Path of the Dark Read online

  Path of the Dark

  An Epic Fantasy Romance

  Light and Darkness

  Book Three

  JAYNE CASTEL

  Novels by Jayne Castel

  Epic Fantasy Romance

  Light and Darkness series

  Ruled by Shadows (Book One)

  The Lost Swallow (Book Two)

  Path of the Dark (Book Three)

  Historical Romance

  DARK AGES BRITAIN

  The Kingdom of the East Angles series

  Night Shadows (prequel novella)

  Dark Under the Cover of Night (Book One)

  Nightfall till Daybreak (Book Two)

  The Deepening Night (Book Three)

  The Kingdom of the East Angles: The Complete Series

  The Kingdom of Mercia series

  The Breaking Dawn (Book One)

  Darkest before Dawn (Book Two)

  Dawn of Wolves (Book Three)

  The Kingdom of Mercia: The Complete Series

  The Kingdom of Northumbria series

  The Whispering Wind (Book One)

  Wind Song (Book Two)

  Lord of the North Wind (Book Three)

  The Kingdom of the Northumbria: The Complete Series

  DARK AGES SCOTLAND

  The Warrior Brothers of Skye series

  Blood Feud (Book One)

  Barbarian Slave (Book Two)

  Battle Eagle (Book Three)

  The Warrior Brothers of Skye: The Complete Series

  The Pict Wars series

  Warrior’s Heart (Book One)

  Novellas

  Winter’s Promise

  MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND

  The Brides of Skye series

  The Beast’s Bride (Book One)

  The Outlaw’s Bride (Book Two)

  The Rogue’s Bride (Book Three)

  He’s been sent to assassinate a princess … but a beautiful sorceress threatens to ruin his plans.

  Elias of Anthor failed to kill the last surviving member of an overthrown royal family when he had the chance. Now his father wants him to finish the job. Traveling north under the guise of peace, Elias’s task is straightforward: start negotiations, get close to the princess, and end her life.

  It’s straightforward until he meets a woman who will challenge him on every level.

  Ryana is an enchanter who prefers singing in crowded taverns to following the rules of the Order she’s sworn to. A woman with a dark past, she’s trying to keep out of trouble when she meets Elias. He’s the son of a dictator, sent to negotiate peace with her king, and she distrusts him from the first—but she can’t deny the pull between them.

  The Anthor prince represents everything she’s sworn to avoid. He’s dangerous, yet she can’t keep away from him.

  Time is running out for Elias. But when it comes time to kill the princess, he finds himself faced with the most difficult decision of his life. Does he do his duty, listen to his conscience, or follow his heart?

  All characters and situations in this publication are fictitious, and any resemblance to living persons is purely coincidental.

  Path of the Dark by Jayne Castel

  Copyright © 2019 by Jayne Castel. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the author.

  Published by Winter Mist Press

  Edited by Tim Burton

  Cover photography courtesy of www.shutterstock.com

  Maps by Jayne Castel

  Visit Jayne’s website and blog: www.jaynecastel.com

  Follow Jayne on Twitter: @JayneCastel

  This one’s for Rachael. Thank you.

  Author’s note

  New edition available of RULED BY SHADOWS (Book #1 Light and Darkness)

  Book #1, RULED BY SHADOWS, of the Light and Darkness series has been updated with significant changes to the earlier edition. However, the changes made in Book #1 have little impact on the storyline of Book #2. You will learn in THE LOST SWALLOW that Lilia (the heroine of Book #1) was a shape-shifter and that the leagueforts were restored rather than built by the Anthor army.

  If you purchased RULED BY SHADOWS before September 23, 2019, you may want an updated copy of the book.

  To get the second edition, please email the author at [email protected] with ‘New edition of RULED BY SHADOWS please’ in the subject line. Please also attach a photo or screen shot of your e-reading device library with RULED BY SHADOWS visible. Jayne will then send you the updated version of Book #1. Thank you.

  Contents

  Map

  Prologue

  Take Me With You

  1

  Messenger of Peace

  2

  The Girl Will Be There

  3

  A Darker Purpose

  4

  Gael’s Chance

  5

  We Want the Same Thing

  6

  Steel is Steel

  7

  Into the Slums

  8

  The Lay of Morwen

  9

  About Your Brother

  10

  Witch

  11

  A Lone Wolf

  12

  Blind

  13

  Gambling

  14

  Truth Telling

  15

  Consumed

  16

  Dark Intent

  17

  Time to Die

  18

  Returning the Favor

  19

  Hunted

  20

  And There Was You

  21

  Destiny

  22

  My Consort

  23

  Shadows in the Woods

  24

  Take It Down

  25

  News from the North

  26

  Second Chances

  27

  Council of War

  28

  Paths Diverge

  29

  Son of Mine

  30

  A Complicated Tale

  31

  It’s Too Late

  32

  Hold Back Tomorrow

  33

  It Has Begun

  34

  Fire and Ash

  35

  Fury

  36

  Back to the Dark Places

  37

  Blood is Blood

  38

  A New Start

  39

  Virgin Territory

  Epilogue

  Shelter

  From the Author

  More works by Jayne Castel

  About the Author

  Map

  “Vadaras, Onoras, Leadalas.

  Valor, Honor, Loyalty.”

  —Anthor military motto

  Prologue

  Take Me With You

  The Royal City

  The Kingdom of Rithmar

  RYANA’S FINGERS CURLED around the small iron box.

  Pitted with age and ice-cold to the touch, it was a plain-looking object. Yet, as she withdrew the box from its alcove, Ryana’s heart started to race. It might not have looked like much, but this casing contained something ancient, something powerful.

  Gripping her prize, she straightened up. Her head spun, and a wave of nausea hit her then, causing her to sweat. She raised a hand, bracing herself against the rough stone wall of the Vault.

  She needed to get out of here, before she collapsed.

  Sliding the iron box into the collar of her robe, Ryana glanced around. She usually felt comfortable surround
ed by shadows, for as an Enchanter of the Dark they were her allies, but the dark recesses of this passageway put her on edge.

  Retracing her steps along the passage, she halted before a sprawled body.

  Agnek.

  The young enchanter lay upon his back, sightless eyes staring up at the low shadowed ceiling. Dressed in smoke-grey robes, his right hand splayed out on the floor, he wore a stunned expression. Blood leaked from his cracked skull onto the damp stone floor, glistening darkly in the light of the pitch torches hanging from the walls.

  Ryana swallowed, her throat suddenly dry and tight. She glanced down, turning her right hand over so she could look at her palm. The eight-pointed star upon it still pulsed from gathering the Dark.

  Murderer.

  Ryana swallowed bile. She hadn’t meant to kill him, but Agnek had gotten in the way.

  I need to tell the High Enchanter what I’ve done.

  “Bring me the stone, Ryana.” The voice—low, male, and commanding—whispered in her ear. “You made me a promise.”

  Ryana started, swiveling on her heel and expecting to find Gael standing behind her. Yet the narrow corridor, lined with crudely hewn alcoves, was empty.

  Her panic receded, and the sense of purpose that had made her steal in here returned. Determination filled her, driving out the horror.

  Ryana drew in a ragged breath. Her mind suddenly felt foggy, as it had for most of the past day. It was as if she’d binged on strong wine. At that moment she could think of nothing but Gael. She had to reach him.

  “Take me with you.”

  Ryana lay on her side upon the cold wooden floor, wrists and ankles bound.

  Across the room a tall dark-haired man was packing a leather satchel. Gael glanced up, his handsome face expressionless in the burnished light of the single oil-lamp burning on the table next to him.

  They were in his lodgings above the tavern where he worked as a harpist. Ryana had spent the happiest moments of her life in this sparsely furnished room—long nights in the narrow bed behind her. There, Gael had shown her a different kind of enchantment to the one she’d devoted her life to: the enchantment of the flesh, of the soul.

  “I don’t think so, Ryana,” he replied, his gaze meeting hers. “You’ve served your purpose.”

  Ryana frowned. Her thoughts were muddled, confused, although the warm cocoon about her was sloughing away. She shivered. It suddenly felt freezing in this room. His words didn’t make sense. What happened to the man who teased her, made her laugh?

  “What do you mean?” Was that her trembling voice? Since when had she been so pathetic?

  Gael smiled. Only, it wasn’t a pleasant expression but a wolfish one. “We had fun,” he said, the smile turning into a smirk. “But the time has come for us to part ways.”

  He picked the small iron casing off the table beside him before placing it into the satchel.

  “Why do you want The King Breaker?” Ryana croaked. She felt as if she was floating, cast adrift on an icy sea. Nothing made sense, yet through it all she knew she’d been betrayed. She wanted to feel angry about that, but something still muzzled her. She couldn’t reach her emotions; it was as if they lay behind a wall she was trying desperately to scale.

  Gael glanced back at her as he reached for his cloak and shrugged it on. “Did you really think I was a romantic harpist from Anthor, traveling The Four Kingdoms looking for the right woman?”

  The scorn in his voice cut like a razor, and despite that she was having trouble focusing, Ryana flinched. “Aye,” she rasped. “I thought you loved me.”

  His mouth twisted, and he turned, hiding his face from her while he did up the satchel and slung it across his front.

  “I’m an enchanter, like you,” he said finally, turning back. He held up his right hand, revealing a dark-inked eight-pointed star.

  Ice washed over Ryana. “How?”

  He shrugged. “A cloaking charm.”

  She stared at him. He spoke as if such things were easy. Enchanters of the Dark had the ability to cast charms, but the Star of Darkness wasn’t a mark easily hidden.

  “Why?” she whispered, the sound so broken that she hated herself.

  “The Order didn’t suit me, so I found other folk who did,” he replied, his tone casual. “The Shade Brotherhood has been looking for the missing pieces of The King Breaker for centuries … and I’m about to deliver them a prize.”

  Ryana swallowed hard, keeping her gaze fixed upon Gael. “You’d help them free The Shadow King?”

  He favored her with another smile, this one roguish. “If it gets me what I want … aye.”

  Gael moved toward the door, in long cat-footed strides.

  “Wait,” Ryana gasped. Her vision blurred; it took all her will not to start pleading.

  Reaching for the door handle, he cast her a cool glance over his shoulder and raised a questioning eye brow.

  “What is it you want?” she demanded.

  Their gazes fused, and this time he didn’t smile. When Gael answered, his voice was low, barely above a whisper, and yet it seemed to reverberate off the wood paneled walls. “Everything.”

  Eleven years later …

  1

  Messenger of Peace

  The Royal City

  The Kingdom of Rithmar

  THANK THE SHADOWS that’s done.

  Ryana stepped through the heavy oaken door. It swung shut with a dull thud, and a weary breath gusted out of her. After an afternoon in the Hall of Charms, doling out assistance to desperate folk, her temples ached and her temper felt frayed.

  She really didn’t have the patience for such tasks. She much preferred her training sessions with Ninia; it was exciting to see how fast the girl was improving. However, she only trained Ninia in the mornings. Other, unavoidable, duties took up the afternoons.

  Drawing in another breath, Ryana willed for the day’s tension to seep out of her. Irritation and a familiar restlessness churned through her—as it often did after hours spent inside the House.

  Some things never changed, it seemed.

  She’d spent years away from the Order, and had missed many things about her life as an enchanter. But she couldn’t change the fact that this life sometimes felt oppressive.

  There were times when she needed a break from it.

  Ryana turned her face up to the sun. The afternoon was fine, the air balmy. The wet and windy spring had stripped the trees of the last of their blossom, but the warmth had returned. The willows lining the riverbank below the city now wore their bright green summer dresses.

  She stood upon a wide cobbled expanse before the House of Light and Darkness: a square, dun-colored building—so different from most of the elegant edifices within the upper town. Two annexes flanked the House, where the Halls of Charms and Healing sat. A massive oaken door with a stag’s head knocker was the only feature of an otherwise austere façade.

  I need an ale.

  Ryana knew she should join Asher and the new apprentices in the library, but she needed to have a few hours away from the House. The messy chaos of The Black Boar Inn, one of her favorite establishments in the lower town, beckoned. She didn’t want to sit in the shadowy library and answer earnest questions. Instead, she longed to breathe in the pungent aroma of pipe-smoke and sawdust, to relax to the sound of a harp, and to listen to the rumble of men’s voices arguing over games of dice.

  She didn’t really have time to skive off. The palace was holding a ball that evening, to celebrate Queen Eldia’s birthday, and she still hadn’t picked out a suitable gown.

  However, The Black Boar and a tankard of local ale beckoned.

  Ryana turned left and descended The King’s Way, a wide thoroughfare that corkscrewed its way down through The Royal City’s upper town.

  As she walked, she hummed a tune. It was ‘The Sailor and the selkie’, a song she’d been thinking about since waking that day. It was a pity the ball was taking place tonight, for she was in the mood for singing.


  Ryana’s mouth curved, thinking nostalgically back to the decade she’d spent living as a wandering scop upon the Isle of Orin. She’d lived a hand to mouth existence during those years, often sleeping rough when her purse emptied, yet life had been simpler then. These days, she had returned to the Order of Light and Darkness and taken up the role of Head of the Dark. She should have been happy, for she’d dreamed for years of receiving a pardon.

  But there were times, like today, when she longed to be elsewhere.

  Continuing down the hill, Ryana noted how busy The Royal City was these days. Men garbed in leather armor thronged the streets and lounged in doorways: fighting men who’d come from all over Rithmar. The clang of weapons being forged echoed down the hillside, from the plethora of forges that had sprung up all over the city.

  A king’s army needed swords and spears. With a dictator sitting over the border, King Nathan of Rithmar was wise to prepare himself for war. Sooner or later, Reoul of Anthor would likely strike.

  Ryana had nearly reached the great square before the gates leading into the lower town, when the thunder of shod hooves approaching up The King’s Way made her pause. A moment later a company of riders rounded the corner.

  Four members of the King’s Guard—resplendent in iron helms and mail shirts, and sitting upon heavy destriers—led the way. That wasn’t unusual, for the king often sent out patrols to secure the kingdom’s borders.

  Yet there was something about this company that made Ryana pause. She looked closer.

  A group of riders followed the King’s Guard on warhorses of their own. But these men didn’t wear the silver and pine-green of Rithmar. Instead, dark leather encased their bodies and blood-red cloaks rippled from their shoulders.