The damning stone, p.1
The Damning Stone, page 1
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
About The Damning Stone
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
About the Author
Other Works by TJ Klune
The Damning Stone
By
TJ Klune
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Damning Stone
Copyright © 2022 by TJ Klune
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests and all other inquiries, contact: tjklunebooks@yahoo.com
Published by BOATK Books
http://tjklunebooks.com
tjklunebooks@yahoo.com
Cover Art by Reese Dante https://reesedante.com
Published 2022
Printed in the United States of America
Paperback edition available
ISBN: 978-1-7367186-9-8 (paperback)
About The Damning Stone
A year has passed since the Dark Wizard Myrin attempted to take control of the Kingdom of Verania. Though the scars of the final battle remain, Veranians have come together in unity in order to rebuild. Good King Anthony sits on the throne once more, with Morgan of Shadows at his side.
However, a king is not immortal. One day, Anthony will step down, paving the way for his son, Grand Prince Justin, to assume the throne.
And Justin wants anything but.
Unfortunately for him, he finds himself with bigger things to worry about than just becoming the ruler of a country. At the celebration of the might of Verania and its people, a delegation arrives, led by a man who calls himself a magician. This man represents the King of Yennbridge, who has come to claim what was promised to him years before: the hand of the firstborn son of the King and Queen of Verania.
With his ridiculous friends at his side—Sam, Ryan, Kevin, Gary and Tiggy—Justin sets out to make the visiting king’s life a living hell. Which, of course, backfires spectacularly, and when the dust settles, Justin finds his friends changed in ways he can’t expect, leaving him standing alone.
Except he’s not as alone as he thinks, given the King of Yennbridge will do anything to prove he’s worthy of the frozen heart of the Ice Prince.
Prince Justin has finally met his match.
Let the games begin.
PROLOGUE
Teachers Should Not Have Sex with Their Students
“AND NOW, I WILL TELL YOU of my plans to take over the kingdom,” the evil wizard and total douchebag Sam of Dragons said with a cackle.
“Release me now,” I snapped. “I am the godsdamn Prince of—”
“Silence!” Sam bellowed, eyes ablaze. “You’re my prisoner, and you’ll listen to my villainous monologue about how I have unresolved issues involving my father which led me down the dark path of no return.” He blinked. “Whoa. That came out better than I thought it would. Maybe there’s something to this after—”
“Boring,” the unicorn said, little sparks of pink and violet shooting from his flared nostrils. He stood next to me, all four legs bound by vermilion root. I was still perturbed by how much he’d groaned that the ropes needed to be tighter, Sam, honestly, this isn’t my first time being tied up, for fuck’s sakes, make me feel it. Unicorns were more trouble than they were worth. “Cupcake, we’ve talked about this. If you’re going to make a good villain, you need to be believable. It needs to be fresh and exciting. What’s the point of doing this if you’re going to rehash the same moments we’ve already lived through?”
Sam glared at him. “Gary, I told you—”
Gary coughed.
“Gary, would you shut—”
Gary coughed harder.
Sam threw his hands up in the air. “Fine.” He took a step further into the cave, his shadow dancing along the wall. “The Artist Formerly Known as Gary the Hornless Gay Unicorn, we agreed that you wouldn’t give me notes about my performance until after I was done.”
Gary batted his eyelashes. “There, that’s better. Was that so hard?”
“Yes,” Sam said. “It was. That’s a ridiculous name and you should feel embarrassed.”
Gary rolled his eyes. “You got to change your name. Twice, in fact. Sam Haversford became Sam of Wilds who became Sam of Dragons. You didn’t hear me complain about any of that.”
“Uh,” Sam said. “You did complain. Like, all the time. You complained on the way here. You said I was obviously confused about my identity, and that I really needed to pick one and stick with it.”
Gary sniffed. “Where’s the lie? And becoming the Artist Formerly Known as Gary the Hornless Gay Unicorn was something I’ve always dreamed about, ever since I was a young foal.” His eyes filled with tears. “Would you take that away from a poor, magical creature protected by an absurd number of laws? My word, Sam. That’s a hate crime, punishable by life in the dungeons. You know you wouldn’t do well in the dungeons. You’re too…well. Not pretty, but you’re identifiably human, which some people seem to like.”
“I have no idea why,” I muttered, struggling against the ropes encircling my wrists. Whatever else Sam was—a blight on the world, an annoyance capable of making even the strongest of men beg for the sweet release of death—he knew how to tie a knot. Perhaps I could finally be free of him if I was able to convince Dad to make military service mandatory. Sam would be shipped out to sea, working the decks so I’d never have to be pseudo-kidnapped again as part of his stupid drills.
“I’m delightful,” Sam said, pushing a lock of dark hair off his forehead. He’d allowed it to grow out longer, tips beginning to curl, tying it back with a piece of rawhide. It suited him, though I would never tell him as much, especially after he told me (apropos of nothing) that a certain Knight Commander like to pull on it when they were…ugh. Whatever. “Everyone thinks so.”
“I don’t,” Gary and I said at the same time.
Sam began to pace, his robe swirling around his feet. The cave was hot and humid, and I could think of at least a thousand places I’d rather be. Verania was in the throes of summer, and I was supposed to be in Castle Lockes, taking meetings with my father. In fact, I’d been heading toward Dad’s chambers when a half-giant of alleged ill repute had smiled at me, said hello, and then threw me over his shoulder, crowing as he stole me from the castle. No matter how many times I demanded he put me down, he hadn’t listened.
But then none of them listened, much to my consternation. What was the point of being a prince when my subjects refused to do what I told them?
“We have to be prepared,” Sam said. “Just because the Dark wizards are all locked away doesn’t mean there aren’t stragglers out there, preparing their revenge against our badassery in saving the Kingdom of Verania.”
“Let them come,” Gary said, tail swishing. “It’s been ages since I’ve stabbed someone with my horn.”
“You know,” I told him pleasantly, “after all the bluster and noise about getting your horn back, I honestly expected more from you.”
Gary turned his head slowly toward me, eyes narrowing. “What was that?” he asked sweetly, a sure sign I was treading on thin ice.
“Uh oh,” Sam said.
I shrugged. Gary was getting pissed off, and I’d been told time and time again that one should never upset a unicorn. But cave water had just landed on my face, and it smelled terrible. If I could get Gary going, maybe he’d go on a rampage and we could all go home. “I’m just saying. You got your horn back and what’s changed? You’re still pretty much the same.”
“Sam.”
“Yes, Gary.”
“Sam.”
Sam sighed. “Yes, the Artist Formerly Known as Gary the Hornless Gay Unicorn.”
“A question, if I may.”
“Keep it short. I still have a whole speech I have to give about—”
Gary craned his neck toward me. I didn’t flinch as his snout rubbed against my cheek, his massive horn brushing against the top of my head. “Isn’t it true that anyone who insults a unicorn is automatically earmarked for death?”
“No?” Sam said. Or asked. He didn’t sound sure. “I mean, if that was the case, you’d be a serial killer because plenty of people have insulted you. I’ve insulted you. Like, hundreds of times.”
“Yes,” Gary said, nibbling on my ear until I jerked my head back. “You have. And don’t think I’ve forgotten any of the snide remarks you’ve made about my beautiful existence. I told you once that when you least expected it, you would find me standing above you, and that I’d be the last thing you’d ever see. Maybe not today, maybe not t
I squinted at him. “That statute is about bean farmers. And beans.”
“I don’t have time for your silly laws!” Gary trilled, his horn beginning to take on an unworldly glow. “I want to kill!”
“No killing,” Sam said. “You promised you’d let me pretend to be a villain without interruption.”
“With minimal interruption,” Gary corrected. “Like I would ever agree to not provide feedback. It would be hypocritical because I’m always open to constructive criticism. It’s why I don’t talk about wind r—er, assault anymore, nor do I say that someone attempting to ride me is racist because people were offended by it. It’s also why we don’t call your mother’s family Gyp—”
“Shut it!” Sam said, eyes wide. “You know we can’t say that anymore. People might leave bad reviews on the City of Lockes community boards because they don’t like the connotations behind that word which, okay, fair point because it is mired in racist ideology.” He looked around wildly as if to make sure we were alone. We were. I hated everything. “I don’t need another editorial written in the newspapers about how we’re not as politically correct enough as the faces of the new Verania. Twenty-six times was enough.”
Resigned to my fate, I said, “You’re not going to let me go, are you.”
Sam shook his head. “Not until I’m finished.” He turned away from us toward the mouth of the cave. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but it looked like he was staring down at his hand, muttering under his breath.
“What’s happening now?” I asked Gary.
“He wrote the script down on his palm,” Gary whispered back. “He was nervous about his performance. Doesn’t take stage direction too well, that one. I thought about recasting his role, but I didn’t have the time to hold auditions to replace him. We’ll talk about it for next time. I’m thinking of a sexy centaur named Hidalgo, except instead of being top man, bottom horse, it’d be top horse, bottom man. How amazingly dirty would that be?” He laughed as I grimaced. “We don’t kink shame. Some of us have unique tastes that should be celebrated rather than denigrated.”
“You have a husband. Who is a dragon.”
Sam threw his head back and laughed evilly. It sounded like an angry weasel getting shaved with a blunt razor. “You fell right into my trap, and now, you’ll listen to my woes. It all started when I was a child. My father left one day for a pack of cigarettes and never came back.” He stared off into nothing as if filled with memories that absolutely did not happen. “My mother tried to raise me on her own, but I proved to be too difficult.”
“Now that I believe,” I mumbled.
“Why are you trying to be funny?” Gary asked me. “You’re the Ice Prince. You’re not supposed to have a sense of humor.”
“So she sold me,” Sam continued, “to a diabolical mistress known as Mama, who took me under her wing—”
“Yesss,” Gary hissed. “Cameos. All the cameos. Make me yearn for stories past.”
“—and taught me the ways of the body. I used my slender frame as currency, selling myself and sexing the most powerful men in Verania. I was a lost soul, dreaming of something more than a man with a mustache grunting in my ear.”
“Backstory is important,” Gary told me. “Really gets the audience invested.”
I glared at him. “What audience?”
“But then I realized I was meant for something more,” Sam continued, hands curling into fists. “Something greater. Something darker. Which is why I have kidnapped the Prince and brought him here to this cave in order to exact my revenge.” He shaved-weasel laughed again. “I will trade the only son of the King of Verania in exchange for the keys to the kingdom. And once the kingdom is mine, I will rule over it with an iron fist and everyone will know the true meaning of the word suffering.”
“Whoa,” Gary breathed.
Sam startled. “What? What is it? Is it me? Are you getting chills because I’m so believable monologuing as a villain and you’re trembling with fear as you know that I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure my plans succeed?”
“What?” Gary asked. “No. Of course not, you’re pretty bad at this. Like, I know you’re trying to be malevolent, but I’m not really feeling it. Maybe it’s because I’ve seen you naked. Why don’t you have chest hair? It’s like you’re twelve. Anyway. That’s not what I was talking about.”
“Fuck you too,” Sam retorted. “Why’d you stop me?”
“That,” Gary said, nodding toward the cave wall. “I think there’s part of Lartin the Dark Leaf still embedded in the rock.”
“What?” Sam demanded. He hurried over to the side of the cave, stopping in front of a wet something hanging off the wall. “Holy shit, is that a liver? Do I even know what a liver looks like? I don’t think I do.”
“Aha!” Gary cried. “You fell for it. It’s just cave moss, you bitch! Now I will enact my plan for the destruction of the Kingdom of Verania!” And with that, he lowered his horn toward the vermilion root. His horn flashed brightly, and the root turned to dust, which should have been impossible but I’d long given up trying to understand anything.
Sam gasped. “Double cross.”
“That’s right,” Gary snarled, prancing in place, his hooves clicking along the rocky floor. “You were so concerned with the prince that you never saw me coming. It is I, the true villain, here to bring pain and death to all those who stand in my way!”
“This is so stupid,” I said to no one at all.
“How dare you!” Sam bellowed. “You’ll never defeat me. I am Sam of Dragons, the most powerful wizard in an age!”
Gary broke character, eyeing Sam up and down. “You really let that go to your head, didn’t you?”
Sam shrugged. “Standing in front of a star dragon god who tells you you’re the savior of the entire world has that effect.”
“Huh,” Gary said. “I never thought about it that way. Well. Color me impressed. Annoyed, but impressed. But I will not allow all that cosmic nonsense to go to your head, Sam. I really won’t. Your ego is inflated enough as it is. Why, I’ve never seen such a travesty in my—”
A nine-and-a-half-foot-tall half-giant burst into the cave, causing the ground beneath our feet to rumble. “TIGGY SMASH!”
“Hurray!” Gary cried. “I’m saved! Dearest Tiggy, destroy the humans. They have taken me captive and were planning on using my voluptuous body for their nefarious deeds! And even though I probably would have been an active participant, now that you’re here, we don’t have to find out.”
“Hi, Gary!” Tiggy said as he waved, hand opening and closing. His dark hair hung in loose waves atop his head, the muscles in his arms and chest bulging underneath a blue tunic. His large, tanned feet were bare, leaving behind footprints in the soft soil on the floor of the cave.
Gary grinned. “Hi, kitten. It’s lovely to see you as always. It’s been ten minutes since I saw your perfect face, but it felt like years. We’ll discuss how you came in too early later. Your cue wasn’t supposed to happen for at least another hour.”
“Boring outside,” Tiggy said. “Hot. Cave wet. Smash Sam?”
“Yes,” Gary said. “Smash Sam.”
“No smashing Sam!” Sam said.
“Aw,” Tiggy said as he deflated. “Tiggy never gets to smash.” He scuffed his hairy foot against the floor.
Sam melted, as I knew he would do. “Okay, big guy. You can smash. You can smash all you want. Just not me. Or Gary.” He waited a long beat. “Or Justin.”
“Tiggy smash!” he yelled, punching the wall, causing a large crack to rise toward the top of the cave. “There. Better. Yay Tiggy!”
“Smashing?” a thunderously deep voice said. “I didn’t know this was going to be that kind of kidnapping party.” A gigantic black reptilian head filled the mouth of the cave, his breath increasing the interior temperature tenfold. “I approve. I can see that everyone is still wearing their clothes, which means the party is just getting started. What are we going to do to each other? Tongues in butts, or….?”
Gary pranced by Sam, stopping in front of the dragon, rubbing his horn against the dragon’s scaley cheek. “Kevin, my love. I told you that you can’t always suggest rimming as the first sexual act. Some people don’t like that sort of thing.”
