Warlords, Witches and Wolves: A Fantasy Realms Anthology

by Michelle Diener

  “Glad I can save my breath.” She grinned at Dagar. “Turgen has calmed down. We’re going to get some more food and reconvene shortly.”

  He waved her off. “I’ll be there.”

  On her way to her tent, Kublai stopped her. “Shuree Khan, I wish to discuss something of a personal nature with you.”

  Surprised, Shuree nodded. “I was heading for my tent. Why don’t you join me?”

  Kublai waited until they entered before he said, “This talk of intertribal marriages made me think.” He accepted the drink she handed him. “You are not married and I have a son who is unmarried.”

  She raised her eyebrows at him and he grinned, stroking his beard. “My son would be lucky to have such a strong and compassionate wife such as you.”

  Shuree knew the son Kublai was discussing and he had only ever been a friend to her. “You honour me, Kublai Khan, however I do not wish to marry your son.”

  Kublai sighed as if expecting her answer. “It couldn’t hurt to try. I suspect I was too slow in my offer. Someone else has captured your attention.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “My only concern right now is finalising this treaty.”

  “Just make sure you do not wait too long and lose the opportunity.” He gulped his drink and slammed the cup on the table. “I’m sure Turgen’s had enough time to cool down. Let’s get back to it.”

  Shuree picked up the food she’d come for, and followed him out of the tent.

  On the final day, after the spiritual advisors had retired to write the final document, Kublai stood. “I want to propose one last thing.”

  A couple of men groaned and Ogodai called, “We’ve already agreed to everything.”

  Kublai shook his head. “If there is a disagreement between the tribes, we need someone who can resolve it—an arbiter—so that we don’t resort to violence,” he said. “It will be too difficult to call all the khans together quickly to make a decision, so we need one person we can go to—a Great Khan.”

  “Won’t it mean the person has more power than the rest of us?” Ogodai asked.

  “To a degree,” Kublai said. “They’ll resolve disputes between the tribes and can be responsible for ensuring the treaty is maintained.”

  Shuree shifted. It was a large responsibility to put on one person.

  “How do we choose them?” Bat asked.

  “I’ll nominate myself,” Ogodai said.

  Kublai shook his head. “All the khans must vote for the Great Khan. We can do it at the annual gathering and the person must have all the tribes’ support. That way we do not get stuck with someone who has their own agenda.” He raised his eyebrows at Ogodai and then said to the others, “What do you think?”

  “It’s a good idea,” Shuree answered. “Should the person be a khan, or should we choose one of our tribe members for the role?”

  “Whoever is suitable,” Bat said. “Though I would hope at least one of us would be.”

  A couple of people laughed.

  “Raise your hand if you are in agreement,” Kublai said.

  Shuree raised her hand along with the others.

  “Then we must choose a Great Khan,” Kublai said. “I nominate Shuree Khan of the Saltar tribe.”

  Shock speared Shuree and she stared at him, her mouth open. The men before her had far more experience than she did. She tried to protest but no words came out.

  “I second it,” Bat said. “We wouldn’t be here without her.”

  Ogodai glared at her and then smiled, suddenly looking so much like Dagar that Shuree blinked. “I agree. Shuree would make the perfect Great Khan.”

  Her chest expanded but she couldn’t breathe. Tears welled in her eyes as one by one the other khans chimed in with their agreement. This was the last thing she’d ever imagined when she’d started this. She couldn’t believe they had so much faith in her. Could she actually do this?

  It is exactly because you don’t want this, that you are perfect for the role, Ghalin said.

  Maybe he was right. She exhaled and clenched her hands together to stop them from shaking.

  “Do you accept the nomination, Shuree?” Kublai asked.

  Each khan watched her with faith in their eyes. She swallowed and nodded. “I accept.”

  “Then I announce Shuree as the first Great Khan of Rhora,” Kublai said.

  The men all raised their glasses and toasted her.

  The light-headed feeling had nothing to do with the blood she’d lost days earlier. “Thank you.”

  While the khans went to gather by the campfire for dinner, Shuree wandered in the opposite direction. She needed fresh air and solitude to absorb what had just happened. Not only was she khan for the Saltar tribe, but for the whole of Rhora as well. The responsibility weighed on her and her steps felt heavy, as if she’d had too much litak to drink.

  What would her father think of all that had happened? She could almost hear Yul’s voice in her head encouraging her. Her eyes watered.

  Why are you surprised? Ghalin asked, trotting up next to her.

  She blinked away her tears. “I didn’t ask for this. I only wanted peace.”

  And you have it now. Your people recognise they would not be here if it weren’t for your strength. My elders wouldn’t have agreed to giving you the gift if they hadn’t seen the goodness in your heart.

  “Is that why they voted for me?” Shuree asked. “Because of the gift you gave me?”

  He shook his head. Kublai had the idea long before we gave you the gift.

  It had to be useful being able to hear someone’s thoughts.

  Sometimes. He glanced over his shoulder. I will leave you now and return tomorrow to say goodbye. He took to the sky. No matter how many times she saw it, the image filled her with such awe.

  “Shuree.”

  At Dagar’s call, she turned. She hadn’t seen him much over the past few days. He hadn’t attended the meetings and she had been too tired in the evenings to do more than eat and go to bed. He stopped a few feet away from her and rubbed the back of his neck, his movements a little stiff. She smiled. “Dagar. How are you?”

  “Relieved you have recovered well.” He studied her as if looking for signs of strain.

  “I have,” she said. “Though Kublai nearly shocked me to death when he put my name forward as the Great Khan.”

  “I heard. Congratulations.”

  She clasped her hands together. “Thank you, though I don’t believe I deserve it.”

  “Why not?”

  “I know little about being a khan.”

  He smiled. “And yet you brought peace to us all.” He stepped closer and took her hands to stop her fidgeting. “You need to have as much faith in yourself as I have in you.”

  She owed him an apology. “I’m sorry for not trusting your father.”

  He sobered. “Even I doubted him when Ghalin lied to us, so you have no cause to apologise.”

  She turned her hand and clasped his. All that was left was to sign the treaty. Could she now follow her own desires, take something she wanted for herself? Then she remembered something he’d said when she’d first met him. “Why didn’t you want to be khan?”

  He frowned at the change in topic. “I never wanted to be the one to order warriors into battle. Like you, I saw the grief it caused.”

  She cupped his cheek. “That’s very noble.”

  “Perhaps now it is considered so.” He held her hand in place and leaned into it. “Shuree, we leave tomorrow. I don’t want to go without telling you how I feel.”

  Her heart skipped a beat and she waited for him to continue.

  “You captured my attention the moment you spared my brother and have been in my thoughts ever since. The more I’ve grown to know you, the more my admiration for you has increased. You are the strongest woman I have ever known.”

  The intensity of his gaze made it impossible to look away.

  “When you were stabbed I realised how much I’ve come to love you, and the idea of le
aving you breaks my heart.”

  She couldn’t resist his vulnerability. She kissed his lips, softly, briefly, absolutely certain about what she wanted. “You treated me like your equal from the moment we met. Your respect for me gave me strength and hope.” She smiled at him. “I hate the idea of the man I love leaving.” She had already broken so many conventions being a warrior and a khan. Now she would break one more. She inhaled deeply, wanting to remember this moment. “I find myself in need of a Tribal Father, a husband, and a partner. Would you consider the role?”

  His jaw dropped and then he grinned. “I would. I will. Yes.” He picked her up and swung her around and then kissed her deeply. She clung to him, giddy. When he set her down, he held her close and then he chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You do realise, you’ll have to negotiate our betrothal with my father?”

  She groaned and glanced over his shoulder at the camp. Ogodai watched them, eyebrows raised. How much of her harvest would she have to surrender? She smiled. It didn’t matter. “You’re worth it.”

  Epilogue

  The next morning, after signing the treaty and saying goodbye to Ghalin and Lelin, the tribes journeyed down the mountain together. When they reached the foothills, the western tribes split off to head home. Shuree promised them she would see them soon. The khans had agreed she needed to tour the ten tribes before the first summer gathering to lessen their people’s fear of change. And knowing what Lelin had said about her compassion spreading to the other tribes and enhancing peace, she had agreed.

  She had told no one about what the dragons had given her, too uncertain about how it worked to put it into words. Besides, the risk was too great that it might scare someone and the peace would falter. Eventually, when she understood it better, she would tell the others, and hopefully by then Rhora would have been at peace for many years.

  The other tribes accompanied her home.

  As they rode closer, she noticed people rushing about, many of them mounting horses, ready to form a defence. She raised her hand. “Let me go on ahead. They look a little concerned.” She kicked her horse into a gallop and waved when she recognised Jambal standing guard.

  “It’s Shuree!” he yelled and Amar rode out to greet her.

  “Sister, you ride with more company than you did before.”

  “They are friends, all of them.” She waved them to approach and scanned the warriors around her. This could be the last time they scrambled to defend the tribe. She smiled, pleased to be home. “Let us arrange a communal dinner so I can tell you everything that has happened.”

  “Are you sure they’re friends?” He eyed Dagar as he rode up.

  “I am. You’ve met my betrothed, Dagar.” She and Ogodai had haggled the groom price on the way down the mountain.

  Amar’s mouth dropped open. “Your betrothed?”

  “Yes.”

  “But I did not approve it.”

  “I am khan,” Shuree reminded him. “I do not need your approval.”

  He scowled as they rode into the camp and Shuree showed the other tribes where they could set up their tents. Badma ran to her. “You’re back! How did it go?” She flung her arms around Shuree, and Shuree hugged her back.

  “It went better than I could have imagined,” she whispered. “We are at peace. Gather everyone around the communal fire. We have a story to tell.”

  Nergui was slower in her approach, but no less enthusiastic. “My grandchild, the Gods have answered my prayers to see you safely home.”

  She squeezed her grandmother. “They have been listening to us both,” she said. “Permit me to introduce my betrothed, Dagar.”

  Nergui hugged him. “Welcome back, Dagar of the Erseg tribe.”

  Others did not appear as pleased, but they would learn soon enough that times had changed.

  As the sun set, Shuree stood on the same stage where her tribe had made her khan. With her were the other khans, Ogodai standing side-by-side with Bat, his tall leanness in direct contrast with the rotund man, and Bat and Kublai were next to the Adhan and Tungat khans.

  She introduced them and then announced, “The ten tribes of Rhora have signed a peace treaty. No longer will we fight amongst ourselves, killing and stealing. From now on, we will trade and help each other.” She explained the terms of the treaty and then Kublai stepped forward.

  “We agreed there must be someone the tribes can go to if there are disputes, to prevent us falling back into old ways. We decided we must have a Great Khan, one person who can arbitrate disagreements.” He gestured to Shuree. “All of the khans agreed Shuree shall be our Great Khan.”

  She blushed, still not used to the title as the reactions went from shock to pleasure, and then her tribe broke out in cheers. She swallowed hard and held up a hand for silence. “I am honoured by the title. It will be awarded each year at the summer gathering, but this year I shall travel from tribe to tribe so they may get to know me and not fear this change. I will take with me my betrothed, Dagar of the Erseg tribe, a man I chose, who is not part of the treaty agreement.” She wanted that clear. “In my stead I leave my brother in charge as he has led you over the past moon.” She took a breath. “It is now time to eat, but I hope you will make the khans, spiritual advisors and warriors feel welcome.”

  She stepped down, pulling Dagar with her.

  “I saw some unhappy faces,” he murmured, keeping his hand in hers.

  But they were in the minority. “There will be a few. We shall stay here for a little longer so I can ensure there is no confusion about my orders and then we shall start our journey to the other tribes.”

  “I shall look forward to spending more time in my new home.”

  She turned to him then. “Do you mind moving?”

  He shook his head, pulling her close. “I will see my tribe every summer and they are close enough for me to visit, should I wish to. It is you I cannot imagine living without.”

  Her heart swelled. “We shall make our home together in the new Rhora.”

  And they would prosper with the newfound peace.

  Connect with Claire Leggett

  Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed visiting Rhora. If you want to discover how the Rhoran fare in the future, make sure you read the rest of The Emperor’s Conspiracy series, starting with The Assassin’s Gift.

  Also by Claire Leggett

  The Emperor’s Conspiracy

  The Assassin’s Gift

  The Healer’s Curse

  The Servant’s Grace

  More about Claire’s contemporary and romantic suspense books here.

  About the Author

  Claire Leggett has loved dragons, magic and everything fantastical since she read The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. As a child she used to sneak to the bottom of the garden in the hope of finding fairies. Alas she never found any, so she brought them alive in her own imagination. As she grew older, she fell in love with romance and romantic suspense when she discovered her mother’s stash of Nora Roberts novels.

  When Claire began writing, she was torn between fantasy and romance so in the end decided to write both. Her stories are full of love, adventure and escape.

  When Claire’s not writing she can be found creating her own handmade journals, swinging on a sidecar, or in the garden attempting to grow something other than weeds.

  Claire lives in Western Australia with her husband, who loves even her most annoying quirks, and is currently learning how to knit.

  You can find her complete book list on her website. You can connect with Claire by joining her reader group.

  Wolf Blood

  by Shona Husk

  About Wolf Blood

  It’s been five years since Owen Fyfe last saw her at a pack gathering. But he remembered everything about her. This time he intends to claim her…there’s only one problem.

  Macey Stenning drew the genetic short straw and can’t fully shift. She’s not a werewolf, but something lesser. A vampire. And
relationships between vampires and werewolves are forbidden and Owen is the son of a very traditional pack leader.

  Unable to fight the desire that simmers between them Owen will risk everything, including becoming an outcast.

  Chapter 1

  Macey unfolded her spare pair of skinny jeans then hung them in the tiny closet space she’d been allocated in the shared cabin. The closet was musty as though one too many items of wet clothing had been hung in there over the years. At the last pack gathering she’d stayed with the other pups—kids who still hadn’t shifted. At seventeen she’d been the eldest and had been given pitying looks by kids and adults alike.

  Back then she had hope that her change was just late.

  Now at twenty-two she knew it was never coming.

  She was a genetic reject. Wolf blood might run in her veins, but that was all it did. She was well past the age of even a hopeful late shift. There would be no painful prickling of sprouting fur or grinding of joints as her entire body shifted, only the lengthening of her teeth into pointed fangs. The partial shift marked her as a vampire.

  Her status in her pack had changed with her failure.

  Instead of being housed with her pack, and the other wolves, she’d been shunted off to be with the other vampires. She tried to view it as a good thing. For a start she was away from her family and pack—this could be the first step in moving away, second, she might find some new vampire friends who didn’t think she was pathetic.

  It was better to be with her own kind—all she had to do was believe that was true.

  With mechanical care she hung up her shirts. Outside the cabin people laughed and talked as they caught up with friends they hadn’t seen in the five years since the last gathering. She wasn’t ready to face her old friends, and see the looks in their eyes before they turned away as they realized she wouldn’t be joining them on midnight runs on four feet through the woods. She’d be learning how to fight and defend her pack instead.