Shadow of The Marked: Divine Series

by J. G. Maltos

  Copyright © 2021 by Janet Maltos

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN E-Book : 978-1-63944-350-5

  ISBN Paperback: 9798690830656

  Editors:

  Kaitlin Keller - www.kaitlynkellerauthor.com

  Lizeth Gonzalez - www.instagram.com/lz_editor

  Formatter:

  L. Steinworth - www.theartofliz.com

  Cover Artist:

  Maria Spada - www.mariaspada.com

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Similarities to people, places, events, or things are entirely coincidental.

  “I AM THE MASTER OF MY FATE,

  I AM THE CAPTAIN OF MY SOUL.”

  -INVICTUS (William Ernest Henley)

  For my parents

  You gave me everything and you are my everything.

  Para mis padres

  Que me dieron todo, y son mi todo.

  For my husband

  My soulmate.

  Para mi esposo

  Mi alma gemela.

  For my sisters

  You both are my safe haven.

  Para mis hermanas

  Ustedes dos son mi refugio seguro.

  IN MEMORY OF

  Felicitas Garcia

  Gonzalo Marquez Roa

  Book One of the Divine Series

  By J. G. Maltos

  Contents

  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

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Bone cracks against the cement floor of the fighting cage. The head I grip smacks against the concrete with a gut-wrenching crunch. It bounces back against my palm and sends a wave of pain up my arm. It was a death blow for him. I meant it to be. There were only two ways to leave this cage: in a body bag or with bloodied hands. For some twisted reason, I chose the latter.

  Again.

  I loosen my grip on the man I am forced to fight, pushing down the mixture of nausea and guilt that threaten to escape me as his lifeless body rolled out in front of me. My legs collapse beneath me, finally giving out after weeks of under rationed meals. Every breath feels like needles in my chest, tearing through my lungs the same way it tears through the silence in these walls. Given the circumstances, I suppose that was a small price to pay.

  That was a close fight.

  My bruised hand reaches to massage away the soreness that settles around my neck. One more second in his snake hold and it would be me laying there instead of him. Atleast, that is what I keep telling myself. He would have killed me, too. He would have killed me. It manages to numb my conscience, but only a little.

  With each fight, with each life taken, the mantra serves to help less and less. Looking down at my other bloodied hand, a taunting voice rattles in my head. Look at you. Is your life worth saving anymore? The man’s body stares back at me, answering the question with eyes that were as muddy and lifeless as their killer’s.

  The guilt returns. It settles like ice in the center of my chest with the realization that he will be denied a proper burial. Back in the Earth Kingdom, it is customary for us to give the body back to the Earth regardless of whose life is taken or why. The reason is simple. The Earth gives us the most basic energy to live. It’s only fair to return the favor. This man is dead so that I could live. I may not know from which Kingdom he hails, but I know he deserves at least that much, too.

  The loud creak of the door crashes through the walls and the ice in my chest melts with the heat of anger. They’re coming and they’ll drag this body away like all the others, with cold and careless hands. They’ll come back for me and ask me useless questions as if the man’s life wasn’t worth a second thought. I should be used to this after so many years, but the anger boils hotter today.

  One of the guards approaches me. His face is set into a permanent scowl. “C’mon,” he hisses through sharp teeth. “Let’s go.”

  The only response I offer is a scowl of my own and make no attempt to move from my place on the floor.

  “I said let’s go.” His fingers tangle in my hair, pulling at the roots to force a reaction. I have endured more pain than hair pulling in the past few years. I think he is finally warming up to me. But, my high hopes are short-lived as his large hand connects to the side of my face. I was not prepared for that hit. Fighting in a cage has taught me a few things about getting punched in the face. One of those is if you have a locked jaw, expect broken teeth. My jaw was loose, causing my cheek and lip to graze my teeth, slicing it open. The taste of metal fills my mouth, coating my white teeth.

  I bite my tongue to keep from crying out as the guard lifts me higher towards his sweaty face. I try to pull my head back, not knowing what he is about to do. He grips my chin, forcing me to look into his lifeless stare. His veins start turning a light blue. My heartbeat pounds within my sore chest as his abilities are starting to surface. I freeze where I am, not wanting to gamble on what he would do with his air ability. I like being alive and breathing.

  “Get up. Or I’ll make you”

  I stare at his cold expression, not caring how I can see myself through his tormenting eyes. Lifeless. An empty shell with nothing to give back to the Earth but regret.

  That’s all I am.

  His lips pull into a smirk. “Have it your way, then.” He lowers himself to my level and wraps two iron grips around my arms. Against my best efforts, I wince at the bruises that swallow the place he holds. He pulls me up with ease and two more guards enter the room.

  One comes to my side, helping the main guard in dragging me out of the room, while the other heads toward the man’s body. With the tip of his steel-toed boot, the guard nudges at the shoulder, as if waiting for the man to rise. The shoulder simply slumps back against the ground, and bile of disgust rises at the base of my throat when I see the guard let out a chuckle.

  “Tobias almost had her. Luckily she took care of that problem for us,” the guard says.

  The others say nothing in response, too busy grunting as they drag me through the fighting cage doors. My eyes never waver from the lifeless body. Even as the guards around the corner, I force myself to see the man in my mind’s eye and throw him a broken prayer I loosely remember from my people.

  From the Earth and to the Earth, may your soul be cleansed.

  It’s been so long now. I curse myself for remembering only the last of the Earth Kingdom’s departing rites. My people will be ashamed–or at least what is left of them.

  The sudden crash of cold cement brings me back to my present and I realize I am being thrown into my second home. My cell. My aching bones welcome the coolness the stone floor offers me, at least it’s an indication that I’m still alive. I don’t even mind that the guards don’t bother to lay me anywhere near my metal bed.

  One guard hovers at the door, blocking what little light that dared to enter through into my cell. I can only stare at his feet, focusing on the two pairs of shadows that reached toward me. The se
cond guard must still be with him then.

  “We’ll be back later,” his gravelly voice says. I can practically hear the smirk in his tone. “But of course, you know that already.”

  He doesn’t wait for a reply, not that I will give him one. They don’t deserve that much effort from me. I only stare at the ground around their feet, so tired that I could only pick up one pair of footsteps as both silhouettes leave my side.

  Once I know they are far enough, I roll over onto my stomach, wincing as the pressure pushes against my bruised ribs, and force myself to my knees. It takes a second for the wave of dizziness to subside, but once I know that I won't keel over back onto the ground, I wipe the dark strands of the hair that cling to my face and grip the metal frame of my bed. The springs groan in protest beneath my weight. A heavy breath escapes my chapped and battered lips as my eyes fixate on the ceiling. It must be a different day—another crack has formed.

  I freeze as the realization hits me like ice, why today feels heavier than the rest. It’s day two thousand one hundred and ninety. Six years total have passed since I was forced to witness my mother’s death and the fall of my kingdom. At that time, the question of ‘how I should survive became irrelevant. Now it’s all about the ‘why.’ Is my life worth the exhaustion?

  My name is Althea Thierah, and I am—was—princess of the Earth Kingdom. The early part of my life revolved around preparing me for the throne, but I can hardly say I’d be the queen of anything now. These people stripped me of my life and my title. There had been rumors before everything happened.

  At first, it was strange glances and low whispers within the town. It wasn’t long until those whispers made their way into the castle. After all, a castle reflects the people that it protects. But despite that, I somehow still managed to remain oblivious to the panic the people around me were feeling. It wasn’t until after everything happened that I found what lay in the whispers. Of course, my sudden enlightenment was thanks to the guards that kept me here.

  “For the sake of the kingdoms,”- one guard spat at me the first day- “you’re better off dead. You’d burn them all down.”

  That always puzzled me. If it was the fall of the kingdom they feared, then why destroy it themselves? What use was it to keep me alive if my death was so necessary? Did they only need people to believe I was gone? These are just a few of the questions that invade my every moment.

  With a heavy sigh, I force myself back on the heels of my hands. The dried blood on my knuckles reek of rusted iron, and I can’t stand the reminder of my actions for another second. My cell is one of the few here with an actual sink and toilet. All the other ones only have a single pail from what I can tell. It must be one of the perks of being a former princess, I suppose.

  I make my way over as best I can. My body doesn’t heal the way it used to anymore. Years of constant battle and lack of decent meals make my twenty one year old body feel more like a bag of brittle bones. Only the Earth crystal can help speed my healing now.

  The blood runs down the drain the way it has done countless times before, revealing my torn knuckles that have scarred over and over again.

  The anger returns in the center of my chest. It roars within the cage of my body, biting at the bars desperate for a release. My hands grip the edges of the sink, feeling the potential of energy coursing through me. I stare at the stone ground, focusing on a chip that has fallen off the cell wall and will it to move, to shake, to do anything. It just sits there, taunting me like every other attempt I’ve ever made of using my Earth abilities.

  The only reaction I get is a small stinging in the puncture sites that scatter my arms. That’s something else to thank the guards for. They gave me a toilet, a sink, and routine injections to mute my powers. It’s part of the whole princess package. The anger settles around my heart, anger at this place and anger at the kingdoms for abandoning me here and leaving me to rot. Out of six, I would think maybe one of them would try to find me. Some more than others, at least.

  The Fire Kingdom is a quiet one. They are known for staying out of the affairs of the rest of the realm unless it will directly affect their kingdom. The Wind Kingdom, their neighbor, may be the only exception to this rule they seem to have created. Air, after all, is a great asset to their flames. It isn’t uncommon for the Fire Kingdom to do favors for their neighbor to keep naturality between them.

  The Frost Kingdom is the most magnificent one, at least from what I can remember. My mother was close to the kingdom’s Elites, Helena and Theon Pruineh. We would visit the castle many times within a full cycle. Just the thought of them makes my chest ache. If there was anyone, I would have expected to look for me, it would be them.

  Perhaps the Lightning Kingdom made my death easier to believe. I have little doubt in my mind that it was them that began the whole uprising. I vaguely remember the way my chambers rattled with the harsh thunders that echoed in the city. I had thought it was storming at first until I saw the lightning bolts that sent buildings crumbling beneath their intensity. Everyone knew the Lightning Kingdom had grown envious of the Earth Kingdom, but no one knew to what extent. I suppose their desire for power outweighed everything else in the end.

  The last kingdom in the realms is the Shadow Kingdom. They used to be the original rulers of the realm before they and their crystal disappeared. It’s been centuries since anyone has heard even a whisper about the kingdom. They’re more like a cautionary tale now. I don’t think there are many people out there that still believe they exist, especially with their crystals gone.

  The crystal acts as the heart of every kingdom. They give a pure source of power to those who wield an ability. The crystals had been kept in the temple of the Divine. The Divine was six divinities, each able to control all abilities. But, each one was the master of each crystal.

  Due to the destruction of the Shadow crystal, the Divines have disappeared and much of their history was destroyed with the raid of the temple. Now each kingdom keeps its crystal. I had asked my mother how the Shadow crystal was destroyed since the Divines could easily protect it? But, much of history has been altered for anyone to know what happened.

  I had only been near the Earth crystal a handful of times. A sigh escapes my lips remembering the way my blood heated just by being near the Earth crystal. It was an adrenaline rush that had me bouncing off the walls. Now, all I feel is an empty void in my chest where my abilities used to spark. I stare at my calloused hands remembering when my veins would glow green with power. Anger boils in me and I place them under muddy water.

  I finish washing my hands when I catch a glimpse of myself in the reflection of the metal sink. The bones in my cheeks look as though they want to pierce through my tan skin. The scrapes and bruises add to the sunken shadows that plague my face, and my lips are a cracked mess that stings with even the faintest of wind.

  I catch my eyes in the reflection. My muddy brown eyes stare back at me but, for a split second, a pair of golden hues meet my own. I shake my head trying to disintegrate the feeling of hope I had once felt when I had last seen those eyes.

  It was during an interrogation that took a worse turn than they normally do. I had been thrown into a water-filled cave after a fighting match. I had no energy left to swim. I was so sure I would die that night, hell, I think I even wished I did. All I remember is the constant fire in my lungs as they were being filled with seawater and the pressure of the water around me pulling me under.

  The next moment, I felt a rush of air being forced through my chest causing the water to be expelled from my lungs. But, what I remember most of that night are a pair of golden eyes looking down at me.

  Those eyes gave me hope that I am finally going to be rescued. My heart swelled at those beautiful golden hues. But, my happiness is short-lived as my rescuer's eyes disappear, leaving me alone once more. I had looked everywhere for those eyes but now they bring me nothing but anger and disappointment.

  A tussling at the other side of the door brings me out
of my thoughts. Forgetting the ache in my bones, I race across my cell and lay across the metal bed with my face towards the wall. My hand creeps beneath my pillow, searching for the only thing that brings me peace in times like these. A shaky breath escapes my parted lips as my fingers grip the chain of my mother’s necklace.

  When I first arrived here, they stripped me of everything–even the necklace. They ripped it off me with their tainted smiles. I thought I would never see it again. It wasn’t until days later, after a cage match that was even more of a close call than this one. I woke in a haze in the cell and found the necklace nestled in my broken hand.

  To an outsider, the necklace may not seem like much; it’s a simple chain with a white rose in an encasing, but that day it was like a weight had lifted off my chest. I don’t know how, but I knew it wasn’t a guard that found it in their heart to give me a little piece of peace. Since then, I’ve made sure to keep it out of their sight.

  “Well lookie here,” A voice laughs through the crack of the door and my heart sinks once again. I know that voice. One Ear. “Someone is playing Sleeping Beauty again. I suppose she wants one of us to wake her up with a kiss.”

  “That sure worked well for you last time, didn’t it?” another voice taunts. It’s a voice I am not familiar with but the ache in my stomach still returns.

  A smack rings against the cell walls, and I can only imagine One Ear smacking the other guard.

  “Shut that smart mouth and wake her up.”