The gala being held was over the top, an affair to remember by all accounts. A celebration of life, of new beginnings, and clean slates. Though the lung burrowers killed almost all the Enders, most of the general populace survived. Everyone was being told Cassava had been killed. A lie that would be shattered the minute she returned with a vengeance.
But for now, they were happy, and my father was safe. He held Fern lightly around the waist and she smiled up at him, her face glowing with happiness. No reason she shouldn’t be, he’d just asked her to marry him in front of everyone. Of course, she said yes, and the people were excited. A wedding was a huge affair in the Rim.
I watched from the edge of the gathering field. No different than any other time, I wasn’t invited, despite Fern’s protests to the contrary. She’d even had a gown made for me, in the latest human style, sleek and body hugging, a deep golden tone that matched my hair and eyes. While she was far from perfect, she would make a far better queen than Cassava. And I’d told her that. She teared up, hugging me tightly as she cried.
“I wish your father would change his mind, you are the best of his children.”
That had been the other reason I refused to attend, even though she’d fought for me to be there. Vetch, Belladonna, and Keeda were still living in the Spiral. They claimed Cassava had twisted their minds, just like everyone else. But those were lies I saw through with ease.
I would not be fooled by them, even if my father and others were. Cassava wasn’t done, and I had no doubt she would work through her three oldest children to bring her plans about.
So, as it was, I sat, crouched on the rooftop of the nearest house, watching. Making sure no one stepped out of line.
Protecting them, even though they didn’t see me, even though most of them still thought me useless. The irony was not lost on me.
“Hey, beautiful, could you use some company?”
Coal stared up at me from the ground and I held out a hand to him, pulling him up beside me. He hugged me to him, but I pushed him gently away, and turned back to watching over the field, the sparkling lights, lightning bugs and swaying dancers. “I’m on duty, Coal.”
“Look at you, being all proper-like. You have years yet before you’re a full Ender.” He touched the side of my head with his hand, fingers trailing down my face. Guilt hit me hard. I hadn’t told him I’d been the one to maim him. How could I?
And that guilt had allowed him back into my life, and into my bed. My eyes never stopped moving, watching for a sign that something was going to go wrong. “You know, when our family first came here, Enders were trained in less time, they were tested by being sent out to battle and if they survived, they were sent through the final testing stage.”
“That was then, Lark. This is now.”
I heard the footsteps, recognized the cadence of them. “Ash.”
“Larkspur, Coal is going to take your watch tonight.”
Coal gave a grunt. “I am?”
“Yes, we’re short on numbers, you know that.” Ash stepped into view, his honey-colored eyes glowing in the dim light like some large jungle cat. “I need Larkspur to come with me.”
“Is something wrong?” I scrambled down the edge of the roof, fear clutching at me. The tone in Ash’s voice told me that whatever it was, it was serious.
“No, but you need to come with me.” He turned and walked away before I could ask any more questions.
I glanced up at Coal, who shrugged. “He’s the boss.”
And that was the truth. Ash was the boss now, my father had asked him officially to take over the Enders. To train those who would come to be one of our family’s ultimate protectors. After the clean up, several of the Edge guards offered to step in, to train. We were up in numbers, but with only one actual Ender to deal with all the problems that cropped up, life would get tough very quickly for Ash. But not Coal, with his missing arm he was lucky to still be an Edge guard. And he knew it.
Ash strode out, taking me to the Spiral of all places. “What’s wrong, is it my father?”
He shook his head. “No one is in trouble, Lark. Relax.”
The tension in my shoulders faded, but only a minuscule amount. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who gets blamed for pretty much everything.”
I rubbed at my bare arms, the leather vest not quite warm enough for this late in the summer. Since everything had gone down, it seemed like I was in trouble every day. First, was the ambassador from the Pit.
“You’re lucky your father managed to clear you,” Ash said. “That alone should tell you how he feels.”
I didn’t say anything. My father had cleared me by saying I had been under Cassava’s control and so I wasn’t to be held responsible. I was grateful, but a part of me hated that I’d had to hide behind lies. Behind Cassava in a way.
Three weeks since she had nearly killed my father, three weeks and yet it felt as if the summer had been an entire lifetime. In a little over two months, I’d gone from a nearly useless planter, to an Ender in training, to facing down the queen, saving my father and family, and now I was being treated like I was weak again. Weak because Cassava had “used me” according to all reports. And no one trusted me. Except for Ash and my father. And Fern. I couldn’t leave her out of that small group.
I was back to square one in many ways, which was galling to say the least.
We made our way quickly through the main building of the Spiral, and then headed down a narrow set of stairs to the hot springs below. “Ash, are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“No. It isn’t my place.”
That didn’t sound good, despite his assurances. My guts tightened and a nervous tremor started at the base of my skull. He pushed open the last door that led into the hot springs, and waved me through.
The sand was as white and clean as the last time I’d been there, as a young girl. Right before Cassava had me removed from the Spiral. But this time was different.
Torches lit and burning bright were placed in the sand, making a perfect pathway to the water. The water was no longer the sharp, clear blue that I’d swam in years past as a child. Now it was a deep, dark blue that lapped gently at the white sand, the belly of the spring glowing with a bright clear light that beckoned me.
One of our Testers stood at the beginning of the path. “Larkspur, I am Douglas, I will be your tester today.”
Confusion scrambled my brain. “What’s going on?”
Ash stood in front of me, hands folded over his chest, eyes never leaving mine. “You are here for your final testing, Lark. What you said to Coal is correct. In the past, in times of great need, Enders were trained and sent into battle to be tested. Those who rose to the challenge were brought here for the final steps. Do you wish to see this through?”
I nodded, throat tight. I was going to be an Ender. No longer useless to my father or family. And then behind Ash, at the head of the pathway, stepped my father.
He gave me a soft smile. “Come here, sweet pea. There are things you need to know.”
This was the man I remembered as my father. Where had he been all these years? I stumbled to him and he caught me in his arms. His hold tightened on me and I breathed him in. Feeling like I was ten years old again, and my father would make everything right in the world.
“Hush, I don’t think Enders are supposed to cry.”
I laughed and stood up straight, wiping my eyes. “Father.”
“I have to go back to the gala, but I wanted to be here for this moment. For you. For your mother.” He handed me a folded stack of papers. “This is your lineage on your mother’s side. Her family tree will tell you much you need to know about yourself. Things I haven’t been able to tell you.”
I took the bundle of papers, and held them to my chest, a question burning in my heart, one that had hovered on the edge of my lips for years. “Why did you turn away from me? All those years . . . .”
His eyes closed and a tear tracked down his cheek into his beard. “I knew
Cassava would see you as a threat. It was the only way I could make sure you were safe, that you could grow into the woman you are. By making her think you meant nothing to me, her jealousy was kept from you.” He opened his eyes and took my hands in his. “All of my children are precious to me, every last one of you. Lark, my daughter, you have it in you to be stronger than them all. That is why I kept you away. That is why I acted indifferent. What do you think would have happened if you’d stayed close, if I’d truly had someone break through your barriers while Cassava was still here?”
“She would have used me too.”
He nodded. “And there would have been none to save us.”
I blurted out the next question. “Then why the hell didn’t you kick her ass out of the forest?”
He didn’t yell, didn’t get angry; he laughed, but it was a tired laugh. “Oh, if only it were that easy. By the time I realized what she was doing, she had more than half my Enders, and was manipulating the other families as well. I was biding my time. It’s not like we don’t have a lot of that.”
“Not my mother.”
“Lark, another time we will speak of all this. Of your mother, of Bramley, and all that happened that you did not see. I promise.” He put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed gently. “But this is here and now. You must decide, is this the life you want? To be an Ender? To forsake hearth and home for steel and blood?”
I took a half-step back from him. “Until Cassava is dealt with, there is no chance for peace here. No safety for any of us. Certainly not for anyone I would love, or any child I would have.”
“Then go with my blessing. And know I love you, my daughter, even if it seems to the world I do not.”
He turned and walked away, slipping through the doorway that would take him back to the gala and the revelers waiting for him.
“Strip,” Ash said.
“Everything?”
“Every last stitch.”
I wasn’t shy, but still, it was unnerving to take all my clothes off in front of Ash and Douglas. Anyone else wouldn’t have bothered me, but Ash’s eyes saw through me. Saw more than I wanted him to.
Naked, skin prickling with the air blowing through the cavern, I fought not to cross my arms. “I’m ready.”
His eyes never left mine as he spoke. “Good luck.”
Douglas stepped forward. “Larkspur of the Redwoods, you are called to battle for those you love. Will you answer the call?”
“I will.”
“You are called to stand as protector of the forest and all it holds. Will you stand firm in the face of all that comes with evil in its heart?”
“I will.”
“You are laid bare before the mother goddess, that she will see your heart and know its truths. Let her embrace you, and she will show you the path you will face.”
The sand slid between my toes as I walked through the path of torches, mouth dry, and heart skipping several beats. The walk was not long, and yet long enough for my mind to run ahead to all the possibilities. What would happen when I slid into the water? What would I see?
My feet touched the edge of the warm water, and a small wave lapped up and over my foot. The ringing of a bell sounded and I looked around. Ash was gone, and the cave had disappeared. I stood on the edge of a long white sandy beach under a full moon. The crash of the ocean, the pull of the earth on my senses, the warmth of a gentle breeze tickling the back of my legs.
A woman walked toward me, dressed in a flowing skirt, so long that it trailed in the air behind her at least ten feet. Her hair was the color of the soil, dark and rich, shot through with sparkles of silver. Every step she took brought her closer until I could see the details in her face. The curve of her jaw, the slightly slanted eyes that gave the impression of some large animal trapped under her skin, the full lips and tiny nose. Her eyes caught mine in a snare, green and gold, and then every color the forest had ever given to a flower.
I slowly dropped to my knees. “Mother.”
She cupped a hand around my cheek. “Larkspur, I have waited a long time for you to come to me. Now, we have much to speak of and time is short. There will be a long, hard path for you to learn how to use your abilities. And you will have more trials to face than any other of my children.”
I lifted my eyes to hers. “Cassava, she is part of this.”
“Yes, my child. She is not done yet, and you are not ready to face the destruction she brings. But you will be.” She stroked a hand over my head, smoothing my hair. “You will be.”
I stood and she beckoned me to follow. I looked behind to see the flickering of a torch, the sandy beach where Ash waited for me to finish my testing.
“Come, Larkspur,” the mother goddess called to me. “The time to see you recurve is now. Let us begin.”
“Yes,” I whispered. “Let us begin.”
Authors Note
Thanks for reading “Recurve”. I truly hope you enjoyed this introduction to Larkspur, her family and the world I’ve created for them. If you loved this book, one of the best things you can do is leave a review for it. Amazon.com is where I sell the majority of my work, so if I can only ask for one place for reviews that would be it it – but feel free to spread the word on all retailers.
Again, thank you for coming on this ride with me, I hope we’ll take many more together. The rest of The Rylee Adamson series, along with my other novels, are available in both ebook and paperback format on all major retailers. You will find purchase links on my website at www.shannonmayer.com. Enjoy!
About the Author
Shannon Mayer lives in the southwestern tip of Canada with her husband, dog, cats, horse, and cows. When not writing she spends her time staring at immense amounts of rain, herding old people (similar to herding cats) and attempting to stay out of trouble. Especially that last is difficult for her.
She is the author of the The Rylee Adamson Novels, The Nevermore Trilogy, A Celtic Legacy series and several contemporary romances. Please visit her website for more information on her novels.
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http://www.shannonmayer.com/
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ALSO BY SHANNON MAYER
THE RYLEE ADAMSON NOVELS
Priceless (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 1)
Immune (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 2)
Raising Innocence (A Rylee Adamson Novel Book 3)
Shadowed Threads (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 4)
Blind Salvage (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 5)
Tracker (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 6)
Veiled Threat (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 7)
Wounded (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 8)
Alex (A Rylee Adamson Short Story)
Guardian (A Rylee Adamson Novella 6.5)
Elementally Priceless (A Rylee Adamson Novella 0.5)
Stitched (A Rylee Adamson Novella 8.5)
THE ELEMENTAL SERIES
Recurve (The Elemental Series, Book 1)
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCES (Written as S.J. Mayer)
High Risk Love (The Risk Series, Book 1)
Of The Heart
PARANORMAL ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
The Nevermore Trilogy
Sundered (The Nevermore Trilogy, Book 1)
Bound (The Nevermore Trilogy, Book 2)
Dauntless (The Nevermore Trilogy, Book 3)
URBAN FANTASY
A Celtic Legacy Trilogy
Dark Waters (A Celtic Legacy, Book 1)
Dark Isle (A Celtic Legacy, Book 2)
Dark Fae (A Celtic Legacy, Book 3)
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapt
er 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Authors Note
About the Author
Also by Shannon Mayer
Copyright
Recurve (The Elemental Series, Book 1)
Copyright © Shannon Mayer 2015
Copyright © HiJinks Ink Publishing, Ltd. 2015
All rights reserved Published by HiJinks Ink LTD.
www.shannonmayer.com
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a database and retrieval system or transmitted in any form or any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise)without the prior written permission of both the owner of the copyright and the above publishers. Please do not participate in or encourage the piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. Or deliberately on purpose, depending on whether or not you have been nice to the author.
Original illustrations by Damonza.com
Mayer, Shannon
Recurve Page 19
