The 7th Relic Read online

  The 7th Relic

  a novel

  by

  L. Filloon

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © by L. Filloon December 2015

  All Rights Reserve

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission of the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Acknowledgement

  First and foremost, thank you Lord for all my blessings, especially these humble beings I am blessed to have in my life.

  Anthony Stevens. For your unrelenting support and encouragement. For providing humor in my life and making me laugh out loud no matter where we are. I could not have done it without you. I love you.

  Tia, Andrea and Michael. You fill my heart. You three are my unconditional loves.

  Tuaula Christina Faiai and Afatia Teofilo-Leota. It’s been a long journey from our days in Leone, I’m glad I walked the long miles with you both at my side. I have no words to express my love for the two of you…not even in Samoan.

  Jennifer Guevarra and Bonita Tovey, for banishing the darkness of my self-doubts and insecurities about writing with your inner lights. Every. Single. Time. My dream team! Love you both.

  A special thanks to Lauren Sweet, editor of The 7th Relic. You are awesome and I can’t thank you enough. And to Kelsey Kukal-Keeton for providing the cover art for all of my books...woman, you never disappoint and I’m so grateful for you and your amazing talent.

  For Andrea LaChon

  Our Short-Shank

  Chapter One

  ~ Grace ~

  The full moon hangs low this morning. Like an old friend, she greets me as I ready for my four-thirty morning run. I gaze at her, thanking her for being here again to light our path, as she has always done.

  I shake my head, chuckling…like the moon gives a damn.

  I can hear Lana in the bathroom, brushing her teeth. I don’t remember when we started our morning runs, but I do know it seems we can’t get our day started without them.

  “Hey, Grace. Don’t forget we have to meet Grandfather later tonight.”

  Lana’s grandfather, Konè, owns and heads an institute called the Ranch, where Lana and I live and train. It’s an elite academy for young martial artists, and a private training facility for some of the world’s best security, meaning they produce armed bodyguards with a “special” set of skills. Men and women train specifically for special clientele: covert government agencies, diplomats, and sovereigns from all over the world.

  “Did he say why?” I open my door and walk out into the hallway.

  “Who knows? Maybe he found out about the ice cream we took from the main kitchen. I’ll bet that snitch Carmen told him.”

  “I doubt it. We’ve been doing the midnight ice cream run forever now and we haven’t been caught yet.” I sit on the trunk near the front door, slipping on my running shoes.

  Lana and I grew up here on the Ranch. She’s here because Konè and her cousin Andrew are the only family she has. As for me, I’m an orphan.

  Our physical features are completely opposite. She has long, straight black hair. Mine is a dark auburn color, curly and thick. Her porcelain skin and dark blue eyes with a gentle uplift at the corners give her an exotic look. My eyes are two shades lighter than my hair; my skin is always a bronze color because for some reason I tan no matter what time of year it is. No matter how Lana wears her hair, up or down, it always falls into place perfectly. No matter how I wear my hair it’s always a mess.

  We share a few similarities: we’re both the same height at five-eight, athletically built, and wake up at four-thirty in the morning, every morning, to do a seven-mile run. Yeah, we’re crazy that way.

  Lana comes around the corner from the bedroom area, pulling her hair up into a ponytail. It settles…perfectly. “Maybe he wants to go over the Rising again. It’s only two weeks away.”

  “It seems to be the only thing he talks about lately. You ready for it?”

  She shrugs, touching her neck lightly with slender fingers. “I guess. I’ve had this thing for so long now, I can’t imagine being without it.”

  The “thing” is the seventh relic of Aeyan. You can’t see it because it’s under her skin. There are no markings or scars to indicate she has it on; we only have Konè’s word that it’s there. She also has a bracelet that we can actually see, a thin piece of gold jewelry with engraved images of the sun circling it. As for the Rising, I’m not really clear on it. It’s a ceremony to be performed at a secret location to remove the sixth and seventh relics from Lana, and the other five from Andrew. That’s all I know about it.

  She sits on the floor, reaching for her shoes. “By the way, did you hear?”

  My mind is still on the Rising…did she just change the subject on me? “What?”

  Tying her shoe, she looks up with a knowing smile. “Did you hear?”

  “I don’t know. What is it I did or did not hear?”

  She makes a face. “Smartass. Anyway, our two favorite guys are coming home.”

  Reiko and Andrew.

  Andrew shares a lot of the same features as Lana: tall, athletic, black hair, with eyes the same deep shade of blue, and the same sense of humor. He is also the big brother I never had, never asked for and who could never go one day without getting us both into trouble.

  Reiko is from “home.” By that I mean he’s from the same place as Andrew. His father left Reiko here and disappeared, never to be heard from again. We were raised on the Ranch by Konè, who I have called “Grandfather” for as long as I can remember. Even though Reiko actually had parents at one time, not having any growing up gave me a sense of connection with him. I believe that because of this commonality, Reiko and I are destined to be together. Andrew not only supports my theory, but has been telling me that for as long as I can remember.

  “You’re kidding! I thought we wouldn’t see him—I mean, see them—for another month. Is everything okay?” Reiko’s face pops into my head, and I’m concerned that something is wrong. I realize then their sudden visit probably has something to do with Andrew…of course it does.

  “Yeah, I’m sure you’re so excited to see Andrew,” Lana says with a mocking glance. Besides Andrew, she is the only other person who knows how I feel about Reiko.

  I ignore the bait. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

  Her laughter fills the room. That, too, I ignore.

  Lana and I share a cottage, a gift from Konè on Lana’s sixteenth birthday. Since I shared a room with her at the school, I was allowed to move into the cottage with her. We’re surrounded by several other cottages that house the teachers and staff who also live on the Ranch. Konè prefers to remain in the main building with the students. His quarters are attached to his office through a private hallway, hidden from those outside his tight circle.

  We step out onto the porch, shaking out our legs and arms, ready to do a warm-up stretch. Something in the cool air stops me. Not because it’s cold, but because something doesn’t feel right. I put a hand out to stop Lana from moving forward.

  “What’s wrong?” Then she senses it too, quickly staring out toward the wooded area where our running path starts. She steps forward, head tilted up as if sniffing the air. The Teo bloodline breeds remarkable eyesight, hearing and the ability to sniff out a scent that doesn’t belong here.

  She turns to me. “Whatever it was, it’s gone now.”

  As suddenly as it came, the feeling of someone or something watching us disappears. I take a step off the porch. “Maybe we should skip today’s run?”

  Lana looks about again before shaking her head. “No. I’m never the same when I miss our run.”

  “Okay.” I step back into the cottage. Leaning against the wall near the door are my blades…the Twins. They are my prized possessions, a gift on my twelfth birthday from Konè. I take off my jacket, grab the Twins and slip them on, securing the leather straps at my chest and waist, the blades against my back.

  I wait for Lana to slip on her vest of throwing daggers as I stare out the door. The moon has dipped behind the trees. It’s as if she too has sensed the danger and is now trying to hide from it. I shift my shoulders, letting the weight of my blades calm my uneasiness.

  The air is brisk, filling our lungs with sharp coolness. We end our seven miles at the stone entrance to the Sector M building. Situated in a thirty-five-hundred acre compound, the Ranch’s buildings rival any large university in the country. It houses over two thousand staff, including teachers and instructors, groundskeepers and house staff, administrators, engineers, technicians, IT and security. Built by Anu Teo in the early thirteen hundreds, it is the most arcane training facility in the Northern and Western Hemispheres. At least that’s what we were told at our first lesson.

  “That was good, I needed that.” Lana puffs air out quickly, then stretches her arms above her head, pulling them back. She holds the position for a minute before stretching forward and down, touching her toes.

  I take deep breaths to regulate my breathing. I drop forward, grabbing the back of my ankles, and pull tight, hold, then release.

  Lana did most of the talking during our run. I half-listened whil
e the other half of my attention was on our surroundings. I know these trails intimately; I can run them blindfolded and find my way home…every single time.

  The only way to reach the Ranch is a thirty-mile ride on a dirt road north of San Francisco until you reach the first gates. Then it’s another five-mile hike through rough terrain. Finally, when you reach the second set of gates, you are met with armed security. They will put you through a series of searches and questionings before asking you to remove all clothing. You will be dressed in a simple gray sweat suit before being placed in a Jeep that will drive you another ten miles to the main gates. There, another set of armed guards will put you through a second and final search, questioning, and another change of clothes.

  No one can pass through the main gates without being seen or invited. Armed guards are scattered throughout the forest in strategic and well-hidden outposts, vigilant 24/7. And if that isn’t enough, there are special wards placed on the Ranch and at every gate.

  I know these woods surrounding the Ranch. I know their sights, sounds and smells. I know the coming of each season before the turning of any leaf. And I know when something doesn’t belong here. That same feeling, that awareness I felt this morning, is here again. I haven’t felt this kind of presence before…dark and insidious. The Twins are in my hands before Lana utters a word.

  She senses it now, too. Three throwing knives are in each of her hands.

  “Lana, Grace.” We turn; a natural reaction to the familiar voice. Konè stands at the top of the stone steps, waiting for us at the door. “It’s time to come in.”

  We face the woods again, both quiet…and waiting.

  “It’s cold. Let’s go inside.” I sheath my blades and pull at her to follow.

  “Yeah, okay.” She takes another moment before turning away, her daggers still in her hands.

  When we reach the top landing she stops to look at her grandfather. He glances at her warmly before returning his attention to the forest. Lana pauses a moment longer before heading inside.

  I stop to stand next to the old man, looking out. “What is it?”

  His soft smile is his only response; his eyes fixed on the wooded area and not the main gate. I get the strange feeling he is waiting for someone, someone who doesn’t belong here.

  ~ * ~

  Chapter Two

  ~ Andrew ~

  “I’m going to kill you, Andu!”

  The moon is full and brilliant, sending an eerie shadow over the young challenger’s face. Sonek attacks, rushing in head-on. I wait for him to reach me, then at the last second I move aside, letting him pass me. As he goes careening forward I kick out my foot, catching him at the ankle. He hits the watery ground headfirst.

  “I think he’s had enough,” calls out Reiko.

  I turn to face my two most trusted companions.

  Reiko has been my friend since the crib. Our fathers were friends since their own childhood, and were once warriors for a cause far away from this place; they fought as brothers. Reiko’s father, Sanul, saved Konè from an assassin’s blade. One night, Sanul called on that debt and asked Konè to train his only child, teach him in the arts as only Konè could. When Sanul died, my father took Reiko in to learn how to rule the Molsna Territory when he came of age. That land is currently run by Sanul’s old trusted advisors. The only reminder we have of Sanul is Reiko. He is the spitting image of his father: tall, broad of shoulder and chest, with the dark, strong features common among his people. His hair is as black as a crow’s feather, hanging loose down his back to his waist. His eyes are as black as his hair, filled with intellect, humor and a devil-may-care kind of attitude.

  Haro is another story. He has been in the service of my father since their boyhood days. When I was born, Haro became my Cumro: my counsel, teacher, protector and constant companion. He is as much a part of my training as is my uncle, and has much to do with the man I have become. He is a slight man at five foot eight, weighing about one-sixty (one sixty-five on a good day), and muscularly lean. His dark features are smooth despite his age, and his head is always covered with a skullcap. A thick, graying, horseshoe mustache sits upon a stern mouth that seldom speaks unless he has something important to say.

  “Come, Andrew, let’s get this over with,” says Haro.

  They are casually sitting on the high roots of a mangrove, watching my latest challenge from the Bolwer Territory. The challenge is called the Rii and it started the day after my father died. With his passing, the seat for the ruler of the Kalorii Territory, which oversees all of the seventeen territories, became available to challengers from the other sixteen. I am the heir apparent, so it is I who must face each challenger. Should I go down during the challenge, my immediate family, advisors and chief-of-staff would be removed from Kalorii and placed in the house of the winning Territory. As for the challenger, he and his people would reside in the House of Kalorii and be proclaimed the new rulers of the Seventeen Territories. My family has ruled Kalorii since its first building was erected millennia ago.

  Sonek, the oldest son of the Bolleen, is the fifteenth challenger this year, and the fifteenth to be defeated. He just doesn’t know it yet.

  Sonek scrambles to his feet and I am tempted to give him a kick in the ass. However, the young Sonek just turned sixteen, and he fights in place of his ailing father who rules one of the poorest territories to the east, the Bolwer Territory. I won’t humiliate him in front of his father’s men for wanting nothing more than to bring respect and badly-needed funding to his people.

  Sonek faces me with his blade before him, eyes determined, his jaw set and his chin jutting forward with pride. I have defeated the fourteen before him. Six of the challenges ended in death; four other challengers have pledged fealty to me whether I win or lose the Rii. The last four await the outcome of my final challenge before they decide.

  I place my scimitars back into the sheath set at my back.

  “What are you doing?” demands Sonek, his blade still aimed at me.

  “This challenge is over, Sonek,” I say loud enough for his men to hear. There are five of them, all looking as old as his father, who is nearing his eightieth season.

  “No.” He grits his teeth, with a determined shake of his head.

  “Sonek,” I reason, “you are the eldest of eight, the only son and heir to the Bolwer Territory. What do you think will happen if you should die here and now? What will become of your sisters? Who will help them keep the other territories from taking your father’s seat from him? You will be no good to them dead, and you will die today if you continue with the challenge. Swear allegiance to me, and Bolwer and its people will be under the protection of Kalorii.”

  “Are you that confident of the outcome?” He gulps in air, trying desperately to catch his breath.

  “I am.”

  Sonek’s blade falters, then drops to his side, his face serious for one so young. His shoulders also drop…not in defeat, but in relief. He glances at his men, particularly Malrus, his father’s old captain and counsel. After a moment he looks back at me, lifting his blade with two hands, touching it to his forehead.

  “Sonek of Bolwer concedes to the current and future ruler of Kalorii.”

  “Accepted.” I step back and bow.

  Sonek turns to his waiting men and his steed. Malrus gives a slight nod my way while his young master mounts his horse, a show of respect and gratitude. I know him and the men with him. Men my father knew well and respected; they will help young Sonek become a good leader.

  “Well, that wasn’t much of a challenge,” says Reiko, lying back onto the giant mangrove roots. “He was and will be the last of the easy challenges you’ll have.”

  Sixteen challengers entered the Rii Challenge for the Kalorii seat, the first time in the history of Kalorii there have been challengers from all sixteen territories. The first was from the Aspi Territory. He attacked without warning in the first hour, the day after my father’s passing. There are no rules for when and how they answer the challenge, as long as it is declared. They can come to me alone or with others, but they must be the one to deal the final blow. Unfortunately for me, this generation of challengers, with the exception of young Sonek, was filled with seasoned fighters.