The Glass Blade

by Ryan Wieser

  Very slowly, Kohl got to his feet. He held her stare the entire time, letting her watch him rise up. He held his shoulders back and tightened his jaw. “Just tell me one thing. What’s your master plan then, now that you’re both in the Blade, surrounded by the greatest Hunters to ever live?”

  Jessop looked at him with surprise, and respect. He faced Falco and her, along with Trax, with such confidence. She found it endearing that he would be so bold in the face of such failure. She slowly crossed her arms over her chest, uncertain if she should say the words until she was already saying them. “Kohl, we aren’t the ones surrounded. It is all of you who are in the presence of the greatest Hunters there ever were.”

  He looked at her with unadulterated hatred.

  Falco sighed heavily, running a finger over her shoulders. “Our master plan, if you must know, is to kill Hydo, get the Blade of Light, take over the Council, and allow everyone here the opportunity they deserve… to accept the new rule, and continue their lives as Infinity Hunters, unchanged. Even you, brother. Swear fealty, and you can take your place at my side, as I long ago hoped you would.”

  Jessop turned at her husband’s words, as completely stunned by the offer as Kohl was. But Kohl was more than stunned. She knew his expressions well. He was intrigued.

  He took a small step towards Falco. “You… you would let me assume a place by your side? Like we were true brothers again? Even after everything that has happened between me and Jes—your wife? You have it in your heart?”

  Falco nodded slowly, his somber eyes fixed on his former brother. “She loves you as kin. As I once did. I have it in my heart.”

  “Brother, then let me advise you once again, like when we were young. You cannot simply kill Hydo. If he needs to go to trial before the Council, he will, and there will be justice for Jessop’s family. But you cannot just kill him, Falco.”

  If Falco had been lulled into the pleasing words of his former best friend for a moment, it was shattered by any sentiment that resembled an instruction.

  Falco arched his dark brow at him. “Can’t I?” He unsheathed his sword and pivoted quickly on his heel, moving for Hydo.

  “NO!” Kohl yelled, and his voice was filled with all of the authority and command of a seasoned Hunter, a man who had fought battles across Daharia and won wars of slim odds against fierce enemies. His voice, so imperious, startled Jessop, and it set off the young Hunters. As if they had received orders, and had regained the courage trained into them from youth, they leapt at Falco, a great horde of them, ready to kill.

  Jessop didn’t have time to think, or to truly concentrate, or even wonder if she, or anyone, for that matter, was capable of the maneuver she intended. But somehow, in an instant, every single man on the terrace, barring Falco Bane, was thrashing in pain on the floor.

  They cried out, they rolled on the ground, buckling over and dropping weapons, their swords clanking against the stone floor, staring at her like she was some kind of demon. She had struck down the dozens of Hunters present. Slowly, stunned, Falco turned around, glacially pivoting, to face her. His big, gray eyes looked from the tormented men, to her, and his lips parted.

  She could feel the blood trailing from her nose. She could feel the tension building in her mind, her muscles tensing so tightly it felt as though she were on fire.

  “Jessop,” Falco whispered, taking a step towards her. She could barely hear him. She could barely even see him, not when she could feel all of them. She could hear their silent screams; she could feel the muscles tearing and the blood pumping in each and every man. She held them down, forcing them to feel the pain she had felt for so many years.

  She could see only red. The red of fire and blood, and Azgul. She could hear nothing but that child’s faint scream, echoing in the depths of her mind. And in the blur of blood and pain and screaming, she could hone in on Hydo Jesuin, and she forced his mind into a pool of blood, and she held him under, beating him until his bones began to break and she could hear him truly screaming.

  “Come back to me, Jessop. Come back to me.”

  Falco’s voice cut through all of it, a blade of his own, sharper than all of the pain and chaos and supernatural ability. She heard his voice, and she needed to be with him again.

  Just as suddenly as she had taken hold of the Hunters, she released them. She instantly felt weak, dizzied by the overexertion. Falco held her up, his arm locking around her waist. It took her a moment to refocus her vision, but when she had, he was smiling at her.

  “I believe that just answered the question of who has greater abilities,” his words whispered over her face. He held her near him and she could feel his powers washing over her, healing her. He wiped the blood from her face and kissed her softly. “You amaze me.”

  She was unsure of what she had done, or how she had done it. She knew that the amount of men who lay broken at her feet would have been too great for Falco to hold down with his abilities… too great for any. Yet, when his life seemed at risk, she had simply acted. She closed her eyes, holding him tightly as he shared his strength with her.

  When she felt restored, she stood up straight, nodding to him that she was fine. He let her stand freely and together they walked to the front of the group, near the bullet, beside where Hydo lay on the floor. Falco took a deep breath, and smiled. Jessop saw Kohl, getting up to his feet slowly, blood trailing from his nose and ear, staring at her as if it were for the first time.

  Falco smiled to her before turning to the surrounding men. “Brothers, do not resist. You have seen what we are capable of, and we all want the same thing. Help us restore the rightful leader in the Blade. You know who that is. You know we can lead Daharia into an era of invincibility, into an eternity of greatness.”

  The pause and stillness after he spoke, the time for them to deliberate on his offer, felt like an eternity to Jessop. The young men looked between one another, pushing thoughts wildly amongst themselves. Jessop didn’t need to be a master of Sentio to know what they thought. They were afraid, and they were untrusting, but they were also intrigued. They had heard her tell her story, and had seen her powers. They had listened to Falco, and had seen his abilities, which many of them had only ever heard of before. There were those who had once been brother to him who looked between him and Hydo and nodded, as if they could see a world in which their Lord had disgraced the Blade—for they had been around during that time of ill repute.

  And slowly, several of them got to their feet. They were the young ones, the newest Hunters. They left behind their frozen Council and knelt before Falco. A few of them looked back, before taking the knee, but one by one, the numbers grew, until many of those who had been so quick to defend Hydo were ready to swear fealty to Falco. Falco welcomed many of them with a firm arm shake, even a few with a strong embrace, former brethren, prepared to restore their flawed system. Jessop knew some of them acted out of fear; certain that whoever was telling the truth about their history didn’t matter, but that if it came down to a battle, Falco and Jessop would prevail. It was only when so many knelt before him that finally, Kohl, with his dark eyes and red face, took a small step towards them.

  He bowed his head low, dejected, deep in thought as his shoulders heaved with a low breath. He then raised his head high, his cheeks still soft from tears, his blond mane falling around his strong, proud jaw, and, with proud strides, he crossed the terrace, joining his brothers in their new reign.

  Jessop nodded him along encouragingly. She knew that with Falco’s offer, perhaps having heard the truth, understanding their histories, things could slowly be repaired between the two men. He knew that she had done all of this for the right reasons. Falco knew she had done all of this for him, and for their son… He had spoken of Kohl for years, of his lost brother, blinded by the ways of the corrupt Council. She had always known the way he missed him, and that the hatred he espoused was simply his reaction to betrayal. Fal
co had also had his heart broken, the day his brother turned on him. Perhaps, all that she had done, for all of the reasons she had done it, could restore a bond that she knew these men lived for.

  They stood before one another, eyes narrowed, minds racing. Falco eyed Kohl over warily; Kohl studied Falco for any sign of danger or deceit. And then, without word or warning, they embraced.

  Jessop shook her head with wonderment. She had never thought that this moment would have been possible for them. She had pictured every scenario. She had imagined Kohl’s hurt and Falco’s anger and her shame. She had thought of the shock amongst the Hunters, the anger and betrayal, and eventual acceptance. She had imagined watching Hydo die, again and again, but she had never been able to envision such reconciliation between the two men she cared so deeply for. For the first time, she felt a sense of relief. And as Falco released his brother, she opened her arms to him.

  He inclined his head towards her, the soft smile she had grown so accustomed to appearing on his face. They held one another’s gazes, as they had time and time before. They had come to know one another so well, she loved Kohl, for all that he was and all that he stood for, and she knew that the love he held for her would transform into something more like friendship, but equally important, something that resembled her own feelings. He outstretched his arm, reaching for her, like family, and she couldn’t help but smile.

  He moved so quickly she had no chance of defending herself. In fact, she was so amazed by his quickness, that she hadn’t actually felt the sword’s blade as it plunged into her stomach. She looked down, confused at the sudden pain. A hilt, made of black gems, was protruding from her abdomen, Kohl’s fingers tucked tightly around it.

  “We had this made for you, for your initiation,” he hissed, shoving the blade deeper into her, before releasing. She buckled, falling to her knees. He had stabbed her… with the Hunter Blade they had made for her.

  She could hear Falco screaming her name as she fell to the ground. She felt faint. Her skin was numb but she was aware of the blood, the blood seeping through her clothes, travelling down her chest as she lay back, her body tilted in an unnatural angle having collapsed on her own legs. Blood trickled from the wound to her throat, pooling around her collarbone. She felt cold… and confused. Kohl had stabbed her. He had loved her and he had tried to kill her. She could hear only Falco… she could see only red… and then there was chaos.

  She felt pressure all around her. Someone was holding her… She forced her eyes open. Falco had her in his arms, and she knew that his distraction freed the Councilmen from their paralysis. He was trying to heal her, and he could not hold them immobile whilst doing that. She blinked; the sky was so red it hurt her eyes. The young, newly aligned Hunters turned against their mentors, who fought them back, surrounding Falco and Jessop as her blood pooled around them, forming a makeshift barrier.

  Falco grabbed hold of the hilt and looked at her with great concern and apology. She felt confused, not knowing why he looked so sad… and then he ripped the blade free from her gut. She heard a scream, and knew that it had somehow come from her. Her face felt wet—was she crying? It felt as though her back had been pulled through her stomach. Her skin was on fire. She couldn’t hold on to a body with such little blood left in it for much longer…

  Her blood covered Falco. His hands were pushing hard into the wound. He was crying too… “You’re going to be fine, my love.”

  She wanted to close her green eyes, but she couldn’t… He looked at her in a way that was all-consuming, so fixated was his stare, so full of love and history, that she couldn’t look away. He continued to hold her gaze, and just as she thought she was truly dying, she felt the sinews of her flesh begin to rejoin.

  Falco could feel it too; he knew he was healing her. A tear fell from his cheek and landed on her own. He held her tightly, concentrating as he fixed a wound that would have killed her, that should have killed her, that was intended to end her life. She knew she shouldn’t have felt surprised by Kohl’s actions, after all she had done to him, but she couldn’t help it… He had claimed to love her, and he had tried to murder her. She felt, ironically, deeply betrayed… so betrayed that she might have killed him herself if she had the strength.

  Everyone and everything comes second to the Lord Hunter. Before all else comes Hydo Jesuin.

  She remembered Falco’s words well, and no matter how many times she repeated them in her mind, she still couldn’t believe it. She watched his gray eyes, brimming with tears.

  “I love you, Falco,” she smiled up to him.

  “And I love you, Jessop,” he whispered.

  They were the last words she heard before descending into darkness.

  * * * *

  When Jessop woke, Falco was there, stroking her hair. She moved to sit up, but found the motion to be agonizing. He stilled her, resting his hand against her shoulder. “I have healed you, but that was nearly a fatal wound. Your body needs time to recover fully.”

  She tried to speak but her lips were dry and her throat ached. He reached for something and she saw it to be a glass of water. He held it at her lips and let her sip slowly. When he put the glass down, she spoke.

  “He tried to kill me…”

  Falco nodded, reaching over and stroking her face. She knew they were still in the Blade, but they weren’t in her quarters. They were in a much larger room, with a gray seating area, a glass table to eat at, and woven rugs on the floors…Falco looked tired. He had bathed, his dark hair still damp, and he had changed his clothing. She wondered how long she had slept and what had happened in that time.

  “He did. And I’ll kill him for that,” he spoke, his voice low.

  She noted the future tense of his threat. Kohl had survived. “He… He’s gone?”

  He looked at her darkly, and she knew things had not gone according to plan. “Mhmm… Many of them are. While I was healing you, he grabbed Hydo. They leapt into the bullet. Hanson and a handful of the others too. They escaped.”

  She lurched up, forgetting her wound, and immediately found herself in excruciating pain. “The Blade of Light?”

  He lowered her back down against her pillows. “Safe. They escaped with their lives, nothing more.”

  She sighed, relief washing over her, but only for a moment. If they escaped they could be anywhere…

  Terror seized her chest and she shot Falco a look. He immediately knew her concern. “Don’t worry,” he spoke, and stood from the bed. He left her there and walked through a doorway. How could she not be worried? Did Falco know where Kohl and the others had escaped to or what their plans were? She tried to follow him with her gaze, but her movement was too restricted. After a long minute, Falco reappeared, and in his arms was the sleeping body of their two-year-old son.

  Jessop began to cry. Falco brought him to her quickly, and laid him down beside her, so that his dark head of hair was grazing her chin, his small, snoring face resting against her arm. She tightened her lips to silence her soft cries and ran her hands over her son’s back. She marveled at how he had grown and changed in the time that she had been away from him. Jeco was bigger, his face somehow less round, his hair darker like his father’s. Falco took her hand and she squeezed it tightly; he kissed Jeco’s head as he crawled over them. It may have been Azgul, it might have been the Blade, but with her husband and son present, it was home.

  * * * *

  That night, with Jeco sleeping between them, she and Falco spoke. He caught her up on everything. He told her who amongst the Hunters had chosen to stay—including, to her surprise, Urdo Rendo—and who had fled when they could. He spoke of whom he trusted to be loyal, such as Teck Fay, and who would need to be tested further. She listened and gave her knowledge of each Hunter, and when they were done talking and planning, and developing contingencies, they lay in silence.

  In many ways, they had been victorious. The Blade of Da
haria was theirs, the Glass Blade under their rule, and many Hunters had aligned with them… But Hydo still lived, and so did Hanson and Kohl O’Hanlon. She knew there had never been three people who would want her family dead more than those three, and never had there been three who were so viable a threat.

  “They will come for us, like never before. Hanson, Hydo, Kohl… they will be back for their Blade, for our lives.”

  Falco fixed his stormy gray eyes on her. “Let them try.”

  If you enjoyed The Glass Blade, be sure not to miss the second book in Ryan Wieser’s Hunters of Infinity series.

  A Rebel Base e-book on sale October 2018.

  About the Author

  Ryan Wieser completed her B.A. in Sociology and Socio-Legal Studies before going on to complete her MSc. in Experimental Psychology. Having been raised in Africa and educated across multiple countries, Ryan has a passion for travel and an interest in diverse cultures. She currently resides in Wyoming with her husband, Sam, where she is writing her next book. For more, please visit www.ryanwieserbooks.com.