by C. E. Murphy
"I'm reading."
"Winter storm claims lives
A brief lightning storm on the Mediterranean Sea claimed the lives of two research doctors last week. Mary Kostani of the University of Chicago, recently acclaimed for finding the legendary city of Atlantis, and unaffiliated researcher Logan Adams, died Wednesday morning when a winter storm came up. The two were the only ones on the deck of the research vessel Retribution, thanks to a late-night party the evening before. Dr. Michelle Powers, head of the exploration and a friend of both the deceased, said she came up from below decks just as the storm was ending. No bodies have been found. Neither Kostani nor Adams have next of kin; Kostani's assets were left to the University.
"We're usually a crew that's up early," Powers said in a subdued interview Thursday afternoon. "We had a fantastic find the day before, and we were celebrating until late. I guess we were lucky, if you can call it that. Mary was the mover behind this project. I'd like to see it go forward, in her memory."
When asked about Adams, Powers said she had only met him recently, and that he was, to the best of her knowledge, a recluse, and that it was Adams’ discovery that the crew had been celebrating the night before. “We owe him a strange debt of gratitude,” she said, “as a lot more of us might have been on deck that morning if he hadn’t found materials worth celebrating.”
The article went on about the Atlantis Project, but Emma reached for the ring, turning it in her fingertips, and lifted her eyebrows at Lorhen. "This was Ghean's."
"It was." Lorhen sat on a stool, watching the Keeper. "Call it a legacy of Atlantis. A gift."
"Hell of gift, Logan." Emma tilted the ring until light sank into the lion's head etching, then looked up with a brief smile. "You couldn't have brought me a unicorn, huh?"
A smile twitch Lorhen's mouth, too. "Everybody knows there's no such thing as unicorns, Em."
Emma laughed. "Of course." She glanced at the ring again, folding it into her palm. "Hope you don't mind if I'm not sure I want to wear it. That kind of choice takes some thought."
"As long as you're lucky enough to have the choice."
"Why me? There are a lot of people you could give this to. More you couldn't. Wouldn't."
"You're right. There are." Lorhen turned his head as a shiver of awareness ran over him. "Company."
Emma, softly, said, "I'm going to want answers from you sooner rather than later, Lorhen," but let it go as Cathal strode into the club and asked, "What happened?" before the door closed all the way.
"I saved a lot of lives," Lorhen said immediately. "Says so right there in the paper. Aren't you proud of me? And Logan Adams turned out to be Timeless. He'll need a Keeper, Emma. Make it somebody we can trust."
Emma poured drinks for herself and the two Timeless men. "Way the Keepers figure it, Adams survived because he knew what to do. It's happened a couple of times in the past, a Keeper has turned out to be Timeless and survived her first fight because she had insider knowledge. But we reckon Adams is going to need some training with a sword, and we all know Cathal Devane's been palling around with Adams for a while now. Probably been waiting for Adams to get himself killed, so he can be his teacher." Emma lifted a shot of whiskey at Cathal. "Devane's like that, you know."
Cathal picked up his own shot glass and touched it to Emma's. "He is," he agreed with something of a smile. "And will his Keeper be keeping an eye on Logan Adams, too?"
"She will be. No point in wasting resources, and besides, the three of them have this complicated relationship anyway, the way I understand it. Devane knows he's got a Keeper, Adams was a Keeper…they figure it'll all work out, one way or another."
"They're probably right." Cathal looked at Lorhen again, eyebrows lifted. "Lorhen? What happened?"
Lorhen lifted his glass to look at the amber liquid. After a brief silence, he touched his glass against his friends', and shrugged. "I survived."
— The End —
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Also by CE Murphy
The Heartstrike Chronicles
Atlantis Fallen * Prometheus Bound (forthcoming) * Avalon Rising (forthcoming)
The Austen Chronicles
Magic & Manners
The Walker Papers
Urban Shaman * Winter Moon * Thunderbird Falls * Coyote Dreams * Walking Dead * Demon Hunts * Spirit Dances * Raven Calls * No Dominion * Mountain Echoes * Shaman Rises
& with Faith Hunter
Easy Pickings
A Walker Papers/Skinwalker crossover novella
The Old Races Universe
Heart of Stone * House of Cards * Hands of Flame
Baba Yaga's Daughter
The Worldwalker Duology
Truthseeker * Wayfinder
The Inheritors' Cycle
The Queen's Bastard * The Pretender's Crown
Spirit of the Century Presents:
Stone's Throe
Anthologies
Urban Allies * Don't Read This Book * Dragon's Lure * The Phantom Queen Awakes * Running with the Pack * How to Write Magical Words: A Writer's Companion
Acknowledgments
This book has been, in some ways, a very long time coming. Particular thanks to Carl, Bryant, Michelle, Mikaela and Sarah for encouraging me with this project, as well as to Ted, who listened patiently while I world-built at him.
Karina Sumner-Smith and Patricia Burroughs are due a particular hat-tip thanks to their efforts in helping me brainstorm the series’ titles. Early readers Elizabeth Glover, Thirzah Brown, Marjorie Taylor, Laura Hobbs and Catherine Sharp offered insightful feedback, and Tara O'Shea not only provided a brilliant cover but invaluable commentary on the manuscript.
About the Author
CE Murphy was born and raised in Alaska, now lives in Ireland, and can be found on social media at @ce_murphy and fb.com/cemurphywriter.
Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
Also By CE Murphy
Acknowledgments
About the Author
