Blood spattered Trygve’s healer’s uniform and his hands were slick. Donelan’s breathing was slow and labored. Trygve leaned closer, and the blue light flared. Donelan murmured something Cam could not hear, and then, with one heavy breath, the king lay still.
“Donelan!” Cam said, starting forward.
“No!” Wilym cried.
Trygve bowed his head and his shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry. It was too much damage. Perhaps if we’d had a summoner to bind his soul we might have bought more time for healing. The stake… it tore through most of the heart…” His voice faded. Slowly, he climbed down from the bed and drew up a sheet to cover Donelan’s body.
Cam turned to the guard at the door. The young man stared wide-eyed at the king’s body. “Who beside the firesetter entered the king’s rooms tonight?”
It took two tries for the guard to find his voice. “No one, m’lord. There’s been a guard at the door to the king’s bed chamber all day. The chamber maids set out his night clothes, but they come on the watch before mine, just before supper.”
“We’ll find the firesetter and the maids and the previous guard.” Wilym’s voice was tight and emotionless, and only his eyes revealed his sorrow. “I handpicked the king’s guards myself, and I’d swear to their loyalty on my own life. As for the servants, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Cam looked at Wilym and Trygve. “The army’s about to head to war, and the king’s dead.”
Wilym took a deep breath. “How fast can a vayash moru travel from here to Shekerishet?”
Cam met his gaze. “You’re not proposing—”
“Yes, I am.” Wilym’s expression was resolute. “Kiara may be Queen of Margolan, but she is also the rightful heir to the Isencroft throne. We have no choice except to call her home to lead her people. Alvior’s behind this. He’ll count on chaos slowing our response. Maybe he’s betting that without Donelan, we’ll fall into a full civil war and he can sweep up the pieces. The army can move without the king. But the people need someone who can rally them, someone to remind them why they fight.”
Footsteps in the doorway made them turn. Both Cam and Wilym drew their swords. Kellen stepped into the room, followed by Tice and Allestyr. “By the Whore!” Kellen swore softly. Tice froze, a look of shock on his face. Allestyr swallowed back a sob.
“It’s true, then.” Allestyr was the first to speak. Tears ran down his cheeks. “The servants found us when the guard came for Trygve. Is he—”
Wilym nodded. “Donelan is dead. And if Isencroft is to survive, the six of us must make it happen.”
Table of Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Acknowledgments
Extras
Meet the Author
Interview
A Preview of The Dread
By Gail Z. Martin
Praise for The Summoner
Copyright
By Gail Z. Martin
The Chronicles of the Necromancer
The Summoner
The Blood King
Dark Haven
Dark Lady’s Chosen
The Fallen Kings Cycle
The Sworn
The Dread
Praise for The Summoner
“Gail Z. Martin has a good grasp of pacing, and tells a fast-paced tale laced with plenty of action.”
—Sfsite.com
“I loved this story from beginning to end. Packed with suspense, excitement, and colorful characters, The Summoner is a true epic fantasy. Gail Martin has done a wonderful job of taking well-known story elements and infusing them into a truly magical tale.”
—SciFiChick.com
“The Summoner is consistently composed, easy to get into, and reads very quickly… It offers plenty of sword and sorcery action…”
—Fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com
“Martin’s first novel, a series opener, presents a beleaguered hero with a unique gift of communicating with the dead… This fantasy adventure belongs in most libraries.”
—Library Journal
“We can be thankful for this breath of new life Martin has summoned into the fantasy genre… Gail Z. Martin is certain to keep her readers entranced from page one to the finale.”
—Kankakee Journal
“Attractive characters and an imaginative setting combine in an excellent, fast-moving quest novel.”
—DAVID DRAKE, author of Some Golden Harbor, Other Times Than Peace
“A rich, evocative story with vivid, believable characters moving through a beautifully realized world with all the quirks, depths, and levels of a real place. A terrific read!”
—A. J. HARTLEY, author of The Mask of Atreus and On the Fifth Day
“The Summoner is a pleasant and enjoyable read that any lover of fantasy should enjoy. The characters are well developed and the story line is solid.”
—Midwest Book Review
Praise for The Blood King
“The Blood King is the riveting sequel to The Summoner. It entertained and kept me spellbound to the end. When I turned the last page I couldn’t help but wish for more.”
—Midwest Book Review
“These novels were quite good, and very easy to read. Diverting and fun.”
—Cosmo Digital
“As epic dark fantasy goes, The Blood King was entertaining and satisfactory. Martin’s strengths lie in worldbuilding and the big picture. I’ll be interested in seeing what Martin does next, as I believe she has a lot of potential.”
—Sfsite.com
Praise for Dark Haven
“With creepy ghosts, nefarious undead, magic, plenty of intrigue, and even a little romance, high fantasy fans shouldn’t miss this series.”
—SciFiChick.com
“My recommendation for this series gets stronger with each book, so just buy it now before I start going door-to-door!”
—Neolibrarium.com
“Rather than get bogged down in details or endless back-and-forth dialogues between characters for the sake of argument, Martin keeps things zipping along. For the type of reader who views plot as a way to get the various characters on stage and interacting, however, Dark Haven will be heavenly. The characters are undeniably strong and distinctive, and they get to show off in interesting ways on a regular basis.”
—RICHARD DANSKY, Fantasy Magazine
Praise for Dark Lady’s Chosen
“The air is thick with intrigue, threats, and deception that captures the reader and sweeps them into the story. It’s one of those wonderful books you can’t bear to put down. Dark Lady’s Chosen is a satisfying and entertaining read that shouldn’t be missed.”
—VICTORIA KENNEDY, Midwest Book Review
“Dark Lady’s Chosen is well written and brings the reader fully into the universe… For fantasy lovers and those who just love a damn good story, Dark Lady’s Chosen and the Chronicles of the Necromancer are the perfect read.”
—Epheros.com
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cop
yright © 2011 by Gail Z. Martin
Excerpt from The Dread copyright © 2011 by Gail Z. Martin
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Orbit
Hachette Book Group
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.
www.orbitbooks.net.
Orbit is an imprint of Hachette Book Group. The Orbit name and logo are trademarks of Little, Brown Book Group Limited.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher.
First eBook Edition: February 2011
ISBN: 978-0-316-12083-8
Table of Contents
Front Cover Image
Welcome
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Acknowledgments
Extras
Meet the Author
Interview
A Preview of The Dread
By Gail Z. Martin
Praise for The Summoner
Copyright
The Sworn Page 49