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She started to shout a warning, but it was too late. Morius flung out his hands, and psychokinetic force erupted from him in all directions. The blast knocked Rhazion to the ground, flipped over the dining room table, and threw down a score of guests. Corvalis stumbled, but Caina was far enough away that the burst only struck her as a gust of wind, and she stumbled into the wall, her skirts rippling around her legs.

  Morius sprinted for the doors next to Caina, his robes flapping around his ankles. Throughout the dining room the other guests staggered to their feet, and some of the magi began casting spells of their own. But Morius was going to get away before the magi could recover. Caina could try to hit Morius with a throwing knife, but if she killed Morius in front of so many witnesses, that would draw suspicion upon the House of Kularus…and then eventually to the Ghosts.

  She shifted, the high heels of her sandals sliding against the floor, and the idea came to her.

  Morius raced for the doors, and Caina took a wobbling step forward, shrieked, and made herself trip.

  She fell right into Morius.

  The magus cursed, lost his balance, and fell upon his back, Caina on top of him. He cursed and shoved her off, and Caina let out a long scream and rolled away. Morius scrambled back to his feet, fury in his eyes as he started to cast a spell…

  The surge of a dozen other spells drowned out Morius’s power, and suddenly the master magus went motionless. He floated into the air, eyes bulging, suspended in the power of a score of magi.

  “Well, Morius,” said Rhazion, striding forward. He ignored Caina, his eyes fixed on the traitorous master magus. “Thought to murder me, did you?” He snorted. “Why anyone would want to be the preceptor of a Magisterium chapter, I’ll never know. The work never ends! Plus, I have to deal with fools like you.”

  Corvalis helped Caina to her feet, and Marcus staggered to their side.

  “Lord Marcus,” said Rhazion, “you have done me an invaluable service tonight, and saved both my life and the lives of many others. Thank you. I shall not forget this.”

  “But I,” said Marcus, “I did nothing, my lord the credit goes to…”

  Caina feigned another stumble, using the motion to drive an elbow into Marcus’s side.

  Rhazion glance. “Trouble with your balance, hmm?”

  “Too much wine, my lord preceptor,” said Caina, resuming her Szaldic accent with a hint of a slur. “It goes right to my head, oh, and then I fall down.”

  Rhazion grunted. “Young, beautiful, and drunken. You’re a fortunate man, Kularus.”

  Corvalis bowed. “I’ve always thought so, my lord preceptor.”

  “Come along, Morius,” said Rhazion with a cold smile. “You have a trial coming.”

  He beckoned, and the magi filed out of the dining room, Morius Orian floating after them, his face frozen in terror.

  ###

  A few days later Caina sat at her table in the House of Kularus, sipping coffee, when Marcus Orian strode through the front doors.

  He hesitated, took a deep breath, and walked to her table.

  “Good evening, my lord,” said Caina, setting aside her coffee. “It is good to see that you are not shouting warnings about poisonous flowers.”

  Marcus grimaced, and then chuckled. “No, thankfully not.” He took a deep breath. “I thought…I thought you would like to know that my father has been formally charged with attempted murder. It seems he will likely be executed.”

  “Does that trouble you?” said Caina.

  Marcus hesitated. “It…should. More than it does. He was never kind to me. And…he would have killed all those people.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “All those people…if I hadn’t convinced you to help me…”

  “Would you care to sit?” said Caina.

  Marcus nodded and sat, and Corvalis joined them.

  “Thank you,” said Marcus. “For helping me.”

  “You are welcome,” said Caina.

  “Are you,” he lowered his voice, “are you…Ghosts?”

  Corvalis snorted. “There’s no such thing, my lord. I am merely a coffee merchant.”

  Caina smiled. “And I am merely the coffee merchant’s mistress, frivolous and empty-headed.”

  Marcus snorted. “And I am the Shahenshah of Anshan.”

  “We did you a favor,” said Caina. “Perhaps someday you shall be in a position to repay us.”

  Marcus nodded. “I would be glad of it. Thank you again.” He rose. “Perhaps…perhaps I shall write an epic poem about you.”

  Caina blinked. “What?”

  “The coffee merchant’s mistress,” said Marcus, “showing a smiling face to the world, but spinning intrigues in the shadows, pulling strings and saving lives, never taking the credit…”

  “If you write such a poem about me,” said Caina, “I swear on all the gods that I will have your throat cut and your body dumped in the harbor.”

  Corvalis laughed.

  “Well, yes,” said Marcus. “I suppose you could not keep your good deeds secret if I published a poem about them.” He bowed. “The gods go with you, Sonya Tornesti and Anton Kularus.”

  He turned and left.

  “You never write poems about me,” said Caina.

  Corvalis laughed again. “I know you too well. You would rather have a book, a cup of coffee, and a nice new sharp dagger.”

  “I’ve grown predictable,” said Caina, rising. Corvalis took her hand and led her across the main floor, and Caina glanced back as Marcus left the House of Kularus. She was pleased that he had been vindicated. Perhaps he would grow into a better man than his father.

  “You look satisfied,” said Corvalis.

  “Why not?” said Caina. “Morius will be beheaded for attempted murder, and he failed to kill anyone. And no one suspects we were involved.”

  “You do like to stay in the shadows, don’t you?” said Corvalis.

  “Yes,” said Caina.

  For they could do good from the shadows…and in the shadows waited the Ghosts.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading GHOST THORNS. If you liked the story, please consider leaving a review at your ebook site of choice. To receive immediate notification of new releases, sign up for my newsletter, or watch for news on my Facebook page.

  About the Author

  Standing over six feet tall, Jonathan Moeller has the piercing blue eyes of a Conan of Cimmeria, the bronze-colored hair a Visigothic warrior-king, and the stern visage of a captain of men, none of which are useful in his career as a computer repairman, alas.

  He has written the DEMONSOULED series of sword-and-sorcery novels, and continues to write THE GHOSTS sequence about assassin and spy Caina Amalas, the COMPUTER BEGINNER'S GUIDE series of computer books, and numerous other works.

  Visit his website at:

  http://www.jonathanmoeller.com

  Visit his technology blog at:

  http://www.computerbeginnersguides.com

  Contact him at:

  [email protected]

  You can sign up for his email newsletter here, or watch for news on his Facebook page.

  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 fiction 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 and Ghost Dagger. Get the first three books bundled together in The Ghosts Omnibus One.

  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 and Frostborn: The Eightfold Knife.

  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.

  Table of Contents

  Description

  Ghost Thorns

  About the Author

  Other books by the author

  Table of Contents

  Description

  Ghost Thorns

  About the Author

  Other books by the author