by P. Jameson
In a heaven not so very far away, exists a star that doesn’t burn. Cold and icy, Brilliette and her inhabitants exist in secret, hidden under the blazing fires of other celestials. But stars aren’t meant to keep secrets…
Cannalise is the daughter of the Fallen King. Orphaned as a childmaiden, she’s survived the hard way. By being the cruelest of all the females of the star. She lives by one rule: show nothing, feel nothing. When she discovers the Fates have given her a mate, she struggles to hold on to the rule that has kept her heart safe. But it’s hard to ignore the fierce warrior that has set his sites on her.
Breccken has watched his mate for a thousand years, unable to reveal himself to her. The Fates have played an ugly trick on him, giving him a female who has no room for love in her heart. But as a warrior of the Nova Guard, he has never backed down from a challenge, and plans to strip Cannalise’s soul bare if that’s what it takes to win her.
When vicious threats are leveled on the citizens of Brilliette, Cannalise and Breckken must work together to keep their people safe. But as for their hearts… there’s no guarantee.
Starwalker
By P. Jameson
Starwalker
Copyright © 2015 by P. Jameson
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, redistributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in any database, without prior written permission from the author, with the exception of brief quotations contained in critical reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this work may be scanned, uploaded, or otherwise distributed via the internet or any other means, including electronic or print without the author’s written permission.
The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
Other books by P. Jameson
Dirt Track Dogs
Racing the Alpha (Book 1)
Racing the Beast (Book 2)
Racing Home (Book 3)
Racing Hard (Book 4)
Racing Destiny (Book 5)
Ozark Mountain Shifters
A Mate’s Denial (Book 1)
A Mate’s Sacrifice (Book 2)
A Mate’s Revenge (Book 3)
A Mate’s Submission (Book 4)
Holiday Novella
A Mate’s Wish (Amazon)
Prologue
Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far—well not that far—away, there lived a beautiful, yet wily, Starmaiden. As a babe, she was small, red, and wrinkly, and screamed at least thirty-seven hours out of a forty hour day. But she was well loved by her parents who dwelled in the city of An`gel, on the star called Brilliette.
Tragedy befell them, however, before the maiden entered into childhood, and she was left alone. Alone in a cold castle of ice. No one to take care of her, no one to defend her…
So she learned to defend herself.
At five light-years of age—her first official year of childhood—she picked up her father’s Arc-bow for the first time. Taking his silver quiver full of arrows carved from the great ice of their star, she journeyed outside to her family’s untended ice garden. Calling on memories of her father, she attempted to learn how to shoot.
And failed.
And failed again, but she didn’t let that stop her. She kept trying, because who was to care for her better than herself.
The rush of adrenaline as the cold arrow zinged from the bow, finally slicing through the air, was nigh overwhelming.
Until it landed way off mark.
A woman with a striking countenance was taking a shortcut through the garden. Trespassing. She found herself pinned to a white birch. The arrow through her tangled hair held her steady while wary eyes darted to find the threat. When they landed on the childmaiden, she visibly relaxed.
But the child did not.
Instead, she strung another arrow and this time aimed it directly at the woman. The young one couldn’t tell if the woman was a threat, didn’t know who to trust, and would not be taken from her home without a fight. Besides, the woman was a trespasser. Trespassing was against the law.
Fear shone in the woman’s eyes. Afraid of a child? The young maiden almost smiled, giddy with the thought.
From that day forward, the childmaiden knew she was to spend her life preparing for battle, learning to defend. Because she had no one but herself to rely on, and it would be thus forever.
Years passed and she grew to be strong, independent, and… hated. Hated because she was sorely misunderstood. She cared not what people thought of her though, and never would.
Over time the Hated One would come to save her people, be their salvation in a time of grave danger. But before such a destiny could come to pass, she must first be saved from herself, from the pain of her loss, from her loneliness. For only then would she understand the path her life was to take—and what it would take to save a people who had grown to hate her.
This is her story…
Chapter One
The cobblestone streets were coated in a thick, smooth sheet of ice making it right near impossible to walk. Impatient throngs of people milled about, bumping into one another, seemingly oblivious to how hard it was to keep foot.
As Breckken slipped for the umpteenth time, he struggled to right himself without clinging to the robe of the woman in front of him. He managed, but not without accidently knocking her in the back of the head. She gave a scathing look over her shoulder as he muttered yet another apology.
Gilleth, who was not faring much better, snickered. Downright annoying since it was his idea to come to the city in the first place.
“This is by far the worst idea you’ve ever had.” Breckken scowled.
“Nah. All this slippin’ and slidin’ is worth it. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful in your life?” His eyes were wide, glassy with awe, and had been since they’d first stepped through the city gates.
Breckken shrugged, but Gill was right. There was nothing more glamorous than a frozen city. And An`gel was the most extravagant of them all. Ice coated every surface, reflecting off the pinkish-blue sky and glistening like crystals when the muted sunrays hit it. Snow fell randomly, piling up in huge puffs here and there. And practically everything was carved out of the great ice their star was known for.
Brilliette didn’t burn as other stars did, which allowed for inhabitation. Even the Land Dwellers such as Breckken and Gilleth thrived on the thin, frigid air.
Breckken took a deep breath, feeling lighter on his feet, and then glanced once more at his surroundings.
All the dwellings—which could never be called houses because it would be a tragic understatement—were constructed of intricately carved ice stones. The grand gates at the entry of the city were four inch thick bars of ice. Tables where goods were peddled—made of slabs of clear ice. Wagons used to haul items—made solely of ice carved for the specific use… even the wheels. Street signs—ice that had been stained with dye. Icicles dripped from every surface. The scattered evergreens were all so laden with frozen crust that they sagged precariously under the weight of it.
And then there was Breckken’s favorite part: the frosted river that snaked its way throughout An`gel. It was the clearest, bluest water he’d ever seen, and it simply begged to be drank. He imagined how that chilled, sparkling liquid would feel going down his throat, a luxury they didn’t have living in the Lands, and had to hold back a moan.
They approached the bridge that arched up and over the churning river. Breckken could see through the ice floor of the bridge to the blue water beneat
h. Stopping at the top to admire the view of the city, he and Gilleth allowed the crowd around them to move past.
Yes, An`gel was beautiful. Gorgeous, really. No word was adequate.
But Breckken loved the Lands. The forest. The place where his own home was. It was beautiful there too. In a different way. The Lands were covered with dense trees, mountainous terrain, and plentiful snow.
Not ice. Snow.
There should be water a plenty in the Lands, but there wasn’t. At least not flowing water. Instead, the massive amounts of snow were harvested and melted down for use. Water wasn’t abundant without work.
Still. He loved the Lands. What was a little work, when it was for the purpose of nurturing your home.
“I don’t know why we’re here,” he muttered.
He was trying to have a good time of it, but he was edgy and irritated after having to relearn the simple task of walking.
“We are here, my friend, for one last hurrah.” Gilleth nudged Breckken with his elbow. “And also because we’ve never had the pleasure of visiting a frozen city. Never known such hustle and bustle, such excitement, such… life.”
“Life? We know life, Gill. It is what awaits us when we return to our homes.”
“Aw, now. You’re just hoked ‘cause that girl shot you a death look when you beamed her in the head.”
Breckken shook off Gill’s accusation and stared into the crowd.
Yes, life awaited them upon their return home. Breckken and Gilleth had just finished their Education and now it was time for them to take their place in society. Gill would follow in his father’s footsteps, harvesting snow, and Breck had been chosen as an officer for the Nova Guard, a highly coveted and respected station.
“Oh, come now, Breck. Who knows what could happen while we’re here. This city is magical. Can’t you feel it?” His voice was wonder-filled. “We could find our Heartbeat.”
Breckken shot him a skeptical look.
“What?” Gill said, defensive. “Don’t tell me you don’t dream of it. We all do. And how do you know for sure she’s not out there in the midst of all those people, her breath mingling with the others. Who knows, you might’ve bumped into her when you were slipping on the ice.”
Breckken took a deep calming breath, warring for patience with his closest friend. Somehow, he’d let Gill drag him halfway across the star to this city where they were so sorely out of place. He’d blindly gone along with all the sight-seeing, acting the part of the good tourist. And now that he was nearly at his wits end, Gill had to bring up the very last thing Breck wanted to think about, talk about, or hear about. Ever.
“Is that the real reason you wanted to come here so badly, Gill? To find your Heartbeat?” Breckken scoffed to cover his growing irritation. “Because you’re, oh… ten or twelve decades too early. No one our age is ever that lucky.”
For the first time since entering the city, Gill’s smile faded. And maybe Breck was an ass, but he was glad to see it go.
“Not true. There’ve been accounts of Starwren finding their Heartbeat at an age even younger than we are now. You shouldn’t doubt the Fates. It’s bad Ju.”
Now Breckken laughed in earnest. “The Fates? What will they do to me? I speak only truth. The accounts you speak of are not confirmed and they were reported centuries ago. Surely, you aren’t being serious, Gilleth.”
Gill looked away, into the brilliant blue of the water so foreign to them.
“You are serious. You came here to find your mate?”
“I came here to look upon Starmaidens, to experience their beauty. If one happens to cause my heart to start, then so be it.” His gaze swung to Breckken, eyes narrowed. “Do not treat me as though I’m stupid. I know the odds are against me. But at least I will seek mine out, search the star until I find her. You… you act as if you could live without yours. You don’t fool me.” He poked a finger into Breckken’s sternum. “You feel lost and empty just like the rest of us.”
Breckken didn’t say anything. He hated this conversation. They’d had it a million times. Even since they were childwren. What’s worse, he couldn’t argue with Gill. He did feel empty without his mate. But this was how he chose to deal with that emptiness—by avoiding it.
Everyone had their way of coping with the strangling need to find, love, and protect that one person the Fates had designed solely for them. Some, like Gill, would search for their mate high and low, becoming obsessed with finding her. Others, like many of their classmates from back home, would spend their time flitting from one maiden to the next, simply marking time until their Heartbeat was revealed to them.
Breckken couldn’t see the point in that. Yes, there were maidens near his home that he found desirable. But in some way, settling for one of them felt like a betrayal to the one who was meant for him. He didn’t want to look into his maiden’s eyes one day and reveal to her that he was so impatient he’d settled on another while awaiting her.
Then there were plenty like him, who chose to ignore the situation, burying themselves in the responsibilities of life. If only Gill would quit bringing it up, Breckken might be able to forget that annoying yearning for just a little while.
“You are right, Gill. Who am I to say when she will find you—”
“I will find her.”
“Right. And what better place to look than here. There are so many people, so many maidens. Do you think she will have brown hair or blond? Perhaps a fiery redhead for you?”
Both of them began to scan the crowd below.
Really, to Breckken, everyone looked like a blur. Just a horde of people going about their day. Nothing and no one stood out to him.
His eyes touched on a childmaiden standing at the outer edge of the crowd. She was small, maybe eight lightyears of age, and was dressed in shimmering blue robes. Her white-blond hair was plaited around the top and hung loose and long down her back. She certainly stood out in the crowd and Breckken was sure she must be royalty. Though there hadn’t been an active royal line in Brillette for eons, royals did still exist and were usually marked by their fair appearance and finer clothing.
Just as he was about to move on scanning the sea of blurry faces… she smiled. Somehow he couldn’t look away. She was simply cherubic, her cheeks tinged pink and her eyes lit with wonder. Never had he encountered such a charming childmaiden.
He followed her eyes to see what thing had caused her reaction.
A wren. No, two wren. Both a little older than her.
Breckken almost laughed aloud at the little angel girl.
Good Luck, maiden.
He watched her approach the two childwren. As soon as they saw her coming, they stopped, frozen in their tracks, seeming to look for an escape.
Breckken chuckled to himself, pointing to the scene when Gill asked to be let in on the joke.
Smile plastered to her face, she waltzed right up to them, demanding their attention like the little royal she surely was. Words were spoken and never did her smile waver, though her pale gaze flashed with emotion.
Then, right before his very eyes, Breckken watched as she transformed from a delicate maiden into a fierce and defiant street urchin. Her tiny hands fisted at her hips as she raised to her tip toes in an attempt to tower over the boys. Her sweet little face twisted into a sneering mask as she spit at the wrens.
One of the boys, the more daring one, taunted her with words that Breckken couldn’t hear. She stomped her foot, her face turning a terrifying shade of red. Still the boy wouldn’t relent. Finally, she stuck her tongue out and before either one could react, she kicked them each, hard, on the shins. The boys howled in pain as she grabbed the brave one by the hair and pulled his head back to meet her eyes. She whispered something menacingly in his ear and his eyes grew wide. When she released him, they both ran away, weaving through the crowd.
Riveted on the scene before him, Breckken absently rubbed the back of his neck where it itched. The little maiden, being the wily creature she was, ran after
the two boys and soon he lost sight of her.
Still smiling, he looked up to see Gill, staring intently at him.
“What?” Breckken asked, letting his grin fade to smugness.
Gill observed him as if he were a stranger. “That got your attention? A childmaiden besting two young wren? When not even the astounding beauty of the most magnificent frozen city could catch your eye, children brawling does the trick.” He shook his head in disbelief.
“It was funny. Was it not?” Breckken replied breezily, rubbing his hand along the nape of his neck.
Gill rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I forget that I’ve known you my whole life.”
Breckken followed him farther across the bridge, slipping on ice the whole way. They wound through the crowd until they reached a tiny kafé. The ice-carved sign on the door read Ula’s Eatery and Koffee.
Inside, Breckken was pleased to find the benches and tables were all made of wood—not ice. Which really was uncommon for a frozen city. Ice dwellers didn’t feel the cold so their furniture, utensils, weapons, and belongings were constructed from the hard cold substance.
They took a seat near the back, ignoring the stares from other customers. As if they’d never seen a Land Dweller before.
Within seconds a young woman approached carrying two steaming mugs.
“Welcome,” she said in a lilting voice as she set the drink on the table before them.
She was pretty, with pale blond hair that was streaked with dark red. She wore a heavy green robe with a fur-lined hood which told Breckken that she wasn’t a native of the city.
“Are you two hungry? We have stew today. You look like you need warming,” she said, observing their attire and their darker features.
Gill gave her a winning smile. “Stew sounds great. What’s your name?”
She grinned. “Emmalyn. And yours?”
“Gilleth. And this is Breckken.”
“Nice to meet you both. You are from the Lands, yes?”
