Don't Get Political They Said

Ohio Resistance by Bob Seay

Don't get political they said. I would lose readers.

But when ICE agents are executing American citizens in the streets, I can no longer be silent.

The Second American Civil War has started. I stand with the people who believe kindness and empathy are virtues.

I do not stand with anyone who believes the Constitution only applies to certain, privileged people. I do not stand with assholes who think it's okay for children to be kidnapped. Assholes who think it's okay for elderly people to be dragged from their homes naked in subzero weather. Assholes who think shooting unarmed people in the face or back at point blank range is acceptable.

If you have a problem with my views, then leave my website. Do not buy my books. My stories won't please you one iota.

You see, I've heard too many stories from and about my uncles who fought for the Allies during World War II. Funny how the stories are so similar. Children taken from their families. Old men forced to endure the cold in little or no clothing during the winter. Innocent people shot in the streets for whatever reason the fascist wanted. Or for no reason at all.

If it quacks like a fascist, fosters fear like a fascist, kills like a fascist, then it's a fucking fascist.

And I stand against them.

 

P.S. Author Bob Seay created resistance logos for each state based on Minnesota's resistance logo using their state bird, the loon. He gave permission for personal use of the logos. Please give him credit if you use one.  

Status Update - January 2025

he new year has has launched another series of life rolls. But not all of them are bad!

A Barrel of Vintner is going to be longer than I anticipated as I wrap up a bunch of story threads from the entire Justice series in these last three books.

On the other side, the Justice cover artist had her first grandchild last week! Yes, the e-book/front cover has been completed for some time, but she can't create the full paperback cover until my formatter completes the interior. And my formatter can't do the interior until I finish writing the story.

Which leads to my next delay. My cover artist will be flying to see her new grandbaby and staying to help the new parents for a little while. As soon as I know how things will shake out, I'll inform you of the revised release date.

I hope everyone survived Winter Storm Fern!

A Barrel of Vintner - Chapter 5

Here's another little taste of the next Justice novel, A Barrel of Vintner!

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Gorge rose in the back of my throat. “Queen Teodora was assassinated?”

“Yes,” Queen Chiara bit out. “But this news is not to leave this room, Chief Justice.”

I understood her reasoning. Panic and chaos could ensue if Teodora’s murder became common knowledge, just like Emperor Chengwu’s assassination had caused in Jing. Including accusing the heir to the throne of incompetence or outright malfeasance in the late queen’s care. I didn’t blame Chiara for wanting time to find the true culprit in her mother’s demise.

“Whoever cooked the concentrated soma tears had additional goals besides the death of Teodora,” White Eagle said.

My attention shot to the prince. “That cutpurse outside of the Bay Market?”

He nodded. “Older youths and adults quickly become addicted. They’re buying or bartering for the drug from someone.”

“But a truthspell—” Luc stared at the royal couple.

“There’s a subtle spell on the powder, similar to a healing spell to keep the heart beating,” Reverend Mother Brigid said. “When a truthspell is laid on a person who has been taking this drug, it speeds up the heart rate to the point the heart literally rips itself apart.”

“We think someone took the recipe from the locked collection of our Temple,” Reverend Father Ninumu murmured.

“We have a recipe for a lethal soma powder?” I exclaimed.

A wry smile crossed his face. “Any medicinal herb can have detrimental effects if too much is taken or for the wrong reasons. Concentrated soma tears were used in previous centuries to sedate patients with grievous injuries so the healers can treat them.” He sighed. “Or to ease the passing of those who could not be healed.”

“Let’s put it this way, my dear.” Reverend Mother Sxa’min chuckled softly. “I have the wasting disease, I’m in a great deal of pain, and I wouldn’t touch that shit.”

“I’m sorry—” I started.

She held up a palm. “Stop right there, Anthea. I don’t need or want your sympathy. I get enough crap from my own people.” She eyed High Sister Imala before she turned back to me. “And Love has already held its vote. Imala will officially take over my duties full-time after the Summer Solstice.” Another chuckle shook the Reverend Mother’s thin frame. “Unless Death comes to visit me prior to then.”

“No platitudes, Reverend Mother.” I inclined my head. “You honor Issura with your service.”

“That sounds like a platitude to me, young lady,” she teased.

“Would you prefer I throw you on a funeral pyre after this meeting?” I asked politely.

Reverend Mother Sxa’min cackled until she coughed into a handkerchief. I didn’t miss the dark pink stains of her sputum on the cotton. I doubted anyone else missed the blood either.

When she recovered from her fit, she smiled at me. “Too bad you aren’t the Reverend Mother of Balance. Convocations would have been much more entertaining.”

“Can we get back to our real problem, ladies?” White Eagle didn’t sound annoyed. In fact, he almost sounded relieved at our teasing.

“I beg forgiveness, Your Highness.” I inclined my head. “Please continue.”

“So far, the problem has been limited to two duchies,” the prince said. “However, the shipment Vintner and Thief intercepted was headed for Orrin.” I tensed, and Luc shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“We haven’t spoken to anyone in Orrin since we arrived in Chengzhou.” I shook my head. “I didn’t realize I depended too much on Empress Shi Hua for distance speaking. Is Orrin in trouble?”

“Don’t worry. Talbert and Ben have been working closely with the Healers Guild since the poison oil incident the winter before last,” Grey Shadow said. “But this powder did appear in Gilwas a little over three months ago. Unfortunately, they shipped it out to towns and villages in the duchy before anyone realized something was wrong. And then, Bohem Puyuik experienced an outbreak of catarrh shortly after they received their shipment.”

Grief flowed from everyone in the room. Pain powder was also used to reduce fever as well as muscle aches and other pains. The disease would have produced both.

“Did anyone in the city survive?” Luc murmured.

“Some hunters and loggers up in the surrounding mountains weren’t exposed when the carrier of the disease arrived in the city,” the queen said. “When they went to Bohem Puyuik for the Spring Rituals, they sent a messenger to Gilwas, and they did what they could for the living they found until more healers could reach them. Only about a quarter of the Bohem Puyuik population remains, and half of those are severely addicted to the concentrated tears.”

“I don’t understand what you need from us, Your Majesty,” I said. “An investigation into the assassination of a national leader should be led by the chief justice in charge of criminal prosecutions at the very least if not the Reverend Mother herself. Has something happened to Chief Justice Oriana? Or Reverend Mother Alara?”

Grey Shadow leaned his elbows on the table and clasped his hands. His attention on Luc and me was intense.

“Neither of you are fools, Anthea,” he said. “You both know of the problems within your own home Temples.”

“Unfortunately,” Luc said dryly.

As far as we know, neither Oriana or Alara are addicted the powdered soma,” Grey Shadow said. “However, Farrell is.”

“Does he refuse treatment from the Healers Guild and Child?” Luc asked softly. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have been sympathetic to his own Reverend Father. But after the loss of his unborn son, Luc sank into a deep melancholy and drank spirits in excess. Nor would he listen to me when I pointed out the toll it was taking on him. It took his own Temple personnel in Orrin rebelling to get him to seek help for his emotional pain. He handed the vial back to Brigid.

“He refuses to admit he is addicted to the substance,” Imala said. “He issues contradictory orders, berates everyone at Light regardless of rank, and last week, he had a warden lashed to the edge of death for making the mistake of stopping him from raping a civilian.”

“Why wasn’t Farrell brought up on charges for either assault?” I growled.

“Alara dismissed the complaint,” Grey Shadow said. “Just like she dismissed the concentrated tears as a mistake of Vintner, claiming Brigid is trying to cover for her own people who erred in preparing the pain powder.”

I stared back at him for a long time before I said, “Are you asking us to remove our own Temple leaders from office?”

“When was the last time you spoke with Melanippe?” he said.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and released it before I looked at Grey Shadow again. “You found her body?”

“No,” he said. “Wildling believes she never left the Balance home Temple.”

“Then what is it you expect us to do, Your Majesty?” Luc asked.

Queen Chiara was silent for a long moment. “I want you to meet with High Brother Liam and feel him out. He’ll be the key for a vote of no confidence within Light.”

She considered her next words carefully. “I don’t want to interfere in the operations of any of the Temples.” She glanced at me. “Especially after the stunt Ogusuku pulled with you, Anthea. But I need to know if you plan to take any of the offers for a transfer Reverend Mother Hózhó, Reverend Mother Fumiko, and Reverend Mother Xiang offered you.”

An uneasy feeling crawled up my spine. How had the queen found out about the offers?

“I hadn’t planned on it, Your Majesty. Nor am I taking the offer presented by Reverend Mother Hoku of the Sea Peoples. If you are concerned about me leaving Issura, I assure you I have no plans to do so. Unless you have need of me to take one of the offers?”

Chiara and White Eagle exchanged smiles.

“As I said to you, my queen. Dutiful to a fault,” he murmured.

She exhaled deeply. “There’s a traitor within Balance.”

“Yes,” I admitted. “But I haven’t discovered their identity.”

“Yet,” Luc added.

“But you have your suspicions,” Grey Shadow said.

“That’s all I have at the moment, Reverend Father,” I replied. “Suspicions aren’t enough for a conviction. Nor can I start truthspelling my sisters without causing more problems than Issura already has.”

“But you have a talent for ferreting out the truth by other means,” the queen said. “I know I cannot command you in this matter without directly contradicting Alara’s orders, but I would appreciate you and Luc staying in the capital while you assist the other Temples in the investigation of the cooking and distribution of the concentrated soma tears.”

“And discover who made sure they placed the concentrated soma tears in the container Queen Teodora used for her nightly pain powder,” I stated. “Even so.” Queen Chiara nodded.

“I assume the entire palace was searched and any alleged pain powder was confiscated and tested, and Queen Teodora’s supply was the only tainted medication in the palace,” Luc said.

“Yes,” Brigid replied.

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, we need to let our colleagues in Orrin know we’ve been delayed in the capital, even if we can’t tell them why,” I said.

“Have any messages you need to send go through me,” Grey Shadow said. “Talbert will make sure they are delivered to your people.”

Luc and I exchanged looks. When a leader of the Temple avoided using the regular courier system in the queendom, things were bad indeed.

A Barrel of Vintner - Chapter 4

Yesterday was rather soothing. When I woke up around three in the afternoon, Mother Nature delivered a steady snow. The so-called experts said it would only be a dusting, but we had three inches by the time DH took out the pups for their final constitutional last night.

There's something inherently peaceful in that muffled whiteness. Mother Nature placing a new canvas on her easel in preparation for spring colors. And like her, I find creating during a snowfall inspirational.

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Our carriages rolled through the Temple District and climbed the steep hill to the royal palace. The street zigzagged to make it easier on the horses and other beasts of burden. After I gave myself my peculiar sight, I watched my fellow novices from the other eleven Temples run up and down this very road while I was confined to my quarters. As part of my punishment after I was allowed to attend lessons again, I was ordered to join the sighted novices in their exercise.

Because of the sharp rise in altitude of the hill, the walls surrounding the royal estate sat well below the palace itself. It was the first time I visited the royal home since I’d left Standora to ride circuit in the eastern half of the Duchy of Orrin. From here, the queen and her advisors could see the entire Bay of Standora. Even for me, the view was quite spectacular as I climbed out of the prince consort’s carriage.

The hills surrounding the bay rose sharply from the water. Reinforced terraces kept the buildings, parks, and gardens from sliding into the frigid waters below. With the coming of spring, caravels had resumed their travels through the narrow passage of the bay to the Peaceful Sea while sailboats and ferries crisscrossed to the opposing sides of the bay. The smaller watercraft allowed people and goods to continue their land journeys north, south, and east by foot or animal. On tiny White Island near the entrance to bay, a combined watchtower and lighthouse rose in a slim golden column against the purple-blue of the water.

“Chief Justice?” the prince consort said.

I turned to him and inclined my head. “My apologies, Your Highness. I haven’t seen the view from here in a long time.”

“You may gaze at the sights afterward.” He smiled, amused at my distraction. “The queen awaits.”

“Of course.” I followed him and Luc up the steps and through the main doors of the palace. Our wardens followed close behind. I hoped the prince hadn’t been too rough with them. My actions often took them by surprise, so I couldn’t fault them for not reacting until I was a block away from the royal carriages. I hoped the prince hadn’t given them a tongue-lashing for my actions.

If he had, Jonata would be sure to mention it later in private. The normally quiet warden had become quite vocal during our mission to Jing and back. What I’d taken for shyness had been her studying the relationships within Balance before speaking out. But I had no doubts about her loyalty. After the fiasco with my birth mother at Love, I had to truthspell everyone at Balance, including poor Jonata after she arrived to replace Aglaia. My newest warden had responded with grace instead of resentment.

The oddness of the palace atmosphere intruded on my musings. Even with the tall windows pulling light inside from every direction around the hilltop palace, a darkness cloaked the place and the people. The staff murmured in hushed tones, and only spoke when they must. There was none of the gaiety I remembered under Queen Teodora’s reign. Nor did this uneasy quiet feel like grief.

While Queen Chiara was slightly more serious than her mother prior to Teodora’s death, the somber mood didn’t match our new queen’s usual passion either. We had many talks while Queen Chiara and the prince consort sorted out the timeline and the post-fight analysis of the Battle of Tandor. A suspicion murmured in the back of my mind that the solemnity in the palace and the extra grieving banners were connected.

Luc and I followed Prince White Eagle across the palace’s great hall. I wished I could borrow Luc’s sight for a moment to see the details on the tapestries that lined the walls. They described the history of the Chumash people and the coming of the Toscans and Britons to help rebuild after the demons' devastating attack centuries ago. But viewing them for the first time in my life was not to be.

At least, not at the moment with the prince consort’s swift strides.

The prince led us through a door on the right side of the great hall and down another corridor to a receiving room. I’d never been past the public area of the fortress before. The private area’s décor was nearly as austere as that of a Temple of Balance.

A simple large round wooden table sat in the middle of the room. A huge iron chandelier hung over the table, but no alabaster Light globes currently sat on the sockets meant for them. Windows on the southern wall overlooked the central courtyard where the staff worked. Generally, there was laughter. People entertained each other with stories and songs while they went about their tasks. The relative quiet was very odd when the majority of folks down there were Chumash.

Having grown up in Issura, I thought of myself more Chumash than Diné, even though I had no Chumash blood as far as I knew. If I did, it would have come from my maternal grandfather’s line, and Kam was rather sure the majority of his ancestors were Britons from the diaspora with the exception of his own maternal grandmother who was Toscan. He claimed to get his love of fine cooking from her.

To my great relief, neither Reverend Mother Alara of Balance nor Reverend Father Farrell of Light were present in the room when we entered. However, Reverend Father Grey Shadow of Thief was already seated, along with Reverend Mother Sxa’min of Love and High Sister Imala, the projected favorite to replace the leader of their Temple, Reverend Father Ninumu of Knowledge, and Reverend Mother Brigid of Vintner. And of course, their chief wardens. Prince White Eagle quickly made the introductions. No sooner had Luc and I taken our seats the prince indicated next to him when the door opened once again.

Queen Chiara swept into the room. Unlike the gowns her mother preferred, she wore a cotton tunic and leggings along with sturdy boots. The wardens stood at attention as did the two royal guards. The rest of us rose to our feet and bowed. What I didn’t expect was the gigantic dog at the queen’s side. It was easily the size of a small pony. Except…

I cocked my head at the subtle sensation of intelligence in the huge beast’s eyes. A Wildling, I realized. His talent was just underneath obvious perception.

“Sit down,” the queen commanded. “We have too much to discuss to waste the time on frivolity and egos. My love, if you would?”

I half-expected the Temple leaders to be taken aback by the queen’s cavalier attitude. Instead, all of them broke out in grins. Even Luc smirked a bit. We all resumed our seats while the prince warded the room.

When he finished and sat next to his wife, Queen Chiara addressed me.

“Anthea, I don’t get into Temple business—” Her statement elicited chuckles from everyone at the table but me. Even the Wildling laughed like a dog, with his tongue lolling out of the side of his muzzle. “—why didn’t you file formal charges against Ogusuku?”

I shrugged. “It was unnecessary. His true goal was to undermine Reverend Mother Fumiko. When I accidentally fell into a demon hole in Naha, it gave him ammunition to use against her.”

“I wouldn’t worry about Ogusuku, Your Majesty,” Reverend Father Grey Shadow murmured. “With the outcry on Anthea’s behalf, Thief has removed him from office.”

His tone sent a chill down my spine. Ogusuku wasn’t just removed as Ryukyu’s Reverend Father of Thief. He was dead, his ashes scattered Balance knew where.

“Is Reverend Father Biming to be removed as well?” I asked. Surely, Shi Hua would have said something in our weekly talks if he’d been fatally reprimanded by his fellow Reverend Fathers of Thief.

“Should he be?” Grey Shadow’s right eyebrow rose.

I consider my next words carefully since a man’s fate hung on them. “Biming’s purpose has always been to protect Emperor Po. And frankly, no one had ever come back from a demon hole, so I would have had the same suspicions he did. However, he backed off his accusations after I was initially truthspelled. Ogusuku did not. Plus, Reverend Mother Xiang also asked if I was sure I didn’t want to file charges. As I told her, if I weren’t on a diplomatic mission on behalf of the queen of Issura, I would consider it. But Queen Teodora ordered me to get Emperor Po home safely for his coronation. Queen Chiara didn’t countermand that order. To my mind, his safety and that of Empress Shi Hua took precedence over any slight against me.”

I turned to the queen. “Or am I incorrect?”

The corners of the queen’s mouth curved. “You really should have been in Thief.”

“That would not be a good idea, Your Majesty,” I said. “Thief requires subtlety, and I’m about as subtle as a bull in heat.”

The Temple leaders and the prince roared with laughter. Luc, the royal guards, and the wardens snickered. My statement even drew a real smile from the queen.

“We’ll discuss matters regarding Jing later, Anthea.” Queen Chiara sobered. “We have a new problem.”

“The spate of deaths after the loss of your mother.”

“Including my mother.” The queen turned to Reverend Mother Brigid. “Do you have a sample from the shipment you confiscated?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Reverend Mother pulled a glass vial from a pocket inside her robes. “Whatever you do, Anthea, Luc, please don’t pull out the cork.” She handed the vial to Luc.

I laid a hand on his shoulder and examined the contents through his eyes and my own odd sight before I looked at the Reverend Mother. “I don’t understand. It looks like pain powder.”

“That’s what civilians thought when they took a dose.” Her eyes shimmered with yellow tears. “It’s concentrated soma tears boiled down to a powder form. Only a few grains will kill a child under five winters, elderly adults, or those already in ill health.”

Fury flowed from Queen Chira. “Queen Teodora took a small amount of pain powder every night to ease her joint pain enough to sleep. But with her weak heart, the concentrated tears killed my mother before any of us knew what was happening.”

A Barrel of Vintner - Chapter 3

I'm closing in on 50K words, or approximately the halfway point of A Barrel of Vintner. A lot happens in these last three novel in the Justice series, so they all may be as long as A Cup of Conflict. Here's another tidbit to brighten your weekend!

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When I unfroze the cutpurse from my time bubble, I realized the man was younger than I originally thought. His body shook as if he were in the first throes of a seizure. His color faded to a dull, pale green. Not the grey-green of a skinwalker, but as if he was terrible ill and on the verge of death.

“Please, Justice, behead me now,” he cried. “I can’t endure this agony anymore.”

Before I could answer, Prince White Eagle ordered him taken to the Balance gaol to await trial and to contact him at the palace when the justice assigned to his case needed witness statements. The peacekeepers trussed up the cutpurse and dragged him away to Balance as he wept bitterly, still begging for me to take his head.

I had seen all manner of reactions when a suspect faced the possibility of execution, but I’d never in my thirty-two winters heard one beg for death like this man did.

“Back to the royal carriage,” the prince ordered. Long Feather fell into step on my right while the prince strode on my left. The royal guards marched in front and behind me as they escorted us back to where I’d leapt out of the royal carriage. Obviously, the prince wasn’t taking a chance of me running off on my own again.

“How is the civilian that damned cutpurse attacked?” I asked.

“One of the mounted guards has ridden to the Healers Guild house the next street over,” the prince bit out. “And don’t change the subject, Anthea. What the demon were you thinking?”

“That a woman was attacked and robbed in broad daylight on a street too close to the palace,” I snapped. “No idiot is so bold with an automatic death sentence.” I forced myself to breathe deeply and evenly in order to calm my rapidly beating heart. “Is it correct to connect this man’s actions with what you wish to discuss at the palace?”

“Yes.” The prince’s single word closed any further discussion of the matter.

I swallowed hard. The last thing I needed was to make any enemy of the queen’s husband. But my gut said something else was going on besides the cutpurse’s strange behavior. Whatever it was, the prince wasn’t going to discuss it in public. I wished I had the opportunity to truthspell the cutpurse before the peacekeepers hauled him to Balance. Had he attacked the woman because the terrible pain he claimed he was suffering?

Even if his affliction couldn’t be cured by a master, no Healers Guild member of sound mind would allow a patient to suffer. They’d use pain powder or soma tears if it were the wasting disease.

We reached the intersection as a Healers Guild wagon stopped next to the injured woman. Jonata had tended to her wound while Luc consoled her companion. Someone had collected the rolls and surviving melons and placed them into the fallen women’s baskets. They sat near her companion’s feet.

Yar tied the guild horses to the closest hitching rail. The berda journeyperson and their male apprentice ignored the prince and me as they jumped down, their supply bags in hand, as rushed to their patient. Jonata rose and stepped out of their way, but the injured woman cried out and reached for my warden.

“Stay,” the healer journeyperson ordered. “Keep her calm.”

Jonata crouched by the woman’s head and kept her soothing tone as she stroked the woman’s face and described the beauty of the Sea Peoples’ islands to distract the woman from her pain. The prince waited rather impatiently until the journeyperson said it was time to load the victim into their wagon.

After the healers drove off with the woman, her companion, and their baskets of goods to their guild house, the prince ordered our group back into their respective carriages. He seized my left upper arm to emphasize his command.

As much as I hated being handled in such a manner, I didn’t resist. Looking back at my actions, I realized I’d forgotten everything I learned during my time in Jing. Standora was not my city, and I’d left the prince consort vulnerable to a secondary attack. However, I needed to wait until White Eagle calmed before I offered any apology or amends. The man’s temper wasn’t easy to rouse, but when it was, he was notorious across the queendom for the violence he could inflict.

Once Luc and I were seated, the prince climbed in and glared at me while one of his guards closed the door. I endeavored to keep my expression neutral as I return the prince’s gaze. From Luc’s glances, perhaps I wasn’t as successful as I believed. The prince relaxed a tiny bit once the carriage was moving once again.

“Anthea, you must learn that the entire world does not rest of your shoulders,” he finally said.

“The emperor and empress of Jing have said as much,” I replied. “And all of you are correct, but this was a minor thing—”

But it wasn’t the prince who delivered the expected lecture.

“I can’t follow you into a fight like I used to,” Luc bit out. “And how many Balance wardens must die before you learn to think before you act?”

“Long Feather and Jonata are alive after our six-month journey to Chengzhou and back,” I grumbled.

“Reverend Father Biming lost one of his wardens saving Jonata,” Luc snapped. “Face facts. The whole reason you chose them to accompany you was because they are the youngest and most impressionable of the Orrin Balance squad. They go along with all your mad schemes—”

“I didn’t release one of my wardens from his vows in the middle of our mission—” I started.

“Stop it! Both of you!” The prince rubbed his temples. “I swear you two bicker worse than an elderly married couple.”

“We beg your forgiveness, Your Highness,” Luc murmured. “The last six months have been rather trying.”

I said nothing and settled for glaring at him.

“And I thought many people exaggerated Anthea’s penchant for seeking death until I witnessed it for myself,” the prince replied.

I sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to cool my temper. “I am not trying to get myself killed, Your Highness. The cutpurse would have disappeared into the city if I allowed him to escape. He could have done worse than stab an innocent person running her morning errands.”

“Anthea.” The prince shook his head. “What if he’d been an assassin luring you to your death?”

I opened my mouth to answer before it struck me the prince was correct. I had a breather over the last six months because Po and Shi Hua were the Assassins Guild’s primary targets. Now, that Po sat on Jing’s Dragon Throne and Shi Hua was pregnant with his son, they had plenty of extra protection. Worse, I gave neither of my wardens the opportunity to join me in the chase.

“I beg your forgiveness, Your Highness,” I finally said. “I had the luxury of not being in Issura over the last half year. I allowed my awareness of the true situation to pause for that time period.”

The prince grunted. “That’s the closest to a real apology I’ve heard from you. But you need to remember that the first half of the Skoloti prophecy was fulfilled when Emperor Bao Quan Po took the Jing throne. The second half has yet to be. According to Balance Herself, we have over twenty more years of this war. If you’re the key to the final battle, we have to keep you alive until then. So, no more running off like a disobedient child.”

I bristled at his description of me, but mainly because I hated to admit he was correct. “I hear your words, Your Highness. I will…endeavor to restrain myself in the future.”

“Very well then.” He smiled. “If you fail to do so from now on, I assure you the queen will confine you in the palace dungeon.”

He may be jesting, but I had no doubt Queen Chiara would do exactly that.

Happy New Year!

Here's to a much quieter and prosperous 2026 to us all!

A Barrel of Vintner - Chapter 2

Here's one last little reading tidbit in 2025!

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Once we were in one of the royal carriages with the prince consort and headed for the palace, I noticed the pennants hanging from buildings we passed. There should be only one on each pole for the queen since the formal mourning period hadn’t ended yet. But several of the building sported multiple pennants.

Are all the flags black? I asked Luc. With my odd sight, I couldn’t distinguish conventional cloth colors as they appeared to everyone else.

Luc turned toward me and nodded, but it was Prince White Eagle who spoke silently.

There’s been a series of additional deaths in the city since Queen Teodora’s, Chief Justice, he said. Can you hold your questions until we arrive at the palace? I don’t want to have to explain everything twice, and I want a warded room when we do speak.

Of course, Your Highness. I beg forgiveness. I inclined my head. I meant no disrespect. I was merely shocked by the sheer number of mourning flags.

He nodded in return. His cheeks glowed a brilliant orange, the color of his skin edging into red, while anxiety spilled from his tight shields. Whatever was happening greatly upset the prince.

I had always thought of the prince consort as imperturbable from my personal encounters with him. He’d faced down a demon army outside of Tandor at his wife’s side last year. To feel this kind of worry and nervousness from him was disconcerting at best.

And terrifying at the worst. I feared the reception we might receive from our new liege, Queen Chiara. Which pivoted my own need to do something, anything, into a racing heart and shortness of breath.

“Calm down, Chief Justice,” Luc whispered. “You can’t do anything for the queen or Issura if you allow a fear attack to overwhelm you.”

“If Lord—” I shut my jaw so sharply my teeth clicked. I hated secrets, but accidently revealing the queen’s new distance speaker would be a devastating mistake.

I took a deep breath, then another, counting to five for each inhalation and exhalation. It was a calming technique High Sister Mya had taught me when I was under her care. Our recent voyage to Jing and the dangers we had encountered escorting the new emperor home for his coronation had left the threads of my spirit shredded. And our respite in the Kingdom of O’ahu had been cut short.

When I trusted my voice again, I said, “I beg your forgiveness, Your Highness. I allowed my previous experiences to get the better of me.”

“You’ve faced more demons and skinwalkers than I have,” the prince consort said dryly. “I’ve often wondered if I could keep my head if I experienced everything you’ve been through. Both the queen and I are impressed you haven’t broken under the constant pressure.”

“Maybe not broken, but there are definitely a few cracks, You Highness,” I murmured.

He pursed his lips before he added, “I think you underestimate yourself as much, if not more so, than our enemies do, Chief Justice. Since you’ve had limited contact with us after you left for Jing, we want you to know there’s been a world-wide outcry on your behalf and that of Reverend Mother Fumiko over Reverend Father Ogusuku’s ill-considered actions.”

“I’m more concerned about Reverend Father Grey Shadow’s opinion of me because his influence would affect my working relationship with High Brother Talbert in Orrin,” I replied.

The prince consort smirked. “You can ask the Reverend Father yourself when we reach the palace.”

“He’ll be there?” Luc asked when my own words failed me.

Prince Consort White Eagle nodded.

My experiences with Reverend Father Ogusuku of Ryukyu and Reverend Father Biming of Jing had left a bad taste in my mouth. Both leaders of their respective nation’s Temple of Thief had plotted to have me executed for demon dealing when all I did was survive after I fell through a demon portal during the Batttle of Naha. I accepted Biming’s apology for his part in Ogusuku’s trumped up charges more for the sake of Emperor Po and Empress Shi Hua than for mine. I considered the imperial couple personal friends after all the demon-related muck we’d waded through together over the last two years. They needed the backing of the Jing Temples, so I made pleasantries with Biming, though I didn’t really trust him anymore despite his efforts to win back my favor.

While there wasn’t a thing I could do about Ogusuku, the fact that the rest of the Temple heads questioned his abilities and judgment would hopefully plant a seed of doubt in Ryukyu’s high brothers and high sisters of Thief. However, when that seed sprouted, would they hold a vote of no confidence in Ogusuku’s leadership?

I wasn’t arrogant enough to pray to the Twelve for such an outcome. But it didn’t mean I couldn’t hope Balance’s scales would mete out Her own justice when it came to the pompous ass.

Nor could I allow my biases to ruin a working relationship with Reverend Father Grey Shadow. Mostly because I depended too much on High Brother Talbert and his staff’s assistance in dealing with renegades and demons in Orrin.

It had been nearly six months since the last time I spoke directly with Talbert. Both he and Luc had surprised me when they bet on me and Talbert’s second Sister Cedar Grove to tie in the final game of our Mill tournament last winter.

The same night the former emperor of Jing Chengwu and his family were slaughtered by demons.

To distract myself from my morbid thoughts, I turned my head to watch the citizens on the streets through the carriage’s small window. People should have been in a better mood with the glorious early summer weather. However, everyone we passed appeared in melancholy spirits. Even accounting for the royal mourning period and the large amount of additional recent deaths, the very air itself seemed to drip with sadness and despair.

If there had been another demon attack in Issura, the citizens would have displayed grim determination. Very little could overwhelm the survival instinct in human beings. This strange emotional air was something else entirely.

Even as the thought passed through my head, a man with a blade in hand charged into two women carrying market baskets and knocked them face-first onto the street. Baked rolls and first-of-the-season melons scattered from the baskets.

The man ignored the food. Instead, he slashed the melon woman’s carry pouch from her belt. No, he didn’t just cut the pouch free. Bright pink blood seeped into her clothing and spread in an ugly pattern.

“Stop the carriage!” I open the door and leapt out before the wheels quit rolling.

“Anthea!” Luc roared behind me.

But I sprinted across the cobblestones and raced after the cutpurse. His long legs ate up ground as he darted and wove around the pedestrians, oxen, and horses. If I didn’t do something soon, he’d simply outrun me.

Lightning would have stopped him, but there were too many innocents nearby. I couldn’t risk accidentally killing them. A time freeze spell wouldn’t work effectively on a wide-open boulevard such as this. But a rewind of time might startle him enough for me to catch up. I slowed, crouched, and slapped my palms on the dusty cobblestones.

A pulse of magic created a short loop, replaying the actions of people and animals from the last one hundred-twenty heartbeats. The spell wouldn’t last long. I jumped to my feet and raced after the cutpurse.

Crys of alarm rose on the street. The images appeared more solid to the humans and animals around me. As I hoped, the cutpurse dodged the past images of horses. I simply ran through the misty figures.

He skidded on his boots as he circled around a stack of wooden boxes near the entrance of a dry goods store. With a series of running leaps, I climbed the pile amid more shouts and dove for the man as he ran past.

We tumbled to the cobblestones. He rolled so he pinned me to the cobblestones, and he aimed a fist at my face. I froze time around him.

I was surrounded by merchants and peacekeepers by the time I painfully crawled out from underneath his body. Thankfully, this didn’t occur in Orrin. I wouldn’t have to endure Master Healer Bly and my head of household Sivan’s lectures about the bruises that would cover my body by tomorrow morning.

It didn’t help when a peacekeeper jerked me to my feet. A bushy blue mustache and beard bristled with his outrage. “Idiot! Don’t you know justices aren’t sighted? What in the Twelve do you think you’re playing at?”

When he shook me, my hood fell back. At the vision of my red eyes, he abruptly released me. Whispers of “the Red Justice” filtered through the crowd.

The prince consort and two of his guards raced up to us along with Long Feather. The people surrounding me automatically bowed. Long Feather covered his mouth with his free hand, no doubt to stifled his laughter. However, the prince glared at me.

“What in the Twelve do you think you’re doing, Chief Justice?” he barked.

Maybe I wasn’t going to evade a lecture after all.