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    Betrayal
    Betrayal
    Betrayal
    Ebook79 pages1 hour

    Betrayal

    By S. B. Sebrick

    ()

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    About this ebook

    When Delena, the Obsidian Sage, finds evidence her long lost brother Pelorum yet lives in Levarion, she abandons her fellow sages and races to his side. But after five centuries on his own, the brother she cherished no longer exists.

    Their reunion brings to light a horrible secret and her brother's intentions for her are anything but compassionate. Surviving his twisted plans will take every ounce of Delena's courage and wit as she endeavors to escape a terrible trap hundreds of years in the making.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherXinXii
    Release dateNov 30, 2014
    ISBN9783958306875
    Betrayal
    Author

    S. B. Sebrick

    S. B. Sebrick was raised in Vancouver, Washington and currently attends college at Brigham Young University-Idaho. He recently published the first book in his Assassin’s Rising series, DECOY, and often posts updates and teasers about the rest of the series from his website at http://sbsebrick.wordpress.com.

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      Book preview

      Betrayal - S. B. Sebrick

      Betrayal

      S. B. Sebrick

      Copyright 2013 S. B. Sebrick

      Stock Photo By amareto on istockphoto.com

      XinXii Edition

      ISBN: 978-3-95830-687-5

      Verlag GD Publishing Ltd. & Co KG, Berlin

      E-Book Distribution: XinXii

      www.xinxii.com

      All rights reserved. All similar appearance to other works or people are coincidental.

      Also by S. B. Sebrick

      www.sbsebrick.com

      http,//www.goldenbulletpublishing

      Assassin’s Rising Series

      Decoy

      Deluge

      Defiant

      Desolate

      Deliverance

      Dire

      Related Short Stories

      Fate of the Child

      Betrayal

      Author’s Forward

      Special thanks to my friends and family for their constant support. I’d like to offer a special thanks to Dr. Rita Carey, who helped me to find my voice. Thanks to Randy, and DiAnne for challenging me to put Assassin’s Rising on the market.

      I’d especially like to extend a special thanks to those of you reading this book. Without your support, stories like these would not see the light of day.

      Thank you.

      Table of Contents

      Betrayal

      About the Author

      Betrayal

      Years—decades—centuries, they all flowed away, steeped in memory. This was one of the gifts of the Sages, an advantage of immortality. Nestled in her obsidian cocoon, Delena recalled with perfect clarity the warmest moments of her past and ignored her darkest. She rested in thoughts of better days, before she bonded herself to the stone and outlived all she knew.

      Delena! Pelorum had called. It would be their last summer morning together. Come quick! I’ve gathered enough for us both!

      Wrapping her travel cloak around her shoulders against the misty morning dew, Delena had carefully picked her way down the side of the mine wall. Her thick leather pants and boots scraped against the discarded stones whenever she slipped. Each time she regained her balance with a burst of Varadour power, an ability produced by glands above her heart, granting her added strength and agility at will.

      Her brother’s voice echoed from every crag and cranny. She could almost hear his words vibrating through the gravel she slid down. Soon, they’d cast aside their Varadour powers, choosing instead to embrace a rare power far better suited to keeping them alive.

      At the base of the mine, she wove around the tangled mess of boulders, carts and discarded tools. A few broken shoes or half-eaten lunches lay in odd corners, too rancid and ragged even for the vagabonds to use. She walked to the far end of the mine, where a recent rockslide had collapsed around a small niche created by two large boulders.

      There, in a small makeshift cave, Pelorum sat proudly on a pool of pure golden-yellow amber. His tattered clothes and short, disheveled hair were black as night from the dust of the winding tunnels around the mine. Heavy bags sagged under his eyes, but he radiated joy at his accomplishment. Next to him lay an equally large pool of glassy, black obsidian.

      Pel— Delena tried to say, but her breath was taken away by surprise and shock. She’d planned another two days to gather so much obsidian. A part of her glowed with admiration and gratitude for Pel’s sacrifice. A smaller part of her felt irked that he’d denied her the chance to pick her own stones. How did you find so much in one night?

      Tapping his right temple, he grinned. I used a cart to haul the stuff and my power to gather it. I know we promised to gather it all ‘Sage-style’, but I expect our orders with arrive soon and I wanted to give you something to remember me by.

      It’s beautiful, Delena whispered, kneeling on the reflective, glassy pool. The black substance made her pale skin look creamy and tan. Would the volcanic glass accentuate her hair’s natural black curls? She traced the cold cracks in the stone with her finger. A broken edge cut into her finger, drawing a few drops of blood.

      Careful, Pelorum warned, putting a cautionary hand on her shoulder. His arm reflected back at them from the amber pool he sat upon. You aren’t bonded to the stone yet. I thought we could do it together.

      Delena paused, glancing at her own reflection in the obsidian beneath her and smiled. Pel was her last living relative, there was no one else to share so rare a transformation with. Are you sure you want to use amber? Most Sages don’t even consider that a stone, it will amplify your power alright, but you won’t have the physical toughness a sandstone or granite Sage might.

      Pelorum laughed, pointing an incriminating finger at her. That’s a heap of help, coming from ‘Miss Obsidian’. You do realize that stuff will crack and break with ease, right? Any child with a hammer could break you.

      But my command of stone will be that much stronger. I can remold my skin with ease, Delena said defensively, turning up her nose at him. If I can command stones farther away from me than any other Sages, then no one else can get close unless I want them too. I can outreach them, if necessary.

      All I’m saying, is obsidian is not a decision you can undo, Pelorum advised her warmly. He crawled over to her, sharing a final warm hug. His torn tunic smelled like dust and sweat, like her home here at the mine. Just make sure you’ve thought it through, He added.

      Pulling away, Pelorum returned to his seat on the amber pile. He looked up at the slopes of the mine. The rising sun tickled the hills’ edges, sending rays of red and orange into view.

      Above, boots thumped and men yawned, the miners arriving for their morning shift. They were safe from discovery in their little hiding place. The active shafts lay on the other side of the mine. I’m going to miss this, Sis. There won’t be many Sages in the field. They’re very isolated creatures. They won’t leave the mountains to help me fight.

      Putting a comforting hand on his arm, Delena sighed. "I’ll

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