There is a legend that everyone knows- the legend of the Dragon Pillars. Every several hundred years, darkness befalls the land. The Dragons awaken and choose their Pillars, humans strong enough to withstand their powers, and together they drive back the darkness.
In the towering cathedral of Vivdaugas, students flock to study the archives built upon the legend and train to reach the glory of its heroes. Garred Conway is preparing for his test to become a true Defender when a storm threatens to destroy the citadel, and the land around it. Trapped in the catacombs, desperate to save those he cares for, he finds help from the most surprising place- the Water Dragon Aysu. Now, as Aysu's new pillar, he finds himself with more responsibility thrust on him than he could have ever imagined.
The Pillar of Fire Shula is left reeling with loss and a new heavy burden of responsibility. The Water Pillar Garred leads a small party into the dangerous Whispering Forest to seek out weapons that were blessed by the Light Dragon. Disaster is narrowly avoided, but it brings a dark secret to light.Once reunited, Shula steels her resolve and the journey continues. With two Dragons awoken, their quest for the third leads them to the harsh terrain of the desert. The sand dregs up a certain Defender’s self-proclaimed pathetic past and the hard feelings associated with it. Can a Dragon really chose a Pillar from an isolated people dedicated to a life of pacifism?
Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I write under the pen name Sanzaki Kojika. A quickie about my pen name…my real name is Fawn, and Kojika is Japanese for that. I cam up with the name Sanzaki originally by mixing letters from my real last name around. In Japanese, surnames are first.
I’ve pretty much been reading from as early as I could. My mother was big into literature and mythology, keeping an abundance of books in our house, especially fantasy-based. I fell in love with the worlds that were scrawled across the pages, so it just felt natural to create my own. I wrote my first story with a friend back in fourth grade…about talking dogs in space. Yeah, it’s about as weird as it sounds.
What is something unique/quirky about you?
I’m the type who constantly has to be doing something, well moreso, at least two of something. I work with sound or TV on in the background. I’ve even managed to play video games while drawing. I believe I developed this weird practice from being involved in hours of dance and merit/AP classes since elementary school. If I wanted to do something, I had to find time, and since I had none, so I just made it by doing multiple things at the same time. The biggest side effect to this has basically been my inability to ever turn my mind off.
Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you!
I like to think I’ve had a lot of adventures and my life is hardly boring, but if I were to pick out something that happened relatively recently…my “boyfriend” at the time took me to Japan back in August last year for two weeks. Both of us know Japanese fairly well so we really got to explore the country and visit places tourists don’t normally go. We even went to a comic event and bought way too much. I won’t bore you with all the details, but the first part we spent in Osaka, then Kyoto. We stayed one day in Hakone before spending the last week in Tokyo. We went to a private ryoukan (Japanese-styled inn) in Hakone that spoke no English. At one point, my boyfriend accidentally ordered a go board. The next day, he rented some sports cars to drive down the mountains in Hakone and afterwards proposed. It was super nerdy, but definitely our thing. He rented my favorite car even to propose in front of. I have such great memories of that trip overall.
What are some of your pet peeves?
Gosh, I have quite a few. I think one of my biggest ones though actually does relate to writing. I absolutely cannot stand when people don’t use an oxford comma. I cannot fathom how someone would not want to add it in. It adds so much clarity. I’ve had people try to argue with me about this and explain their views, but this is just one silly thing I cannot budge on. Oxford comma, always. Or else.
Where were you born/grew up at?
I grew up in Northwest Indiana, right near Chicago, IL. I really like the area because it offers so many of the perks of Chicago without dealing with a lot of the excess. Rent and gas are cheaper, traffic is lighter, but we still get to enjoy some of the same conveniences. We have a trainline that goes straight into Chicago. A lot of people in the area work in Chicago but live in what’s called “the region” for that reason.
If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?
I would want to be the type to rule with compassion rather than an iron fist. I believe that rulers who use fear as their instrument are destined to see their downfall. I would want to be benevolent and willing to make sacrifices for the greater good without condemning others in the wake. Flowery words that sound good on paper, but I’m not sure how easy it would be. It’s impossible to make everyone happy, after all.
What are you passionate about these days?
Writing, of course. I spend a lot of time a week writing. I do my own works and even do editing for other authors. I have a lot of stories I want to tell, and not enough time to get them all out. I read a lot as well, not just for editing, but I try to read a bit before bed every night, too. I also spend a lot of time drawing, be it comics or just general art. I basically always keep myself busy, but I never lose sight of the things I love to do.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
Mostly read and draw, but I read and draw what I want to for myself. I tend to do a lot of work, especially with illustration, for other people, or for specific projects, so it’s always nice to kick back and just draw something for the same of drawing. I also hop on videogames every now and then, especially games I can play with my friends. Monster Hunter World is my current to-go to.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I had been writing stories from a young age, but it wasn’t until high school when I took a creative writing class that I really felt like a writer. I wasn’t in the best place at the time, but it was a class I was interested in, and since I already liked writing, I figured, why not? My teacher was amazing. She really taught us to break out of the shells and restrictions society and English classes had forced on us. To me, it felt like the first time I was really told that it was okay to go crazy and just be yourself when writing. For our final project, I started what eventually became my first published novel “Beyond the Dancing Flames.” My teacher did private reviews with each of us on our project. She thoroughly enjoyed mine and implored upon me that should I ever finish it, she would be among the first to read it. She was the first person outside just a few close friends to ever read my writing and definitely the first to make me feel like “huh, guess I can write after all.”
Do you have a favorite movie?
A few, because I am indecisive about a lot of things. I suppose more so, I like to say “movies I can rewatch over and over.” In no particular order…Twister, Anastasia (the animated one), Jurassic Park, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Avengers…well, I’ll stop with just those. I really enjoy movies that have strong stories and strong character development. There are plenty of movies I love that I couldn’t rewatch as easily though.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
I actually think a few could work, but if I were to choose the one I’d like to see most as a movie, it would be my Dragon Pillars series. Two of the three books are out as of now, but it will hopefully finish in the next year or two. It’s been one of my more popular stories, and I am in love with some of the cast. Seeing them on the big screen would be a dream come true. A dream I’m sure so many authors share.
Conversely, I think my series The Archive of Sinners would work better as a series than movies. The rest of my novels I think would do okay as movies.
Fawn Szymoniak, aka “SanzakiKojika” has been a resident of the fantasy world from a young age, growing up in a house full of books and mythology. Her mother introduced her to fantasy works by authors like Barbara Hambly and Terry Brooks. By the age of 8, she had already written her first novel (albeit crudely). Since then, she has taken to mostly writing fantasy, following characters through magical worlds full of wonder and danger. Her series “The Archive of Sinners” stands out as her only non-fantasy, being a paranormal mystery.
On top of her writing, she is also a freelance graphic designer. Her love of art and writing, spurred her onto comics. She has several graphic novels self-published, including her webcomic “Zos Kias,” which is over 10 years old.
Max Finley is an American spy tasked with tracking down an old flame responsible for the theft of a rare 16th-century manuscript from Spain. Little does he know but she's hot on the trail of finding the long-lost city of El Dorado. A place of magnificent gold wealth left by the Inca Empire and pursued for centuries by treasure hunters around the world. But it’s also rumored to be cursed after disastrous expeditions were lost and explorers tragically perished. As Finley reluctantly joins her quest, he finds himself mixed up in a deadly game of international espionage and intrigue where the powers that be will do anything to stop him.
Treasure Fever is McPike’s sixth novel. He wrote an acclaimed trilogy about an Israeli investigator on a mission to solve biblical mysteries before that. His books have been the recipients of numerous literary awards, including the Pacific Book Award and the Beverly Hills Book Award for The Lost Prophet. He lives near Yosemite, California and is a member of the International Thriller Writers.
The
Coven is a special group of witches given charge of the manor on
Genum Island, and Talis is considered the head and strongest of it.
Joined by his sister, Teryn, and her husband, Cian, they protect
their magic based home from the forces of darkness who seek the
mysterious power of their home. It's all routine, until Talis' old
crush shows up with a strong desire to take the head witch for
himself.
Dion
has come to terms with what he wants, and that's Talis. He has a lot
to make up for, but with him comes trouble. Hot on his tail is his
ex-girlfriend, and with her is a demon who has a craving for souls
and a rise to her former glory.
The Coven has no choice but to stand against the greatest threat they've ever faced. How far will they go to save a soul?
The
life of a witch is ever changing. After the greatest test the Coven
has ever faced, Talis and Dion settle in happily married life. But
Talis is the head of the Coven, and his life will never be simple. He
has responsibilities far above and beyond what he had anticipated and
ever increasing powers to master. With all this, there is the
certainty that darkness never sleeps, and now comes a true test of
more than just ability, but the strength of his will.As Teryn and
Cian prepare to welcome a new addition to the family, Talis and
Dion's work just begins as insecurity and outside forces come
together to threaten their marriage. Beneath it all is a sinister
force older and more powerful than any ever known, threatening not
only to tear them all apart but the world as they know it.
Drako
was born in 1987 in St. Louis, Missouri. He is mainly a fantasy
writer, though he also writes some poetry and general fiction. He is
very active on both twitter and facebook and has his own website at
www.drakosden.net which is frequently updated with news on his books
and fun extras. When he isn't writing, he's busy helping take care of
his nieces, playing videogames, reading, promoting, and spending time
with family.
Nathair
and two other fellow cadets of the Sir Lancelot’s Academy for
Knights are pulling a prank on the ladies of Lady Guinevere’s
Academy for Damsels. After the ladies filled the cadets’ quivers
with honey, it’s only fair that the cadets return the favour.
THE FIRST RULE to be a good, no, a great
thief was to be patient. Hurry would get Nathair caught, and getting caught
picking the lock of Lady Guinevere’s Academy for Damsels meant an immediate
expulsion from Sir Lancelot Academy for Knights, a month grounded at home, and
the end of his dream of becoming a knight.
But with his fellow cadets fretting around
him and urging him to be fast, the noise of the night patrols roaming New
Camelot’s streets, and the looming fear that a clockwork knight might discover
them, he wasn’t particularly prone to follow this first rule.
Not that he was a real thief. He’d never
stolen anything. So far, he’d used his pilfering skills to help his best
friend, Tristan, enter the ladies’ academy to meet his girlfriend of the
moment. If Sir Lancelot had been alive today, almost five hundred years after
King Arthur’s death, he wouldn’t be impressed by what the young knights in
training were about to do. Protecting the ladies was one of the first rules of
the Knight Code. Heck, Nathair’s mother wouldn’t be impressed or amused.
He was the first dark-skinned cadet, member
of the tribe of the Snake, to almost become a knight, and he might blow his
career tonight. But two days ago, the girls of the Lady Guinevere had filled
the cadets’ quivers with honey. So, it was only fair that the cadets returned
the favour.
“Will it take long, Nathair?” Raymond asked,
biting his fingernails. His gaze darted around, and his chest strained the
jacket of the cadets’ uniform.
Nathair slid a thin knife into the slit
between the door and the doorframe. “It’ll take the time that it’s needed.”
He paused to wipe his clammy hands over his
trousers and to push back his hair. A sliver of anxiety crawled up his neck
like a spider, but he ignored it. He’d picked this lock dozens of times. He
knew it intimately, better than the cabbage field in his farmhouse. Yet that
night the lock didn’t want to yield to his touch. The knife jammed even though
the lock hadn’t been changed. He was sure of that. It was the same, rusty old
lock of a few days ago.
Raymond shifted his weight and blew air on
his hands. The blue cloak swished about his ankles. “Can’t you speed up?”
Tristan swatted his shoulder. “First, don’t
disturb Nat while he’s working. He tends to become sloppy when you push him.”
“No, I don’t,” Nathair gritted out, sticking
the second knife in the lock.
“You do.” Tristan waved a dismissive hand
before returning his attention to Raymond. “And second, why did you wear the
academy uniform? If someone sees us, they’ll know the Sir Lancelot’s cadets
broke into the Guinevere’s Academy.”
A
Knight in Distress
New
Camelot #1
Knights
are supposed to rescue damsels. That’s the natural order. So when
Nathair, a knight in training, finds himself rescued by the princess
he’s supposed to save, he’s annoyed. And when the princess proves
she can fight like a knight? Well, that’s enough for a boy to think
about a career change.
Nathair
hadn’t planned to end his last day at Sir Lancelot’s Academy for Knights
getting caught cheating on his final examination. Especially since the cheating
had been a misunderstanding. The incriminating piece of parchment was still in
his best friend’s extended hand. General Baldwin loomed over Nathair in his
emerald uniform, one eyebrow arched in disappointment.
“Sir,
I wasn’t—”
Nathair started, standing at his desk.
“Don’t
even try, Locksbay.” General Baldwin held up a hand to silence him. “The
situation is clear enough. I’ve caught your friend Tristan red-handed passing
you that piece of paper with the correct Numeracy answers. Cheating is not only
against the academy rules, but the Knights’ Honor Code as well.”
Ouch.That hurts.
Nathair wasn’t a cheater. He was an average student maybe, but never a cheater.
He bit down the remark and ignored his fellow cadets whispering and giggling
behind his back. They leaned forward on their wooden desks, heads turning from
him to the general like in a game of stool-ball. Many cadets would enjoy seeing
the only russet-skinned boy at the academy being publicly scolded.
Tristan
of Greystone stood and bowed to the general. His blond hair swished about his
shoulders. “General Baldwin, it’s my fault. It was my idea to help Nathair. I
knew he needed help with Numeracy, and I thought to pass him the answers. He
didn’t ask me anything.”
That
was true, and swyve. Tristan excelled at many things—he was the academy’s top
cadet—but persuading people was his most honed skill. His confident tone,
reassuring smile, and bright blue eyes could soothe the most inveterate
criminal into turning himself in.
General
Baldwin waved a dismissive hand. “You can sit down, Greystone, and keep going
with your examination, but I’ll take fifty points off your final score for
breaking the rules.”
Tristan
did as told, casting an apologetic glance at Nathair.
General
Baldwin took Nathair’s test and scanned it. “Let’s see why you wanted
Greystone’s intervention.”
When
his’ gray eyebrows shot up, Nathair smelled trouble. He didn’t need the
mind-reading power of the mind-wrens to guess what the general was thinking.
The bell echoed in the high-vaulted ceiling of the Training Hall, and Nathair
exhaled. Chairs scraped back against the wooden floor.
Now
he was done for.
“Locksbay,”
General Baldwin’s voice sounded stern, “…follow me to my office.”
“Of
course, sir.” He collected his quill, parchments, and ink bottle and stuffed them
in his bag.
“Sorry,”
Tristan whispered. “I’ll wait for you here.”
With
heavy feet, Nathair followed the man who might expel him. He swallowed hard,
thinking about his mentor. What would Ewhen say when he heard about this?
Nathair shuffled behind the general along the Champions’ Corridor
lined with famous knights’ suits of armor. They headed to the eastern tower of
the castle toward the mechanical winch.
Before entering the narrow cabin that
would lift him up to the third floor, Nathair hesitated. Traveling suspended by
an iron cable wasn’t his idea of a safe trip. In comparison, the clockwork
stairs, despite the grinding noise of the steps winding up, seemed safer. Nathair stepped inside the cabin and
shoved his hands in his blue cloak pockets, while the winch coiled up with a
grinding of metal against stone. From a gap between two metal plates, he caught
a glimpse of rotating wheels and pumping pistons.
Once
at the landing, Nathair trudged toward General Baldwin’s office. The oak door
closed behind them with a thud. The room had four floor-to-ceiling windows, a
high-vaulted ceiling, and a fireplace that resembled a dragon’s open jaw.
Despite the size of the room, Nathair’s chest constricted. He breathed in the
familiar smell. The musty scent of old parchments mingled with that of the
armchairs’ worn leather.
“Sit.”
General Baldwin sat on his throne-like chair.
Nathair
groaned and dropped down onto one of the stuffed chairs. No chance this would
be quick.
General
Baldwin scanned Nathair’s test, his eyes darting up and down. “You have
twenty-five points. It’s not good enough, but it’s not an excuse to cheat
either.”
He
didn’t reply. He’d rather take the blame than involve Tristan. Besides, telling
the truth wouldn’t change his score.
General
Baldwin drummed his fingers on the desk. “What happened? You were a good
student. Not the finest, but decent. This,” he gestured at the paper, “is not
what I’d have expected from you, and I’m not talking about today’s
examination.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a leather folder fat with
parchments. He unfastened the string and spread them out.
Nathair
gripped the armrests.
“I
had a look at your tests and assignments, and I’m very disappointed.” General
Baldwin flipped through the stack of papers. “In your last Wildlife and
Wild-flora test you scored an Insufficient, same thing with Music and Courteous
Conversation.”
He
shook his head. A sickening lump crawled into his stomach. Please, anything but Poetry.
“For
example, Poetry.” As General Baldwin read, his frown deepened. “Dame Puddifoot
wrote only one word about your poetic skills: hopeless. What is your obsession
with cats? Cats are all over your poems. You must love them.”
Hardly. Cat rhymed with everything: fat, hat, sat, bat, mat—the possibilities were endless.
“And
I see no extracurricular skills or activities.” He stared at Nathair.
He
wiped his hands on the trousers of his uniform and pulled back a curled strand
of his chestnut hair. Call it a hunch but breaking into Lady Guinevere’s
Damsels Academy using nothing but two knives probably wasn’t an extracurricular
skill the general would be interested in, but then someone had to release those
greasy pigs into Lady Guinevere’s dormitory. Last week, the ladies had filled
the cadets’ quivers with honey. It was only sensible that the cadets returned
the favor, and Tristan needed help to sneak into the rooms of his many
girlfriends.
“Well?”
General Baldwin prompted.
“I
don’t have much time for extra activities, sir.”
“Anyway,
I might agree that Music and Poetry aren’t essential for a knight, but an
Unsatisfactory in Swordsmanship and Defensive Strategy is inexcusable. You’ve
excelled in them until recently. Ewhen’s always praised your fighting skills
and resilience. What’s going on with you?”
He
loosened his jacket’s collar. “I…my family had problems this winter.”
“What
problems?”
“My
sister got the water-elf disease.”
General
Baldwin’s jaw dropped. “Was it serious?”
“Her
lungs were affected.” Nathair fussed with his cloak. “The healer’s fee was
exorbitant, and my mother couldn’t hire a worker for the harvest. I had to help
her.”
Not
that his mother had asked for his help. She wanted Nathair to focus on his
studies. In fact, they’d had a furious fight. Still, he’d worked tirelessly on
the field. The cuts and bruises covering his hands didn’t come from combat
practice. The hours spent plowing and tilling had taken their toll.
“Did
your mother ask for a loan?” General Baldwin asked.
General
Baldwin tilted his head. “What? That’s robbery. Your mother is being treated
like a witch. The reason?”
“They
said that…” Anger and shame swept through Nathair. He squirmed on the chair as
if he were sitting on hot coals. At least he would be eighteen soon and the official
owner of their land. “They don’t trust a russet-skinned woman of the Snake
clan, and she was lucky that Ewhen is our landowner. Otherwise, the Wizarding
Council would’ve already confiscated our land. Unless we pay the debt in a
month, they’ll take our farm, and my mother’s permit to stay in New Camelot
will be revoked.”
If
his mother were expelled from the city, he’d follow her into the Snake
Mountains where her people lived. New Camelot was his home. He’d been born
here. All he knew about the Snake people was that they were dark-skinned and
worshiped a half-woman, half-snake goddess. He didn’t even speak their tongue.
“I’m
not surprised. The war against the Snake people has gone on for too long—like
the war against the Saxons and the Goths, and now we’re on the edge of a war
with the Romans.” General Baldwin rose and paced. “Did you tell the
moneylenders about your father and how your mother is a hardworking,
law-abiding citizen? I guess they don’t care.” He stopped pacing. “Why didn’t
you tell me any of this? I might’ve helped.”
Nathair
scuffed his boots on the marble floor. “I thought I could handle it.”
“Pride
is a knight’s trait, but you should’ve told me. Now I can’t do anything.
Tomorrow, when the High Wizard assigns you your quest, you’ll be on your own.
Besides, I have to inform him of your attempt at cheating, which means your
quest will be harder. After the last Wizarding Council’s decree, I’m afraid
that…” He fell silent and waved a hand. “Never mind. You’ll know soon enough.”
“Even
if I fail tomorrow, I can try next year, right?” He wouldn’t graduate with
Tristan, but next year he’d study hard, and his final examination would be
better.
General
Baldwin paled. “Er…well, that’s the rule…for now.” He turned to the mantelpiece
and straightened the shield of the order of the Swan. Always brave, always faithful, always a knight, the motto read.
Those
ancient words would be written on Nathair’s shield one day, if he were ever
accepted into the order.
General
Baldwin faced Nathair, his expression grave. “I know how badly you want to be a
Swan.” His chest puffed. “The order of the Swan has the best warriors of the
kingdom. I’ve been a Swan knight since your age and fought with them for more
than thirty years, so I understand your feelings. Promise me you won’t do
anything stupid or reckless tomorrow. When the High Wizard assigns you a quest,
I want you to think carefully before accepting it.”
Nathair
rubbed the back of his neck, struggling to follow the conversation. He could
have a second chance if he failed the quest, but not if he turned it down.
Without even trying it, he could never apply to the Swans and could never be a
knight. “I’ll do my best, sir.”
“Off
you go.” General Baldwin opened the door. “Tomorrow is an important day for
you. Sleep well and get ready.”
A
Damsel in Shiny Armor
New
Camelot #2
After
fighting dragons, wild Vikings, and clockwork monsters, Nathair is
facing the biggest challenge of his life: proposing to Bryhannon.
Apparently, flowers and a three-month salary worth ring aren’t
enough because she doesn’t seem thrilled by the proposal. She has a
devastating power to control, Reapers to face, and more importantly
she has to find the courage to tell Nathair that she’s a Morrigan.
The
wild spinning into the air, the feeling of his ribs almost being crushed, and
the searing pain in the skull didn’t bother Nathair much. His head throbbed,
and his stomach rolled with nausea, but that was normal when he used a
traveling charm.
What
bothered him during a trip with a traveling charm was the fear of being
beheaded or losing a limb as it’d happened to a junior knight a few weeks ago.
The poor lad had lost his foot and screamed so loud Nathair thought a dragon
was attacking the Swan’s headquarters.
Yes,
a healer had reattached the missing limb, and now the lad walked with only a
minor limp, yet, experiencing that type of pain wasn’t something Nathair looked
forward to.
He
landed on the grass in the middle of the Order of the Swan’s headquarters in
New Camelot and staggered onto his feet. The blue smoke produced by the charm
twirled around him and dissolved in the morning air. He bent forward and sucked
in a deep breath, the faint smell of sulfur, dragonwort, and something else spicy filling his nostrils. He
touched his face to confirm his nose and ears were still there. His long
curled, chestnut hair fell over his cheeks, and he pulled it back. Good. So
even his hair seemed all right. He hadn’t turned bald. Legs? Two. Eyes? Two as
well. Fingers? Ten.
Nathair
straightened his black Swan uniform and brushed off the dust it’d gathered
during his trip from Astolat. Next time, he’d take a dragon flight. It was
slower but safer. More or less.
“Finally.”
Tristan strode over to him, cutting through the courtyard packed with horses.
His neat uniform stretched over broad shoulders, making his golden hair appear
shinier. “You should’ve come back yesterday. What happened? Problems with the
mission?”
“No.”
Nathair smiled. Bryhannon’s flowery scent still lingered on his clothes. “I
easily found the Swan’s headquarters in Astolat and delivered the documents,
but…” He checked the courtyard. A group of recruits in green uniforms sparred
against a clockwork knight—an Ametor. The clash of swords covered their grunts.
Senior knights practiced hand-to-hand combat, and a few healers milled around,
their noses stuck inside the pages of fat books. No one was close enough to
hear him. “Bryhannon came with me and—”
“Bryhannon?
You took her with you during a mission?” Tristan’s sapphire eyes widened.
“Shush!”
Nathair pressed his lips together and glanced around. “She wanted to buy a few
things in Astolat, and I asked her to come. It’s not like I took her into a
Saxon war zone. Astolat is relatively safe.” It wasn’t like Londinium, where
Saxon dragons had thrown fireballs on the city and almost burned everything to
the ground.
Tristan
put a hand on the hilt of Gutrender. “She’s still a princess even though her
father disowned her and an unchaperoned lady. People will talk. Her reputation
will be ruined.”
“No
one knows she was with me. She told General Baldwin she was going to visit her
sister in Summerland, and since when you’re so worried about propriety?”
Tristan’s
cheeks flushed. “I suppose that if the situation were reversed and I’d taken
your sister in Astolat with me—”
“You
wouldn’t breathe right now,” he gritted out.
Tristan
spread his arms. “See what I mean?”
Nathair’s
face warmed, and he loosened the collar of his jacket. Tristan had a point, but
Nathair had only wanted to spend some time alone with his new girlfriend
without General Baldwin’s constant vigilance or a maid listening to everything
he said to Bryhannon. Was it that bad?
“Bryhannon
insisted, and nothing happened. We slept into two different bedrooms.” Unfortunately.
“That’s
something.”
Nathair
arched a brow. “You aren’t planning on taking my sister somewhere, are you?”
Tristan’s
stare dropped to the ground. “No. I’ve invited her to Beltane ball in my house,
and she said yes.” His chest swelled then deflated. “But she didn’t sound
happy.”
Nathair
frowned. With her damaged leg, Nineveh probably didn’t feel confident enough to
go to a ball, but her mechanical boot allowed her to jump and run freely. So
why wasn’t she happy to attend a ball?
Tristan
was right about Bryhannon though. Her reputation was at stake, and he had to
behave like a proper gentleman. He tapped the small velvet box in his
pocket–the proof that he was a gentleman, and that he was serious about
Bryhannon. The small case represented the first big step toward a life
together.
Slowly,
as if he were handling an asp, he fished out the box and showed it to Tristan.
“I care about her reputation.”
Tristan’s
mouth hung low. “You’re going to propose to her?”
Nathair
nodded, not trusting his voice.
“Are
you sure it’s the right thing to do?” Tristan peered at him.
“It’s
what I want and what she needs. Her father disowned her. She’s been forced to
live in General Baldwin’s house. She doesn’t have a family anymore. Besides, I
love her, and I’m eighteen now. Why shouldn’t I marry her?”
“I
simply think it’s a bit too early.”
Nathair
stiffened, closing his hand around the box. “Just because you prefer changing
girlfriends every other day, it doesn’t give you the right to judge me.”
Tristan
exhaled through clenched teeth and glowered. “Those days are in the past, you
know this, or I wouldn’t be courting Nineveh.”
Nathair
raked a hand through his hair, a pang of guilt striking him. Tristan had proved
to have serious intentions about Nineveh. “Sorry,” he said, stuffing the box
back in his pocket.
“Well,
congratulations then.” Tristan clasped his forearm like the Swan warriors used
to greet each other.
A
corner of his mouth quirked up. “I have a job now. My mother’s debt has been
paid. I can take care of Bryhannon.” I
want to. Then, they could be alone as much as they wanted.
Tristan
swatted his arm, startling him. “Ewhen wants to talk to you.” He headed toward
the wooden barracks that surrounded the courtyard. “Actually, he was waiting
for you early this morning for the camouflage training session.”
Nathair
dodged a stray arrow and scowled at the recruit who shot it. The boy flustered
and bowed his head. “I thought the camouflage training session was optional.”
Besides, spending hours dressed like a bush and imitating birds’ songs grated
on his nerves.
“We’re
senior knights now. We aren’t at the academy anymore. Optional means
compulsory.”
They
entered the main building and climbed the wooden stairs to Captain Ewhen’s
office. The familiar smell of worn leather and sword polish wafted around.
Knights’ boots stomped on the polished floor as a group of Swans marched along
the corridor. Some had blood-stained bandages around their heads and arms, the
result of a recent Saxon intrusion into Briton territory.
Nathair
stopped in front of Ewhen’s office. The door stood ajar, and Ewhen’s booming
voice drifted out.
“We’ll
find him, whoever he is.” He slammed a fist on the desk, causing it to shake.
The content of an ink bottle quivered. “If I have to interrogate every single
knight in the entire Briton Empire to find him, I will.”
Nathair
winced. Ewhen wasn’t nicknamed the Dragonhearted for being sweet. He peeked
inside. A see-through face floated in the middle of the desk right over the
silver bar of an orator—the device for long distance communications.
“What’s
this all about?” he whispered.
Tristan
shrugged. “A dispatch arrived yesterday from the war zone in the south.
Something happened, and since the Saxons invaded the land of the Franks, Ewhen
didn’t have a moment of rest.”
Sir
Bohemond paced in front of the desk, his large frame obscuring the view at
every passage.
The
ghostly head of the man nodded. “The situation is out of control, Sir Ewhen.
Every garrison in Londinium has been thoroughly searched.”
“Search
again until you find him.”
The
head bowed. “Sir, yes sir.”
“Dismissed.”
Ewhen punched a button, and the spectral image disappeared. He shot a glare at
the door, features tensing. “Come in.”
Sir
Bohemond opened the door fully and beckoned Nathair and Tristan inside. The
long scar, crisscrossing his face twitched when his jaw muscle rippled.
“Welcome back, Nathair.”
“Thank
you, sir.”
Tristan
closed the door behind them. Nathair stepped over a pair of muddy boots and
stood in front of Ewhen’s wooden desk. It was so large it took up and entire
corner, almost as big as his bed.
Ewhen
pushed the orator aside. With its long, tubular shape, rounded ends, and the
holes on its top, it resembled a flute. He ran a hand over his face, and his
auburn hair tumbled forward covering his tense shoulders. “Nathair, I didn’t
see you this morning at the camouflage training session.”
Oops. “Uh, thank you, Captain.”
Bohemond
chuckled, and Tristan’s mouth twitched up.
Ewhen
arched a red eyebrow, but the hard lines on his face softened. “Very funny. Did
you have problems in Astolat?”
“Not
at all.” Nathair swallowed the lump in his throat. Now his idea of spending
more time with Bryhannon didn’t sound so reasonable. “I was delayed.” By the most beautiful and smartest girl I’ve
ever met. A smile threatened to raise his lips when he remembered a
particularly happy hour spent with Bryhannon by the empty shore of the Lynn
River in the moonlight. So he cleared his throat.
I’m
an entomologist and a soil biologist, which is a fancy way to say
that I dig in the dirt, looking for bugs. Nature and books have
always been my passion. I was a kid when I read The Lord Of The Ring
and fell in love with fantasy novels.
When
I discovered cozy mystery and crime novels, I fell in love with
Hercules Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. Then I grew up and . . . Nah,
I’m joking. I didn’t grow up. Don’t grow up, folks! It’s a
trap.
PS
I hate gardening. There, I said it. Sorry fellow Kiwis.
