by B. T. Narro
A couple tears escaped down her cheeks. “I’m proud of the both of you as well. I’m fine, Desil. Really.”
It was confusion Desil felt the most out of all his feelings. “But you loved him as much as I did. I thought you would be devastated, even angry at the king for lying to us.”
“I still love him. I always will.” She wiped her eyes, but there were more tears as soon as she dropped her hand. “I’m not angry. I’m too happy at having you return safely. I might weep for my husband later, but our lives go on.”
Desil wasn’t sure why he finally began crying in that moment, though it seemed to bring out more tears from his mother. For some strange reason, she was still smiling as she wiped her cheeks.
Relief made him laugh as he wept. It felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from his chest.
“I’m so glad you’re safe.” Effie hugged him again. “Now are you ready to eat?”
He tried to stop crying as he answered, but he couldn’t. “There won’t be any food left in the tavern by the time I’m done.”
She gave up trying to dry her tears as she laughed through them.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Desil fulfilled his promise to do nothing but eat for a day and sleep through the next, and it felt even more euphoric than he’d anticipated. It was night by the time he finally felt ready for a change of scenery from his bed and the dining area.
Effie had closed the tavern during this time to give the two of them more privacy, but now the door was open and the dining area was lively with chatter. He hadn’t thought about Captain Mmzaza until that very moment, when an old man walked in. Mmzaza would’ve left for Kanoan by now and soon would find no one there. It was a good thing he’d already been paid generously, but Desil still felt the grizzled captain deserved better. Whenever Mmzaza showed up here, Desil would convince his mother to offer him a permanent plate in their tavern. The drinks, the captain could pay for.
It was finally time to visit the lake again. Desil wasn’t sure if he would swim, climb the nearby mountain, or both, but he feared he wouldn’t feel the same sense of accomplishment from either as he once did. Everything was different now.
He gave his mother a kiss. After all that he’d told her, she no longer seemed to fear him climbing on his own in the dark. He walked out of the tavern but hadn’t taken more than a few steps when someone called his name.
“Desil?”
His heart stilled, his breath catching. It sounded like Leida.
He turned to find a figure walking toward him as he froze near the side of the tavern. She pulled down her hood, looking more beautiful than the first day they’d met, with wavy amber hair and glowing skin. He stared at her stupidly.
“You look well,” she said.
“And you…” He couldn’t find the words. “I didn’t think I would see you again.”
She grinned. “Is there somewhere we can talk in private? I don’t have long.”
“This way.”
They glanced around to ensure no one was following. Desil took her around the lake and into the nearest copse of trees. It was difficult to keep his hand from reaching around her shoulders as their arms bumped during the walk. He enjoyed the feeling of just being near her, constantly resisting the urge to tell her how much she’d been in his dreams recently, as the intensity of his feelings would likely scare her.
He’d spent a few hours revisiting the ocean of energy in his mind, attempting to contact the other person he’d felt nearby when his party had taken that brief rest in a cave back on the island. He assumed this person had to be Basen or Leida, but no connection could be made. They might’ve been absent each time Desil visited. There was still much to learn about how it worked.
Leida’s piercing eyes remained her most prominent feature in the shadows, as they stopped beneath the trees.
“There’s so much I want to tell you,” she said, “but we can’t risk it coming out through questioning. Have psychics come for you yet?”
“No, but I’m sure they will soon.”
She held a little smile for a moment, then opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She laughed, though it sounded to be in frustration. “I don’t think there’s anything else I can say! So just take this.” She drew an envelope from her bag and handed it to him. “I hate to put you in this position, but we could use your help ending this war peacefully.”
“Leida, I’m still not sure—”
“I know this is a hefty burden, but you’ll have to decide before first light if you want to come with us or not. If you do, everything you need to know for now is in that letter. If you don’t, make sure to destroy it without reading it.” She let out a breath as she looked pained. “I really do have to go.” She turned and spoke over her shoulder. “Please take care no matter what you decide. Thank you for everything you’ve done already.”
She blew a kiss, then faded into the darkness.
He stared into the void where she’d been for quite a while. He wanted to go after her. Only a small part of him, his reasonable side, said to stay put. He looked down at the envelope, then suddenly realized his stupidity for holding it out in the open.
There seemed to be a single sheet of paper within, making it easy to fold and put in his pocket. He knew only what he was going to do for the moment. He would climb.
Never had he scaled the entire precipice before, but it didn’t seem nearly as high when he came to its base. He needed no manipulation during the first part of the climb, his strength and capable limbs able to quickly get him to a height where a fall would mean his death. It was at this point that he would be a fool not to soften the rock, but still he pushed on without manipulation. Desil searched within himself for the thrill he was used to, but he could not find it, only encountering the fear he would make a mistake and die. He began to soften the mountainside after that.
Soon he was higher than he’d ever been on this mountain, yet his heart remained calm, his blood flowing without adrenaline. He still hadn’t surpassed the height he’d needed to reach to rescue Leida.
He pushed on higher and higher, getting closer to the extended ledge at the top that he’d always wanted to reach. Surely if he could get there, he would regain the sense of accomplishment that he’d strived to feel each and every day before Kanoan.
His new blue cape fluttered as the wind picked up. Soon he was higher than he’d ever climbed, even in Kanoan. His wounds had nearly healed completely, though not without marks. He’d done well protecting his face, every cut shallow. But his back still stung when he turned too sharply, and there were likely to be scars on his torso and arms.
He reached the top of the mountain without trouble and wondered why it had taken him this long to get here. He walked over and made his way onto the ledge. He took a few careful steps forward, his heart finally climbing up into his throat as the thrill he’d been searching for came over him.
He reached the end of the short ledge and nearly panicked, his inner voice screaming to turn back while calling him a fool. But he made himself stay and enjoy the view of Kyrro. He knew nothing about the war so far, but he could guess by the empty Academy that the army was marching north into Tenred. Soon there would be a battle, if there hadn’t been one already. Kyrro and Tenred weren’t that far from each other, after all.
He cared for Kyrro like never before as he looked down onto the territory. He’d had a close look at the lives of the people at the Academy who would be fighting. He knew some were younger than him, and the rest were older by no more than a year. Thousands more besides those at the Academy were required to fight because of the contract they’d signed in the past as a condition of admittance to the school. His mother was included in this list, if the king so requested. But it was unlikely Fernan would force a middle-aged mage to leave the tavern she owned when there were thousands of others who could take her place in combat.
Desil believed Beatrix should know who’d sent Micklin after her, but Desil hadn’t gotten a se
nse of whether she was ready to admit the truth to herself, if it was indeed her father. Desil was thankful not to be in her shoes, as he couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to consider his father might’ve wanted him dead.
Desil would miss his father, but not in the same way as before. It was easier now, perhaps because Desil had already mourned the loss, and Wade had died a valiant death rather than a shameful one.
It seemed foolish for the headmaster and his wife to expect so much of themselves. Without the help of Desil’s group, was it really possible the couple could’ve made it to the center of Kanoan and witnessed the explosion without being killed by the Marros? It didn’t seem likely.
That should’ve given Desil an easy answer about what to do with the envelope in his pocket. To read it would mean he would be following the half-mad and half-brilliant Basen into more danger. Desil didn’t know when he would be able to return to his mother, and to a life of delicious food, a comfortable bed, and warmth whenever he desired. There was always more wood for the fireplace in her tavern. He hadn’t appreciated how sweet the luxury of warmth was until he’d been stuck out in the cold with nothing to do about it.
Desil could enjoy his comforts gluttonously for a little while longer, but then what? The feeling of needing to do more with his life wouldn’t just return gradually; it would attack like a sudden cloud of Marros. It would ruin the pleasures of his simple and unexciting life at the tavern.
That solves it. He started to reach for the envelope when he noticed something in the sky and cursed.
How was this possible? Had they come through the portal and now they were lost, or had they flown here from Kanoan? The answer would tell him whether they planned to make Kyrro their new home, if they were here for revenge, or if they were searching for akorell metal to bring back to their island. At least they seemed too distant for now to be an immediate threat, but Desil would still hurry back to the ground.
As he descended, he had a feeling the two Marros’ purpose would be answered for him no matter how much he wanted not to find out.
END OF BOOK ONE
Acknowledgments
To everyone who supports me by buying my books or reading them through Kindle Unlimited, thank you. I would have never made it this far, to book fifteen, without many of you. It’s a dream come true to write stories for so many people to enjoy.
Specifically I want to thank Dalton Rice for giving me the idea of introducing flying creatures into this world. Thank you, Dalton. The Marros came to life right away during plotting.
And I want to thank my cover artist, who has not only given visual life to my novel but has inspired me through her creations. Thank you for your hard work and dedication. This world would be emptier without you.
New Releases
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Series Information and Other B.T. Narro Books
This story takes place in the same world as my previous books, but it’s written so that you don’t need to have read any of my previous books to follow this adventure with complete clarity. Awaken takes place twenty-five years after the last book, The Edge of Shadow, but the plot and main characters are new.
If you’re interested in the timeline of all my books, I have put the order below, but you don't need to read any of the previous books to follow the story of this new series.
THE RHYTHM OF RIVALRY SERIES
The main character is Adriya’s father, Cleve, during his first year at the Academy, with many chapters through others' perspectives, like a Krepp, and Desil’s mother, Effie.
Book 1: Bastial Energy
Book 1.5: The Sartious Mage
Book 2: Bastial Steel
Book 3: Bastial Explosion
Book 4: Bastial Frenzy
Book 5: Bastial Sentinels
THE PYFORIAL MAGE SERIES
This story takes place on another part of the continent, away from Kyrro, and follows a pyforial mage who hasn’t been introduced in this series…yet.
Book 1: Fire Games
Book 2: Wrath Games
Book 3: Pyforial Games
THE KIN OF KINGS SERIES
The main character is Leida’s father, Basen, when he was seventeen and striving to prove himself at the Academy.
Book 1: Kin of Kings
Book 2: Rise of Legends
Book 3: Shadows of Kings
Book 4: A Crumble of Walls
Book 5: The Edge of Shadow
THE MORTAL MAGE SERIES
Book 1: Awaken (Desil and the others will return in Book 2.)
Author Information
Visit my website at www.btnarro.com, look me up on Facebook, or email me at [email protected] with any questions or feedback.
Thank you for reading!
Table of Contents
Contents
COPYRIGHT
MAP
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
NEW RELEASES
SERIES INFORMATION
AUTHOR INFORMATION