Rebirth (Game of the Gods Book 1)

by L. Fergus

  Rebirth (Game of the Gods, book 1)

  Copyright © 2018 by L. Fergus

  @FallenAngelKita

  http://FallenAngelKita.com

  Cover art & formatting by Mark Gardner

  @Article_94

  http://article94.com

  ISBN:

  ISBN-13:

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the purchaser.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Clouds Sneak Peek

  PL closed the secret door to her room and removed her cloak and boots. Opening a floorboard stash, she dropped a bag of coins in next to eleven others. She now had enough to buy a medallion and her freedom from this accursed city. She closed the floorboard and shifted to another cache and brought out two tarnished mirrors. One more time, I just have to do this one more time. Dread crept up her spine as she hung the mirrors.

  From the stash, she withdrew a man’s signet ring with a stylized P and L on top. A woman in white had given it to her, saying it belonged to her, before vanishing around a corner. The coat of arms on the side didn’t match any in the city of Angelica, but the ring was proof she had a family. My family will be loving and take care of me. How long have they been searching for me? I will find them, starting the day after tomorrow. She kissed it tenderly and set it on the floor in front of the mirror.

  I can do this. Her hands shaking, she slowly unbuttoned her tunic and unwrapped her breasts. She raised her eyes to the mirror. I must do this. I can’t be discovered as cursed. Not when I’m so close. She looked down at herself. Ugly red weals of scar tissue layered and crisscrossed her body, the most prominent a trio of five-inch circular scars on her chest and abdomen. I’ve survived all of these, somehow. If only I remembered how I got them. I have to do this one more time. I must know who I am...PL felt a lump grow in the back of her throat as fear tingled in her toes.

  Angling and adjusting the mirrors, the two one-inch growths coming from between her shoulder blades came into view. She rotated them and cringed. From the stash, she pulled out a round piece of wood and stuck it in her mouth. Next, she picked up a pair of blood-encrusted pruning shears.

  Planting her feet firmly, she gently put the blades around a growth and took in a deep breath. She forced the shears closed with all her might. There was a sickly crunch as warm blood ran down her back.

  All the air was sucked from PL’s lungs as the shears clattered to the floor. She collapsed to her knees and toppled forward, biting down hard on the wood causing it to splinter, stifling a scream as searing pain radiated from her back.

  Tears filled PL’s eyes as she scrambled for the ring. Her fingers found it, and she clutched it to her as she concentrated on it to give her strength.

  PL staggered to her feet, wiping at her tears. Once more. I can do it one more time. With a knot in her stomach, PL picked up the shears. Her hands shook as she put the second growth between the blades. Just one more time. She closed her eyes, bit her block, and cut.

  PL crouched on a ledge under the gatehouse tower roof, hiding in the morning shadows. The gate marked the boundary between the districts Rosella and Nina. The city was a patchwork of ten oddly shaped districts. Some were more dangerous than others.

  She watched the traffic for her employer. She didn’t know the history of the city, but for whatever reason, it had only one land and one water port of entry. She guessed it made it easier to control who came and went. Visiting nobles stayed in Rosella district near the river. The land port of entry was on the opposite side of the city, requiring the nobles to travel through the rougher districts. Thieves and scoundrels would stop and rob an unprotected coach or worse.

  PL had spent the last three weeks surveying the route. She watched each area’s daily routine to see what was ordinary. Knowing what was out of place had saved her and her employer more than once. She’d been out before dawn getting a last look at the first two districts. They weren’t the most dangerous, but you could never take chances. She obsessed over every detail to be able to predict and manipulate events.

  The red and gold coach appeared from around the corner. It was moving just short of a gallop, and people scrambled out of the way. PL frowned. Being flashy and rude was a good way to gain unwanted attention. She couldn’t do anything about the flashy coach, but she could slow the driver.

  Jumping from her ledge, she slid down the edge of the roof and dropped over the lip, then twisted, grabbed the lip, and dropped from the forty-foot height. Her feet caught a stone sticking out from the wall. She flipped backward, twisting in the air, and landed in the shotgun seat of the coach. The driver swore in surprise.

  “Slow down,” PL ordered in a husky voice.

  “Who are you?” he demanded.

  PL didn’t recognize the man’s voice. It was rare to get a new driver, and they should have told her. It was possible this was a last minute change. It explained why he hadn’t known to expect her. “The one going to make sure you get to the city gate in one piece.”

  “You were supposed to meet us when we left.”

  “You are new then. The contract states I will get you through Nina, Nell, Cruz, and Ana districts to the gate. Do not stop, unless I tell you to. If I get off, I will catch up.”

  “Pal, I don’t need help. I can protect my boss. I’ve got everything I need right here.” The man patted a lump under his jacket.

  PL’s face didn’t portray the confusion and concern she felt. “I’ve been paid to get your master to the gate. I’ve never failed. Do as I say, and all will be fine.”

  “Waste of money.”

  PL ignored him and watched the world go by. The district of Nina had a mix of slums and industry. Wagons of all sizes, drawn by teams as large as ten horses, moved through the crowded boulevard. Porters, merchants, shoppers, and beggars filled the remaining space.

  So far, everything looked as it should. The people were moving out of the way. The coach received the normal number of looks, and no one watched it for long.

  The city slid by. They passed through the gate from Nin
a to Nell district. Middle-class apartments and businesses made up the bulk of the district. PL didn’t fear attack here, but she kept a watchful eye out for scouts.

  Cruz district was the most popular place for attacks. Its twisting streets slowed traffic to a crawl and created hiding spots. The mixture of classes made it easy to slip in unknown persons.

  With a swift stroke, PL drew her sword and smashed an arrow out of the sky. She stood up and knocked a second arrow down before it killed the driver. Hopping onto the roof of the coach, she caught a third, flaming arrow. Glass vials attached to the shaft carried some form of accelerant. It didn’t give any indication of the attackers’ intent, but it meant they weren’t amateurs. They had succeeded in making her reveal herself, but she knew what she faced.

  PL jumped back down onto the driver’s bench. The driver held a crossbow trigger.

  “Part of a weapon isn’t much use,” PL said.

  “What in Neptune’s rings just happened?” the driver demanded.

  “Bandits or assassins, I’m not sure which. Keep going.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To catch one of our tormentors.”

  “Sit down. You’re out of your mind.”

  “Keep moving,” PL ordered as she jumped. She landed on a pole supporting the awning of a booth, then jumped between the booth support poles to the buildings beyond. Bounding up the side of a building using windows, ledges, and poles, she reached the rooftops. She sprinted along the spines of the wood and straw thatched roofs, jumped over streets and alleys, leaving the coach behind her.

  At the edge of an alley, she dropped straight down. Balancing on a clothesline she spotted the man right where she thought he would be. She dropped, jumped from a pile of goods, and landed on the back of the fleeing assassin.

  The man tried to strike her, but PL hit him first. She opened his cloak to reveal a composite bow and arrows.

  “Ouch. You should have worn a guard,” PL commented on his rolled up sleeve and burn mark on the man’s arm. She slammed his head against the cobblestone street to knock him out and then threw him in a pile of trash.

  PL stowed the bow and arrows under her cloak and retraced her steps to the boulevard. Bounding over some booths, she landed on the barrels of a wagon and hopped to another wagon.

  “Sorry,” she yelled to a driver as she jumped over him onto the back of his horse. She leaped between the horses to land back in the shotgun seat of the coach.

  “Where’d you go?” the driver demanded.

  “To get some help,” said PL. “Keep driving. Once we reach Cruz, be ready.”

  “If we’re going to be attacked, I’m pulling over and waiting for backup.”

  “There is no backup. That’s why our employer hired me.”

  “Who the bloody hell are you, anyway?”

  “A Lifesaver. Drive.”

  “You aren’t from around here or anywhere. Not even the Emperor’s elite move like that.”

  Who is he talking about? We don’t have an Emperor. The Viceroy governed the city, and he had no elite guards. “It doesn’t matter. Keep moving.”

  The coach slowed to pass through the gate into Cruz district. The street narrowed, creating a bottleneck. The driver pulled on the reins to slow the horses.

  “Keep moving. Push your way through,” said PL.

  “Where? Or are you going to magically make a hole?”

  “Get creative,” PL ordered.

  The driver snapped the reins and cut off another coach. Instead of going forward, the coach wedged between two wagons. A smoking canister appeared from under the wagon on PL’s side.

  “Smoke,” PL yelled at the driver. When he hesitated, she grabbed the reins from his hands. She snapped them and pulled the horses to one side. Grabbing the whip, she snapped it several times over one of the wagon teams holding them together. The heavy draft horses lurched forward to the sound of wood scraping on wood. PL pulled the coach in behind the wagon as the other driver struggled to regain control of his team. Behind them, the bomb went off, filling the area with thick, acidic smoke.

  “Do what I tell you,” PL ordered the driver.

  “It was just smoke, not even a flash,” he said dismissively.

  “The smoke is laced with a toxin. It will incapacitate anyone who breathes it in.”

  “They’d do that to all those people?”

  “Yes.” I’ve seen it before. “The path will wind back and forth. It’s possible we will be attacked by archers again.”

  “Are you going to chase them again?” the driver said with contempt.

  “I do what is necessary,” said PL as she watched every opening and rooftop for signs of trouble.

  They made the first four turns and traffic moved steadily. Fifty yards ahead of them, a team’s lead horse reared and whined over the sound of hooves and wheels on stone. PL watched another wagon pull out into the street using the space created coming toward them. It might be nothing or not.

  The new wagon contained a cargo of barrels. What drew her suspicion was they were stacked on end instead of on their sides. As the wagon closed on them, she reached out and grabbed the reins from the driver and yanked the horses to the right.

  The sudden change of direction surprised the wagon’s driver, causing him to jerk his team. A dozen men climbing out of the barrels had their balance thrown off. The movement tipped the two barrels on the back of the wagon, causing the men inside to fall off the back. Four men leaped from the wagon onto the coach.

  Standing in her seat, PL ignored the boarding party. She drew her bow and fired at the men recovering on the wagon. She hit four of the six men and the driver. The first boarding member went to strike her driver. PL blocked the attack with her bow and kicked the second man in the chest. He tumbled off the coach. She dropped down to duck a sword strike from the first man and kicked his feet out. Drawing an arrow, she plunged it into his neck.

  Standing up, she blocked sword strikes from the remaining two men. She battled back and forth using the bow. She jumped straight up over the two men. Landing behind them, she flipped the bow over her head and caught one man’s head in it. She bent forward, lifting him off the coach. She pulled to one side, dragging the man over the side of the coach.

  Spinning around, she kicked the other man in the face. He rebounded and punched PL in the chest. She stumbled backward. A hand grabbed her ankle. One of the men she’d knocked off was climbing up the side of the coach. He pulled her leg out from under her. Her chin hit the roof, making her see stars. She caught the roof, saving her from being crushed by the coach’s wheel.

  A heavy boot stomped on PL’s fingers. She gritted her teeth until a sword came down on her hand. She let go and caught the mudguard of the coach. Her feet dragged next to the giant rear wheel. With her right hand damaged, she couldn’t pull herself up. With only one option, she let go. Her head bounced off the cobblestone as her left hand grabbed the wooden axle sticking through the wheel. She used it to flip up and over the coach, landing with both feet in the middle of an attacker’s back. He flew over the driver’s seat and under the coach.

  PL turned as the last man pulled his sword from the driver’s back and tossed the body off the coach. She fired an arrow into the back of the man’s head, then jumped down and grabbed the reins. Looking over her shoulder, she snapped them hard as a pair of horsemen came up from behind. Tying off the reins, she fired an arrow, hitting the first rider.

  Two arrows hit her at the same time. One pierced her side, the other her neck. She collapsed to one knee and put her hand to her throat. Blood trickled between her fingers, but the arrowhead had missed everything major. A wave of energy washed over her as the shock left and she recovered. Adjusting her movements for the arrow in the neck, she searched for the archers. PL spotted an archer as he lined up a shot on her. She snapped up her bow and fired. Her arrow hit the other bowman in the eye. Hopping sideways, another arrow landed where she’d been. Spinning her body to the right, she saw a
head duck into a window.

  The second rider pulled alongside the coach and swung at her with a sword. She slammed her foot down on the blade. When the rider went to yank it from under her, she lifted her foot. The man lost his balance and tipped sideways in the saddle. PL reached out and hooked the man with her bow. She yanked him to her, smashing his head against the side of the coach then swinging her foot down and shoved him down farther. The saddle slipped down the horse’s side. The rider’s horse skidded to a stop, dropping the rider to the ground.

  PL turned back to the last archer’s location, but it was vacant. She jumped back into the driver’s seat, picked up the reins, and snapped them to make the horses move faster. Ignoring the pain from her wounds, she guided the coach through the narrow streets.

  The gate for Ana district came into view. PL slowed the coach and pushed her way into the line to enter the governmental district. The coach moved through the gate without incident. She rolled sideways to dodge an arrow. PL stood and spun, pulling her bow out. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the arrow from her side. Nocking it, PL fired. The last archer tumbled from a hidden spot high on the gate.

  Sitting back down, she picked up the reins and tried to look as inconspicuous as possible as she guided the coach through the wide streets, scanning for threats. PL turned into the city gate plaza and pulled the coach into a parking spot. A handler took control of the horses. Reaching under her hood, she snapped off the tip and fletching of the arrow in her neck, leaving the shaft in place. Dropping the two pieces to the ground, PL climbed down and walked away.