Darkblade Justice: An Epic Fantasy Murder Mystery (Hero of Darkness Book 7)

by Andy Peloquin

  Yet she knew he was right. She had to let him fly free. She’d only been able to succeed because she’d had Denber and the other Hawks to help her, yet she’d had to stand on her own two feet. Kodyn couldn’t live in her shadow forever.

  She looked up at the sound of the door opening, but instead of Kodyn and Briana, she found Ria entering. One look at Ria’s expression brought a worried tightness to Ilanna’s gut.

  “We need to talk about Aisha,” Ria said.

  Ilanna sighed. “What about her?”

  Before Ria could speak, Kodyn returned, pulling Briana by the hand.

  Ilanna got her first good look at Briana. The girl was young, no more than fifteen or sixteen, with a soft oval face, straight nose, plump pink lips, and eyes a beautiful almond shape and color. Her skin was a light mahogany or copper color, not as dark as Ria’s or Aisha’s, but with a sun-kissed golden hue. The Gatherers hadn’t abused or tortured her, and she hadn’t been forced to witness their vile rituals. Her eyes were hooded but lacked the permanent shadow that set in after killing or watching someone else die. She would recover—not only her body, which showed visible signs of hunger, but her mind as well.

  “Briana,” Kodyn prompted, “tell them what you told me.”

  She cast a shy glance at Kodyn. “All of it?”

  Kodyn nodded. “From the beginning.”

  Briana drew in a deep breath, her eyes dropping to her hands, which she clasped in front of the simple woolen dress Kodyn had found for her. “My father is Arch-Guardian Suroth, the highest ranking Secret Keeper in Shalandra and a member of the Keeper’s Council in Shalandra.”

  Ilanna drew in a sharp breath. She’d spent the last week learning as much as she could about the City of the Dead, wanting to be prepared if the Gatherers or any other strange death-worshipping cult ever returned. Not much information was available on Shalandra—the city was fairly xenophobic—but she had learned enough to know that the Keeper’s Council wielded an enormous amount of power.

  “I was taken by Necroset Kytos and his followers in order to place pressure on my father.” Briana shook her head. “What they demanded from him, I do not know, but I was the prisoner of the Gatherers for nearly three weeks before you rescued me.”

  Ilanna’s eyebrows rose. “And they never harmed you?”

  “No,” Briana said. “But I have no doubt they were using my captivity to sway my father’s vote on the Keeper’s Council.” She hesitated for a moment, glancing at Kodyn. “I do not know how many Gatherers there are, but I can tell you that there are more—many more—in Shalandra. When they find out about what happened to the Necroset, they will know that I am no longer held prisoner.”

  “And without you,” Ilanna said, putting the pieces together, “they will have no leverage over your father.”

  “Yes.” Briana nodded. “And I fear that they will either try to capture me again, else seek to harm my father. With his death, they could install someone of their own on the Keeper’s Council, and thereby have the power they seek.”

  Ilanna’s brow furrowed. “But how would your return to Shalandra help your father?”

  “Once he knows I am safe,” Briana said, “he will be free to move against the Gatherers openly. He has the ear of the Pharus, friends among both the Elders of the Blades, the Venerated, and the Keeper’s Priests. He will be able to put an end to the threat of the Gatherers for good.”

  Ilanna turned to Kodyn. “And you want to escort her safely home?” She pursed her lips. “Knowing full well that the Gatherers could make another attempt to capture her?”

  “That’s exactly why I want to help her, Mother.” Kodyn straightened. “I’ve been training with Ria and Errik for nine years, and there’s not an apprentice in any House that can best me.”

  Ilanna shot a glance at Ria, who nodded once.

  “But it’s more than that.” Kodyn released Briana’s hand and stepped closer. “If the Gatherers hear that she’s in Praamis, they could come for her, and the whole mess would just continue. You know how Duke Phonnis would love that excuse. Getting her out of the city would give time for the dust to settle.”

  Ilanna wanted to argue, but she couldn’t help admitting her son was right. He’d clearly given this a great deal of thought, not just decided to act on a fleeting attraction to a girl he’d just met.

  “And while I’m in Shalandra,” he continued, “I can do some digging into these Gatherers myself. Learn what I can about them, then help Briana’s father take them down.” He smiled. “You might be the best Hawk of all time, but I know a thing or two about sneaking and thieving myself.”

  A grin stretched her lips as well. “I know. No one in the Night Guild has ever doubted your skill.”

  “I saw what the Gatherers did to Arashi.” Sorrow flashed in Kodyn’s eyes. “I don’t want that to happen to anyone ever again. Not in Praamis, or in Shalandra. If I can help stop it, then I’m going to.”

  Pride and sorrow mingled in Ilanna’s chest—pride at the man he’d become, and sorrow that she would have to let him leave. “So be it.” She let out a long breath. “You have my blessing.”

  “And,” Kodyn added with a grin, “Briana’s father is a perfect choice to get me close enough to get my hands on the Crown of the Pharus. That way, I’ll actually be able to complete my Undertaking at the same time.”

  “You think you have a chance of stealing the Crown?” Briana asked. “It is in the most heavily-guarded place in all of Shalandra.”

  Kodyn’s grin widened. “I’ve learned a trick or two from my mother.” He shot Ilanna a wink. “If she can figure out how to get at Lady Auslan, I’m pretty sure I can do the same with one little crown.”

  Briana’s brow furrowed, but Ilanna couldn’t help smiling at her son’s confidence. “You’ve been trained well,” she told him. She stepped forward and gripped his face in her hands. “We’ve done everything in our power to keep you safe, my little hawk. Go, with my blessing.”

  She had to pull him down to press a kiss to his forehead—he’d grown so tall and strong.

  “If you think you’re going alone,” Ria interjected, “think again, little hawk.”

  Kodyn cocked an eyebrow at the Ghandian woman. “This is my Undertaking, and—”

  Ria cut him off. “And you will need someone to verify that you actually did manage to get your hands on the Crown. That means a companion, someone you are certain you can trust.” Her voice dropped to a hard whisper. “More importantly, someone your mother and I can trust.”

  Kodyn’s eyes narrowed. “Who did you have in mind?”

  Ria called out a word in her native Ghandian, one Ilanna didn’t recognize. A moment later, the door opened and Aisha strode in.

  “Master Phoenix?” Aisha asked. She cast a glance at Kodyn, then at Briana.

  “You will be accompanying Kodyn to Shalandra,” Ria said, her voice formal. “You will bear witness to his Undertaking to steal the Crown of the Pharus.”

  “Yes, Master Phoenix.” Something unreadable passed in Aisha’s eyes, an unspoken fear or tension that Ilanna didn’t understand.

  Ria dropped all pretense of formality and pulled the young woman into a tight hug. Aisha’s arms encircled Ria and returned the fierce embrace.

  Ilanna overheard the words Ria whispered into Aisha’s ears. “Go, and find the Kish’aa, as your father would have wanted. If you are to become the Spirit Whisperer you are destined to be, you must face this.”

  She didn’t catch Aisha’s response.

  When Ria broke off the embrace, Ilanna stepped forward and placed her hands on Aisha’s strong shoulders. “My heart travels with you, ingani.” The Ghandian word meant “brother-in-arms” or “close friend”. “Protect him as you would your own flesh and blood.”

  Aisha glanced at Kodyn, then turned back to Ilanna, her expression solemn. “With my life, Master Gold.”

  “Thank you, Aisha.” Ilanna pulled the girl into a hug. “Bring my son back to me safe.” She turned away quic
kly, not wanting to let her son or Aisha see the tears streaming from her eyes.

  She waited until she heard the door click shut behind the departing youths, then turned to find Ria standing behind her.

  “I don’t want to let him go,” she said, her voice thick and raw. “I cannot help seeing him as the chubby-cheeked young boy playing in the garden.”

  “It is his time.” Ria’s arms went around Ilanna and pulled her close. “Our little hawk must fly free.”

  Ilanna basked in Ria’s strength, her iron will. For a long moment, she allowed the tears to flow, and kept her face buried in Ria’s chest. She had to hope she wasn’t saying farewell to her son for the last time.

  Finally, she pulled back and turned her tear-stained face up to Ria’s. She smiled at the sight of tears leaking from Ria’s eyes as well, and pressed a salty kiss to the Ghandian woman’s lips. Their love for Kodyn had drawn them together and would keep them strong until he returned.

  A memory flashed through Ilanna’s mind. “When you learned Shalandra was built on a mountain, you reacted strangely. Why?”

  “Because of Aisha,” Ria replied simply.

  Ilanna narrowed her eyes. “Explain.”

  Ria nodded and pulled Ilanna into one of the two chairs in front of the desk. “Among my people, there is an ancient prophecy. I will not get into it now, but suffice it to say that it speaks of the City of the Dead, built onto the mountain. Aisha must go to Shalandra. To protect Kodyn, for certain, but it is more than that. Only there will she find her destiny—or the death that threatens everyone with her gift.”

  Afterword from the Author

  The Hunter’s story is far from over!

  After his discoveries in Enarium, he is more driven than ever to find a solution to save the world from the Great Destroyer and fulfill his oath to Kharna.

  I, however, must turn my attentions elsewhere for a short while. Telling the Hunter’s story—how he recruits the Cambionari, the Hidden Circle, and many others to his crusade—means delving into huge concepts like faith vs. fact, personal belief vs. public religion, what happens when a myth is shattered, the unmaking of a society after fundamental beliefs are destroyed, holy wars, and so much more. Because of the nature of the revelations, it is something that will require a lot more forethought and planning on my part.

  I do intend to complete another four to six books in the Hero of Darkness series, ultimately culminating in the salvation of the world and (hopefully) the final triumph over the Devourer of Worlds.

  But not yet…

  For now, I turn my attention elsewhere, to six young heroes that I’ve wanted to write about for a while.

  That epilogue set up Kodyn, Aisha, and Briana’s journey to Shalandra, the City of the Dead. But they’re not the only ones that will make the trip! Evren (and Hailen) will also end up in Shalandra, where they will cross paths with our favorite Night Guild apprentices. There, each of them will find their own destiny—and very possibly save the world in the process.

  Stay Tuned for Heirs of Destiny

  Trial of Stone (Heirs of Destiny Book 1)

  A kingdom of death. A war for power and profit. Young heroes caught in the crossfire.

  Kodyn expected hardships along his journey to return a kidnapped girl to her father. Yet harsh deserts and cutthroat bandits prove far less lethal than the foes that await him in Shalandra, the City of the Dead.

  In the shadows of golden spires carved from mountain stone, currents of corruption and vice run deep. Priests of the god of death rule with an iron fist, imposing a rigid caste system that elevates some to a life of privilege and condemns others to miserable squalor.

  Together with Aisha, a fierce warrior from the north with the mystical ability to speak to the dead, Kodyn must survive the cesspool of high society deceit and betrayal.

  Polite smiles hide sharp knives. Killers, criminals, and bloodthirsty cultists lurk around every corner. Can these youths overcome impossible odds to save the realm?

  Coming soon!

  In the Heirs of Destiny series:

  Trial of Stone (Book 1) – Jan 2019

  Crucible of Fortune (Book 2) – Jan/Feb 2019

  Secrets of Blood (Book 3) – Feb/Mar 2019

  Storm of Chaos (Book 4) – Apr 2019

  Ascension of Death (Book 5) – May 2019

  Try this Prequel Novella for FREE

  You already know so much about Hailen, Kodyn, and Aisha, and you learned a little about Evren in Darkblade Slayer. Well, how about a little more?

  A desperate breakout. A perilous life on the streets. A fight to the death.

  Evren’s life as an apprentice priest is an endless torment, until he seizes the chance to escape his slavery. But his freedom, and his life, may be cut very short because the dark alleys of Vothmot hold their own dangers...some deadlier than others!

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  and read the prequel novella for FREE

  More Books by Andy Peloquin

  Queen of Thieves

  Book 1: Child of the Night Guild

  Book 2: Thief of the Night Guild

  Book 3: Queen of the Night Guild

  Traitors’ Fate (Queen of Thieves/Hero of Darkness Crossover)

  Hero of Darkness

  Book 1: Darkblade Assassin

  Book 2: Darkblade Outcast

  Book 3: Darkblade Protector

  Book 4: Darkblade Seeker

  Book 5: Darkblade Slayer

  Book 6: Darkblade Savior

  Book 7: Darkblade Justice

  Different, Not Damaged: A Short Story Collection

  About the Author

  I am, first and foremost, a storyteller and an artist--words are my palette. Fantasy is my genre of choice, and I love to explore the darker side of human nature through the filter of fantasy heroes, villains, and everything in between. I'm also a freelance writer, a book lover, and a guy who just loves to meet new people and spend hours talking about my fascination for the worlds I encounter in the pages of fantasy novels.

  Fantasy provides us with an escape, a way to forget about our mundane problems and step into worlds where anything is possible. It transcends age, gender, religion, race, or lifestyle--it is our way of believing what cannot be, delving into the unknowable, and discovering hidden truths about ourselves and our world in a brand new way. Fiction at its very best!

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  Glossary

  Gods of Einan

  Kiro, the Master: God of virtue and nobility

  Deralana, Lady of Vengeance: Goddess of warriors and vengeance

  Garridos, the Apprentice: God of ventures and enterprise

  The Maiden: Goddess of purity, devotion, and festivities

  The Illusionist: God of coin, success, and madness

  The Bright Lady: Goddess of healing

  The Swordsman: God of war, heroism, and metal-smithing

  The Mistress: Goddess of trysts, secrets, and whispered truths

  The Bloody Minstrel: God of sickness, plague, and horrible music

  The Watcher: God of the night, god of justice and vengeance. Thieves and criminals know him as “the Watcher in the Dark”.

  The Lonely Goddess: Goddess of orphans and broken hearts

  The Beggar God: God of outcasts, the destitute, and the needy

  The Long Keeper: God of death.

  Kharna – Serenii that sacrificed himself to feed Enarium and fight the Devourer to protect Einan

  The Devourer of Worlds, the Great Destroyer – force of chaos seeking to unmake the world

  ero of Darkness Book 7)