by K.N. Lee
She’d seen it.
She’d also seen what she could do.
Rowen closed her eyes, lifted her arms, and summoned the hidden magic the prophecies had showed her.
The world went quiet, and the pull of energy from within seemed to stretch her in every direction. She bit down on her bottom lip and focused on controlling it. Her head grew light as it coursed through her veins.
Feyda’s words returned to her. They were sitting around the fire in the Wastelands when Rowen learned to control fire. The fire within. She wished she had more time with the sorceress to learn her true potential, but her mother needed her. There was no longer any time.
When she opened her eyes, it became clear what she needed to do.
Rickard flew up to her side, his black wings flapping in the wind. “What are you doing, Rowen?”
She looked to him and smiled. “What I’ve dreamed of, my love.”
With the power of her Dragon blood and that of her father’s wizard magic, she summoned the heart of the Withrae Mountains—the lava that coursed through them and underneath the kingdom. It flew to her from the ground, and through the volcanos behind the palace, forming a red stream of destruction that bent to her will.
She inhaled, overwhelmed by the sensation of it all.
So much power was unknown to her, and when she looked at Elian, his expression revealed that it was new to him as well.
“Keep that away from me,” he warned. “Or say goodbye to your mother forever.”
Rowen held the lava at bay, keeping it in two streams at her sides, ready to strike him at any moment.
Her heart stopped at those words. She couldn’t lose her mother. It was not an option. Something flickered behind Elian. Two golden eyes in the darkness.
Hope. That’s what the light in those eyes meant for her and her mother. Once they had glared at her with rage. Now, they were the signal she needed.
To set the world on fire.
With a guttural cry, she released the molten-hot lava and watched it pierce Elian’s shield, lowering his defenses.
It was bittersweet to watch Ioan spear Elian through the chest with the spade at the end of his tail, and toss him across the sky. Nimah shifted into her Dragon form and flew to Rowen, grabbing her with her talons and flying back to the ground.
Once they landed, Nimah returned to her human form and wrapped her arms around Rowen. Rickard stood beside them, stunned by what he had seen.
“I did it,” Rowen said, no longer able to fight the fatigue that began to darken her vision. “I freed you.”
Nimah kissed her forehead, her tears dripping onto Rowen’s face. “Yes, you did, honey. But, what Elian didn’t know—and could never understand—was that I was freer than I’ve ever been the day you were born.”
Those words brought a ghost of a smile to Rowen’s face as she succumbed to her exhaustion and drifted into a deep sleep
EPILOGUE
T he weight of the crown on her head was heavier than Rowen ever imagined. Silver and steel, it was the crown of a Draconian queen.
The Queen of Withrae.
Those words would never sound right when said aloud.
She’d dreamed of this day, though it looked much different back then when she was a naive puppet for her stepfather. To stand beside her handsome prince and call herself royalty didn’t seem feasible when the Duke sent her out to seduce Prince Lawson.
Now, as she stood on the balcony, overlooking the Dragons who had never accepted her as one of their own, her heart soared with joy.
She placed her hand on the railing, and Rickard put his on top, giving it a squeeze.
She gave him a sidelong glance.
King Rickard.
Her king.
He looked dashing in his royal attire, clean-shaven, and in his crown.
Together, they addressed the Dragons of Withrae. They smiled, and King Rickard gave a rousing speech of hope and peace. The crowd cheered and celebrated.
Then, when they turned to enter the palace, the smiles on Rowen and Rickard’s faces faded.
There would be no peace.
Hope was a notion easily spread, but rarely executed.
Hand-in-hand, they walked silently down the halls of Withrae Palace to the counsel room. Despite the beautiful wedding, and the coronation, not all was as it seemed. They entered the counsel room and everyone in attendance stood.
King Rickard’s tutor—the one who taught him about the prophecies and revealed the truth of King Thorne’s devious plans—sat at one end of the table. There were trusted generals, advisors, and a few of Rowen’s selections.
She nodded to Feyda, who sat next to Gavin, and sat at her husband’s side. Rowen never trusted people in the past, but Feyda was one of her first tutors of magic, and Gavin had tried to rescue her. She’d heard the tale of his heroic wizardry and knew they could use his skills. He saved Siddhe’s life, and by killing Elian, Rowen freed her from the same spell her mother had been under.
Siddhe was now free to return to her mermaid kingdom, and that’s exactly what she did.
Then, there was one final advisor.
Macana—the king killer. She saved the kingdom from further destruction when she ended the life of King Thorne.
With an expertly crafted poison.
The woman who Rowen had once thought was her enemy, was now eager to secure the future for the Dragons of Withrae.
She gave them both a slight nod and folded her hands in her lap.
Everyone waited for them to speak first.
King Rickard leaned forward in his chair and addressed them all. He gave Rowen’s thigh a squeeze under the table and despite her weariness, she smiled at him. Who knew her heart would swell with such love for the man she thought she hated above all others?
They had the rest of their lives together, the way her mother and the Red Dragon did.
But first, they had a job to do.
War was brewing.
The humans were coming.
And, the Dragons would not be safe from their army of wizards and sorceresses.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” King Rickard began. “Let’s prepare for war.”
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. The Dragon-Born saga continues with Rickard, Rowen, and Gavin’s quest in The Wizard Scrolls. Stay tuned for that this August!
My epic fantasy, Rise of the Flame is available on Amazon here.
Six races. Four realms. One devastating war.
The survival of the universe rests on the shoulders of one human girl, but can Lilae escape slavery in time to save humanity?
And, check out an exclusive look at Truth and Glory on the next page! Available for preorder here.
After escaping the great purge of magic as a child, her new reality is almost worse than death. Along with the young man who saved her life, Nala must walk the Warrior’s Path and prove herself to the Great Fenrir clan who took her in as a child.
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AN EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT FROM TRUTH & GLORY
For Nala, the forgotten gods are more than a memory. They are her ancestors.
After escaping the great purge of magic as a child, her new reality is almost worse than death. Along with the young man who saved her life, Nala must walk the Warrior’s Path and prove herself to the Great Fenrir clan who took her in as a child. Brutal training fills her days, while her nights are spent controlling the magic within and hiding it from those who fear and hate it. In a clan of an ancient race of wolves, Nala will do anything to escape the watchful eye of those who killed her people.
There is one way to prove herself to the king of her new clan.
She must become a magic eradicator, and hunt the last of her race.
In this sprawling epic fantasy novel with shifting wolf hybrids and mermaids, Nala’s first ba
ttle is for more than her life and love. It’s for her soul.
C HAPTER ONE
Darkness cloaked the valley, as one little girl jumped from the steep cliff to escape the Wolves.
Their teeth gnashed and nearly caught the frayed hem of her gown.
Her scream pierced the silence of the night, and the growls of her pursuers chased her down through the curling mists and into the river.
A million pricks of pain assaulted her as her body submerged into the water that was nearly frozen from a winter that came to Elvenere a week too early. She swallowed water and snapped her mouth closed. Florescent lights awaited below at the bottom of the river, but she knew better. Though the colors were pretty and the underwater caves beckoning, Nala knew that mermaids were not her friend, and if she wanted to survive, she needed to go up, back to the world of humans and creatures too horrific to speak of.
A deafening whistle came from the sleepy mermaid village, and Nala realized that she was about to be chased by yet another dangerous foe. She kicked her legs and swam upward as the whistles made the water ripple all around her, sucking her in.
Though today was not Nala’s lucky day, she refused to let it be her last.
With the last of her strength and will, she swan, and as a hand clutched her naked ankle, she froze and turned to look back.
“Come, child. You’re too cold. Let me warm you,” a female voice said. Her green hair lit up the water and her black eyes struck terror into Nala’s soul.
No. Nala shook her head. Mama told her about the deception of mermaids. Growing up on an island, everyone knew the dangers of water.
Home. That’s where she needed to go. But, home no longer existed.
Her lungs burned and though she kicked and thrashed, she couldn’t free herself from the mermaid’s grasp. More were coming. She could see their forms darting from side to side like bolts of colored lightning in the water. Time was running out, and she had no choice but to reveal her lineage. It was the only way to survive.
So, with her hands outstretched, her eyes and hands glowed a bright blue, and white lines were illuminated all over her body.
The mermaid let go, and let out a siren call that sent every mermaid fleeing.
That was all it took. They knew what she was.
Who she was.
And, she hadn’t even needed to exert her power.
The water went dark as Nala stopped building her inner power and swam toward the surface. Weakened, and exhausted, she barely made it. The water was too strong and her body was suddenly very heavy, but as she reached the surface, a hand reached out for her.
Like a beacon of hope, she held her hand high above her head as panic began to set it that she wouldn’t make it in time to catch a life-saving breath.
Sight became blurry. Arms lax. Her kicks no longer propelled her upward.
As the burning in her chest became unbearable, and she was certain that she’d lost her fight with death, someone jumped in after her. Arms wrapped around her and she was pulled out of the river.
Swift winds blew at her wet face, nearly instantly freezing her long dark hair.
“Ga, you’re alright, miss?” the young man who saved her asked.
She coughed up water and turned onto her side as she began to choke. Her words wouldn’t come out. So, she simply nodded and wiped her mouth.
“Saw what you did down there,” he said.
She froze at those words.
“But, I won’t say nothin. Promise,” he said, his bright brown eyes sincere.
He had to be not more than a year or two older. Maybe fourteen. Could she trust him?
He did just save her life.
“You’re the girl they’re hunting, aren’t ya?”
Nala hesitated, but when he picked up a cloak from the rock behind her and wrapped it around her shoulders, she gave a single nod.
“Ga,” he said again, settling down before her. He raked his hands through wet dark blond hair and stared at her. “Never met royalty before. I’m Alek.”
“Nala,” she said. She licked her lips and they stung the moment the cold air hit them. “Promise me you won’t say anything,” she whispered.
“Secrets safe with me, miss,” he said, covering his heart. “You look like a wet cat, anyway. How bout we tell my ma and pa you’ve run away from the slavers? They hate them men. They’d take ya in, no questions asked.”
Nala’s teeth chattered, but she nodded. Perhaps this young boy was sent by the gods to save her. Even at her age, she believed in fate. She’d seen a god before. She knew they were real.
Now, as Alek helped her to her feet she said a silent prayer to that god, and thanked him for keeping his promise.
“Thank you,” she said to the boy, as much as to the dead god who had given her his power.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K.N. Lee is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who resides in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she is not writing twisted tales, fantasy novels, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling and promotes other authors. Wannabe rockstar, foreign language enthusiast, and anime geek, K.N. Lee also enjoys helping others reach their writing and publishing goals. She is a winner of the Elevate Lifestyle Top 30 Under 30 "Future Leaders of Charlotte" award for her success as a writer, business owner, and for community service.
She is signed with Captive Quill Press and Patchwork Press.
(Amazon Author Page)
(Website)
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ALSO BY K.N. LEE
THE DRAGON-BORN TRILOGY
HALF-BLOOD DRAGON
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Netherworld
Dark Prophet
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The Darkest Day (Coming Soon)
THE GRAND ELITE CASTER TRILOGY:
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Sacrificed (Coming Soon)
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THE FALLEN GODS TRILOGY:
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Goddess of Ruin (Coming Soon)
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
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
Epilogue
An Exclusive Excerpt from Truth & Glory
About the Author
Also by K.N. Lee
More Great Reads by K.N. LEE