And when it did, it sliced off Navarre’s right arm, right leg, right hip, and about a quarter of his stomach.
He howled in agony and stumbled backward, and as he did, pretty much his entire digestive tract fell out, along with a whole lot of blood. Navarre thrashed around in his own blood and viscera for a few seconds, but he stopped moving soon enough. Given how many major blood vessels the rift way had sliced apart, the catastrophic loss of blood pressure had him losing consciousness almost at once.
I didn’t bother to help him. It was a quicker death than he deserved.
I turned to see Riordan cut apart the last wraithwolf as Caina wrenched her valikon free from the creature’s carcass, the black slime of its blood sliding down her blade. They looked to have come through the fight unhurt, thank God. Riordan looked better, though I saw the gray cast of exhaustion to his face. Healing with his Shadowmorph took a tremendous amount of stamina, and when this was over, he was probably going to sleep for two or three days.
“Navarre’s dead?” said Caina.
“Yeah,” I said with a tired sigh. “Bled to death the way that family he shot bled to death.”
“Good,” said Riordan. He grimaced and dismissed his Shadowmorph blade. “Now we just have to explain to Homeland Security about the aurelium.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Won’t that be fun.”
***
Chapter 10: I Wasn’t Expecting That Much Trouble
A few hours later Caina leaned against the bumper of a Homeland Security SUV, watching the cleanup at Baron Kaldmask’s mansion.
She felt tired and bruised and sore, but she hadn’t broken any bones, and she hadn’t been seriously hurt, so she counted it as a win.
With Navarre dead and the truth about his scheme revealed, the remaining Rebels in the mansion had been willing to surrender. Duke Mythrender had made a deal with them, offering a set term of penal servitude instead of summary execution. Caina watched as the Rebels filed out of the mansion, hands over their heads. None of the hostages had been killed after the first four and the dozen victims of the bombs, which was perhaps why Lord Mythrender had been willing to offer leniency.
“How are you feeling?”
Caina turned her head and saw Nadia approach. She looked terrible, her face sweaty and pale, her eyes glittering and bloodshot.
“Like I had a really bad workout,” said Caina. Nadia laughed. “Could be worse, though.”
“Yeah,” said Nadia. “I got Riordan into our SUV, and I’m going to take him home. Shadowmorph healing exhausts him, and he needs a couple of days of sleep.”
Caina nodded. “I hope he recovers.”
“Oh, he will, I’ve seen this before,” said Nadia. “He just needs some rest. So do I, come to think of it.” She let out a long breath. “Thank you for your help. If you weren’t here, I think we would have been screwed.”
Caina raised an eyebrow. “If you hadn’t been here, this would have been a lot worse. All these people would have been dead.”
“I suppose,” said Nadia. She sighed. “When the High Queen said she thought there might be trouble, I really wish she had been a lot more specific about…”
The ring on Caina’s right hand pulsed.
Nadia stiffened, her eyes going wide.
“Well,” said Tarlia’s voice inside of Caina’s skull. “Fortunate that you both were here, was it not?”
Nadia looked at Caina. “Are you…are you hearing that…”
“Yes, darling girl, you both can hear me,” said Tarlia. “Your rings can let me speak to you both at once. Clever of me to design them that way, was it not? And I am pleased that you are both alive.”
“Did you know?” said Nadia, her voice tight. “Did you know that Kaldmask had all that aurelium stashed in his basement?” She hesitated, perhaps realizing that she had been rude. “Your Majesty.”
“I did not,” said the High Queen with some annoyance. “I knew he had been lying to me about something. The soon-to-be former Baron had far more money than he should have, given his position and his unpopularity. I thought he was skimming off from the local taxes.” Her voice darkened. “I did not think that he had five hundred pounds of aurelium hidden in his cellar. It seems he has had a secret arrangement with some of the dwarven mines in the Shadowlands.”
“Then you didn’t know?” said Nadia. “You didn’t know that…that this would happen?”
“Darling girl,” said the High Queen with some asperity, “my shadow agents are too valuable to throw away pointlessly. And I do not approve of the slaughter of my subjects. Had I known that Kaldmask was hoarding aurelium to fund his various…perversions, I would have had him arrested years ago. And had I known of the impending Rebel attack, I would have made preparations to destroy it. You did well, both of you.”
“Thank you,” said Nadia. “What’s…going to happen to Kaldmask?”
“He has been removed from office as Baron of Brooklyn,” said Tarlia. “Immediately. I shall send him to Kalvarion. Perhaps helping to assist with the rebuilding of our homeworld shall teach him a new appreciation for the value of honest work.”
“And the Rebels, your Majesty?” said Caina. Tarlia did not forgive treachery. Mythrender might have promised clemency, but Tarlia could overrule him.
“Seven years of penal servitude,” said Tarlia. “They, too, can assist with the rebuilding of Kalvarion. Should they complete their terms of service, they will be free.” Her voice hardened. “Except for those who built and detonated the bombs, and those who shot hostages. They will be executed on Punishment Day videos. But I shall send the rest to Kalvarion for seven years.”
“I was…not expecting that,” said Nadia.
“There is a time for the iron fist and a time for clemency. The Rebels are done, darling girl,” said Tarlia. “A few remnants are left, but as a political force, they are spent. What point in rebelling when we have new worlds to build? You have done well, both of you. You averted disaster and exposed the feckless treachery and incompetence of one of my nobles.” She sounded satisfied. “Exactly what I wish my shadow agents to do. And you brought me five hundred pounds of refined aurelium. I shall have many uses for it. To express my pleasure, I shall reward you with a percentage of the value the aurelium.”
Caina frowned. “How much is that?”
“Seventy-five thousand dollars each.”
Nadia’s eyes widened.
“Your Majesty is gracious,” said Caina.
“I am not. But I do reward good service. Go,” said Tarlia. “Rest. You have earned it. And fear not. I shall have work for you both soon enough.”
With that, the blood ring pulsed once more, and the telepathic contact ended.
“Well,” said Nadia. “That was unexpected.”
“The High Queen is a hard woman,” said Caina, “but she understands gratitude.”
“So do I,” said Nadia. “Thank you, Caina. I don’t think we would have gotten out of that without your help.”
“I’m still disappointed I didn’t get to meet Malcolm Lock,” said Caina.
“Well,” said Nadia, and she grinned. “Riordan knows people. Maybe he’ll make some phone calls.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” said Caina.
Nadia hesitated and hugged Caina.
Caina smiled. “Oh, we’re hugging now?”
“Yeah,” said Nadia. She thumped Caina once on the back and stepped back. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will,” said Caina. “Though I expect we’ll see each other again.”
###
I took Riordan home, and he made it to bed before he collapsed into unconsciousness.
He slept for a full twenty-four hours. I kept careful watch on him, working on stuff for Russell’s business, getting up to check on him every hour or so.
When Riordan woke up the next day, I brought him a cup of coffee.
“Good morning,” I said. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” grunted Riordan. “Much better. How are
you feeling?”
“A little sore,” I admitted. “But better than I have any right to be.”
“You brought me coffee?” said Riordan.
“Yeah,” I said. “See, I promised to bring you coffee at the party, and I never did, and I felt bad about it, and…”
“I have another way you can make it up to me,” said Riordan.
“Oh, yeah?” I said, grinning. Yes, he was feeling better. “And just what is that?”
He showed me. I definitely made it up to him. And let’s say he made it up to me a couple of times in the process.
The coffee was cold by the time we were done, so I got us both fresh cups.
It had been a rough couple of days, but it could have been so much worse.
THE END
Thank you for reading CLOAK & GHOST: REBEL CELL. Look for Nadia's next adventure, CLOAK OF DRAGONS (https://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=10010), in the first quarter of 2019.
If you liked the book, please consider leaving a review at your ebook site of choice. To receive immediate notification of new releases, sign up for my newsletter (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1854), or watch for news on my Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jonathan-Moeller/328773987230189).
***
The GHOSTS & CLOAK GAMES Novel Reading Order
A common question from readers is the proper order to read the Caina and Nadia novels. Here is the order of all twenty-two Caina novels and all twelve Nadia novels as of this writing!
Caina novels:
1.) Child of the Ghosts
2.) Ghost in the Flames
3.) Ghost in the Blood
4.) Ghost in the Storm
5.) Ghost in the Stone
6.) Ghost in the Forge
7.) Ghost in the Ashes
8.) Ghost in the Mask
9.) Ghost in the Surge
10.) Ghost in the Cowl
11.) Ghost in the Maze
12.) Ghost in the Hunt
13.) Ghost in the Razor
14.) Ghost in the Inferno
15.) Ghost in the Seal
16.) Ghost in the Throne
17.) Ghost in the Pact
18.) Ghost in the Winds
19.) Ghost in the Ring
20.) Ghost in the Glass
21.) Ghost in the Amulet
22.) Ghost in the Tower
Nadia novels:
1.) Cloak Games: Thief Trap
2.) Cloak Games: Frost Fever
3.) Cloak Games: Rebel Fist
4.) Cloak Games: Shadow Jump
5.) Cloak Games: Shatter Stone
6.) Cloak Games: Truth Chain
7.) Cloak Games: Tomb Howl
8.) Cloak Games: Hammer Break
9.) Cloak Games: Blood Cast
10.) Cloak Games: Last Judge
11.) Cloak Games: Sky Hammer
12.) Cloak Games: Mage Fall
***
Other books by the author
The Demonsouled Saga
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK is a wandering knight, fearless in battle and masterful with a sword.
Yet he has a dark secret. He is Demonsouled, the son of the ancient and cruel Old Demon, and his tainted blood grants him superhuman strength and speed. Yet with the power comes terrible, inhuman rage, and Mazael must struggle to keep the fury from devouring him.
But he dare not turn aside from the strength of his blood, for he will need it to face terrible foes.
The priests of the San-keth plot and scheme in the shadows, pulling lords and kingdoms upon their strings. The serpent priests desire to overthrow the realms of men and enslave humanity. Unless Mazael stops them, they shall force all nations to bow before the serpent god.
The Malrag hordes are coming, vast armies of terrible, inhuman beasts, filled with a lust for cruelty and torment. The Malrags care nothing for conquest or treasure, only slaughter. And the human realms are ripe for the harvest. Only a warrior of Mazael’s power can hope to defeat them.
The Dominiar Order and the Justiciar Order were once noble and respected, dedicated to fighting the powers of dark magic. Now they are corrupt and cynical, and scheme only for power and glory. They will kill anyone who stands in their way.
To defeat these foes, Mazael will need all the strength of his Demonsouled blood.
Yet he faces a far more terrible foe.
For centuries the Old Demon has manipulated kings and lords. Now he shall seize the power of the Demonsouled for himself, and become the a god of torment and tyranny.
Unless Mazael can stop him.
Read Demonsouled (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=880) for free. Mazael's adventures continue in Soul of Tyrants (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=911), Soul of Serpents (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1287), Soul of Dragons (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1727), Soul of Sorcery (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1845), Soul of Skulls (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2808), and Soul of Swords (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3599), along with the short stories The Wandering Knight (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3073), The Tournament Knight (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3677), and The Dragon's Shadow (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2635). Get the first three books bundled together in Demonsouled Omnibus One (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4442).
The Ghosts Series
Once CAINA AMALAS was the shy daughter of a minor nobleman, content to spend her days in her father’s library.
Then sorcery and murder and her mother’s treachery tore her life apart.
Now she is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, an elite agent of the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar. She is a master of disguise and infiltration, of stealth and the shadows.
And she will need all those skills to defend the Empire and stay alive.
Corrupt lords scheme and plot in the shadows, desiring to pull down the Emperor and rule the Empire for their own profit and glory. Slave traders lurk on the fringes of the Empire, ready to seize unwary commoners and sell them into servitude in distant lands. Yet both slave traders and cruel lords must beware the Ghosts.
The Magisterium, the Imperial brotherhood of sorcerers, believe themselves the rightful masters of the Empire. With their arcane sciences, they plan to overthrow the Empire and enslave the commoners, ruling all of mankind for their own benefit. Only the Ghosts stand in the path of their sinister plans.
And the Moroaica, the ancient sorceress of legend and terror, waits in the shadows, preparing to launch a war upon the gods themselves. She will make the gods pay for the suffering of mankind...even if she must destroy the world to do it.
Caina Amalas of the Ghosts opposes these mighty enemies, but the cost might be more than she can bear.
Read Child of the Ghosts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1057) for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1265), Ghost in the Blood (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1383), Ghost in the Storm (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=1931), Ghost in the Stone (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2520), Ghost in the Forge (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3181), Ghost in the Ashes (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3932), Ghost in the Mask (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4231), and Ghost in the Surge (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4637), along with the short stories Ghost Aria (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3243), Ghost Claws (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=3930), Ghost Omens (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4235), The Fall of Kyrace (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4258), Ghost Thorns (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4639), Ghost Undying (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4662), Ghost Light (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5653), and Ghost Dagger (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=2371
), and the prequel novels Blade of the Ghosts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6220) and Champion of the Ghosts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6304). Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4484).
The Ghost Exile Series
Caina Amalas was a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through her boldness and cunning saved the Empire and the world from sorcerous annihilation.
But the victory cost her everything.
Now she is exiled and alone in the city of Istarinmul, far from her home and friends. Yet a centuries-old darkness now stirs in Istarinmul, eager to devour the city and the world itself.
And Caina is the only one that stands in its way...
Read Ghost in the Cowl (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4903), Ghost in the Maze (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5090), Ghost in the Hunt (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5244), Ghost in the Razor (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5553), Ghost in the Inferno (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5759), Ghost in the Seal (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5924), Ghost in the Throne (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6145), Ghost in the Pact (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6629), and Ghost in the Winds (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6694) along with the short stories Ghost Sword (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=4911), Ghost Price (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5105), Ghost Relics (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5265), Ghost Keeper (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5481), Ghost Nails (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5504), Ghost Lock (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5776), Ghost Arts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=5937), Ghost Vigil (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6153), Ghost Mimic (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=6648), and Ghost Vessel (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7028), and read the combined short stories in Exile of the Ghosts (http://www.jonathanmoeller.com/writer/?page_id=7936).
Cloak & Ghost: Rebel Cell Page 12