Empire of Bones Read Free Page B

turmoil within you,” Pelthit Re said.
    Harnin lowered his hands. “There is much concerning me lately. Rest assured, I can manage my own kingdom.”
    “A kingdom you have neither earned nor won. You wouldn’t be in that chair if not for my assistance. Remember your place, One Eye.”
    “My place is the lord of Delranan!” he snapped. “I am the power in this kingdom. My will is law. Not yours. You remain in the shadows while Men go forth to fight and die in my name. Delranan belongs to me.”
    Pelthit Re cocked his head. “Perhaps you need to be reminded of your station.”
    Waves of power, shimmering in the air like heat on a summer day, lashed out at Harnin. It struck with enough force to blow him back against the wall. Pain shot down his legs as the back of his head hit cold rock. Harnin groaned and rolled to his hands and knees. Coughing blood, he struggled to rise. The Dae’shan struck again, forcing him back to his belly. And again, slamming his body against the wall. Only when Harnin stopped trying to rise did Pelthit Re stop his assault.
    “I warned you,” the Dae’shan accused. “Do not trifle with my power. I am an agent of the dark gods. Mere mortals can’t harm me. I am disappointed in your lack of judgment, One Eye. I gave you this kingdom in the hopes that you would prepare it for a glorious age. Instead you let these pathetic rebels sink you into ruin. Perhaps I should take your head like poor Lord Argis.”
    Harnin coughed, spitting a wad of blood and phlegm. “I can handle my own affairs. Argis was their figurehead. His death was a great blow to their cause.”
    “Was it? You couldn’t prevent his body from being stolen, nor did you extinguish the rebellion when it lay at its weakest.”
    “I have already addressed Jarrik’s incompetence,” Harnin said in a useless gesture of self defense. The Dae’shan would know the truth of it. “He’ll either succeed or find himself under the axe. Delranan is mine.”
    “Your inability to control your own lords is hardly my concern. Will you be prepared when Bahr, brother of Badron, returns with his niece?”
    Harnin frowned. “Why should they return? I burned his ship, his estate. I took everything he had in Delranan. He has nothing.”
    Pelthit hissed laughter. “He doesn’t seek to reclaim any past glory, fool. No, his intentions are far more wicked than even you might imagine. Bahr seeks the Blud Hamr, an impossible weapon from a forgotten era. Should he find it, and return alive, he will remove everything you have done or hold dear, Harnin One Eye. It appears you cannot escape that family.”
    Hatred blossomed in Harnin’s heart. First Badron and now his brother. He cursed that family. “Can’t you stop him?”
    Pelthit Re remained silent, fearing any answer would only give away their ineffectiveness at stopping the king’s brother. Until Amar Kit’han found a way to neutralize the wizard and last descendant of the order of Mages, Anienam Keiss, there was no stopping Bahr from retrieving the Hamr.
    Harnin picked up on the hesitance and tried to laugh, stopping quickly when his ribs hurt too badly. “You can’t, can you? Otherwise you wouldn’t be putting so much pressure on me. Your precious Dae’shan are just as weak as we mortals.”
    “I wonder if I have made a mistake in choosing you,” Pelthit Re accused.
    Shock widened his eyes. All of his dreams and possibilities for advancement came crashing down. No matter how weak the Dae’shan might appear, he knew he was no match for even one of the demons. “I can fix this. I swear. Delranan will be strong once again.”
    “See that it is. The alternative will not be…pleasant.”
    Darkness swirled, coalescing around the Dae’shan. The room grew frigid right before the nightmare disappeared. Harnin One Eye lay in misery, alone. Pain lingered throughout his entire body. Smoke puffed up from his hair. He felt abused, both physically and mentally. He was not up to the unique