The Forever Knight: A Novel of the Bronze Knight (Books of the Bronze Knight) by John Marco

sword, laying it out in both hands. Fallon seemed disappointed.
    “Boring. But if it’s as powerful as Marilius says I could sell it for you, Lukien. Maybe make you a very rich man. After you do what I need of you, obviously.”
    “And what would that be, exactly?” I sheathed the sword. “I should tell you I’m not for sale. We’re only here because of Marilius.”
    “He saved us,” said Cricket.
    “Did he?” Fallon patted Marilius’s arm. “So brave.”
    Marilius bristled. “He can help, Anton. That’s why I brought him.”
    “You brought him here to redeem yourself,” said Fallon. His nostrils flared, and I wondered—were he and Marilius
lovers
?
    “Please,” I said, “just tell us why we’re here.”
    Fallon flicked a wrist toward one of the servants, a girl with honey-blonde hair and one perfect breast exposed. The girl gently took my arm, smiling as she led me to a chair across from Fallon. Another servant—a male—gingerly took Cricket’s hand and did the same. My servant, however, sat down in my lap.
    “Her name is Druan,” said Fallon. “She’s yours for the night. Try eating grapes from between her legs. Heaven!”
    I let the girl kiss my cheek. Her naked breast brushed against me. I could feel the heat rising in my face.
    “No.” I gently pushed Druan away. I swear she looked dejected.
    “All right,” said Fallon, “just business, then. Druan is only part of my offer. I can pay you whatever you want, Lukien. If you’re the man to rid me of my problem, it’ll be worth it. Isowon isn’t just my home, you see. She’s my child, my dream. I built her with nothing, and I’ll not have her taken from me.”
    “Too fast,” I said. “Who’s trying to take Isowon from you?”
    “That
thing
,” said Fallon. “Diriel’s monster, whatever it is. He sent it to kill me.”
    “Diriel? From Akyre? Why would he do that?”
    “To take what’s mine, obviously! Look around, Sir Lukien. Isowon is incomparable. There’s nothing like it in all the Bitter Kingdoms and certainly not in that ash heap, Akyre. I built this whole place with spices. My routes, my contacts—they’re worth more than all the provinces of Akyre put together.”
    “Akyre’s already at war with Kasse and Drin,” I said. “We saw the refugees on the road. I doubt he’d try to attack Isowon as well.”
    “You don’t know Diriel, then,” said Fallon. “He wants everything, all the Bitter Kingdoms. This was all part of the Akyren empire once. That’s Diriel’s goal—to remake the empire. My spice routes would make that a lot easier for him.”
    Cricket grimaced at the news. “I don’t remember any of this. Not even Diriel. How can that be, Lukien?”
    “She’s from Akyre, Anton,” explained Marilius, “but she can’t remember more than that.”
    Fallon’s delicate face grew tender. “Then you’re a refugee too, girl. Like the others. I promise you: when this deed is done and the monster is killed, we will find your lost memories.”
    “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” I warned. “I never said I’d help you. I don’t even know what this thing is.” Suddenly all I could think of was the monster I’d seen when I’d nearly died. “Describe it.”
    “It isn’t human, that’s for sure,” said Fallon. “It comes at night, looking for me, prowling outside the palace. Nine feet tall at least.”
    “You’ve seen it?”
    Fallon shook his head. “No. But Marilius has.”
    “So?” I looked at Marilius. “What’s it like?”
    “Like Anton said, Lukien—a monster. I barely even got a look at it.”
    “When was that?”
    Marilius shrugged. “About a week ago.”
    “Right before he left me,” sneered Fallon. “After the worst attack.”
    “Mercenaries don’t stick around when things get too tough,” I said. “Now I know why you left, Marilius. The only thing I don’t understand is why you came back.”
    “And that’s none of your concern, Lukien. Are you going to help us or