The Wayfarer King (44 page)

“People of Thendylath, will you pledge your fealty as well?” Curon asked.

Edan, at the rear of the temple, and Daia, beside the dais, were the first to bend the knee, as if they were racing each other. The crowd lowered itself almost as one and repeated the words as Curon guided them. Gavin’s face tingled, and his hands shook. These were his people now. He was responsible for their welfare. He swore to himself silently that their trust in him would not be misplaced.

Once everyone had retaken their seats, Curon put a hand on Gavin’s shoulder unexpectedly. “You may not know your king, but I do. Let me take a moment to introduce the man I’ve known for a dozen years.”

Gavin started. This wasn’t in the script. They hadn’t rehearsed this. What the hell was he doing?

“When Gavin was a boy of twelve, he became an orphan. Two years later, while living in Lalorian with his elder brother, he happened upon my son being beaten in an alley by a pair of murderers. This fourteen-year-old boy, armed with a battered, old sword, took on two grown men and saved my son’s life. Gavin refused every offer of reward except one — the opportunity to train as a battler in my garrison. By the time he was seventeen, he was a master swordsman, skilled enough and mature enough that I appointed him Captain of the Guard. Two years after that, he struck out on his own as a warrant knight. In the last seven years, he has apprehended or branded over two hundred criminals and saved dozens of lives. These acts of heroism don’t even begin to compare to his latest. A little over two months ago, while grieving the murder of his only brother, he risked his life to face the most dangerous foe ever known, and ended the beyonder invasion with the help of his champion, Daia Saberheart, and his wife, Feanna Kinshield. Citizens of Thendylath, this is your new king.”

People shot to their feet, cheering wildly.

When Gavin gave Curon Naredus a glare that promised retribution, the response was a wink and a smile. Feanna squeezed his arm. “They love you,” she said, though he barely heard her above the cheering. To his left, Daia stood with her hands clasped before her, grinning with satisfaction. Even the Lordover Tern was on his feet, clapping with a thin smile on his face.

Gavin gestured the way Curon had to quiet the crowd, though they seemed bent on expressing their approval of his most recent feat. He hadn’t slain Ritol, but that didn’t matter. The beyonders were gone. In truth, he was happier about that than anyone. With his arms signaling them to sit, he finally managed to silence them. This bit hadn’t been rehearsed, and he honestly didn’t know what to say, but his first utterance to the people of Thendylath should be something heartfelt.

“We have a lot o’work ahead to recover from the last two hundred years o’chaos. You may not agree with how I do things, but I’ll do my best. To the people of Thendylath, this I swear.”

The End

About the author

I grew up in the mid-western USA and in Hawaii, and earned a B.A. in Russian from Florida State University (go ‘Noles!). After a year in Taiwan teaching English and studying Mandarin Chinese, I lived in the Arizona desert where I founded a Rottweiler rescue organization, studied karate, went backpacking, tried sky-diving, did some downhill skiing, got a couple motorcycles, wrote software, and spent time on the shooting range. In 2010, I retreated to cooler, greener Georgia. I earn my living as a full-time writer.

As an independent author, I don’t have a team of publicists and marketing specialists to spread the word about this book. I’m just a writer sitting at my keyboard searching for readers like you. If you enjoyed the story, please tell a friend! If you are so inclined, a review or rating on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Shelfari, or LibraryThing would also be greatly appreciated. If there's enough interest, I'll write another story with these characters.

If you’d like to contact me, visit my web site at http://www.kcmay.com or email me at [email protected] — I welcome your emailed comments!

Acknowledgements

I have an extremely supportive network of friends and family, who not only encourage me to write but share my excitement about the books themselves. I’ve also made more friends in the online writing community who freely offer valuable guidance and advice. My special thanks go to my brother, Kirk, who always has great feedback and asks the hard questions that get me to think and rethink; to my friend Carol Scarr, whose keen eye for detail keeps me honest; and to my esteemed writing teacher, author Carol Davis Luce, for her help in bringing out the best in the story. Most of all, thanks to you, my readers, who inspire me to keep writing!

The Venom of Vipers

In a future where humans teeter on the brink of extinction, hope lies in the genetic experiments of Katie Marsh. A brilliant young scientist, Katie is hard at work perfecting a new species of humanoid resistant to the devastating virus afflicting mankind. But not everyone wants Katie to succeed. Certainly not the Human Purification Initiative, whose members seek to destroy all that Katie and her colleagues have accomplished.

Confined to the lab that created him, Ryder Stone wants to live as a free man. But Ryder, whose unique physiology may provide the cure for this viral malady, must tread lightly, for in his world, friends can sometimes be foes, and the helping hand of people close to him may very well turn out to be... the venom of vipers.

If you enjoy science fiction, you might also enjoy The Venom of Vipers. Read what people have written about it:

"In all, I had a very, very good time with The Venom of Vipers. It’s a poignant and fast-paced melding of science fiction, drama, and mystery. KC May solidifies herself as a writer to look out for in the future. She has something to say, she’s not afraid to say it, and she’s damn good at telling her story."
Author Robert Duperre on his blog The Journal of Always

"When I started reading K.C. May’s The Venom of Vipers, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The book does not fit neatly into a specific genre. It has a little science fiction, a little mystery, and a little thriller aspects to it. May neatly combines elements of those genres to develop her story that stands out in its own right."
Greg Arnett on his blog Kindle Books Reviewed

"K.C. May offers readers a fast paced plot. The plot flows smoothly with never a glitch. ... The characters are likable and well developed. ... This is a fascinating book that will please fans of sci-fi and fantasy."
Readers Favorite

"K. C. May has spun another captivating tale. With this second novel, she once again proves that she knows how to string a story to maintain reader interest. The story flows along cleanly, and the transitions are smooth and do much to carry the reader along. The storyline itself is quite engaging. The idea that a virus could be slowly killing off the entire human population is not too out of the realm of possibility, and some of the ideas the author introduces in this tale are quite amazing, yet believable. It was a compelling read that was able to sweep me away."
Grace Krispy on her blog Motherlode

"The Venom of Vipers is a fast paced read with an interesting kick, exciting characters, and a unique story. I really enjoyed the pace and the believability of a future time and place in our possible history. In addition to being a futuristic thriller with a bizarre twist, the book is a great read that will keep you turning the pages and following the characters."
Blog Critic

"I was delighted at how seamlessly The Venom of Vipers tied the real science in with the science fiction. You could almost even call it science future since the theory behind the concept is real (transgenic organisms). I was also thrilled with how the author incorporated the science content- the conversations were believable and the science was explained well enough that someone without a science background wouldn’t be lost."
Goodreads reviewer MG

Here's the first chapter. I hope you enjoy it!
 

Chapter 1

Monday, June 5, 2023

Protesters marched up and down the public sidewalk outside the Center for Human Genetic Advancement, chanting “Free the saphers.” Most waved signs that read,
Freedom for all!
or
Saphers are human, too!
A few pushed in front of the news camera, shouting their concerns. The reporter asked a question and tilted the microphone to them.

Katie Marsh got out of her car and hurried toward the building’s front entrance. The enclosed campus, with its twenty-foot brick fence topped with electrified barbed wire, would be a haven once she got inside.

The reporter rushed to intercept her. “What’s your business here?” He shoved the microphone at her.

“No comment.” Katie quickened her pace, one hand up to shield her face from the news camera.

The news crew’s interest caught the protesters’ attention. Several swarmed her, jostling one another trying to reach her. A boisterous man grabbed at her elbow, shouting about the cruel imprisonment forced on the innocent people within those walls.

“Is it true they’re performing experiments on children?”

Clutching her purse tightly to her side, she lowered her head and pressed forward. If they learned her identity, this peaceful demonstration could turn ugly.

One fellow pushed his way through the crowd and grasped at her navy jacket sleeve as he matched her pace. He carried no sign. “Can’t you help me?” His bloodshot eyes watered profusely, and his skin was raw and cracked. A couple of pustules on his cheek were about to burst. Although the symptoms of advanced Moliomyositis were unpleasant to look at, he wasn’t contagious. Poor guy might live another three weeks, four if he was lucky.

“There’s no cure,” she said, hating the finality of those words. “I’m sorry.” She reached the glass door and mashed the doorbell a few times. A man in a dark gray uniform approached from within the lobby.

“I’ll be a guinea pig,” the sick fellow said. With a handkerchief, he dabbed at the white pus that leaked from the cracks in his skin. “Try experimental drugs on me. Anything. Here’s my card. I’ll sign whatever waiver you want. Please.” He slid a business card into the pocket of her blazer.