Read Keeper: First Ordinance, Book 2 Online
Authors: Connie Suttle
Keeper: First Ordinance, Book 2
KEEPER
First Ordinance, Book 2
A Novel by
Connie Suttle
For Walter, Joe, Dianne J. Sarah, Larry and Lee. You are
awesome.
The Author's information may be found at the end of this
book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters and
incidents portrayed within its pages are a product of the author's imagination.
Any resemblance to actual persons (or vampires, werewolves, High Demons,
Greater Demons, Lesser Demons, Larentii, shapeshifters, Ra'Ak, wizards,
warlocks, witches, Avii, Saa Thalarr or gods) living or dead, is purely
coincidental.
Keeper, © 2014 by Connie Suttle
All rights reserved
ISBN-10: 1-939759-32-3
ISBN-13: 978-1-939759-32-0
This book, whole or in part, MAY NOT be copied or reproduced
by mechanical means (including photocopying or the implementation of any type
of storage or retrieval system), without the express written permission of the
author, except where permitted by law.
The author wishes to thank you for purchasing this e-book.
Purchasing this book through legitimate channels supports the author and makes
it possible for her to keep writing. If you did not purchase this book through
legitimate channels, or have downloaded it from a website that pirates authors'
works, the author kindly asks that you purchase a copy for yourself, as sales
of her books are her only source of income.
* * *
Other books by Connie Suttle:
Blood Destiny Series
Blood Wager
Blood Passage
Blood Sense
Blood Domination
Blood Royal
Blood Queen
Blood Rebellion
Blood War
Blood Redemption
Blood Reunion
* * *
Legend of the Ir'Indicti Series
Bumble
Shadowed
Target
Vendetta
Destroyer
* * *
High Demon Series
Demon Lost
Demon Revealed
Demon's King
Demon's Quest
Demon's Revenge
Demon's Dream
* * *
The God Wars Series
Blood Double
Blood Trouble
Blood Revolution
Blood Love
Blood Finale
* * *
The Saa Thalarr Series
Hope and Vengeance
Wyvern and Company
* * *
First Ordinance Series
Finder
Keeper
BlackWing*
* * *
The R-D Series
Cloud Dust
Cloud Invasion*
* * *
Latter Day Demon Series
Hot Demon in the City*
*Forthcoming
Chapter 1
Avii Castle
Quin
Jurris was pale, weak and alive.
The Kondari had abandoned their attempt to destroy Avii Castle.
For now
.
I knew High President Charkisul, his son, Berel, and Hadris
Jem were prisoners of a new Kondari regime, but there wasn't anything I could
do about it.
Master Cook Nina placed a cup of hot tea in my hands as I sat
on the floor away from Jurris' bed, shivering from shock.
Justis sat at his brother's bedside, talking quietly with the
King. Ordin and Gurnil hovered nearby, as did two of the King's personal
guards.
"Can you stand?" Nina asked softly. "Dena is
waiting outside the King's chambers, hoping you will join her."
"I'll come," I said, embarrassed that my voice
quavered when I spoke. I was grateful that Dena waited for me; I needed her
support to get back to the Library.
Amlis, Omina and the others waited there; Omina and Fen needed
healing. I worried that my strength would not be enough to save either.
* * *
Amlis studied his surroundings—row upon row, shelf upon shelf,
of books stood about him. Two yellow-winged servants had brought blankets, hot
drinks and food, but his mother refused anything except the blanket.
She'd lost so much blood already; her body trembled with shock
and he worried that she'd die before any healing was offered by their winged
hosts. Sofi tended the Queen as well as she could while Yissy, standing close
by, looked on in silent curiosity.
Fen accepted a cup of hot tea, working around the wound in his
left shoulder. "I never thought to be here and still living," Rodrik
muttered as he sipped the tea he'd been given. Beatris, who'd hidden in the
belly of the ship during the trip, shivered beside him before wrapping the
blanket tighter about her body.
Amlis snorted a reply. His mind still played about Finder's
image—she had wings and helped rescue him and the others from the sea. It
puzzled him, too, as to who'd attacked their vessel, with devastating weapons
he had difficulty comprehending.
"It was the Kondari," Finder walked in with
assistance from another—a yellow-winged woman who cast worried looks at Amlis
and his companions. "Normally they wouldn't have done that, but there was
a coup."
"Finder, will you heal the Queen?" Yissy's voice was
high and innocent.
"If I don't faint, first," she replied.
* * *
Quin
Omina's wound was the worst and if she weren't tended soon, it
would be too late. Already, she'd lost much blood.
"I will assist," Daragar appeared, causing Sofi to
utter a half-shriek of terror. Yissy hid behind Sofi's skirts at the sight of
the tall, blue-skinned Larentii; Rodrik's hand went immediately to where his
sword would be, had he been wearing it.
"You should never offer violence or offense to a
Larentii," I held up a hand to stop Rodrik from stepping forward. "You
have no idea what you see before you."
"I have never seen such," Amlis gripped Rodrik's arm
to pull him back.
"You have seen such now, young Prince," Daragar
said. "Allow me to help Quin, if you wish your mother to live."
"Quin?"
"A better name than Finder," Dena huffed, offended
on my behalf.
"Please, no bickering, save it for later," I said
and walked unsteadily toward Omina. That's when I discovered how Daragar
intended to help. He didn't plan to do any healing; he only intended to give me
strength.
I imagine it was a highly unusual sight that met Ordin and
Gurnil as they walked into the Library. I healed Omina's wound—a Larentii
holding onto me as I held my hands on Omina's side, all of us bathed in golden
light as the wound sealed and infection disappeared.
Fen's wounds were nothing compared to hers.
"Thank you." I wrapped my arms around Daragar's neck
before he left me that night. He smiled at me, his bright-blue eyes shining
brighter before he nodded and disappeared.
* * *
"You're confined to the Library for the moment, but you
may wander the terrace outside," Gurnil informed our guests the following
morning. He was right—Justis had posted two guards outside the Library doors,
changing them every four hours or so.
Breakfast had been brought and Dena, thinking to provide support
for me, stayed and ate with us.
Justis had also confiscated any weapons left with Rodrik,
Amlis and the others, including small eating knives—they had nothing left
except hands or fists with which to harm anyone. Amlis didn't like it, I could
tell, but this wasn't his castle or his kingdom.
I wanted to ask Justis whether any communication had come from
Kondar, but held back—I was afraid to know how things stood there.
High spots of color appeared in Omina's cheeks whenever she
met my gaze, as brief as those moments were. Rodrik, too, failed to look at me
for any length of time. After all, Justis, Commander of the King's guards and
brother to the King, had touched my shoulder moments earlier and nodded to me
before leaving the Library.
They thought me more important than I actually was. Justis was
merely conveying his thanks to me for saving his brother's life; I would hold
no sway over the King when Jurris demanded to see our guests.
I hoped he wouldn't command their deaths—these had no
connection to Camryn's and Elabeth's assassinations, after all.
Wolter, though, gazed at me in wonder while he ate what yellow-winged
servants placed in front of him. Deeds, sitting beside Wolter, did the same.
"I wasn't aware that there were White Wings," Omina
said finally, her eyes remaining on her plate.
"There aren't," Gurnil said. "We have no idea
where these white feathers originated, unless it is from the cutting away of Quin's
nubs whenever they formed." His words were curt and accusing as he flung
them across the table at Omina.
I recalled that Ordin had assisted in Amlis' birth—had Gurnil
known Omina as well? My gift told me they'd met before, and that Gurnil found
Omina somewhat high-handed. I didn't disagree with his opinion.
"The court physician demanded it," Wolter admitted,
lowering his head. "The only recourse I had was going to the King, and I
had no desire to place Finder's life in jeopardy by doing such a foolish thing.
Tamblin would have killed her outright."
"He is no king. I ask that you remember that within these
walls," Gurnil snapped.
"I agree," Amlis nodded. "He is no king."
"You are the youngest Prince?" Gurnil turned toward
Amlis.
"Yes. I ask that you treat my mother with kindness—she is
still recovering," he said.
"I will do so, if you will call Quin by her proper name,"
Gurnil responded.
"I wasn't aware that she had another name," Amlis
said. "I will address her as Quin, as she has saved my mother's life, as
well as the others, here."
"Does that include yours?" Gurnil asked.
"Yes. Several times. She was beaten for dumping a plate
of poisoned food before I could eat it," he shrugged. "I owe her for
that—and many other things."
"I am sorry," Orik began. "Very sorry."
His apology was aimed at me.
"That is in the past," I shook my head at him,
letting him know that he needn't tell of his part in my delivery to the Avii. "I
mourn for Master Farin," I said. "We will all miss him, I think."
He'd advised Omina for years uncounted, and acted on her behalf many times. He
was more than a court physician and everyone at the table knew it.
"Finder—Quin—when did you find your voice?" Sofi
asked.
"I have had it many years," I said with a sigh. "When
it came, I was too afraid to speak."
"You knew too much," Wolter nodded.
"Too much," I agreed.
"I find this difficult to understand," Amlis rose
from the library table that served as our temporary breakfast table. Gurnil and
I watched as the Prince strode toward the doors leading to the terrace outside.
"Master Gurnil, there are many things to consider,"
I turned to him. "The coup in Kondar being chief among them, along with
Tamblin's desire to sail away from Fyris and attack it."
"Will he carry the ring with him?" Gurnil rose
swiftly and blinked at me in confusion.
"He never takes it off," Omina answered for me. "Why
is that important?"
"Because the ring keeps Fyris hidden from Kondar and any
other country," Gurnil snapped. "Quin, who has taken over Kondar?
Where is the High President? We must think on this and quickly."
"We need Justis, and a willing ear from his brother,"
I sighed, knowing neither would be easy.
* * *
Kondar
Dorthil Crasz had ordered the commander of the botched attack on
Avii Castle killed. When his fellow officers refused to deliver the death,
Dorthil ordered all imprisoned. He had no interest in excuses and lies—when
they claimed the glass castle took no harm from their best weapons, Dorthil
knew they were lying.
The voice the pilot claimed to hear, telling him not to fire?
That had to be an outright lie or a hallucination. Dorthil
snorted at the thought of it. Word was spreading throughout Kondar that the
High President had deserted his office, leaving Dorthil in charge. News
agencies were couching the reports in disbelief.