by Jaye McKenna
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Words of Caution
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Other Works
Acknowledgments
Author Bio
Contact Info
Book Description
Khalshir
Kingmakers, Book One
by
Jaye McKenna
Khalshir
Published by Mythe Weaver Press
Copyright © 2018 Jaye McKenna
All Rights Reserved
Cover Art by Chinchbug
Copyright © 2018 Chinchbug
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Words of Caution
This story contains sexually explicit material and describes sexual relations between men. It is intended for adult readers.
Chapter One
The screaming had gone on for most of the night.
The emotional firestorm that came with it had shattered Dani’s still-fragile defenses, but for the moment, at least, he was blind to any remaining undercurrents. Across the breakfast table, Father looked every bit the respectable businessman, and even in her black mourning dress, Mother appeared as fresh and bright as a spring flower.
Dani dropped his gaze before either of them noted his scrutiny, careful not to let his eyes touch the empty place to his left. He didn’t need to look; Haiden had been in the ground for a month now, but the ragged hole his twin’s death had torn in Dani’s heart and mind hadn’t healed at all. Not even the forbidden drug he’d taken last night to shut out the unbearable noise of the argument could dull the pain.
“The carriage will be ready by the time we’ve finished breakfast,” Father said as he helped himself to another scoop of fried potatoes.
“Thank you, Larrad.” Mother’s tone was frigid.
A cold lump settled in the pit of Dani’s belly, and he set down the fork he’d been using to toy with his food. He raised his eyes to look at Mother. “You… you’re leaving?” he whispered. Without me?
“Danakho, I—”
“Your mother’s going home for a rest.” Father’s voice was firm, and loud enough to drown out whatever Mother had been going to say. “Haiden’s death has been very hard on her. She needs some time away from all the memories in this house.”
Mother shot him a venomous look before turning a softer expression on her son. “I’m sorry, Danakho. I know we talked about going together, but your father refuses to allow it.”
“The boy has responsibilities,” Father said around a mouthful. “He doesn’t have time to waste hanging about with his cousins.”
“Larrad—”
“Enough, Sileyna. We discussed this last night.”
Discussed. Dani suppressed a snort and glanced to his left to exchange an eye roll with Haiden. His stomach lurched at the sight of Haiden’s empty chair.
Memories of all the breakfasts when Haiden had been there crowded through his mind — the eye rolls they’d shared, the nudges under the table, the secrets they’d kept from their parents…
“Dani?”
A hand settled softly on his shoulder and Dani glanced up. Breakfast was over, Father had left the table, and Mother was standing beside him, a worried frown knitting her otherwise smooth brow.
“Sorry, Mother. The—” He stopped short, catching himself just before naming the illegal drug he’d taken. “The medicine Pen gave me last night leaves me a bit… dopey.”
Mother’s hand tightened on his shoulder. “Are you coming out to see me off?”
He didn’t want to watch his last ally leave, but one look at her pale, strained face told him she was just as upset as he was. Dani got to his feet woodenly, took her arm, and escorted her out to the drive in front of the house. The carriage was already waiting, horses stamping impatiently and servants checking the straps securing Mother’s trunks to the luggage rack on top.
Three trunks.
Far more than she usually took when she visited her family across the mountains. Which meant she was either going for a long time, or—
“I’m so sorry, Dani.” Mother’s voice was low and trembling. Tears glinted in her dark eyes. “I can’t sway him.”
He’d already guessed as much, given the context of last night’s shouting match, but his heart still sank in his chest. “What did you tell him?”
“Nothing he can use against you. I told him some time away would do you good, but he won’t hear of it.” When Dani offered no response, she continued, “I’ll speak to Tyvirion the moment I arrive. He’ll have to intercede.”
A lump rose in Dani’s throat. “You’re not coming back, are you?”
She winced. “You heard us last night, I suppose.”
“Ai. It was… difficult not to.”
“I’m sorry we disturbed you.” Her expression softened, and she pressed a gloved hand to his cheek. “And no, I fear I cannot return. We should have stayed in Altan last summer. If only I’d known…” She shook her head, freeing a single tear, which slid slowly down her cheek.
“Shh.” Dani folded her into his arms, amazed at how tiny and fragile she seemed. “It’s not your fault,” he murmured. “You couldn’t have predicted this. None of us could. Haiden was an accomplished rider. It was a freak accident.”
Or perhaps not an accident at all, was what some of the guardsmen were whispering when they thought none of the family were close enough to hear.
Mother trembled in his arms, but didn’t make a sound. When she pulled away, her eyes were dry. “Do as he bids you, Danakho. I swear to you, it won’t be for long.” Her eyes flicked left and right before she lowered her voice. “If all goes well, you’ll join me later in the summer, and you’ll get the teaching you need. I’ve left the anzaria with Pen, but be very careful about using it. If anyone should find out he has it or you’ve been taking it…” She trailed off, chin quivering, but the rest of it hung in the air between them like a choking black cloud: If anyone finds out what you are, you’ll be executed.
“As long as I can avoid going into the city, I shouldn’t need to use it,” Dani reassured her. “Have a safe journey.” He stretched his mouth into a reasonable facsimile of a smile.
His attempt didn’t fool her. The shadows around her dark eyes didn’t lighten. Nor did the soul-wrenching grief seeping inexorably through the shielding pattern he’d struggled so hard to learn during the past month.
Too sensitive, she said. The pattern she’d taught him might be enough to protect her mind from whatever she encountered, but it wasn’t enough for Dani. Aside from the times he resorted to anzaria, the drug that numbed his mind to the emotions of those around him, he’d had no escape from Mother’s grief since the moment of Haiden’s death. Here on the estate, the sh
ielding pattern he’d learned was just enough to keep most of the noise at bay, though strong emotions — Mother’s grief, Father’s anger — still had the power to bring him to his knees.
The mere thought of venturing into the city terrified him, but given his father’s determination to train Dani as Haiden’s replacement, hiding in the relative quiet of the estate was not going to be an option.
Mother stood on her toes to brush a kiss across his cheek. “Take care of yourself. And please be careful. No one must know.”
“I’ll be careful. I promise.”
“Do your best not to anger him.” She gave him one last, lingering look. “I’ll see you soon.”
“I hope so,” Dani whispered as she climbed into the carriage.
As he watched the carriage pull away, he tried not to feel as if his life was over. She’d done her best. For twenty-four years, she’d protected him from his father’s displeasure.
No more. He was on his own now, for however long it took her to convince his uncle, the High Lord of Altan, to help her. But would he? Dani wasn’t sure. Ever since the king of Tallin had declared weaving the mythe punishable by death, the kingdom’s relations with the Domain of Altan across the mountains had been strained. Uncle Ty, who had told him stories about his ancestors, the Wytch Kings, would surely want to help, but in his role as High Lord Tyvirion, he might not be able to.
He remained in the courtyard, eyes following the progress of the carriage until it disappeared around the bend in the drive. In winter, when the trees were bare, he might have caught another glimpse of it as the road curved back on itself farther on to go around the duck pond, but near midsummer, with the trees in full leaf, he’d seen the last of it.
And possibly, the last of Mother.
A cloud covered the sun, plunging the courtyard into relative darkness just as a heavy hand came down on Dani’s shoulder.
“Come on then, boy. There’s work to be done. You’ve much to learn before you’re ready to fill Haiden’s shoes.”
“Yes, Father.”
With a final look down the road, Dani turned and followed his father back into the house. The cloud passed by and the courtyard brightened, but Dani’s heart remained a dark, shadowed place. There was nothing left for him now but a duty he couldn’t possibly hope to fulfill.
And a secret that could cost him his life.
* * *
They wouldn’t kill him.
Rio paced the windowless room and tried to calm his fraying nerves with logic. The Khalshir Guild had invested years in his training, and he’d served them well up until now. They wouldn’t throw it all away on one mistake, would they?
Bajhan wouldn’t let them.
Would he?
After a night alone to ponder his transgressions, Rio wasn’t nearly as certain as he had been when Bajhan had brought him here last night. He wasn’t certain of anything, not even where he was. It was a Guild facility, but which one was anybody’s guess. The Khalshir network covered almost the entirety of the Middle Kingdoms; he could be anywhere.
The only thing he could say for certain was that this wasn’t the Mirage in Akhat. Bajhan had dragged him through the mythe-gate underneath the Mirage last night, but he hadn’t said a word about where they were going. Hadn’t said anything as he’d escorted Rio down the hall, shoved him into the sparsely furnished room, and locked him in.
Rio tried to take comfort in the fact that he was being fed. Twice now, someone had shoved a bowl of thin, greasy soup and a chunk of bread through a narrow slot next to the door, but no one had spoken to him.
A sharp rap behind him startled him. Heart pounding, he spun around to face the door. A key grated in the lock, and Rio steeled himself to face his mentor. The door swung open, but it wasn’t Bajhan who walked in carrying Rio’s weapons and a pile of clothing. It was Coryn.
Rio’s limbs went slack with relief at the sight of his childhood friend. It had been nearly a year since he’d seen Coryn. Their assignments never seemed to place them at the same Guild house at the same time. Rio started forward to greet him, but stopped short as he got a look at Coryn’s face. His friend’s features were hard, his face so pale and cold it could have been carved from snowy white marble. Ice-blue eyes raked over Rio before darting away, as if Coryn couldn’t bear to look at him.
What had Bajhan told him?
Coryn dropped the clothing on the bed and set Rio’s weapon belt on top of it. “We got a job,” he said flatly. “Both of us. You need to change.”
Rio glanced down at himself. He was still wearing the pale blue silk robes he’d been wearing that awful night in Akhat. “What kind of job?” His voice wavered as he struggled for composure. He ought to be relieved beyond measure; if he was being sent out on another job, it meant he wasn’t being retired.
“Bodyguards.” Coryn closed the door and leaned against it.
After only a moment’s hesitation, Rio ran his hand over his sheathed sword, then let it linger on the bone-handled knife, twin to the one Coryn wore. When Bajhan had taken his weapons from him, he’d wondered if he’d ever see it again.
“Thank you,” he murmured, moving the weapons aside to examine the clothing. Brown breeches and a rough-woven, pale brown shirt — common laborer’s clothing, similar to what Coryn was currently wearing. “Bodyguards for whom?” he asked before hauling the robes over his head.
“Nobleman’s son.”
Rich nobleman, if he could afford to hire two Khalshir to protect his son. Khalshir didn’t come cheap, but they were the best money could buy. “Coryn, I—”
“We’ll be watching over one Danakho Jherek,” Coryn continued as if he hadn’t heard him, “son of Lord Larrad Jherek, who has enough shady connections to make things complicated.”
“Coryn…”
Coryn bent his head as if looking down at the floor, but Rio caught the glint of pale eyes through untidy black bangs. “You fucked up, Rio.”
Rio’s chest tightened, and he pulled on the clothing in silence. By the time he was dressed, he trusted his voice enough to speak. “I know. Where are we?”
“Tallin. A day’s ride south of Jakhar. We’ll ride up there today and spend the night at the Copper Kettle. In the morning, we’ll report to the Jherek estate.”
“A day’s ride?” Rio frowned. “Doesn’t the Guild have a base in Jakhar? It’s the biggest city in Tallin.”
“The Wild Rose is our base.” Coryn still wouldn’t look at him. “There’s a Guild representative stationed there, but no mythe-gate. Not since Tallin’s king outlawed weaving the mythe.” A long silence stretched between them before Coryn stirred again. “What happened?” Coryn’s voice was low, with a hard, cold edge. “I’ve never seen Bajhan so angry.”
Rio opened his mouth to spin a yarn about how none of it was his fault, but snapped it shut before a word could escape. Lies wouldn’t do here. Coryn was his sworn brother, and as the one who’d led him into this life, Rio owed him the truth. It was the only thing he had left to give him.
“I choked,” Rio said simply. “We were in Akhat, me and Bajhan. Spy job, I thought. Bajhan was playing a diplomat, and I was his scribe. But he… he set up a meeting with a merchant to talk trades and tariffs, and… and while the merchant was out of his suite, I was supposed to sneak in and strangle his wife.” Nausea still roiled in his gut when Rio thought about it. He stared down at the floor. “I couldn’t do it. She was… she hadn’t done anything. It was…” His voice dropped to a whisper. “It was wrong.”
From the direction of the door came only icy silence, but when Rio glanced up to see if Coryn had slipped out during his confession, ice-blue eyes met his, wide and stunned. “Wrong? You knew what you were getting into when you joined the Khalshir.”
Rio swallowed. “Never been given the order to kill before.” Coryn had, he knew. Coryn had been doing solo assassinations for five years now, and if he had any qualms about it, he’d kept them to himself. But then, Coryn had made his first kill at thirteen, and
Rio…
Rio was twenty-seven, and had yet to do so.
“But… those bandit scum that tried to rob us on the road three years back—”
“That was different,” Rio protested. “They would have killed us. Got no problem taking a life in a fight for my own, but killing in cold blood is… I thought I could do it. But when it came down to it, I… I couldn’t. She was innocent, Coryn. She was gentle and sweet. We had dinner with her and her husband the night before, and she sang for us. I’ve never heard such a beautiful voice. She had eyes like one of those little deer we used to chase in the jungle. She wouldn’t have hurt anyone.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “Bajhan did it. I begged him not to. He locked me in a store room. I—” He snapped his mouth shut as Coryn closed his eyes briefly and shook his head. Rio swallowed again before voicing the thought that had been chasing itself around his head since the moment Bajhan had given him the order to kill. “I don’t belong with the Guild. Maybe… maybe I should leave. Go someplace far away, where they’ll never find me.”
“You think?” Coryn’s eyes went dead, because Coryn mad wasn’t a thing of fire and fury. Coryn mad was ice fucking cold, and Rio had never been on the receiving end of it before. “Thought we were in this together, Rio. You said Bajhan would take us in, train us up, give us a chance to prove ourselves. And you were right. He did give us a chance. And even if you want to blow yours, I can’t. I’m not going back to that. Not ever again. I got the Khalshir Guild at my back now, and that’s more than I’ve ever had.”
Rio blinked, surprised at the hurt in Coryn’s voice. “You have me,” he offered.
The anguish twisting Coryn’s face was there and gone almost before Rio registered it. “I thought I did.”
“I’m sorry,” Rio whispered. “I didn’t mean—”
“Save it. I don’t want to hear it.” Coryn turned and opened the door. “I’ll send someone down with breakfast. Make sure you eat. We won’t be stopping until we get to the city.”