She shivered involuntarily as he turned from the cage and stalked from the room. He reached a hand for his arm, but stopped midway, rolled his shoulders and continued on.
‘What am I to do with you?’ the mage asked. ‘I had such high hopes. Too much like your mother,’ he muttered. Ana looked at him then, searching his face for anything further, desperate for him to share what he knew of her and yet knowing that he never would. She would have to find another way to learn of her mother. ‘There is something inside you I had hoped to unlock,’ he murmured, stepping away.
Ana thought of the images Ende had shown her and the darkness in her that he feared. But all she wanted was Ed to be where he needed to be, on the throne, ruling over Ilia. She had thought the power was all in the crown, but it was empty. The power ran in the blood. Whether Ed wanted it or not, the throne was his.
As the mage wandered out of the icy space, she looked around the room, too light to be a dungeon, yet as the icy cold numbed her body, she thought she was buried deep in the earth somewhere. She rubbed at her jaw where the guard had taken her by surprise.
Ana had done the right thing. She was certain of it. She shivered again, regretted the tight, thin dress and longed for Ende’s old tattered cloak as she closed her eyes and curled on the floor.
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The story continues in The Lost Endeavour – available August 2020
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The team at Deranged Doctor Designs (DDD) for absolutely brilliant cover design work and all the marketing extras. Thank you for your support and clear emails around what was needed from me to make the magic happen.
TWG members: Melissa, Matthew J Morrison, John Hargreaves, Sue Larsen, Nicholas Jansen and Chantelle Griffith for listening and support in all things writing related, even when we can’t get together just now. Special thanks to Yasmin, Kait and Shae for taking the time to read my draft and providing tips to make the story stronger.
Allison E Wright for wonderful editing work to make my sentences smoother and my intentions clearer.
My parents, Francine and Ken Smith. Amazing, supportive people who I don’t thank often enough. Thanks for keeping me grounded and being the best grandparents ever.
As always, Temwa for being my biggest supporter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Georgina Makalani survives life as a servant of the public by hiding in her office at lunch time with dragons, witches, a laptop and a little bit of magic.
For more about Georgina and her books visit her website: www.theflowofink.com
Also by Georgina Makalani
The Magics of Rei-Een:
The Hidden Princess
Hidden Promises
The Hidden Phoenix
The Raven Crown Series:
Raven’s Dawn
The Caged Raven
Raven’s Edge
The Legend of Iski Flare (Novella series):
The Legend Begins
Red Wolves
The Riddle of Daralis
The Last Child
The Tree Maiden
Reflections
The Beast
Circus of Wonders
Other Stories:
The Mark of Oldra
The Heart of Oldra
Short Stories:
Stuffed Frogs and Spinning Teacups
Searcher
The Silence (in Glimpses)
The Empty Crown Page 24
