SOUL OF SKULLS – a fourth excerpt

Here is a fourth excerpt from SOUL OF SKULLS, this one from the point of view of Rachel Roland. Note that it contains spoilers for the ending of SOUL OF SKULLS. (But it does rather nicely illustrate the characters of Rachel Roland, Rhea Roland, and Grand Master Caldarus of the Justiciars.)

“My husband will be dead within a week. Perhaps less. Tobias will soon be the lord of Knightcastle.”

“I’m sorry,” said Rachel.

Rhea let out a ragged breath. “He’s lived a long life, the philandering old scoundrel. But I will miss him.” She gazed up at Knightcastle’s jumble of towers and keeps. “I have seen Knightcastle through war before, daughter. But this…our lord dying, and these armies of dead men, and a rebel who wants to kill every man who is not poor…Rachel, we have never faced anything like this. I fear how it will end.” He voice dropped. “Grand Master Caldarus says the runedead are the vengeance of the gods, a punishment for our sins, and sometimes I wonder if he is correct.”

“Oh, rubbish,” said Rachel. “Lucan Mandragon cast the Great Rising, and my brother slew him. If the Grand Master thinks otherwise, then he is a pompous windbag.”

Her eyes widened as she realized her lapse, but Lady Rhea laughed.

“I cannot dispute your logic, daughter,” said Rhea. She lowered her voice. “But mind your words. The Grand Master’s pomposity is exceeded only by his ruthlessness…”

-JM