Empire of Bones Read Free Page A

kings of Delranan for centuries. Wolf heads were carved on each of the four corners. Ever had the kings been protected by the might of the Wolfsreik. It was only fitting that their desk bore the likeness of those fierce, proud warriors. Twin braziers on either side of the desk provided light and warmth.
    Harnin steepled his hands in front of his face and slowly closed his eyes. So much had happened in just a few quick months he often found it difficult to accept. He knew in his heart that this was not the vision he once harbored for his beloved kingdom. Delranan was supposed to grow under his control. To develop into one of the major kingdoms in Malweir, a northern rival for central Averon. He imagined being proclaimed high king and having lesser lords and nobles make pilgrimages to honor him. None of that seemed likely now.
    Delranan was plunged into despair. The people, what remained, were petrified to leave their homes in the day, much less the night. Under the guidance of the Dae’shan, Harnin took his beloved kingdom deeper and deeper into abject misery. The sad part was he found perverse pleasure in so much misery. Harnin One Eye was not the ruler he should have been, and he had little qualms with it.
    He’d served as Badron’s right hand for decades, always carrying out the dirty work behind the scenes. His intimate knowledge of the king’s dealings gave him leverage and undeniable power. Taking control once Badron had gone off on his ill-advised campaign was all too easy. He’d rounded up those still loyal to the king and had them executed before anyone knew what was happening. The council of lords added weight to his actions, giving him blanket control without the worry of stealing power for themselves. Still, Harnin trusted no one.
    Consolidating power proved slightly more problematic. The main army was gone, leaving a five-thousand-man reserve he called up and deployed across the kingdom. One fifth remained in Chadra for security and in the event an outside threat presented itself. Normally the threat of the Wolfsreik being turned loose kept neighboring kingdoms from having ideations of conquest but with Badron and the army trapped on the eastern side of the Murdes Mountains, the kingdom was wide open for invasion.
    Winter had been brutal thus far, leaving him with the false impression that he had time to enact his plans. Only they weren’t his plans. They were the Dae’shan’s. Pelthit Re clearly had designs for Delranan and wasn’t inclined to include Harnin. The One Eye recognized the fact he was a puppet ruler, but couldn’t find a way out. Not without giving away everything he’d struggled to earn. Trapped, he took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
    The room chilled suddenly.
    “You seem troubled, One Eye.”
    Harnin’s eye snapped open, no longer surprised with how easily the ethereal Dae’shan came and went as they pleased. He still hadn’t discovered how they simply folded darkness around them and vanished. Until he did, there wasn’t any way to combat them.
    “Perhaps I disturb you,” Pelthit Re hissed from under his cowl.
    The Dae’shan hovered a half a foot off the ground. Six feet tall, he was slender and swathed in dark robes of heavy gray. His hands were folded within his robes, leaving no sign of physical form. Darkness surrounded the Dae’shan. Arrogance pulsed off him, disturbing Harnin more than the Dae’shan could know.
    “No, your council is always welcome,” Harnin replied tersely.
    Pelthit Re studied his puppet with cold, unfeeling eyes. He’d lived for centuries. Always in the shadows of the greater Amar Kit’han, the lesser Dae’shan had once been a virtuous Man. They were the neutral representatives of the old gods, but when the gods of light went away the Dae’shan fell into corruption. They swore allegiance to the dark gods and worked tirelessly to open the gateways between worlds so their new masters could return to lay claim to all.
    “I sense a great deal of