Sword of Wrath (Kormak Book Eight) by William King Read Free Book Online

blonde head. He seemed to be the centre of the crowd.
    Approaching the group Kormak was aware that all eyes were upon him. The nobles practically stared. Zamara grinned a welcome.
    Kormak looked at him. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
    Zamara performed a sweeping bow, removing his hat with a flourish. He seemed to be putting on a performance more for the nobles present than Kormak. “It is indeed. It seems we are to be shipmates once more.”
    “You are going to Terra Nova?”
    “I am, Sir Kormak. His Majesty has made me Admiral of the Western Ocean and Captain-General of next year’s treasure fleet.”
    Kormak gave an impressed nod. Zamara had come up in the world. Once he had been merely a captain, now he would be virtually co-ruler of an Imperial province. The king had rewarded him generously for his part in the killing of the Kraken.
    Of course, he was the king’s cousin. Zamara was going to be a very wealthy man; more than that, he would make an extremely useful ally. It occurred to Kormak that that might be the reason they were both setting sail today.
    “I will be in command of the Pride of Siderea and all aboard.” Zamara glanced around at the watching nobles to make sure they got his meaning. “Except you, of course. You are the king’s agent.”
    Zamara was going to enjoy lording it over his fellow nobles. Kormak did not blame him for it; he got the impression that the former captain had spent a good deal of time being looked down on by his wealthier compatriots. Some of the richly-dressed people smiled at him ingratiatingly. Others turned their backs on him to show they were not impressed. It was going to be an interesting trip.
    “Captain Rhiana, I am charmed to see you will be travelling with us too,” Zamara said.
    Rhiana smiled at him and made a faint mocking curtsey. “If only Frater Jonas were here, it would be just like old times.”
    Some of the watching nobles looked away at the mention of the little priest’s name. The former inquisitor was feared by many. Zamara did not look displeased by that fact. “Indeed.”
    Small craft pulled up at the dock. One by one, the soldiers and the passengers lowered themselves in. Kormak joined Zamara, Rhiana and half a dozen men garbed as ship’s officers and ventured out across the harbour.
    The Pride of Siderea was one of the largest ships Kormak had ever seen, an ocean-going galleon built to bring back treasure from the colonies on the far side of the World Ocean. Three stories high, it looked more like a floating island of wood than a ship. A massive dragon’s head, large as a battering ram, emerged from its prow.
    Zamara stared at it with the gaze of a man looking upon a newly-discovered lover. It was to be his flagship, no doubt, and a symbol of his command.
    Cranes in the side lifted crates aboard. More and more soldiers and passengers flooded up the sides. Pipes sounded as the admiral came aboard.
    Kormak was not thrilled to feel the deck of a ship beneath his feet once more.
    “You look less than happy, Sir Kormak,” Zamara said. His tone was jovial, his manner lordly. “I had forgotten how little you Aquileans like ships.”
    “I cannot say I am delighted by the prospect of a direct ocean crossing, even with an Imperial Windcaller aboard.”
    “I would have thought that, given your profession, you would have said especially with an Imperial Windcaller aboard . ” He laughed aloud and the officers present echoed his mirth. He was their commander after all, and it would do their careers good to appreciate his humour.
    It struck Kormak that Aemon and Taran set the tone of their court. They were suns around which planets orbited. Zamara was now a planet, and these men were his moons. Deference was the order of the day.
    Rhiana caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. She was quite clearly thinking the same as he was. She was a citizen of Port Blood, where things were far more chaotic and considerably freer.
    Zamara said, “No need to be too