The Pyre: Feud Trilogy

By Kyle Prue

A sacred law broken. 
Hunters become prey.
No one is safe.

Nikolai Taurlum has killed the Emperor and escaped the walled city of Altryon. The Imperial Squadron is searching the forests outside the wall for the elusive fugitive. But a Venator controls these lands. 

The mighty Venator have super powered senses and a set of iron clad rules. Never kill for sport tops the list. When a member of the Imperial Hunting Squadron unknowingly kills a sacred deer, the hunters will face a far more dangerous enemy than even Nikolai Taurlum.

The Pyre is a novella length prequel to the best selling Feud series. Learn more about your favorite characters or find out why USA Today calls the series "A crackling read."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cartwright Publishing
• Release date: Jan 4, 2018
• ISBN: 9780999444993

Kyle Prue

Kyle Prue is an award winning author, actor and comedian. Kyle wroteThe Sparks: Book One of the Feud Trilogy when he was just 16 years old. The next two books in the series are The Flames and The Ashes. Kyle spent the year before college on a national book tour visiting over 100 middle and high schools and meeting over 80,000 students. Kyle is now a student at the University of Michigan, studying acting and creative writing. He is a popular keynote speaker at conferences and his assemblies are a huge hit with teens. To book an event, email Kyle at [e-mail]. The Sparks has won numerous national and international awards for Best YA Fiction including Presidential Gold Medals from the Florida Authors and Publishers Association;  The Florida Book Festival, New England Book Festival, Midwest Book Festival, Southern California Book Festival, and the International London Book Festival. Kyle also won an International Moonbeam Award and a prestigious Indie Fab award for Best Young Author. Kyle is the founder of Sparking Literacy, a non-profit dedicated to lowering the high school dropout rate by inspiring teens to read, write and follow their dreams. You can learn more at sparkingliteracy.org.

Book preview

The Pyre

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

THE PYRE

First edition. January 4, 2018.

Copyright © 2018 Kyle Prue.

ISBN: 978-0999444993

Written by Kyle Prue.

The Pyre

A Feud Trilogy Novella

Kyle Prue

Contents

The Pyre

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Excerpt from

1. Taurlum Mansion

2. Celerius Estate

3. The Markets

About the Author

Also By Kyle Prue

The Pyre

"The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves."

---

William Penn

1

The Imperial Hunting Squadron rolled into camp around midday. The convoy lurched to a stop and Carlin Filus pressed his hands against the carriage walls to keep from falling. A pound of gold says that Paul has put us in the same tent. Carlin was just a sergeant and technically Anthony Celerius was his superior, so he tried to keep disdain from muddying his voice.

It could be worse, Anthony replied. The cadets are bunked ten per tent.

It’s about respect.

You deserve ten times the respect of a normal soldier? Anthony was smiling slightly, clearly playing games with his subordinate.

Carlin just grunted. I deserve ten times more respect than you, he thought. After all, Carlin’s father had just become the most powerful man in the realm. They shouldered their way out of the carriage and covered their eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight. They were used to living in a walled city where great stretches of the landscape were covered in shadows, including the outpost where they spent most of their time.

Paul Blackmore, their guide, stood at the entrance to the camp with his arms spread open. His ashen hair and beard shone in the sunlight. Your papers are waiting in your tents, he said.

Carlin narrowed his eyes as he registered Paul’s telltale sway, despite the drunk’s efforts to stand tall. The General, Steven Celerius, wouldn’t like it. Right on cue, the man exited his carriage and stepped onto the dirt road. I see you’ve been indulging yourself, the General said.

Paul’s face turned defiant, I did my job. He turned and marched off, his cape barely covering his trousers and stained undershirt, clearly out of military dress code.

Carlin brushed past Anthony to address the assembled troops. The men stood at attention in neat orderly rows. Whenever he spoke to the cadets, Carlin rolled up his sleeve to expose his tattoo, which read IHS in black block lettering. This was an honor provided to the primary hunters in the Imperial Hunting Squadron: Carlin Filus, Paul Blackmore, Anthony Celerius and his uncle, General Steven Celerius. They had one more member, Virgil, a boy adopted from a village called Brightbow, but he’d been left to train at Anthony’s estate. On this mission, two units of military cadets accompanied the main members, but on less important days it was just the tattooed IHS hunting alone.

Listen up men, Carlin demanded. Ten of you will hunt to refresh our food and water reserves. The other ten will tend to the horses and unload the carriages.

The men saluted, but before they could walk off Carlin grabbed one man by the shoulder. I’d like you to bring me back an animal, he said. To my personal tent.

He could tell that the soldier was trying not to recoil. It will be done, sir.

He knew that they hated his habits, but he had to make himself comfortable while away from Altryon, the city he called home. As the men dispersed, he walked through camp after his superiors. As he’d suspected, he was rooming with Anthony Celerius, his old rival. What do the papers say? Carlin asked as he entered the tent and removed his sword and armor.

Anthony flipped through the files that Paul had compiled.

Nikolai was supposedly spotted in the area and we are to fan out and search the forests for him. The Emperor’s orders stipulate that we are not allowed to hear his case or listen to testimony. He is to be killed on sight. He flipped another page. Wine stain…. he mumbled, trying to discern the words beneath the soiled area. He might have grown a beard to cover his face, but his size will give him away.

Carlin growled in frustration. Briefings on Nikolai Taurlum were always like this. They were vague and unlikely to yield any results. Unfortunately, Nikolai was the Empire’s number one target and every sighting had to be taken seriously. After all, he’d assassinated Carlin’s grandfather, the old Emperor. All the stops had been pulled out again. The seriousness of the mission had been reinforced by the presence of General Celerius. Carlin didn’t know why, but the sound of Anthony flipping pages made him equally as upset.

Carlin stripped down to his undershirt and pants and then waited impatiently for the men to return with his prize. Anthony meditated and wrote correspondence when he was bored, but Carlin just stewed. Until the men returned with an animal for him, he’d be without an activity to