by Sarah Dalton
This has to work.
There’s a noise. Someone gasps, and a light flickers on. Engines begin to rattle, and Beardsley taps his cane on the stone floor in glee. The king drops to his knees and lifts his hands up in prayer, a strange gesture for a man of his character, but I don’t care, because it has worked, and my heart soars. Cas pulls Ellen into an embrace and kisses her on the cheek. It’s only I who notices her slip the bottle back into her skirt. The crowd cheers, and the castle springs to life in front of my eyes.
I let out a long sigh of relief that it is over. I have made my choice and now all I have to do is stick to it. All I have to do is watch the way Cas’s face lights up when he sees Ellen, and I know that it is all worth it.
Cyne is on its way to being mended, and magic has returned to the realm, so I back away from the crowd and begin to walk away. I’ve played my part in this, now all I want is to be alone so I can pack away my things for the journey. Anta is waiting in the stables, and I long to ride him away from here. Who knows where I will go? Perhaps to the Haedalands, after all. To see the Anadi Sands… What an adventure that would be!
But then I hear a thud, followed by another thud. The cranking of the machines grinds to a dramatic halt. I turn back to the crowd as more thuds occur. Almost half of the people have collapsed to the floor, with the other half falling on top of them. Without hesitation I run to Cas, managing to catch him as he falls. His eyes are closed, and his skin pales as I lift him carefully onto my knees. They are all pale.
Pale as the dead.
In complete horror, I can do nothing but watch every member of the court, including Ellen, collapse to the ground with cobwebs spreading over their bodies, as though time is speeding at an uncontrollable rate and they are sleeping through it.
“No,” I whisper. “No.”
Something happened when I ignited the magic into Aegunlund. My blood triggered whatever has caused the people around me to fall to the floor in slumber. I place Cas on the floor, being sure to rest him against the soft skirt of Ellen’s dress, and back away from them shaking my head. This can’t be happening. This isn’t how it was supposed to end. It should have been a happy ending, with Cas and Ellen together, and me on an adventure. Instead, I can only watch as layers of dust coat their sleeping bodies. What am I going to do?
~ A Note from the Author ~
A huge thank you for your support by buying this book. Book two, RED PALACE is available now. To find out more about the release of BLACK CROWN (book three in the White Hart series) and hear about awesome freebies first, then sign up for new release mail alerts.
It would be fantastic if you could leave a review on the site you bought the book. I loved writing this book, and love hearing what you thought.
Best,
Sarah Dalton
http://sarahdaltonbooks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sarahdaltonbooks
More from Sarah Dalton
The Blemished series – Now in a bargain boxed set!
A beautiful world comes at a price…
The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion. Buy me here!
My Daylight Monsters – part of the Kindle Singles programme
I always thought my demons came out in the day, rather than at night. I’ve never been scared of the dark. I’ve only ever been scared of real things: getting ill, having injections, physical pain… death. Those are my monsters, not ghosts or vampires or whatever else can hide under your bed at night.
I was wrong.
The dark makes everything worse.
When Mary’s psychiatrist advises a short stay at a psychiatric unit, her worst nightmares are confirmed. How can she get better in a place that fills her with dread? When she meets the other patients, she begins to gather some hope, until she realises that the death toll in the hospital is rising without explanation. Something sinister stalks the corridors and maybe she is the only one who can stop it…
Mary has to confront the Things that she sees if they are to stand a chance. But will she survive a confrontation with death itself? Buy me here!
About the Author:
Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.
Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, Apex Magazine, PANK magazine and the British Fantasy Society publicationDark Horizons. Her short story ‘Vampires Wear Chanel’ is featured in the Wyvern PublicationFangtales available from Amazon.
Keep in touch for more information!
www.sarahdaltonbooks.com
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