Брайан Макклеллан - Sins of Empire

“So we have time,” Vlora said flatly.

“That’s all we can offer,” Taniel responded.

Vlora paced back and forth, and Taniel hoped she understood. Ka-poel was dangerous, but she was not infallible or omnipotent. If she said breaking the godstone was beyond her ability, he believed her. “How long?” Vlora asked.

Ka-poel shrugged, and Taniel said, “Months? Years? Who knows? It depends on how clever Ka-sedial is.”

Vlora was clearly unhappy with the answer, but she walked across the field to a number of her aides standing farther back. She returned a moment later, a scowl on her face. “It’s done,” she said.

“What?” Taniel asked.

“I’ve ordered the evacuation of the city.”

“Ah.”

Vlora suddenly closed her eyes, and Taniel wondered if he spotted tears there. “Why,” she asked in a whisper, “does it feel like I lost?”

“You didn’t,” Taniel said.

“I didn’t?” she echoed.

“No. Without you and the Riflejacks, the godstone would be in Dynize hands now. They’d have a tool to make a monster.”

“They’ll still get it,” Vlora said. “We’re leaving the city. Withdrawing. I can’t defend it without Lindet’s help, and she now wants my head. The Dynize will take Landfall and the godstone.”

“We’ll be back,” Taniel said confidently. He nodded to himself, hoping he was right. The fate of the entire continent rested on the idea. “It’ll take some time, but I’ll give you an army of Palo that can match the Dynize.”

“And what about Lindet?” Vlora asked.

“We’ll have to deal with her when it comes to that. In the meantime, we need to worry about the other two godstones.”

Vlora inhaled sharply. “Excuse me?”

Taniel felt tired – more tired than he’d felt at any time since his father died. But he also felt good. This was the first step in a plan he and Ka-poel had been working on for the better part of a decade. He glanced around, noticing that some of the Riflejacks were staring at him and Ka-poel. They were beginning to suspect who he was, and he didn’t much care. In fact, there was a freedom in being alive to the world again. “Two more godstones,” he said, holding up his fingers. “Don’t worry. I’m sure Lindet is already well on her way to finding them. We just have to make sure we get to them before she does.”

I can never say enough about my awesome editor, Devi Pillai, and the guidance she gives to my books. She was especially patient with this one, and it’s ten times better than it would have been without her ability to make me do my best. The usual thanks go out to my agent, Caitlin Blasdell, who runs interference for me when I’m behind schedule, and gives me pep talks when I need them.

Thanks to my wife, Michele, for reading the drafts of this book into the early hours of the morning to help me get it done. Her advice is an invaluable part of my writing.

Special thanks to my beta-readers, including David Wohlreich, Peter Keep, Mark Lindberg, and Justin Landon. A good beta-reader is often an unsung hero of the editing process, and mine are no exception.

The biggest appreciation goes out to all the people at Orbit who take these stories from my head and put them on the shelf, including (but not limited to) Lauren Panepinto, James Long, Alex Lencicki, Ellen Wright, and Laura Fitzgerald. None of this would happen without the whole team doing their jobs – a fact that is often overlooked by the fans who love these books.

And of course, thank you to everyone for reading. You’re the best fans a writer could hope for. I’m blessed to have a place on your shelves, and hope to continue to deserve that honor for many books to come.

Brian McClellanis an American epic fantasy author from Cleveland, Ohio. He is known for his acclaimed Powder Mage series and essays on the life and business of being a writer. Brian now lives on the side of a mountain in Utah with his wife, Michele, where he writes books and nurses a crippling video game addiction.