by H. M. Clarke
“That would explain a lot,” Dagan said. “Especially if The Fallen was Belial.”
Praefect Balesir hissed in distaste.
“Do not say that name aloud, especially in my presence. He is the sworn enemy of Azrael, She who Saves Souls.”
Balesir hastily kissed his ring of office before placing a fist to his heart.
“Whoever it is, has tried to interfere with Kathryn and I several times.”
The Praefect leaned back in his chair, pulling his robes tight around him.
“The one thing that you cannot do is stay here, it will break the covenant.”
“I know,” Dagan replied.
Balesir looked with care at the man standing before him. He looked in his early thirties, but Balesir knew that he was much older. He also did not have the stance of someone who is being hunted. He looked like a man in control of his own destiny, something that Balesir knew was not strictly true.
“You have a plan?” he asked.
Dagan nodded.
“Do not tell me, the less who know the better. I trust your judgment.” The Praefect said as Dagan began to speak.
“I will send you reports when I am able,” Dagan murmured. “Here is something else,” Dagan said as he fished an object out of his pocket and placed it on the table before Balesir.
Praefect Balesir picked up the metal disc carefully in his hands and was not surprised when the merest pressure against the teeth bought blood.
“This is Nikkonese, where did you get it?”
“We were attacked before the trouble started in Kaldor. The man was clumsy. He was not Nikkonese.”
“Then the question is, where did he get it? The island of Nikkon has had no contact with the outside world.”
Dagan harrumphed at him.
“Well yes, in some instances they have let in outsiders but I was a special case.”
“I for one am glad that they let you stay,” Dagan said.
“So was your mother, but that is not the issue now. What is the issue is whether the Brotherhood has contacts in Nikkon or has it just gotten lucky by having come across an illegal trader? I will have our intelligence investigate this.”
Dagan’s face creased as a thought came to him.
“There is one other thing, something I spoke of at our last meeting.”
“Yes?” Balesir asked.
“Ever since the Proving with Kathryn, I have felt something changing within me and strangely, within her. As I said before, I can feel inside me where she is and now I am sensing that something inside of her is changing. I do not know exactly what it is, but it is beginning to frighten me.”
Balesir frowned. “You do know what that sounds like.”
Dagan nodded.
“It cannot be the Rebirth, it cannot come that quickly. It is not... It’s not possible. Remember the signs that I told you about, has any of these happened?”
Dagan shook his head.
“Perhaps it is the stress of the situation affecting you both. Stress can bring on change. And can make you both feel things that are not real.”
“So myself and Mela were told by the Keeper of the Traditions. But the sensations I am feeling are exactly those described to us by the Keeper when the Rebirth is near. Not much else was told to us, but he was definite about this.”
“But a human with our kind? It has never occurred before. It is not supposed to happen until your mother-”
Dagan shrugged. “I do not know, but…I find myself thinking of Kathryn. Constantly.”
The Praefect shook his head. “We bond for life. If you go through the Rebirth and she rejects you…”
“It is something that we have to consider.” Dagan placed his hands on the back of the wooden chair in front of Balesir’s desk. “If this is what has happened, and the Rebirth is upon me, how much time do we have?”
Now it was Balesir’s turn to shrug. “Maybe a year, two at the longest. But you know that it can happen at any time once it has been set into motion.”
“That is what I was afraid of.”
“Do not worry, Dagan, what happens, happens. It is as Bellus wills it.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Dagan straightened from the chair.
Balesir stood from his chair and came around the desk to stand beside Dagan.
“Now, give your father a hug before you leave. I have a feeling that it will be a long time before we met again.”
END OF BOOK TWO
Coming Soon
Book 3
Sacrifice
Thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you again. If you enjoyed the adventure, please consider leaving a review. It’s extremely helpful to authors, since readers will sometimes skip right over books without many reviews.
THE KALARTHRI
The Way to Freedom, Book One
“This Hatar Kalar has more natural Talent than any Second Born found in the Empire.”
Every ten years the Imperium Provosts travel the provinces of the Great Suene Empire and take every second born child as the property of the Emperor. His Due for their continued protection.
Kalena, taken from her family and friends finds herself alone and scared in the imperial Stronghold of Darkon. And when she cries out to the darkness for help, Kalena is shocked when it answers her back.
If you found out that you were different from everyone else, what would you do?
HOWLING VENGEANCE
John McCall Mysteries, Book One
John McCall just wanted to get a surprise for his men. Instead he got a disemboweled body.
A man is arrested for the murder but McCall is sure that they have the wrong person.
And when McCall starts digging around for the truth, he unearths a whole lot more than he bargained for.
Howling Vengeance. A supernatural mystery in the Old West.
Available now at your favorite Online Bookseller
THE ENCLAVE
The Verge, Book One
Katherine Kirk lived only for vengeance.
Vengeance against the man who destroyed her home, her family and her life.
Sent on a babysitting mission to Junter 3, RAN officer Katherine Kirk, finds herself quickly embroiled in the politics between the New Holland Government and the Val Myran refugees claiming asylum.
After an Alliance attack Kirk and her team hunt the enemy down and discover that they have finally found the lair of the man they have been searching for…
And the captive who has been waiting patiently for rescue.
“What would you do to the man who destroyed every important person in your life?”
Winter’s Magic
Book One of The Order
Kaitlyn Winter is biting at the bit to become an active agent for the Restricted Practitioners Unit. And on her first day in the job she is thrown into a virtual s**t storm (to put it nicely).
First, she gets targeted for Assassination by The Sharda’s top assassin
Second, her Werewolf best friend decides that her being ‘Straight’ means she can’t protect herself and places her in protective custody
Third, the love of her life still won’t notice her existence and the Tempus Mage who’s set to keep an eye on her is infuriatingly attractive….
You can find out more information and sign up for Hayley’s monthly newsletter on her website
http://www.hmclarkeauthor.com/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
In a former life, H M Clarke has been a Console Operator, an ICT Project Manager, Public Servant, Paper Shuffler and an Accountant (the last being the most exciting.)
She attended Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, where she studied for a Bachelor of Science (Chem), and also picked up a Diploma in Project Management while working for the South Australian Department of Justice.
In her spare time, she likes to lay on the couch and watch TV, garden, draw, read, and tell ALL her family what wonderful human beings they are.
She keeps threatening to go out and get
a real job (Cheesecake Test Taster sounds good) and intends to retire somewhere warm and dry – like the middle of the Simpson Desert. For the time being however, she lives in Ohio and dreams about being warm…
You can find out more information and sign up for Hayley’s monthly newsletter on her website – http://hmclarkeauthor.com
http://eepurl.com/SPy61
Or catch her on Twitter - @hmclarkeauthor
