Touchstone

By Sonia Orin Lyris

Thrust into palace life and brutal royal intrigue, two young brothers must find a bell in order to survive.

 

The right bell. The silver bell. Somewhere in this huge, sprawling palace.

 

Touchstone is a prequel to The Seer—a story about power, magic, and loyalty.

 

Also be sure to pick up Unmoored, the first of The Stranger trilogy, and a sequel to The Seer.
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Knotted Road Press
• Release date: Jul 7, 2020
• ISBN: 9781644701683

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Touchstone

Touchstone

Sonia Orin Lyris

Knotted Road Press

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Touchstone

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Touchstone

Pohut’s younger brother was trembling.

It’s all right, Innel, Pohut whispered to him, though he wasn’t at all certain that it was. Why were they here, waiting for an audience with the king? What was expected of them?

Now, came the sharp voice of the king’s pinched-faced seneschal, who pushed the two boys through an opening door.

Inside the room, Pohut struggled not to be distracted by the bright maps on the walls. Before him was the king of the empire, sitting behind a large desk, staring directly at them. In the months they’d lived in the palace with their mother and little sister Cahlen, this was the first time they had been in the monarch’s presence.

Innel was already dropping to his knees, grabbing Pohut’s hand to tug him down. Pohut went down fast, too fast, wincing at the pain as his knees hit the floor. Both boys touched their foreheads to the wood at the same time.

You may stand, said the seneschal. When they did not move, he said their names, and then again. This time it was Pohut who drew Innel to his feet.

Come closer, said the king.

He seemed so large, the king. Which made sense, because the Arunkel empire was huge. Pohut knew how huge, too, because before his father had become a general, he had been a mapmaker.

The brothers shuffled forward hesitantly, stopping when the seneschal held up a hand.

Restarn esse Arunkel, Pohut mouthed silently.

Restarn who is the Empire.

The door shut behind them. The sound echoed.

Do you know why you’re here? asked the king.

No, Your Royal Majesty, Pohut whispered, wondering if he’d used the right form of address. He could not seem to think. Tense, he swallowed.

Your family has been here since—when? Spring? Not quite a half year, then.

Yes, Sire, Pohut answered uncertainly.

Spring. When they had last seen their father.

You’ll live in the palace, their father had told them after reading the king’s letter. While I go off and take care of this little problem for His Royal Majesty. He had smiled at them, but to Pohut it had seemed forced.

Their mother had looked around the front room of their home. It was early spring and outside the river valley’s breezes smelled like life. Why can’t we stay here, Pewyan? Why must we leave at all?

It is the king’s will, Neleva, his father had said. To see to it that you’re all well cared for. And we can hardly say no. In any case…the palace! He smiled wide. Don’t you want to see why they call it the Jewel of the Empire?

Pohut remembered how eagerly he and his brother had nodded.

You’ll study hard, his father had told them. Make me proud. When I come back, oh, the celebration we’ll have!

Just before he’d left, he’d given Pohut a serious look, hands on his shoulders. Take care of your mother and brother and baby Cahlen for me. Yes?

Yes, papa.

His father had kissed him on the forehead and had left.

And so the family had packed, arranged for the garden, goats, and sheep to be looked after. It was an ache to leave home, to say goodbye to his father, but…the palace! They smiled bravely and let the king’s men take them from the only home they’d ever known to the teeming capital city, where the Jewel of the Empire glittered pink and white in the sun, massive and sprawling.

"What have you learned,