Eternal Gambit

by St Clare, Kelly

  Stubby spoke over her head, his urgent tone reflected in Locks’ answer.

  Then Locks was where the cook had been, eyes wide and fixed fearfully on her as he touched the purgium.

  Numb.

  Dark.

  Cold heaviness filled her. The white explosion lifted her body toward Locks, but like a sack of potatoes, Ebba was heaved up and dropped.

  Her eyelids were heavy, her vision blurring—the only sense remaining to her. It was as though the sound in the space before the entrance had been switched off.

  Her head lolled to the left again. To the tight, dark passage.

  Plank.

  Plank still fought against the tainted pirates there.

  One more father and she was done.

  Plank had to heal.

  Then they were free.

  The muteness as chaos reigned was peaceful, coupled with the bright light pouring into the space. There was light in hell, actual light—not the fiery replica illusion created by the red tinge to the black stone.

  Something about that should be important.

  But it wasn’t. It only confused her. Because Ebba watched her father as he swung the cutlass back and forward through the filtered mass of crazed tainted and the desperate damned. She watched as he fully turned to glance back to where she lay.

  As the tainted sprinted for her, his mouth formed five words.

  I love ye, little nymph.

  And even when she didn’t want to see, horror forced her to.

  Unable to scream, unable to move, she watched as the tainted surged forward, enveloping Plank; trampling her father as they stampeded for freedom.

  Thank You For Reading

  I hope you loved Eternal Gambit. MORTAL TRINITY (book seven) - the last in the series - releases soon. Pick up your copy here!

  If you’d like to connect with me and receive exclusive bonuses, go ahead and subscribe at: https://www.kellystclare.com/free-gifts/

  Acknowledgements

  Pirates of Felicity is my longest series yet. While I knew a bigger word count would allow me to delve deeper into my characters and plot than a trilogy, even I was taken aback by how deep. Drawing in the various threads from the last five books in the series for Eternal Gambit made for one explosive writing experience. If you finished and feel like your head is spinning and your heart is pounding, be assured that is exactly how I felt too.

  I’d like to thank my husband, family, and friends for their understanding, support, and love.

  An extra big hug and thank you to my beta team and advanced readers who are SO much fun.

  Thank you to my author friends for supporting me in this industry with their banter, time, love, and knowledge. A special shout out to Raye Wagner, Leia Stone, and Kim Loth for being inspiring humans and authors.

  My swashbuckling manuscript team:

  Editor One

  Melissa Scott

  Editor Two

  Robin Schroffel

  Proofreaders

  Patti Geesey and Dawn Yacovetta

  Map Illustrator

  Laura Diehl

  Cover Designer & Illustrator

  Amalia Chitulescu

  To my readers … the ending … please don’t throw things at me.

  Happy Reading!

  Kelly

  About Kelly St. Clare

  When Kelly is not reading or writing, she is lost in her latest reverie.

  Books have always been magical and mysterious to her. One day she decided to unravel this mystery and began writing.

  The Tainted Accords was her debut series. Her other works include The After Trilogy, The Darkest Drae, and Pirates of Felicity.

  A New Zealander in origin and in heart, Kelly currently resides in Australia with her ginger-haired husband, a great group of friends, and some huntsman spiders who love to come inside when it rains. Their love is not returned.

  Also by Kelly St. Clare

  The Tainted Accords:

  Fantasy of Frost

  Fantasy of Flight

  Fantasy of Fire

  Fantasy of Freedom

  The Tainted Accords Novellas:

  Sin

  Olandon

  Rhone

  Shard

  The After Trilogy:

  The Retreat

  The Return

  The Reprisal

  The Darkest Drae (Trilogy) Co-written with Raye Wagner

  Blood Oath

  Shadow Wings

  Black Crown

  Pirates of Felicity:

  Immortal Plunder

  Stolen Princess

  Pillars of Six

  Dynami’s Wrath

  Veritas

  Eternal Gambit

  Mortal Trinity

  Fantasy of Frost

  I know many things. What I am capable of, what I will change, what I will become. But there is one thing I will never know.

  The veil I’ve worn from birth carries with it a terrible loneliness; a suppression I cannot imagine ever being free of.

  Some things never change…

  My mother will always hate me. Her court will always shun me.

  …Until they do.

  When the peace delegation arrives from the savage world of Glacium, my life is shoved wildly out of control by the handsome Prince Kedrick, who for unfathomable reasons shows me kindness.

  And the harshest lessons are learned.

  Sometimes it takes the world bringing you to your knees to find that spark you thought forever lost.

  Sometimes it takes death to show you how to live.

  COMPLETE SERIES NOW AVAILABLE