Nation of the sword, p.1
Nation of the Sword, page 1
Nation of the Sword
HR MOORE
Published by Harriet Moore
Copyright © 2022 HR Moore
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author.
Titles by HR Moore:
The Relic Trilogy:
Queen of Empire
Temple of Sand
Court of Crystal
In the Gleaming Light
The Ancient Souls Series:
Nation of the Sun
Nation of the Sword
Nation of the Stars
Shadow and Ash:
Kingdoms of Shadow and Ash
Dragons of Asred
Shadow and Ash Stories:
The Water Rider and the High Born Fae
House of Storms and Secrets
http://www.hrmoore.com
Contents
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Chapter 7
8. Chapter 8
9. Chapter 9
10. Chapter 10
11. Chapter 11
12. Chapter 12
13. Chapter 13
14. Chapter 14
15. Chapter 15
16. Chapter 16
17. Chapter 17
18. Chapter 18
19. Chapter 19
20. Chapter 20
21. Chapter 21
22. Chapter 22
CONNECT WITH HR MOORE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TITLES BY HR MOORE
Chapter one
Raina looked down at her leather cuff. The cuff Jamie—the leader of the Templar nation—was attaching to her wrist. Anger boiled inside her, but she had to play along … had to be convincing.
He was tagging her, even though she was still a Pagan, according to the magic at least, if not the Registerium's official records.
Jamie stepped back, his eyes boring into her as he delighted in his accomplishment.
'Now you're truly one of us,' he said.
He leaned in, aiming for her lips. Raina turned her head, so he kissed her cheek instead.
'Thank you,' she said with a smile, squeezing his arm to sell the lie.
Aside from his efforts to seduce her, Jamie had been accommodating in the days since she'd signed herself over to the Templar nation. He'd agreed to art classes and playdates in the park for her five-year-old daughter, Callie, so she could hang out with kids her age. He'd arranged trips to the key demon sites Raina wanted Callie to visit. He'd even sent requests to the demon teachers Raina wanted for her daughter … Raina would give Callie a solid demon education, even if they were Templar hostages.
Most of the teachers on Raina's list had declined Jamie's request. Everyone knew a war was brewing, and no one wanted to be used as leverage … or become collateral damage.
'I have a surprise for you,' said Jamie, pulling Raina back from her thoughts.
'Oh?' Raina's stomach lurched. Jamie's surprises were usually more of a delight for him than anyone else.
'Alerac,' said Jamie, turning his head towards the door, 'you can come in now.'
Raina's chest constricted. She hadn't seen or spoken with Alerac for hundreds of years. He'd probably heard countless tales about her since then, from any number of enemies. The Pagans—Raina's true nation—and Alerac's Aztec brethren weren't the best of friends.
Alerac entered, his tall frame making short work of the distance to where she and Jamie stood. He wore a bright, elaborately embroidered coat, adorned with a host of magical symbols that Raina hadn't seen in lifetimes. Raina wondered if Jamie even knew what those symbols were … what they meant.
'I'm happy to see you again,' said Alerac, in his deep, lilting tone. He gave a slight bow as he came to a halt.
'Top of your list, was he not?' said Jamie, looking at Raina expectantly.
'It's a pleasure to see you too, Alerac,' said Raina, mirroring his incline of the head. 'In truth, you're the only teacher on my list who's agreed to come.'
'We Aztecs are friends to the Templar nation,' said Alerac.
'And we're glad …' Jamie began.
But before he could finish, a wave of power rushed through the room, stealing their breath, crushing their souls. They choked on it, drowned in it, a thick, heavy sensation, like treacle flooding down their throats.
Raina clawed at her chest, her lungs burning, panic stealing all thought. In all of her many lifetimes, she'd never felt anything like this. Callie … where was Callie?
And then it was gone. They were left winded and unsettled, bent double, heaving in air, unable to speak.
Jamie looked frantically around, as though something in the room could answer his obvious questions. 'What the hell was that?' he said.
'That,' said Alerac, straightening his coat, still breathing hard, 'was a wave of magical power.'
'Where did it come from?' said Jamie, paling. 'Are we under attack?'
'I doubt it,' said Alerac. 'Had that been an attack, we'd all be dead.'
'What?' said Jamie, astonished. Then a flicker of fear crossed his features.
Raina suppressed a smile. Jamie barely believed in magic, and he certainly had no respect for it.
'Can you create a wave like that?' asked Jamie.
Raina could practically see the cogs turning in Jamie's mind … maybe he'd underestimated magic … should rectify that oversight …
Alerac fixed Jamie with a disbelieving look. 'No,' said Alerac. 'No power like that has been seen for at least a thousand years.' He turned his eyes to Raina. 'Yes?'
Jamie swiveled his attention to Raina, his features puckered in suspicion.
Oh shit.
'You practiced magic?' said Jamie.
'No,' said Raina, before Alerac could reply for her. 'Not really. I dabbled for a time, very early in my existence. I haven't touched it in many lifetimes.'
Raina concentrated, sending a warning to Alerac. She couldn't send words without preparation—she was rusty—but managed to communicate her discomfort, hoping that would be enough.
Alerac showed no sign of having received her message, but said, 'If you'll excuse me, I'd like to get settled in.'
Alerac left, and Raina fought to hide her relief. He'd kept her history with magic to himself, hadn't sold her out … at least not yet.
Jamie poured himself a drink. He offered one to Raina, but she refused; day drinking had never really been her thing.
He shrugged as he replaced the crystal decanter, then leaned back against the sideboard and took a long sip, letting the silence stretch.
'So,' he said eventually, 'I've fulfilled your every whim and wish …'
That was pushing it. Raina schooled her features into an accommodating smile.
'… now it's your turn to fulfil mine.'
Raina cocked an eyebrow. She was itching to check on Callie after the wave of magic, but she was curious to see which particular wish he'd prioritize.
'We're facing pressure from all sides. We need a plan to fend off our enemies, and the best form of defense is attack.'
Raina looked at him for a long moment, weighing his words. 'You said you didn't want to go to war,' she said calmly, although her pulse picked up.
'I don't. But I can't sit idle while our enemies gain ground. I have no choice but to respond.'
Did he expect her to believe that? 'What are your enemies doing?'
'Our enemies are doing many things. Prove your loyalty to me, and I'll tell you more.'
Raina laughed. 'And to prove my loyalty, you want me to formulate a defense? How can I do that without the information I need?'
'You're the great Raina Halabi; I'm sure you have generic strategies you can share. You must understand I can't trust you … and building trust takes time.'
'Trust me?' said Raina, scoffing. 'You kidnapped our daughter … and at least twice a week, you slip out and don't tell me where you're going. Did you think I wouldn't notice?' The best form of defense was attack after all ...
'You're not ready for that yet.'
She watched as his walls snapped up, shutting her out. She shook her head. 'As you say, trust must be built, Jamie. Let me know when you're ready to do your part.'
Zahora shied back into the shelter of the tunnel that connected the sleeping quarters and the workrooms. She wrung her hands. It did nothing to make her feel better, so she rubbed her face, then re-tied her hair, pulling it almost painfully tight. The pressure only increased her disquiet, so she freed her unruly curls, then dug her fingernails into her palms.
'What are you doing?' asked a male, American voice.
Zahora jumped and spun around, taking in the tall, dark man. Was he here to take her? He didn't look menacing, but if she'd learned anything about demons during her brief time as one, it was they were rarely what they seemed … his happy-go-lucky look could be a front.
'Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you,' he said, holding up his hands to show he meant no harm.
She appraised him, wondering if she should run, but it was hopeless. She couldn't run from what she'd done. It was bad … she knew that … but she didn't know what to do about it.
That was a lie. She knew what she should do … she just didn't want to … because she was scared witless.
He waited patiently for her to answer, smiling kindly, reassuringly.
Zahora heard voices behind her, and she rus
Two demons walked up the path, approaching the hut in the center of the clearing. It belonged to Marla—the Proficient magik who ran this place.
A shiver shot down Zahora's spine. 'Holy crap,' she whispered.
'What?' said the man, now standing beside her.
She pulled him back into the shadows. 'Sussssh. Those are … well … never mind who they are, but they're important here.'
'Those two?' he said, his tone disbelieving. 'The old one must be eighty at least. And that one has flowers in her hair!'
'Rose and Talli,' said Zahora. 'You shouldn't judge a book by its cover.'
Talli—the woman with flowers in her hair—who was practically skipping up the path, suddenly turned her eyes to the tunnel.
'Shit,' said Zahora, hastily grabbing the man's sleeve and pulling him back.
'You're not supposed to be here?' he asked with a chuckle.
'I'm supposed to be here. I'm probably supposed to be in that hut … or maybe they're here to kick me out … or worse.'
'Am I supposed to understand what you're talking about?'
Zahora took in the man once more. He was lithe, his skin a few shades darker than hers. He had the air of a college athlete. Like he trained all the time, then hung with his bros, full of brash, callous bravado.
No. She was being unfair … projecting. He did look like a college athlete, but he was kind. She could feel it radiating off him, rippling through the ether, brushing her senses.
'Who are you?' she said. If he was here for her, he was hiding it well.
'I'm Noah. I came looking for a job.'
She gave him an incredulous look. They were on top of a cliff overlooking a lake in the middle of Wales. In other words, they were in the middle of nowhere.
He laughed. 'My dad sent me here on a gap year after college. He won't let me join the family business until I've got life experience. He said he'd always wanted to visit Wales, so sent me here first … he had the grace to let me choose where I go next …'
'So why not move on? Why get a job?'
'It's nice here …'
Her features turned stern, calling bullshit.
He chuckled again. 'Dad wouldn't let me bring any money. I have nothing but the clothes on my back, my phone, and a credit card for emergencies—and I only have that because my stepmom insisted. Dad paid for a cottage in the village for a week. After that, I'm homeless too.'
Interesting. Zahora looked at him with fresh eyes, endless questions filling her.
'Zahora,' said a soft voice from the tunnel's entrance.
Oh fuck. This was it …
'Who is this?' said the magik, stepping into the tunnel.
The magik was short and slight. Noah dwarfed him, but somehow it seemed the other way around.
'This is Noah,' said Zahora. 'He needs a job … We can help him, can't we?'
The magik's lips pursed. 'You're needed inside.' When she didn't immediately comply, he scowled, sending her skittering away.
She chastised herself as she went. He was no great and powerful being … why did she let a middling magik affect her that way?
Talli watched as Rose and Marla talked. It was unusual for Talli to be quiet for so long, but despite her hundreds of years, and countless lifetimes, it was still strange to be confronted with a fourteen-year-old who spoke like an adult. More than that, Marla was the Pagans' most senior practicing magik, one of only two Proficients they had left, and the only one currently incarnated.
Talli had studied under Marla for a few lifetimes. She'd enjoyed learning magic, but only to a point. Talli loved leading the nation's ritual celebrations—and could wield enough magic to do so—but she lacked the interest to devote herself entirely, devoutly. She was social, liked to flit, and those were not qualities that went down well in the Pagans' magical community.
'We have to get Raina back,' said Rose, 'above anything else. And Callie. Until we have them, our hands are tied.'
'We will prepare,' said Marla, resting her hands on the rustic wooden table. 'I will call in all our magiks.'
'We'll try to bolster your numbers through our allies too,' said Rose, 'and a connection with Raina would be an enormous help …'
Marla nodded. 'We will try. The Templars are sloppy; this will work in our favor.'
'They won't be sloppy for long,' said Talli. 'Not if they realize magic's a true weapon.'
'And by now they may have realized,' said Rose, 'given …'
A knock sounded from the door.
'Come,' said Marla.
A woman entered, taking tentative steps towards them.
'Zahora,' said Marla, 'meet Rose and Talli.'
Zahora looked to be in her mid-twenties and had a riot of curly black hair. Her tight-fitting shirt and jeans showed off her ample curves, and the way she held her head high, despite what she'd done, made Talli want to respect her. Or maybe she was just young and stupid … from what Talli had heard, Zahora was only on her second or third incarnation.
'It's a pleasure to meet you,' said Zahora.
Her voice was even, betraying no hint of the discomfort her body put on display. Her fingers twitched, shoulders rigid, lips pursed.
'You too,' said Talli, jumping up and pulling her into a hug. There was no point in torturing the poor thing. What was done was done.
'I … uh … I'm really sorry.'
Zahora had never been so nervous, or so excited. Yes, she knew she was in the shit, but at least now she'd get to play in the big leagues. Talli and Rose being here could mean only one thing—they needed her … finally.
Even though her rational brain knew that, in this moment, she was also terrified. Marla and Rose stared her down. Combined, they'd roamed the earth for thousands of years; gravitas leached from them.
Zahora couldn't stand still … she kept catching herself fidgeting. She hoped one day she'd be like them … impervious.
'You should be sorry,' said Marla, 'but you're not.'
Zahora looked at Marla's teenaged form. She was small, with white-blond hair, and skin so white it practically glowed, at least the parts not covered in ink. Swirling patterns and ancient symbols of power, protection, and concealment adorned her. Most senior magiks had similar tattoos to help them navigate the Nexus … not that Zahora had any idea what that entailed.
'I …' said Zahora.
'We don’t have time to waste on lies, girl,' said Rose. 'We have much to do.'
'I was … exploring. I just wanted to test my power, to see what I can do. We move so slowly here … I knew I could do more …'
'We move slowly for a reason,' said Marla.
'What did I do, exactly?' said Zahora. She was swaying from side to side, her pesky body betraying her again. She rooted her feet to the ground.
'We were hoping you could tell us,' said Talli, kindly.
'Oh.'
'You sent a shock-wave of magic across the world,' said Marla. She always spoke slowly, precisely.
'I did?' said Zahora. That sounded powerful … she'd always known she was powerful—hell yeah!
'The entire world,' said Marla.
'So you can wipe that smirk off your face, because you've just announced your presence to the world,' said Rose.
'I have?' said Zahora.
'Which isn't ideal,' said Talli, 'because we were hoping to utilize the element of surprise. The Templars don't respect magic …'
'And you've shown to them why they should,' said Rose.
'Oh, shit. Sorry,' said Zahora.
'At least you meant it that time,' said Marla. 'But apologies will not help us now.'
'We need you to work with us,' said Talli. 'We need your help.'
'I'll do whatever I can,' said Zahora, her heart hammering in her chest. This was what she'd been waiting for … what she'd craved for both of the lifetimes she'd known she was a demon. 'What do you need?'
'We must retrieve Raina and Callie from the Templars,' said Marla. 'To do that, we will gather intelligence from the Nexus.'
'And then transfer Callie to the Pagans,' said Rose.
'We must probe the Registerium's magic, and see if their laws still stand,' said Marla.
'And once we have them back, as Pagans, we'll wipe out the Templar nation,' said Rose.
Silence filled the air as the weight of Rose's words settled. She wanted war, even after Raina and Callie had returned.
