Ashes of Dearen: Book 1

by Jayden Woods

  *

  Thus Sean and Kyne had spoken to Princess Fayr, who agreed to let Sean—or “Darius”—accompany Kyne to the dungeons. I trust Darius more than anyone else in the world, she had said. Please, keep Kyne safe. Sean could not maintain her gaze when the significance of her words struck him fully.

  So Sean had carried Leonard Khan’s body from her bedchamber, then told Kyne about the dead hordesmen. Kyne did not react well to this detail.

  “Four more?” cried the prince.

  Sean showed him the pile of bodies he had carried to an adjacent hallway and covered with a tapestry. A horrible stench wafted from within—although the men had already stunk of sheep and sweat, now they reeked of death. Their leaking blood stained the precious craftsmanship of the drapery.

  “Friva save us!” Kyne covered his mouth and turned green in the face. Sean lowered Leonard Khan’s body to the pile, then covered it back up. “Does Fayr know about them?”

  “Regardless, we must dispose of them all,” said Sean.

  “How are we going to carry them to the dungeons? This is too much. This is—”

  Sean wrapped up the tapestry, grabbed the knotted end, and pulled. With one arm, he could drag the entire bundle. “I’ll carry them,” he said. “Now let’s go.”

  As they passed back through the line of Dearen guards, a man there was already creating a fuss. Sean stepped through to deal with it, for the fellow was none other than his own slave, Gregor.

  “Chief! Chief, I’ve been looking all over for you! What’s going on? What—” His eyes spotted the bloody bundle Sean dragged behind him and doubled in size. “What is that?”

  “Make way,” said Sean, and the guards moved aside. He continued moving down the hallway with his heap, then sent a glance to Kyne. “Keep moving. I’ll follow.”

  The prince glared at the slave, then reluctantly obeyed. He walked ahead while Sean and Gregor followed behind, Sean’s sack scraping the floor all the while.

  “Chief ...” Gregor wrung his hands nervously. His wrist had healed well over time, though he still restrained its use. “Chief, what happened? People in the palace are uneasy. People are panicking. It seems like there’s no safra in the air. And they’re anxious for the princess to release her list.” He looked back at the bloody bundle. “What the hell is going on?”

  “Leonard Khan is dead,” said Sean. “I killed him to protect the princess.”

  “Lokke’s luck!” gasped Gregor, who worshiped the god of guile. “So the princess is safe?”

  “For now. We must take care of the bodies first, and then ...” Sean’s step faltered a moment, his breath catching. Then he leaned forward and pushed onward. “Then there is something I must do. After I do it, I am not sure whether I can return to the palace or not.”

  “What on earth do you have to do that’s more important than staying here? Everyone knows that your Princess Fayr’s favorite suitor. And now, if you’ve saved her life ...”

  “I need not explain myself to you,” said Sean. “You must simply obey. I have not asked much of you since I bought you, Gregor. Now, it is time for you to do as I say.”

  “What must I do?”

  “Prepare my horse and my belongings. Do not look through my things, or touch my gold, or I will cut off your fingers. Wait for me at the eastern gate. I will probably come to you from the rooftops. Wait for me until high noon. If I am not there by then, go to the tree in the Shadowed Woods where we first put a splint on your wrist. Do you remember the tree?”

  “I … I think so ...”

  “Bury my things there. Set my horse free. Then you can do as you please.”

  “Chief!”

  “Go now, Gregor.”

  “Chief.” Gregor put a hand on his shoulder. Sean turned his head but did not look at him. “Good luck to you, master.”

  Sean nodded, then forged onward.