Light in the Darkness
A Noblebright Fantasy Boxed Set
C. J. Brightley
Lindsay Buroker
Sabrina Chase
Francesca Forrest
Kyra Halland
Angela Holder
Ronald Long
Mike Reeves-McMillan
Sherwood Smith
Emily Martha Sorensen
Contents
About the Books
C. J. Brightley
The King’s Sword
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Afterword
Lindsay Buroker
The Emperor’s Edge
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Afterword
Sabrina Chase
The Last Mage Guardian
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Afterword
Francesca Forrest
Pen Pal
Acknowledgments
1. Letter in a Bottle
2. A Response
4. A Cup of Fortune
5. A Festival for the Lady
6. Jiminy
7. Helga
8. Hurricane Heart, Fire Heart
9. Phone Calls
10. Visions
11. Open Hands
12. Saying Thank You
13. Without Friends or Family
14. Casting a Strong Net
15. In W—
16. The Ruby Lake
17. The Sea Heart
Afterword
Kyra Halland
Beneath the Canyons
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Afterword
Angela Holder
Into the Storm
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Afterword
Ronald Long
On the Shores of Irradan
Prologue: The Journey to Irradan
1. The Elf and the Bear
2. The City Guard
3. Wood Walkers
4. First Wall
5. Aimless Sailing
6. Revenge
7. The Glorious Empire of Enoth
8. Sisters
9. Black Sails, Red Flags
10. Prisoners
11. Unwelcome Allies
12. Responsibility
13. Legends of Old
14. Practice
15. The Quarry
16. Barefoot
17. Apologies and Anthologies
18. Cuno the Red Handed
19. Sunsets and the House of Nobles
20. Visitors
21. Out of the Woods
22. The Crew Returns
23. Elven Prisoner
24. A Knife to the Throat
25. A Personal Message
26. Unexpected Acquaintance
27. Hospitality
28. Bloody Stairs
29. The Visitor
30. A Job to Finish
31. An Island Map
32. Quiet in the Ranks
33. Floating Rocks and Halflings
34. Poorly Timed Return
35. An Abundance of Judgment
36. No Respite for Rebellion
37. To the Docks
38. Sacrifice
39. A Bossy Little Thing
40. The Difference in Prisoners
41. New Plan
42. Another Ship
43. From Bad to Worse
44. The Strength of Flames
45. Running Low
46. An Old Elf's Tale
47. Bargaining with Strangers
Afterword
Mike Reeves-McMillan
Hope and the Patient Man
1. Dinner
2. Rosie
3. Amiable's Offer
4. Problems and Who Takes Care of Them
5. Voices from Home
6. Adding Machine
7. Staying the Night
8. Consulting the Master-Mage
9. Rosie's Parents
10. Bath
11. Oathbond Discussions
12. A Friend for Rosie
13. Bondlink
14. Rosie and Dignified
15. Bridge Repair
16. Rosie's Parents Visit
17. Another Oathconflict
18. Falcon
19. Mother's Story
20. First Seminar
21. An Oathbond and a Hearing
22. The Breakthrough
Afterword
Sherwood Smith
Lhind the Thief
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Afterword
Emily Martha Sorensen
The Keeper and the Rulers
hip
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Afterword
Short Stories
The Weeds within the Rulership
Good Neighbours
Tilia Songbird
Wolf of Shadows
The Frozen Water Trade
Basileus and the Cat
About the Books
The King’s Sword by C. J. Brightley
A disillusioned soldier. A spoiled, untried prince. And a coup that threatens the country they both love.
* * *
The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker
A law enforcer being hunted for a crime she didn’t commit must work with a cold-hearted assassin to save the only person who can clear her name.
* * *
The Last Mage Guardian by Sabrina Chase
Most thought the Mage Guardians simply a myth, but their old enemy knows better--and of their number only one remains to thwart his plan of magical domination and revenge.
* * *
Pen Pal by Francesca Forrest
It starts with a message in a bottle and ends with revolution.
* * *
Beneath the Canyons by Kyra Halland
A bounty-hunting wizard and a rancher's daughter with untrained powers must stop a renegade wizard who is tampering with dangerous magic.
* * *
Into the Storm by Angela Holder
A massive hurricane will destroy Elathir unless Larine and her fellow wizards sacrifice everything to stop it.
* * *
On the Shores of Irradan by Ronald Long
Ealrin Belouve and his friends travel to a new land and face new dangers in search of a tree that may restore magic to one of their own.
* * *
Hope and the Patient Man by Mike Reeves-McMillan
A talented young mage must overcome a curse to be with the wounded hero who loves her.
* * *
Six Celestial Swords by T. A. Miles
The dragon Chaos threatens the magical world of Dryth. Xu Liang sets out on a quest to unite the only six magical blades that can save it.
* * *
Rise of the Storm by Christina Ochs
When a renegade priest prophesies an imminent apocalypse, a conflict is sparked which will tip a continent into war.
* * *
Lhind the Thief by Sherwood Smith
Lhind enjoys life on the run, taking what she wants, until her secrets are uncovered one by one.
* * *
The Keeper and the Rulership by Emily Martha Sorensen
In a world where mathematics and magic are forbidden, Raneh's growing magic and can't figure out how to stop.
* * *
Bonus Short Stories
Copyright
Light in the Darkness
© 2016
These novels are works of fiction. Names, characters, and locations are either a product of the authors’ imaginations or used in a fictitious setting. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, organizations, or people, living or dead, is strictly coincidental.
All rights reserved. All stories copyright by their individual authors.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, please see the individual copyright notices at the beginning of each book.
The King’s Sword
Erdemen Honor, Book 1
C. J. Brightley
A disillusioned soldier. A spoiled, untried prince. A coup that threatens the country they love.
When retired soldier Kemen finds the young prince Hakan fleeing an attempted assassination, he reluctantly takes the role of mentor and guardian. Keeping the prince alive is challenging enough. Making him a man is harder.
As usurper Vidar tightens his grip on power, Kemen wrestles with questions of duty and honor. What if the prince isn’t the best ruler after all?
Invasion looms, and Kemen’s decisions will shape the fate of a nation. What will he sacrifice for friendship and honor?
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
* * *
THE KING’S SWORD. Copyright 2012 by C. J. Brightley. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information contact info@cjbrightley.com.
1
I crossed his tracks not far outside of Stonehaven, and I followed them out of curiosity, nothing more. They were uneven, as if he were stumbling. It was bitterly cold, a stiff wind keeping the hilltops mostly free of the snow that formed deep drifts in every depression. By the irregularity of his trail, I imagined he was some foolish city boy caught out in the cold and that he might want some help.
It was the winter of 368, a few weeks before the new year. I was on my way to the garrison at Kesterlin just north of the capital, but I was in no hurry. I had a little money in my pack and I was happy enough alone.
In less than a league, I found him lying facedown in the snow. I nudged him with my toe before I knelt to turn him over, but he didn’t respond. He was young, and something about him seemed oddly familiar. He wasn’t hurt, at least not in a way I could see, but he was nearly frozen. He wore a thin shirt, well-made breeches, and expensive boots, but nothing else. He had no sword, no tunic over his shirt, no cloak, no horse. I had no horse because I didn’t have the gold for one, but judging by his boots he could have bought one easily. There was a bag of coins inside his shirt, but I didn’t investigate that further. His breathing was slow, his hands icy. It was death to be out in such weather so unprepared.
He was either a fool or he was running from something, but in either case I couldn’t let him freeze. I strode to the top of the hill to look for pursuit. A group of riders was moving away to the south, but I couldn’t identify them. Anyway, they wouldn’t cross his path going that direction.
I wrapped him in my cloak and hoisted him over my shoulder. The forest wasn’t too far away and it would provide shelter and firewood. I wore a shirt and a thick winter tunic over it, but even so, I was shivering badly by the time we made it to the trees. The wind was bitter cold, and I sweated enough carrying him to chill myself thoroughly. I built a fire in front of a rock face that would reflect the heat back upon us. I let myself warm a little before opening my pack and pulling out some carrots and a little dried venison to make a late lunch.
I rubbed the boy’s hands so he wouldn’t lose his fingers. His boots were wet, so I pulled them off and set them close to the fire. There was a knife in his right boot, and I slipped it out to examine it. You can tell a lot about a man by the weapons he carries. His had a good blade, though it was a bit small. The hilt was finished with a green gemstone, smoothly polished and beautiful. Around it was a thin gold band, and ribbons of gold were inlaid in the polished bone hilt. It was a fine piece that hadn’t seen much u
se, obviously made for a nobleman. I kept the knife well out of his reach while I warmed my cold feet. If he panicked when he woke, I wanted him unarmed.
I felt his eyes on me not long before the soup was ready. He’d be frightened of me, no doubt, so for several minutes I pretended I hadn’t noticed he was awake to give him time to study me. I’m a Dari, and there are so few of us in Erdem that most people fear me at first.
“I believe that’s mine.” His voice had a distinct tremor, and he must have realized it because he lifted his chin a little defiantly, eyes wide.
I handed the knife back to him hilt-first. “It is. It’s nicely made.”
He took it cautiously, as if he wasn’t sure I was really going to give it back to him. He shivered and pulled my cloak closer around his shoulders, keeping the knife in hand.
“Here. Can you eat this?”
He reached for the bowl with one hand, and seemed to debate a moment before resting the knife on the ground by his knee. “Thank you.” He kept his eyes on me as he dug in.
I chewed on a bit of dried meat as I watched him. He looked better with some warm food in him and the heat of the fire on his face. “Do you want another bowl?”
“If there’s enough.” He smiled cautiously.
We studied each other while the soup cooked. He was maybe seventeen or so, much younger than I. Slim, pretty, with a pink mouth like a girl’s. Typical Tuyet coloring; blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin. Slender hands like an artist or scribe.
“Thank you.” He smiled again, nervous but gaining confidence. He did look familiar, especially in his nose and the line of his cheekbones. I tried to place him among the young nobles I’d seen last time I’d visited Stonehaven.
“What’s your name?”
“Hak-” he stopped and his eyes widened. “Mikar. My name is Mikar.”
Hakan.
Hakan Ithel. The prince.