Keeper of Desire: A Fatal Empire Short: Fatal Empire

By Jacquelyn Smith

Can a mere mortal outwit a goddess? Even now, as I wonder how many heartbeats I have left in my body, I do not know.

How much power does a prophecy carry in an empire where deadly politics and intrigue reign supreme, and gods are denied as superstition? The fate of those I love most hinges on such questions.

For good or ill, I have tried my best to make the path set out before me my own...

The choices of Raziel's mother Moriah continue to weave her son's destiny in this short story prequel from the vividly rendered Fatal Empire fantasy series by the author of the World of Lasniniar series, Jacquelyn Smith.

(This adventure takes place before Keeper of Secrets, the first book in the Fatal Empire series, and is a follow-up to "Keeper of Prophecy.")

• Language: English
• Publisher: WaywardScribe Press
• Release date: Dec 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9781778880681

Jacquelyn Smith

Jacquelyn Smith writes both epic and intrigue-based fantasy, and mysteries that range from cozy to kick-ass, with independent, strong-willed heroes, in search of their place in the world. These heroes take the problems they face seriously (but never themselves), and are supported by unlikely friendships they forge along the way. Jacquelyn is the author of the World of Lasniniar epic fantasy series, the Fatal Empire fantasy intrigue series, the kick-ass Kira Brightwell mysteries, and the Mackenzie Quinn Canadian cozy mysteries. (She originally published several of the early Kira Brightwell titles under the pen name Kat Irwin, before killing Kat off to eliminate the many awkward questions about having a second identity.) When spending time in the real world, Jacquelyn lives on the suburban outskirts of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with her husband, Mark, and their feline owner, Xena, who is definitely a warrior princess. To learn more, visit: JacquelynSmithBooks.com

Book preview

Keeper of Desire

Keeper of Desire

A FATAL EMPIRE SHORT

JACQUELYN SMITH

WAYWARDSCRIBE PRESS

Keeper of Desire: A Fatal Empire Short

Copyright © 2023 Jacquelyn Smith

Published by WaywardScribe Press

Cover and layout copyright © Jacquelyn Smith

Cover design by Jacquelyn Smith/WaywardScribe Press

Cover art copyright © Tudorpopaart/Dreamstime

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. All rights reserved. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Contents

Keeper of Desire

A Visitor’s Guide to the Dharakmeni Empire

A Note from Jacquelyn

About Jacquelyn Smith

Keeper of Desire

Can a mere mortal outwit a goddess? Even now, as I wonder how many heartbeats I have left in my body, I do not know. I was once told by a high priest that we are not simply pawns, to be moved around on a board by unseen hands. And yet, that same priest also told me something of the goddess’s plan that would be fulfilled through me. For good or ill, I have tried my best to make the path set out before me my own. As the daughter of Ayla and Kezia, I could do no less. Still, what my long-departed mothers would make of my current situation, I had no idea. Perhaps I would ask them when I joined them at the Keeper of Eternity’s side.

As I left the temple of the Keeper of Secrets—the Veiled Huntress aspect of the goddess devoted to assassins, thieves, and spies—I knew something was wrong. The nighttime streets of the Imperial City were silent. This was to be expected. Even the most drunken noble revelers had retreated either to their beds or someone else’s for the night. Only the patrolling city guards and those of us sworn to the Veiled Huntress were about on our business at that hour.

A sudden wave of disorientation struck me as I moved through the winding, shadowed side-streets on padded feet. The cool evening air suddenly felt stifling. My scalp prickled beneath the hood of my cloak, and for a moment, I stumbled, leaning against the coarse, brick wall of a nearby building. Even though all my finely-honed senses told me I was alone, my heart hammered in my chest. Its drumming filled my ears. I blinked as a wave of nausea twisted my guts, enhancing the ammonia stink from where someone had used the alley to relieve themselves, until it was all I could smell. I swallowed hard as my mouth went dry and forced myself to focus.

Poison. It had to be.

But which one? In the treacherous Dharakmeni Empire, there are many concoctions used to dispatch the rivals of other noble houses and clans. I was neither—an orphaned half-blood, born of a pureblooded Abrieli noble and his common-born concubine. But I was sworn to the Keeper of Secrets. Even among my own kind, trust is rare. Many—if not most—of the Veiled Huntress’s servants are bound by a magical geas to serve the whims of a noble master. I am one of the few who have never been fettered. Even those who were my training partners or allies among the goddess’s acolytes might not have a true will of their own, without anyone else being the wiser.

I knew it didn’t matter who had done the deed. I had more important matters to consider.

Out of long-ingrained habit and training, I checked my fingertips first. While nausea, a racing heart, and disorientation were the symptoms of many poisons—poisons that usually had antidotes—there was one that was always fatal.

I tilted my upturned hands toward the sliver of