Hemlock and Exile: Origins

By Christie Kenwyn

Everyone lies to survive. Sometimes that means forgetting who you really are.

When Adrian's not-so-secret lover returns after three years abroad, he's faced with a conundrum. If he goes back to Benedikt, it means risking his life and soul. With the Kardinal breathing down his neck and a promotion on the horizon, Adrian has to choose between the man he used to love and the comfort and familiarity of the woman who adores him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christie Kenwyn
• Release date: Nov 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005240226

Christie Kenwyn

Christie Kenwyn is the author of Hemlock and Exile, a soon-to-be-released LGBTQ+ Fantasy novel. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking copious amounts of Polish food, traveling on a shoestring budget (at least, when there isn’t a pandemic), and singing at her two cats, whether they like it or not.

Book preview

Chapter 1

He’s back.

Adrian cringed. He’d suspected as much when a rare Iprean galleon sailed into Kastala’s foggy docks this morning. It was almost three years to the day.

Seated at the window of his small room in the barracks, he stared out at the darkening autumn sky. Heavy clouds loomed over the imposing gray fortress as a lonely bird warbled its farewell to better days. Perhaps tonight would bring the first snowfall of the season. Appropriate that Ben—Benedikt, Adrian reminded himself—should return.

Lenee placed a hand on his elbow. Are you going to see him?

Adrian’s grim laugh rattled his constitution. I don’t have a death wish.

The last time Benedikt’s father caught them together, Adrian had nearly lost his life. If Benedikt weren’t the Kardinal’s son, Adrian would be a headless skeleton in a shallow grave.

Lenee pulled at her ponytail, a nervous habit she’d held since as long as he could remember. At least now she stopped herself from ripping out the silky chestnut strands. She resembled their mother more than Adrian and their other sister, Sanna, did. He and Sanna were both taller, more imposing… like their father. But while Adrian’s likeness to General Vesper ended with the physical, Sanna also possessed their father’s mind.

You’ll run into him eventually, Lenee said.

Then I’ll put in the paperwork for a transfer. Adrian clenched his clammy hands behind his back and paced back