Orly sniffed softly. “You have neglected something.”
I tipped my head, waiting.
“There was another of the Hjan,” Orly went on.
Carth leaned forward and scooped the dice out of Orly’s open palm faster than he could react. She shook them absently. “Yes. The accords should have prevented their presence here, but I suspect you knew that, didn’t you?”
He said nothing.
“Without the accords, Eban is no longer neutral. And you’ve attempted to disrupt the Binders. A bold move,” she said. She cupped her hands together. “Do you play Tsatsun?”
Orly nodded to the dice. “I prefer dicing.”
She shook the dice in her hands again. “Yes, dicing. A game of chance, is it not?”
“For some.”
She smiled. “Some. In my land, Tsatsun is a game that requires some skill. Your opponent makes a move, and then you, back and forth, each trying to counter the other.” She glanced at me. “Many pieces are in play, but there is one that can be used by both.”
I had a sinking feeling that she was about to call me the Tsa again and reminded myself to learn how to play Tsatsun if I managed to survive.
“I believe you call that the Stone,” Orly said.
“So you do play,” Carth commented. “I thought you might.”
Orly met her eyes. “The Stone can be pushed but not moved directly.”
“Indeed. An important piece, and one that usually decides the entire game. Many feel the strongest pieces can push the Stone the best, but I’ve found that using smaller influence is often best.”
Orly’s eyes narrowed.
Carth spread her hands and rolled the dice across the table. “Now if you’d prefer to dice, I would be happy to oblige.”
I glanced down. They came up Watcher’s Eyes.
Orly didn’t take his eyes off Carth.
“This is done now, yes?” she asked.
Orly looked around the tavern and then his eyes settled on Carth. “I believe I would like to play Tsatsun with you, Carth of C’than,” he said carefully, “another time.”
She nodded and set her hands on the table as she stood. “I would enjoy that, I think.”
I grabbed the bag of coins and stood. Taking the dart I rolled between my fingers, I flicked it at the sellsword faster than he could react. The man fell silently to the ground.
The others started toward me, but Orly raised his hand, stopping them.
“I don’t have many friends, and you will not harm them,” I said.
As I turned to leave, I overheard Carth. “Sometimes the Stone can push back.”
Check out book 2 of The Sighted Assassin: The Forgotten
It was to be a routine assassination. And it was... until he saw her.
Exiled from his homeland, the assassin Galen never thought he would return, but when he decides to help the beautiful woman he’s been hired to kill, he must face not only an assassin more dangerous than himself, but also his past.
Returning her to Elaeavn requires all the skills he’s gained in his time away as he becomes involved in a plot much bigger than a single exiled Forgotten. He can’t go home, but for her he’ll try, even if it means working with old enemies and revisiting a past he wants forgotten.
Want to read more about Carth? Check out her beginning in Book 1 of The Shadow Accords trilogy: Shadow Blessed
The A'ras of Nyaesh have a terrifying reputation: skilled swordsmen, owners of powerful magic, and ruthless killers. When they kill her parents, Carth discovers her father has trained her for shadow magic she never knew she possessed.
She must use those skills to stay alive, discover a way to find answers, and avenge her parents if she can. Only the discovery of a greater threat than the A'ras forces her to risk herself for new friends and a home she never wanted but now can’t imagine losing.
About the Author
DK Holmberg currently lives in rural Minnesota where the winter cold and the summer mosquitoes keep him inside and writing.
Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed and how books are discovered. If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review at Amazon, even if it's only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.
Subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to hear about giveaways and new releases.
For more information:
@dkholmberg
dkholmberg
www.dkholmberg.com
Also by D.K. Holmberg
The Dark Ability
The Dark Ability
The Heartstone Blade
The Tower of Venass
Blood of the Watcher
The Shadowsteel Forge
The Guild Secret
Rise of the Elder
The Sighted Assassin
The Painted Girl
The Binder’s Game
The Forgotten
Assassin’s End (December 2016)
The Shadow Accords
Shadow Blessed
Shadow Cursed (October 2016)
Shadow Born (October 2016)
The Endless War
Journey of Fire and Night
Darkness Rising
Endless Night
Summoner’s Bond
The Cloud Warrior Saga
Chased by Fire
Bound by Fire
Changed by Fire
Fortress of Fire
Forged in Fire
Serpent of Fire
Servant of Fire
Born of Fire
Broken of Fire: September 2016
Light of Fire: November 2016
Others in the Cloud Warrior Series
Prelude to Fire
Chasing the Wind
Drowned by Water
Deceived by Water
Salvaged by Water
The Lost Garden
Keeper of the Forest
The Desolate Bond
Keeper of Light
The Painter Mage
Shifted Agony
Arcane Mark
Painter For Hire
Stolen Compass
The Binder's Game (The Sighted Assassin Book 1) Page 18