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  “Mazael!” croaked Atalia.

  Mazael turned, grasping his sword hilt as Calvin got to his knees, blood pouring from his broken nose. Mazael tugged on his sword, but the weapon had gotten stuck between Kolmard’s ribs. He cursed in fury, trying to wrench the sword free, but it was stuck.

  Calvin stalked forward, lifting his blade.

  Mazael cursed again, released the sword hilt, grabbed one of the bottles from Kolmard’s work table, and flung it at Calvin’s head. The older knight reacted on reflex, bringing his sword up in guard. The bottle smashed against the weapon, spraying Calvin with the foul-smelling liquid within.

  Mazael surged forward. Calvin had time to stab, opening another wound on Mazael’s shoulder, but Mazael was too furious to care. Red rage descended on him like a curtain, and he shoved aside Calvin’s sword and punched again. His fist met Calvin’s face, and the knight stumbled. Mazael hit him in the stomach, and Calvin doubled over. He swept out the older knight’s legs from beneath him, driving Calvin to the floor.

  The knight fell with a grunt of pain, trying to raise his sword. Mazael kicked it aside and landed on Calvin, his knees pinning the knight’s arms in place.

  Then he started punching.

  After the seventh or eighth blow, Calvin Astarre stopped struggling, but Mazael kept hitting. He hit Calvin again and again, ignoring the pain in his knuckles, the pain from his wounds, the blood trickling down his leg and shoulder from the sword hits…

  “Mazael,” said Atalia. “Mazael!”

  He glared up at her.

  Atalia flinched, and some of the red rage receded from Mazael’s mind.

  “I think you can stop hitting him,” said Atalia in a quiet voice.

  Mazael blinked sweat from his eyes and looked down. Calvin’s face was a bloody ruin, and he had stopped breathing. In fact, Mazael suspected that he had been dead for some time now.

  The fury drained from him, replaced only by weariness.

  “Yes,” said Mazael, getting to his feet. He pulled the dagger from his belt and cut the ropes from the bound woman. She flinched a little from him, which only made sense since she had just seen him beat a man to death. “What’s your name?”

  “Rose,” she said, her voice a croak.

  “Well, you’re safe now,” said Mazael. He turned back to Atalia. “Let’s find Trocend and give him the good news.”

  ###

  Later Mazael sat in Mandor’s pavilion, starting his third cup of wine. Atalia had cleaned and stitched his wounds after Trocend and a group of armsmen had swarmed into the old cellar, and they had returned to the Fair, leaving Trocend to pour over the documents Kolmard and Calvin Astarre had left behind. The cuts throbbed damnably, and Mazael felt tired, but it could have been worse. He was still alive.

  Neither he and Atalia had been turned into those undead creatures.

  The tent flap opened, and Atalia stepped inside. Her lip had been split, but other than that she had come through the fight uninjured.

  “How do you feel?” said Mazael, getting to his feet with a grunt.

  “Better than you do, I expect,” said Atalia.

  Mazael shrugged. “I’ve been hurt worse than this. It’ll get better.”

  She seemed nervous and folded her arms over her chest, and then unfolded them. “Trocend was pleased with what we found in Kolmard’s workshop. He found letters to other members of the School, and he might be able to track them down.”

  “That’s good,” said Mazael.

  “Yes,” said Atalia.

  “What’s wrong?” said Mazael.

  “Mazael,” said Atalia. She hesitated, and then spoke the next sentence in a rush. “I am leaving Knightcastle and going to the wizards’ college at Alborg.”

  Mazael blinked.

  “Why?” he said at last.

  “It was Trocend’s idea,” said Atalia. “He said I would be more useful to him with proper training. He has a lot of influence, and he was able to get the master wizards to accept me back. If I go to Alborg and keep myself under control, I can become far more powerful. And I can do it without the filthy necromancy of Kolmard and his lot. I’m leaving tomorrow morning. So…I wanted to say farewell, first.”

  Mazael said nothing for a moment. Atalia actually fidgeted a little.

  “You’ve known about this for a while,” said Mazael. “It takes time for messages to go back and forth from Knightcastle to Alborg. Why are you telling me now?”

  “Because I needed to think about it,” said Atalia, “and I made up my mind today.”

  “Ah,” said Mazael, the anger reawakening within him. “It was something I did, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes,” said Atalia in a quiet voice, not meeting his gaze.

  “So saving you from Kolmard and Calvin was a bad thing, was it?” said Mazael.

  “No!” said Atalia, meeting his gaze at last. “But, Mazael. You beat him to death. I saw your face while you did it.”

  “So?” said Mazael.

  “You…were enjoying it,” said Atalia. “The way you always enjoy killing. Mazael…I think there’s something wrong with you.”

  Mazael said nothing, too angry to speak.

  “I don’t know what it is,” said Atalia. “But there’s rage in you, and I’m afraid of what will happen when you finally can’t control it. I don’t want to be within a hundred miles of you when it finally breaks loose.”

  He said nothing.

  “I’m not going to claim that I was in love with you, and I know you weren’t in love with me,” said Atalia. “I don’t think people like us fall in love. I want power more than I want anything else. But I’ll miss you. I enjoyed our time together.” She offered a tentative smile. “And, gods, you’re an excellent lover.”

  Mazael let out a long breath, trying to get his anger under control.

  Why was he so angry? She was right. They were not in love. He had enjoyed her company, but she had also irritated him. He admired her bravery and tenacity, but she wanted things that he simply did not.

  “Take care of yourself,” said Mazael at last, his voice a little rough.

  Atalia smiled a little, leaned up, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Farewell, Mazael Cravenlock. I hope…I hope you find something you want, other than fighting and drinking and women. A man can’t live that way forever.”

  “Who wants to live forever?” said Mazael.

  She gave him a sad smile and left.

  ###

  Later Mazael sat alone on a bench at the edge of the Fair, watching the sun go down to the west as he drank.

  Maybe Atalia had a point.

  He had enjoyed beating Calvin to death, and that should have horrified him, but it didn’t. There had always been a dark anger within him, one he did not understand. Perhaps that was why he was such a good fighter, why his appetites for violence and women and wine were so strong.

  Maybe Atalia was right, and there really was something wrong with him. Suddenly Mazael wished he could have spoken with Sir Nathan and Master Othar. They would have known what to say. He…

  “My lord knight?” said a soft voice.

  He looked up. A black-haired young woman in a faded dress had approached while he had been lost in thought.

  “Rose,” he said. “I must say you look better without a rope around your neck.”

  “Thank you, Sir Mazael,” said Rose, not quite meeting his eyes. “I…how are your wounds? They looked terrible.”

  “They were minor,” said Mazael. “It could have been worse.”

  She nodded and licked her lips. “I…just wanted to thank you for saving my life, for saving me from those horrible men.”

  “You are welcome,” said Mazael. “I am glad we arrived in time.”

  “They deserved what you did to them,” said Rose. “I saw what they did to the other girls.”

  Mazael nodded, watching her. She was attractive, he realized, without the bitter edge she would soon acquire if she stayed in her current profession for too lo
ng.

  “They did,” said Mazael.

  “I wanted to thank you,” said Rose, moving closer. “For my life. I just wish I could think of a way to show you how grateful I am.”

  Mazael could think of a way.

  He was pretty sure that she had thought of the same way.

  He reached up, gripped her wrist, and gave her a tug. It wasn’t a hard tug, but she fell into his lap anyway. She let out a little gasp and settled against him, her eyes widening.

  “Perhaps we can think of something together,” said Mazael, and she smiled.

  He would miss Atalia, but life did go on.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading THE RUNE KNIGHT. Follow this link to read DEMONSOULED, Mazael Cravenlock's next adventure.

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  Other books by the author

  The Demonsouled Saga

  MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK is a wandering knight, fearless in battle and masterful with a sword.

  Yet he has a dark secret. He is Demonsouled, the son of the ancient and cruel Old Demon, and his tainted blood grants him superhuman strength and speed. Yet with the power comes terrible, inhuman rage, and Mazael must struggle to keep the fury from devouring him.

  But he dare not turn aside from the strength of his blood, for he will need it to face terrible foes.

  The priests of the San-keth plot and scheme in the shadows, pulling lords and kingdoms upon their strings. The serpent priests desire to overthrow the realms of men and enslave humanity. Unless Mazael stops them, they shall force all nations to bow before the serpent god.

  The Malrag hordes are coming, vast armies of terrible, inhuman beasts, filled with a lust for cruelty and torment. The Malrags care nothing for conquest or treasure, only slaughter. And the human realms are ripe for the harvest. Only a warrior of Mazael’s power can hope to defeat them.

  The Dominiar Order and the Justiciar Order were once noble and respected, dedicated to fighting the powers of dark magic. Now they are corrupt and cynical, and scheme only for power and glory. They will kill anyone who stands in their way.

  To defeat these foes, Mazael will need all the strength of his Demonsouled blood.

  Yet he faces a far more terrible foe.

  For centuries the Old Demon has manipulated kings and lords. Now he shall seize the power of the Demonsouled for himself, and become the a god of torment and tyranny.

  Unless Mazael can stop him.

  Read Demonsouled for free. Mazael's adventures continue in Soul of Tyrants, Soul of Serpents, Soul of Dragons, Soul of Sorcery, Soul of Skulls, and Soul of Swords, along with the short stories The Wandering Knight, The Tournament Knight, and The Dragon's Shadow. Get the first three books bundled together in Demonsouled Omnibus One.

  The Ghosts Series

  Once CAINA AMALAS was the shy daughter of a minor nobleman, content to spend her days in her father’s library.

  Then sorcery and murder and her mother’s treachery tore her life apart.

  Now she is a nightfighter of the Ghosts, an elite agent of the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar. She is a master of disguise and infiltration, of stealth and the shadows.

  And she will need all those skills to defend the Empire and stay alive.

  Corrupt lords scheme and plot in the shadows, desiring to pull down the Emperor and rule the Empire for their own profit and glory. Slave traders lurk on the fringes of the Empire, ready to seize unwary commoners and sell them into servitude in distant lands. Yet both slave traders and cruel lords must beware the Ghosts.

  The Magisterium, the Imperial brotherhood of sorcerers, believe themselves the rightful masters of the Empire. With their arcane sciences, they plan to overthrow the Empire and enslave the commoners, ruling all of mankind for their own benefit. Only the Ghosts stand in the path of their sinister plans.

  And the Moroaica, the ancient sorceress of legend and terror, waits in the shadows, preparing to launch a war upon the gods themselves. She will make the gods pay for the suffering of mankind...even if she must destroy the world to do it.

  Caina Amalas of the Ghosts opposes these mighty enemies, but the cost might be more than she can bear.

  Read Child of the Ghosts for free. Caina's adventures continue in Ghost in the Flames, Ghost in the Blood, Ghost in the Storm, Ghost in the Stone, Ghost in the Forge, Ghost in the Ashes, Ghost in the Mask, and Ghost in the Surge, along with the short stories Ghost Aria, Ghost Claws, Ghost Omens, The Fall of Kyrace, Ghost Thorns, Ghost Undying, Ghost Light, and Ghost Dagger, and the prequel novels Blade of the Ghosts and Champion of the Ghosts. Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One.

  The Ghost Exile Series

  Caina Amalas was a nightfighter of the Ghosts, the spies and assassins of the Emperor of Nighmar, and through her boldness and cunning saved the Empire and the world from sorcerous annihilation.

  But the victory cost her everything.

  Now she is exiled and alone in the city of Istarinmul, far from her home and friends. Yet a centuries-old darkness now stirs in Istarinmul, eager to devour the city and the world itself.

  And Caina is the only one that stands in its way...

  Read Ghost in the Cowl, Ghost in the Maze, Ghost in the Hunt, Ghost in the Razor, Ghost in the Inferno, Ghost in the Seal, Ghost in the Throne, Ghost in the Pact, and Ghost in the Winds along with the short stories Ghost Sword, Ghost Price, Ghost Relics, Ghost Keeper, Ghost Nails, Ghost Lock, Ghost Arts, Ghost Vigil, Ghost Mimic, and Ghost Vessel.

  The Third Soul

  RACHAELIS MORULAN is an Initiate of the Conclave, the powerful order of mighty mages. But to become a full Adept of the Conclave, she must first survive the Testing. Those who survive the Testing never speak of the trials they endured.

  Those who fail the Testing are never seen again.

  And now the Magisters of the Conclave have come to take Rachaelis to undertake the Testing. And there she shall face perils to both her body and her sanity.

  And creatures that yearn to devour her soul.

  If Rachaelis survives the Testing, she will face even more dangerous foes. The demons of the astral world watch the world of mortal men, desiring to rule it for themselves.

  And some Adepts of the Conclave are eager to help them.

  Read The Testing for free. Rachelis's trials continue in The Assassins, The Blood Shaman, The High Demon, The Burning Child, The Outlaw Adept, The Black Paladin, and The Tomb of Baligant. Read the entire series in The Third Soul Omnibus One and The Third Soul Omnibus Two.

  The Frostborn Series

  A thousand years ago, the last grandson of Arthur Pendragon led the survivors of Britain through a magical gate to a new world, a world of magic and high elves, of orcs and kobolds and stranger, darker creatures. Now the descendants of the exiles rule a mighty kingdom, peaceful and prosperous under the rule of the High King.

  But a shadow threatens to devour the kingdom.

  RIDMARK ARBAN was once a Swordbearer, a knight of renown. Now he is a branded outcast, stripped of his sword, and despised as a traitor.

  But he alone sees the danger to come. The Frostborn shall return, and unless they are stopped, they will cover all the world in ice and a neverending winter.

  CALLIANDE awakens in the darkness, her memories gone, and creatures of terrible power hunting her.

  For she alone holds the secret that can save the world…or destroy it utterly.

  The secret of the Frostborn.

  Read Frostborn: The First Quest, followed by Frostborn: The Gray Knight, Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife, Frostborn: The Undying Wizard, Frostborn: The Master Thief, Frostborn: The Iron Tower, Frostborn: The Dark Warden, Frostborn: The Gorgon Spirit, Frostborn: The Broken Mage, Frostborn: The World Gate, Frostborn: The High Lords, and Frostborn: The False King. and the prequel novel Frostborn: The Kni
ght Quests along with the short stories The Orc's Tale, The Mage's Tale, The Thief's Tale, The Assassin's Tale, The Paladins's Tale, The Knight's Tale, The Soldier's Tale, and The Soldier's Tale. Read the first three books combined in Frostborn Omnibus One.

  Mask of the Demonsouled Trilogy

  MAZAEL CRAVENLOCK has prevailed over terrible foes and now rules the Grim Marches with firm justice. Yet ancient evils are stirring in the shadows, freed at last by Mazael's own hand. Unless Mazael fights with all his strength, the world will fall.

  SIGALDRA is the last holdmistress of the Jutai nation, the final defender of her people. Now the darkness comes to devour the final remnant of Sigaldra's home and family. Even Sigaldra's courage may not be enough to turn aside the darkness.

  Read Mask of Swords, Mask of Dragons, and Mask of Spells along with the short stories The Ransom Knight, The Bronze Knight, The Serpent Knight, and The Rune Knight.

  The Tower of Endless Worlds

  THOMAS WYCLIFFE just wants to finish his dissertation in peace and quiet. So when a man in a black robe appears in his closet, claiming to be the last of the Warlocks, Wycliffe figures it is a bad joke.

  But he soon realizes the last of the Warlocks can give him power beyond imagining.

  And all it will cost is his soul.

  SIMON WESTER needs a job. Badly. So when a rich and powerful Senator offers him employment, he jumps at the chance. Sure, Simon expects to find some corruption, some shady deals.

  He doesn't expect to find black magic.

  LIAM MASTERE is a Knight of the Sacred Blade, defender of the mortal races. But can swords stand against guns? As bullets and bombs destroy his kingdom, Liam must risk everything to save his homeland's one chance of salvation.

  By daring the horrors of the Tower of Endless Worlds…

  Read The Tower of Endless Worlds for free. The saga of the Tower continues in A Knight of the Sacred Blade, A Wizard of the White Council, and The Destroyer of Worlds.