by K.N. Lee
Tears stung my eyes, and I smiled despite my worry, fear, and sorrow.
“I’ve found it!”
The cheerful exclamation broke our gaze at one another, and Xander turned to make his way down the stairs to the caretaker. I followed behind—more carefully. I didn't have the grace that he did, and I was certain I'd take a tumble down those hard stairs if I didn't pay attention and take care.
Once we reached the bottom, my legs were burning, but the glowing book in the old elf's hands took my mind off of my own discomfort.
"It's here," he said, peering down from behind his reading piece. "All of it."
Xander and I exchanged a glance.
"Are you sure?"
He looked up at the royal. "Yes. Certain. Its the only account of the Dark in the kingdom. Everything else is passed from keeper to keeper, but they were all killed or fled during the war."
"Of course, they did." Xander murmured. "It only holds the key to the greatest weapon the Aranthian continent has ever known."
Stroking his chin, Xander turned away.
Silence stretched between the three of us, and my eyes lifted to the pages that still floated in the air above us.
Along with the parchment, tiny dust particles were highlighted by the glow of sunlight.
Before my mind could wander, Xander turned back around.
"Destroy it," he said, and my stomach dropped.
I forgot my place, and reached for him, taking him by the forearm.
He didn't flinch, his eyes just went from mine, to my eyes.
Panicked, I held my breath and retreated my hand as if a snake had bit it. I pulled it back and tucked my hands into my pockets.
Eyes downcast, I scolded myself for being so forward. He was a royal. I was a no one. Touching was punishable by death, and that was the second time I'd done so to him.
To my surprise, he didn't acknowledge the slight, but the caretaker stared at me.
"I simply don't want it to get into the wrong hands."
Keeping quiet, my brows lifted as he gave me a wink. Though he didn't say it, I took his meaning, and my mind filled with realization.
Though I was a peasant—a human with no past or future—I was much more than I ever thought.
Confused, and afraid, I turned to Xander, a million questions in my eyes.
“I’ve brought you here to train under the only Dark Mage in the kingdom,” he said, and I gasped. “What you have inside of you must be tamed, and Ocura Maga is the one who can help you.”
“This way, miss,” a monk as short as a child said, his blue eyes glowing as he looked up at me.
I stood before him, brows knitted together. “Wait. I don’t understand.” Was he referring to the ability I’d discovered that fateful night of my fall? The moon or magic healed me, and I still hadn’t made sense of it. How could he know more about me than even I did?
“Take care of her,” he said to the monks ignoring my question. Then, he glanced back at me. “I’ll return as soon as I can.”
That was it; no answers and he headed for the door.
Speechless, I hurried to the doorway to watch him head back down the steps, the cloak weighing me down.
From prisoner to apprentice. Any girl would have been thrilled for such an escape from the drudgery of their lives.
I just wanted to go home.
“What about my mother and sister?” I asked, calling after him. “They’re probably worried sick about me.”
He glanced over his shoulder, and shook his head.
“You can’t go back there,” he said, and his voice lowered as he looked down at the ground. “They were never your family anyway.”
The world grew fuzzy and dark before my eyes, and I nearly passed out.
Someone placed a hand on my shoulder, steadying me, but I was too stunned to react.
How could they not be my family?
All of my fears and doubts came rushing through me at that moment. We didn’t look anything alike, and I’d always assumed it was because I was supposed to have had my father’s looks, but I’d never seen my father.
My nerves were frazzled as tears stung my eyes. I turned to see who had approached me, and when I beheld the stunning sun elf woman in white robes, my heart began to race.
She was taller than me, with long red hair that hung straight and loose over her shoulders. Her long, pointy ears were adorned with jewels, and she carried a scepter that emitted a faint glow before her. The glowing top was in the shape of a moon. I noticed the silvery shimmer of her faint, gray skin.
A moon elf.
“Welcome to Sky Keep,” she said, her golden eyes meeting mine. “I am Ocura Maga, your new master of the magic arts.”
A smile came to her lips, and it was so infectious that I couldn’t help but return it despite the turmoil in my soul.
“Welcome home, Ava.”
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Stay tuned for Tempting the Fire: Book Two of The Darkest Day Trilogy. It releases in October.
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An Exclusive Excerpt from Throne of Deceit
My mother and I were summoned just after dawn. The king’s guard must have ridden through the night, for we’d barely started our breakfast when they came knocking on the manor doors.
We dressed, and packed a trunk for the journey, and just like that, we were ripped from our lives to heed the king’s call.
As we walked to the carriage, I couldn’t help but glance at the guards as they watched us.
The king’s whore.
The king’s bastard.
I knew that’s what the kingdom called us, but at least the guards were kind enough not to whisper it in our midst like most.
We cuddled in the back of the carriage as the wind blew in and bit at our faces. My mother wrapped a heavy blanket around us, and back to sleep we went, prepared for the long journey.
I always knew my father was a cruel man.
He never hugged or kissed me, and when I was just a child, I’d watched him beat my mother for simply saying hello to one of the lords of court.
He didn’t care that the lord happened to be her cousin, and that she’d denied all offers for marriage to be his mistress.
No. King Aleron was a jealous man—one driven by power and lust—and we all bowed to his commands.
Dutiful subjects.
Fools.
Nearly a full day rolled by as we rode through the countryside to the capital city of Perth. As soon as we crossed the bridge over the Crystal River, where enchanted waters flowed, the shining white palace glinted in the sunlight in the distance.
Coming Soon!
An Exclusive Look at The Way of Thieves
Water splashed onto Sera’s face, awakening her from a feverish dream that left her choking and gasping for air.
The cold water affronted her nose and mouth, and blurred her vision as she struggled to see in the inky darkness.
“Who’s there?” Her voice came out coarse, timid.
Weak.
For a moment, she’d almost forgotten what a dismal situation she was in—that, or she just didn’t want to believe it was true.
With hands bound behind her back, the memories flooded her, leaving a churning sensation in the pit of her stomach. It had been just another job, on just another shitty planet. The rules were always the same: steal, repent, repeat. Except, this time, it appeared that she’d been set up.
This time…she’d had to get her hands dirty.
“Seraphina Friel,” a metallic voice whispered, and the tiny red hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.
She swallowed, too afraid to reply. That was her name, but she wasn’t ready to admit it. So far she’d hidden from the world and those who knew her name, and her misdeeds—from thos
e who would see her dead.
“Do you know how many men you left dead on Turimex?”
No. There were too many to count.
“We’ve been watching you. Studying you.”
With brows lifting, she kept silent, working the ropes around her wrists as stealthily as she could afford.
Keep talking, you bastard. One more minute and I’ll knock your head off your shoulders.
Sweat pooled between her breasts, mixing with the cool water that had awakened her, and just as she almost broke free from the ropes, bright light flooded every inch and crevice that surrounded her.
Her scream caught in her throat at what she beheld.
A cavern, with a tall ceiling that stretched too far for her to see. In the center was a single pillar.
She was tied to it.
Cloaked figures stood on a bridge, watching her, their faces too dark to make out despite the sudden assault of light.
“Who are you?”
She’d wanted to sound demanding, but once again, her voice came out in a strangled cry.
A whoosh of air lifted her hair, and with it, the cloaked figures unsheathed themselves and floated in the air like colorful wisps.
Her blood ran cold as the voice returned, ringing in her ears.
“We are your savior,” it said, and finally, her scream was set free as heat rose from below and swallowed her whole.
Coming Soon!
A Look at Fallen Empire
From Chapter One
A FIRST KISS was supposed to be special. Memorable. As Tomas pulled away from Amalia, her eyes opened with confusion.
Is that it?
Her silver-gray eyes filled with disappointment.
Was that what she'd been waiting for all of her life?
The taste of onion was on his tongue, and the coarse feel of chapped lips didn't help the experience.
He gave her a grin—a gap-toothed one she had hoped she'd grow to appreciate, maybe even love one day.
Amalia couldn't afford to be picky. Though Tomas wasn't the most handsome, or even the smartest lad in the village, he had proclaimed his love for her. He knew a trade and was kind.
She licked her lips and forced a tight smile.
He'd have to do.
It was a fact that not many would even consider marrying a Mage. Especially one like Amalia—one marked by the gods. Not when Mages were being hunted down by Wolves, or even worse, the Brotherhood.
Skal was neutral territory. But, invisible borders meant nothing when the people within them held the same prejudice as those outside.
“So,” he said, his cheeks reddening. “What do you think?
“It was lovely,” she lied, blinking.
The look of relief on his face was reassuring. Within a month's time, Amalia would be fifteen and of age. She'd be Tomas' wife.
“Good,” he said. “I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for this moment. Seems like all of my life. For as long as I could remember. At night, all I can think of are the way your eyes remind me of the night sky, and how I’d give anything to look into your eyes every day until the day I die.”
Her smile turned genuine. She should set aside her selfish vanity and desire for a handsome boy, one who would make her heart sing. The time for silly childish ideas about what life would hold was coming to an end. It was time for her to accept her fate and prepare for a simple life with a simple man.
“I had no idea,” she said, reaching out for his hand.
“Of course, you didn’t. You barely looked at me until our parents made the arrangement.”
She ran her fingers through the tangles of her hair. Somehow the long, black strands always seemed to knot around one another. “That’s not true. You are a very nice young man. Any girl would be happy to have you.”
“That’s nice of you to say. But, I know I’m not a knight or a raider or anything special like that.”
“It is the truth. I can’t think of anyone kinder than you in the village,” she said and glanced at the paling sky. The smell of rain was faint in the air, but the clouds were darkening by the minute. “Perhaps we should return to the village. It looks like a storm is coming this way.”
He followed her gaze, combing his long dark hair from his mahogany-colored eyes. “I think you're right.” He reached for her hand. She accepted and he pulled her to her feet.
She brushed grass from her faded blue gown and gray smock and stretched her arms above her head. By the bubbling brook at the foot of the Weeping Mountain, they had feasted on ripe mango and warm honey bread her mother had prepared for their first excursion alone as intended mates.
Tonight, there would be a feast. Their families would dine together and their fathers would discuss matters of joining their resources.
It was the way of the Skal.
A way Amalia wished she could forever be free of.
Together, they gathered their blanket and basket, and the scent of burning wood wafted their way.
Her brows furrowed as she stood to her full height—almost as tall as Tomas.
“What’s wrong?”
She sniffed the air. “Do you smell something?”
“I do, actually,” he said, frowning. “What is that? Is something burning?”
The air smelled of charcoal and sulfur. Realization washed over Amalia and her face drained of color. She knew that smell.
Her heart sank and she dropped the basket and turned to run toward the village. This couldn’t be happening. It had to be a bad dream.
“What is it?” Tomas asked as he ran after her.
“Dragons!”
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About the Author
K.N. Lee is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rockstar, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlotte" award.
She is signed with Captive Quill Press and Patchwork Press.
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Also by K.N. Lee
The Dragon Born Saga:
Half-Blood Dragon
Magic-Born Dragon
Queen of the Dragons
War of the Dragons
Fate of the Dragons
Curse of the Dragons
The Chronicles of Koa Series:
Netherworld
Dark Prophet
Blood Princess
Crimson King
The Eura Chronicles:
Rise of the Flame
Night of the Storm
Dawn of the Forgotten
Prophecy of the Seer (Coming Soon)
Empire of Dragons Chronicles:
Fallen Empire
Reign of Magic
Fire and Fury
Ruinous Realm
THE FALLEN GODS TRILOGY:
Goddess of War
Goddess of Ruin (Coming Soon)
Queen of Chaos (Coming Soon)
