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eBook Category: Fantasy
eBook Description: An arcane killer stalks the streets of Hurst, a creature that can slip into locked rooms to murder influential members of the Emperor's court and escape unseen. As the assassinations grow closer to the Emperor himself, Huntsman Alexander Finnell is summoned to track down the killer. But the murders appear to be sponsored by Alexander's own barony and the entire Western Realm braces for war. Worse, a company of Sandlanders appears at the gates of Hurst, demanding the return of a ancient magical relic. Alexander's investigation grows more perilous as he teams up with a beautiful thief and her politician sister. Together they uncover a conspiracy led by a Weirdling warlock and a few of the Emperor's most trusted men. As Alexander tries desperately to expose the murderer and prevent all-out war in the realm of men and dwarves, he finds himself an unwitting participant in the conspirators' plan...

eBook Publisher: Zumaya Publications/Zumaya Publications, Published: USA, 2002
Fictionwise Release Date: September 2002

15 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: eReader (PDB) [385 KB] , ePub (EPUB) [322 KB] , Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [337 KB] , Portable Document Format (PDF) [1.1 MB] , Palm Doc (PDB) [385 KB] , Microsoft Reader (LIT) [328 KB] , Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [355 KB] , hiebook (KML) [848 KB] , Sony Reader (LRF) [457 KB] , iSilo (PDB) [315 KB] , Mobipocket (PRC) [394 KB] , Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [449 KB] , OEBFF Format (IMP) [510 KB]
Words: 112904
Reading time: 322-451 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Portable Document Format (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

Hawkin spread his arms wide as he strolled from the barracks. He rolled his shoulders and twisted at the waist, stretching as though he'd just awoken. Actually, the flyer had been on duty the entire previous night. He'd taken his weekly dosage of sortium in the morning meal, however, and as a result was brimming with energy. He fancied he could feel the potion coursing through his blood, warming his muscles and urging him toward the sky. The sensation of power was incredible; the first time Hawkin had consumed the sortium, he'd sprinted about the parade grounds for two hours, not trusting himself to the heights with such unfamiliar strength. That was three years ago, when Hawkin was a new recruit in the Air Corps. Now he relished the thought of that weekly burn-off, darting through the clouds and rising high enough that only the eagles and falcons kept him company. He ran for the far side of the barracks while shrugging his harness into place. A narrow ramp leaned against the end of the building. Hawkin slipped his hands through the directionals as he ran up the incline. His feet hardly touched the tiles of the barracks roof, then he launched off the far end, spreading his wings as he dove. He shot upward with an exhilarating crack, fearing momentarily that he'd overdone it and bent the frame of the glider. The ground continued to fall away, however, and Hawkin circled the parade ground as he gained altitude. When the drilling infantry had melted into blobs of motion, Hawkin dropped the waist strap to his thighs and drifted toward the southern wall.

The air in the upper reaches was crisp and cool. He floated high enough that even the ever-present stench of Rottown was undetectable. Hawkin's shadow fell across another flyer, who looked up, spotted him, and dipped one wing. Hawkin waved back and banked toward the south. The Swasinee River trailed away from the city to terminate in the sparkling blue of Lake Farnighan, just a bare glimmer from this distance. The great willows and oaks of the southern forest lay like a massive green carpet at the foot of the Black Mountains. As he passed over the gate, Hawkin dropped down a bit and counted the archers upon the inner and outer walls; such habits became automatic for the flyers even when off-duty. After aligning himself with the Southern Highway, Hawkin rode the air streams in the direction of the Stronghold. The warm breeze carried the scent of fresh leaves and a hint of moisture. Far to the east, Hawkin thought he could make out the dark edge of an approaching thundercloud. He turned his gaze back to the highway and searched for approaching caravans.

Instead, an odd disturbance in the forest captured his attention. Just a few miles south of the city, the upper branches were twisting and snapping as if a small tornado were passing through the trees. Hawkin dove a bit lower, puzzled. He was well-attuned to changes in the wind; it hardly moved this morning. Also, the disturbance was approaching Hurst. Though it followed an erratic course, weaving from side to side, it was definitely headed for the city. When the creature below burst onto the highway, Hawkin nearly fell from the sky. Stunned into carelessness, he bent his legs and allowed the waist strap to slip. The young flyer was instantly plummeting toward the giant spider.

The new few seconds were spent frantically wrestling the glider under control. Hawkin thrust his legs back and beat downward with his arms, praying that the frame would withstand the stress. The spider paused in its travel and Hawkin was positive that it saw him. At these proportions, the flyer must bear a striking resemblance to the creature's usual breakfast. As he gained height he saw the creature contract in on itself, bunching its legs beneath its body. A horrifying thought struck Hawkin's and he beat even more frantically. Sure enough, the spider sprang into the air. Hawkin saw it coming and screamed, but the unnatural beast fell short of its prey by a good distance. The flyer fought the urge to panic and climbed a bit higher, then oriented himself toward Hurst and dove. Despite the spider's incredible speed Hawkin gained a good-sized lead as he whipped through the downward arc. Unfortunately, the wind had picked up slightly and blew from the north. Hawkin flapped his arms and rose again, thankful for the extra surge from the recent sortium dosage. Heart pounding, he dove once more. The spider scrambled closer but didn't jump. Hawkin heard the scrape of the creature's legs against the packed dirt but kept his eyes to the north, where the highway narrowed and vanished. He knew the city wasn't far beyond the horizon but every foot felt like a mile.

Hawkin led the spider on a harrowing chase, pulling away with every dive, falling back in between. They continued this way for the space of two miles before Hawkin realized that he was no longer leading the unnatural creature. He was almost certain the spider had lost interest in him; it actually pulled ahead occasionally. Whether leading or following, it continued toward Hurst without slowing. The horrified flyer was sure the city walls would present little hindrance to the creature. Just as the thought shot through his mind, the southern gate came into view.

The flyer climbed immediately, conscious that every wasted second brought the spider closer to Hurst. When he judged his elevation sufficient, Hawkin made a peculiar shrugging motion with one shoulder. The right wing of the glider locked in place, outstretched, and he slipped his hand from the directional on that side. He snatched a small, glass vial from where it was bound to his harness. Bringing it to his mouth, he wrenched out the cork with his teeth and tossed the tiny vessel into the air. The vial erupted into a pyrotechnic display, shooting streamers of flaming red in all directions. Hawkin flinched, but the wash of light brought no heat. Blinking the crimson spots away from his eyes, Hawkin squinted toward the north. Dark shapes ran atop the wall, and the flyer knew his flare had been seen. The spider continued on toward the city, mindless of the display above. Hawkin followed from above and prayed that the warning would be answered in time.