She kicked him back, her mind only going through the motions.
The crowd cheered as two warriors battled, their feet making the ground shake. Her legs were used to that. Her mind knew how to block out the sound.
Mave was the best, and she had been the best because she had been unafraid to die. She had been unafraid to face death every day and meet it unflinchingly—just another opponent, just another sword.
Lothen, in the end, was just another body.
She spun fast and slid her morok over his gut. Before he could move, she passed him and stabbed her sword backward, going through his spine and out his chest.
She looked over at Shadra as she pulled the sword out. With one more smooth, fluid movement, she cut off the prince’s head.
And the crowd cheered.
For once, they cheered for her victory.
Finally, the deed was done, and as the crowd cheered, emotion rose up in her. She left the coldness and let the overwhelming love and acceptance of her people wash over her. She had done this for them in the end, and she would do it again.
She looked at Alchan and bowed low again.
“Sir, it is done,” she said softly. “Was it done to your satisfaction?”
“It was done well,” Alchan answered.
Mave turned to the empress again, Shadra’s face twisted in silent grief.
“Do you want his body or his head?” she asked the Elvasi.
Shadra blinked and met her gaze, giving a visible effort to stop looking at her son’s corpse.
“Whatever you wish to give me,” Shadra said softly, then disappeared.
“Well, well,” the wingless female said that night as Mave met her in the clearing on the path. “There’s the steel-eyed female warrior I’ve heard so much about.”
“What do you want, Kristanya?” Mave demanded, raising her chin. “Why are you doing this?”
“Do you believe it’s really me?” the goddess asked, smiling.
“Yes.” Mave had no doubt in her mind. “Now, why are you doing this? What do you want?”
“I want to see what you’re made of.” Kristanya materialized two moroks, tossing one to Mave.
Mave caught it, looking down at it, feeling it. All of this just to show the goddess what she was made of. Mave was pissed off. She had nothing to prove to the dragons who had turned their backs on her years ago, letting her suffer. She had no loyalty to them. She fought for her people, not for these enigmatic figures everyone else revered.
“You know I turned my back on you and the rest of the gods years ago, right?” Mave wanted to make sure that was clear to the goddess.
“You might have turned your back on them, but you’ve never turned your back on me. Always remember, I am Death. You embraced me long ago.” Kristanya stepped forward, raising her sword. “Prepare yourself, Maevana Lorren Amori. We’re only just beginning.”
42
Shadra
One Week Later
Shadra wore white. She would for the next year, mourning the death of her son—mourning not only his death. She couldn’t banish the look on his face when he found out about Luykas—Luykas, her eldest, her half-breed, her greatest mistake, her accident, her failure.
Lothen had hated her at that moment. She knew her sons. She knew their moods. She had watched each of them cultivate their own personalities and become the men they were today. She knew her sons.
And before Lothen had died, he had hated her just as much as Luykas did.
“Mother…”
She turned slowly to see her golden daughter, her sweet, demure little girl. Lothen’s death wasn’t the only blow the Empire had taken. Only two days before her son had been captured by the Andinna, Fenoth had died in his sleep. Her daughter had been wearing pure white since her father had died, and now, Shadra had joined her. Nyria’s eyes were filled with tears.
“How is our family going to survive?”
“We’re going to be strong. Nyria, I’ve allowed you to shelter yourself for many years. I know there was no love lost between you and your father. I let you hide because of what he tried to do to you, but it’s time for you to step up. With his death, you became the richest Elvasi in the Empire. Between your own funds, the funds as a member of the royal family, and the wealth of his house, now your own, you are one of the most powerful Elvasi of the Empire. Except for me.” Shadra walked across the room to her daughter and touched her cheek.
“You are also the heir to my position. One day, you’ll claim this seat and the burden that comes with it. One day, you’ll usher in your own vision of the Empire and bring new glories to our people. Now is not the time for tears. We are past that. We must be strong.”
“I’ll try,” Nyria said softly, blinking. Shadra watched as her daughter tried to hold back the glistening tears.
“Today is the beginning of your final education. Being an empress is much different from being an emperor. There will always be men who want to take your power from you. There will always be some who believe you should be married and bedded, and your husband should be in power. Don’t get married. Have children as you please and name them yours first, and your lover’s second. Control everything, down to the last servant who works for you. Show no weakness and tolerate no failure, for they would surely blame both on what is between your legs.”
Shadra stepped back, looking over her child. Nyria was a grown woman and no longer had an older brother potentially overshadowing her beauty, age, or intelligence. She had Shadra’s hair, both in style and color. She also had the golden eyes Shadra wished she could love, but now they only reminded her of Luykas.
Now, Shadra needed to make this pretty woman into a ruler.
“Come. You’ll do the address at my side. They must see you and I together. They have grown accustomed to Lothen with me, but now, they have to see you, as my successor, are as ready as Lothen ever was. You are smart, as well. I expect you to begin applying that intelligence to areas that might not be your interest.”
“What are we going to do about the Andinna?”
“Come spring, I will be riding north with the entire army. Our fleets will move to Ellantia and await my orders to retake Kerit by the end of next summer. I’m only going to allow the Empire to grieve for the coming winter, then we must crush this resistance. Already, nobles of the northern provinces are concerned about their harvest rotting in the fields because they might not have enough workers to harvest it all, and this is only the beginning.”
“What would you have me do?” Nyria asked as they walked toward the throne room.
“Stay here and familiarize yourself with the everyday workings of the Empire. You’ll hear the small problems and sort them out. Nobles with problems concerning this situation will be told to report to me on the front lines.”
They climbed a staircase tucked in a tower behind the throne. Shadra walked out the top door and down a long path, glad she could show herself in the pure white of royal mourning with her daughter by her side. A united front was a strong front.
With a simple spell on her throat, she was ready.
“People of the Empire!” Shadra called down to the waiting masses. “A tragedy has befallen us. Prince Lothen, heir to my throne, second of his name, has fallen in battle against the Andinna slave rebellion.”
People cried out in despair below her. Already, she saw the flags of mourning being dropped around the city.
“Many of our soldiers have already fallen. Many more will. Some will ask why we fight against these ravenous barbarians. Some will ask why I would risk the lives of your children. Know this! I don’t just risk your children, but my own. My son is gone from this world. Do not think I take this burden of sending our armies north lightly. And I risk the lives of more to stop the dangerous ways of the Andinna. They would see us all dead if they had their way!” She started to stand straight, putting more punch into her words.
“They are warriors who pray to gods of death and violence. They are a race of blood mag
ics and sacrifice. They are a race of bestial people and have proven this time and time again, yet we continued to give them chances! They are not like us!” She threw her arms out. “Consider the Champion who once fought in our Colosseum! Raised in my palace, she was given a home of warmth and safety! I tended to her since she was a young child, and still, she became violent and killed an Elvasi in this very palace and despised me, even with all the love I tried to show her. They are uncontrollable! They are bloodthirsty! They must be stopped!”
The crowd cheered.
“The enemy may have triumphed today, but they do not yet know the full weight of the Empire. They shall learn! Come spring, I will be riding to war with our entire armies and fleets. They will understand that monsters do not roam free in our world! They do not get to murder and butcher our people! The loss of my son will be their last victory!”
Shadra found the crowd’s cheers below her to be like music. Months ago, Elliar had been a shell of its former self, thanks to the escape of the Andinna and the fires. Now, it was shining bright white again, and the people below her were with her. She had them. She knew she could get anything from the cheering masses below.
“People of the Empire! Are you willing to fight with me?” The crowd answered the way she wanted. “Then fight, we shall!”
Shadra had twenty thousand men in her army, both human and Elvasi. She knew by the end of winter, she would have at least thirty.
She waved, gesturing for her daughter to step closer.
Together, they were a shining beacon for the Empire.
Shadra had defeated the Andinna once before. She could do so again. Her only regret was letting Lothen try to handle it when she should have done it herself.
Dear Reader,
Good bye, Lothen. You will not be missed!
Also, hi Kristanya, goddess of death, darkness, and war. Been waiting awhile for you to make this whole thing official. Maybe next book you’ll tell everyone what the hell is going on.
As you might guess, readers, there’s a lot going on in the world of the Andinna right now. There’s only two more books in the series. Obviously, they’re probably going to be doozies. I don’t know what else to say as I write this other than I hope, so close to the end, you don’t bail on me yet! We’ve got four of six in the harem now. Yes, you heard that right. There will be six once the series draws to a close. I’ll finally give you that little tid bit of information. You’re welcome.
Reviews are always welcome, whether you loved or hated the book. Please consider taking a few moments to leave one and know I appreciate every second of your time and I’m thankful.
And if I still have you…
You can come join me in being a little bit crazy in The Banet Pride, my facebook reader’s group. I have deleted scenes and chapters from different points of view posted for free!
About the Author
KristenBanetAuthor.com
Kristen Banet loves to read books that make people cry. She likes to write books that make people cry (and she wants to hear about it). She’s a firm believer that nothing and no one in this world is perfect, and she enjoys exploring those imperfections—trying to make the characters seem real on the page and not just in her head. Worlds of action, adventure, trying times, and true love are the things that get her writing.
She might be crazy, though. Her characters think so, but this can’t be confirmed. You might want to try asking her husband, two dogs, and cat.
You can join her in being a little bit crazy in The Banet Pride, her facebook reader’s group.
Also by Kristen Banet
Reverse Harem
Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, and Paranormal Romance
Age of the Andinna
The Gladiator’s Downfall
The Mercenary’s Bounty
The Warrior’s Assault
The Rebel’s Vision
The Enemy’s Triumph
Witch of the Wild West
Bounty Hunters and Black Magic
Werewolves and Wranglers
Complete Series
The Redemption Saga
A Life of Shadows
A Heart of Shame
A Nature of Conflict
An Echo of Darkness
A Night of Redemption
Wild Junction
The Kingson Pride Series
Wild Pride
Wild Fire
Wild Souls
Wild Love
The Wolves of Wild Junction Duet
Prey to the Heart
Heart of the Pack
Also by K.N. Banet
The Tribunal Archives
Urban Fantasy
Jacky Leon
Oath Sworn
Family and Honor
Broken Loyalty
Echoed Defiance
Kaliya Sahni
Bounty
Snared
Andena Glossary
Feminine- ‘am’
Amin- Female
Ami- Baby
Amra- Mother
Arra- Mommy/Mom (Informal mother)
Amara- Daughter
Amir- Sister
Amrya- Aunt
Amyra- Neice
Amran- Grandmother
Amanra- Lover/Wife
Masculine- ‘bod’
Bodin- Male
Bodi- Baby
Bodra- Father
Baba- Daddy/Dad (Informal father)
Bodara- Son
Bodyr- Brother
Bodrya- Uncle
Bodyra- Nephew
Bodran- Grandfather
Bodanra- Lover/Husband
Alternative Male and Female
Ahin- A gay female
Ahren- A female that is excessively submissive. Normally isn’t strong enough in personality to attract males.
Ahyara- Committed female-only relationship.
Bedin- A gay male.
Bedru- A male that is excessively dominate and possessive. Normally considered unsuitable to females due to dominance issues.
Bedyara- Committed male-only relationship.
General Terms
Ahea- Hello
Ohea- Goodbye
Al- The
Ut- You
Uta- Them
Et- Me/I
Rai- The term for the Andinna temper. No real translation.
Mativa- A ‘tradition keeper’, or someone, normally female, who passes on important cultural knowledge and leads a community.
Olda- Blood
Oldura- Official Andena word for a ‘Blackblood’. No real translation.
Tatua- The Andinna ‘ink’ normally done by a Blackblood with blood magic.
Mayara- Andinna family unit. The band of males who center on a female to protect serve, and in most cases, love. Generally husbands/lovers, but can also include brothers, fathers, sons, or just close male friends.
Illo- Big, large (Illon- bigger, larger)
Illi- Little, small (Illin- smaller, littler)
Oto- Old (Oton- older)
Oti- Young (Otin- younger)
Ildan- Friend
Ilanra- Beloved
Ildar- Adopted/Adopt/Adoptive in terms of family.
Raki- Mixed blood/mutt.
Ensam- An Andinna without social place. Forced out by the community or by choice.
Mara- Life
Olmara- Birth
Moro- Death
Somaro- Elite warrior
Morok- Classic Andinna curved blade
Svamor- War group of Andinna.
Semara- Soul
Sema- Skies or just the sky.
Sita- Submit/Submissive
Andin- Dragon
Andinno- Wyvern
Vahne- Strong
Nola- King
Lera- Walk (Lerani- run)
Vorha- Mountain
Curses and Sayings
Kak- Shit
Amov/Bodov- Bitch for female and male respectively
Kuk- Ass
Voek- Damn
Linti- Pigeon
Voek al Sema- Damn the Skies
Na al Sema- By the Skies
Skies/Sema- a way Andinna reference their gods without blaspheming. “Damn the Skies.” “By the Skies.”
Anvea et- I’m sorry or ‘forgive me’
Et anvea ut- Apology accepted or ‘I forgive you’
The Enemy's Triumph Page 46