Shadow Cross (The Shadow Accords Book 5) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Epilogue

  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

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  About the Author

  Also by D.K. Holmberg

  Shadow Cross

  The Shadow Accords

  D.K. Holmberg

  ASH Publishing

  Copyright © 2017 by D.K. Holmberg

  Cover by Rebecca Frank

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  If you want to be notified when D.K. Holmberg’s next novel is released and get free stories and occasional other goodies, please sign up for his mailing list by going here. Your email address will never be shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

  www.dkholmberg.com

  Contents

  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

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by D.K. Holmberg

  1

  Carthenne Rel, shadow born of Ih-lash, descendant of Lashasn, stood at the railing, watching Dara as she vomited into the sea. It was the third day that she had been incapacitated in such a way—the third day out of the hundred or more they had sailed together. If seasickness were going to claim her, Carth would have expected it to do so long before now.

  She placed her hand reassuringly on Dara’s back, rubbing up and down, trying to comfort her in the way that Carth’s mother had once comforted her when she was little. She had none of the skill with herbs that her mother had, and none of the ability to mix them into concoctions that could take away the nausea and sickness, or the pain she saw on Dara’s face. She had missed the opportunity to study with her mother, and now would never have that chance.

  “Is there anything I can get you?” Carth asked Dara.

  Dara wiped her hand across her mouth, her eyes watering and red. Her cheeks were moist from tears that had streamed down the side of her face. “I think this will pass,” Dara said. Her voice had grown weak over the last few days.

  She opened her mouth as if to say something more, but another round of retching overwhelmed her and she leaned over the railing, letting the contents of her stomach fall into the sea. White froth consumed it, and it disappeared, fading, as if it had never been.

  Carth didn’t speak, knowing that Dara couldn’t answer, and that there was nothing she could say that would help her friend feel any better.

  The morning sun began to creep over the horizon. It had been a long night for all on board the ship, but mostly for Dara. Carth was thankful for the morning and the sun. It would strengthen Dara, the light connecting to her S’al magic burning within her. Even the sea seemed thankful for the sun, glistening like a thousand diamonds floating in the water.

  Dara didn’t get relief as the sun crept above the horizon, burning off the haze of night, and heaved into the sea once more. She glanced at the flask of water Guya had given her, and shook her head.

  “I tried what Guya gave me, but it’s not working. I think… I think I will try that elixir you made for me,” Dara said.

  Carth pulled a vial from her pocket and handed it over. She’d kept it with her, not wanting to have to go after it if Dara felt up to taking it, but didn’t know if it would help ease her stomach. The first two times she’d tried it, she’d reacted more violently, throwing up the traces of bluish liquid Carth mixed for her. Why would this time be any different?

  At least Dara still wanted to try. She’d probably try anything to feel better at this point.

  Dara took the vial from her and pulled the stopper off before tipping it back and taking a slow drink off it. Her eyes fluttered closed and the tears that glistened on her cheeks made her appear even sicker. There was a yellow tint to her skin that Carth had not seen overnight. Even the whites of her eyes had taken on a yellowish hue.

  She recognized that as a more dangerous sign. They needed to find a healer for Dara; otherwise, Carth didn’t know if she would recover. With everything they had been through, her friend deserved better.

  Carth waited. If Dara were to vomit as she had before, it would happen rapidly. Both times before, she had begun retching within minutes of taking the elixir.

  Dara gripped the rail with white knuckles, and relief slowly started sweeping across her face as the moments passed into minutes.

  “If this works, you’ll be sleepy.”

  Dara forced a smile. She took a deep breath, letting it out shakily. “If it controls my nausea, a little sleep will do me well.”

  Carth helped Dara back into the belly of the ship, leading her towards her bunk, and brushed the chestnut strands of hair from the side of her face, unable to ignore the feverish feeling to her friend’s forehead.

  Once they reached the shore, Carth could find a healer, or at least an herbalist who would have better supplies than the small quantity they possessed on board the Goth Spald. As much as Carth might want to help, there was only so much she could do given the circumstances.

  The elixir began taking effect, and Dara settled into a quiet slumber. Carth watched her for a moment, noting how her stomach convulsed, even while sleeping. Would she throw up while she was resting, or would she sleep through it? Would Dara even manage to rest?

  With a sigh, Carth stood. There was nothing to do but wait. As much as she wanted to help her friend, she couldn’t until they came into port.

  She made her way back to the top deck. At the rear of the ship near the wheel, Guya stood with his arms crossed over his muscular chest, surveying the sea. He had sailed through most of the night, staying awake while Carth remained with Dara. Lindy had helped, but she was still too green a sailor to have managed to the ship by herself.

  Carth leaned on the railing next to Guya and breathed out a relieved sigh. “She’s asleep.”

  Guya shifted the sword on his belt. She hadn’t seen him use it much, but su
spected he knew how. “What was it that you gave her?”

  Carth pulled the vial from her pocket and shook it. A few drops of the bluish liquid remained. “All that I could with the supplies we have on board.”

  Guya grunted again. “Ship isn’t meant to be a hospital.”

  “I’m glad I was able to find what I could on board.” The small satchel of herbs Carth kept with her had been all she had, and the supplies hadn’t been enough to help Dara other than to suppress her nausea. “She’s getting worse, Guya. I know we wanted to try to reach Marion Island, but…”

  Guya’s brow furrowed, and Carth noted the way he squeezed the wheel a little more forcefully. “I turned away from Marion a day ago.”

  “I thought you wanted to unload the casks.” They’d acquired the casks at the last port city, a place called Telibuth, and Guya suspected he could sell the contents in smaller quantities.

  “I did, but there’s nothing we need to find there.”

  “Not even traders?”

  “That’s not what we need to find.”

  “What is?”

  “Help. Healing. A port sooner than that,” he said.

  Carth watched him. They had sailed together long enough now that she thought she knew him well enough to recognize nerves from him, and something definitely had Guya uncomfortable. “You seem nervous. What is it?”

  “Not nervous. Just the last time I came through here… things didn’t go so well.”

  Carth motioned to his pocket, where she knew he kept a map. Guya grunted again and pulled the thick piece of yellowed parchment from his pocket. It had been stained with oil and soot over the years, and parts of it were smudged, but the ink remained clear, marking the borders of the northern continent as well as the barrier islands.

  If they remained together, eventually they would sail beyond the boundaries of the map and would have to reach for areas not covered. Carth suspected Guya had maps for those lands as well.

  She had sailed much and had faced much in the time since she’d halted the attacks in the north, forcing the Accords, most recently taking months sailing the seas around the north, traveling with others of the A’ras, using the power they possessed to ensure that no more of the blood priests remained. She had debated remaining with her father and learning from the Reshian, but there remained too much hurt for her to do that.

  They had discovered only one other pod of blood priests. Sailing with the descendants of Lashasn, when Carth had arrived armed not only with those girls, but also with Invar, Alison, and Samis, the blood priests had been no match. They had easily destroyed them.

  Carth felt little remorse for their loss.

  There were times when she wondered how hard she’d become. How could she kill others without feeling a hint of remorse? Yet… she had seen the way the blood priests had been willing to attack. She had seen the lengths they had been willing to go to when they’d attacked the descendants of Ih, and the horror of their attack and their willingness to destroy to control their power.

  There could be no compromise when it came to men like that. The only reason for her to change course was because of her friend’s illness.

  “Where are we?”

  Guya pointed to the bottom left corner of the map. “South of here.”

  “We’ve already moved into the boundaries of the Lhear Sea?”

  Guya grunted. He folded the map back up and stuffed it into his pocket. “We searched all of the northern isles for other evidence of the Reshian, Carth. We both thought it was time to start searching the south as well.”

  She would’ve expected him to have discussed that with her, but she couldn’t be too angry. They sailed on her behalf, searching for the last of the blood priests before they would head south. Guya had decided for them.

  “I thought you wanted to return to the south,” she said instead.

  “I did. I do. But for you…”

  They stood together at the wheel, fatigue making both of them quiet. The sounds of the early morning broke the silence, those of the occasional cawing of a gull or the sound of the sea splashing up onto the deck, and the occasional snap of the sails as the wind shifted briefly.

  The ship groaned beneath them, and Carth had become accustomed to the way it shifted with her. There was a comfort in the way it moved. An unexpected wave could often toss her, but even that provided some comfort. Guya never seemed surprised by the tossing of the waves, but then, to hear him tell of it, he had sailed since he was five. Carth had not discovered how old he was, but suspected him no more than ten years her senior. The more she knew of Guya, the more she appreciated his quiet strength, and the steadfast loyalty he had shown.

  Dara moaned, the sound loud enough for both to hear even above deck.

  “We have to get her help soon.”

  Guya squeezed the wheel with a firmer grip. His eyes remained fixed intently on the sea in front of him. “Aye.”

  As Carth watched him, she wondered what troubled him, and why he was so resistant to heading into port. She knew some of Guya’s past, but not enough. And after all the months they’d spent near her homeland, now they were making their way towards his. What secrets had Guya hidden from her?

  They didn’t matter. Not while Dara lay sick and retching. Even through the groaning of the ship and the snapping of the sails and the splash of the waves over the hull, she could hear Dara vomiting. The elixir might allow her to rest, but it would not be a peaceful sleep. If nothing else, Dara needed sleep.

  Neither spoke as they sat at the railing, and neither spoke as land gradually came into view. She didn’t need Guya to speak to see the tension rising in his shoulders, didn’t need him to say anything for her to know. She noticed the way his jaw clenched.

  “Where is that?” Carth asked.

  Guya took a deep breath and breathed out in a sigh. “That… that is Asador. That is… was… my home.”

  Carth pulled her attention from the sea and turned it to Guya. What would trouble him so much? And why would he be so concerned about returning to his home?

  2

  Carth waited by the railing of the Goth Spald as it pulled into the port city of Asador. Crossing the sea had taken weeks, and now they settled into an unfamiliar city, and an unfamiliar port. Carth had never visited the south, spending all her days in the north, and more recently sailing the barrier islands. That time had given her a chance to recover from the blood priest attack, and to try and determine what she would do next.

  She knew nothing of the south, other than what Guya had shared with her. He had made it clear that the south was a very different land than the north, not only because of the people there, but also because of the magic present in the lands. They were dangerous in ways the magic of the north was not, but then, so was she.

  “I’m nervous, Carth,” Lindy said to her. Wind pulled at her dark locks, twisting them until they struck her cheeks. Her fair complexion fit with her heritage of Ih-lash, but might stand out in Asador.

  Carth patted her arm reassuringly. “I’m nervous as well,” Carth said. “But we need to be here. We need to get help for Dara.”

  Carth scanned the port, noting the massive ships sailing in and out. They were of all different shapes and sizes, hulls that were wide and solid in ways the fleet ships from the north never were. There were smaller ships, some with strange triangular sails that were unlike any of the square-sailed ships she was accustomed to seeing in the north. Guya suggested these would be smugglers’ ships, mostly because of the speed such a hull would impart. There were larger ships—traders—with hulls designed for long journeys. And there were warships, something not found in the north.

  “I thought I would come to Asador on different terms,” Carth said.

  Once more, she felt an urgency, though this time it was not her urgency. Dara needed help, and Carth was determined to see that her friend got what she needed.

  “Did Guya tell you why Asador?” Lindy asked.

  Carth pulled her gaze away fr
om the strange shape of the roofs. They were so different than the buildings of the north, with peaked eaves and slate-covered tops. She wondered what the shadows would be like along the roofs. Strangely, she imagined the structure and the closeness of the buildings would allow someone to easily sneak along them. Maybe that was the intent of the construction.

  The smells coming out of the city were different as well. Not unpleasant, only different. There was the familiar scent of the salt coming off the sea, mixing with the fresh fish brought in on countless ships, but there were spices she did not recognize, some sweet and fragrant and others… others almost unpleasant. A few twisted trees dotted the coastline as well, but otherwise the docks led onto a rocky beach.

  “It was the closest port.”

  Lindy frowned. “It was?”

  Carth shrugged. “According to his maps. And this way, we can find out if there’s anything to the rumors we’ve heard.”

  Lindy nodded slowly. There were rumors of slavers, men who used and transported women, where others in the south favored such transactions. Carth had seen how there was more to those attacks than rumor. Dara had once been abducted to be used in such a way. It was time for Carth to do something to stop that. After what she had seen of the blood priests and how they had used women, Carth had a particular interest in ensuring nothing more happened to people like that. No one deserved to be torn from their home and brought away to be used.

  That would come after she found help for Dara.

  Guya settled them into the dock, leading them with expert precision. He motioned to Carth, and she grabbed the lines, securing the ship. Guya had trained Lindy, Dara and Carth to work with him, and they had become skilled in their time aboard the ship.