ShatterStar

by Krista Rose

  He flinched, and gulped. “Nothing will happen to her, I swear. On the Gates of the Dead, I swear.”

  “Good.” I smiled, and patted his shoulder. “Then we have nothing to worry about.”

  “Vitric?” Lanya called. “Tanner’s ready to leave.”

  “Coming.” I brushed past Dariel to walk to her, and wrapped her in a tight hug.

  She shuddered against my chest, her hands balling into fists in my shirt. “Find Kryssa,” she whispered.

  “I will.” I kissed the top of her head. “By the way, there’s kittens in the apartment.”

  She blinked at me. “Kittens?”

  “Eva and Meg. Take care of them for me, will you?”

  “I- will.”

  “Thank you.” I let her go, and turned to mount my horse. Amandine, Reyce, and Dariel clustered around Lanya.

  I glanced at Tanner. “Well, we found yours. Ready to find mine?”

  “Ready,” he confirmed. On the other side of him, Felice stared at us unblinking, her eyes like slivers of moonlight in her face.

  We kneed our horses forward, heading out into the night, toward a land of golden sands and a night-black temple I had only seen in my dreams, and the girl who awaited me there.

  I’m coming, Kryssa. I promise, I’ll find you.

  KRYSSA

  17 Syrthil 578A.F.

  Temple of Sirius, Surak

  The infirmary was dark when I opened my eyes. The air smelled of incense and, oddly, lavender. My hands and feet were still bound to the edges of my cot by thick leather straps, a precaution taken by the healers after my disastrous experience with the sedative. My mouth tasted of metal and dirt, a remnant of the new, weaker potions they fed me.

  At first, I could not tell what had awakened me. The room was quiet, only a lone healer sitting near the foot of my bed to watch over me. His thick black robe shrouded his face, the candlelight casting eerie shadows around him.

  And then it struck me. I could not hear the whispering. After a month of voices not my own filling my head, it was the sheer lack of them now that struck me as strange, leaving my ears ringing in the sudden silence.

  I whimpered, straining against my bonds, and the figure at the foot of my bed turned toward me.

  “Oh, good,” he murmured, and my skin crawled as his voice emerged like the crackle of dead leaves scraping against my skin. “You’re awake.”

  I stared, horrified, screams locked in my throat as he pushed back his hood with thin, skeletal fingers- fingers that were completely transparent. His face was a decayed wreck of rotting flesh, bits of his skull gleaming even as the weak candlelight shone through it.

  “I think it’s time we had a talk.”

  CAST

  in order of appearance

  THE ROSE FAMILY AND COMPANY

  Kryssa – eldest of the Rose family

  Brannyn – secondborn of the Rose family

  Lanya – thirdborn of the Rose family

  Kylee – twin of Alyxen Rose

  Alyxen – twin of Kylee Rose

  Reyce – youngest of the Rose family

  Tanner – a former slave; Brannyn’s partner in the Guard

  Vitric – Kryssa’s childhood friend; a Second of Lady Murthos Hetarielle of Enevai; also known as Desper

  THE ROSE FAMILY (EXTENDED)

  Malachi Rose – father of the Rose family, deceased

  Adelie Rose – mother of the Rose family, deceased

  Garyl Moon – Adelie’s father

  Amandine Rose – matriarch of the Rose family

  Felice Rose – cousin; a Vampyre

  Elias Rose – cousin; fellow guard

  Eremaude – a crazy aunt

  Rumer, Mychael, Brycen, Marni, Haidee, Sillow, Maari,

  Valin - cousins

  FALLOR

  Chanach – Captain of the Guard

  Hamar – an apothecary; Lanya’s business partner

  Darli – a flower merchant

  Eloise – an incense maker; owns the Rose family’s apartment

  CEDRALYSONE

  Aillel Ethraslyss – a Cedrani assigned to care for Reyce

  Vanderys – First Valariel of Prince Sotiris

  Aleydis – son of Prince Sotiris, heir to Cedralysone

  Lyrel – a Cedrani servant

  Marel – a Cedrani servant

  Sotiris – Prince of Cedralysone

  Rathis – an advisor to Prince Sotiris

  THE IMPERIAL LEGIONS

  Quarius – Legate of the Imperial Legions

  Aurus – Commander under Legate Quarius

  Dariel – prince of Valory, second son of the Emperor; currently in charge of improving the Legions

  Torelis – a combat mage in the Imperial Legions

  OTHER

  Eriny – the Angel of Healing and Light; also known as the Glass Angel

  Nightking – Kylee’s stallion

  The Lady – Reyce’s mysterious friend

  The Crone – the witch of Desperation, deceased

  Keven – a guard in Joksten

  Eva, Lily, Daisy – kittens adopted by Vitric and Brannyn

  Marla – a former rebel of the Darkling Prince, deceased

  Darkling Prince – the former leader of a group of rebellious slave rescuers, deceased

  Bryonis – a healer in the Camp of the Darkling Prince, deceased

  Atum – the Oracle of Diona

  Georne II, Aisha I, Damzen – the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince of Valory, respectively

  Ellisa – a woman in Desperation

  Sylvathi – a dragon

  Hetarielle – the Great Mage of Earth; also known as Lady Murthos

  Vysarine – the Great Mage of Fire; also known as Lady Syro

  Herrill, Farius Rose – the two men who abused Felice, driving her to become a Vampyre; both deceased

  Eoct – ‘Ever-Light’; an unknown entity

  GLOSSARY OF TERMS

  HISTORIA

  Abeline – Cedrani waybread

  Abyss – the space between the worlds

  A.F. – After the Faith; the current Age

  Angel – the consort of a God, who are usually gods themselves, such as Alistair

  Aurelion – the star beneath Cedralysone

  Ca’erdylla – the world

  Ca’erlyssa – heaven, where souls go to await being reborn

  Ca’erolne – the world beneath Ca’erdylla

  Ca’ersenta – hell, where souls go when they are damned

  Cedradin – exiled Cedrani that destroyed their star, damning themselves; referred to as the ‘Starless Ones’

  Destiny – a Primordium; the divine, nebulous creator of all things, embodied in the Eternal Flame

  Dragonwrayths – a mysterious group of dragon-riders

  Dream-Walking – the ability to true dream about waking events

  Elementals – Guardians of the Elements of Ca’erdylla

  Elements – the tools used by Destiny to create the world: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Light, and Dark

  Ellatris’ Honor – a ritual performed between Cedrani involving a dream-chalice; used to settle feuds

  Enevai – the Isle of the Great Warriors

  Erydian – the Goddess of the Winter Star

  Eternal Flame – the fire of Destiny, which reveals Its plan for the world

  Faith – the worship of the Younger Gods, which protects them from being corrupted by the Darkness

  Flamespeak – the language of dragons

  Great Mage – a mage who is gifted with the power of one Element, also known as Elementi

  Lysone – an Eye of the Cedrani

  Primordium – the beings who existed before the creation of the worlds, such as Death, Destiny, and the Darkness

  Styrach – a breed of dragon

  Syralla – great dragon, one who has lived two thousand years or more

  The Darkness – a Primordium; the destroyer of worlds, corruptor of the Gods; the amorphous embodiment of chaos


  The Elder Gods – the first Gods who were corrupted by the Darkness

  Phenos – the Elder God responsible for creating Vampyres

  Diona – the Princess, Goddess of the Stars; the only Elder God to remain uncorrupted by the Darkness; created the mortal races of Men, Elves, and Dwarves

  The First Race – the original, immortal race created by the Elder Gods, corrupted by the Darkness; also known as the Golden Ones or the Twisted Ones

  The Realm of the Gods – the world where the deities of all the worlds reside

  The Warrior and the Bear, the Dragon of the East, the Vase of Yrisa - constellations

  The Younger Gods – the Gods created by Destiny to protect the world from the Darkness

  Yrisa – Great Mother Goddess, Goddess of Life

  Sirius – the Peaceful One, God of the Dead

  Rina – the Merciful, Goddess of War, Justice and Balance

  Palata – God of Peace and Tranquility

  Vanae – Goddess of Beauty, Pleasure and Happiness

  Armas – God of Beasts, Guardian of the Wilderness and Wild Places of the World

  Naitre – the Favored and Adored, Child-Goddess of Love

  World Gates – doorways between worlds

  Y ’KEN’OHL

  Language of the Ancients

  Aurelion, dyslan E – Aurelion, bless me

  Aur-Ishket – Star-Memory

  Cedrani – Elves; also known as the Star’s Eldest Children

  Dahkbayst - monster

  D’aur lysen len Vi – the Stars watch over you

  Delvani – Dwarves

  De lyss vectalys Vi vectamor – the sky keep you forever

  Dione, et fellgora ra e’ve – Diona, have mercy upon us

  Dione, mor – Diona, no

  Dione, mu fellgra – Diona, forgive me

  Domme, Dommess – healer

  Donna Lanya, se d’ohl’embras ne Sotiris-Rava, Vi et darinonda – Lady Lanya, by order of Prince Sotiris, you are under arrest

  D’Ravo-bradhan – prince’s whore (bedwoman)

  Dyslan ne Dione se Vi, elden ne d’Aurelion. D’aur Llylhin vect posi Vi – blessings of Diona upon you, Aurelion’s eldest. The stars shine ever over you

  Dyslan ne Dione idramor Vi – blessings of Diona protect you

  E dysla vin Y’ethlalor ste’dre sentrys e’ve – I pray your pleasure does not betray us

  E ste’dre kenta tehk e’ve et shast ohl et’ohld-dysrava – I do not know why we are forced to speak this cursed language

  E torr yemuret eta’yl – I can fix everything

  Et yl shas ra mortis – is it able to be stopped

  Kay’Bayst’enoll – small underground beasts; known by men as goblins

  Lyssen – child of the sky

  Mor – no

  Moret’ethla – the Soulless; known by men as Vampyres

  M’orin – my friend, a common term of endearment

  Mu baet – my beautiful

  Mu ethra – my heart

  Mu fellgra, d’Ravo – Forgive me, my prince

  Orinohld – friend-speaker

  Syro-orin – Fire-friend; a respectful term among dragons

  Tehk et E e’var, ne Sa – why am I here, with her

  Tehk et la – what is this

  Tehk et Vi e’var – why are you here

  Tehk kentalor et Vi – Did you know

  Vadrani – Men

  Valariel – a knight of Cedralysone

  Yl et betre ra tohl efra ren shen daridan – it is better to fall free than to stand caged

  Yriset – live

  ARTIFACTS

  Binding of Thanir – a ring that exploits an enemy’s weakness

  Book of Unmaking – a book that allows one to travel between places

  Fal’en – living statues that protect temples, usually by killing intruders

  Glowball – an unflickering source of light, magically trapped in a crystal

  POTIONS, LOTIONS, POISONS, AND HERBS

  As Compiled by Lanya Rose

  POTIONS

  DIMCRAJA – also known as dimocrass; a sedative made from ventum, queensweed, and a dash of bitterdust; deadly in large doses

  EMPHIN – a potion made from tanomy, skylily, and ibrydacia to cure severe headaches

  FEVERBREAK – a mixture of peppermint, lemon, and icefern, usually brewed into a tea, to reduce fevers

  LLYLET – a potent liquor made by the Cedrani from apples

  URTANT – made from frostmallow and tanomy to cure coughs and treat lung-rot

  VOKKA – a potent liquor made primarily in Cynvali from potatoes

  LOTIONS

  BREAKBANE – an extremely effective salve made from magically-infused herbs, used to speed the rate of healing in broken bones

  CUTBANE – an extremely effective and powerful salve made from magically-infused herbs and raw earth magic, used to heal even the most severe of wounds

  QUIETBALM – a salve made from lavender and tanomy, to reduce anxiety and nerve disorders

  POISONS

  BITTERDUST – a Dwarven poison which causes paralysis, slowed heartbeat, and lowered body temperature

  CATTAKASHA – an extremely addictive drug which causes emotional numbness, mental instability, and eventual insanity

  GLOMTERATH – a mild poison which is made from the mixture of ventum and falseweed leaves, causing vomiting, headaches, and disorientation

  KINGSEVER – a poison made from the residue of exotic frogs, which causes violent seizures and death

  NARCET – a deadly poison which appears like death, slowing the heart and breathing

  HERBS

  ATARGATIS – one of the rarest plants in the world; a single drop of distilled atargatis can cure even the deadliest of poisons or addictions

  BLOODROOT – used in pastes to stop the flow of blood, or in tea to thicken it; can be deadly in large doses

  FAECAP – a mushroom generally used by seers and fortune-tellers to promote visions; causes hallucinations when ingested

  FALSEWEED – when distilled, can be made into a truth serum; favored among interrogators for its effect of causing short-term memory loss after use

  FROSTMALLOW – a soothing herb used to treat sore throats and coughs

  IBRYDACIA – used to reduce swelling and stimulate healing; can be made into a tea to help with exhaustion and improve focus

  ICEFERN – a cooling agent used to reduce fevers

  MOONFLOWER – a magical herb used to promote vivid dreaming, famously used to prompt Dream-Walking

  QUEENSWEED – also called marshlight or Lushe Rialta; cures brain fever; when made into a paste is used to treat serious burns

  SALIXWEED – commonly used by men as a means of temporary sterility; can also be made into a tea to help with weak hearts

  SKYLILY – typically used in magical recipes to induce peace and tranquility; favored by nobility in special cakes called petites to aid in relaxation

  TANOMY – a numbing agent and pain reliever, commonly chewed for tooth pain

  VENTUM – typically used in magical recipes to promote healing and protection

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  This book was only written because no one murdered me first. Thanks for that- especially since I know I deserved it.

  First, a big thank you to my beta readers: Groot, Sarah A., Martin, Rob Nichols, Robbye, Traci, Dustin, Engel, Ken Davison, Neal P., Ralph, Heather Hatfield, and, of course and especially, all my Moms.

  A special, heartfelt thanks to Brad, for being willing to go through this process twice. I’m really surprised you haven’t run by now.

  To Kris, for being my rock. Thanks for listening to me vent for hours, even when you had no idea what I was talking about. I’d apologize, but I’m probably not going to stop. Sorry.

  To Hal and Jordan. You guys will always be my favorites. Mu ethla torr et vin, vectamor.

  And finally, to my readers- without you, I would just be talking to myself. Apparently that�
�s a bad thing, so thank you.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Krista S. Rose has always been fascinated by fantasy, and has been building the world of Ca’erdylla for nineteen years. The stories, which began as a game with her brothers and sisters, have grown to become an obsession, competing with her love of video games, books, and Italian food.

  Krista’s first book in the Saga of the Rose Series, Whispers of Heaven, is available on Amazon in both paperback and on Kindle. Her first two books, set 1500 years after the events of the Saga of the Rose, are being republished under the new titles Blood and Blade, and will be available in 2018.

  Feel free to contact Krista! She loves to hear from you!

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/catnamedsnowball

  Email: rosefanmail@yahoo.com

  FELICE

  17 Syrthil 578A.F.

  Ten miles south of Fallor, Valory

  My world was made of agony.

  It had been hours since we had left the Manor, and still the torrent of emotions inside of me would not ease. I stared down at my hands on the reins of my horse, struggling to breathe as visions of my life as a Vampyre clashing horribly with my memories as a human within my head. I couldn’t reconcile the horrific things I had allowed to happen with the life I had lived before, and I trembled with pain and heartbreak.

  I remembered my mother’s face, warm and loving as she had kissed my forehead goodnight. She had always tucked my toes beneath the blankets to keep the monsters from stealing them. I remembered staring at her, cold and unfeeling as she had screamed for my help, covered in the blood of my family as the Vampyres had torn her apart.

  I had been so afraid of monsters when I was little, and then I had grown up to become one. It was like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from, taking all the things that had once been beautiful in my life and turning them to ashes.

  And beneath it all pulsed my terrible, awful fear of Eoct.

  The blonde man who rode beside me- Vitric- turned to stare at me, his face hidden in the darkness of predawn. “So, tell me. Do you feel better now? You’re not getting the urge to eat anyone, are you?”