Excerpt Thursday: BLADE OF THE GHOSTS

It’s Excerpt Thursday! Today we have an excerpt from BLADE OF THE GHOSTS, the prequel novel for THE GHOSTS series:

“You’re ready?” said Halfdan.

Caina sat across from him, smoothing her skirts. “I was there yesterday. Everything is in place.”

“Good girl,” said Halfdan. He thumped the roof twice. The coachman cracked his whip, the horses snorting their displeasure, and the coach shuddered into motion, the wheels creaking. “Try not to kill anyone.”

“I’d prefer to avoid it,” said Caina.

“Ideally, this sword of the Count’s should just disappear,” said Halfdan. “Without any trace, if at all possible.”

“That is my plan,” said Caina.

Halfdan nodded. “Good. Try not to set fire to any buildings.”

Caina sighed. “That only happened the one time. I certainly don’t plan on making a habit of it.”

Halfdan smiled a little behind his beard. “I should hope not. The Ghosts are the Emperor’s spies and occasionally assassins when necessary, but we are not arsonists.”

“Yes, one must have some standards,” said Caina.

Halfdan laughed. “Indeed.” His mirth faded. “Be on your guard. Count Armus Valdarion is an eccentric and a touch naive, but he is not a stupid man. He knows how valuable the Sword will be, if it is indeed genuine.”

“Is it genuine?” said Caina.

“I have no idea,” said Halfdan. “That is what I hope to discover tonight. If it is not genuine, the Count can keep it as a curiosity. If it is genuine…well, it is best that it comes into the possession of the Emperor.”

“It’s just an old sword,” said Caina.

“It might be enspelled,” said Halfdan. “Relics from the ancient epochs of the Empire often bear spells lost to the mists of history.”

“Then it should be destroyed,” said Caina. “Sorcery is a blight upon the world.” She almost added that the Imperial Magisterium ought to be destroyed as well, but kept her silence. Halfdan already knew her thoughts on the matter.

She had very good reasons for wanting to see every last sorcerer in the world dead.

“Certainly sorcerous power is dangerous in the wrong hands,” said Halfdan. “Nevertheless, even if the sword bears no spells, it might still be dangerous.”

Caina shrugged. “All swords are dangerous.”

“This one is dangerous not because of its sharp edge but because of what it represents,” said Halfdan. “The Sword of the First Emperor could serve as the rallying point for a rebellion. Not a few nobles imagine they would make better Emperors than Alexius Naerius, and an ambitious lord with the Sword of the First Emperor might use it to raise a revolt.”

“From what you’ve told me Count Armus Valdarion does not seem like that kind of man,” said Caina.

“No,” said Halfdan. “He is a scholar, not a warrior. His son Aetius might feel differently. Or someone else might wish to steal the sword.” He leaned back in his seat with a grunt. “If the sword is a harmless relic, the Count is welcome to add it to his collection. If it is not, well…we shall see then, won’t we?” He sighed and rubbed his hip. “I’m getting too old to ride in these damn rattling coaches.”

Caina smiled. “You ought to exercise more. That would loosen your joints.”

Halfdan snorted. “You might enjoy working the unarmed forms of combat every morning after a five-mile run, but I’m also too old for that.”

-JM