Fire and Fantasy: A Limited Edition Collection of Urban and Epic Fantasy

by CK Dawn

  Then there was the matter of Falinor and his Acolytes. Taking the life of another Astarii was unthinkable, but to kill one of the Five was a crime so heinous it had never been committed by an Astarii. Guilt wracked her conscience for this, too. She had acted in self-defense but the actions were her own choice.

  Now in quiet reflection, Elaina wondered if it could have been otherwise. The ride back to Listarii Manor had passed in silence. If Marcus had questions about what he had witnessed he had kept them to himself.

  Elaina lay on the bed staring at the smooth plaster ceiling, her body fatigued but her mind racing. From the day she had first laid eyes on Marcus her world had been turned inside out. She loved him. Of that she had no doubt. In the days since they had left King's Court they had only grown closer. Now that she was at odds with her own people, her presence posed a threat to him and Elaina was re-considering her choices.

  Her head told her to run, for Marcus's safety. Her heart told her what she already knew—she couldn't bear the pain of leaving him.

  As her thoughts played across the smooth ceiling, a golden light appeared in the air before the bed. The light expanded in both size and shape until a golden doorway stood before her.

  Elaina rolled off the bed and backed up against the wall, prepared to meet whatever threat emerged from the shining portal. She had expected retaliation from the Five in response to Falinor's death, but she had also expected his death to give them pause. Elaina needed time to plan a course of action. The portal before her told her that time was a dream that would never be realized.

  The portal solidified and the image before her pierced Elaina to her core. An enormous warrior in white and gold armor stepped through the portal and into the small room. He radiated power, and his stance was steady, confident, and uncompromising. Elaina had never laid eyes on such a being before.

  “Elaina Stormborn, do you know who I am?”

  Elaina's eyes played across the golden image of the smiling sun on his breastplate. “Y-you are the Allfather.”

  “Indeed I am. You can relax, Elaina. If I were here to harm you, that shield you are summoning as we speak would do you little good.”

  Elaina relaxed, allowing the arcane energy to dissipate.

  The Allfather continued. “Elaina, you have strayed far from your duties—the death of Falinor today has sealed your fate.”

  Elaina's protestations were immediate. “I gave him a chance to walk away—I didn't want to kill him or his Acolytes. I just wanted to be left in peace, to have the people of Meldinar left in peace. To hell with the Five and their Guardians. I just want my life back—I want to live as I please.”

  The Allfather studied the woman before him. Her unyielding defiance should have angered him, but instead it stirred old memories of another woman, memories he'd sought to suppress for centuries. The spirited Astarii reminded him of his own mother, Chandra. Their similarities in both appearance and temperament were uncanny. Perhaps that is what had drawn his attention in the first instance.

  The Allfather had watched as the well-meaning guardian had slowly subverted the worship of the inhabitants of Meldinar. Through her steady intervention she had unintentionally interposed herself between them and him. Their prayers strengthened Elaina more than she knew. Already she had surpassed the Five in power—if she were to continue on her course she would eventually realize the source of her increased power. She had taken the first tentative steps on the path of ascension—to godhood and the Allfather’s Throne—albeit unknowingly.

  Had he any indication of hostile intent, the Allfather would not hesitate to crush the life from her frail frame. Strong though she might be, her power paled compared to the might and dominion he wielded. He was strengthened by the prayers of the faithful on a thousand worlds, and there was none in Creation to rival him, nor would he allow such to rise under his watchful eye. Such carelessness had been his father's downfall.

  “If I were my father, Elaina, you would already be dead. Fortunately, I am not, and I have another fate in store for you.”

  “Your father? What father?” Elaina asked. In Astarii lore the Allfather was supreme. The notion that he might have had his own parents, while logical, was difficult for her to fathom the implications of.

  “You needn't worry—he is dead, and has been since before Creation was formed.” Changing tactics, the Allfather probed for answers: “Elaina, you must sense that your very nature has changed. Your power has magnified beyond your birthright. You realize that, I know, for I heard the words you spoke to Falinor before his death. You are closer to a Demigod than you are to your own kind, and yet you want to stay here, in this hovel? I find your choices difficult to fathom.”

  “What is that power worth without someone to share it with?” Elaina answered. “I would trade it all to remain here with Marcus. Free of the Five, free of duty and free of the burdens that come with Guardianship. Have you never felt that way?”

  “I understand more than you will ever know, Elaina,” the Allfather replied, turning to stare out the window and into the distance.

  “If you understand how I feel, why are you here?” she asked. “What do you want with me?”

  “I have come to grant you your desires, Elaina, but mark my words—they come at a price. For while you wish to forsake your duties and Creation, you remain a part of it. Your fate and its are linked. Try as you might, there will be no avoiding what is to come. The storm gathers and we must prepare to play our parts.”

  “What is your price?” she asked him.

  “First my terms, Elaina. You will have the peace you seek. Never again will you be bothered by the Five or others of your kind. You will be able to stay here and live out your life in peace. But you may not leave this world. If you seek to spread your influence among the stars I will have no choice but to crush you. I am happy for you to retain the power you have gained—in fact it is essential if you are to carry out your end of our agreement. Understand, though, it is here and no further that you may use your power.”

  Elaina's heart lifted as she realized that against all odds she might actually gain the life she so sorely longed for.”That sounds fine to me, but again, I would know your price.”

  “Your sons, Elaina.”

  “I don't have any sons,” Elaina responded, confused.

  “But you will—and they will shape the future of this world.”

  Elaina’s mind was on fire. “Wait . . . they?”

  “Yes—twins, Elaina—they will be no ordinary boys. With the power you have attained they will be born to a greater birthright. They will be giants among men. Elaina, they are what I require of you.”

  “I'm not giving you my children,” Elaina answered with finality.

  “Nothing like that, Elaina,” the Allfather responded with a laugh. “I am not Tharos.” In a popular Astarii fable, Tharos would offer aid to struggling families, but as soon as they were not looking he would steal their young children and vanish into the night.

  “Your sons are yours,” he assured her. “Raise them as you see fit. But understand this—they both have a part to play in the war that is to come. You must ensure they are ready when the time comes.”

  “What role?” Elaina demanded.

  “I can say no more on the matter. The future is like the ocean, its currents ever-changing. Even I cannot read it with a surety. Besides, it is not fitting that one should know too much concerning their own future, or that of those they love. To know what is to come might change their actions, and so the very act of knowing what might come would be the catalyst to ensure an event did not transpire at all. Such knowledge can drive one to madness. Just raise them well and ensure they are ready when the time comes. Those are my terms. Are they acceptable to you?”

  “What if I refuse?” Elaina answered.

  “Then I find myself without reason to intercede on your behalf. I will allow the Five and your people to finish what Falinor started today. You may be strong but eventually you will falter and f
all. The threat you pose will be eliminated and I will return to the Celestial City, disappointed that you would not see reason.”

  “And if I agree?”

  “Then all I have promised you will come to pass. I'll ensure your people leave you in peace and that you will soon have two strong boys to contend with. The life you want is within reach. Take it, while you still have the chance.”

  Skeptical as she was of the Allfather's intentions, she was certain of the truth in his words. Alone against the Astarii, sooner or later she would fall, and Marcus in his stubborn chivalry would end up caught in the crossfire. Not to mention her sons. Elaina's heart threatened to overflow at the thought of her own children. There is no choice at all, she thought. “Very well. I accept.”

  “Excellent,” the Allfather replied, smiling. “I shall watch with interest, Elaina Stormborn. Of the panorama of destinies that lie before us, so very much hinges on your sons.” With that the Allfather turned and departed through the portal, which closed as soon as he stepped through.

  A knock at the door interrupted Elaina’s surging river of thoughts.

  Before she could respond, Marcus stood in the doorway, a puzzled look on his face. “Is everything alright, Elaina? I thought I heard voices coming from your chamber.”

  Elaina considered telling Marcus what had transpired, but didn't know where to begin. How did one explain the visitation of a God without sounding mad? Elaina led with what mattered most to her.

  “Marcus, when you asked me to stay with you, were you serious?”

  “Of course,” Marcus answered, rushing to her side. “I told you I love you. Today changes nothing.”

  “It changes everything, Marcus,” Elaina began, thinking of the Allfather’s words, but not knowing how to express them. Elaina abandoned her attempt, deciding she would keep the encounter with the Allfather to herself until it bore fruit. “I have been alone for so long . . .”

  “No longer,” Marcus assured her. “You will have a place and family here with me, if that is what you wish?”

  “More than anything in the world,” Elaina replied, wrapping her arms around him, completely overwhelmed. Tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.

  “What’s wrong?” Marcus asked.

  Elaina shook her head as the corners of her mouth creased up into a smile. “Nothing, Marcus. Nothing at all.” For the first time in many years Elaina Stormborn, the woman in the wind, knew what it was to be happy.

  The End...and The Beginning

  Continuing the series...

  The Woman in The Wind is the exciting prequel to my A Kingdom Divided series. The first three books in the series: A Coronation of Kings, When the Gods War and A Kingdom in Chaos are available now.

  Continue the series in A Coronation of Kings or grab the entire A Kingdom Divided box set for a bargain! You can find them all at the link below.

  S.C. Stokes Library

  You can also join my Book Club here, it is packed full of goodies including the exclusive novella Rise of the Mercenary King

  S.C. Stokes Book Club

  About the Author

  Many people love to read a great fantasy book. I love to live it! When I am not glued to my keyboard busily writing my next work, I can be found clad head to foot in armor, LARPing like a mad man. For those not familiar with the notion, LARP stands for Live Action Role Play where people get in costume and armor and fight over real-life battlefields. It's action packed and that is how I try to write my novels.

  In my work, you will find yourself submerged in thrilling new fantasy worlds. Each coursing with conflict that transpires at an incredible pace. I draw on experiences from my life and time spent living in Australia, the U.S.A, and Japan to enrich the narrative of my books and provide you a taste of familiarity, as you plunge headlong into a scintillating new world.

  Siren’s Lure

  Frost Kay

  Copyright © 2017 by Frost Kay.

  First Edition

  * * *

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced. Stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any for or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, with written permission of the author.

  * * *

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  * * *

  For information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book go to www.frostkay.net

  Siren’s Lure

  Nothing is as it seems.

  Hayjen never believed in myths and nightmares until he came face to face with one. Captured and trapped on a slaver ship, life looks utterly grim. But when mutiny and danger arise, Hayjen is tossed into the ocean’s watery depths where death stalks.

  Vengeance is Lilja’s middle name. As pirate captain of the Sirenidae, she’s made it her life goal to destroy Scythia after what they’ve stolen from her. After one miscalculation, she finds herself cast into the sea with a man’s life in her hands. Despite her laws ringing in her mind, she saves him, exposing a secret she’s kept for years.

  A secret that could destroy an entire race.

  One

  Hayjen

  Life was never simple. Months on the cursed ship taught him that.

  Hayjen stared from his floating prison at the death trap surrounding him. The seductive black waves lapped below, beckoning, whispering to him to take the chance, to seize his freedom. Luminescent coral cast soft light below the obsidian waves offering a lie, a hope that one could survive the harsh sea if one stayed in the light, but Hayjen knew better. Just past the comforting glow of the coral, a beast hunted—so deadly that no one chanced the sea at night.

  He shivered as a shiny, midnight fin sliced through the water, before silently disappearing into the inky waves.

  A Leviathan.

  He wouldn’t make it two arms’ lengths before it dragged him below and killed him. His lips lifted into a grim smile. It might not be such a bad way to go compared to what the Scythians had planned for him.

  “Hayjen?” a small voice called.

  Turning his head, he sought out the unruly mop of white blond hair. Mer, a little girl who had been captured a couple weeks after he had, peeked at him over the top of a barrel. Her soft lilac eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled at him, revealing a large gap where her tooth used to be. She scuttled from behind the barrel and slipped her small hand into his, their cuffs clinking together.

  “What are you doing?”

  What was he doing?

  Hayjen stared at the tiny pale hand in his rough tan one. He could see her blue veins through her delicate skin. Mer was so fragile. His heart squeezed. This was why he couldn’t escape. His gaze latched on to her sweet face, gazing at him with adoration. He couldn’t leave Mer to the Scythians’ cruelty. For some reason, they delighted in tormenting the little one. If he hadn’t stepped in and given her some of his slop, she would’ve starved a long time ago. He also had his sister to think of. Where was she now? Was she okay?

  “Hayjen?”

  Hayjen blew out a breath and gave Mer his most brilliant smile. “I’m enjoying the view.”

  Her lilac eyes darted to the rolling black waves—they widened with excitement when a fin cut through the water. Mer stabbed a finger at the water, practically bouncing on her toes. “A Leviathan!”

  “Only you would get excited over a Leviathan.”

  “They’re nice. When I get bigger, I want one as a pet.”

  That made him snort. “I doubt that they would want to be kept as a pet.” He tickled her neck. “I think they would probably want to snack on you.”

  Mer giggled. “No, they just like the way I smell. One sniffed me today.”

  Hayjen stiffened. What was she talking about? He knelt and placed his hands on her dainty shoulders. “How did they
sniff you?” he questioned, attempting to keep his heart from beating out of his chest.

  A little shrug. “I was hot, so I asked if I could go for a swim, and the mean man threw me in. The Leviathan were happy to have someone to play with.”

  Bile burned the back of his throat. They had thrown a little girl into Leviathan-infested waters? Unconsciously, his hands started to skim over her for injuries. “You swam with the Leviathan?” he croaked, trying to not throw up as he said the words.

  Her innocent smile almost broke his heart. “Yep! We played tag. They darted in and bumped me with their noses before speeding off. I wish I was that fast in the water. When I got tired, one let me hold onto its fin. I got to ride one, Hayjen! Mama always said that one day I would be able to.”

  He sucked in a deep breath and considered Mer’s unique lilac eyes. “You must not swim with the Leviathan again, Mer. It’s dangerous.”

  “But they’re my friends.”

  “I understand you had a wonderful time today, but they’re not safe.”

  “They didn’t hurt me.”

  “No more, Mer.”

  Her jaw jutted out stubbornly. “I like them.”

  If reason wasn’t going to work, he had to scare her. “They like to eat people.”

  Her eyes bulged. “Eat people?” she squeaked.