Of Blood, Bones, and Truth

OF BLOOD, BONES, AND TRUTH BRIMSTONE & FIRE, BOOK 1 T. M. LEDVINA This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Copyright © 2023 T.M. Ledvina All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Hardcover: 979-8-9863870-0-0 Paperback: 979-8-9863870-1-7 e-Book: 979-8-9863870-2-4 First published April 2023. Edited by Lavender Prose Editing (lavenderprose.com) Cover Designed by Stefanie Saw (seventhstarart.com) Map Design by Rachael Ward (cartographybird.com) Interior Formatting by Novelitica (novelitica.com) OBCC Publishing Madison, WI 53701 tmledvina.com Unless you have purchased this book from a legitimate retailer or rented it from your local library, you are reading a pirated book. Book piracy is not a victimless crime, and hurts authors who spend years crafting stories for you to read. Please do not read this work on piracy sites. CONTENTS Trigger Warnings Character Guide Pronunciation Guide Government, Politics, and Leadership The Legion Introduction Section 1 1. Shadow 2. Kellan 3. Cassian 4. Shadow 5. Kellan 6. Cassian 7. Kellan 8. Cassian 9. Shadow 10. Kellan 11. Cassian Section 2 12. Kellan 13. Kellan 14. Cassian 15. Shadow 16. Kellan 17. Cassian 18. Kellan 19. Kellan Section 3 20. Cassian 21. Shadow 22. Kellan 23. Cassian 24. Kellan 25. Cassian 26. Shadow 27. Kellan 28. Kellan 29. Kellan 30. Cassian 31. Cassian 32. Kellan 33. Kellan Section 4 34. Cassian 35. Shadow 36. Kellan 37. Cassian 38. Shadow 39. Kellan 40. Kellan 41. Cassian 42. Shadow 43. Kellan Section 5 44. Shadow 45. Kellan 46. Shadow 47. Kellan 48. Cassian 49. Shadow 50. Kellan 51. Cassian 52. Kellan 53. Shadow 54. Cassian 55. Kellan 56. Cassian 57. Kellan 58. Cassian Epilogue Acknowledgments About the Author For those who need a world where queerness isn't queer - it's just love. TRIGGER WARNINGS Dear reader, please be advised that this is a work of adult fiction. Themes include violence, gore, drug abuse, and descriptions of dead bodies. If any of the specific trigger warnings listed below make you uncomfortable, please do not read this work. Blood Violence Descriptions of gore/dead bodies Implications of child abuse Implications of drug abuse References to Rape/Sexual Assault Kidnapping Torture Casual alcohol and drug use Implications of alcohol abuse Panic attacks CHARACTER GUIDE The Legion Kellan Manchester: A private in the nineteenth division. A member of the Fallen subclass of the race of seraphs, Kellan serves as a military assassin. Vaida Larsen: Another private in the Legion, serving in the eighteenth division as an analyst. She assists all divisions with data analysis, biological sampling, and other data-driven tasks. The Commissioner: The leader of the Legion. He has served the Legion for over seventy years, but has only been in his current role for about eighteen years. Vice Commissioner Farrow: The secondary leader of the Legion and the commissioner’s right-hand man. Has served the Legion for more than a hundred years. Sharr Razorborn: A Lieutenant serving in the fifteenth division. Kellan’s mentor when he first began working for the Legion. Cygnus Clearview: The first victim, Cygnus, was a corporal with the seventeenth division. Others Cassian Evermore: An elven man from Ebenfell. Serves a man named Ragnor LaRoche as repayment for Cassian’s father’s debts. Selwyn Morgenstern: An heiress to weapons and tech giant, Morgenstern Tech. Current head of the Research and Development sector and forming a deal with Northwind Medical. Pontius Morgenstern: Selwyn’s older brother and philanthropist. Serves a variety of charitable organizations across Spiral City. Side Characters Mina Rosewood: Selwyn’s best friend. Tarin Vexnys: Pontius’ best friend and occasional philanthropic partner. Leonardo Whitburn: An old associate of Cassian’s, working under Ragnor. Ronson Byre: The current Director of Northwind Medical. Liza Sarmanello: The first victim, died in conjunction with Cygnus. Eliza Evermore: Cassian’s mother. Ragnor LaRoche: Cassian’s employer in Ebenfell. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE Characters Kellan Manchester: Kel-ann Man-ches-tur Cassian Evermore: Kah-see-ehn Ever-mor Selwyn Morgenstern: Sell-win Mor-gin-stern Pontius Morgenstern: Pon-chis Mor-gin-stern Mina Rosewood: Mee-nuh Roze-wood Vaida Larsen: Veye-duh Lar-sen Ronson Byre: Ron-sun Bai-urr Sol: Saul Hym: Heim World & Setting Illeron: eye-lur-on Uswye: oos-way Ellsemere: ell-zuh-meer Illium: ill-ee-um Denten: den-tin Raliah: rah-lee-uh Lachia: lah-chee-uh Centrilir: sahn-trill-ear Midlset: middle-set Kazuta: kah-zoo-tah Nathcon: nayth-con Tethgir: teth-gear Rookford Down: rook-furd down Spira Mirabilis: speer-uh meer-uh-bill-ihs Lunadere: loon-uh-dare GOVERNMENT, POLITICS, AND LEADERSHIP Lunar Calendar The calendar in Ileron is based upon their lunar calendar and follows the cycles of the moon. A new moon marks the beginning/end of a month, the full moon marking the middle. There are thirty days each month, and twelve months in a year. The first Moon: Frost The second Moon: Dawn The third Moon: Earth The fourth Moon: Blossom The fifth Moon: Cresting The sixth Moon: Day The seventh Moon: Flame The eighth Moon: Cerulean The ninth Moon: Wind The tenth Moon: Jupiter’s The eleventh Moon: Dusk The twelfth Moon: Evergreen Dates in Ileron are written as such: the X day of XXX Moon. Political System Although named the Empire, the country runs on a democratic system. Spiral City is unique in its structure as a city-state, thus, its governmental bodies are different. The Empire The Red Council is the Empire’s ruling authority. It is a group of six individuals, nominated by their respective cities, to serve on the council for fifteen to thirty years. The nomination process happens every fifteen years. Three members are elected to stay on the board, two become seniors, and one becomes the Prime. The other three members retire from the council, and three new members are elected by the citizens of the realm to serve on the board. It is possible for a brand new member to become a senior immediately, although you cannot become Prime without serving as a member first. In addition to the leadership of