by Morgan Rice
Reece frantically surveyed his surroundings, desperate for a solution.
And then, suddenly, he had one.
Reece saw the glowing lava pit, in the center of the battlefield, and as much as it pained him, he knew he had no choice. If he could not bring the Sword back, he would have to destroy it.
But would destroying the Sword for all time destroy the Ring, too? Would it destroy the Shield? He did not know. But he had no other choice. It was a desperate situation, and all he knew was that if he did nothing, then the Sword would definitely get in the wrong hands, and the Shield would definitely lower, and the Ring would definitely be destroyed.
He had to risk the uncertainty.
“TO THE LAVA!” Reece commanded.
With one last desperate push, Reece and the others bore the boulder on their shoulders and marched their way towards the pit, Elden and O’Connor fighting off the Faws all around them. Every step was a struggle on the muddy Canyon floor. Foot by foot they slogged their way through, and soon, Reece’s face was hot with the glow of the lava.
They stood there, at the precipice, arms shaking, and Reece looked down at the molten fire.
The others realized, with horror, what he was about to do.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” O’Connor screamed.
Reece was not sure. But there was no other way out.
“INTO THE LAVA!” Reece commanded.
They all followed orders, and as one, they all began to hurl it over. Reece felt the tremendous weight on his shoulders and arms as they hoisted the boulder and hurled it, the Sword in it, over the edge, into the molten pit of fire.
As it sank, the entire earth quaked beneath them, the greatest earthquake Reece had ever felt, strong enough to knock them all off of their feet.
And as Reece watched it melt, he stared into the flames, and all he could think was: what have I done?
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
Thor stood there, sword in hand, facing Gwendolyn, who knelt before him, eyes swollen with tears. He tried to remember. He saw her face, and in some dim part of himself, it meant something to him. But he could not remember what. Did he know her?
All about them, in the broad clearing, soldiers on both sides stopped their fighting, all staring, the war at a standstill as Thor faced Gwen, the Queen of the MacGils. Thor looked into her eyes, beautiful eyes, examined her face, and he tried to summon it.
Something came back to him…..flashes…he was not sure what. He could not piece it together.
“Thorgrin, it’s me,” Gwen said, crying. “Come back to me. It’s Gwendolyn. I love you. I’m so sorry for everything I said. You are nothing like your father. I love you. I love you.”
Thor stood there, sweat rolling into his eyes, and his hands shook as he held the sword over her. A part of him understood her; but another part of him had no recognition.
“THORNICUS, MY SON!” Andronicus boomed. “Do not believe her! She is the enemy. The enemy of your father. She is filled with lies. She has come to betray you. If you are my one and only son, you must answer me now. Kill this woman. Kill her for me. Kill her, and prove your loyalty to me once and for all time.”
Thor heard his father’s words, and they resonated through him, like a command that controlled his limbs, that he could not shake. It was as if he had spoken the words himself. They were more than a command. They were like his own will, spoken aloud.
Thor stood there, arms shaking, and finally, he knew what he had to do. His father had spoken. And that was all that mattered now.
Suddenly, Krohn snarled and leapt for Thor.
Thor spun and reacted with his battle skills; he backhanded Krohn with his gauntlet. Krohn yelped and went flying sideways through the air. Gwendolyn cried out as Krohn landed on his side, several feet away, whining.
Thor raised his sword again, this time to strike the final blow. For his father. It was time to be his one and only true son forever. Whatever it took. Gwen wept, but it no longer mattered. Thor had to do what he had to do.
“THORGRIN!”
A voice cut through the air, forcing Thor to stop. It was a female voice, one he did not recognize. One he had never heard, yet which seemed so deeply familiar.
Thor turned and saw a woman emerge from the crowd. She approached him slowly, her wide blue eyes locked on his, as she walked all the way through the clearing without flinching, staring at him.
She stood beside Gwendolyn. She lay a soft palm on Gwendolyn’s shoulder, and continued staring at Thor with intensity, her eyes shining right through him.
“You cannot harm her,” the woman said, calm, confident, authoritative. “You cannot harm her because I command you. I, Alistair, command you.”
Thor looked into her eyes, and the sound of her voice resonated through Thor’s body, fighting inside him, counteracting Andronicus’s voice. It was the most intense sound he’d ever heard in his life, and the vibration did something to him he could not understand. Somehow, it was breaking the hold on him, breaking his father’s spell. For the first time, he was beginning to gain clarity. He felt as if a fog was lifting, as if many layers were slowly being peeled back.
Thor wanted her to speak more—he craved for her to speak more.
“Alistair,” he repeated.
Somehow, the name rang through his head. He did not know why.
“Thorgrin,” Alistair said, “you will not harm her, because that is not who you are. That is who Andronicus wants you to be. But you are not your father. You are Thorgrin, of the Western Kingdom. You are not your father and you are not your mother. You are your own man. I know this, because I know you.”
Thor blinked, sweat stinging his eyes, as a battle raged within him. The more she spoke, the more he felt Andronicus’ influence waning. Thor stood there, wavering with the sword, his hands shaking violently.
“Thorgrin,” she said, stepping forward, laying a gentle palm on his wrist. As she did, Thor could not resist. Slowly, he felt himself lowering his sword, relaxing in her grasp.
Somehow, she was the only one. The only one who could get through to him. She held some energy, something he could not understand. With every word she spoke, it made him come back more to himself, to see the real situation before him.
Thor looked around, and for the first time, he was overwhelmed with clarity. He saw Gwendolyn, the one and only true love of his life, kneeling before him, crying. He saw himself, with utter horror, holding a sword, pointing it at her. He saw Krohn, whining, lying on his side. He saw himself facing off against his own people.
It was more than he could take. Thor despised himself. He wanted to run the sword through his own heart; he would rather kill himself than ever point a sword at Gwendolyn. He felt a tear run down his cheek, felt an awful guilt begin to well up inside of him. He felt as if he’d betrayed them all, all of his people, all the ones who loved him most.
Most of all, Gwendolyn. The woman he’d loved more than he could possibly say. He wanted to drop to his knees and beg her forgiveness, to beg everyone’s forgiveness.
Thor turned and looked at Alistair, and as his eyes locked with hers, he felt himself awash with new layers of clarity. Finally, the veil was lifted. Finally, Thor was returning to himself. Who was this woman?
“Thorgrin, you will not harm anyone,” she said, “because you are not of them. You are one of us. I know this, because I know you. I know this, because you and I, we share the same father. And the same mother.”
She looked deep into his eyes, and he felt entranced. He felt he was on the verge of a great revelation, one that would change his entire life forever. As he stared, the earth, the entire Ring, suddenly quaked, the ground shaking violently, inexplicably, as if some cosmic event had just taken place, as if the Ring were about to split in two.
But not before Alistair could say one last thing:
“I know this, Thorgrin, because I am your sister.”
NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON!
A SKY OF SPELLS
Book #9 in the Sorcerer’s Ring
Tap here to pre-order A SKY OF SPELLS on Amazon now!
“A breathtaking new epic fantasy series. Morgan Rice does it again! This magical sorcery saga reminds me of the best of J.K. Rowling, George R.R. Martin, Rick Riordan, Christopher Paolini and J.R.R. Tolkien. I couldn’t put it down!”
—Allegra Skye, Bestselling author of SAVED
In A SKY OF SPELLS (BOOK #9 IN THE SORCERER’S RING), Thorgrin finally returns to himself and must confront his father once and for all. An epic battle occurs, as two titans face each other, and as Rafi uses his power to summon an army of undead. With the Destiny Sword destroyed, and the fate of the Ring in the balance, Argon and Alistair will need to summon their magical powers to help Gwendolyn’s brave warriors. Yet even with their help, all could be lost if it were not for the return of Mycoples, and her new companion, Ralibar.
Luanda struggles to prevail against her captor, Romulus, as the fate of the Shield hangs in the balance. Reece, meanwhile, struggles to lead his men back up the Canyon walls, with Selese’s help. Their love deepens; but with the arrival of Reece’s old love, his cousin, a tragic love triangle and misunderstandings develop.
When the Empire is finally ousted from the Ring, and Gwendolyn has her chance for personal vengeance against McCloud, there is great cause to celebrate. As the new Queen of the Ring, Gwen uses her powers to unite both MacGils and McClouds for the first time in history, and to begin the epic rebuilding of the land, of her army, and of the Legion. King’s Court slowly comes back to life once again, as they all begin to pick up the pieces. It is destined to become a more glorious city than even her father ever dreamed of, and in the process, justice finally finds Gareth.
Tirus must be brought to justice, too, and Gwen will have to decide what sort of leader she will be. There is a great conflict amongst Tirus’ sons, not all of whom see things the same way, and a struggle for power erupts once again, as Gwen decides if she will accept an invitation to the Upper Isles, thus making the MacGil clan whole once again. Erec is summoned to return to his people in the Southern Isles and see his dying father, and Alistair joins him, as they prepare for their wedding. Thorgrin and Gwendolyn may have wedding preparations in their future, too.
Thor becomes closer to his sister, and as all settles down inside the Ring, he finds himself summoned to embark on his greatest quest of all: to seek out his mysterious mother in a faraway land and to find out who he really is. With multiple wedding preparations in the air, with Spring returning, King’s Court rebuilding, festivals afoot, peace seems to settle back onto the Ring. But danger lurks in the most unforeseen corners, and all of these characters greatest tribulations might be yet to come.
With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, A SKY OF SPELLS is an epic tale of friends and lovers, of rivals and suitors, of knights and dragons, of intrigues and political machinations, of coming of age, of broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, of fate and destiny, of sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders.
Book #10 in the series will also be published soon.
“Grabbed my attention from the beginning and did not let go….This story is an amazing adventure that is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. There is not a dull moment to be found.”
—Paranormal Romance Guild {regarding Turned}
“Jam packed with action, romance, adventure, and suspense. Get your hands on this one and fall in love all over again.”
—vampirebooksite.com (regarding Turned)
“A great plot, and this especially was the kind of book you will have trouble putting down at night. The ending was a cliffhanger that was so spectacular that you will immediately want to buy the next book, just to see what happens.”
—The Dallas Examiner {regarding Loved}
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