After a few moments, Sekker heard the clamor as well and turned to see the heavily-armed mass approaching. A look of horror appeared on his face, and he started to waddle away toward the road where his merych-drawn cart sat parked.
Two soldiers in high-quality armor broke away from the rest, spurring their merychs into a full gallop and easily closing the distance between the procession and Sekker. The magistrate had just managed to clamber into the driver’s seat of his cart when he found himself facing two large men with swords pointed right at him.
“Stand down,” one of them growled. “Now.”
Though he was twenty yards away, Rahne could see Sekker’s face had gone deep crimson. The setting sun glinted off the sweat pouring profusely from the man’s face. Raising his hands in surrender, he gingerly climbed off the cart.
For almost a minute, no one moved a muscle, like figures in a tableau. Finally, the rest of the procession caught up, and Rahne caught his first glimpse of the man who had invaded his homeland as he alit from his merych, a powerful-looking black steed with an equally impressive mane. The man was tall, dark-haired and dark-bearded. His eyes were as cold as morning frost, and an air of ruthless authority emanated from him.
Right next to him was a raven-haired beauty clad in a black dress cinched at the waist by a leather belt. This had to be Elzaria, and if he thought Elzor’s eyes were icy, they were blazing suns compared to Elzaria’s. He’d seen fish with livelier eyes.
Rahne could only wonder if he’d seen his last sunrise.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
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
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Author's Note
Queens, Chapter One
Queens, Chapter Two
Queens, Chapter Three
Pawns (The Wielders of Arantha Book 1) Page 39