Demons of Falajen: Sethi's Song, #2

By Ginger Salazar and Jasmine Shouse

An escalating war, a missing Empress, and a devastating family secret. What Brisethi Sen Asel wants more than anything in the world is an end to the war. When she is sent to a nearby country to secure an unprecedented alliance, what she finds will shake her entire world perception.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Natural Selection
• Release date: Dec 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386453215

Ginger Salazar

Halfway through my 9 years of Target logistics, I woke up one morning from an adventurous dream. After ten years of writing that dream in various revisions and re-writes; after joining the Navy and meeting Jasmine Shouse while stationed in Hawaii who had offered to help me write my latest revised edition; she helped me bring my dream to reality. I hope you will take a moment to check out our series, Sethi's Song.

Book preview

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DEMONS OF FALAJEN

Sethi’s Song - BOOK 2

By Ginger Salazar and Jasmine Shouse

Cover art designed by Ginger Salazar, edited by Jasmine Shouse

Copyright 2018 Ginger Salazar, Jasmine Shouse

Sethi’s Song:

Spirits of Falajen

Demons of Falajen

Table of Contents

People and Places

Map

Prologue

Part I: Theory of Shadows

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Part II: Theory of Allies

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Part III: Theory of Demons

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

About the Authors

Acknowledgements

People and Places

PLACES:

Beccilia (BEH-sill-ee-ah)

Essenar (Eh-seh-NAHR)

Falajen (Fah-LAH-jen)

Lantheus (LAN-thee-uhs)

Micinity (MIH-sin-ih-tee)

Pahl’Kiar (Pal KEE-ahr)

Resarian (Ri-SAHR-ee-ahn)

Res’Baveth (REZ-BAH-vehth)

Sariadne (SAHR-ee-ad-nay)

Trycinea (TRY-sin-ee-ah)

Vipurg (VYE-puhrg)

PEOPLE:

Aderok Simtel (AHD-er-ahk SIM-tehl) Kiaran Navy officer, Ekani’s childhood friend

Antuni Crommik (Ahn-TOON-ee Crohm-ik) Resarian Dominion Navy enlisted, Etyne’s childhood friend

Arquistas Nal Enan (Ahr-KEY-stahs NAHL EE-nahn) Resarian Emperor of Sariadne

Baljien Renast (BAHL-ghi-ehn Rin-NAHST) Resarian Dominion Navy chief

Brannod Cullen (BRAN-nehd CUL-in) Resarian Dominion Navy officer, DSV Rogue

Brisethi Sen Asel (BRI-seth-ee Sen AH-sell) Resarian Dominion officer, daughter of Naiana and Tirinnus

Cayne Zyfel (Kain Zai-FEHL) Resarian Dominion Navy department head, DSV Vengeance

Colonel Kolden (KOHL-den) Lantheun Colonel, father of Dustyn and Praeses

Daren Ashoni (Deh-rehn Ash-oh-NEE) Lantheun prince, son of King Ashoni

Deseria Holt (Deh-SEHR-ee-yah Hohlt) Resarian Dominion Army officer, DSV Rogue

Drego (Drae-go) Lantheun national

Dustyn Kolden (Dust-in KOHL-den) Lantheun Army captain

Ekani Vorsen (EE-kah-nee VOR-sehn) Kiaran Ambassador, Simtel’s childhood friend

Etyne Vorsen (EE-tine VOR-sehn) Resarian Dominion Army officer, Crommik's childhood friend

Fe’ara (FAY-ar-ah) Kiaran militant

Gerad (Jeh-ruhd) Senior enslisted of the Resarian Dominion Army detachment, DSV Rogue

Ibrienne Sestas (EE-bree-ehn SEHS-tahs) Former Resarian Dominion enlisted, orphaned and exiled

Jiridian Vorsen (JIHR-ih-dee-ahn VOR-sehn) Ekani’s and Etyne’s Kiaran father

Jenibel Teer (|Jen-ee-BEHL Teer) Resarian Dominion Army officer, DSV Rogue

Kajie Sojen (Kay-GHI Soh-GEHN) Beccilian activist

Kanilas Trenn (KAH-ni-lahs TREHN) Former Resarian Dominion enlisted, exiled, influential activist

Korteni Pyraz (CORE-tehn-ee PEYE-raz) Resarian Dominion Navy enlisted, close friend of Brisethi

Livian Reej (LIHV-ee-ahn REEJ) Resarian Dominion Army officer, orphaned

Maerc Nessel (MAYRC NEH-sehl) Resarian Dominion Navy officer

Milia Kon (MIHL-ee-ah KAHN) Resarian Ambassador

Perrit (Pehr-it) Senior enlisted of the Resarian Dominion Navy, DSV Rogue

Praeses Kolden (PRAY-sees Kohl-den) Lantheun, sister of Captain Dustyn Kolden

Rekina Ashoni (Reh-KEE-nah Ash-oh-NEE) Daughter of Lantheun King Ashoni

Rishard (Ri-SHARD) Enlisted member, DSV Rogue

Roz (RAHZ) Resarian Acolyte

Saminon Rite (SAM-ee-nun Rite) Emperor of the Aspion Empire, Beccilian capital

Sentiar Asellunas (SEHN-tee-tahr AH-sell-loon-ahs) Ancient emperor, founder of the Dominion

Sulica Nin (SUHL-ih-kah NIHN) Former Resarian Dominion enlisted, exiled

Tirinnis Sen Asel (Tihr-UHN-uhs Sen AH-sell) Resarian Dominion Navy Admiral, father of Brisethi

Tuvalyn Bryns (TWO-vahl-in BREENS) Kiaran Marine Officer

Yulana Terrez (YOU-la-nah TER-ehz) Resarian Dominion Navy junior officer

Vimbultinir Shani (Vim-BUHL-tih-NEER SHAH-nee) Kiaran Emperor

-:- -:- -:-

-:- -:- -:-

It is not my intention to evade this world...But I will strive to create my own, she proclaimed.

You are a Sen Asel, the descendant of the last Warlord, Sentiar Asellunas. You will convey more eminence for Sariadne than the spirits that lived before you. Summon the stars from the skies to descend upon your adversaries.

-:- -:- -:-

Prologue

The shadows were long and heavy, but the light was dim, as though someone had thrown a sheet over both of the moons. Cold gripped at her heart, threatening to freeze her where she stood. The overcoat Sulica had given her did little good to keep her body from shaking, but she paid no heed to the force of the elements.

Focused only on the shapes in the distance, she pushed her weary body to step forward again and again. It should have felt like agony. Her nerves prickled with the sense of another’s presence, something she hadn’t felt since leaving the city of Pahl’Kiar behind. A strange, grim light suddenly appeared, and her head rose involuntarily to inspect it.

She could barely make out the objects casting their shadows at her, so large their shapes, but their presence was forceful.

The other presence, the non-light, seemed to hiss and shrink back from her side. As it drew away, her spirit stirred in its dreary slumber, its curse momentarily lifted. A slight, inviting warmth drew her further into the light. She took a breath, and it felt like breaking through the surface of the water after a deep dive.

Then it all went dark.

Who is she? Emira asked, the accusation barely hidden from her voice.

"What is she?" a little voice spoke up from the side of the room.

Emira gave a pointed look to her husband, clearly wondering how he was going to answer their son.

Virdani glared briefly at Emira before crossing the room to the sheepish looking boy. He grabbed his father’s hand and followed back to where the woman lay on the couch. She was collapsed on the road, looked like she was having a fit.

The boy’s parents moved closer together and started arguing. He knew better than to pay attention to them. Instead, he walked closer to the stranger, noticing her pale, sallow skin and shaky breaths, but her hair was shiny, frosted by the cold. A movement made him start and catch his breath.

He peered closer, waiting for it to happen again. There! He hadn’t imagined it.

Dadi, he called out, not daring to take his eyes away in case it happened again. They ignored him, still arguing about the danger of bringing strange people home. Dadi! he said louder.

This time his parents paused. Virdani asked what his son wanted of him.

She’s, the boy paused, unsure of how to describe what he saw, flickering. Emira and Virdani hurried to his side, Emira pulling the boy away.

Virdani stared at the woman’s face, waiting. As he watched the body, it began to lose what color remained and disappear, reappearing just as quickly. Still, the woman did not wake. Virdani’s eyes met his wife’s, which were full of unease.

Emira pulled her son away from the unconscious form. Bedtime, she said, trying to keep her voice light. Get her out of here, she hissed to Virdani when the boy was out of earshot before following him out of the room.

The man sighed and regarded the pale woman again. Some color had returned to her form, and the flickering stopped. He glanced at the back of the house where the others retreated. After opening the door to go back outside, he scooped up the woman and carried her out of the house, shutting the door with his foot. With another furtive look in the direction of the bedrooms, Virdani walked to a shed on the edge of the property, noticing how easy it was to carry the very thin woman.

Carefully balancing her, he opened the door to the shed and lay her down again. He dug around for some spare blankets, shook them of the dust and wood particles outside before covering the stranger with them. It’s not much, he said, not even sure if she could hear him, but it’s better than nothing.

He shut the door behind him and trekked back to the family home, his wife none the wiser. When he returned in the morning to check on the stranger, she was gone.

Part I - Theory of Shadows

Chapter I

The crew of the DSV Rogue hadn’t seen the sun for days, blocked as it was by the threatening thunderclouds which seemed to stretch out forever as they approached the dreary continent. The constant storms alone were said to keep sailors of every nation away from the wretched land, but the Dominion saw it as just another challenge for their sailors and soldiers to overcome.

Ships built and powered by mystics withstood the violent storms and tidal waves that surrounded the Gray. Still, the only sailors allowed to be on topdeck during gale force wind conditions were those who could manipulate the wind and water to keep them safe. Shield summoners such as Etyne Vorsen were tasked to fortify the structural integrity of the hull and the masts. Nothing was left to chance.

First Lieutenant Jenibel Teer of the Dominion Army readied her wind mystics for the oncoming tidal wave. The natural winds pushed at the Rogue and wanted to tip it over, but, feet planted firmly on the deck, she balanced the sails with her own pressurized air. The old frigate creaked threateningly, but she and the rest of the crew trusted their shield summoners to strengthen the frame.

At the bow of the ship stood Lieutenant Brannod Cullin of the Dominion Navy, concentrating on calming the wave before him. He knew he would be unable to stop the wave completely, but he could at least use his mystics to take away the water directly ahead of them. His tall form shifted slightly in the wind, and a hole formed in the center of the tidal wave. The small yet tough frigate remained upright and safe as Brannod’s break in the massive wave allowed it safe passage.

Wooooo! Fine work, LT! Jenibel shouted. It only took a few seconds to pass through the wave, but she marveled at the swirls of salt water surrounding the ship. Moments later, the storm was behind them, leaving gray clouds as the only indication of the tempest that had engulfed them shortly before. The alert was lifted as the rest of the crew made their way to the main deck.

Army Captain Deseria Holt climbed from the ladderwell to join her shipmates. Her eyes set on the mass starting to appear before them. She called to the others and interrupted the bickering to say, Shut up, all of you. We’re here.

Oh shit! Master Chief Perrit exclaimed. The land looks more black today than gray.

That’s not what it usually looks like? asked one of their newest sailors to the ship, Petty Officer First Class Rishard Osel.

Perrit shook his head. But this is only my second time. Brannod has been here twice already.

It’s the ladies’ first time here as well, and the XO’s, Brannod sneered and glanced back at their executive officer, Army Major Etyne Vorsen.

Etyne was about to speak when the ship was struck by something beneath the water. The Rogue jolted, challenging the crew to stay on their feet. Even the more experienced sailors had to grab a hold of some kind of gear to brace themselves against the impact.

What the fuck is that! Rishard shouted as he glanced over the side, holding onto the railing so tightly that his dark knuckles turned two shades lighter.

When the others found their footing on the deck they peeked over where Rishard was facing.

Ah, we named her Sarina, Brannod said, a note of admiration in his voice as he peered at the creature below.

The dark sea monster had twelve tentacles as long as the ship’s masts. Her head alone was the size of their watercrafts. The gunner’s mates were quick to fire warning shots in the direction of the creature in an attempt to scare it away. It was never the Dominion’s intention to slaughter the demon creatures of the Gray, only to survive them.

You guys named this creepy demon octopus after the Admiral of the Navy? Etyne asked and leaned over the railing for a better look.

She’s a dodecapus, Seh! Jenibel corrected with a grin.

Have you ever seen Admiral Onilak pissed off, Sir? Brannod asked with a sly look in his eye.

Etyne shook his head. She always seemed pleasant to me. The sailors all laughed while the small detachment of soldiers remained clueless. Even Deseria, who had been on more Navy assignments than Army, never understood why they named her after the graceful admiral. Oh, Etyne said in sudden comprehension, that must be why you’re still a Lieutenant. The soldiers lost their composure, and even several of the sailors sniggered behind their hands.

The DSV Rogue approached the land and anchored far enough away to avoid the threat of low tide. Deck sailors lowered light watercrafts with the elite forces on board. Captain Bian Maxertin remained on his ship with just an essential crew to allow his executive officer to experience first-hand how to lead two platoons in the Gray.

Oh fuck! Rishard exclaimed, looking in the water, suddenly questioning if he should have taken the assignment in the first place. What are those? Etyne followed the man’s gaze and observed the swarm of terrorizing fish with fangs and claws.

Dammit, man, we ain’t scientists. Not everything has a name. Perrit pushed an oar at Rishard. Just shut up and enjoy the view.

Etyne remained stone-faced among his squadron of forty sailors and soldiers for now. He had no idea what to expect since it was largely believed that creatures of the Gray died within fifty years and took the form of some new creature with a demon soul. His gaze returned to the beach covered in black sand, igneous rocks jutting out at random intervals. Shadows swarmed in and out of the fog and clouds. Shivers crept up his spine at what could possibly await them on land.

The squadron disembarked on the beach and upended the boats to keep them from drifting out. Etyne jumped in surprise and fell backwards into the sea when a spider bigger than his head skated across the sand towards him.

Deseria and Jenibel doubled over with laughter while Rishard joined Etyne in the ocean, making a show out of helping the XO find his land legs. He kept a sharp eye out for anymore crawly creatures, though.

You were on land for all of ten seconds, sir! Deseria teased, holding her side.

When the two men noticed the horrifying fish slinking towards them, they were quick to exit the water, clambering onto the black beach. Etyne missed his mystics already.

Jenibel used her sword to shoo away the few spiders gathering around them. We got two yeahs o’ this, boys and girls!

When everyone regained their composure and had hoisted rucks on their backs, Etyne led the squadron inland, directly away from the Rogue. With no map, compass, or mystics at their disposal, they set off to explore the Gray and survive the demons.

-:- -:- -:-

Always waiting for the night. Night was safer. Less light meant less chance of getting called out. And, so long as he avoided fights, Kanilas wouldn’t be tempted to use his mystic.

For several years, he used his experience from working with Sulica and her father to hide among the Lantheuns. He took on odd jobs for a while, posing as a Beccillian immigrant. It allowed him to hide his accent and explained the tanned skin tone until it faded some. He stayed as quiet as possible initially, listening to the dock workers and sailors from around the area, trying to pick out the Lantheun words and accent. The inn where he stayed was close to the dock as well and had a tavern next door. Some nights Kanilas would have a quiet drink and continue his observations.

On one particularly hot summer evening, the crowd got a little rowdy. Before he could slip away, Kanilas was grabbed up by someone he recognized as a regular. The man’s breath betrayed the copious amount of alcohol he’d consumed, and Kanilas said so, trying out the new accent. For his trouble, Kanilas was given a permanent reminder of his outsider status, a cut on his top lip that, when it was healed, pulled on his face, giving him a permanent sneer.

Before it could go any further, a fire mysteriously started and quickly grew out of control. With everyone coughing from the smoke and evacuating the building, Kanilas was able to sneak out back to his room at the inn. The next day, he checked out and moved away from the docks, further into the city, afraid they’d somehow discern the use of mystics.

He found his next job at a construction site, where he made sure to stay far away from any demolition crews. When the foreman sent him to the site for the first time, Kanilas had to keep himself from openly laughing. The ground around the site was still blackened from Sen Asel’s mad escape, a testament to the strength of her power. The remains of the building had been cleared away long before Kanilas was brought on the crew, but no work had been done nearly four years later.

He prowled around the area, surveying the lasting damage.

Whachu doin’ there? someone called out in the Lantheun lower district dialect.

Kanilas looked up to see a man approaching him, one that could have easily put the brawling dock worker to shame. The man’s small eyes were narrowed in a glare. Gettin’ ready to work, Kanilas said.

The other man took a moment, sizing up the smaller man. Finally, he shrugged one shoulder and said gruffly, Guess you’ll do. He pointed to the edge of the property where a group was setting up the construction fencing, barring any unauthorized persons from the site. Talk ter Drego. He’ll getcha set up.

Kanilas approached the designated area, plastering an unconcerned look on his face despite the unwelcoming glares from most of the others. Which of yous is Drego?

A man, younger than he expected, nodded at him. He greeted the stranger with a sideways grin. Come on, laddies, foreman’s givin’ us new blood to spill. He laughed heartily at his own joke, breaking the tension with some of the other men.

Kanilas mimicked the action the foreman had used on him. Wouldn’t be the first time someone tried. He paused, trying to figure out the best way to proceed. Wouldn’t be the first time someone succeeded either.

The other men guffawed, one of them slapping him on the back. Kanilas had made the correct assessment - the key to this group was to not be weak, but not threaten Drego’s dominance either.

Drego was not the largest man on the crew by any means. But he was the cleverest and got along with the others easily. His charming smile and specially styled hair, sun-streaked from working so long outdoors won over nearly anyone he came across. As it turned out, he knew the ins and outs of the city better than most. He knew the best bars, the best food, and, so he claimed, the best companions.

The men in Drego’s team lived by a firm belief in working hard and playing just as hard afterwards. Kanilas tried to observe from the outskirts, but Drego insisted on dragging him right along with the rest. You’re much too serious, Kani, Drego would often say. You’d spend less if you were a likeable sort, he’d add with a wink.

Someone’s got ter keep the rest o’ us outter trouble, another of the crew chimed in, nearly spilling his drink.

The tavern was modest, full of good ale and better ale-drinkers. The barmaids were not the wenches Kanilas had seen down by the docks, but rather clean young women, able to actually afford the blush and liner to make them appear all the more attractive to the working men who came in to celebrate the end of shift.

Kanilas often found himself actually enjoying the nights out on the town. There’s something t’ be said of good, honest work, he said aloud one night.

Drego thrust his mug in the air. I’ll drink to that! he replied loudly, and the others followed suit.

A few hours later, Kanilas half-carried a stumbling Drego out of the bar, grinning as Drego launched half-hearted insults to the rest of the crew strung out along the road ahead of them. Have yur sister visit me sometime, Lirien, Drego slurred.

The man ahead of him waved him off and called back, Yer face!

Exactly! He laughed boisterously, clapping Kanilas’s shoulder to keep from falling as Lirien and his companions rounded the corner ahead.

Kanilas grinned and pulled at Drego’s weight when he felt it slow down. Come on, mate, get home ‘fore you pass out.

Suddenly, Kanilas was pushed to the side of the building, face forced against the siding with his arm twisted behind him. He tensed, the cool vinyl immediately sobering him up. Drego? he asked cautiously.

I dug around about you when you joined the crew, he heard Drego’s familiar smooth voice say, none of the previous inebriation present. He winced a little as Drego pulled on the arm when Kanilas tried to move. "Thing is, mate, no one heard of you before a couple years ago. That means, you’re a ghost," he whispered.

Kanilas weighed his options quickly. Drego’s head was right next to his ear. A well-timed headbutt could get him loose. But then he’d be hunted, and everything he had been working on would be set back. He remained still instead, waiting to see how the scene played out.

Drego seemed to expect Kanilas to make a move or say something. When he didn’t, the other man laughed auidbly. Lucky for you, I’m in need of a ghost. He let go, allowing Kanilas to turn and face him where he was greeted with an impish and sinister grin.

Never fucking trust a Lantheun, Kanilas reminded himself.

Chapter II

Months went by as the crew battled gruesome creatures with wings or claws, tentacles or pincers. Some even had all of the horrifying traits. With every man and woman still alive and intact, they pressed on deeper into the continent.

I’m so sick of eating ration bars. Isn’t there anything edible on this sickening continent? Rishard pouted at the clay-like crumbly rectangle in his hand.

Well, we can either hunt demon birds or demon fish, Deseria suggested.

They looked up when they thought they heard seabirds flying nearby, hopeful for dinner. As the creatures flew closer down to them, however, they saw that the so-called birds had bat wings, and their talons were bigger than the hands of the men.

The demon birds multiplied and began to swarm the crew. Sailors and soldiers loaded their light bowguns while Jenibel readied her net. Rishard sighed, putting away the ration bar, and picked up his bowgun. Demon birds, it is, he muttered.

The crew marched on through that evening, slightly more energized from actual meat, even if it tasted peculiar and gamey.

Ah, there it is, Brannod halted before the valley.

Valley of the Forgotten, Perrit quietly muttered.

Etyne stared in awe at what looked less like a valley and more like a mile-wide crater. Like the rest of the continent, the ground was gray, dried mud, with occasional piles of black sand scattered around, almost as an afterthought. Hovering above the land as if they were anchored, were a few dozen dark skeletal spirits. Scattered evenly apart, they towered nearly twenty feet and swayed slightly in the breeze.

Who...? Etyne couldn’t register the rest of his voice.

Some say t’ey are te fallen Kiarans at te inception of te Dominion, Sergeant First Class Gerad informed them.

While others say they’re the tortured divine spirits that never make it to the Sea of Renewal, Brannod added.

Whispers of an ancient language flooded their minds the further they walked through the valley. They were careful not to disturb the incorporeal skeletons. A single touch would send their own spirits into a moment of torment and despair.

A sudden burst of wind caused a few of the skeletal spirits to lean far back, and an arm of one brushed Etyne’s shoulder. There was a second of complete silence. Then the pain hit. Etyne shouted in agony as his spirit relived the moment it had reclaimed Brisethi’s soul. His vessel fell to his knees in near paralyzation, but his soul desperately wanted to flee. The internal conflict felt like a physical tear to his being. In his mind, he witnessed the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Kiarans and Resarians on Sariadne when they initially began the War of Eras. The pain from each fallen soldier before their spirit was severed from the vessel ripped through his own body like needles stabbing him endlessly.

Deseria and Jenibel quickly dragged Etyne as far as they could away from any of the skeletons. Even as the two women worked to restore his spirit without the use of mystics, Rishard and the others defended their group from unusually large serpents slithering their way, woken from their eerie slumber by Etyne’s hysterics.

All three serpents were at least thirty feet in length with skulls bigger than any human’s head. With rifles, pistols and arrows at the ready, the squadron fired warning shots near the serpents. Each one hissed and displayed their fangs, nearly a foot long. Rishard withdrew his rapier, preparing to pierce through the thick scales of one, initially aiming to only slightly wound it, but he mentally planned how to escalate the attack if needed. When he thrust the weapon at the nearest serpent, the sword dropped from the impact of pain in his thumb and wrist. It was like stabbing a brick wall.

Others took turns firing their rifles, the only weapon able to draw blood from the thick-skinned beasties. A serpent shrieked when it was pierced by an elongated bullet from the Dominion’s newest rifles. They whipped their tails at the men and women before slithering away, leaving a trail of indigo blood in their wake.

The crewmen who were violently pushed by the tails struggled to find their feet. Dazed, they took a moment to steady themselves then scouted ahead for signs of any more of the bloodthirsty creatures.

Etyne finally stopped groaning, and his eyes shot open. He pressed his hands against his head to alleviate the pounding before rolling onto his hands and knees. Briefly, he glanced around, taking in the surroundings and realized they were still near the Valley of the Forgotten. Why haven’t we left here? he asked. His voice came out hoarse.

Brannod shared a look with Perrit. You were only out for two minutes, sir. Although I know you felt as if you were out for weeks.

-:- -:- -:

Run! Go! Go! Go!

A lanky man with a mop of hair the color of wet clay pulled ahead of the others, heartened by the cheers and finished the race with a final burst of speed. Several of the other trainees rushed up to the racers as they crossed the line, shouting gleefully and congratulating the man.

Sulica observed the celebrating group from a distance. Even the losing racers grudgingly joined. She walked up, mostly unnoticed. When she reached the man, he grinned happily. Did you see it, Miss Nin?

She nodded, unable to keep the small smile from her mouth. Congrats, Kalvyn. She leaned in to make sure he didn’t miss her words. Next time, do it without your mystics.

Kalvyn’s eyes widened, and he had the decency to look sheepish as she turned and headed away from the training grounds, nodding in greeting to the trainees she passed along the way.

The palace had a soft golden look to it in the late afternoon sun. It appeared warm and inviting, yet Sulica couldn’t bring herself to enter the stone halls. She let her mind wander, allowing her thoughts to linger on the newer trainees. Several months had passed since the rescue operation that liberated Ibrienne, Kalvyn, and two others, but it felt like ages. The three remaining Resarians recovered from the ordeal quicker than expected. Kalvyn attributed it to Ibrienne constantly trying to surreptitiously heal them while they’d been in captivity. She had kept them alive, even while her own body endured so much.

Sulica found herself on the patio overlooking the wide garden. With a sigh, she leaned on the rail instead of sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs that somehow still always felt threadbare. Exiled from her nation for her reprehensible crimes against Dominion comrades, Pahl’Kiar had to become her home. Ambassador Ekani Vorsen and Military Advisor Aderok Simtel were the only ones she could consider companions. A decade ago, she wouldn’t have considered the possibility of any of her country’s adversaries being acquaintances, let alone friends. At one time, Sulica had stupidly regarded her loyalties to the Dominion above all else. Due to unfathomable circumstances, she befriended most Kiarans that worked with her, but she couldn’t even guarantee their motives to be sincere since she’d been purchased to be used against her own kin.

If these last few years are any indication what it’s like to live a thousand years, I’d rather have been born Kiaran, she said aloud to herself.

I know we’re better, but you wouldn’t really want that, teased a familiar voice behind her.

Sulica inhaled sharply and turned around. Aderok stood before her, still dressed in the elegant uniform of the Kiaran Navy. He held his arms outstretched and gave a lopsided grin. What, no hug?

Rolling her eyes, she wrapped her arms around him briefly. His pupiless eyes glinted mischievously as she pulled away. What are you doing here? she asked, I thought you were on assignment to Beccilia.

I was. Then I was recalled. A shadow passed over his face. Dark times lie ahead, my lady. Her puzzled look made him elaborate further. Movements are happening that aren’t supposed to. Shipments aren’t reaching destinations, even people have disappeared without a trace.

In Becillia?

Everywhere.

She felt a chill come over her, and she glanced towards the corner garden gate where she’d last seen Ibrienne. Have you seen Ekani yet? When he shook his head, she said, Let’s go find him then. He’ll be thrilled to see you.

Great, we can get some food!

They found Ekani just past the hallway that led to the training grounds. Sulica had to call his name twice to get his attention. At first, he waved without looking, which earned another eye roll from Sulica. She looked at Aderok and shrugged. Your turn.

Aderok walked silently towards Ekani, a difficult feat in Aderok’s shiny dress shoes. He tapped one shoulder of the other man, then ducked to the other side.

Ekani turned, confused for a moment before it dawned on him. Hey! They