Hey folks,
With the final part of the Blood of Kings trilogy coming out in eBook next week (audio to follow on 12 Sept), I’ve got an excerpt from the story this week to whet your appetite for what’s to come!
Giffrid kicked open the ornate double-doors leading to the throne room with no hesitation and no ceremony. It was a moment for which he had been waiting a long time—years filled with war, death, and destruction. That was at an end now.
Giffrid stepped over the threshold, his great sword held in both hands, its blade smeared with what passed for blood within demons.
‘Careful, Giffrid,’ Abrecan said. ‘We haven’t won yet.’
Giffrid cast a look over his shoulder at Abrecan and the three other kings accompanying him, and nodded. The last thing any of them wanted was to die at the last battle. Their uneasy alliance had survived so much, forging a bond between them which otherwise would never have been. So many good men had died to bring them to this point, the threshold of their victory.
Giffrid cast a look about the throne room. He had been here before, as a courtier to a young emperor of whom everyone had the highest hopes, and no inkling of the monstrous tyrant he would become. Now Giffrid had returned at the head of a victorious army to kill that tyrant.
He moved slowly forward, his sword held at the ready, his fellow kings at his heels. It felt odd to see so huge and grand a room empty. The throne sat on a dais at the far end of the column-lined hall, its gilding sparkling in the illumination of hundreds of tiny magical lights. The décor wasn’t to Giffrid’s taste, but he supposed imperial splendour needed to be splendid.
‘Show yourself, tyrant!’ Ostremund shouted.
‘Your regime is at an end, Fenerik!’ Bebeodan added.
It was brave talk from brave men. Of all the foes they had yet faced, Fenerik himself was the most dangerous. The father of all demons. Only together did they have the power to defeat him.
As he advanced deeper into Fenerik’s throne room, Giffrid felt his stomach twist at being so dependent on others—men who were his rivals—to succeed in this mission. After today they could go back to being rivals once more, but for now, their only hope was to remain united. He looked to Abrecan, the one man among them whom he trusted like a brother. The rest? All he could do was have faith in the pact they had made to rid the world of Fenerik’s evil.
Giffrid could see the throne was empty, and wondered where the emperor was. He walked another few paces before spotting him—on one knee, his sword before him, tip to the ground. He was a shell of what he had once been. His once vibrant blond hair was lank and grey. His cheeks were hollow and his eyes sunken, a malevolent red glow emanating from them, marking out what set him apart from ordinary men.
‘So, you’re finally here.’ The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once, but Giffrid knew that was impossible, and ignored the urge to look around for the source. Instead, he kept his eyes locked on Fenerik, determined to show no fear.
I hope you enjoyed that little taster! I’m going to be posting here a few times this week in advance of the launch, with some bits and pieces about the story, so keep an eye out for updates! That’s all I’ve got for today!
As a reminder, the ebook and paperback come out on Tues 11 July!
See you soon!