by C. A. McHugh
“She’s a young woman of forty-one summers who can make her own decisions, Ethon.” Master Binnius rose from his chair. A halo of magic formed around him as though he was about to cast a powerful spell, even though his hands remained clasped behind his back. “And let’s not forget the Oracle.”
“I don’t know anything about this Oracle you speak of, but I will tell you what I know, Lord Meritis.” Aerrin stepped forward, allowing his two friends to continue to protect the doorway. “I would not be standing here if it weren’t for Seroney. I may even go as far to say that the very safety of my kingdom depends on her staying here. So I’ll give you thirty seconds to release her before I employ every means possible to stop you.”
The man looked to Master Binnius, who gave him a shrug of deference. “I must do as my king commands.”
Ethon’s lip curled into a snarl, and he looked as though he was about to charge them when Ceryst and Raimel rushed into the infirmary.
Ceryst drew his sword. “Master Eamon said there was a man threatening the king.”
“And attempting to kidnap Seroney,” Aerrin added, never taking his gaze off the man. “You’d best give up, Lord Meritis. You seem to be outnumbered here.”
“Don’t count me out, either.” Seroney blasted him with a spell and tumbled to the floor.
Raimel pushed past them all and came to her aid, helping her to her feet and letting her lean on him. “Want me to kill him for you?”
She laughed and shook her head. “My father was just leaving.”
Ethon Meritis turned to make one final plea. “Seroney, you’re my only child, and I don’t want to risk losing you to him, too.”
“Then let me stay here and continue the fight. The Seven knew what they were doing when they didn’t allow me to return. They knew I was needed here.” She took a deep breath and added, “It’s my calling.”
Those three words held a greater significance to her father than any of the rest. He bowed his head in defeat and backed away. “Then so be it. I have nothing more to say.”
He tried to leave again, this time without his daughter, but the doorway remained blocked, giving Aerrin the perfect opportunity to try to find common ground with him.
“I’ve heard that the Raven Bringer has leveled attacks in Oudesta. Even more concerning is the fact he had one of the Tears of Elios in his possession.”
Seroney grabbed hold of Raimel, her face going white once again from fear.
Her father’s reaction was more subdued, but carried the same caution. “What do you know of the Tears?”
“I know he was preparing to use them, which is why we need to work together to stop him.” He offered his hand to him. “I can’t do this alone.”
Ethon stared at Aerrin’s hand for a moment before finally taking it. “Perhaps it is time to explore a solution together.” He released Aerrin’s hand. “I’ll call Oudesta’s Governing Council to meet with me upon my return and discuss this matter with them. Unlike you, I don’t have the sole power to make any decisions that affect my homeland.”
He cast one more glance at his daughter. “Are you certain?”
She nodded and gave him a gentle smile. “Give my love to Mother and tell her…”
The rest of her message was delivered in Elvish, but it appeared to strike a chord with her father. His eyes glistened, and he nodded before replying in Elvish.
“I will be in touch, Your Majesty,” he said with a curt bow before leaving the room unhindered.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to kill him?” Raimel whispered loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
“Yes, I’m sure.” She let go of him and sat on the edge of the bed. “Are you certain you want me to train you, Aerrin? Would that even be allowed, Uncle Binnius?”
“I believe I can convince the Mages Guild in Oudesta to supply me with your credentials,” the old man replied.
“And as I said earlier, you already agreed to take the three of us on as apprentices the moment you started teaching us master-level magic.” Aerrin looked back to find his friends nodding. “Seems like you’re stuck with us until we pass our trials.”
“And knowing Leandros, that might not ever happen,” Nyssa added, drawing a laugh from all of them except Leandros.
“Then I suppose you’re stuck with me, too,” Seroney said with a light-hearted grin that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Pointed ears and all.”
Aerrin flung his arms around his friends’ shoulders. One more crisis averted. They’d get to stay together and continue their training under probably the best teacher he’d ever had. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Epilogue
Noli pushed her way through the rubble and coughed to clear the dust from her lungs.
The heart of Tenby lay in ruins. Collapsed buildings burned, and demons terrorized the streets under the moonless summer sky.
She cast a few spells to keep the demons away and focused her attention on the thing that mattered most. Her charges were buried under the debris.
She dug until she found the first one. Her heart broke when she realized he was dead. The next three were the same. Tears streamed down her face as she doubled her efforts. There had to be a few survivors.
A cold, malicious voice spoke behind her. One she never wanted to hear again. “Hello, Noli.”
She spun around, but no one was there.
His laughter echoed through her mind, driving her to her knees in terror. “So good to see you again.”
Sobs wracked her body, but the Raven Bringer’s voice faded away, replaced by the sweet voices of the rest of her children. She wrapped her arms around them as they ran to her, hugging each and every one who’d survived. If they hadn’t been roaming the streets, they would’ve been inside the building.
She had to keep them safe, no matter what.
Even if it meant begging mercy from the King of Thieves.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for reading the latest installment in The Raven Bringer Saga. I hoped you enjoyed this book and look forward to the next installment in the series. If you would like to know when it will be available for pre-order, please sign up for my newsletter.
In the meantime,
Please check out The Elgean Chronicles – A Touch of Magic (Book 0) and The Tears of Elios (Book 1). These stories take place centuries before the Raven Bringer Saga, but are in the same world.
Please check out my other fantasy series, The Soulbearer Series, under Crista McHugh. They have a touch of romance in them, but still plenty of action and magic.
Please like my Facebook page, where I’ll be posting information about this series in the coming weeks, as well as giving you sneak peeks at things like cover design and snippets from the books.
Thanks again,
C.
Revelation
Copyright 2017 by C. A. McHugh
Edited by Karen Dale Harris
Cover Art by Gene Mollica
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 978-1-940559-14-8