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Rlain said. “First off, why have you been keeping quiet when you could speak?” “I…” “He don’t gotta say nothin’ if he don’t wanna,” Lift said. She’d found their rations already, and was eating. Wow. “He’s Bridge Four,” Rlain said. “We’re family. Family doesn’t lie to one another.” “I’m sorry,” Dabbid said softly. “I ju... |
traitor. I don’t know what’s been goin’ on in the tower. What’s wrong with the others?” “In a cage?” Teft said. “Why? And where are my storming clothes?” “There’s a lot to explain, Teft,” Rlain said. “The tower is occupied by the enemy and…” He stopped, then frowned, glancing toward Kaladin. Kaladin … Kaladin was stirr... |
It didn’t matter. They passed few listeners on the streets. All who weren’t absolutely needed as farmers, caretakers, or other essential workers had joined Eshonai. In a perfect bit of poetry, this ensured that the bravest of the listeners—those most likely to resist Venli when she brought them stormform—fought on the ... |
nearly here.” “You think?” Venli demanded. “I can’t see into Shadesmar,” he snapped to Derision. She didn’t quite understand his explanations of what was happening. But she knew a storm was mounting in Shadesmar. In fact, the storm had been building for generations—growing in fury, intensity. It barred the way to Damna... |
gemhearts. Odium would directly bless the singer, making them a kind of royalty. They didn’t really wander about much.” Royalty? She liked the sound of that. She smiled, imagining how Eshonai would act toward her then. “My scholars are confident,” Venli said. “From what you’ve told them, and the experiments we’ve done ... |
over the cot, her helmet under her arm, and for a time the two of them hummed together to the Lost. A rare moment when they both heard the same rhythm. “Do you know what happened?” Venli finally asked. “She was found wandering one of the outer plateaus. Frightened, acting like a little child. She didn’t respond to her ... |
things from our songs are—” “Stop,” Eshonai said to Reprimand. “Venli, what are you saying? You better than most should know the foolishness of what you say.” I’m always a fool to you, aren’t I? Venli attuned Irritation. Unfortunately, this was the Eshonai she’d come to know. Not the child who encouraged her. The adult... |
see the whole world. Every vibrant color. Every singing wind. Every land and people.” Eshonai didn’t respond. “I … I’ve been doing things you might not like,” Venli whispered. “I should tell you. You’ll explain that what I’m doing is wrong though, and you’re always right. That’s part of what I hate about you.” But her ... |
honorspren said, looking toward Adolin. “So he can be kept healthy and on display for years to come.” Wonderful, Adolin thought, stepping into the place indicated. The consequences of failure, however, had always been far bigger than his own life. The war needed Radiants, and Radiants needed spren. If Adolin failed, it... |
audience whispered quietly as a female spren rose from her spot on the front row. She wore a warrior’s pleated skirt and a stiff shirt. She was slender and willowy, and when she stepped she was as graceful as a leaf in the wind. Adolin recognized her; this was the spren to whom he’d been forced to surrender Maya on the... |
say too much by way of defense today, but they seemed to want something from him. “Every man fails his own ideals,” Adolin said. “You are right. I am not the honorable man I wish that I were. But my father is. Can you deny that the Stormfather himself was willing to take a chance upon a man from this epoch?” “This is a... |
to speak will be Blended,” Sekeir said. “Inkspren emissary to Lasting Integrity.” What? Adolin thought as his tutor stood up from the crowd and walked to the floor of the arena. The watching honorspren murmured together quietly at the sight. “Wait,” Adolin said. “What is this?” “They asked me to witness against you,” s... |
lived through the pain and chaos of the Recreance. I saw my siblings, beloved, dead. I saw families ripped apart, and pain flowing like blood. We might be enemies, but in one thing unification is. Men should never again be trusted with our bonds. If this one wishes to accept punishment for the thousands who escaped it,... |
“is Notum, once captain of the ship Honor’s Path.” Adolin felt his stomach turn as Notum—looking much improved from the last time Adolin had seen him—emerged from the top of the forum, where a group of standing honorspren had obscured him from Adolin’s view. Still, Adolin was shocked. Notum had been forbidden to enter ... |
The honorspren were no monolith; disagreement and tension swam in deep waters here—far below the surface, but still powerful. The officiators cleared the forum—even Shallan and Pattern were forced out. Everyone basically ignored Adolin. As the place finally settled down, and only a few officials remained, Adolin walked... |
persuade even one or two to join the battle, I’ll have won.” “Optimism,” Kelek said. “Hope. I remember those things. But I don’t think you understand the stakes of this trial, child—nor do you understand what you’ve stumbled into. The things that inkspren said—about joining Odium’s side—are on the minds of many spren. ... |
we don’t have a hospital!” Lusintia said. “There are only a couple dozen humans here.” “Mmm … but you won’t let them come back in if they leave, so they are basically caged here. You should feel bad. Very bad. Yes.” Storms, Veil thought. Is that the best he can do? How did we ever let him fool us? “Tell me what to do!”... |
Veil take over. This next part needed her—Shallan remained the better actress, but Veil was better at most other espionage skills. Veil made a show of touching her head where she’d been “wounded.” “What happened?” she asked. “I don’t remember. I was trying to see if I could reach the barrier where the gravity of the pl... |
Eshonai leaned closer. It was glowing, but barely. “It worked,” Venli whispered to Awe, clutching the stone. “It finally worked. The secret is lightning, Eshonai! It pulls them through. When I drew close enough right after a strike, I found hundreds of them. I snagged this one before the others returned to the other si... |
growing into something practically immovable. In this—despite their lack of rhythms—they belonged to Roshar better than the listeners did. If she could truly travel the world, would she find them growing in every crevice? She neared the edge of the plateau that made up the central heart of Narak, the city of exile. She... |
her, she was already dead. Prey ran, and the beasts were known to play with things that acted like prey, even if they weren’t hungry. Still, standing there in pitch-darkness—not daring to attune a rhythm—was the hardest thing she’d ever done. When the lightning next flashed, the chasmfiend had lowered its incredible he... |
flipping through Navani’s latest set of charts. “Offworld somewhere.” “Offworld?” Navani asked, looking up from the fabrial she’d been housing. “As in … another … planet?” Raboniel hummed absently. A confirmation? Navani felt she could tell what this rhythm meant. “I wanted to go, for years,” Raboniel said. “Visit the ... |
“I’m not an idiot,” the Regal said to her. “Anymore.” Outside, Navani glanced down the hallway—lined with boxes of equipment, some hiding her traps—toward the shield around the Sibling. It seemed darker inside than before. She and Raboniel avoided the topic. Working closely together did not make them allies, and both r... |
I can’t tell you that, Navani.” Though she had spoken of leaving, she remained sitting. “I’m so tired of this war. So tired of capturing, killing, losing, dying.” “We should end it then.” “Not while Odium lives.” “You’d actually kill him?” Navani asked. “If you had the chance?” Raboniel hummed, but looked away. That hu... |
of course not to their face—if one of her scholars had told her something similar. She stood abruptly, her chair clattering to the ground. She’d picked up a habit of pacing from Dalinar, and found herself prowling back and forth in the small chamber. Eventually Raboniel appeared in the doorway, accompanied by two nimbl... |
that if it didn’t lead to peace? The Rhythm of War vibrated through her, proof that there could be harmony. At the same time, the nearly clashing tones told another story. Harmony could be reached, but it was exceedingly difficult. What kind of emulsifier could you use with people, to make them mix? She closed the note... |
at the honorspren forum. The circular disc had been pulled out to the center of the arena. Today, he would have the stage all to himself. He’d arrived early, so he wouldn’t have to push his way through the crowd. He wanted to appear in control, awaiting their scorn rather than taking the long walk down the steps with e... |
Honor—a more perfect way of—” “Did you know,” a spren in the front row interrupted, “that your father almost killed the Stormfather?” Adolin stumbled in his speech. “I will answer questions at the end,” he said. “As I was saying, I had hoped to find—” “Did you know about it?” the honorspren demanded, shouting. “Did you... |
have put aside their differences to unite together to face this challenge. I brought a letter from my cousin, Jasnah, which was torn up. Fortunately, I can quote parts to you. She proves that the modern kingdoms are—” “Has she tried to kill her spren?” the spren in the first row asked. “She proves,” Adolin continued, “... |
proper context to discuss them.” “Is that so?” yet another honorspren said. “You can swear that none of your Radiants have killed their spren?” “Yes! None of them have. They…” He trailed off. Damnation. He’d met one, hadn’t he? Killed recently—that Cryptic in the market. “They what?” the spren demanded. If he answered ... |
once, in the market where the caravans cross.” “You know her story?” “I … Yes, I was told it by a shopkeeper.” “She was killed only a few years ago,” Amuna said. “This is proof of your lies. Modern Radiants cannot be trusted.” “There is no evidence that a Radiant did this,” Adolin said. “We encountered humans—who have ... |
had hidden in the trunk. Sequestered with the cube that spoke between realms. And a very special knife. “I love you,” Adolin whispered in the dark. “What did I do to deserve you?” “Blaspheme, perhaps,” she said. “Or play pranks on your brother. I’m not sure what a person might do to make the Almighty curse them with me... |
it.” “You’re not terrible at being honorable.” He grimaced. “Someone smarter could have won this,” he said softly. “Jasnah could have made them see. Instead it’s just me. I wish … I wish I knew, Shallan. What to do. How to make them see.” She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to return to that earlier moment of perfec... |
his storming excuse for a life, he had been kicked to the gutter and woken up with a headache—and it hadn’t been due to his own weakness. A few days of healing later, he still found it remarkable. His streak held strong. Almost seven months with no moss. Damnation. He had an urge for some moss now, honestly. It would t... |
fully in this realm. However, I suspect she will stay close by instinct. If you can get to where you lost her, you should be fine.” “Should be,” Kaladin said softly, then started eating again. He nodded in thanks as Dabbid brought him a drink. They hadn’t pushed Dabbid too hard on the fact that he could talk. It wasn’t... |
destroy the previous two. Protecting one against the entire might of Odium’s forces? Impossible. Teft agreed on that. “If we break this last one,” Teft said, “that’s it. Tower’s finished. But if we wait, the Fused will find a way to break it themselves. Tower’s finished.” “We can’t fight an entire army on our own,” Kal... |
they knew?” Kaladin asked. “You gave me Stormlight when I was dying, all the way back when I didn’t know what I was doing. You recognized that it would heal me.” “Teft and I used to think,” Phendorana said, “that the group who visited Teft’s hometown—the Envisagers, they called themselves—were servants of some importan... |
maybe, and escape out that way.” “To fall hundreds of feet,” Kaladin said. “That might take the Windrunners out of the influence of the tower,” Teft said with a grunt. He thought about dropping hundreds of feet, not knowing if his powers would reactivate before he hit bottom. “I’d try it, and prove it can be done. The ... |
a spren in a jar, foolish ones. You’ll be left with a being that eventually fades away into the Beyond. Venli stood dutifully beside Raboniel, acting as her Voice as daily reports were delivered. Mostly Venli was here to interpret. While Raboniel had learned Alethi quite well—she claimed to have always been talented at... |
nestled right up against the shield—which, once a bright blue, had grown dark and violet. Raboniel sat and began looking through her notes. “Do you regret what you personally did, Last Listener?” she asked to Spite. “Do you hate yourself for your betrayal of your people?” Timbre pulsed. Venli should have lied. Instead ... |
some Fused who can rule effectively. Even if she is too softhearted for the brutalities we now must perpetuate.” Raboniel selected a paper off the desk and handed it to Venli. “Here. Payment for your services. My time in the tower runs short; I will finish unmaking the Sibling, and then will be on to other tasks. So I ... |
Cover art © Michael Whelan All illustrations © Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC, except when otherwise notedIllustrations preceding chapters 11 and 61 by Dan dos SantosIllustrations preceding the prologue, chapters 22, 24, 29, 36, 53, 75, and 78, and interludes 5 and 7 by Ben McSweeneyIllustrations preceding chapters 3, ... |
he’d simply slipped it out of his belt again. He rolled it across his knuckles, then made it split into two—because it had always been two coins stuck together. He tossed those up, caught them, and then made them appear to be four after adding the two he’d been palming in his other hand. “You use the same dirty tricks ... |
made his Breaths go wild. Ah … he thought. He’d been expecting this; it was why he had left the tower, after all. Odium couldn’t find him there. He hiked to Elhokar’s former sitting room and made himself available—visible, easy to reach. Then, when the presence entered the nondescript stone chamber, Wit bowed. “Welcome... |
thousands of years old can be tricked. I know this from personal experience now. “Who are you?” Wit whispered. Odium, the power said. Let me see … I cannot harm you. But here, you have used this other Investiture to store your memories, haven’t you? Because you’ve lived longer than a mortal should, you need to put the ... |
always been a clever one,” Wit said. “Was it my brilliant prose that clued you in, my keen bargaining abilities, or the fact that I included my name right there for you to read?” What game do you play here? “A game of sense.” … What? “Sense, Odium. The only kind I have is nonsense. Well, and some cents…” He glanced dow... |
in a timely manner. And as always, deadlines for this one were tight, and a lot of people put in a lot of hours to bring it to pass. This list will be a little long, but each and every one of them deserves to be commended for their efforts. At Tor Books, my primary editor on this novel was Devi Pillai, and she was tire... |
the ones who get you your T-shirts, posters, and signed books. Their assistants, the “mini minions” of our team, include: Jacob, Hazel, Isabel, Matthew, Audrey, Tori, and Joe. Additionally, thanks to all those who volunteer, especially to the always awesome Christi Jacobson. The artists who contributed to Rhythm of War... |
century. Additionally, many artists and others helped behind the scenes on this book and deserve a huge thank-you: Miranda Meeks, Howard Lyon, Shawn Boyles, Cori Boyles, Jacob, Isabel, Rachel, Sophie, and Hayley Lazo. We had a few very important subject experts help us with this book. Shad “Shadiversity” Brooks was our... |
a gig as you might imagine. These folks have to read the book often under a great time crunch, and they have to experience it in an unfinished form. In a lot of ways, they’re giving up the chance to experience the book in its best form, getting an inferior experience, so they can make the book better for the rest of yo... |
people Gavilar had invited. I’ll have to give instructions on who is to be seated in which feast room, she thought, slipping out of the kitchens and into the palace gardens. And leave some extra space in both. Who knows who else might show up with an invitation? She hiked up through the gardens toward the side doors of... |
fury she kept carefully penned and locked away. That man. That storming man. How … how could he … Angerspren, like boiling blood, began to well up in a small pool at her feet. Calm, Navani, the rational side of her mind said. Maybe he intends to introduce the ardent to you as a gift. She banished the anger with effort.... |
the grand entryway, where guests were being entertained with music, drink, and poetry while the feast was prepared. Others were escorted by master-servants to view the Parshendi, the night’s true novelty. It wasn’t every day the king of Alethkar signed a treaty with a group of mysterious parshmen who could talk. She ex... |
little more natural light up here, a few more windows? She’d brought the matter up with Gavilar, but he liked it this way. It gave him more places to hide. There, she thought, stopping at an intersection. Voices. “… Being able to bring them back and forth from Braize doesn’t mean anything,” one said. “It’s too close to... |
eyes met. So she pushed open the door as if she had been on her way in. She wasn’t spying; she was queen of this palace. She could go where she wished, particularly her own study. “Husband,” she said. “There are guests missing you at the gathering. You seem to have lost track of time.” “Gentlemen,” Gavilar said to the ... |
strange transfixing sphere and stashed it in the pouch with the others. He pulled the pouch tight with a taut snap of finality, then tucked it into his pocket. “You’re punishing me, aren’t you?” Navani demanded. “You know my love of fabrials. You taunt me specifically because you know it will hurt.” “Perhaps,” Gavilar ... |
his eyes could have consumed kingdoms and left only blackness. He raised his hand to her chin and gently cupped it, a mockery of a once-passionate gesture. It was more painful than a slap. “You know why I don’t involve you, Navani?” he said softly. “Do you think you can take the truth?” “Try for once. It would be refre... |
the finest glyphwards she’d ever created. It read, simply, Death. Gift. Death. She’d drawn each glyph in the shapes of Gavilar’s tower or sword heraldry. The prayer burned eagerly in the lamp flame, flaring bright—and as it did, her catharsis turned to shame. What was she doing? Praying for her husband’s death? The sha... |
of the palace, much as one might the statues out front. Much as Gavilar treated her. “Gereh,” she said, taking his hand, embarrassed. “What happened? Are you well? Have we been working you too hard without—” “The king,” the elderly man choked out. “Oh, Brightness, they’ve taken our king! Those parshmen. Those barbarian... |
aligned. Now that would never be. It was over. He was dead, she was a widow, and … storms, she’d prayed for this. That knowledge stabbed her straight through. She had to hope the Almighty hadn’t listened to her foolish pleas written in a moment of fury. Although a part of her had grown to hate Gavilar, she didn’t truly... |
input! Brandon Sanderson Firstborn Defending Elysium The Emperor’s Soul Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell Sixth of the Dusk Perfect State Elantris Warbreaker The Rithmatist The Way of Kings Words of Radiance Steelheart Mitosis: A Reckoners Story Firefight Mistborn: The Final Empire The Well of Ascension The He... |
a group of pilgrimesque people fled the Old World because it was overrun by a terrible evil long ago. It was actually a very early Cosmere world, developed somewhere around 1999 or 2000. (Though the name didn’t get assigned to it until Isaac gave a suggestion upon reading this novella.) Having an intriguing Puritan nam... |
had faces drawn on them. As Silence rifled through the pages, William Ann moved to the peephole for spying into the common room. For a few moments, the only sound to accompany Silence’s thumping heart was that of hastily turned pages. “It’s the man with the long neck, isn’t it?” William Ann asked. “I remember his face ... |
merchants from the fort who thought they could brave the Forests. It’s a clever ruse. When they vanish from the paths in a few days, it will be assumed—if anyone cares to wonder—that the shades got them. Besides, this way Chesterton can travel quickly and in the open, visiting waystops and listening for information.” W... |
turned it against a man. Drawing blood was too dangerous in the Forests. It still comforted her to know that in case of a true emergency, she had the weapon at hand. Bounty book stowed, she went to check on Sebruki. The child was indeed caring for the pigs. Silence liked to keep a healthy stock, though of course not fo... |
to dissolve in the beer. Silence passed her by and looked in on the stable. Unsurprisingly, Chesterton had said they’d be leaving after their meal. While a lot of folk sought the relative safety of a waystop at night, Chesterton and his men would be accustomed to sleeping in the Forests. Even with the shades about, the... |
what a day! “Oh my,” Theopolis said, walking over to the grooming table. He picked up one of the pouches. “What are these, now? That looks like wetleek sap. I’ve heard that it glows at night if you shine the right kind of light upon it. Is this one of the White Fox’s mysterious secrets?” She snatched the pouch away. “D... |
land to either side of them. They did send soldiers out to patrol them. Occasionally. “I take it back, Theopolis,” she spat. “You most certainly are a fool. You’d give up everything we have for a greedy land snatch?” “Of course not, Silence. This wouldn’t be giving up anything at all! Why, I do so feel bad seeing you c... |
less obvious. “How am I going to manage this?” she whispered as a horse drank from her bucket. “Shadows. They’re reaching for me on all sides.” Kill Theopolis. That was probably what Grandmother would have done. She considered it. No, she thought. I won’t become that. I won’t become her. Theopolis was a thug and a scou... |
bolt’s tip with blackblood. I did that right, didn’t I? That way, the poison will kill him for sure.” “Child . . .” Silence stepped forward. Sebruki turned the crossbow in her lap, holding it at an angle to support it, one small hand on the trigger. The point turned toward Silence. Sebruki stared ahead, eyes blank. “Th... |
she heaved with sobs. “Why . . . Why?” “There is no reason. I’m sorry.” What else could she do? Offer some foolish platitude or comfort about the God Beyond? These were the Forests. You didn’t survive on platitudes. Silence did hold the girl until her crying began to subside. William Ann entered, then stilled beside th... |
.” She held Sebruki’s hand until the child fell asleep. The window by the bed overlooked the courtyard, so Silence could see as Dob brought out Chesterton’s horses. The five men in their fancy merchant clothing stomped down off the porch and climbed into their saddles. They rode in a file out onto the roadway; then the... |
Attached to the side of the keg, with cloth stuffed between the metal arms, was her grandmother’s firestarter. Igniting gunpowder counted as kindling flames, at least in the eyes of the shades. It drew them almost as quickly as blood did, day or night. The early refugees from Homeland had discovered that in short order... |
had human forms any longer. The heads rippled, faces shifting like smoke rings. They trailed waves of whiteness about an arm’s length behind them. Silence had always imagined that as the tattered remains of their clothing. No woman, not even a Forescout, looked upon shades without feeling a coldness inside of her. The ... |
couldn’t just pull one up. Replacing an overlapping section from one of the rings—she had three concentric ones surrounding her waystop—required digging down and unchaining the section. It was a lot of work, which Silence knew intimately. A week didn’t pass that they didn’t rotate or replace one section or another. The... |
night before, of course. No homesteader looked forward to doing so, but none shied away from it either. You couldn’t spend your life trapped inside, frozen by fear of the darkness. Live like that, and . . . well, you were no better off than the people in the forts. Life in the Forests was hard, often deadly. But it was... |
finger to her lips and motioned for William Ann to wait by the road. The girl nodded. Silence couldn’t make out much of her features in the darkness, but she did hear the girl’s breathing grow more rapid. Being a homesteader and accustomed to going out at night was one thing. Being alone in the Forests . . . Silence to... |
Finally the shades nearby faded back to white, then drifted off in their meandering directions. She unwound the garrote, breathing out in relief. After a moment to get her bearings, she left the corpse and crept back to William Ann. The girl did her proud; she’d hidden herself so well that Silence didn’t see her until ... |
none. They carefully did the next man in the row. It was brutal work, like slaughtering animals. It helped to think of these men as rabid, as she’d told William Ann earlier. It did not help to think of what the men had done to Sebruki. That would make her angry, and she couldn’t afford to be angry. She needed to be col... |
forest, glowing like little fires in the blackness. William Ann squeezed her eyes shut and whispered a prayer, tears leaking down her cheeks. Silence reached slowly to her side and took out her silver dagger. She remembered another night, another sea of glowing green eyes. Her grandmother’s last night. Run, girl! RUN! ... |
of eight men and women on horseback rode in through the Forests. They were from the forts. The nice clothing, the way they kept looking into the Forests at the shades . . . Fortfolk for certain. Silence stepped forward, wishing she had her hammer to look at least a little threatening. That was still tied in the sack ar... |
steal from her. “You mean to cut them off at the white span, I assume. But what will you do? We can’t fight so many, Mother.” “I’ll find a way.” That corpse meant freedom—life—for her daughters. She would not let it slip away like smoke between the fingers. They entered the darkness, passing shades that had, just a sho... |
the two metal arms, which looked like tongs. Squeezing them together would grind the ends against one another, making sparks, and a spring at the joint would make them come back apart. Silence looked up at her daughter, then held the firestarter up beside her head. William Ann stepped back, then glanced to the sides, t... |
the firestarter was broken? Could she find another way to— The explosion struck her, the wave of force shaking her body. Shades vanished in a blink, green eyes snapping open. Horses reared and whinnied, men and women yelling. Silence shook off her stupefaction, grabbing William Ann by the shoulder and pulling her out o... |
from the explosion, a pair of them on the outskirts turned and struck out toward the fleeing women. William Ann gasped. Silence deliberately set down Chesterton’s shoulders, then took out her knife. “Keep going,” she whispered. “Pull him away. Slowly, girl. Slowly.” “I won’t leave you!” “I will catch up,” Silence said.... |
coming out of the memory as her daughter dumped silver dust on the exposed arm. The withering stopped as William Ann, choking against her thick tears, dumped the entire pouch of emergency silver over the hand. The metal reversed the withering, and the skin turned pink again, the blackness melting away in sparks of whit... |
the roadway again until they stepped onto it. Silence heaved out a breath, setting down their burden and rolling her tired arms in their joints. Some light from the Starbelt filtered down upon them, illuminating something like a large jawbone to their left. The Old Bridge. They were almost home. The shades here weren’t... |
said, already planning. She couldn’t afford to strike right now. He was too careful. She would follow through the Forests, along the road, and wait for a moment of weakness. Then she’d strike. Red spat to the side. Then a padded crossbow bolt shot from the night and took him in the shoulder, jolting him. His blade slid... |
arms, spasming as she died. She’d become a shade if she died like this. “I won’t lose you!” Silence said into the night. “Please. I won’t lose you. . . .” Behind her, Red screamed a long, wailing screech of agony that cut off at the end as the shades feasted. Near her, other shades stopped, eyes deepening to red. Blood... |
a few yards from the waystop. She would die, like Grandmother had, mere paces from her home. She blinked, cradling William Ann as the tiny silver barrier failed. That . . . that branch just in front of her. It had such a very odd shape. Long, thin, no leaves. Not like a branch at all. Instead, like . . . Like a crossbo... |
her arms. “It’s done,” Grandmother said. “We are Forescouts. If this is how we must continue, so be it. I’m more worried about the waystop, and meeting our payments to those damn forts.” I have an idea for that, Silence thought, considering the lists of bounties she’d begun collecting. Something even you wouldn’t dare.... |
of Grandmother’s preparations. Oh, how she hated that woman. Silence owed who she was to how that training had toughened her. Could she be thankful for Grandmother and hateful, both at once? Silence finished washing William Ann, then dressed her in a soft nightgown and left her in her bunk. Sebruki still slept off the ... |
been waiting for us at the bridge. That thing in the darkness, it was you. You shot him with the crossbow to jostle him, make him draw blood. Why, Theopolis?” “Blood?” Theopolis said. “In the night? And you survived? You’re quite fortunate, I should say. Remarkable. What else happened?” She said nothing. “I have come f... |
began to crumble. His body collapsed to the floor. “Hide from the green eyes, run from the red,” Silence said, retrieving the silver-tipped crossbow bolt from where it lay by the back door. “Your rules, Grandmother.” The shade turned to her. Silence shivered, looking into those dead, glassy eyes of a matriarch she loat... |
the shades move about. Even inside.” The man shuddered. Daggon shrugged, lifting his drink as Silence Montane limped by. Yes, she was a healthy-looking woman. He really should court her, one of these days. She scowled at his smile and dumped his plate in front of him. “I think I’m wearing her down,” Daggon said, mostly... |
black coats, ruffled lace poking out the front, and the tall-topped, wide-brimmed hats of fortfolk. They wouldn’t last two weeks out here in the Forests. “It depends?” Daggon’s dining companion prompted. “It depends on what?” “On a lot of things, friend. The White Fox is a bounty hunter, you know. What crimes have you ... |
was Chesterton. Nasty business, that. “So . . . he’s a bounty hunter, this Fox?” The man who called himself Earnest seemed to be sweating. Daggon smiled. Hooked right good, this one was. “He’s not just a bounty hunter. He’s the bounty hunter. Though the White Fox doesn’t go for the small-timers—and no offense, friend, ... |
the other book. By the time I came back, my vision for a new trilogy about Wax, Wayne, and Marasi had transformed—so the first third took some serious work to whip into shape and make match the last two thirds, as I wrote them. I relied a lot on the excellent editorial vision of my editor, Moshe Feder, my agent, Joshua... |
steal anything.” The kid—round-faced and seventeen, with barely a hint of stubble on his face despite weeks of trying—nodded with a solemn expression. “I promise I won’t swipe nothin’ of yours, Wax.” Waxillium sighed. “That’s not what I said.” “But…” “Just stay with the horses. And try not to talk to anyone.” Waxillium... |
said. “I do what I do in the name of justice.” The barkeep blinked. Slowly, deliberately, as if it required conscious effort. “So … you’ll pay?” “Yes, I’ll pay,” Waxillium said with a sigh, mentally counting what he’d already spent hunting Granite Joe. He couldn’t afford to go in the hole again. Destroyer needed a new ... |
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