(eng) Jonathan Moeller - Ghost Exile 07 by Ghost in the Throne

Author:Ghost in the Throne [Throne, Ghost in the]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Caina stared at Nerina Strake, unable to process what she had just heard.

“That can’t be right,” Caina said at last.

She stood next to Kylon at the edge of the circus’s tents, Nasser, Laertes, Morgant, Annarah facing Nerina and Malcolm. Caina had recovered her blue dress and headscarf, though she was so obviously disheveled that it would have been easy to guess what she and Kylon had been doing.

Right now she did not care.

“There are hundreds of the proclamations posted in every public place in Istarinmul,” said Malcolm.

“I counted two hundred forty-seven of them,” said Nerina. “All were identical. They announced that Lord Cassander Nilas of the Umbarian Order had slain Caina Amalas, the rebel and insurrectionist who claimed to be the Balarigar. Cassander intended to call upon the Grand Wazir to receive his reward.”

“Opening the Starfall Straits to the Umbarian fleet,” said Caina.

Malcolm snorted. “Would not the two million bezants be enough?”

“But he’s dead,” said Caina. “Cassander is dead. Did you actually see him?”

“Only from a distance,” said Nerina. “A man seventy-five inches in height and two hundred and five pounds of weight, wearing a long black coat and a golden medallion.”

“We watched as the Umbarians went to the Golden Palace,” said Malcolm. “Lord Cassander did look heavily scarred.”

“It couldn’t have been him,” said Caina. “Cassander Nilas is dead. I was there when he died. He could not possibly have survived. He…”

Caina fell silent, trying to get her emotions under control. The news that Cassander Nilas might still be alive had hit her much harder than she would have thought. Caina had almost died at Rumarah and was still not sure of herself, but at least Cassander Nilas had been dead. Knowing that the Umbarian ambassador was dead had been a consolation.

A false one, as it turned out.

“We did not,” Morgant pointed out, “ever see his body.”

Laertes grunted. “There didn’t seem a need. The explosion completely destroyed the Corsair’s Rest. We saw Adamant Guards blasted out of the windows, their flesh burned away. It was impossible for anyone to have survived inside the common room. They would have burned to ashes.”

“She survived,” said Morgant.

“Do you remember what happened in the Corsair’s Rest?” said Kylon.

“No. Parts of it, anyway, and none of them clearly,” said Caina. “The last thing I can remember for certain is falling to the floor of my room. Then…only bits and pieces until I woke up in Rumarah.”

“Then you do not remember,” said Nasser, “if Lord Cassander was in fact killed in the explosion.”

“We did not see a body,” said Laertes, “but neither did we see him leave the wreckage.”

“The Huntress,” said Kylon. “We saw the Huntress escape. Could she have saved him?”

“Kalgri would never lift a finger to save anyone,” said Caina. “She must have realized what was about to happen. That’s why she fled, though gods know why she took my dagger and shadow-cloak.” Caina let out a long, ragged breath, getting her seething emotions under some semblance of control. “And it’s not…impossible for a sorcerer to have survived what should have been certain death.

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