Darken the trux the sica.., p.1
Darken the Trux (The Sicario Clan Series Book 1), page 1
Darken the Trux
The Sicario Clan Series
Book 1
A.J. Manney
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is fictionalized or coincidental.
Darken the Trux. A Sicario Clan Series, Book 1
Copyright A.J. Manney (2021). All rights reserved.
The right of Amanda Manney to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the authors.
Edited: Dotty Manney
Cover Design: Germancreative
Interior Design: Manney Resource Solutions
Printed by Kindle Direct Publishing
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Bonus Chapter from Book 2
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Chapter 1
Seventeen-year-old Ameris closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pushing down the rising power inside of her. Control your power. Don’t ever let it be seen. Force it down. The words she’d heard thousands of times floated through her mind. She opened her eyes and faced the man in front of her. She had one chance at this—one chance to set into motion the plan she had been working on for her entire life. The first step was the most crucial. She had to convince this man that she would be a good asset to the crown.
She lifted her chin and looked into the steward’s lifeless eyes, forcing herself to hold his gaze. She knew what he saw when he looked at her. He saw a plain girl with long brown hair and brown eyes. There was nothing remarkable about her. “There’s nothing to this one. Too scrawny,” he muttered and turned as if to walk away.
Desperation seized her. “I can cook, clean, launder, and mend,” Ameris said, trying to keep the desperation from her voice. The steward didn’t acknowledge her words; he simply moved on to the next girl, effectively dismissing her. But Ameris wasn’t about to give up that easily. “I can read and write too, sir,” she threw out, hoping to cause him to take notice of her.
The steward stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. Her heart began pounding in her chest. Had she said too much? Father Thomas always warned her about speaking too much.
“Say only what needs to be said; nothing more. Extra words get you into trouble.” His words came to her now, and she held her breath. Admitting to reading and writing was a tricky thing. The king didn't allow the common people to learn to read and write, yet rumors said that the king employed servants that could read and write.
The steward turned back to her, pinning her with his gaze. “The King has outlawed the common people the practice of learning to read and write. How is it that you have learned such things?”
Ameris stood very still, aware of the hundreds of eyes looking at her. She was not the only servant girl seeking to get hired into the castle on this day. Before she could say anything else, a familiar voice sounded from behind her. “I taught her,” Father Thomas’s clear voice rang out. The murmuring that had started with Ameris’s announcement quieted. Ameris waited to see what was going to happen next.
The steward fixed his shrewd eyes on Father Thomas, and Ameris could see the disgust clearly evident in his eyes. “Holy man,” he said with disdain. Father Thomas simply bowed his head. “She was raised in the Sacrarium and as such, was given the opportunity to read and write.” Father Thomas was neither disrespectful nor rude but clear that she had done nothing wrong. Students of the Sacrarium were allowed to learn to read and write as it was part of their duty for preserving the holy writings. The steward looked down at Ameris again, and she knew with everything in her that he was not going to hire her. She felt the disappointment rise inside of her; she had failed her very first mission.
“You would discriminate against the girl because she was raised in the Sacrarium?” Father Thomas challenged the man. Gasps sounded from all around them before silence descended. If Ameris thought it was quiet before, that was nothing compared to this new silence. No one so much as shuffled their feet or sneezed.
The steward turned angry eyes on Father Thomas. “The King does not discriminate against any person of any kind.” The words had a bite to them.
“Good,” Father Thomas said. “Then Ameris would be an excellent choice.”
Ameris stared straight ahead, wondering what was going to happen next. Father Thomas was practically forcing the steward to choose her. “The crown chooses you,” the steward mumbled the words without looking at Ameris again. A moment later, he was gone. He continued down the line, but Ameris was no longer paying attention to the steward. Those four words were ringing in her ears. She turned with elation to Father Thomas, but he was already gone. She looked through the throngs of people around her, but he was nowhere to be seen. She turned her gaze forward and couldn’t hold back the smile. It’s happening. I can’t believe it’s finally happening. The first step of their plan worked. She couldn’t believe it. She didn’t have long to revel in the fact before a coach stopped in front of her. A footman stepped down and opened the door. When Ameris didn’t move, the footman turned towards her.
“Please step into the coach,” he said without any emotion. Ameris pulled herself together and stepped forward. He offered his hand and helped assist her into the fine carriage. There was a boy and a girl about her age already inside. The girl nodded her head at Ameris, but the boy ignored her, continuing instead to gaze out the window. Ameris sat next to the girl.
“I’m Ameris,” she said with a smile.
“Rosie,” the girl said softly.
“Nice to meet you, Rosie,” Ameris said. The boy in the corner said nothing, so Ameris left him alone. The coach moved forward, and Ameris fell back against the plush seats. Even in her best dress, she felt woefully underdressed for the likes of the coach. She eagerly looked out the window as they slowly made their way through the village market. Only in Baynton could the market be wide enough for a carriage to pass through. Baynton was the closest village to the castle and was therefore the wealthiest village. Because of that, men and women came from near and far to peddle their wares to the wealthy in the Baynton market.
Ameris had only been in this market a few times in her life, so she was soaking it all in. She loved the sights and smells, the treasures that each cart or stall held. They didn’t go far before stopping again. The door opened and another boy climbed in. He was much more amiable. “I’m Tobias,” he introduced himself with a smile. They picked up two more girls before the footman told them they were heading to the castle.
Ameris tried to look out the window to get a look at the castle. As a commoner from the villages, it was nigh unto impossible to get near the castle. Now as servants to the crown, they would not only get to see it up close but gain entrance as well. Ameris couldn’t keep the awe from her face as she joined the others outside the coach for their first full view of the castle. It was far grander than anything she could have ever imagined. She stumbled as someone knocked into her. “It won’t be that great when you’re stuck inside without ever seeing the light of day, holy girl,” the sullen boy from the coach said as he stalked past her. Ameris righted herself and stared after him. She wasn’t given time to respond.
“Girls to the right; boys to the left,” someone called out in front of them. Coaches were still arriving and more boys and girls were climbing out. Ameris looked around, noticing many of them seemed younger than her, though there were a few her age mixed in as well. “Single file line. When you reach the front, give your age and what tasks you are capable of performing.”
The next two hours passed quickly. They were sorted into groups and assigned to an overseer servant that would train them. Ameris soon found herself standing with three other girls in a large room with walls lined with bolts of beautiful fabrics. She stared in awe; she had never seen so many luxurious fabrics in all her life. “I’m Helen, the head tailor and seamstress for the royal family. You are among the lucky to find yourselves standing in this room,” the gray-haired woman said. “You will start
“Come,” Viola, a servant girl a few years older than her called out. They followed her through the castle. Ameris couldn’t help but stare at the opulent surroundings as they walked. She had heard rumors about the inside of the castle of course, but those rumors were nothing compared to actually seeing it. There seemed to be no shortage of long hallways, and each one was lined with huge windows that stretched from floor to ceiling with tall wooden arches. Each hallway was lined with ornate wall hangings, chandeliers, and paintings. Then there were the open rooms they passed. Each room seemed larger and more opulent than the room before. Each room boasted of large beds with silk bedspreads, luxurious rugs, and wall tapestries. It was almost too much to take in.
Soon, they were taken below to the servant’s quarters. Ameris wasn’t sure what to expect, but it wasn’t this. There was an entire underground tunnel system that ran the length of the castle for the servants, so they could have access to any room in the castle. The entire set-up was amazing. Ameris and the three other girls were led to a room with four beds, a wash basin, and a wardrobe. Each bed had a pile of neatly folded clothes on it. The accommodations were sparse but clean and neat—ankle-length, long-sleeved black dresses with a full-length white apron to be worn over the dress. “There’s a washroom down the hall that you can use. Please remember to keep moving as there are ten to twelve girls for each washroom,” Viola told them. “The clothes on the bed are yours. Keep them clean and tidy. Soiled clothes are to be taken to the laundering rooms each morning before breakfast and picked up at night. Go ahead and take a moment to put your belongings away. Then we are off to the kitchen. Be quick,” she admonished. That prompted the girls into action.
A few minutes later, Ameris followed Viola and her new roommates, Tess, Ruby, and Sophie, towards the kitchen. The noise level rose the closer they got to the kitchens. There seemed to be servants everywhere; but somehow, things ran smoothly.
“Coming through!” a voice sounded behind Ameris, startling her. She moved out of the way just as two men carrying huge sacks of rice walked past. Three more men followed. A woman stepped forward and commanded them, using a wooden spoon to point the way. Ameris surmised that she was the head cook. No sooner had that thought entered her mind when the woman stood on a step stool and faced the gathering new recruits.
“This is my kitchen. Things are run a certain way—my way. Step in line, do what you’re told, and we won’t have any problems. Get out of line, procrastinate, mess with the way things are done, and you will be sent to the steward. Understood?” she questioned. Ameris nodded her head along with the rest of the recruits. “First bell means breakfast is served in ten minutes. You have ten minutes to get here and twenty minutes to eat. Second bell rings for lunch; same rules apply. Third bell for dinner. You are responsible to have all your morning chores done before breakfast. After each meal, you are responsible to put your dishes away and report to your overseer. Right now, you can grab a bowl and fill it with lamb stew from the stove. You will have twenty minutes to eat. After that, head back to your rooms. Your overseer will meet with you and show you the ropes, so that you are ready to begin tomorrow. Let’s go.” She clapped her hands, and the chaos resumed.
“Are you going to stand there and stare all day, holy girl, or are you gonna move so we can eat?” Ameris felt her face heat up as the boy from the coach shoved past her.
Ameris did her best to stay out of the kitchen staff’s way as she followed the other recruits. They grabbed steaming bowls of lamb stew and chunks of rye bread and settled into a room filled with crude benches and tables built into the thick cement walls. Ameris ate quickly; nobody seemed much in the mood for conversation.
After that, it was time to meet with their overseers once again to get detailed instructions and training on their day-to-day duties. Ameris fell into bed exhausted that night, but she couldn’t fall asleep right away. Everything was too new, too unfamiliar. She couldn’t get out of her mind the words she had heard the servants whisper when they thought nobody was listening. Something about warriors descending on the castle in a few days, but that wasn’t what had stood out the most to her. No, it was the whispers she heard about one warrior, the one to be feared above them all—the Assassin.
Chapter 2
The next morning, on her way into the kitchen, she saw Rosie, the girl who she had traveled with to get to the castle. Ameris asked her to sit with her for breakfast, and Rosie had agreed. “Have you heard about the Assassin?” Rosie asked quietly, while they ate their breakfast.
“Only a little. Have you?” Ameris paused to wait for the answer.
Rosie glanced around the table quickly, but nobody was paying them any mind. “Only rumors,” she whispered fearfully.
“About what?” Ameris prompted.
Again, Rosie glanced around carefully. “His reputation,” Rosie said cryptically. Ameris waited for her to explain. Rosie was silent for a moment before she leaned close to Ameris. “He’s from the Sicario Clan. Have you heard of it?” Ameris nodded. Everybody knew who the Sicario Clan was. They were a clan of men and women who lived outside of the King’s law. They carried out their own form of justice. If the rumors were true, nearly everyone in their clan was an assassin.
“Aren’t all the members of the Sicario Clan assassins?” Ameris asked.
“Yes, but he’s the worst. Some people call him the Phantom. They say nobody ever sees him coming or going; all they see is what's left behind—a dead body,” Rosie whispered.
Ameris stared at her. “Really?”
Rosie nodded. “He’s the deadliest assassin there’s ever been. They say he had more kills by age twenty than any other assassin from the Sicario Clan. They say he’s the youngest assassin to become a Master.” Her last words were softer than a whisper, as if speaking the words might bring the Assassin to form in front of them.
Ameris pondered her words. She’d heard of the Sicario Clan before, of course. She’d never heard of the Phantom though, but that wasn’t a real surprise. Father Thomas could not be counted on to share the latest gossip from the villages. She could almost hear his voice. “You don’t need to worry about what anybody else is doing, Ameris. You focus on you and the task you are preparing for.” Those words brought her thoughts back to the present.
“Why is the King bringing in these warriors?” Ameris asked before taking a few quick bites of her breakfast. Time was about up.
Rosie turned her head to look at her. “How is it that you know nothing of The Challenge?”
Ameris shrugged. “I grew up in a Sacrarium. Gossip about current events wasn’t exactly readily available,” she said dryly.
Rosie gave her a small smile. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you caught up. The long and short of it is that every fifty years, the residing King calls in all the warriors in the land and sends them into the Trux.”
Ameris’ eyes widened. “The Trux?”
“Ah, so you’ve at least heard of the Trux,” Rosie said.
“I lived not too far from its borders. Besides, everybody’s heard of the forbidden forest.”
Two bells rang, signaling the end of breakfast. “I’ll explain more at dinner,” Rosie said.
They stood with the other servants and cleaned up their dishes. “Good luck today,” Ameris said.
“Thanks,” Rosie said. “I’m excited to go into the rooms today!”
“Yeah, be sure to take notice of everything and tell me at dinner,” Ameris said. “Not all of us get the privilege of cleaning the royal rooms.”
