Asher
“What would you do now if you were the Adani king?” Asher asked as he buckled himself in.
James chewed on his cheek then sighed heavily. “I would teach you a lesson and hit you where it hurts most.”
“My family?” Asher asked.
“Your extended family,” James clarified. “King Khalil will hit the city—or at least that’s what I’d do. Not all of the Adani soldiers were killed at the border, and some of them would’ve made their way into Santina. He might use them to coordinate an attack, but I don’t think it’ll be big enough.”
“He can’t poison the water supply. We put your additional measures in place,” Asher said.
“I don’t think he’ll be that subtle. You need to watch your airspace—that’s how I’d retaliate.”
As if on cue, the helicopter bounced and Asher clutched the hand rests before exhaling a shaky breath.
James continued, unfazed. “And while you’re focused on that, he’ll move in his soldiers from every side.”
Asher met his gaze. “I need to give him a distraction of his own.”
A plan was formulating in Asher’s mind. If he hadn’t already started the war, what he was thinking would have done so in spectacular fashion.
He leaned back and prayed for a smooth flight. He prayed for a few minutes of sleep too, but all he could see when he closed his eyes was the image of fallen men. It didn’t matter that they were Adani soldiers—they were still men following orders of a corrupt and violent king. They shouldn’t have to die for a man who wouldn’t die for them. But that was beyond Asher’s control. If he hadn’t fought back, he would be seeing dead Santinians when he closed his eyes.
One of his prayers was answered and the turbulence faded, replaced by a rhythmic hum. Asher drifted off to sleep, knowing he would need it, because it might be the last sleep he’d have for a while.
In the blink of an eye, they’d landed on the Bennetts’ helicopter pad and Asher was shaken awake before being ushered inside.
“Everything is ready for the press conference,” James said.
“Good,” Asher said, heading in the direction of the room he’d requested be set up: a live speech to be broadcast over Santina’s television network. The palace was in shambles and the balcony had been blown up, so that wasn’t an option, and they didn’t want to invite media into the Bennetts’ home. A broadcast was the safest option.
Asher’s eyebrows lifted when he walked into the room. A painting of the Santinian flag had been hung on the wall. It was the exact painting that hung behind Asher’s desk—his father’s desk.
William entered, his eyes following Asher’s. He sighed. “They’re a matching pair, those paintings. I had them made for your father’s birthday one year. And then after everything that happened . . . I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it, but I also couldn’t look at it every day. It has been wrapped up and stored in our basement until tonight.”
“Thank you,” Asher said, placing one hand on William’s shoulder. “I’m glad you kept it.”
William smiled. “Me too. I certainly did not foresee needing it for such an occasion.”
Asher nodded as he moved to stand behind the desk. He took a calming breath as a crew member counted down to zero.
“Santina,” Asher said, looking directly into the camera, “the day has come to defeat our enemy—the one who has been hiding in the shadows. Adani.”
Asher narrowed his eyes, taking a moment to let that name sink in.
“Adani was once our friend, but they are greedy, and they want what they cannot have: Santina. I told you I would not be blackmailed and that I would destroy anyone who threatened Santina. So, I am telling you this: King Khalil is your enemy. He planned to do to Santina what he did to his poor many years ago—poison their water system and kill them off.”
Asher could almost hear the gasps of his people.
“I don’t make these accusations lightly, and I don’t make them without evidence. King Khalil is corrupt, violent, and he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. We will not tolerate this any longer! And we do not stand alone—Santina has friends who will back us and fight with us on every border. My father fought so hard to avoid a war, and this was not a decision I made lightly. But while my father didn’t see the heinous acts Adani is capable of, you will—I will expose the Adani to the world. There will be no mercy!”
He took a long breath.
“A war has started, and we will fight alongside our allies to defeat our common enemy. We may be small, Santina, but underestimating us was Adani’s biggest mistake. We will fight, we will advance, and we will be victorious!” Asher locked his eyes on the camera, not afraid to reveal the emotion in his eyes. He meant every word and he would fight for Santina until his last breath.
When the cameras stopped rolling, Asher realized Abi was there, standing against the wall, her face unreadable.
He moved toward her, ignoring everyone else, before stopping a step in front of her.
“Strong, brave, and honest, King Asher,” she said with a smile.
He returned the smile tightly. “But what do you think, Abi?”
Her eyebrows threaded together. “I just told you what I thought.”
Asher nodded. “I know this is going to be hard,” he said. “This war goes against everything you stand for.”
She took his hands, threading her fingers through his. “I stand for righting the wrongs in the world. Do I like war? No, I don’t. But do I like Adani murdering innocent people? No, I don’t,” she said flatly, looking into his eyes. “I told you I would stand beside you and support you. That doesn’t change now. If you go to war, I’ll grab my gun and stand beside you. Forever.” She turned her hand so her engagement ring shone.
“Thank you,” Asher told her quietly, and he truly meant it. Her support had never meant more to him than it did in that moment. “Let’s get out of here,” he said, looking over his shoulder for security.
They surrounded them in seconds and escorted them to a bedroom.
Asher found a new toothbrush in the bathroom, cleaned his teeth, and threw his suit on the floor. He crawled into bed, settled his head on the pillow, and pulled Abi into his arms. He exhaled, sighing with relief. It had been a hellish twenty-four hours, but they were safe, and he could finally close his eyes for the night.
His cell phone ringing on the bedside table startled him from his sleep. When he saw the name on the screen, he knew it wasn’t going to be good news.
“James,” Asher said quickly.
“Adani has retaliated,’ James said, his words rushing into each other. “They hit the holy site, the Lithe Ruins.”
Asher’s blood froze in his veins as he tried to process what James was telling him.
“How did they do that without being detected by our radar?” Asher asked, his voice strained.
“They were detected,” James said tersely. “Your military tried to shoot them down, but it was too late. They’d already launched the missile.”
Asher pulled at his shirt like it was strangling him. He sat upright, swinging his legs out of bed. “How bad is it?”
“It’s a catastrophic, fiery blaze, Asher. There will be nothing left of the Ruins.”
Asher leaned forward, shaking with fury as he rested his elbows on his knees and hung his head.
He drew a long breath, and then another. “I’ll call you back.” He ended the call and paced the length of the bedroom. He knew where to hit Adani hardest, but he wouldn’t make that decision without King Luang’s consent.
He dialed his number. “I assume you’re not calling with good news,” King Luang answered.
“Adani has hit the Lithe Ruins—the holy site I refused to sell them. If I wasn’t going to give it to them, they were going to make sure I couldn’t have it, either.”
There was a long pause. Then, “What do you want to do now?”
“We will attack the royal compound. Reed is in place,” Asher s
aid, his voice shaking with rage. “It is time for Adani to fall.”
THE STORY CONTINUES…
The fourth book of The Royals will be released late 2020.
In the meantime, you can begin James Thomas’s story in ESCANTA, Book One of the James Thomas Series.
ALSO BY BROOKE SIVENDRA
THE JAMES THOMAS SERIES
Escanta
Saratani
Sarquis
Lucian
Sorin
The Favour
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THE DEACON THOMAS DUET
The Ranger
The Redemption
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THE THOMAS SECURITY SERIES
The Vault
The Traitor
The Conspirator
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THE SOUL SERIES
The Secrets of Their Souls
The Ghosts of Their Pasts
The Blood of Their Sins
DID YOU ENJOY THIS BOOK? YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE
Reviews are the most powerful tools in my arsenal when it comes to getting attention for my books. As much as I’d like to, I don’t have the financial support of a New York publisher. I can’t take out full page ads in the newspaper or put posters on the subway (not yet, anyway).
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But I do have something much more powerful and effective than that, and it’s something those publishers would kill to get their hands on.
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A committed and loyal group of readers.
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Thank you so much.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brooke Sivendra lives in Adelaide, Australia with her husband and two furry children. She has a degree in Nuclear Medicine and worked in the field of medical research before writing her first novel.
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You can connect with Brooke at any of the channels listed below and she personally responds to every comment and email.
www.brookesivendra.com
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Copyright © 2020 by BROOKE SIVENDRA
All rights reserved.
The moral right of Brooke Sivendra to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, not to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
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Cover by Virtually Possible Designs
Ebook: 978-0-6485688-5-8
Print: 978-0-6485688-4-1
Valiant Reign Page 20