“Significant?” said Kylon.
“Like I was witnessing history,” said Morgant. “I’ve witnessed enough damned history, I ought to know what it feels like by now. It seemed like…oh, like I was witnessing a moment that would decide the course of hundreds of thousands of lives. Like everyone in Istarinmul, say.”
Kylon stared at him.
Morgant grinned his toothy grin. “I’m really very perceptive.”
Kylon nodded, reached down, and folded the edge of the page.
“Wait,” said Morgant. “Don’t…”
Very gently and very slowly, Kylon tore out the page with the drawing of Caina smiling at him.
Morgant let out a long sigh. “If you’re going to give it to her as a gift, at least buy proper wood for the frame. Oak, not beech, and for the gods’ sake not pine. And I can show you how to use a fixative oil to keep it from smudging.”
“Thank you,” said Kylon.
Morgant rolled his eyes, closed his notebook, and returned it to his coat.
“Morgant,” said Annarah with delight. “After all these years. I had no idea that you were a romantic.”
The old assassin stared out the window for a moment.
“No,” he said. “I’m not.”
###
One of Damla’s maids returned with a tray of coffee, and Morgant lifted one of the cups and took a sip.
That had been rather closer than he would have liked.
Well, all men had their weakness, and Morgant supposed his compulsive need to draw was his. It was a better weakness than drinking or whoring – Morgant could make money painting when needed, which was rather harder to do with an addiction to strong drink or prostitutes.
He listened with half an ear as Annarah teased him. She understood him well, but not, unfortunately, quite as well as she thought. He was so old now, and so many of things that had been important to his younger self – pride and wine and money and fame and women – had simply ceased to hold his interest, like a layer of soft stone eroding away to reveal the granite beneath. Keeping his word mattered. Only killing those who had earned it (and there were many men and women who fit that criteria) mattered. And, in the end, he did not think the world deserved to die. Or he had forgiven the world – it made little difference in the end.
Annarah understood him well enough…but Morgant understood her better than she understood him.
For instance, he knew that she had a secret, a secret she shared with Nasser. Morgant hadn’t been able to unravel that secret, so he had left hints, seeing if Kylon and Caina could figure it out. They hadn’t. Well, Caina was young, for all her cleverness, and the Kyracian had strengths other than his intellect.
Morgant knew that Annarah had a secret…but she hadn’t guessed that Morgant had one final secret of his own.
None of them had, not even Glasshand, who should have known better. Caina knew that he had a secret, but she just hadn’t figured out what it was. She would, though. All the pieces were there before her eyes.
Morgant thought of the drawing of the fat old man in the robes and ornate turban, the drawing that Kylon hadn’t recognized. Just as well his sister Andromache was dead. She would have recognized the drawing.
For Morgant the Razor would keep his word.
No matter who he had to kill to do it.
###
A short time later Caina left the House of Agabyzus with Kylon, Annarah, and Morgant, heading for the Cyrican harbor to see if Nasser had found a ship yet.
Caina knew what she had to do now.
Like it or not, she was a valikarion, and there was desperate need for her new abilities. She would travel to Catekharon and make sure the Staff and Seal were safe within the Tower of Study. Then she would return to Istarinmul and see Callatas driven out.
She would not have to do it alone, though.
“Thank you,” said Caina.
Kylon blinked. “For what?”
“Everything,” said Caina.
He smiled back at her, and they headed for the Cyrican harbor.
Epilogue
Kalgri stepped onto the rooftop of the palace of Grand Master Callatas, a broad golden dome rising overhead and glinting in the sun.
The compass rested in her left hand, its ghostsilver needle motionless. Unless Kalgri missed her guess, Caina was somewhere in the Cyrican Quarter at the moment. Likely her next stop was the Cyrican harbor, hoping to find a ship to take her and the Staff and Seal of Iramis to Catekharon. There was little chance of that. The ships had fled the city like rats, hoping to escape Cassander’s wrath, and would not return for a few days.
Kalgri needed far less time than that.
She lifted her face towards the sun, smelling the smoke from the fires scattered across the city, and smiled.
It was time to kill the world.
The Voice shivered with pleasure at the thought.
A walkway encircled the base of the dome, an ornate marble railing guarding the edge. Kalgri strolled along the walkway until she found Grand Master Callatas leaning against the railing, his white robes rippling around his slight form in the hot wind. He gazed at the mass of the city, his face tight and hard and angry beneath the jeweled turban.
The Star of Iramis rested against his chest, a fist-sized lump of azure crystal that shone with titanic force to the Voice’s senses.
Kalgri let her boot click against the floor, and Callatas turned towards her, his gray eyes hot with fury.
“Father,” said Kalgri, “it is so very good to…”
“I am not your father,” said Callatas. “Do not call me that.” A shiver of fury went through him. “And where the hell have you been?”
“Wandering about,” said Kalgri.
That set him off.
He stalked forward and slapped her, much harder than she would have expected, and Kalgri stumbled against the base of the golden dome.
“I told you,” said Callatas, “to find Caina Amalas and kill her. When you failed at that, I let you assist Cassander for the purposes of finding her and killing her. I did not tell you to assist Callatas as he went on a rampage through Istarinmul!”
Kalgri shrugged. “People die. It is their purpose. It’s what they do.” She smiled at him. “You taught me that.”
Callatas slapped her again, and Kalgri grinned. She had not seen him so angry in a very long time. He was so angry, in fact, that the purple fire and shadow of the nagataaru pulsed in his gray eyes, and the Voice quailed in fear of the creature that inhabited the Grand Master.
“I have invested nearly a century and a half of work in Istarinmul,” said Callatas. “Work I cannot employ if Cassander burns the city to the ground!”
“Perhaps you shouldn’t have insulted him,” said Kalgri, “if you didn’t wish him to burn down the city.”
Callatas let out an exasperated growl. “That was Erghulan’s work, the damned fool. His damned pride will be the end of him. Even now he is hiding in the Padishah’s palace, expecting me to wave my hand and save him from Tanzir Shahan.”
“Then perhaps,” said Kalgri, rubbing her jaw, “you should not have promised Cassander to open the Starfall Straits to the Order when you had no intention of doing so.”
Callatas started to shout again, but a cold hardness fell over his face. “Perhaps.”
“Alas, father,” said Kalgri, “you may be a brilliant man, but political games are not your strength.”
“Do not,” said Callatas, “test my patience.”
Kalgri laughed. “If it will make you feel better, Cassander is dead.”
Callatas grunted. “You killed him?”
“No,” said Kalgri. “Caina Amalas did.”
“Do not be absurd. Caina Amalas is dead,” said Callatas.
“Cassander thought that, too,” said Kalgri. “Look at where it got him.”
Callatas just stared at her. She had been one of his first creations, and he had given her a great deal more freedom than he intended. He could not kill her, an
d could not compel her to obey him, though she usually did in the end. Yet she could not lie to him.
“She is alive,” said Kalgri. “It seems when Cassander tried to kill her, he made a botch of it and she became a valikarion. The first valikarion to walk the face of this world since you burned Iramis.”
“A valikarion,” snapped Callatas. “The last thing I need. I hope Cassander died in agony for his folly.” He gave a sharp shake of his head, stalking back to the railing. “I may need to abandon Istarinmul and renew the work of the Apotheosis elsewhere. The Teskilati are destroyed and the Brotherhood slaughtered. I can make no additional wraithblood, and my supplies will soon be expended. I could defend the city from Tanzir Shahan with my spells, but I would wind up destroying Istarinmul in the process.” He struck his fists against the stone railing. “A century and a half of work ruined! Damn Cassander, damn Erghulan, and damn Caina Amalas!”
Kalgri laughed. “Do not be so morose, father. Victory is at hand…and the Apotheosis will come soon. Perhaps even this very day, if you wish it.”
Callatas glared at her, shadow and purple flame gathering in his hands. “What nonsense are you babbling?”
“All you need to finish the Apotheosis,” said Kalgri, “are the Staff of Iramis and the Seal of Iramis.”
Callatas said nothing, his eyes narrowing. “I have spent a century and a half searching for the regalia of the Princes without success. What of the Staff and the Seal?”
Kalgri smiled and lifted the compass. “Would you like to know where they are?”
THE END
Thank you for reading GHOST IN THE THRONE. Look for Caina's next adventure, GHOST IN THE PACT, to appear in 2016. 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, or watch for news on my Facebook page.
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 for free. Mazael's adventures continue in Soul of Tyrants, Soul of Serpents, Soul of Dragons, Soul of Sorcery, Soul of Skulls, and Soul of Swords, along with the short stories The Wandering Knight, The Tournament Knight, and The Dragon's Shadow. Get the first three books bundled together in Demonsouled Omnibus One.
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 for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames, Ghost in the Blood, Ghost in the Storm, Ghost in the Stone, Ghost in the Forge, Ghost in the Ashes, Ghost in the Mask, and Ghost in the Surge, along with the short stories Ghost Aria, Ghost Claws, Ghost Omens, The Fall of Kyrace, Ghost Thorns, Ghost Undying, Ghost Light, and Ghost Dagger. Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One, and get the first four short stories bundled together in a World of the Ghosts Volume One.
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, Ghost in the Maze, Ghost in the Hunt, Ghost in the Razor, Ghost in the Inferno, Ghost in the Seal, and Ghost in the Throne along with the short stories Ghost Sword, Ghost Price, Ghost Relics, Ghost Keeper, Ghost Nails, Ghost Lock, Ghost Arts, and Ghost Vigil.
The Third Soul
RACHAELIS MORULAN is an Initiate of the Conclave, the powerful order of mighty mages. But to become a full Adept of the Conclave, she must first survive the Testing. Those who survive the Testing never speak of the trials they endured.
Those who fail the Testing are never seen again.
And now the Magisters of the Conclave have come to take Rachaelis to undertake the Testing. And there she shall face perils to both her body and her sanity.
And creatures that yearn to devour her soul.
If Rachaelis survives the Testing, she will face even more dangerous foes. The demons of the astral world watch the world of mortal men, desiring to rule it for themselves.
And some Adepts of the Conclave are eager to help them.
Read The Testing for free. Rachelis's trials continue in The Assassins, The Blood Shaman, The High Demon, The Burning Child, The Outlaw Adept, The Black Paladin, and The Tomb of Baligant. Read the entire series in The Third Soul Omnibus One and The Third Soul Omnibus Two.
The Frostborn Series
A thousand years ago, the last grandson of Arthur Pendragon led the survivors of Britain through a magical gate to a new world, a world of magic and high elves, of orcs and kobolds and stranger, darker creatures. Now the descendants of the exiles rule a mighty kingdom, peaceful and prosperous under the rule of the High King.
But a shadow threatens to devour the kingdom.
RIDMARK ARBAN was once a
Swordbearer, a knight of renown. Now he is a branded outcast, stripped of his sword, and despised as a traitor.
But he alone sees the danger to come. The Frostborn shall return, and unless they are stopped, they will cover all the world in ice and a neverending winter.
CALLIANDE awakens in the darkness, her memories gone, and creatures of terrible power hunting her.
For she alone holds the secret that can save the world…or destroy it utterly.
The secret of the Frostborn.
Read Frostborn: The First Quest, followed by Frostborn: The Gray Knight, Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife, Frostborn: The Undying Wizard, Frostborn: The Master Thief, Frostborn: The Iron Tower, Frostborn: The Dark Warden, Frostborn: The Gorgon Spirit, Frostborn: The Broken Mage, and Frostborn: The World Gate, along with the short stories The Orc's Tale, The Mage's Tale, The Thief's Tale, The Assassin's Tale, The Paladins's Tale, The Knight's Tale, and The Soldier's Tale. Read the first three books combined in Frostborn Omnibus One.
Mask of the Demonsouled Trilogy
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK has prevailed over terrible foes and now rules the Grim Marches with firm justice. Yet ancient evils are stirring in the shadows, freed at last by Mazael's own hand. Unless Mazael fights with all his strength, the world will fall.
SIGALDRA is the last holdmistress of the Jutai nation, the final defender of her people. Now the darkness comes to devour the final remnant of Sigaldra's home and family. Even Sigaldra's courage may not be enough to turn aside the darkness.
Read Mask of Swords along with the short stories The Ransom Knight and The Serpent Knight.
The Tower of Endless Worlds
THOMAS WYCLIFFE just wants to finish his dissertation in peace and quiet. So when a man in a black robe appears in his closet, claiming to be the last of the Warlocks, Wycliffe figures it is a bad joke.
Ghost in the Throne (Ghost Exile #7) Page 39