The Marenon Chronicles Collection - By Jason D. Morrow Page 0,117

revelation.

The steep path began on this side of the fortress inside the slave field and wound around the entire mountain. It would not be easy to keep out of sight but they hoped that the eyes of the Stühocs would not be looking their way.

*****

Julian had a feeling that the Stühoc didn’t lie to him. There was no time to be chasing lies. He moved to the fourth room in the hallway. The wooden door had been left slightly open and he could hear a voice coming from the other side. It was Holden speaking animatedly to someone through his wristband.

“Yes, they have already come.”

“But that’s impossible.” It was the voice of Spencer. “I was just in contact with them this morning. They are not visiting for another week. Perhaps you should check who is under those Nestorian masks, Holden.”

Holden said nothing.

“You’ve been fooled,” Spencer said. “You need to deal with the imposters. They cannot get both medallions.”

“I carry the red medallion with me,” Holden said. “It is safe.”

“Let me know what you find out.”

Holden’s glowing wristband faded and he stood rigid when he realized he wasn’t in the room alone.

Without turning, he sighed and then spoke. “I suppose you’re here to kill me aren’t you, Julian?”

“How did you know it was me?”

“Who else would be in Mudavé, dressed as a Nestorian, trying to get every last medallion?”

“Your day is done, Holden. You aren’t getting away with anything. You’ve allied yourself to the Stühocs and it’s going to cost you your life.”

Holden pursed his lips and smiled. “It already has,” he said. He turned only to be met with a bloodied sword pointing at his chest, mere feet from him.

“You’re foolish if you think killing me will stop what is already happening. There are many more pieces to this puzzle than just me, I assure you.”

“So you aren’t working alone?”

“What do you think? I’ve got the entire council under my thumb, save three,” he said proudly.

This couldn’t be. How could so many on the council be in favor of a Stühoc uprising?

“Which three?” Julian said.

“Kaden and you obviously,” he said. “And there is one in particular that I don’t think would turn as long as you were alive.”

Nalani. She had always been true to the cause. Julian knew she would never turn. But knowing that the others were working with Holden would make this mission more difficult. He knew that Nalani would never betray the Dunarians. But how could all the others do so?

“I know what you’re thinking, Julian and you should stop. How many original members of the council are still members?”

Kaden and you, Julian thought.

“And how many members of the Dunarian council did I recruit myself?”

The rest of them. Julian cursed.

“Nalani and I weren’t original members and you never came to us for your little plot!”

“You both were high recommendations from our military,” Holden explained. “Politically it would have been foolish not to put you on the council. We were coming to you eventually, but things stirred into motion so quickly, we decided to use you rather than turn you. And you have done rather well, I might add. You’ve brought us two medallions, which I still have yet to see, but I know they are at Jekyll Rock.”

You will never see them.

“And you carry the red medallion of the Stühocs with you,” Julian said. “If you were smart you would have hidden it.”

“I am smart, Julian. You just don’t realize how smart I really am.”

“We’ll see,” Julian said.

“How about this?” Holden continued. “You managed to kill your brother which is one less thing that we have to worry about. We can now put in one of our own people to take the kingship and merge all of humanity’s causes together. Together we will bring peace to Marenon where all will live tranquilly.”

“You preach peace but you ally with the Stühocs against your own kind,” Julian said through his teeth. “You are nothing but a snake.”

“It doesn’t matter what you think, Julian. You’re out. The council has voted.”

Julian wasn’t sure what to believe now. What if Holden was lying about the council? What if he was alone in this and he was just trying to get Julian to turn against everyone?

“You’re lying,” Julian said. “You’re saying they’re with you just to get to me. It’s all false isn’t it? You’re working alone in this, Holden, and now you’re scared with no place to go.”

“If only you were right,” Holden said. He pulled a chain from under his shirt