by Natalie Erin
“All she has to do is say Kennu’s name and they will be sealed,” Vixen told them happily.
Allie got up, changing into a newborn fawn. She walked over and stood at Keota’s feet, staring up at the baby in his arms. Everyone waited anxiously for her to say the child’s name. Allie merely sat there and stared up at Keota.
“Are you going to say anything or just sit there and look at me all day?” Keota asked the fawn, getting nervous.
Allie blinked. “Kan-new.” She said. “Kan-new. Allie say Kennu. Kennu and Allie. Allie and Kennu. Always.”
“Good job Allie. That is Kennu.” Kia smiled softly and held up her arms for her son. Keota handed him over reluctantly. “Come on up here Allie. Come see Kennu.”
The small Changer jumped up and looked at the boy in Kia’s arms. Kennu blinked with his golden eyes and his lips rose into a soft grin. He gently stroked Allie with his small hand while the other was shoved into his mouth. His first laugh was gentle and all of them felt it vibrate in their hearts as it rang about the cabin. Allie touched her nose to Kennu’s, and both of the newborns shut their eyes. Everyone knew that it had been true love at first sight.
THE HANDSOME YOUNG Accompany walked hastily through the forest, a small brown sparrow flying obediently behind him. New spring buds were squished angrily under his feet as he walked, and he glared at the plants as if he wished for them to begin burning on sight. At first glance this Accompany would seem kind, but if you looked closer, it was immediately obvious that this was a very mean person. Even the very trees seemed to want to shrink from his gaze.
The Accompany was average height, muscular and strikingly good-looking, while the small bird’s body looked neglected and battered. The wind ruffled the Accompany’s deep brown locks, and his steely brown eyes squinted at the skies above him, as if keeping look out for something. He pulled his black trench coat more tightly around him. Although it was only March, the chilly weather seemed to be an indication of a cold summer this year. He quickened his pace and the bird behind him flew faster. They had to hurry if they weren’t to be discovered.
Finally he came to what he was looking for. Though it had only been mere months, nature was beginning to take over Malaki Shaman’s small hut. He kicked the wooden door down and tore apart the vines blocking his way. The little sparrow flew closer to him slowly, hesitated, and then landed cautiously on his shoulder. He paid no attention and instead knocked various items out of the way and onto the floor.
“Where can it be?” he asked in aggravation. “I need it!”
“Forgive me master, but why are we here?” the little bird asked, afraid.
“Shut your mouth and help me look,” the man said harshly. The little bird shrunk down and started zooming around the room, unsure of what she was even searching for.
When the room had been torn apart and nothing had been found the Accompany gave a furious yell of impatience and rounded on the sparrow. Scared, the shaking little bird whispered, “Could it be under the rug?”
The Accompany paused. Then he bent down and removed a large, filthy carpet from the floor. A trap door lay hidden under it.
He laughed. “At least you’re good for something.” He lit a torch lying on the ground, then opened the door and started going down the dark steps. Thrilled by this small praise, the bird flew down and settled on his shoulder once more. Down the dark steps he went until finally he came to an iron doorway. He grabbed the handle and tried turning it. The door opened easily and he chuckled. “What an imbecile to not lock his own laboratory. He must have thought his little rug trick was enough to hide his secrets. But not from me.” He opened the door quickly and went in.
A smile came upon his attractive face as he looked around the room. He walked slowly around the room, taking in all the violent weaponry, evil liquid concoctions, and old books piled up near the walls. He laughed and strode over to a black object with a leather case and small, silver pieces in a box.
“What is that?” asked the tiny bird in fear. Already, she didn’t like where this was going.
He picked it up. “This, my little dear, is a gun. A weapon used by humans before they left. It will kill quicker than any sword or arrow. One fire of this thing called a trigger pointed in your direction, loaded with these things called bullets, will instantly take your life.”
“How horrible! Put it back!” the bird told him in revulsion. But the Accompany took the gun and buckled it in its case, then fastened the case to his belt. He put the small black bullet box in his pocket. He then moved to a bunch of empty vials spilled all over a table.
“Unicorns aren’t affected by the sickness because of the healing powers in their horns. I need something that will take down even a unicorn. The Great One will not be so powerful without her precious nags.” He said the words as if there was poison in his mouth.
“Master, can’t we do something else?” The bird flew from him shoulder and hovered in front of him. “There are many lands out there that would be easy to take from weak fairies. You could get what you want without destroying so many lives. Stop thinking about revenge...”
“You dare question my actions?” he shouted, and he brought his hand up and slapped the poor creature out of the air. He hit her with such force that she was thrown against the wall. “I told you I won’t stand for disobedience anymore!” He turned away and left the small sparrow to weep softly on the floor.
“Stop bawling,” he said coldly. He went over to the books and looked at the covers. He threw each one aside, one by one, until he had picked up a leather book that was stained black and red. The bird hopped up to his side and looked curiously at it.
“It looks evil,” she whispered cautiously.
“As if we’re not evil,” the man laughed softly. The bird winced at his words and wanted to turn away, but forced herself to stay put.
“Yes,” he whispered and he stroked the spine delicately as if it was a newborn. “This book will have what I need to make the Great One fall. And as soon as she is distracted…we will have the young one in our grasp.”
“What are you saying?” she asked.
“You know as well as I that her powers are many times stronger than any normal Changer! She will be key to our victory!”
“We’ve already tried to capture her once. She’s just a baby!” the bird protested.
“All the more reason we get her on our side now, when she’s young,” he said. “It’ll be easy to kidnap her now that the Great One has been drained of her power. She’s very old. She’ll not be able to sense me now that she wasted all her power on that stupid battle, not for years.”
“So you never wanted to kill the forest then. You just wanted to drain the Great One of her power so she wouldn’t see you coming,” the sparrow spat in disdain.
“We’ve fought her before, remember?” he said. “Or is your memory so dull that you cannot remember the riot we incited two weeks ago?”
The sparrow flinched again. Tears sprang up in her eyes and she said, “I killed them. I killed them both. Why did you make me do it? They were in love like I had been.”
“You’re not in love unless I say you are,” the man snapped harshly. “I know who you’re talking about. As for the smart one, well…I admit you were intelligent to play up the romance with him, but his Accompany was as dumb as a doornail.”
“He was a good person,” whispered the sparrow dejectedly.
“Why are you worrying about him? His Changer is the one we need to be concerned about. He’s way too clever to let my scheme unfold. If we are to be successful, we need to get him out of our way quickly, one way or another.”
“What do you mean?” she said, but by the stunned look in her eyes it looked like she knew exactly what he meant. The man clutched the book tighter in his hands. “What about his Accompany? Do you want to hurt him too?”
“I wouldn’t bother. The idiot can do it himself.”
“What about the fairies?”
“Fairies are wea
k. Look the wrong way at their land and they fall to the ground writhing in pain. I’m not concerned with frail little fairies.”
“And if I refuse?” The little bird trembled but held her ground.
He turned and looked at her. For a terrible second she thought he was going to hit her again, but he merely stared at her with those brown eyes and said, “I will kill to get what I want.”
“I’m not afraid of dying.”
“I didn’t mean you.”
The little bird shook. “You wouldn’t!” she shrieked.
“I’ve done it before.”
The sparrow looked at him, defeated. He turned his attention back to his book and opened it.
“Damn,” he said as he stared at rows and columns of complicated diagrams and paragraphs. “It’ll take years to decipher this. It’s a good thing I have plenty of time. When we have finally understood the entire book, then I will make my move.” He gestured for the bird to follow him back up the stairs, tucking the book into his coat.
He walked out of the house and slammed the door shut, whirling away from the place while the sparrow hovered in the air beside him. The man took a deep breath and called in a soft voice, “You can come out now, my darling. Nobody’s following.”
A deadly beautiful fairy with blood red hair and pitiless black eyes floated out of the woods, her bat-like wings barely moving as she landed upon the ground. In her arms she cradled a tightly wrapped bundle, her cherry lips pursed and strict. “Are we going to leave this place now, my dear? It pains me to be here anymore than I have to.”
“You’ll never come back,” he promised her sweetly. The tone he used with her was nothing like the one he used with the sparrow. He removed one flap of the bundle to see a sleeping toddler, the child’s features almost identical to his own.
“After Soran is old enough you can join me then. A king always needs his queen, correct?” he smiled.
The fairy shook her head and smiled. “No. A god always needs his goddess.”
Both of them liked that. “Can you start trouble then, in Nesting’s Haven? We need your people on our side,” the fairy stated.
“I’ve got friends there that will cause rebellion for me. It’s all going to plan. And if everything fails,” he smiled bigger. “We can still re-summon the Night Mares.”
The fairy nodded and she turned her gaze on the sparrow, glaring at the creature as if she wished she could tear it apart with her own two hands. The man looked back at the tiny bird as well. “There can’t be any evidence. Everything will be ruined if we leave just one clue behind to be discovered. Burn the house.”
The sparrow blinked a few times, observing them both with her deep blue eyes. The Accompany started towards, and at once the sparrow began to transform. Her body grew large with light purple scales as her face turned long with a spiked face and dagger-like fangs. Her back was covered in spikes, with a crevice near her shoulders for riding. Her wings were covered in pink feathers and attached to her front legs instead of her shoulders, the wings of a great bird. Huge claws grew on her feet and feathers sprouted at the tip of her heels. Four gigantic spikes grew on either sides of her tail.
The dragon rose up on her hind legs and opened her mouth. Fearsome flames lit the shack instantly. The Accompany climbed on her back, as well as the fairy and child. The Changer rose up off the ground and carried them into the air, leaving the small hut to spout flames into the smoking sky.
The burning hut was only the beginning of the destruction they would cause.
Kia and her friends embark on another adventure in Vera’s Song, #2 in the Creatures of the Lands series!
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THE WITCH’S CURSE
"The scream of a dying girl was the singular sound that changed my life, forever."
When Briar enters the Eldermere Woods alone, she never could've imagined the danger that awaited her there. As a young witch, she's sought by hunters who desire her blood, a group of radicals who wish to eliminate all magical creatures. When Briar discovers a fellow witch slaughtered in the forest, her boring afternoon is changed into a fight for her life.
With the help of her dragon shifter love, Thomas, Briar must find a way to stop the witch hunters from destroying her town of Thorny Brook. But is her magic strong enough to defeat her most dangerous enemies? Full of danger, fantasy, and fun, THE WITCH'S CURSE is another thrilling installment by bestselling author Megan Linski.
Now FREE by signing up for Megan Linski’s VIP list!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Firstly to you, you wondrous, amazing, absolutely brilliant reader you. You put up with Kia’s temper, Keota’s stupidity, Ionan’s grumpiness, Snow Drop’s endless hunger and Lottie and Lilja’s consistent, though sometimes annoying, enthusiasm. You may have even had fun along the way. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You’re probably either incredibly tolerant or just as crazy as the rest of them, and for that I can only praise you. Hopefully these characters have become your best friends as they have become mine.
To my editor Sam, who pointed out that there was no way that Kia would ever forget she had teleportation powers in order to help the tourists...you filled in more plot holes than you can imagine. This book would have never held on its own if it wasn’t for you and your literary wisdom.
To my other editor, Thalia, who fell in love with my book while catching all the small mishaps along the way. Thank you for being so eager to help me.
To a father and a mother...you know who you are. I cannot thank you enough.
Lastly, thank you to all of those who have supported Creatures along the way. It’s been quite the ride so far but we aren’t finished yet!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Natalie Erin is the pen name for the writing team of Megan Linski and Krisen Lison (also known as Krystyl Lisoh). They completed the first draft of Kiatana's Journey in 2008 when they were freshmen in high school, and released the book online in their graduating year of 2011. After some revisions the girls decided that they would find representation for the novel, but this was disrupted by Miss Lison's untimely death in 2013. She was 20 years old.
One year after Lison's passing Linski created her own company, Gryfyn Publishing, and released the updated version of Kiatana's Journey as the company's breakout novel on November 1st, 2014. Miss Linski is currently working on publishing the rest of the Creatures of the Lands series in Lison's honor.
creaturesofthelands
www.gryfynpublishing.com
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Table of Contents
Copyright
Other Books by Gryfyn Publishing
1. Chapter One
2. Chapter Two
3. Chapter Three
4. Chapter Four
5. Chapter Five
6. Chapter Six
7. Chapter Seven
8. Chapter Eight
9. Chapter Nine
10. Chapter Ten
11. Chapter Eleven
12. Chapter Twelve
13. Chapter Thirteen
14. Chapter Fourteen
15. Chapter Fifteen
16. Chapter Sixteen
17. Chapter Seventeen
18. Chapter Eighteen
19. Afterward
The Witch’s Curse
Acknowledgments
About the Author