Welcome to the Songs of Insurrection!
The imperial guards closed the gap in the blink of an eye, weapons flashing in a synchronous dance of death. Hardeep released her hand and leaped forward into the storm of blades. Kaiya could only stare in horror.
Or amazement.
If he were a poet, his graceful movement would have been his poetry. He dodged Chen Xin’s thrust and ducked Zhao Yue’s hack, twirling and spinning like a ribbon dancer. In a split second, he had positioned himself so that Chen Xin stood between him and Zhao Yue.
At that moment, he turned his head and winked at her. His blue eyes glittered. Could he be possibly enjoying himself? When one misstep would mean decapitation? Her chest constricted, seizing her breath.
Chen Xin attacked with a horizontal slash, shredding through Hardeep’s sleeve and cutting across his arm. No! Kaiya covered her mouth. Chen Xin followed with a downward chop, but Hardeep stepped inside and caught Chen Xin’s hands. With a deft twist, he wrenched the dao away. Undaunted, Chen Xin drew a dagger while Zhao Yue slipped between them.
“Stop!” Kaiya shook off the dread fascination. If she didn’t do something, someone would get seriously hurt. And unbelievably, from the look of it, it wouldn’t be Prince Hardeep. He had taken on not one, but two imperial guards and suffered only a cut. His shorn sleeve didn’t even show sign of blood. She spoke again, invoking a tone of authority practiced since childhood. “Chen Xin, Zhao Yue, disengage. That is my command.”
Zhao Yue held his sword in a defensive position as he took two steps back.
Lowering his dagger, Chen Xin cast a sidelong glance at her. “Dian-xia, are you all right? This man did not try anything inappropriate?”
Heat rose to Kaiya’s cheeks. They had done many inappropriate things that afternoon, though probably not along the lines of Chen Xin’s question. She shook her head. “No, Prince Hardeep has been a perfect gentleman. He just asked me to play a piece of music for him.” Straightening her carriage, she strode over to the prince and held up his wounded arm. “Are you all right?”
Lines formed across his forehead as he looked first at it, then at her. “Yes. It looks like my shirt is the only casualty.”
Songs of Insurrection
Daughter of the Dragon Throne #1
J.C. Kang
Publication Date: January 6, 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Princess Kaiya’s voice could charm a dragon.Had she lived when the power of music could still summon typhoons and rout armies, perhaps Cathay’s imperial court would see her as more than a singing fool. With alliances to build and ambitious lords to placate, they care more about her marriage prospects than her voice.Only the handsome Prince Hardeep, a foreign martial mystic, recognizes her potential. Convinced Kaiya will rediscover the legendary but perilous art of invoking magic through music, he suggests her voice, not her marriage, might better serve the realm.When members of the emperor’s elite spy clan– Kaiya’s childhood friend Tian and his half-elf sidekick (or maybe he’s her sidekick?)– discover mere discontent boiling over into full-scale rebellion, Kaiya must choose. Obediently wedding the depraved ringleader means giving up her music. Confronting him with the growing power of her voice could kill her.
About the Author
JC Kang's unhealthy obsession with Fantasy and Sci-Fi began at an early age when his brother introduced him to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, Star Trek and Star Wars. As an adult, he combines his geek roots with his professional experiences as a Chinese Medicine doctor, martial arts instructor and technical writer to pen epic fantasy stories.
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