The Undying Illusionist Read online

  CONTENTS

  Dedication

  Legal

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Epilogue

  Author Notes - Candy

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Social Links

  Series List

  DEDICATION

  From Candy

  To my boys, thank you for

  being my reason for everything.

  To my family who support me

  no matter what.

  To the fans and readers--thank you!

  From Michael

  To Family, Friends and

  Those Who Love

  To Read.

  May We All Enjoy Grace

  To Live The Life We Are

  Called.

  The Undying Illusionist Team

  JIT / Beta Readers

  Kimberly Boyer

  Alex Wilson

  Kello ODonnell

  Joshua Ahles

  Melissa OHanlon

  Paul Westman

  Micky Cocker

  If we missed anyone, please let us know!

  Editor

  Lynne Stiegler

  The Undying Illusionist (this book) is a work of fiction.

  All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  This book Copyright © 2017 Candy Crum, Michael T. Anderle, CM Raymond, LE Barbant

  Cover by Mihaela Voicu http://mihaela-voicu.squarespace.com/

  Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing

  LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  LMBPN Publishing

  PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy

  Las Vegas, NV 89109

  First US edition, August 2017

  The Kurtherian Gambit (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are copyright © 2017 by Michael T. Anderle.

  Prologue

  "Archers, hold!" Arryn shouted.

  Her voice was the only sound that could be heard, other than the gentle shifting of feet and the slight creak of the bows as they were pulled tight.

  The early Spring temperatures were still frigid in the mornings. The air was cold enough Arryn could see her breath. But that didn't matter. There were other things—far more important things—to focus on.

  A light fog had descended upon the area that morning, creating the illusion that everything was calm. Peaceful.

  But it wasn't.

  This particular morning was clouded over by more than the fog. Several guards stood ready on the ground and several more stood on the wall with Arryn, bows in hand, as she tried to remind herself to breathe.

  The possibility of a remnant invasion on the city had become a reality.

  Several weeks after Samuel’s group had been rushed, another crew further south than that had been as well. Unfortunately for them, they didn't have Samuel and Andrew and had been completely overrun.

  There were no survivors that time.

  Still, half the city had felt confident the remnant had only been protecting their lands. That the men—both Ren’s group as well as the second—had been working too close to the Madland’s borders and incited an attack. But Samuel had far more experience with them than anyone, as did his friend, Ren.

  Most had believed the Capitol Guard was ever vigilant and capable of handling an incursion, but more importantly, they never believed such a thing would happen.

  Arcadia was just too far away from the Madlands and too heavily protected for the remnant to risk attacking and failing. While they were incredibly strong and lived only to destroy, they were still capable of higher reasoning. They would know not to advance on a city so well-armed, or so the most Arcadians had believed.

  Arryn sighed as she thought back to the first conversations regarding the invasions. What some hadn’t taken into consideration was that it didn't matter how well-armed the city was.

  The Guard was untrained and underprepared.

  Nearly the entire Arcadian Guard was brand-new. Almost all of them lacked sufficient training with weapons of any kind, let alone magitech weapons and hand-to-hand combat. It would require a hell of a lot for any single member of the Guard to take down a remnant, more so if there was an army of them.

  The only way they would be able to survive such an onslaught would be to have skilled archers on the walls to thin out the horde before it reached the gates—and Arcadia didn’t have a single one.

  Given the growing fear of the remnant, after talking to Amelia and getting her blessing, Arryn, Cathillian, and Samuel had taken matters into their own hands, fixing that problem after they had rounded up a few men who were interested in learning extra skills. Brave men who took their job seriously and would stop at nothing to protect their city.

  They weren't the best archers in the world—yet—but they knew how to shoot, and they occasionally hit something… Especially if that something was an approaching big-ass horde.

  It was a hell of a lot better than what they’d had before.

  As Arryn stood on top of the wall that separated Arcadia from the rest of the world, she stared outward into the fog as she tried to see anything that might be coming their way.

  “Hey, bitches,” Arryn said, holding tight to her bow and taking aim at what seemed like nothingness. “How lucky are ya feeling today?”

  There was a laugh beside her from one of her archers. “Lucky enough not to fall off the wall and on my ass. Anything else, ask me later.”

  A smile crossed her face. “Fair enough. Let’s just hope Cathillian doesn’t get hit on by one of their chicks. They might be ugly, but Cathillian can’t deny a girl that thinks he’s prettier than she is.”

  Everyone laughed, and Arryn sighed, happy she could bust up the moment.

  There were five bowmen to her left and five to her right, spread evenly apart to defend the eastern wall. Given the last remnant attack, Cathillian, Samuel, and Arryn all believed they’d be coming from that direction.

  Unless they were smart enough to change directions to throw them off, of course.

  Samuel seemed to think that might be possible, too, so he and Cathillian took the northern wall. The Arcadian gates had been closed, but only after some heavy convincing on Arryn's part.

  After a man covered in blood from head to toe had raced his horse into the city, screaming about yet another remnant attack, one would think he'd have been believed. But because he came to warn them the remnant
were planning to come for Arcadia, the guards and those that had discovered the news hadn't been so convinced.

  The man lived on a small farm several miles south of Arcadia. The remnant had overrun his home, killing his entire family in the process. He’d been the only one to survive and had made haste toward the city after hearing one of the beasts mention Arcadia.

  Though the Chancellor had been hesitant to cause fear and chaos, Arryn and the others believed him, and Amelia decided subtlety was their best chance.

  Unfortunately for them, things had already escalated, and the attacks were controlled by outside sources. Now, the only thing they could do was hope for the best and do their best to protect their walls as the horde grew closer.

  The fog seemed to thicken, and Arryn found herself wishing that the druid Chieftain’s daughter, Elysia, was there. She would have been capable of lifting it. Arryn could only control the weather when she was pissed off.

  But the fog wouldn’t matter.

  She knew she didn’t need to see the enemy coming. No one did. According to Samuel and Ren, the enemy was more than happy to announce themselves.

  And they did…

  Loud gravel-voiced screams ripped through the air, chilling Arryn to the bone. She looked at the men beside her, only to see them glancing toward one another with fear on their faces. They turned to Arryn for direction, afraid of what was about to happen.

  She knew how they felt. It was up to her to be their backbone.

  "Archers, aim!" Arryn shouted. She heard the wings behind her before she saw the large Golden Eagle who was Cathillian’s familiar fly overhead. "Echo, warn Cathillian. The remnant are here. Oh! And that the ladies will eat him alive, and not in the good way.”

  CHAPTER ONE

  Two weeks earlier

  Things were changing very quickly, and Amelia had started to feel even more hope. It was almost like the old Arcadia again.

  Well, minus an evil dictator.

  It had been a couple of weeks since they'd tracked down and killed Doyle—a situation Amelia had regretted on behalf of Arryn because she’d wanted answers about her father, but it was a development the city rejoiced in. Knowing he was gone was a blessing.

  The Governor had yet to be found, even after identifying the bodies at the farmhouse. It was no matter. Amelia would find him, too, and put an end to his plans for vengeance.

  The men the city of Cella had sent were more than helpful. The factory building had been rebuilt, and now they were finishing everything on the inside. Within a few days, work would start again and the city—as well as its families—would be able to bring in money for the economy.

  It had been quite an effort for Arcadia to feed and shelter so many extra people after the Battle for Arcadia, but luckily, plenty of vacant homes had been available and several local farms had been willing to donate food.

  Given the impending reopening of the factory, extra men poured back into the city, no longer searching for work outside with the nobles that were building homes. Even the unemployed had lent a hand to the effort, knowing they would soon be receiving regular pay.

  The factory was small, but not as small as they had anticipated. With the donated supplies and the added help from Cella, nobles, Boulevard men, and stray Arcadians returning home, they had been able to build larger and faster due to most of the wood being harvested locally.

  Amelia's largest concern now, other than the factory, was getting the Arcadian Guard fully trained and ready to go. Because there were so many recruits and so few experienced fighters, the training was going very slowly.

  Still, she was confident everything would turn out fine. They had to do well. It was Arcadia, after all—the grandest city in the valley, and its namesake. She needed her residents to feel safe and secure.

  "Ah, Chancellor," Samuel said as Amelia approached the factory site. "It's good ta have ye. We're almost ready. I'm gonna say three days, but we might get done early. We have some magicians here installin’ the magitech lightin’ right now. We had more than plenty of glass from the old buildin’ ta melt down into enough panes ta make sure this bitch is well lit. It won’t remind anyone of the old place."

  "I've never seen anything so incredible. Everyone really cooperated and put it together so quickly." She shook her head, trying to hold back her emotions. She was overjoyed and relieved, grateful to see everyone so happy. "I look forward to the reopening. I just came by to check on everyone. Do you or anyone else need anything?"

  "Aye," Ren chimed in. "I could use a nice night at the Dragon’s Lair. That ought ta set me right."

  Amelia laughed. "I don't think that's on the menu, rearick. Not on my coin, anyway. But you're more than welcome to head there this evening. I'm sure you'll find nothing short of plentiful entertainment there."

  "Aw, ye ain't jealous now, are ye?" Ren asked. "I know how shy Arcadian women can be sometimes. No need ta be shy around old Ren."

  Amelia shook her head, still smiling. "Samuel, I think you need new friends. This one's old and broken."

  "Hey, Chancellor!" Andrew said as he walked out the factory’s front door. "Is Marie here with you?"

  Amelia excused herself from the rearick and took a few steps forward. It made her happy to see an attractive, hard-working, and very kind man like Andrew asking about her sweet assistant, Marie.

  She wasn't sure if it was simply platonic curiosity, but she couldn't help but hope for something else.

  "Why, no, she isn’t. I’m here alone. Should I give her a message? I'm sure I'll see her in just a few minutes."

  Laughing nervously, Andrew looked down at the cobblestone walkway and ran his fingers through his short, dark hair. "No, that's okay. I don't want to bother her. I was just curious if she was here. She's been down here every day, but she hasn't stopped in yet today. Wanted to make sure she's okay."

  He was so adorable, Amelia couldn't help but smile knowingly. "I assure you she's fine, but I'll be happy to let her know you asked for her."

  There was a nervous pause as he looked anywhere except into Amelia’s eyes. It was obvious he was embarrassed to ask about her.

  That was rather cute on a man as attractive and masculine as he was. She’d heard the story about what he’d done with the remnant. Hopefully he'd use that brawn for something a bit more fun with sweet Marie.

  Andrew was about to say something else, but he stopped, smiled, and pointed behind Amelia. "Well, there she is. I guess she surprised us."

  Amelia turned, not having expected Marie to show up since she'd been working with someone on plans for the Boulevard. From the look on the woman’s face, Amelia was expecting whatever information she carried even less than her presence.

  "I'm sorry to break this up," Marie said. "I know you came down here because you're excited, but I have news."

  Before she walked away, Amelia turned to Andrew to say her goodbyes. "Thank you again for all your hard work. I know you and Samuel have been at the head of this, and that you’ve been working at the factory and in the Boulevard. It couldn't have been easy, so thank you. If there's ever anything you need, please let me know."

  Marie shot a quick smile toward Andrew as she led Amelia away. Given the connection they had seemed to share with one another, Amelia thought Marie was acting strangely. She was usually so very excited to see the tall, dark, and handsome man.

  Once they were out of earshot, Amelia started the conversation, knowing that mood would be lost if she let her assistant talk first. "Before you unleash whatever darkness is in that brain of yours on me, I need to say I think that man is adorable. He obviously likes you. I think you'd be a crazy person if you didn't at least entertain the idea."

  "Amelia…"

  The Chancellor put her hands up in defeat. "I don't mean to intrude. I just know you're single and you worked for Adrien for years, so that means there was absolutely no time for you to date. It's not my business, but I had to say it, because if you weren't thinking it, I figured maybe you should, that's all. No
w you can go on with whatever terrible news is causing that awful expression on your face."

  "I don't mind you butting in. I'm not upset by that in any way. Actually, it feels nice to have someone looking out for me, and I especially like having a woman around to talk to. Unfortunately, you're right. There is bad news." Marie paused for a moment, wringing her hands and frowning. "There was another remnant attack about three miles south of the last one and five miles farther west. Farther into the valley."

  "So, it was farther from their home territory, is what you're saying?" Amelia clarified.

  Marie nodded. "Yes. And this one was far worse."

  Closing her eyes, Amelia sighed as the weight of that news pressed on her. A remnant attack was terrible under any circumstances, but as Chancellor, it was her responsibility to make sure that everyone remained safe.

  "Were there any survivors?" Amelia asked.

  Marie shook her head, pausing for a moment before she continued, "I'm afraid not. Twenty-five dead. Some of those men were ripped apart. The Hunters and Border Patrol came in this morning with carts full of corpses. They were lucky that a nearby village allowed them to commandeer the carts, or they’d still be out there. From what they could tell, all but five of them were Arcadian. The rest were just outsiders looking for work."

  "I can't believe this," Amelia cried, incredulity clear in her quiet voice. "Have the families been notified?"

  Marie shook her head again. "I'm sorry, Amelia, but I think we're going to need you for that. Like I said, some of those men were ripped apart. Others had their skulls crushed. It's—" Marie stopped.

  Amelia frowned, knowing just how hard all this must have been on someone as kind as Marie. The Chancellor had a good heart, but she was no stranger to carnage—unfortunately.