FALLEN
Book 1 of the Fallen Series
By
Roselynn Cannes
How do you decide what is worth fighting for? What – or who – would you be willing to sacrifice?
FALLEN
Copyright © 2015 Roselynn Cannes
All Rights Reserved
The book herein constitutes a copyrighted work and may not be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or stored in or introduced into an information storage or retrieval system in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the copyright owner, except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Cover designed by Scarlett Rugers Design
www.scarlettrugers.com
Formatting by Polgarus Studio
http://www.polgarusstudio.com/
For anyone who’s ever had a story to tell.
Acknowledgments
First, I must give credit where credit is due. This book would never have seen the light of day had my sister, Christine, not requested to read it. Thank you for encouraging me to share my work with you and for the tireless effort you put into critiquing, editing, and fact-checking. I had to talk myself back from more than one ledge thinking you hated it, but then I remember that you always kept reading.
Big thanks to my other two sisters and beta readers, Sarah and Meghan. You were my emotional readers. You completely validate the desperate, needy part of me that just wants my readers to get lost in the story…and like it. Mostly I want you to like it.
Cynthia St. Aubin, you are a godsend. You inspire me daily. I never would have made it through the publishing process without you. I owe you all of the cheese.
Thanks also to Scarlett Rugers for my stunning original cover design. You were a joy to work with start to finish.
Eliza, with Clio Editing Services, thank you for your diligence. I shudder to think how many misplaced modifiers you had to correct, but I am grateful for each and every one of them. I know it is not required that you enjoy a book in order to edit it, but I sure am glad you enjoyed Fallen, and I’m so excited to work on the rest of the series with you.
I must also give credit to my wonderful husband, Sean, who tolerated the messy house and my crazy rantings about the voices in my head, while carrying the brunt of the financial support for our little family while I decided what I want to be when I grow up. A pirate. I want to be a pirate when I grow up.
Drum roll please…Last, but certainly not least, Casey – my PLP (Platonic Life Partner), my BFFL (Best Friend For Life), my PP (Power Partner), and number one Augustine fangirl (yes, he’s yours. We get it) – I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you are in my life. You believed in me enough to feature me in your conference before the book was even finished, you co-collaborate with me, you ask the hard questions (even though I sometimes want to slap you for it), you let me talk endlessly about my plots and my characters, and I am grateful every day to call you my Bestie.
Table of Contents
Author’s Note
Part I From The History of the Finctus
Chapter 1: The Darkest Night
Chapter 2: Good Manners and Soft Words
Chapter 3: The Pride of House Galanis
Chapter 4: Just Deserts
Chapter 5: A Woman’s Worth
Chapter 6: All’s Fair
Chapter 7: The Throw of Aphrodite
Chapter 8: A Little Death
Part II From Freedom and Tyranny, an Anthology
Chapter 1: By Any Other Name
Chapter 2: Immortal Deeds
Chapter 3: All Deception Requires Secrecy
Chapter 4: All Secrets Are not Meant to Deceive
Chapter 5: Misery’s Shadow
Chapter 6: Poison and Wine
Chapter 7: Whispers of the Dark
Chapter 8: Skin Deep
Part III From The Rise and Fall of the Great Kingdoms
Chapter 1: Siren’s Song
Chapter 2: The Prettiest Smiles
Chapter 3: Scars Unseen
Chapter 4: Two Kinds of Secrets
Chapter 5: Words as Weapons
Chapter 6: Silent Confessions
Chapter 7: Time Discloses All
Chapter 8: The Beginning of the End
Glossary
About the Author
Author’s Note
Fallen is the first of a series: Fallen, Destroyed, and Risen. These books are intended to be read in order and are for mature readers only. Fallen contains explicit content, both in language and subject matter. Explicit content includes graphic descriptions of violence; sexuality and sexual acts; rough sex play; and power differentials and violent sexual encounters, which may include discussions or implications of nonconsensuality and/or rape.
Though there were many influences from ancient Greco-Roman custom and mythology, the characters and places are fictional. A glossary of terms has been included.
Part I
From The History of the Finctus, written by Marcus Velleius, record keeper of Perdomo:
The millennia prior to the Finctus were tumultuous and dangerous times. Individual kingdoms and territories dotted the land. Nothing existed to unite the kingdoms and, lacking common cause, man-kings grew power hungry. Conflict spread across the land like a plague as kings and warlords sought to overthrow their neighbors and expand their own territories.
The gods grew tired of the petty squabbling of men and took pity on the innocents caught between the warring factions. It was then, in the time of the Reckoning, that Nero of House Perdome, King of Perdomo, ordained by the gods, united the Kingdoms in the West.
The gods honored Nero with the title of Sator and decreed that the united realm be called the Finctus. Under the rule of the benevolent Sator, the inhabitants of the Finctus thrive. For 150 years, the Finctus has not been beset by internal conflict.
The Kingdoms in the East, however, continue to rebel against the will of the gods. Rather than join with the Finctus, they continue to war with one another for power and resources. Galilae, the most gluttonous and terrible of the Kingdoms in the East, evidenced by its monopoly on trade and its destruction of the navy of Fortunata in the Battle of the Red Sea, continues to lead the resistance.
The gods will only tolerate this rebellion for so long. It is a matter of time before the Kingdoms in the East unite with the Finctus or are demolished by the wrath of the gods.
Chapter 1:
The Darkest Night
Then a shadow crept across the land.
Armored wraiths stained blood red
Came in the night, snatching children from bed.
And Veius crumbled at the Reaper’s command.
– From the poem “The Fall of Veius,” by Sappho of Galilae
She couldn’t have said what it was that woke her, but as soon as her eyes opened she knew something was wrong. The air was too still. Slowly she slipped from her bed and walked naked to her open window. Although a warm breeze drifted lazily in, a chill wrapped itself around her. The sleeping courtyard did not share Persephone’s sense of impending doom, so how was she to put a finger on what disturbed her? After all, nothing seemed out of place.
Silently, she cursed the new moon and clouds that left her blind. Hovering in the shadows, she waited, diligently motionless as her eyes fought to adjust to the darkness filling the courtyard below. Patience wearing thin, she finally saw movement. Barely there. A tri
ck of the eye? No threat was readily visible, so she considered writing it off as her paranoid imagination. Then shadowed forms began to move out of the protection of the shrubbery that darkened the inner perimeter of the courtyard wall. The movement was tactical. Deliberate. Galilae was under attack.
Suddenly, it was glaringly obvious why everything seemed so still – an oversight she kicked herself for. The palace guards were nowhere to be seen. Likely, they had already been killed or incapacitated, leaving the sleeping palace exposed.
Tearing herself away from the window, she moved seamlessly to the closet on the far side of her bedroom. She forwent her traditional chiton and instead donned the apodesmos and linen briefs she wore during stochasmos. The increased mobility was worth the risk of being mistaken for a slave.
Once dressed, she unlatched the heavy cedar chest resting proudly in the middle of the closet. From inside, she gingerly grabbed her sheathed sword and pulled the balteus over her shoulder. Her sword had been made especially for her. It was slightly narrower than a traditional broadsword, making it much lighter, but had been forged to be just as strong. From next to the sword, she picked up a narrow, thin-bladed dagger. Its fine-honed edge glinted ominously. Holding it so the delicate blade rested obscured along the inside of her wrist, she opened the trick panel in her closet and slipped from the room.
* * * *
Kolimpri startled awake. Her first impulse was to scream, but a hand lay firmly clamped over her mouth, smothering her distress. No help would come. Panicked, she started to struggle. It was useless. She was very small. Her much bigger assailant held her pinned from behind. Tears stung her eyes, quickly wetting her pillow.
A familiar voice shushed tenderly in her ear, and the firm hand demanding silence gently turned her head. Looking into the eyes of her captor, Koli recognized the silhouetted face even before her eyes could adjust to the lack of light.
“I am going to uncover your mouth,” her sister whispered. “You must be very quiet, do you understand, Little Bird?”
Even though she was confused, Koli nodded.
Persephone slowly removed her hand from Koli’s mouth. “You and I are going on a quest.”
Excitement immediately replaced confusion. A game? She loved questing games. “Truly?!”
“Quiet, Little Bird,” Persephone commanded.
“Apologies,” Koli replied immediately in a much softer voice. “What is our purpose?”
In the stories Persephone told, quests always had a purpose. Often, rescuing a princess was involved.
“Our purpose is simple: we must get out of the palace without being caught.”
“Caught by who?” Koli asked, wondering who the bad man in this game was. There was always a bad man in the stories.
“Anyone.”
* * * *
With Persephone leading the way, they managed to leave Kolimpri’s bedroom without incident. Persephone had wanted to take the tunnels – as she had to reach Koli’s room – but the one she suspected led to the Small Council Chamber was perilously decrepit. She’d never been able to confirm where the passage led since even she – daring and reckless as she could be – had never attempted to make use of it. There was no way Persephone would risk it with Kolimpri. So, much to her chagrin, Persephone crept carefully through the hallways with Koli in tow. They did not have far to go, but Persephone had no way of knowing if the intruders were already in the palace or still seeking entry. Kolimpri’s guard had not been in place outside her bedroom when they had exited, so Persephone had to assume the worst had already happened, though with no sign of a struggle nor of their attackers, she had no way of knowing what caused his absence.
From the outset, Persephone had wanted to rouse her entire family, but she knew the time it would take her to wake and convince everyone to move would cost them the opportunity to escape. Koli had to be her number one priority. Leaving everyone else asleep in their beds was cold, but it was necessary.
Thinking that they were on a grand adventure in play, Koli did not share Persephone’s pain and loss. Persephone felt guilty for the deception, but she couldn’t bring herself to frighten Koli by telling her the truth. Not to mention Koli’s behavior would be far more predictable if she believed they were playing a game. Koli enjoyed games and was at an age where playing by the rules was important to her, so if Persephone outlined directions for the purposes of the game, Koli would be more inclined to follow them.
I promise to protect you always.
Her own words popped unexpectedly into her mind – words she’d spoken in earnest many years ago. A child’s vow. A vow she had kept until this night. For the first time, she had forsaken her pledge and had done so without hesitation, though not without guilt. The knowledge fractured her. Persephone hastily wiped stinging tears from her eyes. She couldn’t think about that. If she was to save Koli from whatever fate awaited them, she had no other choice but to leave the sister that should have been her twin. Seraphime would forgive her – on this side or the next – but Persephone doubted she would ever be able to forgive herself.
Doing the only thing she could, Persephone suppressed her anguish. Protecting Koli had to be her sole priority. And so it was. Anything less could get them both killed or, worse, captured. So, focusing on her instincts and her adrenaline, Persephone half-dragged Koli through the halls, mindful always to keep her smaller frame shielded behind her own body.
Persephone peeked cautiously around the last corner before they reached the Small Council Chamber. Pulling back quickly at the sight of the two foreign soldiers walking casually in their direction, she silently ushered Koli against the wall and indicated that Koli should cover her ears and close her eyes. Still believing it was part of the game, Koli did so immediately with a playful smile on her face.
With Koli secure, Persephone positioned herself as close to the corner as possible while remaining out of sight. They hadn’t been spotted. The click of the intruders’ soles against the stone floor synced with the pounding of her heart, each thud slightly louder than the last. Persephone used her left hand to hold her dagger at the ready across her chest. The first man started around the corner. Grabbing his wrist with her right hand, Persephone used his arm to pull him across her body, simultaneously slamming her dagger into his throat. The blow was well placed, so she would only need the one. He had no opportunity to cry out his surprise.
Quickly pulling the dagger free, she gave his wrist a sharp tug, sending him stumbling and careening past her. With his blood rapidly cooling on her hand, she moved away from the protection of the wall, swinging her blade wide as she did so and slashing the second man’s throat. The scarlet arc spurting forth showered her shoulder and arm. His hand rested at the hilt of the sword he hadn’t yet drawn while he looked at her with mixed shock and awe before abandoning his weapon to clutch uselessly at the gaping wound pulsing at his neck.
Koli had obediently kept her eyes closed and her ears covered, so Persephone pulled one of the smaller girl’s hands away from her head.
“Keep your eyes closed, Little Bird,” she whispered as she pulled Koli to her and scooped her into her arms.
Koli automatically wrapped her small arms and legs around Persephone and with innocent trust rested her head against Persephone’s clean shoulder.
Cautiously, Persephone stepped over the soldiers who lay drowning in their own blood and made her way quickly the short distance to the Small Council Chamber.
Unlike the hallways, the Small Council Chamber was not lit. Knowing they would have little time before the dead soldiers were found – by one side or the other – Persephone moved around the table occupying the center of the room, making directly for the far wall and the rarely used fireplace. Stepping into the firebox itself, Persephone set Koli down so she could grab the grate with both hands. When she lifted, the pivot hinge hidden underneath gave way with a rusty creak, revealing an opening in the floor.
“What is this?” Koli’s curiosity had gotten the better of her a
nd she had opened her eyes.
Fortunately, it was probably too dark in the room for Koli to notice the red coloring Persephone’s left hand and arm, or the bloody handprint staining her own chiton. Persephone would have to think of an explanation for whose blood it was later, but she was not going to worry about that just yet.
“A tunnel,” Persephone answered quickly. “Come here, Little Bird.”
“Where does it go?” Kolimpri hadn’t moved. She continued to stare entranced at the mouth gaping in the floor.
“Away. Now come here, Kolimpri. I will not tell you again.”
At the sound of her rarely used name, Koli scuttled over to where Persephone crouched. Persephone held her arms open for Koli, who stepped into her embrace without hesitation. With Koli’s arms wrapped around her neck and her legs around her waist, Persephone positioned herself at the top of the opening and dropped into it, landing in a squat to absorb the impact. Persephone settled Koli against the wall while she pulled the trapdoor closed behind them. Through touch, she found Koli again. The pitch black of the tunnels was disorienting, so Persephone took her time while she adjusted. They could not afford for her to get lost, and certain wrong turns contained pitfalls that would cost them their lives, not just the time it would take to double back.
“This will take us down, all the way to the Grand Council Chamber. I have no torch, so we have to do it in the dark.” As she whispered urgently, she grabbed the hem of Koli’s chiton. Working sightlessly, she wrapped it between Koli’s legs, tucking it into her zoster so she could crawl without impediment. The passages on the upper floors were not tall enough for Persephone to stand, though Koli might have been able to. “This is a very dangerous part of the quest, Little Bird, so hold on tightly to my ankle and unless I tell you to, do not let go. It will be too easy for you to get lost.”
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