Steel and Sorcery by Mitchell Hogan

Author:Mitchell Hogan [Hogan, Mitchell]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Mitchell Hogan
Published: 2018-11-05T05:00:00+00:00

An Unexpected Gift

An excerpt from the novel Revenant Winds

SOMEONE HAMMERED ON THE door.

“Niklaus! I need to … Get your hands off me! I need to speak to Nik …” The strident voice of Volkmar trailed off as he was silenced by the heavies outside.

Niklaus du Plessis stared at the cards in his hand and stifled a curse. Another bad hand. He forced his face into as neutral an expression as he could muster in his inebriated state. Should he stay in on the hope his fortune would change? By the blood of his ancestors, that would be on his tombstone: Here lies Niklaus. He hung in there, say that for him, until everything he was, or could have been, drained away to nothing. Bloody fool.

A life renewed and perpetually extended by the goddess, but for what? An eternity of drinking and gambling? Had she granted him a gift all those centuries ago and then changed her mind? Or had it been a curse all along? He’d been in this forsaken city of Sansor for months and still hadn’t discovered what she wanted of him. She’d used him for numerous missions in the past, but over recent months he’d had no instructions. Abandoned …

No, she valued him. He’d proven himself many times over. She wouldn’t desert him.

He often found his thoughts lingering on the goddess whenever he had a spare moment, and sometimes when he didn’t. She was exquisite—in beauty as well as intellect—and he had become obsessed with joining her. Making her his, and ruling together.

He poked at his meager pile of royals and glanced at the other players in the smoke-filled room, eyes lingering on the cocksure noble who’d taken most of his coins. He’d forgotten the man’s name—Al-something? As if the noble needed more money than he already had.

Volkmar might be an annoying ass and the city’s craziest sorcerer, but he paid well. Damn well. For hardly any effort on Niklaus’s part. There was no point wasting what little he had left continuing with the game; Volkmar’s insane plans would fill his empty purse again.

“I’m out,” he said, throwing his cards on the table and barely missing a puddle of spilled wine. He scooped up his remaining coins and stood, knocking his chair over as his sheathed sword tangled with its legs.

Niklaus intercepted the heavies at the entrance just as one of them was about to pitch Volkmar into the muddy street. “It’s all right, Pirkko, he’s with me.” He stayed the bouncer with a hand and a brief smile. His reputation still meant something to some people.

Volkmar brushed down his patched robes and glared at Pirkko.

“He’s just doing his job,” Niklaus said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Volkmar nodded his bald head, jowls wobbling.

Dawn’s half-light lit the sky to the east. Had it been that long? Niklaus felt a weary weight descend on him. Another night wasted. Still, there was tomorrow. Always tomorrow. Since the goddess had chosen him, time was all he had.

The sorcerer strode off, muttering to himself, then stopped abruptly.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.