Except Thursday: GHOST IN THE STORM

It’s Excerpt Thursday! This week’s excerpt is from GHOST IN THE STORM. Caina has a conversation that she doesn’t realize will follow her for years to come. 🙂

Speaking of things following someone for years to come, it’s hard to believe it’s been over six years since I wrote this book! I remember being really tired for most of it – writing a book and trying to move to a new apartment at the same time is not a pleasant combination! 🙂

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Caina stared at Kylon, her heart hammering, her mind racing through her options.

No matter what she did, that terrible freezing sword of his would kill her. She felt the cold radiating against her face and skin like an icy wind. If she killed him, if she took him with her, it would be worth the sacrifice of her life.

But if she died, who would rescue Nicolai?

Suddenly Kylon chuckled, the grim sound of a man laughing at the gallows.

“The ice,” he said in Kyracian. “That was clever.”

Caina started to shrug, and stopped when she realized it might get both of them killed. “Not clever enough. Since you’re still breathing.”

“We appear,” he said, “to have arrived at a stalemate.”

“So we have,” said Caina.

She felt the muscles of his arm flex beneath her fingers. He was strong, even without his sorcery.

“How shall we resolve it?” said Kylon.

“Perhaps we should kill each other and get it over with,” said Caina, “rather than bother with all this tedious discussion.”

“I never did like to talk,” said Kylon. “Though I confess I do not wish to kill you.”

“Why not?” said Caina. “To carry me off as a trophy to New Kyre?”

Again came that grim chuckle. “It would be worth it, just to see the expression on Rezir Shahan’s face. Or to see the reaction of the Assembly.” His brown eyes did not look away from hers. “I never expected a woman to defy me so. Or anyone without sorcery, for that matter. Slaying the battle magi was less of a challenge than facing you. The trap with the fire, and now this ice. It seems a shame to waste such valor and cunning.”

“How flattering,” said Caina.

“That is a way out of this stalemate,” said Kylon. “You could surrender to me. I would permit you to live, and you could come to New Kyre as my captive.”

“You’re a sorcerer,” said Caina, venom in her tone.

“I am a stormdancer,” said Kylon, “I…”

“Wield sorcery to enhance your strength and speed,” said Caina. “I know what a stormdancer is. And I know what sorcerers are. Vile murderers, all of you.” The old anger swelled up in her, fanned by the terrors of the last two days. “If I could kill every single living wielder of sorcery, I would. The world would be a better place for it.”

And to her surprise, Kylon seemed offended.

“I am a warrior,” he said, “not a murderer. I only kill in battle, in a fair fight.”

“Yes, a fair fight,” said Caina. “I’m sure those Legionaries you killed had every chance to defend themselves.”

“They did,” said Kylon, “as did the magi I faced. And a spy and assassin can hardly lecture me about murder.”

“What about your sister,” said Caina, “and all the people she murdered?”

Kylon’s eyes narrowed. “She slew those men in fair combat.”

“And the women she butchered to fuel her necromancy?” said Caina.

For the first time, Kylon looked angry, and she felt his muscles tense.

“My sister is the High Seat of House Kardamnos, an Archon of the Assembly, and the most powerful stormsinger of New Kyre,” said Kylon, voice flat. “She does not practice necromancy.”

“Really?” said Caina. “Because that’s what she’s doing, right now, in that tavern. Sicarion rounded up a group of slaves and herded them in there. Andromache is killing them and stealing their life energies to fuel her sorcery.”

“No,” said Kylon. “That is a lie. Andromache would not practice necromancy.”

“I saw it with my own eyes,” said Caina.

“So that is why you were sneaking around the Market?” said Kylon, voice hard. “To assassinate Andromache?”

“To find a child!” said Caina, her anger matching Kylon’s. “The son of a…friend. Your precious Istarish allies took him.”

Kylon’s eyes narrowed, and for just a moment Caina saw the doubt there.

“This business with the slaves,” he said, voice quiet. “A cruel folly. The emir is a idiot to waste men capturing and guarding the slaves before we have taken the city.” Caina saw his fingers tighten against the hilt of his sword. “And if he desires slaves so much, the markets of Istarinmul are glutted with them.” His scowl deepened. “But that does not explain why you were following Andromache!”

“I thought the child might be among the slaves Sicarion took,” said Caina.

Kylon’s frown deepened. Not with anger, but with thought. In a flash of insight Caina realized that Kylon was not a complicated man. He viewed himself as a warrior, and was devoted to his sister. Little wonder he had reacted with such anger to Caina’s accusation of necromancy.

But he had his doubts. Else he would not have become angry.

“This attack is madness,” said Caina, “is it not?”

“We have succeeded so far,” said Kylon.

“But it might not last,” said Caina. “You could seize a city the size of Marsis with ten thousand men, but to hold it? The other Legions are north of Marsis, but they will return soon enough. And even if you fend them off, do you think the Emperor and the Imperial Curia will give up? They will send a great army to reclaim Marsis. And once they do, they will not stop there. The Emperor will want revenge for what happened here. New Kyre and Istarinmul are strong – but do you think they can stand against the gathered Legions of the Empire?”

Kylon said nothing.

-JM