Emperor's Shadow (Elite Book 1) Read online

  The impact was so great, Manus slid a few feet on the ground. He was singed, and several bones were broken from the force. Luckily, the heat had seared the wounds shut, but at any moment, the pain could make him lose consciousness. Through his hazy vision, he could see two kill squads of alchemists in the room taking a brief pause to prepare for a second volley. Several gas tanks were propped up against the walls, the contents rapidly refueling the room.

  “Manus!” a voice cried out. And chill washed over him. Part of his mind registered that Emelia was trying to treat him. Foolish woman, this is not the time to waste precious opportunities on sentiments. You must strike now; all those who betray the crown must pay.

  Recalling his Academy training, Manus forced himself to breathe, and despite the pain, some of his focus returned. It was too late, however, as another attack was already incoming. The ball of flame closed the distance far too quickly, and even if Manus had the strength to erect a barrier, it would form too late.

  Maybe this is the end of my two-decade reign as the Shadow. Hell, he had lasted longer than most other men and woman who once held his station. For the first time, he thought of giving up. At least he didn't have to worry about people sticking daggers in his back anymore.

  I did my best, Triton, Manus thought. His only regret was not being about to smack talk his stupid brother while drawing his final breaths.

  A noise shattered his lull, a sound he hadn't heard in a long time. The flame was dangerously close now; any second, the impact would put him out of his misery.

  With a furious cry, Emelia unleashed her might. An opposing torrent of fire met the incoming attack head-on, and the collision caused a shockwave to push out to all sides. The force knocked the breath from Manus’s lungs, and made him put up his arm to shield himself from the light.

  No matter how powerful Emelia was, an exertion like that would task the body greatly, and if she tried to force too much Fye into herself at once, the result could be fatal.

  Alchemy battles were all about countering your opponent's moves and leaving them exhausted, as it is always easier to defend than to attack. Most alchemists specialized in one or the other, while Elite alchemists always mastered both, but unless the power gap is tremendous, even average practitioners can defend against elements from an Elite Alchemist. The Academy trained the Elites to close the gap in situations like this, and use their superior physical trainings to best their opponents in combat. Against a group of enemies, however, the tactics must change.

  One woman against a dozen alchemists. This was an impossible task, even for someone of Emelia’s caliber. All her opponents had to do was counter her attacks, and take turns striking back. Soon enough, she would have to either abandon Manus to save herself, or die a fool’s death.

  To Manus’s surprise, the supreme general stood proud, with her feet planted firmly on the ground. She spared a glance in his direction, and upon seeing his critically injured form, her face only grew more determined. With a flourish of her hands, and a furious shout, Emelia attacked with fire. Instead of launching a ball of flame, she sent a blazing tsunami crashing into the building.

  Manus mentally tuned out Emelia’s cry, to instead listen to sounds from within the structure. Sure enough, what he heard was the formation of alchemical ice. Desperately, Manus attempted to lend his power to assist Emelia, to strike at critical points of the defense. Maybe if he hit the barrier at just the right spot with lightning ... But when he reached for Fye, there was none in the air around him. His eyes opened wide as the realization dawned on him.

  She was drawing and processing Fye at a rate faster than the chemical could diffuse in the air. Incalculable amounts of Fye coursed through her body, and Emelia's face contorted in rage as her fury manifested itself in all-consuming flame.

  Manus forcibly tilted his head up to look at his assassins. In seconds, he lost the sight of the ice barrier, as a great conflagration flooded his field of vision.

  Idiot girl! You are killing yourself doing this, Manus thought to himself as the pain finally overwhelmed him, and he faded into unconsciousness.

  Chapter 10: Conflagration

  The alarms sounded throughout the city. The Imperial Army's second unit rallied immediately toward the site of the disturbance. Within minutes, hundreds of troops marched with haste into the chancellor's manor. Captain Siera took the lead, expecting a fight. Much to her surprise, the guards in the estate all laid down their arms in surrender, and some of them were sitting on the ground, sweating profusely.

  “What is going on?” Siera demanded, while still maintaining her pace, opening the question to all the officers behind her.

  Everyone behind shrugged their heads, until one person simply said, “We just saw the fire.”

  Useless! The whole bunch of them, Siera raged to herself. She was definitely going to crack down on their training after this mess was cleared up. Curious to discover what had transpired, she picked up her pace. Soon, her captain's cloak was fluttering behind her as the rest of her unit did their best to keep up.

  With the trail of smoke rising into the air as a beacon, she quickly converged on the site, while running different scenarios through her head. But even this seasoned veteran was not prepared for the scene before it came into view.

  Supreme General Emelia stood over the injured form of the Shadow, holding herself upright protectively and facing down a congregation of house guards who were shuffling around, uncertain how to proceed. Behind her was what used to be a building. Not much of it remained other than the frame itself.

  “Holy shit,” Siera blurted out, unable to contain her shock. At the sound of her voice, the house guards turned and spotted the army behind her, and quickly surrendered.

  Shaking her head to regain some wit, the captain gave orders to apprehend everyone on sight. The troops carried out her orders with efficiency, and flanked by her entourage of officers, Siera rushed to assist her commander. Within seconds of the house guards laying down their arms, a stream of blood flowed out of Emelia's nose, and the general collapsed onto the floor next to the Shadow.

  The officers panicked as they assumed the worst, and when they got close, they saw blood oozing out of the general's mouth as well. Emelia was in serious trouble, but no one knew what to do.

  “I will live. Save him,” Emelia forced out, and attempted to point at Manus. Disoriented, she ended up pointing in the air. It was obvious whom she was referring to, however, and several of the lower-ranking soldiers moved to assist Manus.

  Siera waved her hand, and all activities ceased abruptly. The captain leaned in closer to Emelia, and gestured for the others to disperse. Accustomed to following orders, they moved to obey immediately.

  “This is your chance,” Siera whispered. After serving under the general for over a decade, the captain had developed a lot of respect for her commanding officer. In fact, Siera had requested her post years ago out of admiration for the general's martial prowess. While she bore no ill will toward the current emperor, for Siera, it would be much preferred to see Emelia take the throne. A nation can always benefit from a stronger leader.

  Emelia shook her head.

  Certain her commander was delirious, Siera continued. “This is the chance to seize the throne. If we let the Shadow die, no one can stand between you and the emperor. The army will support your coup, and you can become the ruler. Triton can't stand against your might.”

  Once again, Emelia shook her head. The captain was stunned by this decision. What happened to the ruthless woman who, years ago, made each choice to further her ambition? Siera wondered. Though she doubted the wisdom of her superior's choice, she wasn't going to go against the general's wishes. Turning around, she signaled for her troops to assist the Shadow.

  From the corner of Siera's eye, she spotted a figure jump down from a wall nearby without the assistance of grapples. Unhindered by the drop, the newcomer ran full speed toward Emelia. Protectively, Siera and the officers formed a defensive wall, and r
eadied themselves for battle.

  “Let her through,” the general commanded weakly. Hesitantly, the soldiers stood down, and seconds later, Merian the gardener weaved past the crowd to crouch down next to Emelia.

  “You idiot girl,” the wizened woman lectured disapprovingly. Behind her, several soldiers let out audible gasps at such audacity, obviously never having seen anyone take this tone with the general before.

  Emelia attempted to laugh, but more blood gushed out from her mouth. Her eyes began losing focus as the overdose of Alchemical byproduct began shutting down her body.

  Merian turned around and watched several soldiers gently lift Manus onto a stretcher. “Of course, all this for a boy.”

  “Help her!” Siera demanded, her concern finally overcoming the surprise at this unusual turn of events.

  “I could help you right now,” Merian continued, turning to Emelia, ignoring the captain completely. “But first.” She reached inside the general's sleeve, and retrieved the white rose. By now it had withered gray, as all plants did under the influence of Fye.

  A speck of blood fell on the petal as the general coughed once again. The colors drained rapidly from the sick woman's face.

  With a sigh, Merian cradled and lifted the general without any effort, and came to a stop next to the captain.

  “Riftborn,” Siera said, finally understanding. “Please save her.”

  Emelia stirred in the gardener's arms, and as if by a miracle, some color returned to her face. “Save him, Siera.”

  “As you wish, General,” Siera replied with a bow.

  And with that, Merian sprinted away with Emelia in tow, and quickly disappeared from sight.

  Now alone with her duties, the captain walked over to check on Manus and was surprised to find him conscious. While his eyes were closed, his breathing had returned to normal. How much does it take to kill this man? She had seen soldiers die from much less, but something was keeping him going. Several of the alchemists treated his burns, while the army medics were tending to his other wounds.

  “How are you feeling, Lord Shadow?” Siera began, with fake concern.

  “Drained,” the wearied man replied.

  A medic turned toward the captain. “He will survive, but unfortunately, will be out of commission for days, if not weeks,” he reported, then added, “We gave him something for the pain.”

  Part of Siera lamented the loss of this golden opportunity for the general. But she trusted in Emelia's wisdom. “That's good to hear. Have you any requests?” she asked, as if addressing a superior officer. Aside from the emperor himself, there was no one who could command the Shadow. Although not strictly military, Manus certainly outranked everyone currently present.

  “Transport will arrive soon, Captain,” the lead medic interrupted, then followed with a salute. Having completed their duties, the medical squad left to search for other casualties.

  Slowly, Manus opened his eyes, the herbs now dulling most of his pain. “You are quite an ambitious woman,” he said without malice.

  Alarmed, Siera wasn't sure how to reply. How much did he hear? she wondered.

  As if reading her mind, Manus shook his head gently. “I've been the Shadow for a long time. It's hard to find anyone who doesn't want me dead. You have nothing to fear, Captain.”

  As much as she wanted to doubt him, something in his voice calmed her down. With fear washing away, curiosity once again surfaced. “Why would the general pass up this opportunity?” she asked.

  “Surely there are plenty of rumors.”

  “Those happen to be one of the things us soldiers question.”

  A smile crept up on Manus, despite his painful condition. “Because she's grown.”

  Siera watched his every action with interest. Had she really argued for taking this man's life minutes ago? Why was it so easy to forget that the Shadow was just a man doing his best to protect his family?

  All throughout Siera’s childhood, her mother had always told her if she didn't do chores, the emperor would send his most terrible agent to discipline her. Once she had grown up, the stories changed, and simply got more violent. Every day, she would hear about the people the Shadow assassinated, the insurgents he executed, all in the name of the emperor.

  Now that she had the chance to see the legend face-to-face, he turned out to be nothing she expected. Well, he certainly was a tenacious man. But more than anything, he simply looked tired. Tired of the attempts on his life, of the undeserved hatred he was forced to shoulder, the weight of the horrible things he did out of duty. Yet here he was, broken, but still smiling. Before she realized it, the captain found herself respecting the barely conscious man in front of her.

  “Get some rest, Lord Shadow,” she whispered. By impulse, she took off her captain's cloak and draped it across Manus's body.

  The Shadow let out an appreciative sigh. “I want Lucien's head,” he said before closing his eyes. An entirely reasonable request, all things considered. Even if Lucien had nothing to do with the attack in the alley, this recent treacherous act certainly earned him the Empire's wrath. Suddenly, a look of realization crossed Manus's face, and he let out a gentle chuckle.

  “Of course, I won't let him get away,” Siera replied with a salute. She began walking away to carry out the order, but part of her was burning with curiosity. “Lord Shadow?”

  “Yes?” Manus replied softly, his consciousness once again slipping away.

  “What made you chuckle?”

  “I realized maybe I was wrong all along,” Manus answered. Rumor had it that years ago, he had lived with Emelia, and fought together for their lives. Emelia had pushed herself past her limit, to save his life.

  Manus began drifting, and seemed eager to sleep. But he still owed the captain an answer. “Maybe I just never gave her enough credit.”

  Chapter 11: Repetition

  The same memories kept resurfacing in Manus's dreams. Time and time again, he found himself transported to five years earlier, to the eve of the 12th Southern Rebellion.

  Once again, he found himself sitting in the Imperial War Room. He had always hated this place, but Triton insisted on Manus's presence. In times of war, the Shadow was duty-bound to assume a military role. Although it might seem childish, his displeasure was compounded by the fact that his military rank was lower than that of Emelia's. Part of Manus was well aware that the world wasn’t conspiring against him, but he didn’t have to like it.

  The highest-ranking officers converged from all over the nation to receive orders during this daylong conference. Emergencies like this were usually reserved for insurrections. When an Elite staged a coup, the resulting war often threatened the Capital itself. The South had never been considered a serious threat before the 10th Uprising, when the rebels were organized enough to actually infiltrate the North and cause damage to the government infrastructure.

  Supreme General Emelia raised her right hand, and all chatter in the room stopped instantly. Even the royal family paused their conversations out of respect. “Let us begin,” she announced, while nodding to Triton. The emperor returned the gesture in approval.

  Manus's mind wandered off as the general began going over battle plans. He had tried to change the course of his dreams, but to no avail. Something in his own psyche forced the same events to play out in front of him.

  A gentle feminine hand rested itself on Manus's shoulder, almost startling him.

  “Are you all right, Manus?” the empress inquired cheerfully. Cynthia's smile always brought joy to the Shadow. She was always motherly and attentive, and her very presence touched everyone around her, even his foolhardy brother. In her arms was the young Darius, who busied himself with a soft plushy toy.

  Forgive me, Cynthia! Manus's mind screamed out. Yet his body continued acting with a will of its own. “Just tired,” he returned with a smile of his own. By now Emelia's voice had crescendoed to a new height, which, thanks to the size of the room, echoed at an uncomfortably high volume.
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  Certain that not even a firefight could draw people's attention from the debriefing at this point, Manus allowed himself the pleasure of chatting with his brother's wife. As they talked, he was reminded of how perfect she was for Triton, providing the compassion the brothers sometimes lacked.

  The tasks Manus had to perform over the years as the Shadow had really changed the way he viewed the world. He thought himself jaded, hardened, but somehow, the empress still managed to bring out the best in him. She was truly one of a kind.

  “I'm sorry you got dragged to this war meeting,” he said, to both Cynthia and the baby.

  “It's not too bad. I'm sure you are not thrilled to be here either.”

  “You're right. At least the chairs are more comfortable than I remembered.”

  “You are welcome,” Cynthia replied with a wink.

  Manus chuckled while stroking his short, stubby beard. His own wife always reminded him to shave, but he hadn't seen her for quite a while. Damn this war, he thought while sparing a glance at his brother.

  Although the emperor was completely focused on the debriefing, his hand reached out and locked with Cynthia's.

  Forgive me, Brother, for my failure.

  “If I had to be honest,” the empress said as she sighed, “I am more upset about him taking our son to the South. Supposedly, it will make Darius more of a man, to see a damn war.” Cynthia's cheeks flushed pink as she heard her own curse.

  What a foolish decision, Manus thought to himself. But he could understand Triton's reasons as well. Considering the skills of the royal guard, and the fact that Southerners had no access to Fye, realistically, the risk was low. Bringing his son along when the victory is so certain ... well, Triton was always the more prideful one. “It will be fine,” Manus assured her. “I'll watch over him.”

  “I appreciate it, Manus, but there's no need for that,” she politely declined, and before Manus could be offended, she explained, “I intend to go there myself.”