Calamity (Knights of Eternity Book 1) by Rachel Ní Chuirc

Author:Rachel Ní Chuirc [Chuirc, Rachel Ní]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Legion Publishers
Published: 2024-04-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirty-Two

Gabriel’s voice dropped to a whisper. “About three years ago we were tracking down a group of bandits. ‘Brothers of Blood’ they called themselves. They were soldiers from Evergarden, Navaros, and even Freyley who’d been dishonorably discharged.”

Lazander nodded. “I remember them. They sacked half the county. Zara the Fury killed them when they came close to Magnus’ lands.”

“That’s right. But what you might not have heard is that Zara wasn’t alone when she found the Brothers of Blood,” Gabriel said. “We were there.”

Lazander felt his eyebrows raise

“At first we thought it was a forest fire,” Marito said. “We knew there were casualties—the scent of burnt meat on the wind was proof of that, but we’d no idea of the source. We followed the smoke, planning to help tame the fire until we could reach out to Lord Magnus’ estate for assistance.”

The giant winced. “It took hours for us to find them—and it was a sight I dearly wish I could scour from memory. Zara had corralled the Brothers of Blood into a valley, trapping them in a ring of fire. Eighty men must have been there—or what was left of them.”

Lazander grimaced. He’d passed that valley on his way to Magnus’ estate. The earth, even years later, was black and twisted—a deathly silence carved out.

“Did you help Zara?” Lazander asked, having never heard this version of the tale. “Or try to stop her?”

“Neither,” Gabriel said, grimly. “Val had an—

“Attack, of some sorts,” the giant jumped in.

“Val’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he fell to the ground—convulsing,” Gabriel said, lips pressed tightly at the memory. “I had one of Liddy’s stabilizing potions on hand, but the attack stopped almost as soon as it began. After that, even the hardest slap wouldn’t wake him—and I watched Mari give it his all.”

“A full night he slept,” Marito continued. “And when he awoke…”

The two looked at each other, uncomfortable.

“He was a different man,” Gabriel said.

“Confused,” Marito countered.

“He didn’t know who you were, Mari. Or me,” Gabriel said.

“And did he not remember? It took some time, yes, but the queen called forth those gifted in healing magic—a rarity as you know, Master Lazander. And even they could find nothing wrong with him.” Marito shifted, clearly unhappy with the conversation.

“I’ve never heard of this,” Lazander said, shocked that something as monumental as the heir to the throne losing his memory, even temporarily, was kept this quiet.

“The queen is excellent at stamping out rumors,” Gabriel said grimly.

Marito frowned. “That is not very charitable of you, good ser.”

“That doesn’t make it any less true,” Gabriel replied.

“But what does this have to do with Lady Eternity? And the mission?” Lazander asked.

“Val wasn’t what I’d call a soft hand before this,” Gabriel began. “But in no time it seemed the sword was his answer to everything. He killed more in that first six months than in the two years previous.”

“You make him sound like a vicious killer, Master Gabriel.” Marito frowned. “His sense of mercy… waned, but he was not brutal.

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