by Lisa Shearin
TREASURE AND TREASON
A Raine Benares World Novel
By Lisa Shearin
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
About this Series
Also by Lisa Shearin
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Praise for Lisa Shearin
As always, for Derek.
“There is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.”
The Prince
Niccolò Machiavelli
Chapter 1
I pinched the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes against an oncoming headache.
A headache named Phaelan Benares.
“I would ask if you’re joking,” I said, “but I know you’re not.”
Laughter came from inside the massive crystal ball on my desk. Laughter that didn’t make me feel any better about the situation I was about to land in—or what was about to land on me.
Raine Benares’s face and shoulders were all that was visible inside the ball, making her seem even smaller than she was in person. It’d only been two weeks since I’d attended her wedding to Mychael Eiliesor on the Isle of Mid. Considering what she’d been through over the past few months, it was good to hear her laugh.
Too bad this time it was at my expense.
I settled back in my chair. “Married life agrees with you.”
“Don’t change the subject.”
“I didn’t change it,” I objected mildly. “I merely injected an observation.”
“About me and not Phaelan.”
“I have many observations about Phaelan,” I assured her. “Unfortunately, the telepath on your end wouldn’t be able to hold the connection long enough for me to get through the list.”
Raine gave me a flat look. “It’s Ben, the best telepath the Guardians have. He’s up to it.”
“I seriously doubt that.”
“Tam, you and Phaelan simply don’t know each other well enough.”
“And you apparently want to remedy that—vengefully remedy that. Generally, when a woman is vindictive toward me, I at least know what I’ve done to deserve it.”
“What I want is for your expedition to have the best protection available. Sandrina Ghalfari and her Khrynsani are the least of your problems. She’s made friends with off-world invaders who killed every person on the planet of Timurus, and whose magic isn’t like anything we’ve ever seen. Yeah, it’s been seven hundred years since then, but that probably just gave them time to get better at it. And now they’ve got the Seven Kingdoms in their sights. Your ships need the best there is to have your backs. That would be Phaelan and his crew.”
“And his crew?”
“Uncle Ryn is overseeing the outfitting of the fleet here,” Raine said. “The Fortune needs some repairs, and Phaelan doesn’t want his crew cooling their heels in port while it gets done.”
“Ah, now we’re getting to the real reason. Mychael doesn’t want a bored pirate crew roaming his city.”
Raine snorted. “No one wants that.” She paused, her gray eyes serious. “Tam, Phaelan volunteered. He knows what’s at stake here. He wants to help. Gwyn and Gavyn are more than capable of protecting your ships, but Phaelan thinks he can do it better. He’s the older brother. He saw those two in diapers.” Raine made a face. “Then again, so did I. But they turned out well. You almost wouldn’t know their last name is Benares.”
The last name of the most notorious family of pirates in the Seven Kingdoms—and now my expedition’s seafaring bodyguards. Though in all honesty, considering where we were going, what we were looking for, and who we would likely encounter, the entire Benares fleet might not be enough to ensure we made it home again.
“Uncle Ryn has a new ship in Beag’s End, the Kraken,” Raine continued. “Gwyn and Gavyn will man it with enough crew from their ships to get it to you in Regor.”
I put a hand to my temple and started rubbing. That ship wouldn’t be the next thing arriving under full sail—my headache was coming in right now. Three Benares siblings who were captains of three Benares ships. Pirate ships. Though in their favor, Benares crews were well known not only as fierce fighters, but disciplined soldiers.
While at sea.
Getting to Aquas was merely the first part of our journey, and the easiest. The continent was dry, barren, inhospitable, and uninhabited. Though the last quality was open for debate.
The Khrynsani had a long and unsuccessful history with Aquas. Over the centuries, they had launched many an expedition to the purported lost city of Nidaar, which was said to be populated by an ancient race of golden-skinned goblins. Between the eastern coast of Aquas and the mountain range where Nidaar was said to be were nearly a hundred miles of desert. I had assembled a team to cross that desert and find that city—and most critically, what was inside—before the Khrynsani could.
Legend said that the city of Nidaar was made of gold.
The Khrynsani had gold. While they always wanted more, riches were not the reason for their obsession.
They wanted power.
At the center of Nidaar was said to be a stone of such power that it had run the entire city. It was called the Heart of Nidaar, and it had provided light, powered the pumps to provide water, anything that was needed—in addition to powering and amplifying magical spells.
The Heart of Nidaar was unknown outside of the Khrynsani. I wasn’t a member of the Khrynsani brotherhood. I never had been and I never would be. However, I was a dark mage, as were all Khrynsani. While I’d renounced the dark path I’d traveled, I still retained all of the knowledge. When you had an enemy as lethal as the Khrynsani, survival meant knowing what they knew. Over the years, I’d educated myself on every object of power the Khrynsani could possibly want to possess.
With the Saghred destroyed, Sandrina Ghalfari would kill every man, woman, and child in the Seven Kingdoms to possess the Heart of Nidaar. And now she had allied the Khrynsani with an alien army, giving her the manpower to find the Heart of Nidaar and do just that.
I had told Raine and Mychael that the Khrynsani and their allies would in all likelihood use Nidaar as a staging point for their invasion of the Seven Kingdoms. I had not lied. While they staged, they would search for the Heart of Nidaar. If they found it before my team and I could, the alliances the kingdoms had forged wouldn’t be enough to save any of us.
Two weeks ago, a peace treaty had been signed by six out of the seven kingdoms, and a promise had been made to form an alliance to fight together against the Khrynsani and the off-world invaders. I had vowed to the alliance that I would travel to Aquas and find where the Khrynsani and the
invaders were staging, making my trip essentially a scouting mission.
I didn’t intend to stop at scouting.
My goal was to find, secure, and if necessary destroy the Heart of Nidaar.
And prevent a repeat of what had happened with the Saghred.
When the Saghred had surfaced, every race had clamored to secure it for themselves. Goblin, elf, or human—all wanted to possess the stone and the power it contained. Some had wanted to keep the Saghred out of the wrong hands. Others wanted the Saghred in their hands.
As far as I was concerned, the power-hungry couldn’t want that which they didn’t know existed.
The lives lost because of the Saghred hadn’t been limited to those who had been sacrificed to the stone. My goal was to prevent any lives being lost because of the Heart of Nidaar. Right now that meant keeping its very existence a closely guarded secret.
“Tam, you can trust Phaelan,” Raine was saying. “You may find it hard to believe, but I actually feel better about you going to Aquas knowing Phaelan will be there with you. I didn’t insist that he offer to go, but let’s just say I strongly indicated I’d be in favor of it. This is his world, too. His home. My cousin will fight to the death to protect his home and family from whatever invasion we’re up against, and so will his friends. Believe it or not, you’ve become one of them. He doesn’t like or trust your magic—or anyone else’s for that matter—but not all that deep down, Phaelan likes and trusts you. He knows what’s coming. Don’t worry about Phaelan; he’ll be all business, and you’ll be glad he’s there. He’s hauled my butt out of the fire many times.”
“And just how are Phaelan and his crew getting here?” I asked. “We sail the day after tomorrow. We can’t wait any longer.”
Raine grinned. “Here’s the really unbelievable part—and the part that proves how serious Phaelan is about this.”
I stopped rubbing my temple. It wasn’t helping. Nothing would help. “I’m on pins and needles with anticipation.”
“Mirrors.”
I dropped my hand and leaned forward. “I don’t believe I heard you correctly. Did you just say ‘mirrors’?”
Raine added nodding to her grinning. “Yeah, mirrors. Phaelan’s willing to go through a mirror to get to you. I was drinking coffee when he told me and I nearly choked to death. His crew will be getting there the same way.”
“And they also volunteered?”
Another snort. “Are you kidding? Phaelan said he’ll arrive first, then his crew will follow—with kicks from his first mate and quartermaster, if necessary. I assume you can set up a mirror near the docks?”
“Raine, I have mirrors all over this city.”
“Of course you do.”
“Having an exit nearby is always good.”
“See, you and Phaelan have something in common.”
“Well, that’s one.”
“There’ll be more.”
“I can’t wait. Speaking of waiting, when can I expect Phaelan and his merry band of cutthroats?”
“Mychael thought it’d be a good idea if Phaelan arrived first, before Gwyn and Gavyn arrive. Would noon tomorrow work for you?”
“I have a mirror here in my study and a mirror mage on retainer to run it. I’ll have it ready by noon tomorrow. What about Phaelan’s crew?”
“I assume you don’t want a pirate crew coming through your house.”
“You assume correctly.”
“I spoke with Gwyn an hour ago. They’ve had fair weather and good winds, so they’re still on schedule to arrive on tomorrow’s afternoon tide. She’ll contact me once they’ve dropped anchor and met with you. Is there a place large enough near the waterfront to take in Phaelan’s crew?”
“There’s a warehouse I’m using to store supplies for our ship. It’s half empty. I’ll have a mirror set up there. It would be better to have heavily armed elf pirates arrive out of the public eye.”
Raine chuckled. “Good thinking. Elves appearing out of thin air surrounded by goblins. That’d be a misunderstanding of epic proportions waiting to happen.”
“I’d rather not have any bloodshed before we reach Aquas.”
“Tam, you’re going to locate Sandrina Ghalfari and her new allies, not start a war all by yourself.”
I raised my hands defensively. “No direct contact unless necessary. But if there’s a way we can delay or stop them, we’re going to do it.”
“Just don’t get yourself killed in the process.”
“Avoiding death is my main goal in life.” I leaned back in my office chair. “Have you heard anything else from the Caesolians?”
Raine rolled her eyes. “More apologies from their ambassador. Though I don’t doubt he’s sincere. It wouldn’t be the first time an ambassador had to back out of a promise once he got home.”
“At least they’re still agreeable to joining their armies with the other kingdoms,” I said. “Sending a ship with our expedition to Aquas was more than we could realistically expect them to go through with. They probably consider it a suicide mission. The Caesolian ambassador is a man of his word. He was genuinely apologetic when we spoke. I assured him that the king and the goblin people did not hold this against Caesolia. I wasn’t sure if he believed me, but hopefully my assurances would help him sleep at night.”
Truth be told, I was glad the Caesolians had backed out. On a mission such as this, I needed people I could trust, not a boatload of unknown quantities. In terms of what we might have to do if we encountered Sandrina or any of her Khrynsani…Let’s just say the fewer people who saw the aftermath of that exchange, the better. As far as I was concerned, no course of action was off the table, including black magic. Our world was at stake, and I would do what needed to be done, and I’d rather not have any squeamish Caesolian witnesses when I did.
“So, what preparations are being made on Mid?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Any student in the Conclave college with a war-applicable major is being fast-tracked, and every other major is being focused on defense and offense. Even love potions could be useful if we could get some into a couple of the invaders’ battle dragons. Anything we can do to distract those big brutes is worth doing. Mychael has accelerated Guardian cadet and squire training, too.” Raine smiled with pride. “He made Piaras a squire last week.”
I laughed. “Only because Mychael couldn’t knight him directly from cadet.”
“Actually he could’ve skipped right over it if he’d wanted to. Though there’s only been a few instances before, and all of those were battlefield knightings. We’re not at that point, at least not yet. How about Talon?”
“I’m keeping him with me.”
That earned me two raised eyebrows.
I knew exactly what Raine was thinking. My mother had perfectly described Talon after taking one look at him. She had asked me whether he was impulsive, stubborn, arrogant, and believes himself irresistible to women and impervious to death. My mother’s shots were always on target, whether from a crossbow, or simply speaking as an incredibly insightful grandmother being introduced for the first time to her previously unsuspected grandson.
“I’m well aware of what I’m setting myself up for,” I told Raine. “I want my son with me, and I’m pleased to say I think that’s where he wants to be. He’s entirely too similar to the way I was at that age. I know the mistakes I made, and the prices I—and others—paid when I made them. Who better to keep him from making the same mistakes than me?”
“Kesyn Badru.”
“He’ll be going with us, too.”
Raine laughed. “Poor guy can’t get a break.”
“He volunteered for the job of teaching Talon. He knew what he was getting into. He taught me, remember?”
“He can’t get a break, and he’s a glutton for punishment.”
“He’s also one of the most powerful mages I know,” I said. “I trust him with my life, and beyond.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“I’ll be doing all I can to ensure it doesn’t. However, if anything does happen to me, I’ve asked Kesyn to be Talon’s second fal’kasair.”
Raine nodded in approval. “Good choice for a godfather.” She gave me a quick grin. “And I’m sure Mychael won’t mind sharing the burden.”
“Since Talon is as much of a challenge as I was, I’ve asked A’Zahra Nuru to stand as mor’kasair. Between the three of them, Talon should turn out just fine.”
“He’ll turn out just fine because you’ll be there.”
“Contingencies, Raine. Merely preparing for any and all contingencies. I have no intention of dying. However, if I do, I intend to take those responsible with me.”
Raine glanced off to the side. “Ben needs to end the connection.”
I gave her a crooked grin. “I told you he couldn’t hold on long enough for my list of Phaelan’s faults.”
Raine ignored my comment, her expression solemn. “Tam, be careful.”
“It’s my middle name.”
“No, it isn’t.”
I shrugged. “Then I’ll do what I can. I promise. As I said, I’m not dying anytime soon.” I sighed. “I have way too much work to do right here.”
“Watch your back.”
“Always.”
The crystal ball went dark.
Raine knew what I was referring to. The Mal’Salin dynasty had reigned over Rheskilia and the goblins for millennia. The late but not lamented Sathrik Mal’Salin had been in power for only a few years, but he’d done enough damage to last ten lifetimes. The goblin court had always been a vipers’ nest of intrigue, scheming, betrayal, and bloodshed. Treason was a full-contact sport, treachery was an art, and murder merely a way to rearrange the game board in your favor. When you put goblin aristocrats in close proximity with each other, that simply was what happened.
Sathrik had been insane, the cruel and evil kind of insane that led him to imprison, torture, and murder his own people, people whose only crime had been to disagree with him. Yes, that disagreement led to more than a few attempts on his life, but that was what you earned when you turned on your subjects—your subjects turned on you. We goblins tolerated only so much murderous behavior from our monarchs, then we would take action. Decisive, permanent action. For goblins, a king or queen killing to protect and defend the safety and prosperity of their subjects was perfectly fine. But killing your subjects to preserve your own wretched life was cause for a coup.
