The Seer (Blood & Fire Saga Book 1) Read online

  The Seer

  Blood & Fire Saga #1

  By Lyn Lowe

  and Michelle Wheet

  Text copyright © 2012 Lyn Lowe

  All Rights Reserved

  https://loweandwheet.com

  Cover Illustration by Bobby Esckelson

  For more of Bobby’s work visit www.apt22art.com

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Originally published as Burnt.

  The authors are deeply grateful you took the time to read this book. Please consider leaving a review wherever you bought the book, or telling your friends or blog readers about it to help spread the word. You can also email us at [email protected] or [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you! Thank you for your support!

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  To my Uncle Bruce

  Because you always treated me like an adult, whether I deserved it or not.

  I love you.

  Thank you.

  Solution

  “I’ve found the Catalyst.”

  Four sets of eyes watched her without as much as blinking. Sweat coated Dujet’s palms, and she swallowed hard against her tightening throat. She had not expected such an audience. When she’d left her village two days ago, she had been prepared to speak with her contact in Barnmouth, or maybe to be sent as far as a city in the province of Lindel. She’d not been prepared to be sent on a sea voyage that had taken nearly a year to complete, or to be dragged in front of these four terrifying strangers in the great room of an abandoned inn. The glow of firelight did little to banish the strong sense of emptiness of the place. The whole town had been like that, from what she’d seen of the lonely streets and shuttered windows. She didn’t know if the people she spoke to now had found the town as it was, or if they had driven the residents out. She found herself inclined to believe the latter.

  “You’re certain?” It was the white–haired man who asked. She had thought him attractive, at first. There was something wrong with him, though. There was no inflection in his voice, not even boredom. As she looked closer, she felt an oppressive nothingness about him. There was no shred of emotion anywhere about him. Dujet shivered.

  “Y–yes.”

  She had proven herself so skilled with a bow that Alma, leader of the Zetowan tribe, had requested her as an honor guard on the last trip to negotiate in Barnmouth. Her husband, Toman, was Light–giver to the tribe, and their son, Sojun, was the strongest to ever be born to the Zetowan family. Dujet was no leader, but she was an important woman, worthy of respect. She didn’t want to cower before these people. Yet every one of them filled her with so much fear that she could hardly find her voice.

  “Are you?” asked the woman sitting next to the white–haired man. She might have looked nice, with a face shaped like a heart and full lips. But the bright red hair reminded Dujet too much of Alma, and the smile the woman gave was the same as a cat after a satisfying hunt. The woman wasn’t as frightening as the man, but that was not the same as being amiable. More, there was something about the way she moved that gave Dujet the sense that the white–haired man was not her equal, but her servant. “Do you have much experience in these matters, then? Shall we consider you an expert?”

  “She knows,” hissed the other man. Though she was not certain he was man at all. His skin was sandy gray and the muscles beneath his flesh looked like vines, twisted in such unnatural ways that it made her stomach lurch to look on him. His face was that of a corpse long dead, and the green embers that burned in his eye sockets glowed malevolently. “She holds the gift of Thorns. They all know.”

  Dujet nodded, eager for whatever protection the monster’s statement might provide her. “I found it. I know I did. I felt the power. I would know the feel of that anywhere. It was just like…”

  It was just like the lurch that had run through her when she’d become a servant to the most powerful of all the gods. That surge of raw energy had made her heart shudder and a trembling weakness overtake every inch of her. It was not the sort of thing that anyone could mistake.

  “Where?” the first man asked.

  “In my home,” she answered. “Among the Zetowan tribe. It’s one of the children.”

  The red–haired woman frowned. “That is troublesome. The Zetowan are protected.” The woman glanced around to the others at the table before turning her sharp gaze back on Dujet. “Which child?”

  “I…” Dujet’s mouth snapped closed. She shook her head. “I don’t… don’t understand. I knew which one. I swear, by Kosa’s name, I knew. But now it’s… it’s all gone!”

  “A spell,” the monster said. “Like the one they used to hide the Stone. They would hide it, like burying a gem among rocks.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” the red–head purred. “We’ve put everything in place. The Stone will come to us, and my blood will make the Catalyst irrelevant.”

  “A dangerous attitude,” the monster scolded.

  “We don’t want the Catalyst dying on us. Then we’d have to start all over again. We need him in hand before we move,” the white–haired man agreed.

  “Well what would you suggest, then? Do you know any spells strong enough to go against Creation?”

  “We don’t need to break anything,” the final voice snapped. The second woman did not belong at that table. There was nothing special or terrifying about her. Her dark hair and olive skin was pretty, but not remarkable. Were it not for the light leather armor she wore, Dujet might have mistaken the woman for a servant or apprentice. “I will just get all of the kids.”

  “What?” Dujet blinked rapidly. That couldn’t happen. The Zetowan would fight. She was not family anymore, but she had not fallen so far as to wish them harm. Her husband and children were still in the village. They weren’t involved with the Catalyst. At least, she didn’t think they were. She would know, certainly, if it had been one of her children. Surely, she would remember that. “But… my people... They’ve sworn themselves to Fate. They’ll never cooperate. They won’t let you take our children.”

  The woman didn’t bat an eye. “Then I shall kill them all.”

  Part One:

  Decision

  The world was born in fire,

  And so it will die.

  A thousand deaths,

  A thousand births,

  Each painful and pointless.

  Where he walks, all will burn.

  – Excerpt from “The Book of Endings”

  One

  Sparrowfall Dynasty 441

  17th year After the Fall

  The air was crisp and smelled of fall. Normally he would be down in the orchard bringing in the apples with the rest of the tribe. Instead he was lying in the soft grass, savoring the feeling of one of his mother’s sweet rolls dissolving on his tongue. On his right Sojun and Amorette wrestled playfully. He thought about joining in but found he wasn’t really in the mood. Today was special.

  He sighed happily and finished off the last of his sweet roll. “The only thing better than good food is making love to a beautiful woman.”

  The scuffling beside him stopped and Amorette’s soft features appeared over the top of the grass. Her hazel eyes narrowed even as her lips twisted into a smile. “What are you talking about?”

  His smile vanished and he set his jaw. The words had come out before he thought about them. Now he was stuck defending himself. Amorette took too much joy in making him feel foolish. He didn’t put up much of a fight most days, but he wasn’t going to give any grou
nd today. It was his day. “You heard me.”

  Sojun laughed loudly. The stocky boy sat up a minute later, brushing stray grass out of his light brown hair. “Yeah, we heard you Rosy. We just know better than to think you know what you’re talking about.”

  “Don’t be jealous, Jun. Maybe someday Amorette will grow tired of her chastity and take pity on you.” Sojun laughed so hard he started coughing, and fell backward, clutching at his side dramatically.

  Amorette glared at them both. “I know you think you’re impressive Kaie, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us buy into your bullshit.”

  Both boys stopped laughing, staring at her. He was surprised by the venom in her voice.

  After a second Amorette dropped her scowl and rolled her eyes. Kaie let a small breath of relief slide out between his teeth as she let the friendly teasing continue. “No woman here is so devoid of morality that she’d bed a bratty virgin on the wrong side of his sixteenth year. And no woman here is so desperate that she’d take up with you, regardless.”

  Kaie scowled at her. “Just because you’re a cold, deprived shrew doesn’t mean the rest of the tribe suffers under the same affliction.”

  That time he definitely went too far. The second the words were past his lips, he knew it. Her jaw clenched and Kaie was certain that this time there would be no eye roll signaling it was still all in fun. He did take a small amount of satisfaction from being the cause of the red creeping up into her cheeks, but not nearly enough to make up for the tears that would come after her anger cooled.

  Sojun’s hand dropped onto her shoulder. The effect was instant and dramatic. All the fury leaked out of her eyes and the red retreated just as quickly as it arrived. “Don’t let him get you all worked up, Ams. We both know he heard his dad say it. Just like last time.”

  Now it was Sojun’s turn to be on the receiving end of Kaie’s scowl. “Don’t make me regret rescuing you from harvest duty, Jun. I can always take it back.”

  Amorette snorted. “Who else would you find to witness for you?”

  Kaie tilted his chin up defiantly. “Esme and Miette.”

  Her eyes widened and, judging by the way her jaw worked, the anger was about to come back. “My sisters?”

  Sojun chuckled. “Good call. Those two might just be desperate enough for you, bratty virgin and all.”

  Amorette made an odd squeaking noise and smacked Sojun’s arm hard enough to make Kaie flinch. It only made the bigger boy’s smile widen.

  “Exactly,” Kaie agreed. The glare Jun got was different than the one he did. It was softer, more playful. He tried not to let it bother him. “Then you two would have to find some other time for your mating games.”

  Sojun laughed again. “Now who’s jealous?”

  There was no good answer to that question. Rather than try, Kaie joined the laughter and dropped back into the grass, folding his arms behind his head. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for this day my entire life.”

  “You have, idiot.” Amorette said with another eye roll. Her anger was gone again, no doubt because of Sojun’s hand on her knee.

  “No, I mean…” He paused, trying to sort out some way to explain it.

  Sojun scooted closer so that he could elbow Kaie lightly in the ribs. “I know what you mean.”

  Amorette scowled again from above them but not with anger. “Is this some boy thing? Because I don’t get it. How could you not be waiting for any birthing day your whole life? Isn’t that the whole idea?”

  Sojun shook his head and tugged her down. She resisted just enough that she ended up rolling over top of him, landing in between the two boys. Her head dropped softly onto his arms and her legs entwined with Sojun’s. Kaie’s smile grew. Things were changing. There was tension growing between them. More and more, she belonged to Sojun rather than to the both of them. He missed the days when he could touch her without awkwardness. He missed her. Just as much as he missed the days when Sojun was more concerned about making them both laugh than playing the peacemaker. It felt good to lie like this, the three of them pressed so close that not even the ants would bother trying to get between them.

  “It’s not a boy thing,” Sojun explained, drawing him out of all the moments they were leaving behind and back to the current one. “It’s just hard to explain. Like the world is holding its breath and, once the moment comes, that air will come out in a great whoosh. Life will be different. And everything that came before that moment, it’s all just been getting you ready to stand against that gust of air and keep it from breaking you. Does that make sense?”

  She shook her head and chuckled lowly. He loved the sound of her laughter all the more for its rarity. He wished he could get it as easily as the anger. “No. But I’m used to it. Nothing you two idiots say makes much sense. Honestly, I don’t know why I bother hanging out with you.”

  “Because no one else would tolerate such willfulness from a bratty virgin on the wrong side of her sixteenth year?” Kaie teased. She elbowed him in the same place Sojun had the moment before.

  “I was going to say that you enjoy the sense of superiority,” Sojun said amicably. “But I think Kaie’s answer is more entertaining.” Amorette snorted, apparently deciding that was response enough for the both of them.

  “Do you wonder?” Kaie asked, his attention drifting back to what waited for him down in the valley. “What the Lemme’s seen for me?”

  “No,” Amorette replied readily. “I know exactly what she’s seen.”

  He propped himself up, careful not to dislodge her. He stared into her bottomless eyes. “What do you mean?”

  She shot a quick glance at Sojun, who gave her the slightest nod. Then she smiled and lifted her hand to run two delicate fingers down the side of Kaie’s face. “She’s seen strength in your future. And greatness. So much greatness, it was likely blinding. Just wait and see.”

  Her strawberry hair was like dying flames rippling over his forearm. Her skin was the color of warm tea, and she smelled of pine. More than anything in the world, in that moment, Kaie wished Sojun was not just on the other side of her. For the barest fraction of a heartbeat, he thought he saw the same desire mirrored in those mysterious hazel eyes.

  “Ams is right. The Lemme’s seen you leading the tribe. Everyone knows it. It’s probably the worst kept secret in history.”

  The moment shattered with the sound of Sojun’s deep voice. No one who didn’t know them would believe Sojun was nearly a full year younger than Kaie. Everything about him – broad shoulders, height, stubble across his square chin, even his newly deep voice – seemed to say he was a man. Kaie couldn’t seem to shake loose the boy.

  Amorette stood. Winding her long hair up into a knot with ease and grace, she quickly set herself back to right. In a matter of seconds, she erased all trace of tumbling around in dying grass, and was every bit the proper woman of the tribe. Her own birthing day was just a few weeks away and she already managed to look even more the part than Jun. When she was done repairing her appearance, she offered them both a hand up. “Come on. The Lemme won’t wait forever. If Kaie’s ever going to be able to speak about things he knows, rather than repeat things he doesn’t, we’re going to have to get him to her.”

  Sojun took her hand happily. His trust was as absolute as always.

  Kaie hesitated a fraction of a second. When they returned to the valley and went to the Lemme for his destiny, it would make him a man in the eyes of the tribe. He’d wanted that for as long as he could remember. But Sojun was right. It meant an end to things. Amorette wouldn’t be lying down beside him again. It would cast a cloud of suspicion over the two of them. But more than that, it would mean an end to all their time together. Whatever waited for him in the valley, even if it was the greatness Amorette predicted, he could not be sure it would match what he was leaving behind on this hill. Part of him, one not entirely separate from the wicked, jealous one, wanted desperately to stay here with the two of them and cling to his childhood for a little while lon
ger.

  He took her hand with the biggest grin he could manage. “That’s right. Amorette is just dying to hear all the details of the sexual exploits I’ll be having. I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

  ***

  The village was quiet as the trio made their way to the hut positioned at the point furthest north. Only those too young or too infirm were excluded from helping in the orchard. They were as close to alone as any in the village ever were. Even the chickens seemed to be occupied with something that kept them silent and out of sight. It was eerie, like the life had drained out of the world he knew so well, leaving it strange and still.

  They all stopped at the entrance of the Lemme’s hut. Clinging desperately to what he hoped was a casual grin, Kaie stared up at the door and waited for the eagerness he felt all morning to return. A cool hand slid into his own. With surprise he looked down to discover Amorette’s fingers lacing through his. He dared a glance up to her eyes and saw an understanding that lanced through his pride and blustering. A second later Sojun’s hand dropped firmly on his shoulder.

  A wash of gratitude nearly swept him away. He blinked back the tears threatening to unman him and swallowed words that would shame him. Neither was needed. They both knew already. Letting the fake one drop, he gave them both a true and shaky smile, and then pushed open the door.

  The smell hit him first. It reeked of incense, herbs, and all manner of other things he couldn’t identify. The smell was so strong it made his head spin. According to his father, it was all to facilitate the Lemme’s visions. It was starting to make him feel like his mind was so light it might float away. Underneath it all, so faint he almost missed it entirely, was the smell of sickness.

  The woman crouched in the far corner, just outside the arch of light from the open door. She was bottom heavy, to the point where it seemed unlikely she could do more than waddle. Her face was a stark contrast, gaunt and heavily lined. Every bit of her skin was an unnatural yellow. With the flickering light of the fire pit Kaie thought he saw some of the buttery color leaking into the whites of her eyes.