“Let go of me.” The prince tries to break free from Reo’s hold, but I know that’s impossible.
“Reo, let him go. He’s not lying.” Darius tries to intervene, but Reo cuts him a murderous glare.
“Don’t even try to save your cousin’s skin, Scrawny.”
“You are making a terrible mistake,” Prince Lennox says through clenched teeth while still holding on to Reo’s wrists.
“Oh no, Your Highness. You’re the one who is making a mistake. Maybe you need a demonstration of what my mechanical arm can do.”
Reo dislodges the grip Prince Lennox had on his wrist and raises his hand above the prince’s head. The palm of Reo’s hand begins to glow, and worst of all, I don’t think he’s bluffing.
I jump to my feet, immediately regretting doing so, but I can’t let Reo hurt anyone on my account. “Reo, please stop.”
“No. The prince and Scrawny have been lying to us the entire time. Tell us the truth, Your Highness. There isn’t a Great Wizard of Oz, is there? The entire story was only propaganda to make the Raven Witch believe you were more powerful than her.”
“Let go of me.”
“Summon. The. Wizard.”
“You want to see the wizard? I’ll show you the wizard.”
Dark tendrils of smoke sneak out from Prince Lennox’s jacket sleeves, covering his hands until we can’t see his skin anymore. Behind the mask, his blue eyes glow bright red. Reo’s face twists into a grimace at the same time his eyes widen. That’s right before he begins to scream as if Prince Lennox’s touch is unbearable.
“Lennox! Stop!” Darius runs to his cousin but stops short when the prince turns his face in his direction.
“He wanted to see the wizard. I’m just granting his wish.” His voice is not the same either. He sounds like a monster.
I search my surroundings, looking for something I can use as a weapon. Oh how I wish I still had my blaster.
Kevvan runs to help Reo, disregarding the demonic appearance of the prince. He grabs one of the prince’s arms, grunting as dark smoke licks up his forearm.
“Let go of him.” Kevvan uses his other clawed hand to slap the prince across the face.
The bejeweled mask flies into the distance, finally revealing the prince’s face.
Kevvan’s blow left three red slashes across the prince’s left cheek, but it’s the green blemish covering half of his face that catches my attention.
“Oh my stars,” I gasp out loud.
The sound of my voice catches the prince’s attention. We lock gazes, and suddenly, the red glow from his eyes vanishes, and the dark smoke recedes. Reo finally breaks free from his hold, stumbling back as he clutches his human arm.
“You … you’re her son,” Reo says, almost in a whisper.
Feeling more confused than ever, I glance from Reo to Prince Lennox and then at Darius. “Can someone explain what’s going on?”
No one speaks, and the silence is deafening. I’m going out of my mind here. I don’t even know what I saw. Prince Lennox’s breathing is coming out in bursts, but other than that, he seems frozen.
He finally gets off the table, turning his back on us. “Reo is right. There isn’t a Great Wizard of Oz. I created him. Made people believe he was the most powerful wizard in all the land. With Darius’s help, I designed demonstrations of his great powers and let the people spread the word about him. It bought us enough time to deter the Raven Witch until we could power the protective dome around Emerald City.”
“That happened years ago. You were only kids,” Reo says.
“When the war takes away your parents and the fate of your people rests on your shoulders, you’re forced to grow up pretty fast.”
“I still don’t understand why you couldn’t tell us the truth.” I watch him closely.
“Because of what I am—or more specifically, whose spawn I am.” The prince turns to me, his lips twisted into an ugly grin. “I’m her son, Dorothy. The Raven Witch’s son.”
*** To Be Continued ***
Places, Creatures, and Objects
Neon City: One of the largest metropolis on Tethis. Neon City is a destination city, famous for its casinos and lavish infrastructure.
Tethis: Second largest planet in the Katarin solar system and closest planet to New Earth.
Katarin Solar System: One of the many solar systems in the Andromeda Galaxy. A hub of interstellar traveling, thanks to the twenty-plus destination planets in it.
Tethian: From Tethis.
Earthian: Mixed race. Human and Tethian.
Ding Dong Tak: A card game similar to blackjack.
The Faulk Order of Alchemists: An organization of scholars who study alchemy magic.
Kalidah: A beast with the body of a bear and the head of a tiger.
Capririon Amulet: A magical piece of jewelry used to control the winged monkeys.
Kurkuran Outpost: A seedy stopover hidden deep in the Syvern meteor belt. Where the Syvern Mortal Games were held.
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author Michelle Hercules always knew creative arts were her calling but not in a million years did she think she would become an author. With a background in fashion design she thought she would follow that path. But one day, out of the blue, she had an idea for a book. One page turned into ten pages, ten pages turned into a hundred, and before she knew, her first novel, The Prophecy of Arcadia, was born.
Michelle Hercules resides in The Netherlands with her husband and daughter. She is currently working on the Crimson Hollow series and the Oz in Space series.
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Also by Michelle Hercules
Crossing Time
Savage Dawn
Red’s Alphas (Wolves of Crimson Hollow #1)
Wolf’s Calling (Wolves of Crimson Hollow #2)
Pack’s Queen (Wolves of Crimson Hollow #3)
Lost Horizon Page 25