Chapter 1

EVANDORM CASTLE, LAND OF MURA

"I'll bid two chickens—still alive." Rhys Blackseed reached down, grabbing each bird by the neck, throwing them to the center of the table atop the pile of coins that had already been bet. He played cards with his brothers and the elf, Elric, out in the courtyard of his brother Zann's castle.

The chickens flapped around, causing each of the men sitting there to pull their cards closer to his chest. All three of them backed away from the fowls.

"Did you really have to do that?" grumbled Darium, the eldest of the three Blackseed brothers. He took a swig of ale and thunked the tankard down on the table, still eyeing up the pesky birds. With one hand, he pushed a strand of hair from his eyes. He had a white clump of hair that melded into the rest of his long black locks. Having a stripe atop his head was normal for a sin eater. It reminded most people of a skunet—one of the pesky black and white furry animals of Mura that left a stench wherever it went.

"Those are my chickens, you fool!" Zann said in disgust. "Place your bid with something else. Try something that is yours instead."

"What's all the fuss about?" Rhys shrugged. "I'll pay you back if I lose. I promise. Besides, I've got better chickens at Kasculbough to replace these scrawny ones."

"My chickens are not scrawny," scoffed Zann, feeling highly insulted. After all, he was a king now, just like his brother, Rhys. Zann felt that his chickens were highly superior to those of his brother.

"Are you two done squawking or do we have to listen to both of you henpecking away all day about things that don't even matter?" Darium wanted to know.

"You're right." Zann nodded. "All right, place your bid, Darium. It's your turn now. I've got things to do and I need to end this game quickly." Zann's long blond hair was so light that it almost looked white. The color matched his shapeshifting form of a wolf. Shapeshifting was his inherited power as the second son of the Blackseed family.

"You have things to do? What things?" questioned Darium. "You're the ruler of Evandorm now, Brother. Surely, you can get someone else to do the hunting, if that's what you're referring to. You are no longer a huntsman to the king. You are the king," he reminded him.

True, Zann was once the huntsman for the late King Drustan Grinwald of Evandorm. But now the king was dead, and Zann filled the position of Evandorm's ruler. Reigning at his side was his new Elven Queen wife, Lira.

"But I enjoy hunting," said Zann in his defense, looking over his shoulder at their wives who were gathered around a table filled with food. The women chatted, huddled in a circle, having planned an outdoor meal for today. "Just do me a favor and don't let Lira know, but I have urges I cannot ignore."

"Urges? What kind of urges?" Elric, who was Lira's father, ground out. The short elf climbed atop the stump he was using as a stool and put his hands on his hips, probably trying to look threatening, but everything he did was only irritating to the brothers. Elric still held on to his cards. "If I find out you're cheating on my daughter, I swear I'll have your head, Blackseed."

"Calm yourself and sit back down," said Zann with a puff of air from his mouth. "Elric, I love Lira. I also love my stepdaughter, Valindra, and our new daughter, Leandra. I would never do anything dishonorable to hurt any of them." Zann glanced over his shoulder again, smiling at his wife who waggled her fingers at him when she noticed. Little five year old Valindra was running around the courtyard, playing with Rhys' two-year-old daughter, Lily-Rae. With them were the rest of their younger cousins, Thistle, Cricket, Lucio, and Leandra.

"Good to know," sniffed Elric, slowly sitting back down. "I'd hate to think you'd be dishonorable, being a king now and all. Besides, it would be unacceptable and highly immoral. I couldn't even look at you again if I thought it were true."

"Whatever you say, Elric." Zann shook his head, not really caring what his father-by-marriage thought of him. Elric was a sage who never stopped giving the rest of them trouble, or his opinion for that matter. When Zann found out Elric was Lira's father, he had never expected that someday the irritating little man would be related to him. His brothers found humor in the situation. Zann didn't. But for Lira's sake, he decided he'd just learn to push past this milestone and tolerate the sage and all he did.

Darium pulled a silver ring out of his pocket and slid it forward, causing the chickens to peck at it. With a swipe of his hand, he shooed the birds away. "I bid this ring."

"A silver ring? Really? Let me see that. Where did you get that?" asked Rhys, reaching out for it, but Darium slapped his hand away.

"Leave it, Rhys. It doesn't matter." Darium looked down at the cards in his hand.

"I'm just curious since I've never seen it before." Rhys stretched his neck to inspect the jewelry.

"I've never laid eyes on it either," said Zann. "Is it new, Brother? Did you perhaps buy it for Talia? If so, she won't like the fact you are using it as part of your bid."

"Nay, it's not new, it can't be," said Rhys. "Look at it. It's tarnished." Rhys pushed a chicken aside to better inspect the ring. "It's old. I'm sure of it. And it seems to have some kind of symbol in the center. It looks like a cross or something with a design around it." Rhys reached for it once more and again, Darium slapped his hand away.

"Don't worry about the damned ring," Darium grumbled. "Zann, place your bet. After all, you seem to be in a hurry and we'd hate to slow you down."

"I've seen that ring before. It looks familiar." Elric was up on his feet again atop the stump, straining his eyes, to see it. He was so short that he only reached waist high standing next to the Blackseed brothers. From a distance, most people mistook Elric for a child. Standing on things was the only way he could see what was going on, or to be noticed.

"Nay, you haven't seen it before and, no, you don't know anything about it. Now let's continue the game and stop this nonsense," growled Darium, no longer wanting to talk about the ring.

"The Sin Eater stole it from a dead man! That's what it is. Admit it, Sin Eater." Elric pointed his bony finger at Darium in accusation.

"I did not. And I'm not a Sin Eater anymore," Darium reminded him. "Well, only on occasions, but with good reason." He looked down at his cards instead of at his brothers. "You are wrong, mage, about everything, and are just trying to stir up trouble."

"I'm a sage, not a mage, and you know it." Elric stuck his pointy chin proudly in the air.

"Darium, is it true?" Rhys looked over at his older brother. "Did you steal that off of one of the dead for whom you administered your services?"

Sin Eating involved Darium being hired to eat bread and drink ale that had been placed upon the chest of a dead person who died suddenly and didn't have the time to confess their sins. Darium would thereby take on the sins of the dead so the family of the deceased would have hope that their loved one would make it to The Haven in the afterlife instead of ending up in The Dark Abyss for all eternity. Of course, the Sin Eater was then doomed for all eternity because of it, but that had been Darium's destiny, being the eldest Blackseed son. Or, at least, he thought so at the time. Since he married the fae, Talia-Glenn, and his Fae Queen mother showed up when they thought she was dead, his life now had new meaning. Things were different on Mura, especially his destiny which was no longer looking so dark.

"I did not steal the ring. For your information, Murk found it near the Quamm Caves and brought it to me." Darium's raven, Murk, swept down from the sky and landed on the table letting out a guttural cry. It strutted over to the chickens, but the fowls were too dumb to know the raven could hurt them. They curiously pecked at Murk, sending Murk flying back into the sky. "What is the problem with keeping something I found?" asked Darium.

A tsking sound came from Elric.

"What's the matter, mage?" Darium looked at the elf from the corner of his eye. "Now you think I'm dishonorable, too?"

"First of all, stop calling me a mage," said Elric in his quirky little voice. "Blackseed, it's a pity you didn't look for the owner of the ring if your bird really did find it. But what can one expect from a mere Sin Eater?"

Darium was up on his feet, ready to wring the little man's neck.

"Sit down, Darium. Don't let him rile you. He's not worth it." Zann slid a basket of slimy eggs across the table. "Here's my bid."

"Really, Brother?" Darium frowned. "Smelly Arcine eggs?" he said, speaking of the eggs of the snake-like creatures that inhabited the land of Mura. The eggs not only smelled foul but tasted just as bad, even when cooked. "Do you really think anyone wants them?"

"I told you, I don't have much time to hunt anymore since I've taken on the position of King of Evandorm, and am also a father and husband now," replied Zann shaking his head. "This is the best I can do."

"Even the damn chickens don't want to be near those stinky things, and they are used to sitting on eggs all the time." Rhys grabbed the chickens that were wandering over to the edge of the table and pushed them back to the center.

"My turn!" Elric pulled something out of his pocket and slid it across the table.

"What's that?" asked Darium, making a face.

"It's a gemstone mined by the gnomes, from the Quamm Caves."

"Gemstone? Hah!" Zann responded with a chuckle. "It looks like a simple, dirty rock to me. What are you trying to pull on us, Elric?"

"It's better than your slimy eggs!" Elric said with a sniff. "You're a king now, Zann. Why don't you bet one of your gold crowns or something of real value like the rest of us?"

"Real value?" repeated Zann. "I don't consider an old tarnished ring, two stolen chickens, and a damned rock anything of real value at all. At least my bid will fill your belly."

"Now wait a minute. The birds aren't stolen. I told you I'll replace them." Rhys picked up the rock, blowing on it and brushing it against his sleeve. "By the gods, I think it really is a gemstone like the elf said. It is shiny inside." He held up the white stone that glittered in the sun for the others to see.

"You found that in the caves?" Darium asked in interest. His eyes shot back over to the ring he'd bet. "I can't believe Murk didn't bring me one of those instead."

"There are no gemstones in the Quamm Caves." Rhys was confident with his words. "Just natural minerals and some exotic plants, that's all."

"Yes, there are and this proves it. I found it there," announced Elric proudly. "Like the rest of you, I always believed those pesky gnomes only mined stupid rocks, but now I know otherwise. And for your information, those gnomes are vicious little critters. I had to move fast and in a blur in order not to be caught." He rubbed his backside as he spoke.

"I know what you mean," mumbled Darium, rubbing his arm.

"Brother, I thought you said your crow found the ring near the caves, but you've been in the caves yourself, haven't you?" asked Zann.

"Murk is a raven, not a crow," Darium answered, his eyes still on his cards. "And I might have been near the entrance of the Quamm Caves, but what does it even matter?"

"You were inside the caves. Admit it. We all know the gnomes don't come out into the sunlight," said Rhys to prove him a liar.

"All right. So mayhap I briefly stepped inside for a minute or two, but no one can stay long with those pesky creatures living there."

"Seriously," the elf continued. "I had to zip away using my power to move quickly to avoid their picks and axes."

"None of you should be stealing from the caves of the gnomes," said Zann. "You wouldn't like it if someone stole from your home, would you?"

"Never mind that. Elric, you must be pretty sure of winning the card game to up the bid with something so valuable," said Darium, eyeing up the elf with suspicion.

"Lay down your cards. Everyone," instructed Elric. "Let's find out who won this game once and for all."

Everyone placed their cards face up on the table. Elric let out a whoop with barely even looking at his competitors' hands. "I won, I won," he chimed, standing on the stump again and raising his arms up over his head, turning in a full circle.

"What? Nay, you couldn't have won," gasped Zann, studying the hands of cards that had been laid down.

"Let me see those cards again." Rhys inspected the elf's spread. "By golly, he did win. How in the name of Belcoum did you get such a good hand?" he asked, using the name that was referred to by some as the devil.

"That's what I want to know," said Zann, blowing a puff of air from his mouth. "You usually stink at cards, Elric. We've always been able to beat you."

"Not to mention, you were losing up until we placed these last bets," added Darium.

"I guess I'm just better at the game than you three are, after all." Still laughing and smiling, Elric reached out to scoop up his winnings. Before he could, someone walked up behind him and their hand slapped down atop his to stop him.

"He only won because he cheated," said a female voice.

The Blackseed brothers looked up to see a stranger. A beautiful woman with long black hair and piercing blue eyes stood behind the elf. She wore an aqua gown with long silk tippets that hung down well past her fingers. There was some sort of charm hanging from a chain around her neck with an odd design on it.

"He's surely cheating," the woman repeated once again. "Aren't you, Father?"