Black Rose Queen: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 3

by Connie Suttle

  "My Queen, the rule of Az-ca is now in your hands," Barth bowed to me. "I will accompany you to the Council tomorrow, where it will be announced to all, and messages will be carried to the villages. For now, what is your command?"

  "Bring Colonel Armon to me in twelve hours, after he's rested," I nodded to Armon so he'd know he and Levi were allowed to leave. "We have plans to make, to keep the bastard son of Thorn I out of our country."

  Ny-nes

  North

  "Adahi, old friend, I had his throat in my hands. I was so close," I spoke to the remains inside the glass case. "I didn't realize Thorn was connected to his Queen, and that I'd drain some of her power with his. Her shield fell, which was keeping Kaakos from stepping away. I owe you—and her—an apology. I owe Thorn II more than that. What was it you always told me? That I was too full of myself? That has come home to roost, as Kyri would say."

  Kyri had told me afterward, because I hadn't guessed it, that Queen Sherra was Adahi's many-times great-granddaughter. His child worked to save Az-ca, while mine had done his best to destroy it.

  Now that I was connected to my descendant, neither of us could remove the rings we wore, or we'd die. It was the first blood spell I'd cast in the distant past, thinking I'd made it as perfect as possible.

  Again, I'd been too full of myself. I'd simulated my death shortly afterward, begging Adahi in my last written request that he or someone he trusted ensure that the ring in the catacombs would come to my namesake in the future. The body in the catacombs was some poor soul whose likeness I'd spelled to resemble mine.

  The book I'd left for a future King Thorn was another miscalculation, enveloped in a hurried spell not fully thought out. Thorn's brother had carried the book away. If he'd found the ring, however, it would have killed him the moment he attempted to remove it.

  For better or worse, Adahi had done as I'd asked, never suspecting what would come of it. He'd died honorably, too.

  Twice.

  By saving Kyri the first time, and saving his descendant's life the last.

  "You, my friend, are the noble one," I said, dipping my chin to Adahi's corpse. "While I have brought evil to everything I've touched."

  Epilogue

  Sherra

  Kerok woke the following morning; I found him sitting up in bed, shivering violently when I walked out of the bathroom. After mentally shouting for Barth to fetch the physician, I ran to his side.

  "S-so cold," he mumbled, while I struggled to pull blankets about him. "W-what happened?"

  "I'll tell you after the physician comes, all right?" I held him in my arms, terrified by what was happening.

  Az-ca still had a King.

  A King without his power.

  I had no idea how that would eventually play out, especially if North went looking for Kaakos and managed to die in the attempt. If North died, Kerok would die, too. I didn't want to tell Kerok that, but if his mind were whole, he'd want to know.

  Fuck you, North, I sent mindspeak. Fuck you to a thousand hells.

  The End

  Sherra and Kerok's story will continue in Queen of Thorns and Roses.

  Estimated release: Spring, 2018

  Names of Characters and Places Appearing in this Book:

  Adahi: AKA the phantom; well acquainted with former King Thorn. Dreamwalker, who has a long history with Kyri and events in Ny-nes

  Alf: Worker in the berry farms under Az-ca's southern domes. Spy for Ruarke and then Kaakos.

  Alun: New hire for the King's palace in Az-ca. Spy for Kaakos, sent to kill Thorn II

  Ana: North Camp Instructor, Second Cohort

  Anari: 17-year-old black rose girl with mindspeaking and stepping talent

  Armon: Colonel in Az-ca's army, currently serves as First advisor to Prince Commander. Chosen by Caral

  Arresh: The name chosen by Sherra's dreamwalker

  Aspe: Warrior-priest and favorite of Kaakos

  Az-ca: Desert country ruled by King Wulf; always at war with barbarians from Ny-nes

  Balsom: Village in eastern Az-ca, roughly twenty miles south of Sa'wann. There, the terrain is relatively flat

  Barth: King's Chief Diviner

  Beckley: Warrior, chosen by Reena

  Beels: Warrior-priest; mindspeaker and spy among warrior-priests for Kaakos

  Bela: Former washout

  Barney: (Barna) escort trainee and former washout

  Blane Grove: former Council member and Merrin's ally

  Bones of the Prophet: a drug given to those in Ny-nes' army and its clerics, to ensure their compliance

  Book of the Rose (The): A book in the King's library, describing talents and duties of Black Rose escorts

  Bray: Barth's secondary Diviner

  Briar: Servant in King's palace, Az-ca

  Bulldog: a nickname used by Yasa, North Camp Instructor, Sixth Cohort

  Calli: escort who, with her warrior, deserted the army and joined with Merrin

  Captain Indus: Officer in Az-ca's army; chosen as one of the King's elite troops

  Captain Neele: Ranking officer often left in charge of Secondary Camp

  Caral: Fourth Cohort trainee at North Camp

  Claude: Former sergeant in Az-ca's army. Mindspeaker who worked as a messenger after his retirement

  Cole: a refugee from Ny-nes. Born with power, he was tortured as a child until he escaped by stepping to Kyri's City at her invitation

  Colonel Kage: Training Instructor for warrior trainees in the King's City—becomes a King's assassin

  Colonel Weren: Training Instructor for warrior trainees in the King's City; becomes General of the Army

  Commander Alden: Post Commander for Secondary Camp

  Dar-den: Caral's former village

  Daria: Doret's sister, killed by Ruarke

  Derissa: Caral's older sister, from Dar-den

  Dayl: General Linel's personal messenger

  Derk Beadl: former Council member and ally of Merrin

  Doret: Former Queen of Az-ca; more than 200 years old

  Drenn Wulfson Meris Rex: Crown Prince of Az-ca (deceased)

  East Camp: one of four training camps for black rose trainees

  End-War: crippling event that changed and destroyed nearly everything on the planet

  Falia: Instructor at North Camp

  Ferni: One of two young troublemakers at the training camp for girls

  F'nexscot: AKA the King's City

  Gale: Armon's former escort

  Garkus: Drill instructor at Secondary Camp—became a King's assassin

  Garth: Outpost Commander

  Gaull: Far northeastern village in Az-ca. Jubal lives outside the village

  Geb: retired warrior—now works as a traveling instructor for all trainees

  General Linel: Chief Commander of the army in the Prince Commander's absence

  General Tern: Officer in Ny-nes' army

  Giles: Instructor from Cole's village

  Grae: Kerok's deceased escort

  Gram Plicton: former Council member, who became Merrin's ally after Drenn's death

  Harel: messenger who was burned by Merrin's warrior allies before escaping to take the news of Merrin's location to the Crown Prince (deceased)

  Hari: escort abandoned by her warrior (Narris)

  Harnn: Bela's warrior

  Hayla: black rose trainee

  High Commander Finn: Supreme Commander of Ny-nes' army

  Hunter Lattham: King's advisor, Uncle to Merrin, Drenn and Kerok

  Jacob: Council member for Dar-den, Caral's former village

  Jae: black rose trainee—Sixth Cohort, North Camp (deceased)

  Jeen: One of two young troublemakers at girls' training camp

  Jerr: Council member from Wildtree Village

  Jubal Raime: Disabled warrior and mindspeaker, who became a spy for Ruarke and then Kaakos

  Kaakos: the name taken by the Sovereign Leader of the Free Nation of Ny-nes.

  Kage: see Colonel Kage

>   Kerok: AKA Thorn Wulfson Kerok Rex, King Wulf's youngest son and Prince Commander of the army—becomes Crown Prince upon Drenn's death, and then King upon his father's death

  Ketchi: the village where Cole and many other refugees from Ny-nes live. All were born with power and were sentenced to death by Ruarke

  King Wulf Carlson Alexander Rex: King of Az-ca (deceased)

  Kyal: 11-year-old warrior boy with mindspeaking talent

  Kyri: Female Diviner—believed to be a legend or myth

  Laren: 16-year-old warrior boy with mindspeaking talent

  Lera: escort abandoned by her warrior

  Levi: Captain, serves as Secondary Advisor to Prince Commander. Chosen by Misten

  Lewus: Council member for Merthis and five other villages

  Liam: Kaakos' Chief of Technical Sciences

  Lieutenant Marc: Chosen by Wend; promoted to Captain

  Lilya: North Camp Instructor, Fourth Cohort

  Liri: Chief instructor from Cole's village

  Marc: See Lieutenant Marc

  Mari: black rose girl; Romma's daughter

  Marra: Daria's chosen warrior

  Marta: General Weren's wife

  Mendacium: Ny-nes' capital city, renamed after Kaakos took over rule of the country. He named it that in a private jest

  Merrin: Nephew of Hunter and King Wulf; cousin to Drenn and Kerok (on mother's side)

  Merthis: small village where Sherra was born

  Miri: North Camp Instructor, Fifth Cohort

  Misten: North Camp trainee, Sixth Cohort

  Narris: warrior-turned-traitor who left his escort behind (Hari) before deserting army

  Narvin: deserter who, with his escort Willa, chose to follow Merrin

  Neka: North Camp trainee, First Cohort

  Nguyen-Mei: resident of Kyri's City—caretaker for Mari, a black rose girl

  Niles: cleric who became Ruarke's second-in-command upon Ward's death

  Nina: North Camp Instructor, First Cohort

  North: Healer in Ny-nes—has changed his name to hide a past identity

  North Camp: One of four camps where black rose trainees are taught

  Ny-nes: Land of barbarian enemies

  Nyra: Levi's deceased escort

  Olan: Chief Diviner for the army

  Oren: Messenger for Crown Prince Thorn

  Pa-sen: small village in southwestern Az-ca

  Phantom: see Adahi

  Pottles: Blind pot seller and friend to Sherra (see Doret)

  Poul: Assassin for King Wulf (deceased)

  Querl: Army deserter and Merrin's chief ally

  Reena: Former washout

  Reva: escort who, with her warrior, deserted the army and joined with Merrin

  Romma: Resident of Dar-den, mother of Mari, a black rose girl

  Ruarke: Chief Cleric of Ny-nes, and Kaakos' second-in-command

  Sa'wann: Village in eastern Az-ca, nestled in a hilly area prone to predator attacks

  Secondary Camp: Location for final escort training after warriors are chosen

  Sherra: Black Rose trainee from Merthis. Bonded to Thorn Wulfson Kerok Rex; Doret considers her an adopted daughter

  Soobi: Kitchen servant in Kaakos' palace

  Stave: Resident of the far northeastern village of Gaull in Az-ca; Jubal's closest neighbor

  Tera: North Camp trainee—Sixth Cohort

  The Rose Mark: a forbidden book. That decision was overturned by Crown Prince Thorn, and copies were provided to all trainees.

  Thorn's Book of Advanced Divination Techniques: a forbidden book

  Ura: North Camp trainee and one of the Bulldog's pets

  Vale: Northernmost supply village for Az-ca's army

  Varnon: village elder in Merthis

  Venge: Top General in Kaakos' army

  Vengeance: Raver created by Kaakos, after taking over Merrin's mind

  Veri: North Camp trainee and one of the Bulldog's pets

  Ward: cleric and Ruarke's second-in-command (deceased)

  Welton: Chief Physician, military post

  Wend: North Camp Trainee, Sixth Cohort

  Wendal: Assassin for King Wulf (deceased)

  Weren: Former Colonel and warrior trainee instructor. Becomes General of the army

  West Cana: area where Kyri's City is located

  Willa: escort bonded to warrior Narvin. She and her warrior deserted the army to follow Merrin

  Wulf Tadson Ruarke Rex: see Ruarke

  Yasa: AKA Bulldog, or the Bulldog

  Zis: Warrior-priest in Raver/Merrin's entourage

  Acknowledgments

  As always, this book is the result of collaboration. If not for the support of my family, my editor, my cover artist and my beta readers, it would be less than it is. All mistakes, as usual, are mine and no other’s.

  About the Author

  Connie Suttle lives in Oklahoma with her husband and a small army of cats. They’d wear uniforms, but they can’t agree on anything, let alone clothing designs or who will actually be in charge.*

  *This is why Cats don’t rule the world, although they have taken over the Internet.

  Find Connie in the following ways:

  www.subtledemon.com

  Also by Connie Suttle

  Blood Destiny Series:

  Blood Wager

  Blood Passage

  Blood Sense

  Blood Domination

  Blood Royal

  Blood Queen

  Blood Rebellion

  Blood War

  Blood Redemption

  Blood Reunion

  Legend of the Ir’Indicti Series:

  Bumble

  Shadowed

  Target

  Vendetta

  Destroyer

  High Demon Series:

  Demon Lost

  Demon Revealed

  Demon’s King

  Demon’s Quest

  Demon’s Revenge

  Demon’s Dream

  God Wars Series:

  Blood Double

  Blood Trouble

  Blood Revolution

  Blood Love

  Blood Finale

  Saa Thalarr Series:

  Hope and Vengeance

  Wyvern and Company

  Observe and Protect*

  First Ordinance Series:

  Finder

  Keeper

  BlackWing

  SpellBreaker

  WhiteWing

  R-D Series:

  Cloud Dust

  Cloud Invasion

  Cloud Rebel

  Latter Day Demons Series:

  Hot Demon in the City

  A Demon’s Work is Never Done

  A Demon’s Due

  Seattle Elementals Series:

  Your Money’s Worth

  Worth Your While*

  BlackWing Pirates Series:

  MindSighted

  MindMage

  MindRogue*

  Black Rose Sorceress Series:

  The Rose Mark

  Rose and Thorn

  Black Rose Queen

  Queen of Thorns and Roses*

  Anthologies:

  Other Worldly Ways

  *Forthcoming