The girl shook her head. “No.”
“What is your name?” said Caina.
“Mahdriva,” said the girl. She hesitated. “The assassin…the assassin said you were a Ghost. Is that true?”
“We are,” said Caina. “We can help you, if…”
“My father!” said Mahdriva. “Please, save my father. We were hiding at the Inn of the Broken Wheel when they came for me. My father fought them off and told me to run. I went through the back door and ran as fast as I could, but the men caught me here. Please, Ghost, help my father.”
Caina knew the Inn of the Broken Wheel. It was at the edge of the district, and catered to the moderately successful merchants that lived nearby. But if the Kindred and the Immortals had come for Mahdriva and her father in force, then the man was likely dead.
“He is still alive!” said Mahdriva, as if she had guessed Caina’s thoughts. “My father is the mightiest warrior in Istarinmul. It will take more than assassins to kill him. But, please, he must have aid.”
“She’s asking you for something,” murmured Corvalis in Caerish, “isn’t she?”
Caina nodded, thinking. Mahdriva’s father, whoever he was, had likely perished. Yet why send Kindred assassins and Immortals to kidnap one pregnant girl?
A pregnant girl, Caina suspected, who had escaped from slavery in Istarinmul.
Why go to that much trouble to recapture a pregnant slave girl?
An odd coincidence, with the Istarish Lord Ambassador arriving within a week.
And Caina did not like coincidences.
She looked at the girl, remembering the day her own father had died before her eyes.
“Yes,” said Caina. “We will save your father, if we can.”
“Thank you,” said Mahdriva, her voice shaking. “Thank you.”
“Ah,” said Corvalis. “We’re going to help her, aren’t we?”
“You told me you liked challenges,” said Caina. She pulled her mask and cowl back into place. “Well, get ready for a challenge.”
Corvalis laughed. “Best we move on before the militia finds the corpses.”
Caina left the courtyard and headed for the Inn of the Broken Wheel, Corvalis and Mahdriva following.
Follow the link to continue reading Ghost in the Ashes.
About the Author
Standing over six feet tall, Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.
He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER’S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works.
Visit his website at:
http://www.jonathanmoeller.com
Visit his technology blog at:
http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/screed
Contact him at:
[email protected]
You can sign up for his email newsletter here, or watch for news on his Facebook page.
Other books by the author
The Third Soul Series
The Testing
The Assassins
The Blood Shaman
The High Demon
The Burning Child
The Outlaw Adept
The Black Paladin
The Tomb of Baligant
Computer Beginner’s Guides
The Ubuntu Beginner’s Guide
The Windows Command Line Beginner’s Guide
The Linux Command Line Beginner’s Guide
The Ubuntu Desktop Beginner’s Guide
The Windows 8 Beginner’s Guide
The Linux Mint Beginner’s Guide
The Ghosts Series
Child of the Ghosts
Ghost in the Flames
Ghost in the Blood
Ghost in the Storm
Ghost in the Stone
Ghost in the Forge
Ghost in the Ashes
Ghost Dagger (World of the Ghosts novella)
Ghost Aria (World of the Ghosts short story)
Ghost Claws (World of the Ghosts short story)
The Demonsouled Series
Demonsouled
Soul of Tyrants
Soul of Serpents
Soul of Dragons
Soul of Sorcery
Soul of Skulls
Soul of Swords
The Dragon’s Shadow (World of the Demonsouled novella)
The Wandering Knight (World of the Demonsouled short story)
The Tournament Knight (World of the Demonsouled short story)
The Tower of Endless Worlds Series
The Tower of Endless Worlds
A Knight of the Sacred Blade
A Wizard of the White Council
The Destroyer of Worlds
$1.99 Dark Fantasy
Driven and Other Stories
The Devil’s Agent
Angel Sword and Other Stories
Table of Contents
Description
Chapter 1 - A Mask Of Jade
Chapter 2 - To The Highest Bidder
Chapter 3 - A Ghost Nightfighter
Chapter 4 - Stormdancer
Chapter 5 - Caravan
Chapter 6 - The City of the Artificers
Chapter 7 - Sorcerers
Chapter 8 - A Demonstration
Chapter 9 - Haggling
Chapter 10 - Old Blood
Chapter 11 - The Watcher
Chapter 12 - The First Magus
Chapter 13 - A Weeping Slave
Chapter 14 - Half-Brothers
Chapter 15 - Red Steel
Chapter 16 - Subterfuges
Chapter 17 - Grinning Scars
Chapter 18 - An Invitation
Chapter 19 - Remake the World
Chapter 20 - All In One Place
Chapter 21 - Blood and Steel
Chapter 22 - Stop Talking And Kill Her
Chapter 23 - Corrupted Air
Chapter 24 - The Stormdancer and the Assassin
Chapter 25 - Slaves and Chains
Chapter 26 - Weapons of Sorcery
Chapter 27 - Choices
Epilogue
DEMONSOULED bonus chapter
About the Author
Other books by the author
Jonathan Moeller - The Ghosts 06 - Ghost in the Forge Page 32
