Betrayal of the Flames

By Trisha M. Wilson

Willow has had an eventful year what with people trying to kill her, finding her one true love in Hawk, learning she can do magic, and then becoming queen of a newly reunited island. Now, all she wants is for people to cease trying to kill her so she and Hawk can have a moment of peace and quiet.

But when a new enemy with dreams of conquest and death teams up with an old enemy, the couple is sent deep into the Land of the Dead where only the goddess Skade knows what’s going to happen.

Without the aid of allies, will they return to the Land of the Living? And even if they do, will they still have friends? Or will they be betrayed by their allies yet again and be forced to battle the enemy alone?

Book 2 of the From the Flames series. Book 1 is From the Flames.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trisha M. Wilson
• Release date: May 11, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370120611

Trisha M. Wilson

Trisha M. Wilson lives in Wisconsin. With a degree in History and minors in Math and Business Administration, Ms. Wilson still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. When not regularly contributing on Colbyjack.net, she leads the life of a happy hermit with her three cats and family.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Betrayal of the Flames

Chapter 1: Betrayal

Chapter 2: Roald and Moir

Chapter 3: Uncharted Territory

Chapter 4: Familiar and Unfamiliar

Chapter 5: Forks in the Tunnel

Chapter 6: The Traitor’s Plot

Chapter 7: The Burnt Field

Chapter 8: Across the Field

Chapter 9: Water Basins

Chapter 10: Unexpected Visitors

Chapter 11: The Proclamations

Chapter 12: Four Homes

Chapter 13: Child’s Laughter

Chapter 14: Swords Clashing

Chapter 15: New Paths

Chapter 16: Tunnel Allies

Chapter 17: Unexpected Meetings

Chapter 18: The Betrayer

Chapter 19: Plotting

Chapter 20: More Sounds

Chapter 21: Adelina Climbs a Tree

Chapter 22: The Hard, Cold Truth

Chapter 23: Plan A or Plan B?

Chapter 24: Walking and Sleeping

Chapter 25: Moving Past the Pain

Chapter 26: People of the Tunnels

Chapter 27: The Steeple

Chapter 28: Help

Chapter 29: Outnumbered

Chapter 30: The Reunion

Chapter 31: Defending Her Child

Chapter 32: No Longer Needed

Chapter 33: Back Above Ground

Chapter 34: Death to the Kidnappers

Chapter 35: Tiva’s Family

Chapter 36: Petre

Chapter 37: New Leadership

Chapter 38: In Enemy Territory

Chapter 39: Bird Taking Flight

Chapter 40: Meeting the Family

Chapter 41: Making the Painful Choices

Chapter 42: Working out the Plan

Chapter 43: New Arrivals

Chapter 44: Confrontation

Chapter 45: Unexpected Turn of Events

Chapter 46: Finding the Cub

Chapter 47: Gor and Cindy

Epilogue

About The Author

Works from Colbyjack.net

Chapter 1: Betrayal

It’s been a crazy year, hasn’t it Val? Willow asked her fateful staff companion Valdis as she relaxed in front of the comforting fire.

Val as he preferred to be called, was a beautiful staff which transformed depending on his state of magical activity. He’d been with Willow ever since she’d pulled him out of his fiery crypt deep beneath the island of Gyllenholm, revealing her true destiny in the process.

Gyllenholm was the ancestral home of the mystical Diviana. Much to Willow’s surprise, and that of her slave owners, Willow was forced to search for the Diviana because she was of age, just as their children were.

It didn’t matter to the gods that she was a slave. Because she was twenty- four, she had to participate whether she wanted to or not, not that anyone believed she’d find anything. Generation upon generation had searched and found nothing. Nobody believed a slave would do any better than the countless far nobler souls who had gone before her.

With limited knowledge, and the expectation of failure hanging over her head, Willow had searched Gyllenholm. Miraculously, as if the gods themselves had guided her, she found the clues necessary to release Val and unlock her fate, which included magic she’d never known she possessed.

However, the magic came with a high price.

People tried to kill her for being the Diviana. The enemy despised change and they’d kill to keep things the way they were.

Finding Val hadn’t been the end of her quest for she’d been tasked with finding the Five Sacred Objects of Hlin. This journey took Willow all around the island, where she not only learned more about her powers, but also deep lessons about her companions.

Much to her dismay, Sigurd and Kalina, good friends and seasoned warriors, proved unworthy of the trust she’d placed in them. They’d turned on her at the first sign of a better deal, much to their ultimate regret.

Sigurd betrayed her in the most horrible way possible. He kidnapped her moments after she used her powers to save his life. Then he delivered her into the hands of her nemesis, Queen Silvurlin of Blesa, where she’d narrowly escaped death.

While Sigurd had died for his treachery, Kalina escaped unscathed even though she too turned her back on Willow. The second Kalina realized King Alluaq of Driva, the king Willow had installed after a mighty battle, and the man whom subsequently skewered her with a sword, wasn’t going to succeed in his duel against Willow, she scurried away like a rat.

Willow was now the Queen of Alfeyju. Her people were unified as the gods always intended.

Satisfaction rolled through Willow as she sat in front of a nice roaring fire in what had become her favorite room in the monstrosity previously known as the Blesian Palace of Nanfrid.

Now it was known simply as the Sacred Palace.

Fresh starts always required new names.

Willow renamed the palace after the Sacred Guard, who were led by Samuel, a new and most trusted friend. Samuel was both the elected and the hereditary leader of the Sacred Guard, a status in which he took great pride.

When everyone else around Willow had been betraying her as quickly as possible, Samuel and his men were there for her when she’d needed them most.

For this nobility of spirit and loyalty, she honored them with their name on the palace they were now stationed at.

Not that Willow had any love for the palace. If she had it her way, she’d have burnt it down in seconds.

Or turned it into a home for orphans and the poor.

Or something else useful, but it wasn’t up to her.

It was up to the Council, who’d unanimously voted (a first Val hasn’t forgotten to mention to Willow at every possible opportunity) to keep using the palace because it was easiest location for everyone to find.

Val concluded the only reason they wanted to keep using the palace was because they were enamored with its grandiose architecture. They also liked to impress their friends and family with the fact that they had important business at the palace.

As much as Willow would have loved to say Val’s theory was wrong, she’d seen their expressions and knew he was right. It didn’t matter to them that this was once where their enemy had created and carried out her nefarious schemes. All that mattered was showing off to their friends and looking important.

Even with a new person in charge, some things never changed.

Willow created the Council so the normal, everyday people felt as if they had a say in the running of their lives, something they had not had in dozens of generations.

However, Willow had the power to make decisions unilaterally and overrule the Council, which prevented most trivial problems from becoming bogged down in endless discussions.

Keeping the majority of her power helped her make the best decisions for everyone. No longer would those with the most influence intimidate.

In the short eight months the Council had been convened, Willow had already had to prosecute three members for corruption and execute another four for attempting to overthrow her.

If she’d known they were going to be so much trouble when she’d started, Willow never would have created the Council. It wasn’t worth the time and energy most days.

On the whole, however, things were going reasonably well, if one forgot all the near death experiences.

>It has been a crazy year,< Val said inside Willow’s mind. >One I wasn’t sure we’d survive.<

Not survive? What are you talking about? Other than the few obstacles we’ve overcome, it’s been a great learning experience, she said, surprised at his pessimistic tone. Not that Val was the most optimistic person she’d ever met because he wasn’t. In fact, he reminded Willow of what she thought grandparents would be like: mostly crotchety but overall wise.

>A few obstacles? You call a huge battle, being killed by a traitor, dueling the king you put on the throne, and the subsequent civil wars minor? Not to mention those old fogies who couldn’t figure out how to vote if you tied their hands together and had them all lift them at the same time.<

That’s why I said crazy year and not easy, Willow responded. She bit her lip to hold back her laughter.

Val snorted. >You have that right. Nothing about this year has been easy.<

But I finally think things are settling down, Willow said. The Council is finally getting into a groove, people are warming up to me, and nobody’s tried to overthrow me in at least a month.

Exactly, Hawk, Willow’s fiancé, said as he entered the room. And that’s why I think we should celebrate.

Hawk, one of the three who journeyed with Willow on her quest to unseat the tyrant queen, had been the only one not to turn his back on her when things looked grim. He stood by her side at every turn and had been her greatest ally.

And love.

I thought you were talking to your grandparents, Willow said. She accepted the glass of elderberry wine Hawk held out.

Hawk had been raised not by his parents or grandparents, but by Astrid, a powerful and knowledgeable sorceress who’d guided Willow when she’d first come into her powers. His father died before his birth with his mother following a few short months later. Astrid, who’d been there for his mother when she’d been in need, had sent letters to his grandparents after his mother’s death, but neither pair had wanted anything to do with him.

Hawk’s paternal grandparents already had too many children under their roof and couldn’t afford to take another.

His maternal grandparents had no such burdens as they were of a wealthy house. Instead, they hadn’t wanted him because he’d been sired by someone beneath their lofty status. They’d responded, telling Astrid she could do whatever she wanted with him, they didn’t care.

At least they hadn’t until the grandson they’d spurned all those years before became engaged to Willow, their new queen. Since the engagement announcement, both sets of grandparents had started bombarding Hawk with letters.

The paternal asked for help and reminded him that they were part of his family, his very blood, and that he owed it to them to help them in their time of need.

The maternal hadn’t wanted money, at least not on the surface. Instead, they wanted to meet their grandchild, who they had believed been lost to them. They claimed they wanted to gaze upon his face and hug him. They wanted to welcome him back into the fold and were willing to do anything to make up for all the time they’d been estranged.

Their letters had been extremely pitiful and would have been convincing if Hawk hadn’t known the truth. They’d known where he was his entire life and had held no interest in him. They hadn’t wanted him. They hadn’t been forced out of his life. They’d been selfish and hadn’t cared what became of him.

Hawk and Willow could understand the paternal grandparents and deal with them in a reasonable manner. Their reasons for not taking in Hawk were honest and their pleas for help true.

Willow had sent someone down to their home to make sure they were in as dire straits as they claimed. They had been, worse if the report was to be believed, and they had been given a little financial help, which was exactly what she’d have done for any family in need.

The maternal grandparents, in contrast, had become a bit of a problem. No matter how many unanswered letters went by, they kept sending inquiries, trying to ingratiate themselves into Hawk’s life.

After the tenth letter, he’d sent back a brusque response saying he didn’t want any contact with them and that he’d be extremely happy if they left him alone.

For most people, this type of letter would have been enough for them to realize that Hawk wanted nothing to do with them, but not this couple. All they’d gotten from the letter was that he didn’t want to be bothered with any more letters. Instead, they’d showed up out of the blue, in person, at the palace, tearfully asking for time with their precious grandson.

>Precious grandson...don’t make me throw up,< Val had said when he’d heard the messenger. >All they see is a pot of money and political influence, not a ‘precious grandson’.<

You don’t know that, Willow had said, though deep down she knew he probably was right. The only reason they were trying to reconnect with Hawk was because he would soon be king and have a lot of influence on how the land was ruled. Not that he didn’t already have decision-making powers, because he did, but once the wedding happened, it would be official. They saw Hawk as a way into the highest-ranking office in the land and they would do anything to exploit this connection.

Even lie and manipulate the grandson they’d abandoned all those years ago. They might really want to get to know him.

Adelina, a beautiful snow leopard who had been sleeping quietly before the fire, got to her paws and stretched. >I’ll believe it when the sky falls and then returns back to its place,< Adelina had said before leaving the room to go for a run.

Adelina was one of the sacred objects Willow had searched for during her quest. The snow leopard was a fierce warrior who liked nothing more than to get her paws dirty, when she wasn’t trying to convince Hawk to give her back massages.

She, like Val, talked to Willow and Hawk through a mind link which only the four of them could understand. This often left Samuel, and anyone else who was around, feeling excluded, but it allowed Willow and Hawk to receive private council without anyone else knowing their discussions. This was an invaluable asset, especially when trying to create a new government and overcome the evildoers who strove to usurp them.

>Got to say I’m with the pretty kitty on this one,< Val said.

Hawk, don’t listen to them, Willow said. She walked over to hug Hawk, who looked conflicted as to what to do. Go talk to them. Maybe they really want to make up for the time they’ve lost.

Maybe, but I don’t know if I’m ready to forgive, he said.

>Who said anything about forgiveness?< Val asked.

On that point, Val’s right. You don’t have to even say anything to them. Listen to what they have to say and go from there, Willow counseled.

I’ll do that. I’ll make my decisions based on what I hear, Hawk had said before giving Willow a peck on the cheek and leaving for the meeting he never thought would happen.

That had been two hours ago.

I did talk to them, Hawk said, sitting next to Willow on the couch.

And...?

And I listened to their completely fake explanation as to what happened all those years ago. They claimed Astrid never sent them a letter. Instead, they accused her of keeping me with no word to them. They’d supposedly spent a lot of time looking for me and my mother, but gave up after there was no sign of us.

Hawk sounded bitter, as if he couldn’t bear the taste of his words. Willow understood. Knowing your grandparents hadn’t wanted you was hard to stomach, even if the act had taken place many years before.

How’d they explain throwing your pregnant mother out of the house? Willow knew they’d have come up with some story especially since they were willing to travel all this way to convince Hawk to accept them. She simply didn’t know what story they could have invented which would change the past into something palatable.

Hawk let out a short, humorless laugh. They claimed they never would have thrown out their ‘darling daughter’ and have no idea where I heard such a horrible story. According to them, she ran away because of a pointless disagreement. So pointless, in fact, that they can’t even remember what it was about.

>It’s so hard to remember because it never happened,< Val said.

Exactly, Hawk responded. I would have been willing to talk to Gor, but his wife, Cindy, was such a clinging vine that I had to get out of there. You’d think that after telling her three or four times that I didn’t want her hanging all over me, hugging me, or trying to pet me, that she’d have gotten a clue, but no, she kept at it. It was sickening. It made my skin crawl.

Was she saying anything during the clinging? Willow asked, feeling bad for encouraging the meeting.

She kept saying I’d grown into such a handsome man and that I looked just like my grandfather. Not that I did, in case you were wondering. That was simply another lie to go on top of all the other ones they were spouting.

Hawk stayed quiet for a second. I wish you’d been there.

Why? Willow knew her presence during the meeting wouldn’t have done anyone any good. Indeed, she thought it would have made matters even worse than they already appeared to have been.

Since becoming the undisputed leader of the land, she’d found that people acted weird around her. They either endlessly fawned over her, were overly formal, not letting their guard down for even a second, or were hostile, as if they didn’t believe she’d done anything worthy of being queen.

However, if they’d been worthy of the title they’d have found Val, found the Five Sacred Objects of Hlin, and finally defeated not only the old queen’s armies but also the traitor king. At the very least, they should have freed their people from the oppression they’d been under for generations.

But had any of them?

No.

They were simply disgruntled because they didn’t like answering and obeying an ex-slave who’d done more for them than anyone else.

They were jealous.

What they didn’t know how was how isolating everything she’d been through was, or how awful her life had been before. All they saw was the power and the nice gown and thought, Oh, I could do that, when in reality, they couldn’t. Hell, they wouldn’t want to.

You know how to talk to people. I just...I didn’t know what to say and everything I did say seemed to come out wrong, Hawk said, taking a sip of his wine.

I bet that’s not how it happened. I’d wager good money you were strong in your position. Those people were trying to make you doubt yourself. And when you wouldn’t back down, they lashed out at you. They were most likely angry when you said you wanted nothing to do with them. Willow could piece together the conversation from the little Hawk had said.

"They kept saying that I had to reconsider. That family doesn’t kick out family at the smallest sign of discourse. They kept repeating that as their blood, I owed them.

When I told Gor I didn’t owe anything to the scum who’d turned their backs on my mother and me, I thought he was going to attack. But he came to his senses and only yelled.

Attacking you would have incurred my wrath. I won’t stand for people trying to hurt the ones I love, Willow said mildly, not that she felt anything mild about it. There had been too many narrow escapes in the last year to count and those were from strangers. If Hawk’s grandparents were planning on hurting him, she needed to know to prevent it from occurring.

Don’t worry about Gor and Cindy. Guards escorted them out of the palace with the express order to never return. Samuel promised me his men would turn them away if they tried to get in.

>Good,< Adelina responded, entering the room and going directly to her rug which was right in front of the roaring fire. >I didn’t like the smell of them when I gave them a good sniff.<

When did you have a chance to sniff them? Hawk asked.

>When I caught the man wandering around the halls,< she said, cleaning up and looking perfectly unconcerned with the idea of confronting strangers in the palace. >It was right before you entered the room.<

Did he try to do anything? Willow asked.

>No. That man was too scared to lift a finger against me, not that he’d have use of that finger after dealing with me.<

Willow and Hawk glanced at each other, knowing she was serious. Willow was about to say something about scaring guests when she heard a discrete knock at the door.

Enter, Hawk called as Willow took another sip of her wine.

A young man wearing a servant’s uniform, but who was unfamiliar to Willow, walked in carrying a letter. An urgent missive for Her Majesty, he said after bowing to Willow.

Willow held out her hand. Thank you...?

Baze, ma’am.

Thank you, Baze, Willow said, taking the letter. Who’s it from?

I don’t know, Your Majesty, Baze responded, shifting from one foot to the other.

You may go, Hawk said. Baze bowed again before leaving the room and closing the door. Did you recognize him?

No. Maybe he’s a new apprentice? Willow asked in a distracted voice. There have been a lot of new people about lately, hasn’t there? Willow’s words drifted away as her focus went upon the sealed envelope.

On the front of the envelope was her name written in block letters. The writing reminded her of male Council member’s handwriting on correspondences.

The name of the sender was absent. It should have been on the front, as was customary with letters, for if there was no name or address, how was she to send a response?

On the opposite side of the envelope, where the seal of the sender should have been, which would have included the sender’s coat of arms or at least their initials, there was neither. Instead, there was a piece of wax just big enough to seal the envelope shut.

Strange, Willow muttered, trying to come up with an idea as to why someone wouldn’t put their name or initials on the outside of a letter they were sending.

What is? Hawk asked.

There’s no sender information, she responded. She unsealed the envelope and began to open it.

>Don’t do that!< Adelina suddenly growled. She jumped onto her paws. The hair on her white back stood straight up. She bared her teeth.

What’s wrong? Willow asked, instinctively grabbing Val, who was still beside her.

>Put down that letter.<

Trusting Adelina, Willow reached out, intending to put it down on the table in front of her, when it suddenly burst into flames.

These flames weren’t the familiar red or orange or even white flames she was used to seeing. No, these were black tongues of fire.

Black fire wasn’t natural.

Black fire wasn’t healing.

Black fire was wrong.

>Get us out of here,< Val ordered, but it was too late. The envelope was consumed by the unholy flames, releasing a black smoke which filled the room faster than it should have.

The cloying smoke adhered to every person in the room, choking them. Willow tried to get a breath of clean, pure air, but it was impossible. The black smoke went down her throat, depriving her of the life giving breath she needed.

Willow heard the others coughing and retching.

The last thing Willow remembered hearing before dying was Val yelling for help.

No help ever came.

Chapter 2: Roald and Moir

If anyone had been setting their eyes on Roald Rodhmar for the first time, they’d have seen an average height male with thick muscles, a face which garnered second looks from women, and a healthy tan.

They’d have thought he was a physical laborer, perhaps a blacksmith or a farmer, who had a delicate wife and a house full of children. They’d have believed he doted on his family and would do anything to keep them happy.

They’d have thought he was the salt of the earth, incapable of harming anyone who did him wrong.

A gentle giant of sorts.

A good, gods fearing man.

And they’d have been completely wrong on all accounts.

Roald was not a physical laborer who tilled the fields or a blacksmith working with hot coals and molten metals day in and day out.

Roald did not have a wife or any children. In fact, if any woman had been unfortunate enough to bear him a child, he wouldn’t have hesitated to throw them both out into the cold with nary a second thought.

Roald didn’t like children. He saw them