Nightblade's Vengeance (Blades of the Fallen Book 1) by Ryan Kirk

Author:Ryan Kirk [Kirk, Ryan]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781542047326
Publisher: 47North
Published: 2017-10-24T04:00:00+00:00

The look of confusion on Asa’s face itself was worth the evening. They met at the house Kiyoshi had told her about, the house of a wealthy merchant who was a close friend of Masaki’s. At least, as close a friend as one could be to a king.

From the looks Asa was giving all the participants of the ceremony, it was obvious she was completely out of her element. Kiyoshi wasn’t surprised. Like many nightblades, Asa’s life focused on the sword, and her life in particular was focused on revenge. She wouldn’t have made time for weddings and celebrations. Perhaps that was one of the reasons the blades faced the challenges they did. For all their power, they didn’t understand what life was about.

Even though Asa wore civilian clothing, Kiyoshi knew she was carrying at least three weapons.

Kiyoshi offered Asa his arm, which she took after only a moment of hesitation. Together they walked into the receiving hall of the massive house. Kiyoshi watched as Asa took the scene in. He sometimes forgot about the opulence with which the upper class lived. While his own existence was simple, he lived a life surrounded by men of wealth and power, and at times even he took their lifestyle for granted.

The merchant who owned the house saw Kiyoshi and hustled toward him. He bowed deeply. “Kiyoshi, thank you for your presence. We are honored to have you here.”

Kiyoshi returned the bow. “It is the least I can do, but I’m afraid I’m a poor substitute for Masaki. I wanted to let you know that if he were awake and well, he wouldn’t have missed this day for any business of the Kingdom.”

The merchant was visibly moved. “It is very kind of you to say so. He is in our thoughts, and we all wish him a full recovery.”

With that, the merchant continued on his way, greeting the guests. Asa turned to Kiyoshi. “Why are we here?”

“We are here because this man is a friend to the king. Not in a political way, although that is also true. They are actual friends, two boys who knew each other growing up. The king was invited, but because he can’t make it, I’m here to maintain his relationship.”

Asa shook her head. “That’s nice, but what I meant is, why am I here?”

Kiyoshi smiled. “I hope this evening shows you something, something very important.”

“What is that?”

Kiyoshi’s smile turned mischievous. “For that, you must wait awhile. If you don’t mind, of course.”

For a moment, Kiyoshi thought she might turn and leave to resume her hunt of Minori, but something held her back. “Very well.”

They wandered the ceremony without any real purpose. Kiyoshi knew a few of the people present, but not enough to keep them involved in constant conversation. The two sampled all the food that was offered, and Kiyoshi paid attention to the dishes. The food they ate was indicative of the state of trade. Mostly, everything looked to be continuing more or less as normal. He enjoyed watching Asa try dishes far beyond anything she’d ever experienced before.

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