Light in the Darkness Read online

  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

  3. Seagulls and Crows

  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 [email protected].

  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.