragging behind him his most prized possession: King McCloud.
Stripped of his armor, half-naked, his hairy body rolling with fat, King
McCloud was bound by ropes and tied to the back of Andronicus’ saddle by a long
rope circling his wrists.
As
Andronicus rode slowly, reveling in his triumph, he dragged McCloud through the
streets, over dirt and pebbles, stirring up a cloud of dust. McCloud’s people gathered
and gaped. He could hear McCloud calling out, writhing in pain as he paraded
him through the streets of his own city. Andronicus beamed. The faces of McCloud's
people crumpled in fear. Here was their former king, now the lowliest of
slaves. It was one of the finest days Andronicus could remember.
Andronicus
was surprised at how easy it had been to take McCloud’s city. It seemed as if McCloud’s
men had been demoralized before the attack had even begun. Andronicus's men had
conquered them in a blaze of lightning, his thousands of soldiers swooping in,
overriding the few soldiers who dared to defend, and swarming the city in the
blink of an eye. They must have realized there was no point in resisting. They
had all laid down their arms assuming, if they surrendered, Andronicus would
take them captive.
But
they did not know the great Andronicus. He despised surrender. He took no
captives, and their lowering their weapons just made it all the easier for him.
The
streets of McCloud's city ran with blood, as Andronicus' men swept every alley,
every side street, butchering every man they could find. The women and children
he had taken as slaves, as he always did. The houses they looted, one at a
time.
As
Andronicus rode now, slowly through the streets, surveying his triumph, he saw
the corpses everywhere, the heaps of loot, the destroyed homes. He turned and
nodded to one of his generals, and immediately the general raised a torch high,
motioned to his men, and hundreds of them fanned throughout the city and set
fire to the thatched roofs. Flames rose up all around them, reaching for the
sky, and Andronicus could already begin to feel the heat from here.
"NO!"
McCloud screamed, flailing on the ground behind him.
Andronicus
grinned wider and picked up his pace, aiming for a particularly large rock;
there came a satisfying thump, and he knew McCloud’s body had ridden over it.
Andronicus
took great satisfaction in watching this city burn. As he had in every
conquered city in his Empire, he would first raze the city to the ground, then
build it up again, with his own men, his own generals, his own Empire. That was
his way. He wanted no trace of the old. He was building a new world. The world
of Andronicus.
The
Ring, the sacred Ring which had eluded all of his ancestors, was now his territory.
He could hardly conceive it. He breathed deeply, wondering just how great he
was. Soon enough, he would cross the Highlands, and conquer the other half of
the Ring, too. Then there would be no place left on the planet upon which his
foot had not tread.
Andronicus
rode up to the towering statue of McCloud, in the city square, and stopped
before it. It stood there like a shrine, rising fifty feet, made of marble. It
showed a version of McCloud that Andronicus did not recognize, a young, fit,
muscular McCloud, wielding a sword proudly. It was egomaniacal. For that,
Andronicus admired him. A part of him wanted to take it back home, install it
in his palace as a trophy.
But
another part of him was too disgusted by it. Without thinking, he reached down,
took out his sling, a sling three times larger than that of any human, large
enough to hold a rock the size of a small boulder, and he reached back and
hurled it with all that he had.
The
small boulder flew through the air and connected with the head of the statue.
McCloud's marble head shattered in pieces, exploding off the body. Andronicus
then let out a shout, raised his two-handed flail, charged and swung with all
he had.
Andronicus
smashed the statue’s torso and the marble toppled, then crashed to the ground,
shattering with a great noise. Andronicus turned his horse and made sure, as he
rode, that McCloud's body was scraped up over the shards.
"You
will pay for that!" an agonized McCloud cried weakly.
Andronicus
laughed. He had encountered many humans in his lifetime, but this one might
just be the most pathetic of them all.
"Will
I?" Andronicus yelled.
This
McCloud was too thick-headed; he still did not appreciate the might of the
great Andronicus. He would have to be taught, once and for all.
Andronicus
scanned the city, and his eyes fell on what was surely McCloud's castle. He
kicked his horse and took off at a gallop, his men falling in behind him, as he
dragged McCloud across the dusty courtyard.