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Witchsign
Den Patrick
From celebrated fantasy author Den Patrick comes WITCHSIGN, the first novel in a fresh and exciting new fantasy trilogyIt has been seventy-five years since the dragons’ rule of fire and magic was ended. Out of the ashes, the Solmindre Empire was born.Since then, the tyrannical Synod has worked hard to banish all manifestations of the arcane from existence. However, children are still born bearing the taint of the arcane, known to all as witchsign. Vigilants are sent out across the continent of Vinterkveld to find and capture all those bearing the mark.No one knows when the Vigilants of the Synod will appear and enforce the Empire’s laws.But today they’re coming.And gods help those who bear the sign of the witch.
HarperVoyager
an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
www.harpercollins.co.uk (http://www.harpercollins.co.uk)
First published in Great Britain by HarperVoyager 2018
Copyright © Den Patrick 2018
Cover design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
Den Patrick asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
Source ISBN: 9780008228132
Ebook Edition © September 2018 ISBN: 9780008228156
Version: 2018-04-17
Dedication (#uf2af8077-3702-58b3-be62-4c2847f2c411)
For Kevin
Table of Contents
Cover (#u0711f7c4-c808-5702-aec4-93e3e2790296)
Title Page (#u1c62e8fa-3ef3-51a4-a3a3-7623dbc7cf42)
Copyright (#u68ec5ffa-ab44-5ef8-9c8b-75f65293565a)
Dedication (#u545470eb-0e2e-525e-9317-80a4ca93c38d)
Map (#u971e2b39-7200-520a-b0f4-40cc7fecc49d)
Chapter One: Steiner (#ub3d1b95b-626f-5351-ba5c-33a4692bc38c)
Chapter Two: Kjellrunn (#uc0ffda75-b691-55b6-9d2c-21688c1065d2)
Chapter Three: Steiner (#u97bba2c4-c0e7-5f41-8836-997491b08f5b)
Chapter Four: Steiner (#u2dc522dc-32c1-5b92-8c76-52fbdb3449bf)
Chapter Five: Kjellrunn (#u38a92e69-825e-5de5-b933-142318dab4bf)
Chapter Six: Steiner (#uf8f4c325-c1e1-50ba-bbfd-0a14bab795e4)
Chapter Seven: Steiner (#u3366e97d-0f56-5e4f-a51f-ef44ddc69330)
Chapter Eight: Kjellrunn (#ub3460d8f-50b3-54c1-9a50-504710932829)
Chapter Nine: Steiner (#ued78884d-7c89-5b1f-b0c9-8b40da2c9798)
Chapter Ten: Kjellrunn (#u30f8de0b-08f4-5e25-9cda-d263ae47b9f7)
Chapter Eleven: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-One: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Two: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Three: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Four: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Five: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Six: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-One: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Two: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Three: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Four: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Five: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Six: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-One: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-Two: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-Three: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-Four: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-Five: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-Six: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-Seven: Kimi (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-Eight: Steiner (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-Nine: Kjellrunn (#litres_trial_promo)
Acknowledgements (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE (#uf2af8077-3702-58b3-be62-4c2847f2c411)
Steiner (#uf2af8077-3702-58b3-be62-4c2847f2c411)
The Holy Synod has done much in the last decade to expunge all mention of the goddesses Frøya and Frejna. We have had less success in the Scorched Republics, whose people still hold affection for the old ways. It is the Synod’s hope that veneration of these goddesses passes into history as our grip tightens on Vinterkveld.
– From the field notes of Hierarch Khigir, Vigilant of the Imperial Synod.
The furnace burned bright in the darkness. The old timbers of the smithy were edged in orange light, tools hung from iron hooks, gleaming. Steiner loved it here, the smell of hot metal and coal dust, the pleasant ache of muscles hardened from work, jobs in need of doing and jobs well done. The product of his labour lined the walls: small knives; pots and pans; hammers; scythes and the odd sickle.
The anvil chimed as Steiner brought the hammer down on the white-hot metal. Sweat dampened his brow and ran down his back with each breath. A deep contentment settled upon him; something was being made, something was being created.
‘That’s enough of that,’ said his father. ‘Looks like you’re making a sword. And you know how the Empire feels about that.’
Steiner grinned. ‘Could I at least finish it? I’ll melt it down afterwards.’
Marek allowed himself a smile, caught up in Steiner’s enthusiasm. ‘A sword does a strange thing to a man’s mind—’
‘Being beaten over the head with one thing is much like another, I reckon.’ Steiner shrugged and gave a chuckle.
‘I mean wielding a sword, you oaf.’ Marek returned Steiner’s chuckle with one of his own. ‘It makes a man think he has some destiny or privilege.’ Marek’s tone made it clear exactly how he felt about the latter.
‘Not much destiny or privilege in Cinderfell,’ said Steiner, feeling the joy of creation grow cold despite the searing heat of the smithy.
‘No, there isn’t. It’s why I moved here.’ Marek rolled his heavy shoulders and rubbed one scarred forearm with an equally scarred hand. ‘Come on, we’re done for the day.’
They stepped out beneath overcast skies. Every day was overcast in Cinderfell. The Empire said it was a legacy of the war with the dragons, that the terrible creatures had scorched the skies above the continent for decades to come.
‘Must it always be so grey?’ muttered Steiner, as the wind chilled the sweat on his skin.
‘It’s not like this in the south,’ said Marek. ‘They can see the sun in Shanisrond.’
Steiner gave an incredulous snort. ‘Next you’ll be telling me the dragons still live.’
Marek shook his head. ‘No, the Empire saw to that. And you know that when the Empire take an interest in something—’
‘It usually ends up dead.’ Steiner ran a hand over his jaw, the feel of stubble beneath his callused fingers still a novelty. The downy fuzz of his early teens had given way to something rougher. ‘So why don’t we buy a cart, pack up, and head off to Shanisrond?’
Steiner followed Marek’s gaze as he looked over the town and the cottages that nestled against the steep incline rising up from the coast. The small windows bore heavy wooden shutters stained with salt, and verdant moss clung to thatched rooftops. The dour atmosphere was well matched by the cruel temperature.
‘Not much of a home, is it,’ admitted Marek.
‘So why stay?’
Steiner regretted the question as soon as he saw the pained expression cross his father’s face. For a moment they stood in silence beneath the flat grey sky. Marek lifted his eyes to the sea and Steiner wasn’t sure if he was searching or pleading with the choppy waves that danced against the stone pier.
‘You still hope she’ll come back.’
