Wynter Reign

by Emmy R Bennett

  “Did you find Red?” Isalora asks.

  “Not yet, still looking.”

  Suddenly, I’m filled with anger. Redmae. Is it hers?

  I look around and spot her near the barn, circling. Casey still rides her back. “I’ve found her. Meet me at the barn,” I say to Isalora.

  I watch her howl louder than I ever have before. She hikes up on her hind legs. Casey falls off. He appears bewildered and then notices me.

  Isalora is right. It worked. I can hear Redmae’s thoughts.

  She notices me immediately, and I can hear Casey laugh—a laugh full of wickedness.

  The rage in Red’s eyes intensify. Alarmed, I say, “Red, it’s me. Your sister, Rory. Don’t you remember?” I try not to be distracted by the cloud of smoke entering Casey’s body.

  Redmae growls louder. “I don’t know you. What I can’t quite understand is how you’re able to communicate with me. Only my pack is allowed such privilege.” She shows deadly teeth.

  “Your pack is gone, Redmae. Don’t you see? You’ve been cursed. I’m here to help you.”

  She circles me. We’re about the same sized, evenly matched, except her bite will be permanent. I know from history that one nip, and I’ll hold the curse, too. I would rather die than survive that.

  “Redmae, take this and drink what I have around my neck. It will save you from the darkness that yearns to take over your soul.”

  “Me? I need no saving. You, however, do. Your Storm army has killed my master. And for that, you will suffer. My pack is gone. What have you done?”

  She pounces towards me, but Akira tumbles into her, taking them both to the ground. They begin to circle each other.

  “Why hasn’t the moon changed her yet?”

  “It needs to beam down on her. The moon is still too low.”

  The power I feel as a wolf is very different than as a human. My senses are heightened, and I can anticipate when a foe approaches. I stand on all fours, stunned when Akira attacks. Cory was right, all along. Redmae has changed. She would have ripped me to shreds.

  “Give it up, dear sister,” Red calls inside my head. “You have lost.”

  The light of the moon disappears, and it turns blood orange. For a moment, I’m stunned to see its beauty, but something else comes our way, blocking the view. A swarm of evil demons. Each looks different, but yet the same. Wraith-like beings with features so grotesque it’s hard to look at them. Isalora immediately aids in the battle, using her lightning to hold them off from approaching.

  I watch Casey spread out his arms and open his mouth wide. Black, smoke-like residue enters his body.

  “What is going on?” I ask

  “The full moon has begun, but that isn’t why the demon surge. Cory killed Moyer, breaking the hold, that kept Moyer here on the compound.” Isalora answers

  “Are you saying we failed?” Distracted, I turn to find Red has vanished. Where did she go? Akira lies on the ground, where the two of them fought, appearing injured. I shift back and run to Akira, kneeling down to check on him.

  “Is he going to be okay?” I ask. The screeches in the sky intensify. We can hear the anger of thunder, and see lightning illuminate the dark skies.

  Arryn lifts the cat’s head. “He will be fine.” A tear comes to her eye. I see much of the rest of our party come to meet us.

  I know what she says, isn’t true. Redmae’s bloody bite mark trails down Akira’s shoulder. “He’s been bitten.” I take the vial from around my neck and pop the top, giving it to Arryn. “Here.”

  Stunned, she says, “What about Red?”

  I shrug. “We’ll think of something. Maybe give him half, I’ll give the other half to Red.” I look over my shoulder to see death all around us. “If I can find her, she’s disappeared again.”

  We’ll gather the others and port out of here. It takes a few seconds before I spot a woman, naked on the ground, unconscious. Claw marks rake her body. I run to her, realizing it’s Red. I take the cape from my shoulders and cover her. Arryn approaches. “I see you, too, may need this?” She hands me the half empty vial. Next to her, Akira sits, with his tail twitching, licking his paws.

  “Will he be okay?” I ask, taking the bottle.

  “I think so. Rather for the time being, anyway. We should gather the others and get out of here.”

  I pop the top once more and pour the liquid between Redmae’s lips. It takes but a moment before she awakens, coughing. At first, she appears disoriented, then stunned. She looks down at her palms. “Am I dreaming? I see my own hands?”

  I smile. “No…I mean, yes…wait, I mean both. No, you’re not dreaming, yes, those are your hands.”

  Red wipes the hair from her face and covers herself more with my cloak. She looks up to see the sky in chaos. By this time, the battle has moved above ground.

  “Can you see them?” she asks.

  “Yes,” Arryn answers. “The portal has opened. They are coming through, faster than they should.”

  “What does that mean?” I ask.

  “It means the battle in our world has begun, and the gatekeepers from the other side are overwhelmed,” Arryn says.

  “We need to get out of here,” I say.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.” Arryn helps Red get to her feet. “Go gather the others. I’ve got your sister.”

  I run to meet up with Chad and Blair, both are injured. Chad carries what looks like Cory in his arms.

  “What happened?” I see Cole follow behind them, not quiet himself. His head is down when he walks.

  “I don’t know,” Blair says. I see tears in her eyes, as I watch her sob over her son.

  “He’s a vampire, Blair. Pull the dagger from his chest. He’s not dead. You of all people know that,” I say.

  “Don’t you think I’ve tried,” she screams, weeping.

  Cole remains in a vegetative state. His eyes are open, but he’s not there. I look to Blair. “Try again.” Chad still cradles Cory.

  I watch Blair as she makes a second attempt to remove the dagger from Cory, but it doesn’t budge.

  “What’s going on? Why can’t you pull this out of him?” I demand.

  “I don’t know,” she yells, sounding annoyed and angry. “Only fire can kill a nytemire. I don’t understand it. It’s as though magic is holding it in his chest.”

  Cole continues to sway back and forth, ignoring everything around him. “What’s wrong with him?” I ask, pointing.

  “We don’t know,” Chad answers. “It’s as if the moment Cole stabbed Cory, he, too, was stabbed. Like the two of them are connected. I can’t read either one of their thoughts anymore.”

  “Cole stabbed Cory?”

  Chad nods.

  The forest and trees look empty with life. Death lays out across the surface. A loud crack in the sky sounds, and the black hole in front of the full moon grows bigger. More evil energies emerge, screaming and howling. “What do we do?” Arryn asks.

  “I say we take our leave now,” I scream. It’s so loud I can barely hear my own voice. I watch as a second wisp like Isalora sails through and fights alongside her. “They’re holding the evil at bay.”

  “We need to go now,” Blair presses. “She knows we’re onto her.”

  “She?”

  “Sarmira. She’s still alive. She has to be, otherwise the hole opening from the full moon would not be happening,” Blair insists.

  “We all watched Cory kill her,” Thom protests.

  “Yes…Moyer’s body. Not Sarmira’s soul,” Blair says.

  “Do we take Cole?” I point to him. He’s now tucked into a fetal position on the ground, covering his head and rocking.

  “Yes. With him in this state, I would imagine he won’t be harmful. His mind is trapped. Besides, I’ve lost two sons today, and I’m not about to lose a third.”

  “What about Derek? We should bury him,” Arryn says. My sister leans against her.

  “No, we will bring him with us,” Zak says, walkin
g up behind us and propping him over his shoulder.

  “I’m sorry about Nora,” I say. I take Zak’s silence as a warning he doesn’t want to hear it.

  “Derek is not dead,” Chad reminds us. He pulls the dagger from his back. “He requested I ‘save him.’”

  I lift the hidden pouch upon my palm and pull the rune that will port us home. I feel it working the way it’s supposed to. “Gather around, we’re going home.” I see Chad holding Cory, and Blair has her arm around Cole. Zak still has Derek over his shoulder, and Arryn huddles with Akira and Red. The dwarves stand next to them. The magic from my rune ignites and forms a bubble, protecting us.

  “I thought you could only take ten at a time?” Blair asks.

  “Apparently, Aoes fixed that, too,” I say.

  We all connect hands, linking everyone, so we don’t leave any of our party behind. Cole seems to know what is going on as he grabs Redmae’s hand. Arryn hooks her fingers around Akira’s collar and grabs Red’s other palm.

  “Here we go…I hope.” The rains come pounding down. It’s cold. Lightning strikes a tree next to us right before we all disappear into nothingness. Within a blink of an eye, we land safely in the druid circle of the Ashengale garden just outside of the city. The first thing I notice... "Where is Cory?"

  Epilogue

  Maura Moyer

  Future:

  Day of Wynter’s Ascension

  The breeze is nice. It flows through my hair, and I wipe the tendrils from my eyes. The war is over. We won. I look out my bedroom window and see the sun shining bright upon the water. Dragons fly in a victory formation. Today is the day of my ascension.

  A knock at the door startles me out of my reverie. “Come in.”

  “My Lady, the dress you ordered is ready. May I hang it in your closet?”

  “Yes, Rosie. Thank you.”

  A grumble sounds from the side of my bed, and I look over at Namari and smile. “But quiet, please. We don’t want to wake him. He needs his sleep.”

  Rosie nods.

  I look in the mirror and see I look just like her. I’m used to having the black hair and green eyes, but I suppose the white doesn’t look too bad. And those blue eyes, my, how bright they are. I must protect my granddaughter as best I can. And the only way to warn her was this. She will be angry. But after all, it’s only a dream.

  “Wynter, wake up.” The mind within her mind is sealed tight, even for a spirit like me.

  This isn’t at all how I expected it to be. She won’t rouse.

  I wonder if she can still hear me. I lean down to her ear as she sleeps. “Wynter, darling. I’m so sorry for all the pain I have put you through. Know that I’ll be with you always. I’m free from the clutches of evil. I must now go to the light forever, never to return. I’m at peace now.

  But your work is not done. Sarmira is still alive and well. She has found a new host. You must stop her.”

  A light from the window appears and shines bright. “It’s time to come home, Maura. Your work here is done. You’re forgiven, and your soul may rest at peace now,” a divine voice says.

  The light draws me in, and I go to it.

  The Storms

  Ailbert Storm: The middle sibling of the three Storm brothers, Gavin and Bram. His Wife: Sara Deagon. Their Son is Ian. Great grandfather to Wynter Storm.

  Arik Storm: Son of Gavin Storm and Isobel Deagon - Storm Wife: Maura Moyer.

  Blair Storm: Mother is Drena (Vampire). Father is unknown, but she knows she’s a Storm. Adoptive Mother: Madame Moyer. Her sons: Casey, Cole and Cory. Born a vampire.

  Bram Storm: The youngest son of Bryce and Petra Storm. His wife is Clarice. Their sons are Derek and Daniel.

  Bryce Storm: The knight that killed Sarmira’s original body, causing her to exile her remaining years as a wraith. Bryce is married to Petra. They have three sons: Gavin, Ailbert and Bram.

  Casey Storm: Son of Blair. Born deformed. Redmae’s best friend. Father unknown at this time. Cory and Cole’s older brother.

  Chad Storm: He is the son of Madame Maura Moyer-Storm and Arik Storm. Jeoffrey’s younger brother. Wynter Storm's uncle.

  Clarice Storm: Married to Bram Storm. Died in childbirth.

  Cole Storm: Son of Blair and twin brother to Cory. Born a vampire. Father unknown at this time.

  Cory Storm: Son of Blair and twin brother to Cole. Born a vampire. Father unknown at this time.

  Daniel Storm: The son of Bram and Clarice Storm and Derek’s older brother.

  Derek Storm: He is the Son of Bram and Clarice Storm. Daniel’s younger brother.

  Eleena Storm: Married to Ian. Mother to Isalora and Francesca Storm. Grandmother to Wynter Storm.

  Francesca Deagon-Storm (Fran): Older sister to Isalora and Daughter to Eleena and Ian. Sara Deagon Storm is her grandmother. Wynter Storm’s aunt. Her formal name is Drelanda.

  Gavin Storm: Oldest brother to Ailbert and Bram. Parents are Bryce and Petra Storm. Son is Arik.

  Ian Storm: Son of Ailbert and Sara Storm. Husband to Eleena. Their daughters are Francesca and Isalora. Wynter Storm’s grandfather.

  Isalora Deagon-Storm: Mother to Wynter Storm and wife to Jeoffrey Storm. Her parents are Ian and Eleena Storm. Her grandmother is Sara Deagon-Storm. Younger sister to Fran.

  Isobel Deagon-Storm: Sara’s younger sister. Wife of Gavin Storm and mother to Arik Storm. She’s the grandmother to Jeoffrey and Chad Storm. Both sisters married Storms in secret. Causing a great scandal among the Houses.

  Jeoffrey Storm: Son of Madame Maura Moyer-Storm and Arik Storm. Husband of Isalora Deagon-Storm. Chad’s brother. Wynter Storm's father.

  Madame Maura Moyer: Married to Arik. Mother to Jeoffrey and Chad. Adopted mother to Blair. Grandmother to Wynter Storm. Possessed by Sarmira.

  Petra Storm: Wife to Bryce. Mother to Gavin Ailbert and Bram.

  Sara Deagon-Storm: Married to Ailbert Storm. Mother to Ian Storm. Grandmother to Isalora and Fran, and Great grandmother to Wynter Storm. Oldest sister to Isobel. Her father is the slain king of Ashengale. Her father was killed during the great battle.

  Wynter Storm: Daughter of Jeoffrey Storm and Isalora Deagon-Storm.

  First cousins: Arik, Ian, Derek, and Daniel.

  Ladorielle Community

  Drena: Elvin daughter to Gage was turned to a vampire. Blair's mother.

  Gage: Elvin: Drena’s father.

  Garrick: Head commander guard for Ashengale City.

  Geneviève Fernshadow: The Royal Storm’s porter. Her father is Gage and mother is Laveena (Dryads).

  Gretta: A Dryad.

  Huntress Arryn & Akira: Queen Sara's Royal guards

  Kyla: Gretta’s sister, also a Dryad.

  Laveena: Geneviève’s mother.

  Nora: Iknes Shaw. Wynter’s Lady’s Maid, and a Shadow Walker.

  Nyta: (Nigh-ta) One of the last of Sara’s court. The medical doctor for the Storm Castle and its surrounding people. High Priestess to the castle. A Diviner of magic.

  Nytemire: (Night-my-er) A cross hybrid of a necromancer and vampire.

  Redmae: A wolf. Rory's sister.

  Rory: Wynter Storm’s best friend.

  Stella: Wynter’s friend from Storm River Manor.

  Thom & Dom: Dwarf twins and warriors

  Zak: Nora’s brother. Also an Iknes Shaw.

  Underworld

  Iknes Shaw: Snake-like creatures that are of a humanoid form. They have the head and arms of a human, and a body of a snake. They have the ability to look like a human.

  Sabretail Prowlers: Invisible demon dogs that work for Vothule the Underworld King. They have the body of a dog and a tail like a sabre.

  Sarmira: A powerful necromancer sorceress: Ultimate power of evil. Has the ability to raise the dead, create chemistry poisons, read minds of anyone. Often places memory stamps on her victims. Necromancers see the undead and can possess the bodies of others. As long as they breathe the essence of life they can live forever. Weakness is Labradorite.

&
nbsp; Trek: Ogre-like creatures that can have skin shades from green to a pale white. They have the innate ability to shift into anything.

  Vothule: King of the underworld. Sarmira’s superior.

  Ladorielle

  Ashengale: City of dragons.

  Elleirodal: (Elle- ir o dal) Elleirodal and home of Zhir and the twin planet to Ladorielle.

  Giant Country: A heavy mountainous terrain where giants and Iknes Shaw live among each other.

  Geneviève’s Ranch: An Elvin city.

  Grengore Mines: Area where minerals are located and the tunnel to the Lake of No Return.

  Ladorielle Territory: An area that is at war with the underworld that’s trying to overtake the land.

  Ladorielle: (La- door - ē – elle) Twin planet to Elleirodal. Ladorielle is divided into three continents. Ladorielle Territories, Storm Castle Realm, and Dragonscale Island. The Storms once ruled all of Ladorielle, with Dragonscale Island coexisting on the same planet. Elleirodal realm and the house of Zhir plan to take over both realms.

  Pine Willow Valley: The place where Geneviève’s ranch is located.

  Scale Rock: The crevasse cavern where the Iknes Shaw live.

  Shadow Vine Forest: The home of the Dryads, and haven for fairies.

  Songbird Meadow: The meadow where the killer birds sing their prey to sleep.

  Storm Castle: Where the Storm family resides.

  The Houses

  Dragonscale: Ruler of the universe, and the balance of power with good vs. evil.

  The Council: the circle of balance: the ruler of each realm seats at the table of balance. They are the high courts of the universe. Each house have their own set of rules, and leaders. If a decision cannot be made, it is brought up to the council for a vote.

  House of Storm ~ Nytemires (hybrid Vampire/Necromancer)

  House of Deagon ~ Dragons

  House of Fernshadow ~ Elves

  House of Fae ‘Oria ~ Dryads