Book of Secrets

by Nathalia Books

  “I never heard a story about somebody that goes in also came out.”

  Myrtle could now seen why.

  “Myrtle, Eldric. I know this two.” Myrtle looked behind her Sarra was squatting by two bodies. Myrtle came closer and now she saw what Sarra meant.

  “Jasper Hiller and Carstann Rúller. Those two worked for Dakkar before they disappeared.” Myrtle saw a small movement in the chest of Jasper, before he grabbed Sarra.

  “Hunter, Shylton. Run, no matter what the Lycan told you. It’s not worth your live.”Jasper let Sarra’s arm lose and draw his last breath. Myrtle looked to Sarra.

  “Lucala told me that he know some other stuff, less dangerous.”

  Sarra looked at Eldric, and nodded. “It is time to leave this place.” She stood up, and walked towards Eldric. She swung an arm around him.

  “Lets go, little brother.”

  SHE DRAGGED HIM, WITH her. Myrtle looked at Jasper and Carstann, she didn’t like them. They where bullies, she even fought Carstann once. But this is a fate no one deserves. Myrtle pulled her gaze away from them and looked around the hall, which of those unfortunately souls was also hired by La Croix? In her mind al those questions where fired at her. She shook her head, she should be thinking about her getting her friends out. She wanted to run towards them, until the sound of rusty chains ringed in her ears. Myrtle drew her swords and turned. The figure that she saw earlier standing behind her friends was now standing behind her. With his long nails he gabbed her by the throat, is her ears she hear some bones crack. Before he swung her against the wall, like she was nothing more then a rag doll. She wanted to get up, she had to protect her friends. But drowning breath was already difficult, it was already difficult to turn her head.

  RIGHT AWAY SHE WISED she hadn’t. Before her eyes she saw that the creature, torn an arm from Sarra’s body. Eldric was squatting against the wall, his hand clammed before his ears. Myrtle drown a breath, she closed her eyed. What she believed for a moment. But when she opened them again, Eldric face was scratched open, his lifeless eyes starred in to nothing. Sarra’s head, was laying next to him. Myrtle looked further, but it was only her head.

  MYRTLE FELT SOMETHING irony in her mouth. Breathing was already difficult, but now it was almost impossible. Her view became limited, by the long hood of the creature. She closed her eyes, once more she had failed to protect her friends. She coughed a few times, something turned her body around so she was lying on her back. She felt something sharp in her chest, before feeling complicity nothing.

  I can explain

  Slowly Myrtle regained consciousness and she tried to look around, but the room was so dark she couldn’t see anything. Where was she? How did she get here? Her hands were covered in a slimy substance and the air was filled with the smell of rotting flesh, urine and sweat.

  IN A FLASH, HER MEMORIES returned. Myrtle pushed her hand to a cold stone substrate, it didn’t move. Also not when she pushed her other hand to it, still shaking she push herself up until she felt her feet under her.

  How was she still alive? That was the question has been in her mind the whole journey, but she hadn’t been able to find the answer. Where were her friends, she needed to find them. She opened her mouth ready to call their names, but the words wouldn’t came out of her mouth.

  SHE TRIED TO TAKE A step but her foot got caught on something with a smack, she fell back onto the ground. As quickly, she got up again her body screamed from the pain. Had the monster heard her? She stumbled across the dark space in searching for some light.

  Her head was pounding, her stomach turning. The last thing she remembered was the monster coming out of nowhere. It had knocked her to the ground before she could to defend herself.

  IF ONLY SHE HAD LISTENED to her father. He had warned her about the dangers of the Thicket of Thorns. Again she fell and this time she stayed on the ground. Her eyes were heavy and in her mind, she could see her father’s face.

  But that was nothing more than a memory.

  “LITTLE HUNTER.” DID heard Myrtle that right, was that the voice of her father? If it was, why sounded it so close. “Little hunter, open your eyes.” Why did she have to open her eyes? Yet she did as he had asked her, it was no longer dark in the room. The creepy green flames where again lit, she had to blink a few times. Before her eyes where used to the light. Her head wan no longer buzzing so violently. She got to her feet slowly.

  “What happened?” Myrtle asked she looked at her father, he didn’t look older his raven-black hair was still black. And his skin was not touched by wrinkles. He bit gently on his lip.

  “You and your friends, well Dakkar La Criox tricked you.”

  Myrtle looked around, the images of Sarra’s head laying next to the dead body of Eldric came back to hear.

  “I should have know, I failed them.” The tears stated to appear in her eyes, her father shook his head. “The day you left, you told me to stay away from the Thicket, I should have listened.”The tears where rolling over her cheeks. “And why am I not dead?” Her father took her in his arms.

  “First things first, little hunter. You are an adult, so you can make your own choices. The second thing is what difficult to explain.” Myrtle buried her face in his T-shirt, from spider silk.

  “I missed, you daddy.” He let her lose.

  “I missed you to, Myrtle. Come than I will explain everything.” They walked further into the tomb.

  “Wait, the creature how murdered Sarra and Eldric.” said Myrtle her voice trembled a little. Her father shook his head.

  “The Keeper of the Key is dead, you made sure of that. But he will not stay dead for long.” Myrtle nodded and took his hand, afraid if she let it go he would disappear again.

  “MAYBE YOU ALREADY NOTICED it, but this entire tomb is a labyrinth. It is entire purpose is to lead treasure hunter to their death, with the book as bait.” They arrived in the middle of the labyrinth, at a stone column lay an old leather-bound book. The old rusty lock hung from it. Her father let go of her hand and walked over to the book. “Myrtle, come and see. This is where you risked your live for.” Myrtle walked to her father, while he unlocked the lock. He opened the book, her gaze was immediately captured by a drawing of her own face.

  “But that is me?” she said not understanding why she was in the book of Secrets. Her father nodded.

  “This book contains the secret of a special breed. The Dark Phoenix. A long time ago, a high-ranking demon made the decision to cross his genes with that of a nephilim. That was the beginning of a new breed. Members of that breed cannot die is their bodies if there are physical attacked. If that does happen, the body will fly up in black flames. Hence the name Dark Phoenix.” Myrtle gasped, that was what Varaln meant by magical.

  “Am I a Dark Phoenix?” Her father nodded.“Are you one?” Myrtle asked only he shook his head.

  “But it is my family line that is responsible and unfortunately Dakkar La Criox knows what you are.” her father said. Myrtle closed her eyes. “That is the reason, you disappeared.” pieces of the puzzle begun to fall into place. Her father nodded.

  “He is a hunter Myrtle, it is his job to hunt the creatures of the Thicket and he sees you as own of them. A danger to mankind and he won’t rest until he finds a way to actually kill your kind, little hunter.”She opened her eyes.

  “And the answer for that problem stands in this book.” Her father turned the page, a drawing of a curved sword showed itself. Her father sighed.

  “I should have known. Astran’s sword, the high-ranked demon himself.” She bit on her lip.

  “Why do I get the feeling that we are going to look for that sword?”

  Her father closed the book and looked at her, his eyes started to twinkle. “Because, little hunter. That is exactly what we’re going to do.” Myrtle shook her head.

  “I can’t, I promised the queen of winter that I go back to palace of winter.”Her father sighed.

  “I suspected that much when I saw the Prince.”<
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  “DADDY, MAYBE IT IS not the time and place to ask you this. But I wanna know what happened.” They where close by the white oak doors. Her father looked at her.

  “Do you really wanna know?” Myrtle nodded.

  “I walk around with this question, for the last ten years. So yes I really wanna know.”He closed his eyes.

  “The night that I left, Dakkar La Croix laid us in to an ally and he told us what he had seen.” Myrtle wanted to ask what he had seen but her father shook his head. “He told me he watched you being hit by a car and die. I didn’t believe my ears so did the parents of Eldric and Sarra. But he told us that we got the responsibility to protect human kind. Edward told Dakkar that you where what he said, that you where no danger. To answer Edwards words, Dakkar killed him and his wife. He also came after me, but I jumped through the portal.”Myrtle closed her eyes.

  “I wanna apologize daddy, but also thank you for telling me.” He took her hand into his.

  “I tried everything to protect you, but I heard to late you where in the Fearie and in Varaln’s care.” Myrtle puled up her shoulders.

  “He already paid for his crimes.” Her father nodded.

  “I heard that too, from the deer princes.” She smiled slightly.

  “I have traded my live for theirs, and they didn’t got to live it.” Her father sighed.

  “You couldn’t know, that this was going to happen. But enough with the self blame. Lets go outside, it will not be long before the Keeper of the Key rises up from the dead.”

  “YOU ARE ALIVE!” LUCALA jumped her when she got through the white oak doors. She froze for a moment. He had felt this and let her go. “What is wrong?” Tears escaped her eyes, when she told him everything see had seen and being through. He shook his head in disbelieve. “The Dark Phoenix, is nothing more than a legend right. Eldar Hunter?” Her father lay a hand on Lucala’s shoulder.

  “Don’t forget, my prince. That is what a lot of mortals think about your kind. The Dark Phoenix is so real as you and I.” Lucala nodded, and looked at her.

  “Fair enough.” She felt that her body became heavy, she starred to waver.

  “Myrtle Hunter!” Lucala caught her.

  “I don’t feel so well.” she said softly.

  “My prince lay her down and seek cover!” she heard her father say, before her world went dark.

  Epilogue

  Why did she feel so cold? Myrtle shivered and pulled the fur sheets a bit more over her. She opened her eyes quickly, fur sheets? She quickly got up, she was in back in her room at the winter’s court. Surprised she looked around her, how did she get here? Was it all a dream? She shook off the questions and quickly jumped up from the bed, only to immediately get back on the bed. She forgot the floors were made out of ice. She quickly looked around for her boots, which were standing next to the bed. While she was putting on the boots the door of the room opened, she looked up to see her father enter the room.

  “Thank goodness you’re awake.” he said his face has signs of relieve.

  Myrtle bit her lip.

  “You are here to. So she has you in her grip again” Myrtle didn’t know what happened after she fall unconsciousness, but now she saw her father in the winter palace it meant that the winter queen was done waiting.

  Her nodded and walked to the bed.

  “I’ll find another opening. I am sure of it.” Again the door opened, this time it was Lucala that entered the room. He looked relieved, she jumped out of bed a second time. She rand towards him, he caught her.

  “I’m so very sorry” he started to apologies. Myrtle nodded.

  “I understand.” he was not responsible for his mothers actions.

  “Shall I give you two some privacy?” Her father walked past them, his eyes met hers for a moment. Myrtle let Lucala go.

  “I’ll see you soon daddy.’’ He nodded, but in his eyes he looked a bit sad. Lucala also looked at her father and swallowed.

  “You haven’t told her yet?’’ Lucala asked, Myrtle took a step back what haven’t they told her? Her father shook his head.

  “No Lucala that is up to you.” Myrtle’s eye’s grew larger, she wanted that her father stayed with her. But he walked out the door and shut it behind him.

  “WHAT IS GOING ON?” Myrtle snapped at Lucala. he guided her to the black stone bench.

  “We thought it was a good idea to have you tested when you didn’t wake up, after you went up in dark flames.” He swallowed, Myrtle bit on her lip she died again. After she was out of the tomb, but how did she died? “We don’t know why you died outside the tomb. Maybe some kind of poison was your father guess. So we decided to bring you back to the winter court, but when you didn’t wake up at all. Like I said it seemed like a good idea to bring some healers in and let them test you. One of the healers have told my mother what you are, and that is not everything.”

  He swallowed again, was he nervous?

  “Tell me.” Myrtle snapped again.

  “You are pregnant, Myrtle Hunter. You are carrying my child.” he said finally.

  Dedication

  I want to thank everybody who have worked on the book until the point of release.

  COVER DESING:

  Charon Winqvist

  EDITING:

  Ymke Schasfoort

  MORAL SUPPORT:

  Dennis

  Authorgoddes

  Siobhanthewritter

  Charon Winqvist

  WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT this world? Check out Charon world: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/thick-of-thorns

  Did you love Book of Secrets? Then you should read Nova Babylon by Nathalia Books!

  Robin is admitted to a home for girls and makes friends there. Nine whole years pass and the group of friends the Fallen Angels as they call themselves. Caused a lot of trouble for the local police force, the Novas.

  But when war breaks out, the friends don't hesitate for a moment. They both offer a helping hand in exchange for food and shelter. The finger of blame, for the attacks on the spaceship, is soon pointed to the near planet Catia and its inhabitants, the Catians.

  After the Fallen angels have proven themselves, they are sent by the king of Nova Babylon to Catia, where they come face to face with their enemy. Or so they think.

  Read more at Nathalia Books’s site.

  Also by Nathalia Books

  A Thicket of Thorns story

  Book of Secrets (Coming Soon)

  Nathalia's Shorts

  Unexpected

  Written in the Sand (Coming Soon)

  Nova Babylon

  Nova Babylon (Coming Soon)

  Standalone

  The Steria (Coming Soon)

  Watch for more at Nathalia Books’s site.

  About the Author

  Nathalia Books is a real dreamer and turns these dreams into stories. Each with their own world and charm, she prefers to write all day long, and she loves to forget the world around her. Her worlds take you to deserted places and new unknown cities. She introduces you to new unknown races and beliefs.

  Read more at Nathalia Books’s site.

  About the Publisher

  Natalia's publishing is the name Nathalia Books gives to her indy work. Working at a kitchen table with a good cup of coffee, the books come together,