Endric nodded. “And how did I take it from him?”
Her eyes widened.
He smiled again. “Yes. The Denraen have a tradition that if you defeat the general—”
“No.”
Endric chuckled. “While it was not a formal challenge, it was enlightening, regardless. It’s the reason I asked you to return to Vasha. You see, I’m getting older. And there’s a limit to how long the Denraen can be served by a single general. My father knew it, and he found a way to leave but still made certain he could serve, joining the Conclave in full. Now, after everything that we’ve gone through, I think it is my time to end my service to the Denraen.”
Roelle shook her head. “Endric, I—”
Endric raised his hand. “You are a skilled soldier, Roelle, but more than that, you are a leader. The world needs someone with your skills.”
He stepped closer to her, and she realized then just how tall he was. Why hadn’t she noticed it before?
“Have you wondered what you would be, and what you could do, now that the war seems over? You have wondered how you could serve. I offer you this—assume control of the Denraen. I will provide guidance, but the command will be yours. In time, you will be called to serve the Conclave, as I and my father before me were called.”
She couldn’t move. She didn’t even dare to breathe. “The Denraen wouldn’t follow me. I’m a Mage.”
“Are you? Didn’t you tell me that you aren’t a Mage, not anymore? And I think you’re mistaken if you think the men won’t follow you. You’ve gained the trust of your Magi. I think trying to lead the Denraen will be much easier.”
She looked back at the Magi, shaking her head. “I can’t abandon them.” The two dozen Magi who remained were her responsibility now.
“Of course you can’t. I would ask that they serve, as well. You will need a Raen. Pendin will serve for a while longer, but I think he is ready to retire. Beyond that, you will need others you trust. They could come from the ranks of the Denraen, or they could come from your Magi. Regardless, it will be your decision.”
“Endric—”
“The Magi were soldiers before they were priests. You have returned the Magi to their foundation.”
Roelle looked around her. The palace high overhead had once been home, but she couldn’t imagine remaining within the walls of the palace, trying to find her place among the Magi again. Could the barracks be home for her? Could she lead?
As she surveyed the barracks yard, she noted all of the Denraen within the yard watching her and Endric. How many had been alerted of their sparring session? How many had Endric intentionally placed so that she would have little choice but to accept? Knowing him, and knowing the way that he planned, she suspected he had intended much of this.
She took a deep breath. What would Alriyn think?
Already a generation of Magi had been lost. Three-quarters of those she’d taken with her had died, and the rest were soldiers now, not Magi.
At least this way they would remain within Vasha. They could still serve, though differently than any Mage had served in centuries.
She had returned to Vasha not knowing what she was going to do. Endric offered her a way to serve, and it was one that felt fitting to her. Why shouldn’t she accept this offer?
“If I do this, I will need your assistance.”
Endric smiled. “You won’t need it nearly as much as you think that you will.”
“I will need your assistance,” she said again.
Endric smiled. “Does this mean that you accept?”
“I…” She looked around, glancing from Selton to the rest of the Magi warriors standing with him. The answer was there, right before her. What else could she do other than find a way to serve?
She looked back at Endric to find him watching her. Roelle took a deep breath and nodded. “I will serve.”
Thanks for reading the Lost Prophecy series! There will be more to come in this world, so sign up for my newsletter HERE to find out when.
In the meantime, if you haven’t read Endric’s story, you can start with book 1, Soldier Son. I think you’ll love it.
Endric wants only to serve, but he's destined to lead.
As the second son of the general of the Denraen, Endric wants only to fight, not the commission his father demands of him. When a strange attack in the south leads to the loss of someone close to him, only Endric seems concerned about what happened.
All signs point to an attack on the city, and betrayal by someone deep within the Denraen, but his father no longer trusts his judgment. This forces Endric to make another impulsive decision, one that leads him far from the city on a journey where he discovers how little he knew, and how much more he has to understand. If he can prove himself in time, and with the help of his new allies, he can stop a greater disaster.
Want more great fantasy? Check out The Dark Ability series!
Exiled by his family. Claimed by thieves. Could his dark ability be the key to his salvation?
Rsiran is a disappointment to his family, gifted with the ability to Slide. It is a dark magic, one where he can transport himself wherever he wants, but using it will only turn him into the thief his father fears.
Forbidden from Sliding, he’s apprenticed under his father as a blacksmith where lorcith, a rare, precious metal with arcane properties, calls to him, seducing him into forming forbidden blades. When discovered, he’s banished, sentenced indefinitely to the mines of Ilphaesn Mountain.
Though Rsiran tries to serve obediently, to learn to control the call of lorcith as his father demands, when his life is threatened in the darkness of the mines, he finds himself Sliding back to Elaeavn where he finds a black market for his blades - and a new family of thieves.
There someone far more powerful than him discovers what he can do and intends to use him. He doesn’t want to be a pawn in anyone’s ambitions; all he ever wanted was a family. But the darkness inside him cannot be ignored - and he’s already embroiled in an ancient struggle that only he may be able to end.
Author’s Note
Dear Reader,
THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading The Great Betrayal. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would be so kind as to take a moment to leave a review on Amazon or elsewhere, I would be very grateful.
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D.K. Holmberg
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Also by D.K. Holmberg
The Lost Prophecy
The Threat of Madness
The Warrior Mage
Tower of the Gods
Twist of the Fibers
The Lost City
The Last Conclave
The Gift of Madness
The Great Betrayal
The Teralin Sword
Soldier Son
Soldier Sword
Soldier Sworn
Soldier Saved
The Cloud Warrior Saga
Chased by Fire
Bound by Fire
Changed by Fire
Fortress of Fire
Forged in Fire
Serpent of Fire
Servant of Fire
Born of Fire
Broken of Fire
Light of Fire
Cycle of Fire
The Endless War
Journey of Fire and Night
Darkness Rising
Endless Night
Summoner’s Bond
Seal of Light
T
he Shadow Accords
Shadow Blessed
Shadow Cursed
Shadow Born
Shadow Lost
Shadow Found
The Dark Ability
The Dark Ability
The Heartstone Blade
The Tower of Venass
Blood of the Watcher
The Shadowsteel Forge
The Guild Secret
Rise of the Elder
The Sighted Assassin
The Binders Game
The Forgotten
Assassin’s End
The Lost Garden
Keeper of the Forest
The Desolate Bond
Keeper of Light
The Painter Mage
Shifted Agony
Arcane Mark
Painter For Hire
Stolen Compass
Stone Dragon