I hesitated, and he held out an envelope.
“Is it going to explode or lock me in a pit with anthrophages for a century?” I said.
“It contains three things,” said Arvalaeon. “A phone number that you can use to contact me.”
“Why the hell would I ever want to talk to you again?” I said.
“The need may arise,” said Arvalaeon. “It also contains the keys to a vehicle parked further down the block, and a pass instructing Homeland Security to let you through the roadblocks.”
I took the envelope. “Why?”
“I have wanted to see my brother again for a long time,” said Arvalaeon. “You still have the chance.”
I turned and walked away, and this time he didn’t try to stop me.
###
The car was nothing special, just a five-year-old Royal Motors sedan with 45,000 miles on the odometer, but it was in good shape, and the pass did let me through the roadblocks without any fuss. I managed to drive for about two hours until I had to stop. I was exhausted, utterly exhausted. The battle at Castomyr’s mansion had been draining.
Plus, I hadn't gotten any actual sleep in like a century and a half.
I pulled over at a rest stop, parked the car, and fell asleep. I hoped no one tried to give me any trouble. If they did, I was likely to lose my temper and kill someone, and I didn’t want to do that. I expected nightmares, but I fell asleep almost at once and had no dreams at all.
Maybe that’s the key to getting a good night’s sleep. Staying awake for nearly sixty thousand straight days.
I woke up at about 10 AM, groggy and disoriented. I jerked upright in the seat, looking around in alarm, half expecting to see anthrophages and wraithwolves coming for me, the bronze monolith of the Eternity Crucible rising over me…
But, no. I was sitting in a car at rest stop in rural Wisconsin. Some minivans and SUVs had pulled up and were disgorging young children and their parents, no doubt heading on vacation somewhere. I watched them without expression. I suppose they would all have been dead if not for what I had just gone through.
That didn’t make me feel better. But it did let me haul myself out of the car, wash up in the bathroom, and continue on my way.
I made the rest of the trip to Milwaukee, my heart hammering against my ribs. I knew, intellectually, that Russell was still alive. I knew that. Yet my heart was convinced that he was dead. I had mourned him, gone mad with grief and rage, and devoted myself to avenging his death, and I had done that all decades ago.
Then to find out that only five minutes had passed on Earth…God, I don’t know how to describe the feeling. The human mind was not equipped for this kind of thing.
I parked in front of the Marneys’ house and got out.
It looked exactly the same. There was no reason it shouldn’t, of course, but I hadn't been here in so long, so very long. I had left yesterday morning to get steak sauce, and then I hadn’t been back for decades.
I took a few steps up the front walk, overcome with emotion.
The door swung open, and Russell stepped out.
“Nadia!” he said, smiling. “It’s good you’re back. We were worried. We figured that Lord Morvilind wanted you for something. I sent you a few texts, but you must have been too busy.”
“Texts?” I said, my voice hoarse.
Yes, that was right, my phone could get text messages.
I had forgotten about that.
Russell hesitated. “It…was a bad one, wasn’t it? What Lord Morvilind wanted you to do?”
I didn’t say anything, but I managed a nod.
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay,” said Russell. “I made some coffee. Do you…”
I ran forward, caught him in a hug, and buried my face against his shoulder. I felt him flinch in surprise, and then he hugged me back.
“I’m glad to see you too,” he said. “Are…you all right?”
I stepped back from him, trying not to cry.
“Yeah,” I said. “It’s…it’s just I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Epilogue
At midnight, Kaethran Morvilind sat alone in his library, contemplating the view of Lake Michigan outside the tall windows.
He was alone. He had made sure of that. Several dozen human servants and mercenaries worked in his mansion, and he had given them the day off with pay, under the condition that they were to leave and not to set foot on the grounds for any reason until 8 AM the next day. To make sure his instructions were obeyed, he had summoned a score of wraithwolves and sent them prowling through the mansion, seeking for anyone who remained behind.
Once they had confirmed that the mansion was empty, he dismissed them.
Now he sat alone in one of two chairs facing the window, waiting for his guest.
Or, to be more accurate, his deadly enemy.
Morvilind tapped his fingertips together as he waited, lost in thought. He had faced down many, many enemies during his long life, and he had destroyed them all. He had emerged victorious because he had been willing to do what was necessary to achieve victory.
Now it fell to him to do what was necessary.
None of the other Elves understood that as he did. Not the Inquisitors, not the nobles, and not even the High Queen Tarlia herself. She had once been his student, and she had achieved an admirable degree of ruthlessness. Certainly, ruthlessness was a necessary quality for a ruler.
But even she was not willing to go far enough.
So, it fell to Kaethran Morvilind to save the Elven race.
He felt the presence against his wards before he heard the footfalls against the polished floor.
A moment later a man came into sight, stopping next to the chair.
He was short for a human male, about five foot ten, and wore a crisp white shirt, a black vest, a black coat, black trousers, and gleaming black boots. The man had dark hair with gray streaks at the temples and eyes like black pools.
His ethnicity was…uncertain. At first glance, he looked Hispanic, or perhaps Arabic, or maybe Greek. But Morvilind knew that he was none of these.
The man was in fact Sumerian, and he was one of the very few people on Earth who was older than Morvilind.
“Punctual as ever,” said Morvilind.
“It is a virtue,” said the man known as the Forerunner, the man who had founded the various Dark Ones cults upon Earth over the milennia.
Morvilind gestured at the empty chair.
“Thank you,” said the Forerunner, seating himself. He brushed some dust from the sleeve of his coat. The Forerunner looked nothing like what he really was. He looked like a middle-aged businessman, and there was no hint of his true nature in his appearance.
It was one of the reasons he was so dangerous.
“Shall we get to the point?” said Morvilind.
“I insist,” said the Forerunner. “Some years ago, I offered to provide you with some information. In exchange, you promised the use of your shadow agent to assist me with three tasks.” He held up three fingers as if to emphasize the point. “I understand your current shadow agent is quite talented. You haven’t gotten her killed yet?”
“No,” said Morvilind, grimacing.
This was an extremely dangerous game. The High Queen wanted the Forerunner dead and had authorized the creation of the Shadow Hunters for exactly that reason. If Tarlia ever learned that Morvilind had made a deal with the Forerunner, the consequences would be dire.
No matter. He would do what was necessary to save the Elves. Morvilind knew that the Forerunner intended to betray him, just as he intended to betray the Forerunner.
It was a dangerous game, but it was a game he had played many times before.
“I assume you have taught the shadow agent the Cloak spell?” said the Forerunner.
“I have,” said Morvilind.
“Very well,” said the Forerunner. “I will require her…the agent is a female this time?” Morvilind nodded. “I will require her assistance for three tasks. On
ce the tasks are completed satisfactorily, our bargain is complete. Is this acceptable?”
“So long as you hold up your end of the bargain, it is acceptable,” said Morvilind.
“Excellent,” said the Forerunner. “I will call upon you shortly. Summon the agent to your side, and I shall give you her first task.”
There was a flicker of gray mist and purple fire, and the Forerunner vanished into the Shadowlands. Morvilind cast a quick spell to make sure that the Forerunner had indeed departed, and then rearmed the wards around his mansion.
He leaned back in his chair, thinking. Nadia Moran was among the most skilled of the shadow agents he had trained over the last three hundred years, and certainly one of the most tenacious.
That was just as well.
She would need all that skill and tenacity to survive what the Forerunner had in mind for her.
THE END
Thank you for reading CLOAK GAMES: TRUTH CHAIN. Look for Nadia's next adventure, CLOAK GAMES: TOMB HOWL, to appear in 2017. If you liked the book, please consider leaving a review at your ebook site of choice. To receive immediate notification of new releases, sign up for my newsletter, or watch for news on my Facebook page.
Other books by the author
The Demonsouled Saga
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK is a wandering knight, fearless in battle and masterful with a sword.
Yet he has a dark secret. He is Demonsouled, the son of the ancient and cruel Old Demon, and his tainted blood grants him superhuman strength and speed. Yet with the power comes terrible, inhuman rage, and Mazael must struggle to keep the fury from devouring him.
But he dare not turn aside from the strength of his blood, for he will need it to face terrible foes.
The priests of the San-keth plot and scheme in the shadows, pulling lords and kingdoms upon their strings. The serpent priests desire to overthrow the realms of men and enslave humanity. Unless Mazael stops them, they shall force all nations to bow before the serpent god.
The Malrag hordes are coming, vast armies of terrible, inhuman beasts, filled with a lust for cruelty and torment. The Malrags care nothing for conquest or treasure, only slaughter. And the human realms are ripe for the harvest. Only a warrior of Mazael’s power can hope to defeat them.
The Dominiar Order and the Justiciar Order were once noble and respected, dedicated to fighting the powers of dark magic. Now they are corrupt and cynical, and scheme only for power and glory. They will kill anyone who stands in their way.
To defeat these foes, Mazael will need all the strength of his Demonsouled blood.
Yet he faces a far more terrible foe.
For centuries the Old Demon has manipulated kings and lords. Now he shall seize the power of the Demonsouled for himself, and become the a god of torment and tyranny.
Unless Mazael can stop him.
Read Demonsouled for free. Mazael's adventures continue in Soul of Tyrants, Soul of Serpents, Soul of Dragons, Soul of Sorcery, Soul of Skulls, and Soul of Swords, along with the short stories The Wandering Knight, The Tournament Knight, and The Dragon's Shadow. Get the first three books bundled together in Demonsouled Omnibus One.
The Ghosts Series
Once CAINA AMALAS was the shy daughter of a minor nobleman, content to spend her days in her father’s library.
Then sorcery and murder and her mother’s treachery tore her life apart.
Now she is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, an elite agent of the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar. She is a master of disguise and infiltration, of stealth and the shadows.
And she will need all those skills to defend the Empire and stay alive.
Corrupt lords scheme and plot in the shadows, desiring to pull down the Emperor and rule the Empire for their own profit and glory. Slave traders lurk on the fringes of the Empire, ready to seize unwary commoners and sell them into servitude in distant lands. Yet both slave traders and cruel lords must beware the Ghosts.
The Magisterium, the Imperial brotherhood of sorcerers, believe themselves the rightful masters of the Empire. With their arcane sciences, they plan to overthrow the Empire and enslave the commoners, ruling all of mankind for their own benefit. Only the Ghosts stand in the path of their sinister plans.
And the Moroaica, the ancient sorceress of legend and terror, waits in the shadows, preparing to launch a war upon the gods themselves. She will make the gods pay for the suffering of mankind...even if she must destroy the world to do it.
Caina Amalas of the Ghosts opposes these mighty enemies, but the cost might be more than she can bear.
Read Child of the Ghosts for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames, Ghost in the Blood, Ghost in the Storm, Ghost in the Stone, Ghost in the Forge, Ghost in the Ashes, Ghost in the Mask, and Ghost in the Surge, along with the short stories Ghost Aria, Ghost Claws, Ghost Omens, The Fall of Kyrace, Ghost Thorns, Ghost Undying, Ghost Light, and Ghost Dagger, and the prequel novels Blade of the Ghosts and Champion of the Ghosts. Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One.
The Ghost Exile Series
Caina Amalas was a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through her boldness and cunning saved the Empire and the world from sorcerous annihilation.
But the victory cost her everything.
Now she is exiled and alone in the city of Istarinmul, far from her home and friends. Yet a centuries-old darkness now stirs in Istarinmul, eager to devour the city and the world itself.
And Caina is the only one that stands in its way...
Read Ghost in the Cowl, Ghost in the Maze, Ghost in the Hunt, Ghost in the Razor, Ghost in the Inferno, Ghost in the Seal, Ghost in the Throne, Ghost in the Pact, and Ghost in the Winds along with the short stories Ghost Sword, Ghost Price, Ghost Relics, Ghost Keeper, Ghost Nails, Ghost Lock, Ghost Arts, Ghost Vigil, Ghost Mimic, and Ghost Vessel.
The Third Soul
RACHAELIS MORULAN is an Initiate of the Conclave, the powerful order of mighty mages. But to become a full Adept of the Conclave, she must first survive the Testing. Those who survive the Testing never speak of the trials they endured.
Those who fail the Testing are never seen again.
And now the Magisters of the Conclave have come to take Rachaelis to undertake the Testing. And there she shall face perils to both her body and her sanity.
And creatures that yearn to devour her soul.
If Rachaelis survives the Testing, she will face even more dangerous foes. The demons of the astral world watch the world of mortal men, desiring to rule it for themselves.
And some Adepts of the Conclave are eager to help them.
Read The Testing for free. Rachelis's trials continue in The Assassins, The Blood Shaman, The High Demon, The Burning Child, The Outlaw Adept, The Black Paladin, and The Tomb of Baligant. Read the entire series in The Third Soul Omnibus One and The Third Soul Omnibus Two.
The Frostborn Series
A thousand years ago, the last grandson of Arthur Pendragon led the survivors of Britain through a magical gate to a new world, a world of magic and high elves, of orcs and kobolds and stranger, darker creatures. Now the descendants of the exiles rule a mighty kingdom, peaceful and prosperous under the rule of the High King.
But a shadow threatens to devour the kingdom.
RIDMARK ARBAN was once a Swordbearer, a knight of renown. Now he is a branded outcast, stripped of his sword, and despised as a traitor.
But he alone sees the danger to come. The Frostborn shall return, and unless they are stopped, they will cover all the world in ice and a neverending winter.
CALLIANDE awakens in the darkness, her memories gone, and creatures of terrible power hunting her.
For she alone holds the secret that can save the world…or destroy it utterly.
The secret of the Frostborn.
Read Frostborn: The First Quest, followed by Frostborn: The Gray Knight, Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife, Frostborn: The Undying Wizard,
Frostborn: The Master Thief, Frostborn: The Iron Tower, Frostborn: The Dark Warden, Frostborn: The Gorgon Spirit, Frostborn: The Broken Mage, Frostborn: The World Gate, Frostborn: The High Lords, Frostborn: The False King, Frostborn: The Dwarven Prince, and Frostborn: Excalibur, and the prequel novel Frostborn: The Knight Quests along with the short stories The Orc's Tale, The Mage's Tale, The Thief's Tale, The Assassin's Tale, The Paladins's Tale, The Knight's Tale, The Soldier's Tale, and The Soldier's Tale. Read the first three books combined in Frostborn Omnibus One.
Mask of the Demonsouled Trilogy
MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK has prevailed over terrible foes and now rules the Grim Marches with firm justice. Yet ancient evils are stirring in the shadows, freed at last by Mazael's own hand. Unless Mazael fights with all his strength, the world will fall.
SIGALDRA is the last holdmistress of the Jutai nation, the final defender of her people. Now the darkness comes to devour the final remnant of Sigaldra's home and family. Even Sigaldra's courage may not be enough to turn aside the darkness.
Read Mask of Swords, Mask of Dragons, and Mask of Spells along with the short stories The Ransom Knight, The Bronze Knight, The Serpent Knight, and The Rune Knight.
The Tower of Endless Worlds
THOMAS WYCLIFFE just wants to finish his dissertation in peace and quiet. So when a man in a black robe appears in his closet, claiming to be the last of the Warlocks, Wycliffe figures it is a bad joke.
But he soon realizes the last of the Warlocks can give him power beyond imagining.
And all it will cost is his soul.
SIMON WESTER needs a job. Badly. So when a rich and powerful Senator offers him employment, he jumps at the chance. Sure, Simon expects to find some corruption, some shady deals.
He doesn't expect to find black magic.
LIAM MASTERE is a Knight of the Sacred Blade, defender of the mortal races. But can swords stand against guns? As bullets and bombs destroy his kingdom, Liam must risk everything to save his homeland's one chance of salvation.
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