Kota nodded and swept her arm towards the door again.
“Are you going with me?” Okay, now I feel stupid.
Kota rolled her eyes and gave a short nod.
Voice didn’t have time to argue. Instead, she returned the nod and mounted the mare.
Within minutes, they’d left the castle behind and crested a hill. They reined in under a beautiful white-blossomed tree. Beneath the branches was a rough-hewn rock with faint lettering, the words worn away long ago by the harsh Traborian elements. Voice swung from her horse and stood under the tree.
She held her hands in front of her and watched the glow begin to fade. Soon it was gone and she was left staring at two perfectly ordinary hands. They shook as she touched her face and hair. I am human. Completely human.
Kota watched her intently, mouth agape. Voice shot her a wavery smile. A real smile. Trumpets sounded from the castle announcing the beginning of a new era. One with Queen Calisandra as its ruler.
Tears formed in Voice’s eyes and she let them run freely. I can cry. Her princess no longer needed her guidance. Her time as a guardian was over.
Now it is time for me to find my path. The tears dried on her cheeks as she remounted the horse. She glanced one last time at the castle. “Goodbye, Princess. May you rule long and well. I will always love you.”
She nodded to Kota. “Let’s go.”
❄❄❄
The sun hung high in the sky as two riders raced across a land that had once been covered in snow: one with short dark hair and brown eyes, the other with long black hair and violet eyes.
The End
Acknowledgements
First, I want to thank God, who put so many amazing people in my life and gave me the dedication to see this project through.
Next, to my wonderful husband: I can’t express how much his enthusiasm for my work excited me. He was the one telling me to keep going when I wondered if it was worth it.
Thank you to Andrea Myers for the beautiful cover. She took the challenge head-on and created a masterpiece.
A huge thank you to the people who spent months pouring over each chapter and finding every detail that needed attention.
Elise Edmonds, whose feedback was priceless. She was my go-to when I needed a second opinion or just to whine! Sharon Miller, the first writer who convinced me that I had something good. Without her encouragement, I might never have finished. Alia, who meticulously pointed out my weaknesses and numerous grammatical errors! She pushed me to be better. Leslie & Dave, who put 100% of their effort into their feedback (positive of negative). To my hero, Lesa, whose emotional connection to “Winterland” let me know that I was hitting the right notes and was finally ready.
Lastly, I want to thank my mom, Harini, Erin, Alyson, and the rest of my writer’s group who encouraged and helped me along the way.
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About the Author
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Kristen Kooistra has always loved books about faraway fantasy lands. “Heart of the Winterland” is her first book. She lives in Michigan with her husband and a passel of kids and cats. Her kids and cats do their best to keep her busy and like to "help" mommy with the keyboard.
Tucked into the quiet countryside she spends most of her time taking care of her family and squeezing in time to write after everyone's gone to bed for the night. Other than writing, Kristen loves gardening, cooking, reading, sewing, swimming, and spending time with her family.
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