Exile (40 page)
Authors: Nikki McCormack
I will not die yet.
The burning world came crashing down on him. Before he got a barrier up, something struck his head and blackness swallowed him.
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Ksa-jnai wrapped the foreign maker in power, protecting him from the heat of the fire and the debris of the collapsing building. With an outward thrust, he sent fallen timbers flying back off the unconscious man. Ini-jnai followed him to the still form of the pale creature. Ksa-jnai gazed down, thoughtful. They had suffered no losses in this campaign until now. His warriors hadn’t been under protections for this attack. There should have been no need in such a place, but this one maker killed five of his men and stopping him led to the death of a sixth.
Ksa-jnai nodded and knelt next to the strange, pale man. The hair was almost white, with a hint of blue, like ice, and the features were refined, almost feminine, belying the immense power hidden within. Bright blood flowed from a wound on his scalp, so vivid against the pale skin and hair. Scalp wounds always bled with such drama.
Ksa-jnai smiled as he might smile on a favorite horse, and wiped his fingers through the blood. Putting the bloodied fingers in his mouth, he considered the maker for a moment longer, swallowing the metallic taste on his tongue. That blood would give him a new strength, one that would help him fight this man’s people and give him an unexpected edge when he faced the Afterworld.
After taking a moment to lick the last of the red from his fingers, he stood.
“Bind him and tend his wounds.”
“This one is dangerous. He wields more power on his own than any one of our makers. We should kill him.”
Ksa-jnai looked over his shoulder, narrowing his eyes at his Bloodnau. Ini-jnai dropped his gaze to the ground and sank to one knee in a gesture of reparation. “After he is bound, his power will be your power. Bind him.”
Ksa-jnai felt Ini-jnai’s power reach out to the pale man. Binding was one of the rare times the First Maker used his own power. Every maker in the army, excepting Ksa-jnai himself, was bound to his Bloodnau, which meant the First Maker could use their power when and how he pleased and they could only use it if he allowed them to do so. This pale creature would be a potent addition to that store of power. He wouldn’t be happy when he woke, but, by then, it would be too late.
When the last weave of the binding was secured to the foreign maker’s inner core, Ini-jnai finally looked up.
Ksa-jnai nodded approval then turned to another warrior. “When that one is healed, tie him and carry him on your horse.” For a moment, he paused to consider the men he had lost to the pale man’s power. By the Rights of the Conqueror, all of their horses now belonged to the foreign maker. Under the circumstances, however, he wouldn’t be allowed to keep them until Ksa-jnai was done with him, if that day ever came. “When he can sit on his own, give him Tig-nat’s horse, but keep his hands tied.”
“I am honored to do so, First Legend,” the warrior replied, bowing his head.
Satisfied, Ksa-jnai left his new maker in capable hands and walked out to the center of the village where his Bloodken were now gathering. Na-jnai rode up to him and inclined his head.
“Speak.”
“There is a clearing beyond the village by the river. Plenty of room for your army to rest if you so desire it, Ksa-jnai, First Legend.”
“Good, let them rest. You do well, as always, Na-jnai.”
The young man smiled, then his expression turned to one of concern. “There is blood on your hand.”
Ksa-jnai glanced down and noticed the red that lingered on one finger. “Not mine, Na-jnai.”
Turning back, he saw the warrior now lifting the pale maker from the wreckage. He placed the finger to his lips and worked away the last bit of blood with his teeth.
THE END
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The people who have been most supportive and helpful in this journey don’t change much, so this page will stay much the same with a few exceptions. As always, there are many people in my life who aren’t mentioned here for brevity sake. All of you are still very important to me.
I want to offer specific thanks to the following people.
To my husband Michael for your ongoing support of my dreams and willingness to let me read you every book I write.
To my mom Linda for your loving support and for helping me work out and refine my ideas.
To Rick and Ann for always being willing to read and give feedback on my books and for being the best of friends.
To my uncle Greg for being an avid fan of the series and a great editor on this book.
To Kali for your spectacular content edits and for being such a pleasure to work with.
To my good friend and fellow author Eldritch Black for sharing long rides to the coffee shop full of cathartic rants and commiseration every Thursday and for being an amazing writing companion. Also to the rest of that writing group, you are all part of what makes my Thursdays so productive and fun.
To Aradia for
knowing
I would succeed from the first time we met and being an inspiration in your dedication to your own art.
To my cover artist, Raquel, and my interior designer, Brian, thank you both for your fantastic work and for your patience with me as I continue to learn this process.
I must also offer thanks to my sixth grade teacher, Mr. Johnson, for being so pleased and excited when I told you I was going to be an author and to my eighth grade algebra teacher, Mr. Siebenlist, for almost letting me flunk because you were so delighted that I was writing books in class rather than notes.
AUTHOR BIO
Nikki started writing her first novel at the age of 12, which she still has tucked in a briefcase in her home office. She now lives in the magnificent Pacific Northwest tending to her awesome husband, two sweet horses, two manipulative cats, and a crazy dog. She feeds her imagination by sitting on the ocean in her kayak gazing out across the never-ending water or hanging from a rope in a cave, embraced by darkness and the sound of dripping water. She finds peace through practicing iaido or shooting her longbow.
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Thank you for taking time to read this novel. Please leave a review if you enjoyed it.
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For more about me and my work visit me at
OTHER BOOKS BY NIKKI MCCORMACK
FORBIDDEN THINGS – An Epic Fantasy Series
CLOCKWORK ENTERPRISES – A Young Adult Steampunk Series
Book One: The Girl and the Clockwork Cat
Book Two: The Girl and the Clockwork Conspiracy
SHORT STORIES BY NIKKI MCCORMACK
This is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2015 Nikki McCormack
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.
Published by
Elysium Books
Seattle, WA
Written by Nikki McCormack (
https://nikkimccormack.com/
)
Cover Design by Raquel Neira (
http://kellieart.deviantart.com/
)
Photography by Michael McCormack
Costuming by Ann Forseth (
https://www.etsy.com/shop/RomanyRapture
)
Exquisite Cat Model - Koneko
Interior Design by Brian C. Short
First Edition 2015
ISBN: 978-0-9963196-4-5
Table of Contents