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  The Traitor

  The Katori Chronicles

  Book 4

  A. D. Lombardo

  BOOKS BY A. D. LOMBARDO

  The Katori Chronicles:

  The Half-Light

  Mariana’s Secret

  Rayna’s Sacrifice

  The Traitor

  The Traitor

  The Katori Chronicles Book 4

  A. D. Lombardo

  This work is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2021 A. D. Lombardo

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval system, or otherwise, without express written permission of the author or publisher—except for the use of brief quotations for a book review.

  Published by Nichols INK

  ISBN (Paperback): 978-1-7333376-6-3

  ISBN (Ebook): 978-1-7333376-7-0

  Cover design by A. D. Lombardo

  First Edition 2021

  www.ADLombardo.com

  I dedicate this book to my son Connor,

  who no matter the hour

  finds time to listen to my story ideas.

  Acknowledgments

  What can I say about the creation of book four? It was never mean to be its own book, yet here it is. Scrapes from Rayna’s Sacrifice left in shreds on the editing floor brought to life during a pandemic.

  When I published book three days after the world shut down, we all sat and watch everything around us change. Many struggled to find a new sense of normal and cope with being cut off from friends and family. I for one found it challenging, but I am blessed to have people who never gave up on me.

  For all those writers who suffer writers block and never give up, bless you. It took a writing class, my editor, and fellow writers to wake my muse and help stir the passion to complete this book in what felt like an upside-down world.

  As always, I must thank my son, Connor, without him I would have never found this passion. A big thank you to my devoted husband; he supports me in so many ways without question. 2020 hit us all hard and we each came out stronger.

  Special thanks to my family and friends for your continued support. And as always, Buddy, thank you for walking into the office every night reminding me to keep writing.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 Snow Wolf

  Chapter 2 Destructive Lies

  Chapter 3 Battle Pains

  Chapter 4 A Just Cause

  Chapter 5 Winter Festival

  Chapter 6 Wicked Intentions

  Chapter 7 Escape

  Chapter 8 Little Sister

  Chapter 9 Free Your Mind

  Chapter 10 Shattered Dreams

  Chapter 11 Even Kings Die

  Chapter 12 Lost at Sea

  Chapter 13 Keegan's Darkness

  Chapter 14 Freedom

  Chapter 15 The Hunted

  Chapter 16 Redemption

  Chapter 17 One More Dead Man

  Chapter 18 Graveyards

  Chapter 19 Helena’s Pain

  Chapter 20 The Gravedigger

  Chapter 21 Precious Moments

  Chapter 22 Convergence

  Chapter 23 Last Words

  Chapter 24 Roark’s Fury

  Chapter 25 Exposed

  Chapter 26 New Beginnings

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Queen Nola strolled outside from the King’s council chamber, her gold embellished boots leaving prints in the fresh snow. The winter sun felt warm on her face but made her green eyes blink against the change in brightness. She leaned against the stone railing, wrapped in her blue velvet coat with white fur trim for warmth. Her towering view over the palace gardens and the sprawling Diu city beyond gave her pause. She did not care about these people, but she enjoyed her status above them.

  The cold wind bit her nose and swept her golden locks to the side. Regent Lucas Maxwell stepped away from the other council members and joined her outside. “Diu is a beautiful city,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. “Small compared to Milnos, but it has its charm.”

  Queen Nola scanned the dwindling crowd before returning to the power-hungry ruler of Milnos. A man old enough to be her father, who beheld her with lustful eyes and contempt all at the same time. She hated him, but he was a useful pawn.

  Regent Maxwell reclined against the stone railing. The wind tugged at his long wavy hair and gray beard. Nola watched his beady eyes study the three stone archways behind her. She knew he was waiting for the other councilmen to leave and give them privacy. Reading men, understanding their desires, manipulating them to do her bidding—it was almost too easy.

  When the chamber behind them fell silent, Maxwell crossed the divide between them, tilting his head to kiss her. His beard tickled her nose, and she pushed him away before he could grab onto her.

  “I suppose Diu does have some charm,” she muttered, avoiding him. She continued to play hard to get, stepping around a large evergreen potted plant.

  The corner of his mouth curled with sly intent, and Nola watched his gaze comb the length of her. “I guess it’s a shame we plan to burn it all to the ground.”

  There was no denying the thought of destroying Diu—and the man Nola had grown to hate—thrilled her to the bone. Her glee bubbled to the surface. “With Iver dying and Prince Kai gone, I will put Aaron on the Diu throne. These people will bend under his rule, and with my guidance, we can annex this country into Milnos without lifting a finger.”

  She could tell her plan had struck a nerve. Maxwell crossed his arms and leaned away from her. “Why the change of heart?” he scoffed. “I thought we agreed Diu must burn once we put your brother Landon on the Milnos throne.”

  It was true; all Nola ever wanted was to destroy the Galloway family line and the city of Diu. Glaring back at Maxwell, she held her nose high. “Illegitimate or not, I am King Bannon Penier’s daughter, his firstborn. Yet, as a woman, I have no claim to the Milnos throne. Bannon hid my birth and sent me away to Ahana.” The memory and loss of her father set her blood to boil. Although she wanted to consider Milnos her homeland, she had no power there. Her own people did not know her.

  “Growing up on Ahana, I lived in a tropical paradise,” Nola continued. “My father, King Penier, ensured my mother and I wanted for nothing, but I wanted recognition, as did my mother before she passed. My father may have killed Iver’s father and uncle, but that was because they interfered in Milnosian affairs. Iver Galloway had no right to execute my father in return. I will have my revenge.”

  Maxwell chuckled. “Come, my dear, you are no stranger to wealth and power.” He stepped closer to her again. “Your reputation on Ahana is what brought you here. The bustling port below your estate filled with travelers: kings and dignitaries—men seeking their fortune or secrets.” He brushed her chin with his fingers.

  Nola smiled at the truth behind his words. She had learned the old craft from her mother—potions, hypnotism, magic—and lies and secrets had become her stock-in-trade. “Yes, my lavish lifestyle and spy network attracted them all—King Iver was no exception.” The thought of those early years twisted her nose as if she smelled something foul. “Mariana kept a keen eye on him, never letting him out of her sight. The woman looked down on me. I know it. She thought she was better than me.”

  Thoughts of the previous queen curdled Nola’s insides. She hated Mariana with the darkest parts of her soul, and it suited her fine if her son paid the price in her stead. Yes, she would make Kai Galloway suffer if it was the last thing she ever did. Any who wronged her mus
t pay.

  Maxwell’s laughter echoed off the stone palace, breaking her contemplation. “And still,” Maxwell applauded her, “you made it your business to get close to the widowed king.”

  Her own chuckle tickled her spine, remembering the ease with which she had seduced Iver and became his queen. “A broken man is a weak-minded man.” She gleamed. “Iver was too trusting.”

  “I implore you, Nola—leave this city, destroy it or let it falter without leadership, but come home with me to Milnos. I need you. Your brother, Landon, will take care of you. We belong in our homeland; this backwater does not deserve a flower as sweet as you. They do not treat their royals with enough reverence here. You should stand above the people, not shoulder to shoulder.”

  She kept her face soft, hiding her distrust. “My father shared your disdain for these people,” she said, then shook her head. “Landon promised you a place by his side, so you do his bidding. You have no more claim to the Milnos throne than I. There we have no power, not real power, but here we control trade routes. Money and power blossom in Diu, we need only take it. You have debts, Maxwell—Bangloo will come to claim them, and Milnos will no longer cover your wasteful ways. Let Diu fund your bad habits.”

  Nola knew one thing for certain—she had power as the Queen of Diu, but only while Iver lived. Once Iver died, a man needed to sit on the throne. If Kai did not return, she would see to it that Aaron would be the next king, or she would convince others that Kai, Iver’s eldest, was unfit to rule. “No,” she refused, “as a half-sister to Landon Penier, I would sit in the background. In Milnos, there is no guarantee he will publicly recognize me at court as his sister. He and I have spoken only a handful of times, and there are no guarantees.” No, she had grown fond of the influence—Diu city was under her control. All she needed was Iver and Kai out of the way.

  “Diu is no place for you, Nola.”

  “We have discussed this.” She held back the sarcastic tone she felt collect in her throat. “Kai has abandoned Diu city for his mother’s beloved Katori people. Painting him as unworthy of the crown will be easy; he has no loyalty to the Diu people. And if he does return, I have a plan to turn the world against him. Mark my words, Iver will be dead and six feet under—one way or another. And I shall place the crown on Aaron’s head while the city mourns, long before anyone can protest.”

  “Not good enough,” Maxwell seethed. “I hate this country—their very existence disgusts me. They must be crushed for their audacity against Milnos in the war. I have noticed a change in the skies—the disappearance of dragons. Every year there are fewer and fewer in the sky near the Katori Mountains. In the past month, my men report there were no sightings over Baden Lake. I believe the beasts are dying off.”

  Nola nodded in agreement. “Even Iver’s dragon, the one he used to keep traders in line, went missing and is presumed dead. No dragons mean the Katori people will no longer be a threat, and with Diu’s army and Fort Pohaku’s naval fleet under our control, we could conquer Katori next.” The facts were there; Katori was ripe for conquering. She liked the sound of this news.

  His greedy eyes swelled with joy. “In time, Katori and Nebea will fall under our boots. We will control it all. Our power may even rival Bangloo.”

  She knew Maxwell’s hatred for Diu ran deep, but the Regent’s shortsightedness exasperated her. Clearly, it was a waste of time try convincing Maxwell with logic. He would never allow her to keep even a scrape of control or power. She would need to continue to bend him to her will, or at least convince him it was his idea Diu should be hers.

  Nola moved to a stone bench sheltered from the winter breeze, then motioned Maxwell to her side, offering him the seat next to her.

  He accepted but eyed her with a sideways glance. “There are no words to change my mind, Nola. You know full well that I will have my revenge for the years of bowing to this boy, King Iver, and the Cazier family from Nebea. They killed my king and kept me from the throne. My men will kill every last one of them, and I will cleanse Milnos of any Diu vermin.”

  She nodded, reassuring him of her allegiance. “Is everything in place for Landon to assume the Milnos throne during your winter festival?” she asked, batting her eyes at him. “Tolan and Amelia will not be a problem, I hope.”

  Maxwell leaned in closer and took her hand in his. She smiled at his foolishness. “My dear Nola, Tolan was tossed into prison weeks before I left. Amelia loved these Diu people—she even married one. I tried to convince her the morning of her wedding to reject the offer, but she refused. After imprisoning Tolan, I could not take her constant blubbering. I locked her in a tower where she can rot for all I care. The girl is of no use. She was to deliver Kai to Milnos and failed.”

  The heat from Maxwell’s hand warmed Nola’s cold fingers. She knew all too well his disdain for women and his belief they were playthings—tools or trash that deserved no real power. Someday she would need to manipulate her bother Landon into killing the Regent when he was no longer of use.

  Caressing the back of his hand, her green eyes locked on his. One thought bloomed in her mind and curled the corner of her mouth. In a soothing tone, Nola spoke. “My dear Maxwell, continue your plans for Landon.” She tapped his hand with the rhythmic cadence she preferred and let her hypnotic stare renew the connection she had forged over the years.

  From around her neck, she clasped a black crystal dangling at the end of a chain. It had been handed down generation to generation, and now she alone wielded its power. Ensuring her influence over the Regent was secure in this matter, she focused on her desires. “Remember, the Milnos people will rally together under their one true king. You will be my brother’s advisor. Landon will need your guidance. With years of experience ruling Milnos, you will play an important part in our country's future. Only then can we be together.”

  Maxwell’s lost look told her he was under her spell once more. She whispered into his ears, seeding his mind with her desires. Before she could secure her place, Kai must be removed—permanently. “Maxwell, send a unit of Milnos men into the Zabranen Forest to disrupt the Katori tribes north of Albey. We must flush Kai out from his hiding place in those mountains. I have plans for the young prince, and for his father. Trust me, Maxwell, and I will give you all you desire. You do trust me, don’t you—my love?”

  There was no response. The layers of manipulation made the man putty in her hands. Nola wanted to instruct him to jump to his death down the five-story drop, but she still needed the man, as did her brother, Landon. Instead, she changed the rhythm of her tapping to a slow rub. “Maxwell, listen to me. You are tired. Sit here in the sun and rest your eyes. You will wake in a few moments and feel refreshed, confident in your strategy to control Diu through my son Aaron.”

  Nola rose and stepped inside the council chamber, leaving the Regent where he sat.

  Chapter 1

  Snow Wolf

  The golden sunrise raced down the Katori Mountains and sparkled through the ice-covered trees. Kai’s breath floated on the frozen air in white puffs. There was something safe about solitude. Or so he told himself, as he did every morning as he ventured out alone. A yawn took over his face, reminding him how little sleep his nightmares afforded him, trapped in constant contemplation over his ability to change the future—and save his father.

  One lifelong burden still haunted him: could he save his mother, Mariana Galloway? He knew the risks he was taking today, his mother was a powerful Beastmaster who had lost her mind after spending a decade trapped in her dragon form. If he hoped to understand her condition, he needed to comprehend the dynamics behind the multiple creatures twisted within her comatose mind. His teacher, Basil, cautioned restraint and set limitations—but Kai knew that if he hoped to revive her, he needed to take risks.

  Standing in the snow-covered forest below his grandfather Benmar’s cave on the Katori mountainside, Kai sniffed the bitter cold, and a sense of mystery urged him to let his magic flow outward. The energy within his aura ro
lled down his spine and washed over the forest in a tidal wave. The magic within each animal living in the forest pushed back, instilling the desire to run.

  Soundless footfalls pressed into the snow as Kai weaved through the forest at a heart-pounding pace; his Nebean black wolf, Smoke, joined him. Crystal-like branches glistened above him. Each step pressed into the undisturbed snow, leaving a trail of silent destruction. Down the mountain they went; the faster he ran, the happier he felt. Then he noticed them—a pack of wolves hot on their heels. Snow leopards and mountain lions joined the growing collective.

  Remembering the lessons his friend Ryker, another Beastmaster, had taught him, Kai no longer relied on his ability to glean—the ability to see the energy that flowed through all life set aglow with his mind. Instead, he traced the vibrations through his aura to create a deeper magical connection to his surroundings. His skin became even more sensitive to his surroundings—opening his mind and enhancing his ability to connect to nature.

  Ryker is right. I can do more than see the world—I feel connected to all life around me.

  Enthralled by the connection, Kai focused on the power spikes that each creature emanated back through his aura. The hair on his arms and neck raised, and his very essence compelled the beasts to run after him. Somehow, he knew, they felt him as much as he did them. Their energy brought a sense of peace and harmony. On a deep level, he realized that he connected each animal to the rest of the growing pack, like the hub in the center of a great wheel of life.

  Beasts that should be at odds came together. Slowing to an easy jog, Kai let the other creatures close in around him. Smoke took the lead down the mountain. Kai gleaned the area. Trees and animals alike were set aglow. He noticed the flow of energy around them brighten. Together they were creating power, and it washed over him like an ocean.