by J. S. Bangs
Jauda looked at her with horror. “We do not spite the harbor-master. Not unless we all want to meet our deaths here in Kalignas.”
“But captain, we have to fight eventually—”
“No.” He shook his head firmly. “We fight when we find someone we have to fight. Until then—keep untying, you dogs, unfurl the sail and bring out the oars—until then, we respect the Kaleksha authorities. Especially the sailor’s guild.” He looked with a grimace up towards Mabeg. “If we didn’t, we’d have every man in this city crowding the docks to kill us.”
The ties which bound them to the pier came off, and with a heave at the oars they began to move. Aryaji whimpered next to Mandhi, looking at receding land with an intense disappointment.
“And now what?” Mandhi said, her voice rising in annoyance. “Where will you put in to avoid the Kaleksha authorities that you fear so much?”
Jauda scowled and waved her away like he was dismissing a child. “A few days from here we can reach Danadl.”
A few more star-cursed days on the boat. “Danadl? And what happens if they don’t accept us there?”
“There are ways,” Jauda said. Then he turned pointedly away from her and continued shouting orders at the men.
Aryaji took Mandhi’s hand and pressed it against her cheek. “Only a few days. We’ll be fine. There are other—”
“I don’t want other harbors,” Mandhi snapped. “I want to be off this damned boat and on land, and I want to get Jhumitu, and then I never want to have another thing to do with the Kaleksha again.” The last of the words dribbled out of her mouth into a sob, and she bent forward and hid her face in Aryaji’s shoulder, softly crying.
Aryaji lifted her cloak and wrapped it around Mandhi’s shoulders. “Be still,” she whispered. “We’ll find Jhumitu.”
Mandhi felt like a fool, weeping into the shoulder of her maid, but she couldn’t help herself. “Jhumitu,” she whispered. “But also Taleg—why did I say I never would have anything to do with the Kaleksha? I’ve known them, I’ve known they can be good. Oh, Aryaji.” She wiped her eyes and stood up straight. “Only a few days. I will make it a few days. My son is near. Taleg’s son is near. I’ll make it.”
The pier receded from them slowly. The sail dropped to catch the sea breeze, and the oars returned to the boat. The jewel-green shore of Kalignas slipped by them, quiet and beautiful. Mandhi’s eyes scanned the sod houses and stone lodges, the black fir forests and white peak of the mountain above them.
Somewhere in there was Jhumitu. She only had to find him.
* * *
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Storm Bride
War. Peace. One woman with the power to choose…
“[A] stand-alone secondary-world fantasy epic of the first order.” (Publisher’s Weekly)
Saotse thought she was special. Once carried across the ocean by the Power of the Sea, the spiritual world abandoned her in a strange land with no way to return. When an army of vicious nomads threatens Saotse’s adopted city, a different Power begins to speak to her.
Keshlik has tired of war. As his men pillage yet another city, the general seeks an excuse to make peace without taking himself out of leadership.
Uya mourns her dead husband killed in the barbarian invasion. Forced into Keshlik’s service, she’s taken as a slave to the barbarian general’s pregnant wife. As she recovers from her grief, Uya must consider whether she should resign herself to fate… or let the bloodlust of revenge take hold.
When Saotse gains an incredible ability that could level the playing field against Keshlik and protect her adopted sister Uya, she’ll have to decide between war and peace. Between life and death. Between the gods and herself.
If you like unconventional fantasy settings, deep characterization, and edge-of-your-seat action, then you’ll love this gripping, beautifully-written epic fantasy novel.
Buy it here at Amazon
Free book!
Follow this link to get a free copy of The Wave Speaker, as well as other giveaways, sales, and news.
The Wave Speaker is a novella that takes place in the world of The Powers of Amur, two hundred years before the events of this novel.
Pirates. Sharks. And a woman walking across the sea in a storm.
Patara returns from a trade voyage only to be chased by pirates and caught in a storm—where he finds a woman walking atop the waves and speaking to the sea. He and his crew pull her from the water, only to find that they’ve caught more than they bargained for. Will Patara sacrifice his cargo and livelihood to save the last member of a mystic tradition?
Click here to find out.
About Me
Hi, I’m J.S. Bangs. I live in Romania with my family of four, where I work as a freelance software developer, make cheese, play video games, and write books. If you’re interested in getting announcements about future releases, contests, and giveaways, sign up for my mailing list or visit the following link in your web browser:
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