by Thawer, Tish
BEHIND THE VEIL
~ An Ovialell Series Omnibus ~
by
Tish Thawer
* * * * *
Behind the Veil
Published by Amber Leaf Publishing
Copyright 2012 by Tish Thawer
Smashwords Edition
All rights reserved
www.amberleafpublishing.com
www.tishthawer.com
Behind the Veil Copyright© 2012 by Tish Thawer. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Amber Leaf Publishing, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews.
First Edition; Includes the short-stories:
Prophecy's Child, The Rise of Rae, and Shay and the Box of Nye
Please note: While these short-stories are all YA and appropriate for teens, the main books in the Ovialell series are adult in nature and are NOT intended for readers under the age of 18.
ISBN: 978-0-9891585-5-8
Cover design by Regina Wamba of Mae I Design
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any use of name brands herein is done so under the Fair Use Act.
Licensing Note: This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only, and may not be resold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
Table of Contents
Contents
Acknowledgements
Prophecy's Child
The Rise of Rae
Shay and the Box of Nye
Bonus Material
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my wonderful fans. Your demands for these stories to be in print is what inspired me to compile this book. Thank you for your continued support.
Regina Wamba: Thank you for yet another job well done!
And a special thank you to my nephew, Daniel. Your desire to share these stories with your friends and teachers makes me very proud. I love you.
PROPHECY'S CHILD
by
Tish Thawer
CHAPTER ONE
Kylie's throat was on fire. She literally couldn't scream anymore. The moment the demons entered her home, she tried to grab her little sister and flee, but she just wasn't fast enough.
"Don't worry about the little one," one of the demons said. "She's too young to enter the breeding program. But you...you'll do just fine." The menace in his voice had Kylie screaming through the pain of her raw vocal cords.
After dragging her outside, the demons threw her into the back of the transport carriage, which was nothing more than a metal cage on the back of an old wooden wagon. Once she righted herself, she took in the faces of the other sobbing women. There was Trina, the blacksmith's daughter, and her cousin Lucy, along with Avetta, the storekeeper's wife, and Reni, the stablemaster's sister.
Kylie kept a cautious eye on the guards as they made their way to the front of the carriage. Once she was sure they were out of earshot, she turned to the women. "Don't be afraid. I'll do everything within my power to get us out of here." The girls looked at her with hope blooming in their eyes, then immediately dried their tears. They knew that if anyone could save them it would be Kylie.
Kylie was twenty-three and had matured years ago. With her long dark hair and tall slender figure, she was a perfect candidate for the breeding program. She grew up hearing stories of the evil queen and her red-eyed demons from Abrinthill. They roamed the three realms, gathering female prisoners in order to continue their race, but they'd never set foot in her realm...until now.
Luckily for the women, Kylie wasn't the average prisoner. She had powers that no one else in the village had had for over five-hundred years. Her village sat on an ancient vortex of magick, one that the former spirit women utilized to sustain the prosperity of their land.
It was foretold that once every five-hundred years a new spirit woman would be born in order to continue the magickal workings. When Kylie was born, the priests divined that she would be the village's next spirit woman. Once they verified she bore the mark of the prophecy's child–a crescent moon on the inside of her thigh–they waited until her thirteenth birthday to begin her training as was customary.
The priests didn't possess any magick, but were educated in how to prepare the blessed women for their duties. The old texts that guided them in the ancient ways were kept secret in the catacomb library of the abandoned church. The books' location was passed down from generation to generation.
Once Kylie had been properly trained in the ways of her magick, she ventured to the lowest level of the abandoned church where she bathed in the Spring of Spirits. There, she completed the ritual to seal her powers and become the current prophecy's child.
CHAPTER TWO
As Kylie's home was being raided, on the other side of the village, Rezmona entered the church. She expected to hear screams, but instead was met with silence.
"Where's Gregor?" she snapped.
The guards on duty stood at attention. "My Queen. Gregor said to let you know we are in the process of moving the prisoners."
That explained the silence, but not the reason behind it. The deserted church had served as a good base of operations for months now.
"I believe you'll find him in, um...in the office," the other guard stuttered. His eyes found the floor as he shifted nervously on his feet.
Rezmona's stare bore into him for a fraction of a second, then she headed towards the office without giving a response. The guard exhaled a sigh of relief.
The hall, with its moss covered walls and heavy wooden doors, was bathed in flickering candlelight. Rezmona recognized the feelings of homesickness, but quickly shut them down. If they were moving the prisoners, returning home wasn't something that was going to happen anytime soon.
Rezmona was the demon queen of Abrinthill, the largest and most lavish city in all of the realms. She was beautiful, but also the most brutal queen that had ever ruled.
She had long black hair, a shapely figure, plump ruby lips, and blood red eyes. But along with her gothic inspired skirts and corsets, her appearance was only an illusion she cast. A demon's true nature was only revealed when they shed their glamour, which they didn't do often. However, on the rare occasion they did, their true form was that of large, red-skinned towering beasts. They wore no clothes, which left them naked and exposed, and each with a set of horns which protruded from their heads.
When Rezmona claimed her natural form, her horns were stunning. Shiny black with gold stripes running through them, resembling a tiger's eye stone. They curved and spiraled into perfect points, which truly made her a sight to behold in either form. As the queen, she was also the only female demon whose eyes still glowed red and who was allowed to travel outside their city of Abrinthill.
Centuries ago, the females of their race suddenly began to lose the color of their eyes. Panic ensued when it was soon discovered they were no longer able to reproduce. The only explanation the elders offered was that their race was being punished by the Gods for constantly reproducing with world domination being their only goal.
At the time, the only blessing was that the queen's eyes had retained their natural hue. With the help of her mentors, she'd perfected the dark magick needed to continue their race, although at a much slower pace. The breeding program was founded, and ever since, the continuation of their existence solely depended upon impregnating the prisoners they collected from across the three realms.
The last time Rezmona and her demons made one of these gathering trips, they'd gained over sixteen new prisoners–each fertile and ready to enter the bree
ding program. Although the program was a success, it didn't change the fact that leaving the palace was something she never looked forward to.
When Rezmona entered the church office she found Gregor hunched over the desk reading from a tattered old book. "Gregor, what is the meaning of this? Why are we moving the prisoners?"
He took a moment to mark his place, then looked up at her with tired eyes. "Just a precaution, my Queen. We have stayed here for far too long, and if we plan to collect more prisoners, we had better move now, before their loved ones attempt a rescue."
Easing her way across the room with a serious look on her face, Rezmona suddenly slammed her hands down on the old wooden desk. "That is no reason to move the prisoners! I could crush anyone who attempted such a foolish mission. Now, what's the real reason we are leaving, and what is it that you're reading?"
Gregor, her mentor, had served her mother and grandmother before her. He wore a long hooded robe to conceal his weathered face, because even under his glamour, age had clearly left its mark on this centuries-old demon. He walked with a tall wooden staff, presenting an image of an old and feeble demonic monk. But just as his appearance was an illusion, so was that assumption. Gregor's magick was extremely powerful, and in his prime, he was considered one of the most vile men in Abrinthill.
He squinted slightly, then gathered the book into his robe. "Just an old manuscript regarding the history of the town and its people. I found it here in the church."
Gregor was known to be a history buff so this shouldn't seem out of the ordinary. Seeming to relax ever so slightly, she asked, "Have you learned anything of value from it?"
"Nothing extraordinary. The church was founded over three thousand years ago. The people of the village lived modestly, and their town has always been very prosperous." Gregor motioned for her to follow him out the door.
"Prosperity is good. Hopefully that will translate to the fertility of their women as well," Rezmona replied, then followed her mentor to the carriage waiting at the back of the church.
"And to answer your previous question, my Queen, the main reason I've decided to move the prisoners has to do with the amount of time we'll be staying. I know how much you hate having to leave Abrinthill, so my plan is to gather enough prisoners this trip to sustain the breeding program for at least a solid year. If that goal is met, we would soon run out of room here in the church," Gregor explained. "I've started moving the prisoners to the abandoned castle on the outskirts of town. Even though the transport from the village will take longer, the castle will serve as a good base of operations until we are ready to return home."
Rezmona remembered the castle he was referring to. She'd noticed it during their initial trip into town. The back of it literally hung over a cliff, and the front was easily defended. He was right...it would serve as a perfect base. As she entered the carriage the idea of not having to leave Abrinthill for over a year put a smile on her face. "Continue dealing with the prisoners, Gregor. I'll meet you at the castle when you're done."
* * * * *
Gregor hadn't heard Rezmona approaching the office, so when she caught him reading from the ancient text, it had indeed startled him. And though her questioning his motives had set his teeth on edge, he quickly diffused the queen's anger with his even-keeled response because he wasn't ready to discuss what he'd found within the manuscript just yet. At present, he was only a quarter way through the book, but due to his powers of foresight knew it was important to finish it as soon as possible.
The day they'd entered the town, he'd been immediately drawn to this church, and after weeks of searching the ruins, he found the tattered book buried deep within its catacomb library. The moment he held it in his hands, he sensed it was imperative to gain the knowledge within, but the question of why still remained.
CHAPTER THREE
Kylie glanced around the cage then shut her eyes and took a deep breath. But just as she started to draw on her magick, her plan of a break out was thwarted.
A cloaked man was walking towards the back of the carriage, leaning heavily on a cane, or rather a staff, and was mumbling something under his breath.
The moment the man reached the cage, Kylie knew she had missed her opportunity to save the women and escape. After seeing a gray mist drift from the end of his staff, she watched as each of them immediately drifted to sleep. As her eyes started to fall, the last thing Kylie saw was the old man leering down at them with glowing red eyes and a grim smile on his face.
* * * * *
Kylie had been raised in a loving home surrounded by her mother and father, her three older brothers, and her younger sister. Growing up, her parents would tell them stories of the demons from Abrinthill, and from what she could recall, the man who cast the sleeping spell had to have been the queen's mentor; for only he and the queen had the ability to wield such magick.
Kylie woke in a large stone enclosure, and after shaking off the effects of the spell, she quickly looked around to locate the other girls from her village. They were all huddled together, softly sobbing.
"Do you know where we are?" she asked the girls.
They all shook their heads. Kylie moved towards the barred door and looked up and down the corridor. She saw multiple cells containing many other crying women.
"We look to be in a dungeon of some sort. Have there been any signs of guards or that old man again?"
"No," Trina replied. "We only woke a few moments before you and haven't seen anyone."
"Okay. I'm going to go to the back of the cell and prepare to draw on my magick. Please alert me if anyone starts to come this way."
Kylie then moved into the farthest, darkest corner of the cell she could find. Settling down on the floor, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she began to ground and center herself. The feeling of the cold stones beneath her fell away as she tapped into the warmth of the earth. Once an invisible protective bubble formed around her, creating a sacred space, Kylie began to chant. "Spirit realm, open to me. Allow this prophecy's child to see. Give me the powers that I need, to protect these women and set us free."
The amount of energy that surged into Kylie's body was more than she'd ever experienced. Like a collision of all the elements flowing into her at once. The heat of a hot southern fire, the caress of a breeze from the east, a cool spray from the oceans of the west, all mixed with the density of an earthbound oak tree from the north. The magick was so powerful, Kylie knew she'd now be able to withstand anything these demons attempted.
Just as she gave thanks to the spirit realm and closed her impromptu circle, Kylie heard footsteps approaching. It seemed the time to put her new magick to the test was quickly approaching.
CHAPTER FOUR
Once Rezmona settled into her new room within the castle, she started to prepare for the prisoners' inspection.
The queen was the only demon who could harness the dark powers required to make the breeding program a success and therefore traveled with the raiding parties.
It was discovered long ago that a human couldn't successfully carry a demon's child unless dark magick was used. After several unsuccessful attempts and multiple torturous deaths, Rezmona's ancestors finally found the right combination of magick which would allow a demon child to be born successfully through the program.
With her dark magick starting to flow, she followed a guard to the dungeon. She had a good feeling the new prisoners were going to make suitable hosts and was anxious to begin the process.
As they made their way to the dungeon, she took the opportunity to study the castle's decor. For being abandoned, it was still in decent shape. The stone walls were dry and intact, and the candelabras were polished and lit, creating a warm glow throughout.
She wondered if Gregor had used his magick to spruce things up before her arrival. If she was going to be forced to remain away from her home for an extended period, he sure as hell better do everything he could to make her stay tolerable. He knew better than to ignore her basic com
forts.
As they rounded the stairs that led to the dungeon, Rezmona felt a slight tingle along her skin which indicated magick had recently been used. She grinned as she assumed Gregor was doing something else to improve their living conditions.
The moment they reached the first cell, she started to chant under her breath. The magick necessary for the breeding program was more difficult to wield than her normal magick, and therefore required incantations. "Fill this demon, darkest of dark, allow me to measure these prisoners' spark."
The black energy flowed across her skin, leaving visible veins of dark magick winding up and around her arms, across her torso, and up her neck until it filled her blood red eyes, causing them to change into pools of black death.
As she stepped up to the first cell door, the women within started to scream. Rezmona smiled maniacally; their screams intensifying the burn of the dark magick as it flowed through her veins. Rezmona raised her hands and started the inspection process.
Her dark magick flowed like tentacles from her hands and wrapped around each of the women one by one. The searing pain it caused was evident by the screams that continued to fill the dungeon. The strands of magick dug into the women's skin, first centering on their wombs to verify their fertility.
If the women were fertile, then the process continued to prepare their bodies for impregnation. Their DNA was altered slightly, and their minds were placed in a drugged state. If the women weren't able to bear children, the tendrils of dark magick centered around their hearts, effectively killing them in order to put them out of their misery.