Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Author’s Note
The
Avarian
Chronicles
Copyright © 2020 K.M Randall. All rights reserved.
No part of this book can be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the author. Quotes may be used for a published review only.
Characters in this book are entirely fictional and are not based on real people, dead or alive. Any similarities are coincidental.
This book is designed for young adults. Content may be unsuitable for younger readers.
Chapter 1
“I understand the severity of the current situation,” the King declared in an even, calm tone. I wasn’t sure how he could appear so at ease with dozens of cameras pointed at his face, broadcasting his speech to the entire country. My palms were clammy on his behalf. “I want to reassure the public that the Avarian Council are working day and night on strengthening the veil. Every household should receive a Protection Pack by the end of the month with important information, advice and security instructions to help protect themselves should the veil weaken in their area.”
Every single person in the room was hooked on his words, some reporters writing down notes or shaking their heads. I’d helped him prepare his speech, giving him insight into the minds of the public. I could see some of them ready to pounce on him with their questions that were intended to catch him off guard and call him out. That’s what the media was all about. They were more interested in the story than the information. I hoped I’d been enough help.
“I will address some basic protection methods in a moment,” the King continued. “First, I would like to thank the Government for their support in this supernatural threat. I would also like to thank the police and military for their part in protecting us all. Their help has been invaluable.”
Rick nudged me from behind and leaned forwards, bringing his lips close to my ear.
“He’s doing good,” he muttered. “But that bitch is waiting to shove her mic in his face.”
I glanced to my right and saw a reporter with short blonde hair and bright red lipstick bouncing her knee as she listened to my father’s speech. I could see the eagerness in her eyes. The ID around her neck read The Sun. Even without that, I knew who she was. Notorious for hating on the Fae, Isabelle Blason was a pain in the ass. She had cornered me only last week to try and pry information out of my head for an article. Whatever you said to her, she twisted. She hated our kind and made it clear in pretty much every article she wrote. She inspired fear in the humans and given the terrible situation we were in, that was the last thing my father needed.
“If you hear the siren, you must remain indoors,” the King said, his tone growing slightly more serious. “If you are outdoors, find shelter immediately. Go to the nearest building. Do not try to go home if it is too far. Impius move quickly and so should you. Close all doors and windows and do not open them until you hear the all clear signal.”
He paused and pressed a button on the remote in his hand. An eerie siren sound filled the room and everyone seemed to shrink a little in their seats. It made the hairs on my neck stand on end.
“That is the siren,” the King explained once the sound stopped. He pressed another button and the room filled with a loud horn that sounded a little like a whistle. “That is the all clear signal. We aim to clear the afflicted areas within an hour, but depending on the amount of Impius that get through the veil, it can take up to two days. Make sure you have any essentials in your house and do not, I repeat, do not leave until you hear the all clear signal.
“Should an Impius breach the protection of your home, have salt on hand. Impius are vulnerable to it and will not cross a doorway if there is salt over it. There is no magic involved – just salt. It might save your life.”
I had insisted he clarify that it was not magic. With so much prejudice towards Fae and magic, it was important to make sure the humans didn’t think they were using magic even though it wasn’t possible anyway.
“Though salt is a common household item, we are working on sending more out to every household as a precaution. It will arrive with your Protection Packs. These packs will provide you with important information and instructions. Read them thoroughly and make sure everyone in your household does too. It may save your life.
“I know you’re all wondering how long this will last for. I want to reassure everyone that we are working towards a permanent solution. As long as you follow these instructions, you will be safe.”
The King paused, his eyes sweeping across the crowd. He glanced at me and I gave him a small smile.
“Last of all, I would like to address a mistake that has been made about the relation of Impius to the Fae. They are not Fae and do not come from Avaria. They are from a realm that is unknown even to us. Scientists, both human and Fae, are researching the Impius in the hopes of discovering more about them and why they behave in the way they do.
“The public will be updated as we move forward. Thank you for your time and stay safe during these challenging times.”
The reaction was instant. The reporters all swarmed the podium, shoving their microphones close to him and bombarding him with questions that were indecipherable amidst the madness. Isabelle managed to squeeze closer. Her bossy, shrill voice soon overcame the chatter around her.
“These supernatural attacks have been going on for months,” she declared. “Why are you only taking action now?”
“Until now, the attacks were minor and under control,” the King replied calmly. “In recent weeks, we have seen bigger tears in the veil and more Impius numbers coming through. We have been working hard to protect the public, but there is only so much we can do. Providing people with the information and means to protect themselves is the first step in resolving this crisis.”
I watched as he answered more questions from eager reporters. As soon as Isabelle piped up again, I let out an impatient breath.
“Is it true that Fae went through the veil and never returned?” she asked. A few other reporters looked surprised at her question and even my father was taken aback.
Where the hell had she gotten that information from?
“We are investigating the weakened veil in a controlled environment,” the King stated carefully. “Some of my most capable Fae have entered the unknown realm in the hopes of finding a way to strengthen it from the inside. The investigation is still in progress and I will not be taking questions about it until we have more information available.”
It was a fair reply, though it didn’t stop the reporters from trying to ask him about it. Rick slid into the seat beside me and crossed his arms.
/> “Hopefully one of those bastards gets her,” he said bitterly. I shot him a warning look, though I wouldn’t be sorry to see Isabelle vanish.
“Where did she hear about the missing Fae?” I wondered quietly.
“No idea. She must have an inside source.”
“I can’t wait to read her next article,” I muttered sarcastically. “I bet it will be riveting.”
Rick chuckled. “At least it won’t be about the Fae King’s badmouthed daughter this time.”
I studied the room, wondering what the next few months would hold for this realm. With so many unanswered questions about the attacks from another realm, everyone was on edge. Humans blamed us, the Fae. Despite the fact that our worlds had collided decades ago, they were still wary of us.
I rose from my seat when I saw my father making his escape. The reporters tried to follow but security stopped them.
“Give her a good whack from me,” I muttered to Burk, one of the Fae Officers who protected my father and I. Though his lips remained a thin line, his eyes sparkled with amusement. I slipped past him, dragging Rick behind me.
Some of the human bigshots were shaking my father’s hand, praising him on his speech. I waited for them to have their say before approaching him.
He was an impressive man, with the same brown hair and green eyes as me. He was well over six-feet tall and hardly looked like he needed his own security. Even without magic, he was formidable.
But when he looked at me, his stern features faded into a smile.
“Well, that could’ve gone worse,” I told him with a smile. He chuckled, running a hand through his tidy hair.
“Let’s hope everyone listens,” he replied. “I’m afraid you’ll have to go on without me. I’ve got to find who leaked the information to Blason. The Council is demanding a meeting as well.”
“Sounds fun,” I said, though I was disappointed he would be working late again.
“I’ll try and be home before you’re asleep,” he said, planting a kiss on my forehead. “Stay safe. You too, Rick.”
Rick but shook my father’s hand. I followed Rick out the building and down to the car park where he had parked his precious Audi. I climbed into the passenger seat and let out a sigh.
“That wasn’t bad at all,” Rick offered as he reversed out of the spot. “I think your dad nailed it.”
“I hope so,” I shrugged. “I guess it depends on how the media flips it. I’m just waiting for one of the assholes to try and accuse us of letting the Impius into their world.”
“Fae have died fighting them,” Rick reminded me. “They’d have to be deranged to think that.”
“I’ve read conspiracy theories online talking about how Impius are computer generated illusions to control the humans while we steal all their fruit trees,” I said, taking my sunglasses off the dashboard and popping them over my eyes. Rick snorted.
“You need to stay off the internet, Ash.”
“I like to see what people are saying.”
“You should be worrying about your hair or shoes or whatever else Princesses think about.”
“I don’t know about other Princesses but I like to think about punching you in the throat.”
He grinned as we waited for the car park gate to open. Then we drove out into the busy London streets.
“Fancy a coffee before we head back?” Rick asked as we joined the traffic.
“Sounds good to me. Though a pint would be better right now.”
“We can go out on Friday. The Crush is having live music.”
The Crush was our usual bar. It was always packed but had three floors and was a bit of a hotspot for Fae. Though I spent as little time in London as possible, I would always crash at my dad’s flat there after a night out.
We stopped at a drive-thru for some coffee then started the drive out of London to my dad’s house in the Surrey Hills. He wasn’t a fan of staying in London either, only doing so when necessary. His flat was modern and flashy, a stark opposite to the Rolan Manor. When we eventually pulled up outside the big iron gates, I gazed up to the huge house fondly.
Though many Fae still lived in Avaria, a lot had chosen to move to Earth instead. It was convenient here with all the technology. Avaria was beautiful, but we had no cars, no TV’s or phones. Being the Princess meant that I had duties in Avaria and Earth so I got the best of both worlds. Literally.
Matthew waved us through from his post at the side of the gate and Rick drove his Audi up the long driveway and parked it in front of the double garage.
“So, Netflix?” Rick asked.
“If you put anything to do with zombies on, I’m keying your car.”
“Don’t hurt Betty,” Rick whined, stroking his dashboard.
“You’re so lame.”
Rick had been my best friend for years. With his black hair and love for human tech, I often referred to him as my best-nerd. His father was my father’s advisor so we’d pretty much grown up together. I liked to think our friendship was solid and perfect, but that wasn’t true. Rick had feelings for me. He hid it well, but he’d drunkenly confessed it to me once and though we’d never talked about it, I had started noticing little things I’d never noticed before. Like how he would keep looking at me long after I’d looked away. And how he always let me win our arguments.
“Fine,” he pouted. “No zombies. How do you feel about vampires?”
Chapter 2
The sound of the kitchen door opening jerked me from my drowsy state. Rick let out a yawn.
“Productive night for you two,” dad commented as I pushed the blanket off my lap and stretched my arms out. Netflix was still playing some old film about war that had bored me almost to sleep.
“I should probably head home,” Rick said, rising to his feet.
“You’re more than welcome to stay, as always,” dad said with a warm smile as he shrugged out of his jacket. “But I do have to talk to Ashley in private first.”
“Thanks, Mr Romar,” Rick said, shooting me a curious glance. “I’ve got stuff to do at home anyway.”
He gave me a gesture to call him, probably anticipating that my dad had some gossip for me. I nodded with an eye roll. Nearly everything my dad discussed with me was dull Council business. He was slowly prepping me to take over as Queen one day. Even though it was a daunting prospect, the ruler of Avaria was only one of many seats on the Council.
The Avarian Council was made up of eighteen councillors. Each one was the master of a vital part of our realm. They each held sway over the way things were run, both in Avaria and here. Though they never got involved with my learning, I felt their pressure-filled gazes whenever I attended meetings. For the last two centuries, there had always been a King in charge. In fact, most of the Council was made up of men. There were only two women.
Once Rick was gone, dad sat down in Rick’s vacated seat and faced me.
“The Council has been pushing for you to marry,” he said bluntly. My chest went tight at the sore subject. Avarians often had arranged marriages but dad had been trying to hold off making any plans for me. I’d never voiced my opinions on having an arranged marriage but my father knew how I felt anyway.
“Seems like a bad time to be thinking of that,” I stated. “Shouldn’t they be worrying about the Impius attacking humans?”
“Hmm,” dad mumbled. His expression told me that he agreed with me. “They believe that giving the humans something else to focus on will draw attention away from the attacks, especially the media.”
“That’s… smart.”
It was, as much as I hated to say it. The media was our biggest problem and I knew they would be all over a royal Fae engagement.
“And I assume they’ve chosen someone for me?”
“They have.”
I nodded, understanding. I’d never had a real relationship despite the fact that I was nearly nineteen. I’d always known this would happen eventually, but now I was faced with it, my insides churned with doubt.
“Blaine Morgan.”
“Who?”
“Darren’s son.”
I raised an eyebrow as I made the connection. It was hard to keep up with all the different families of the Councillors.
“Blaine Morgan,” I repeated. “Isn’t he in the Fae army?
“He’s the Commander of the Fire Unit. He patrols the city during the crisis.”
“How old is he?”
“Twenty-two.”
“You don’t seem very happy about this.”
I studied his face. My father was protective of me. After losing my mother a year ago, I was all he had left. I was his heir but I was also his little girl.
“I can’t pretend I would’ve chosen Blaine for you.”
“So why did they?”
“The Morgan’s are a powerful family in Avaria. And Blaine is the appropriate age and popular in both realms. It’s a logical decision.”
“But?” I could sense there was a big but.
“But he’s an asshole.”
I laughed even though it really wasn’t funny. Hearing my father, the King, call someone an asshole was the funny part. Especially my betrothed.
“Define asshole,” I said once I’d sobered.
“He’s arrogant and entitled. I can only speak of what I’ve heard and the few encounters I’ve had with him, but I don’t like him. And I don’t like him for you.”
“But you can’t fight the entire Council,” I guessed quietly.
“No. I tried to reason that it wasn’t the right time and we shouldn’t rush into anything, but they knew I was only thinking of you and not the realms.”
“It’s okay, dad. We knew it was going to happen eventually. So… does he know?”
“I believe the idea has been in play for a while. He’s probably been in the know for weeks.”
“Oh. So they just left me out of the plans for my future. Goody.”
“I’m afraid you have a reputation for being… reckless.”
“That’s a bit of an exaggeration.”
“I could decorate my office with all the articles about you.”
The Avarian Chronicles: A Tear In The Veil Page 1