Daughter of Ashes (Rise of Aiqasal Book 1)
Page 26
“You think you can blackmail me?” Her teeth were chattering with the cold, but she found herself laughing. “He already knows.”
“And he’s forgiven you for coming to murder him?” He began to laugh as well. “How very touching.” He smiled at her, and reached up almost casually to rip the front of her dress down. A single touch on her ribs, and the cold pierced her like a blade, so intense that a core of heat seemed to form at the center of it. Something lodged in her heart, draining the heat from her.
When it shattered, she screamed. The restraints released her and she curled into a ball on the floor. She was sobbing, no longer too proud to do so. The shards of ice were tracing through her veins, and though they melted into her, she knew they were not gone. There was only pain, and the fading cold, and fear.
The Regent crouched beside her. “You’ve done a very good job,” he said conversationally. “A very good job, indeed. You see, that trust you’ve gained suits my purposes just as well as any assassination. From now on, you will guide my nephew at my instruction, and if you don’t ….” He snapped his fingers, and the ice came to life in her blood. He spoke over her anguished cry, almost conversationally. “I will kill you.”
Somewhere, she found the strength to push herself up. “I will not help you.”
“Oh, I think you will.” His smile was truly terrifying. He gestured to her chest. “That little failsafe is not the only means I have to punish you, you know. I knew I would need more. I have become accustomed, over the years, to my nephew’s effect on those who should hate him. You … I thought you would be safe from that.” Contempt twisted his features. “But no matter. Did you think you were the only one I found? The only one with Alsebrun blood? No, my dear. I found your brother long ago.
Almeric. Her heart seized. She had left him alone and defenseless, and now …
At the Regent’s gesture, steps sounded behind her, and a muffled cry of pain. Two guards hauled someone forward and dropped him at Alleyne’s feet. But it was not Almeric who stared up at her.
It was Jarin.
End of Book 1
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More from Moira Katson …
No soul of her own. No fate of her own. Only shadows.
Shadowborn (Book 1)
Shadowforged (Book 2)
Shadow’s End (Book 3)
Shadow’s Reach (short stories)
Shadow’s End (Book 4)
Catwin has always been good at being unseen…that is, until one fateful mistake brings her to the attention of the Duke of Voltur: the commander of the bloodiest battle in living memory, a man of legendary ruthlessness who is determined to be the power behind the throne. To this end, he has chosen Catwin to be a Shadow—spy, shield, and blade—to his niece Miriel as she works to catch the eye of the King.
But the Duke’s carefully laid plans are only a piece of the intrigue swirling within the royal court. Shadows gather: legacies of the centuries-long rivalries for power, old betrayals, the endless plots of the courtiers, and the murmur of rebellion in the southern provinces.
Greater forces than Catwin can imagine are massed against her, determined to eliminate Miriel and impose a new order of their own. If Catwin and Miriel are to survive, they must learn quickly who to trust, and when to turn their skills against the very people who have trained them...
Readers review Shadowborn:
“Excellent! I was leery at first, I'll admit. How many times can I read about an orphan plucked from obscurity to a life of palace intrigue? The answer - as many times as it takes to find books like this.”
“Can't wait to read the rest!!!!!!”
“[Katson] writes so beautifully you actually start to believe you are in the mind of the Shadow herself.”
Shadowborn is the first in Moira Katson’s epic fantasy series that explores unexpected friendship, loyalty, and honor … and the triumph of light in a dark world.
OR TRY SAIRA & THE DRAGON’S EGG
Available in ebook and print
**Epic Fantasy meets Steampunk**
Waking alone and without memories, a young woman finds herself in possession of a powerful sword … and wearing the face of a powerful and long-dead magess.
Buy Saira & the Dragon’s Egg at Amazon!
Book 2
Saira & the King of Dreams
Is coming soon!
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I would like to thank Andrea and Susan. When I made the transition in 2015 to being a full-time writer, I had no idea what the world had in store for me. The past months have contained so much good fortune that I almost cannot believe it, and at the same time, struggles I never anticipated. I faced the prospect of losing joy in the very stories that once kept me alive. Andrea and Susan helped me find my way back, and Daughter of Ashes is the result.
As always, a big thank you also to my backers on Patreon: Andrea and George, Mallory, MJ, Keelia, Timothy, Claire, Jesse, Angel, Steph, David, Aaron, Courtney, Micah, Krishna, Sam, Hilary, Tamara, Jillian, Kristi, Hayley, Tania, Grant, Michelle, and Carla. You have made it possible for me to bring you more stories every month.
And thank you to Bryce, who bought the first copy of my first book, and has been a one-man cheering squad of great verve ever since. I love you.
-M