by Alexia Purdy
Ereziel smiled, a snarl playing at the corners of his mouth. “That sword is forbidden. I was willing to let it drop earlier, but that was before I’d felt its sting. The punishment for creating such weapons is death, and I’ll make sure every archangel across the world knows about them.”
Thalia inhaled sharply. Maybe she shouldn’t cross over to the Skein yet. Matt would need protection when he awoke. If Ereziel meant what he said, the blacksmith wouldn’t be safe no matter where he went.
“Shut up,” she spat.
“Worried about your little blacksmith boyfriend?”
She refused to answer, but she averted her eyes toward Isao, who was once more emerging from the hedges. He looked roughed-up, his hair mussed and dusty, his dark blue jeans stained with grass. Their bags of supplies remained nearby, untouched and resting on the grass. Thalia wondered if he’d brought some extra clothes in there, a thought that quickly dissipating as Ereziel snapped his eyes toward the warrior. She grabbed her backpack, clipping the chest clip around her waist since her wings wouldn’t allow her to wear it then kept an eye on Ereziel as she tossed Isao his own pack.
“Maybe you’re involved in it too, Isao. Did you have a hand in creating these abominable blades? Don’t answer; the truth doesn’t matter. I can easily convince Ichiro that you are responsible, and he’ll be sure you pay with your life.”
“It wasn’t Isao,” Thalia snapped. “Leave him and Matt alone. This is about you and me, not them. Let us pass, and I’ll forget about all the lies you’ve told me over the years. I don’t believe the bit that we’ll become mortals if I cross, and if you care about me, you’ll let me go. For good, this time.” It didn’t hurt to appeal to Ereziel’s compassion once more, but Thalia’s patience was gone, and so was her fear. No matter what he decided, she was ready to finish this.
“Your choice in men is starting to irritate me, Thalia. It’s irrational.”
“And who should I choose? You?” Thalia laughed, disgusted. He was playing at her emotions too, but he was tugging the wrong strings. Who did he think he was?
His frown deepened, hurt floating in his eyes. “It could’ve worked for the better, if only you had let me in.”
“Well, that’s never going to happen now.” Thalia rushed at him once more, her sword meeting his with an illuminating spark as the magic within the blade surged. He didn’t swing back but only held his sword out, moving to block her attacks.
“You won’t enter the Skein. I forbid it.”
“In case you didn’t notice, I don’t take orders from archangels. Not anymore.” Thalia swung again, and Isao joined, attacking at Ereziel’s other side. It took more attention to fight them both, and Ereziel began to falter, backing up foot by foot as they pressed him. The night sky was bright from the city’s lights and the full moon peering down at them, quietly observing their battle. If any mortals could hear the ruckus, none were coming.
A siren echoed in the far-off distance. The city continued without them, regardless of their turmoil. Thalia briefly wondered if Ereziel had created a barrier at this site to keep humans from hearing them. She wouldn’t doubt it and fought against him harder for his interruptions of everything in her life.
The years of anger, frustration, and resentment built up inside her came pouring out with each swing of her sword. The night and the two other warriors were the only audience to her purge as everything surfaced, tears blurring her vision as she grunted, trying to drive him back but growing more and more exhausted with each passing moment. One of them had to break, and she was damned if it was going to be her.
Chapter Thirty-Three
On and on they fought until Thalia couldn’t hold her sword up anymore. Ereziel was also tiring, but not as quickly as Isao. The ninja looked like he was struggling to stay on his feet.
She had discovered that archangels could tire, but the thought was far from comforting. This couldn’t go on. They would both lose their ground against the Archangel any moment, and the gate would never be opened. Thalia drew from the last reserve of energy inside her, sucked in a deep breath, and strode forward once again.
Under their assault, he’d been reluctantly moving back toward the twin oak trees, and as she approached Ereziel, she could feel the amulet burning against her skin, begging for release. A cut on her arm tingled as she reached over and wiped up some of the blood with a finger. She placed her wet finger upon the locket, and it lit up like a flare.
If not for her shirt, the light would have blinded everyone. Behind Ereziel, the air near the gate quivered, wavering as though the surface had turned into water. It glistened, shimmering with the moonlight like a lonesome lake with waves lapping along the edges. Its freezing depths beckoned to her as she took another step forward. Isao appeared back at her side and raised his sword, letting her know he wasn’t out of the fight.
They charged.
Ereziel chuckled as he repelled them both. His strength was unfathomable. “Have you had enough yet?”
Even though he was exhausted, Thalia knew they wouldn’t outlast the archangel. She looked at the gate then back at Ereziel. Tossing one last glance toward Isao, she nodded. He returned her gesture, a knowing expression filling his dark eyes.
“You will never be enough,” Thalia whispered. “Don’t you know that by now Ereziel?” It was Thalia’s turn to laugh, and her throat felt raw as her chest heaved, burning as she used up the last of her energy. She pressed forward alongside Isao.
“You only had to give me one chance, Thalia. Just one, and I could’ve shown you all you’ve ever wanted. Come with me. Forget this other realm, for there’s nothing there for you. Not anymore.”
His pleading felt genuine, but she could not turn away from the gate. They each summoned up the last of their energy and pushed the archangel back, sending him flying from his feet. As he lost his balance, he shoved at Isao and wrapped a hand around Thalia’s wrist.
“Let go!” Thalia’s scream echoed in her ears as she was propelled forward toward the gate, entering right after Ereziel’s body disappeared through the shimmering threshold. Turning back, she saw Isao dive after them just before the gate sealed shut, and they were thrust through a vortex of clouds and lighting.
The momentum of Ereziel’s fall yanked her forward. A violent wind howled in her ears for what felt like a millennium, and her vision blurred. She could no longer see the other two, but she felt Ereziel’s iron grip on her wrist. The air whipped past, the light brightening as she screamed, feeling a deep-seated fear grasp ahold of her for the first time since her parents had died. The light gave way to a dark red mist, swallowing them. Ereziel let go as her body smacked into solid ground, rolling and crashing against it, rocks and gravel digging their way into her skin and igniting a searing pain across her newly enhanced body.
The light began to fade to darkness as a ghostly voice whispered around her. It was a voice she remembered from her childhood, long, long ago. k12
“Welcome home, child. Welcome home.”
Book 2 is coming! The Cursed Labyrinth is coming July 2018. Click here to be notified of its release.
Sneak Peek: ArcKnight
The ArcKnight Wolf Pack Chronicles #1
By
Alexia Purdy
In the treacherous City of Temple where supernaturals and humans intertwine, only the most cunning will survive.
Teaming up with a handsome wolf shifter named Ephrem, the banished Princess Lilliana must find her stolen Ardent talisman before a sinister enemy uses it against both rival wolf pack strongholds. Thrown onto a path neither of them expected, they stumble across a third cell of supernatural shifters lurking in the city’s Outlands where tensions mount. These new strangers want nothing more than to disrupt the two royal strongholds, the ArcKnights and the MarkTiers, and reignite a long-forgotten feud from decades past. k12
Prologue
Lilliana
I smeared the mascara down my cheeks, leaving behind angry stripes where my fingers dug into the
dampened skin. No matter how much I wanted to claw my dang eyes out, scream and slam my fists into the moldy walls of the alleyway buildings, I hated to admit that I’d been incredibly wrong about everything up until now.
So. Very. Wrong.
It wasn’t hard to understand the how or why of it all. It was the who, the what, and the when of the situation that killed me. My stupidity had taken a dive into an all-time low, and I felt like I was drowning in a puddle of putrid, bottomless muck. There was no air in shit this deep.
And it was all my fault. All. My. Fault. How could I have been so naïve?
“Dammit!” I screamed out into the rain. It was pouring and blinded me when I attempted to peer up into the disappearing sky. I couldn’t see much above the buildings, the rain shot down like spears dropping from the sky. It pelted my head and forced me to look down to shield my already reddened eyes.
At least the rain absorbed my tears as it washed away my makeup. It was befitting, really.
You see, I’d failed tonight. In more ways than one. I was so screwed. If there was a remedy for the problems I’d caused this evening, I was all ears. No one could help me now, and I was on my own. There would be no pack for this wolf girl. I was a loner now. Kicked out of my pack for my stupidity, defiance and utter belief that I was invincible… untouchable.
How wrong I’d been. So trusting and vulnerable.
I was as good as dead out here.
Chapter One
Rafaela
The room shut down when I stepped into it. It was obvious what the subject was about, but I didn’t have time to be offended. Even though it wasn’t just about me, I should’ve been told first.
Jutting my chin out, I kept walking. No one could know the turmoil tossing inside my mind. I had to appear composed, calm and undeterred. There could be no weakness showing. Weakness meant death and inferiority. It wasn’t a trait of a leader of a wolf pack. Especially not one like the ArcKnight pack.
It wasn’t enough that I had to deal with the banishment of my only sister, Lilliana, who’d been relieved of her Ardent talisman and thrown out last night for losing an important artifact from our pack’s store of weapons. Without both, our pack magic was weakened just that much more. Banishment was the only thing left to do with her, but I should’ve been there when they made her leave. She’d been nothing but a thorn in my side, a constant splinter digging its way through my epidermal layers until the infection she tends to spread overcame me in a feverish rage. She’d pushed me to the limit, and no matter how much I loved my younger sister, her behavior could not be tolerated any longer if I were to remain in control of the ArcKnight werewolf pack. I was to be queen, and any disrespect from any of its members, even my dear sister, couldn’t be forgiven.
Regardless, I should’ve been notified when she was taken to the gates and unceremoniously let go. Why I hadn’t been told was a sore point between me and my soon-to-be husband Gil, and I was intent on finding out the reason for it.
Holding my head high, I strode through the main meeting room of the mansion our pack inhabited in the outskirts of Temple, California. It was a rather large city smack dab in the middle of the state’s coastline, but the amount of supernatural activity here tilted the scale in favor of groups like ours. The landscape was pleasing. It was surrounded not only by mountainous desert, orchards, and thickly forested mountains, it also had an affinity to magic. Regular people settled here too, yes, but the ones with an affinity to the supernatural far outnumbered them.
These were dangerous times to be lacking magical talents.
I made my way to the front of the room and felt every single pair of eyes raking my hide as I reached the podium where Gil waited. The amusement dancing in his eyes made me even more furious. He enjoyed attention from anyone who would give it to him. I was pretty sure I’d committed happiness-suicide deciding to stay with him as my betrothed, especially after catching him many times over surrounded in the company of women with questionable intentions. I didn’t stay with him for love. There were other things far more valuable, far more desirable.
I hadn’t actually caught him technically cheating as of yet, but I had my suspicions. If I ever did, there would be hell to pay, and I made sure he knew that. I aspired to far greater things than just being his wife. Power was one thing I craved, and this position would grant it to me. I’d waited a long time for it.
For now, it was time to clean up the fine mess Lily had left me. I’d have to organize a search party to find and retrieve the artifacts Lily had lost. It hadn’t truly been her fault. She may have been a conniving sneak and smart as a whip, but someone had outsmarted her. All her scheming to play with an ancient artifact had turned on her when her accomplice stole it, leaving her to take the blame and rot in banishment. I’d find this traitor and hopefully bring my sister home. But I had other issues to deal with first.
As I reached Gil’s side, I gave him an unreadable, hard stare before spinning toward the crowd of eyes awaiting the next move from its royal rulers. Gil and I were practically married, and everyone knew we were the leaders of the pack ever since Gil’s father had fallen ill a few days ago. He was dying a slow, painful death at this very moment in a bed down the hall. It sucked that he’d be gone soon after being fatally wounded and infected with a rapidly progressing virus by an unknown perpetrator, but that was the law of the land. Kill or be killed. Fight or die. There was no leniency in times like these. His attacker would pay soon enough.
I let out a long, calming breath as I observed the restless crowd before me. My thoughts were chaotic and lingered with my dear little sister. No matter what, I loved Lily, and the worry choking me inside was all for her. I hoped she made it out alive. Without a pack to back her up, she was as good as dead or forever cursed to the endless dangers plaguing any banished supernatural in the city or the wild. Most died within a year of banishment if they remained in the city, but some survived by seeking refuge in the vast wilderness surrounding Temple. I hoped she was smart and found isolation to her liking because the city was full of hungry souls looking to devour everything that happened to tumble into their embrace. Lily was known for making some rash and spontaneous decisions that usually didn’t pan out well, but she was an experienced fighter and could take down wolves twice her size.
I hoped her smarts would kick into play now more than ever.
Still, such hopes did nothing to settle my nerves as I faced my pack with nothing but humiliating rumors circulating around the group faster than a wildfire on gasoline. It was time to squelch the flames before it consumed my pack and destroyed all I held dear.
“Welcome, ArcKnights. I’ve called this vital meeting to address some urgent issues currently needing attention. I hope someone is willing to volunteer this time. I really hate assigning positions when those who are better suited for certain things should just go ahead and show some initiative and take the positions offered. This is the time to come together and fight for what we hold dear. Our pack. Our family. We really want to avoid what happened last time, don’t we?”
A ripple of murmurs ran the course of the room, and I turned toward Gil, giving him the signal to continue the speech. Alphas had to present as united or the pack was in danger of complete disintegration. We’d been conditioned for this very thing since we learned to speak.
“Thank you, Rafaela. My love. As acting Alpha of this pack, I am required to inform you that our ruling Alpha died twenty minutes ago.”
The pack burst into a flurry of murmurs, gasps, and whispers. The room vibrated with movement and unrest as the realization that we were leaderless washed over every soul. I drilled my eyes into Gil for a brief moment, trying my best to camouflage the effects of the shocking news. Why hadn’t he told me before the meeting? How could he withhold such vital information from me?
I thanked my solid composure for keeping my face from crumbling, and I ripped my gaze from him, focusing on the exit sign at the rear of the room. The red light glowed indifferently as I let i
ts outline mar my sight with its destitute existence. Gil’s face had betrayed nothing of the news earlier, and it was usually easy for me to read. Years at his side had trained me to anticipate every move, every need, every want, every emotion he could ever have. Yet, as of late, I’d discovered how very little I truly knew about not only my fiancé but also my own sister as well.
There were strangers all around me, and I’d never felt more alone than I did at that very moment.
Later, I’d let Gil have it for leaving me out of such a critical loop. He’d have to learn to respect me as co-leader of the pack and as his spouse if this union was to work out. If not, the consequences would be grave, not only to my family, but to the entire pack as well. This included Gil.
“The services will be held later this evening, and I suggest everyone be in attendance.” He turned toward me. A lingering question in his eyes he failed to voice remained. “That is all.” He stepped down off the stage and made his way toward the rear of the room before disappearing through the doorway.
Everything changed today. I knew that more than anyone here. I followed behind, not trying to catch Gil but hoping I would make it out of the auditorium and back to my rooms before my anger surfaced, before I broke down, before the tears.
This was just another thing I couldn’t control. I never had control over anything from the start. How could I let myself think otherwise?
It was time for changes indeed.
Chapter Two
Lilliana
A movement caught my eye from a darkened alleyway at my right. I clutched my useless, soaked jacket and scurried past the ominous opening, hoping to avoid any unwanted attention. The city was no place to wander at night. Especially for a girl like me. Even the humans were smart enough to stay indoors and out of the desolate avenues, crooks and crannies of the city, especially when the dark skies poured out endless rain.
