Air Awakens Book One

by Elise Kova

  Vhalla shrugged. “Anything is fine.” She didn’t care much now; the healing part of her haircut was over.

  Larel hummed a moment and then worked with the hair around her face. Vhalla thought she should feel nervous with someone holding a knife so close to her eyes, but she felt completely calm near Larel. The dark-skinned woman cut a low swoop that left the hair almost falling over her right eye, and began to touch up her work.

  “There.” Larel stepped back. “Come here, look.”

  Larel held her hand, gently leading her to the mirror. Vhalla did not recognize the person staring back at her. Dull skin and listless eyes had a dangerously piercing quality about them. She brought her fingers up to her hair. Vhalla had never worn it this short before, and she wasn’t sure who she was with it cut so severe.

  “Thank you.” Vhalla didn’t know what else to say.

  “You’re welcome.” Larel smiled kindly and placed a large towel around her shoulders. It felt like silk after the burlap.

  Larel instructed her to sit again on the small bath stool and began to apply salves to her wounds. Larel handed her a bottle of liquid to drink that created a momentary fire in her veins. Her shoulder required closer inspection.

  “Who stitched this?” Larel asked, reaching for a small tub of white paste.

  “Prince Baldair,” Vhalla answered.

  “Prince Baldair?” Larel repeated, raising her eyebrows. “That sounds like a story.”

  “He said his brother called in a favor,” Vhalla repeated his words, but left out the remark of him wanting to do it for his own reasons as well.

  “Those two... One of them is always claiming a debt of the other.” Larel clicked her tongue and shook her head.

  Vhalla decided to let her questions slide.

  She pondered her own relationship with the crown prince. Was she indebted to him? Could he be indebted to her? Either notion made her feel uncomfortable. She didn’t like feeling like there was a score being kept. She would do almost anything for Aldrik, it didn’t matter if she owed him or not.

  Larel finished putting clean bandages and salve on her wounds. After inspecting Vhalla’s head, she left the wound bare. Vhalla dressed slowly, savoring her clean clothing.

  The dark-haired woman held out a piece of black fabric to her. Vhalla looked the dangling garment for a long moment. This was who she was now. Taking it, she studied the short black jacket. It had slightly longer sleeves than Larel’s, reaching to right before her elbows, but it had the same short upward collar and stopped at her waist.

  Vhalla swung it on one arm and then the next, adjusting it with both hands. She looked in the mirror at the new person staring back at her.

  A sorcerer with battle scars, dead friends, and blood on her hands occupied the mirror. The frightened faces of the senators came back to Vhalla with vivid clarity. They were sending her to war, so she would go and become something they had every right to fear.

  COMING IN NOVEMBER 2015

  Soldier... Sorcerer... Savior... Who is Vhalla Yarl?

  Vhalla Yarl marches to war as property of the Solaris Empire. The Emperor counts on her to bring victory, the Senate counts on her death, and the only thing Vhalla can count on is the fight of her life. As she grapples with the ghosts of her past, new challenges in the present threaten to shatter the remnants of her fragile sanity. Will she maintain her humanity? Or will she truly become the Empire’s monster?

  “I WANT TO PRACTICE against a sorcerer,” Grun said before Vhalla could walk away from the makeshift ring. “Spar with me.”

  Vhalla looked at him cautiously. She didn’t think for a minute he’d suddenly accepted her. But maybe she could show him she wasn’t dangerous, that she meant him no harm. “Very well,” she said before Daniel could object.

  “Vhalla, you don’t have to.” The Eastern man took a step closer to her, dropping his voice. “Don’t feel pressured into this.”

  “I don’t.” She shook her head, whispering, “Maybe it’ll be good to show him.”

  “Well...”

  “Are you two done whispering your sweet nothings?” Grun asked dryly, drawing his sword opposite Vhalla.

  Daniel stepped away quickly, his movements jerky and nervous. Was it the heat of the desert or was there a blush across his cheeks? Daniel lifted his palm; their mark to begin sparring would be when he lowered it.

  She noticed how his dark brown hair moved as his hand cut through the air, his hazel eyes darting toward hers.

  Distracted, Vhalla didn’t hear Grun move until he was upon her. She turned back at the last second, making a weak attempt to dodge. He smashed the pommel of his blade against her cheek in a back-handed swing, sending Vhalla flying into the sand.

  “Grun!” Daniel and Craig both called.

  “Just a spar.” The mountain of a man laughed. “If she wants to forfeit, she can.”

  Vhalla coughed blood onto the sand. Her lip was split, and her face already felt swollen. She blinked away stars, trying to get her feet back under her.

  Grun’s boot connected with her side, echoing against her plate as he kicked her. Vhalla rolled across the sand, the wind knocked from her. She curled in on herself, phantom blows attacking her body. Gasping, she tried to push the memories of Rat and Mole’s assault out of her mind.

  “Really, this is it?” Grun laughed, goading some of the onlookers into cheers. “This is the fearsome Windwalker?”

  “Vhalla, forfeit.” Daniel ran over to her side.

  “Don’t touch me,” she hissed, holding out a palm. Something in her eyes froze Daniel in place. Vhalla turned to Grun, feeling the wind at her back. Her heart began to race just by looking at him.

  “Oh, still have some fight in you?” Grun chuckled as Vhalla stood. “Well, at least our Black Legion makes good punching bags. We should thank the Fire Lord for the only thing he’s ever given us.”

  “Take it back.” Vhalla could barely hear herself over the racing heartbeat in her ears.

  “Or wha—” Grun didn’t finish his sentence as Vhalla’s fist met the side of his face.

  The man was built like a rock, and Vhalla could feel the bones in her arm compress through her shoulder as she punched his cheek. Her hand stung but she ignored it, quickly landing from her leaping punch and darting back.

  Grun let out a cry of rage and swung his sword at her.

  “Why do you hate me? Why do you hate us?” she cried, her body dodging the swings of his blade deftly.

  “Because you’re abominations!” Grun shouted, attempting to grab her plate.

  Vhalla was too fast and batted his hand out of the way, spinning around his side. “We are your comrades! We don’t want to fight you!”

  “Says the woman who killed countless people on the Night of Fire and Wind!” Grun raised his blade over her head and brought it down on Vhalla’s shoulder. The clang of metal on metal was sharp and set her ear to ringing as she crumpled.

  They thought she was a murderer.

  “I didn’t kill them,” Vhalla whispered.

  “Liar!” Grun raised his blade again. “They should’ve killed you that night!”

  The goliath swung straight for her head. Vhalla stared at the blade as the world devolved into chaos at Grun’s clearly murderous intentions. This was not a spar; the man intended it to be an execution.

  Vhalla raised her hand and the wind ripped Grun’s blade from his fingers, sending it far off into the sand in the distance. She swept her palm in front of her body and a secondary gust knocked Grun on his side. As Vhalla stood, she pressed her hand downward, holding the man to the ground despite his struggles.

  “I am not your enemy,” she whispered in a disturbingly calm voice. “So I cannot die this day. I will not die until you see the truth.”

  “What’s going on here?” a voice bellowed. Prince Baldair stomped through the crowd that had gathered, Raylynn at his side.

  Vhalla relaxed her hand, allowing Grun to spring to his feet.

  “She att
acked me!” The man made his accusation toward the prince.

  “Liar!” Daniel shouted. Grun shot the Eastern Lord daggers with his eyes. “My prince, Vhalla was gracious enough to spar, and Grun took advantage of the situation. He made an attempt on her life.”

  “It was just a spar,” Grun countered. “She was the one who threw the first punch; look at my face.”

  Grun indeed had a bruise forming where Vhalla had hit him, but she could lick her lips and taste blood.

  “She’s a monster, and if she could’ve she would’ve killed me—it was self-defense,” Grun continued.

  Vhalla saw shades of the senate as a few soldiers began to nod.

  “That’s not true!” Daniel drew his blade, his voice coarse. “Continue to lie and I will cut out your tongue.”

  “Defend your freak.” Grun reached for his own sword, forgetting Vhalla had disarmed him completely.

  “Enough!” Prince Baldair yelled. The men fumed but were silenced. The prince turned to Vhalla. “Do you have anything to say on your behalf ?”

  Vhalla met the prince’s endless blue eyes, considering his question. Her side throbbed where Grun had kicked it, where Rat and Mole had kicked it. She clenched her fists, letting go of her magical Channel—and with it her fight. “No.”

  “No?” The prince was startled.

  “I’ve learned the Empire...” Vhalla turned, staring down the soldiers. “The people, have no interest in the truth.” Vhalla met Prince Baldair’s eyes coldly. “I am property of the crown, and property doesn’t talk back.”

  The spite surprised even her, and everyone stood in a stunned silence. It was the first time she’d said it in a public place, the first time she’d assumed her new identity. They would think what they would about her— words would not change her reality. So, why fight that battle? She had enough to worry about just surviving.

  “Come with me, sorcerer.” The prince had clearly taken offense with her directness. “Grun, Daniel, I’ll deal with you later.”

  “Baldair—” Daniel took a half step between Vhalla and the prince.

  “Silence, soldier!”

  Vhalla had never seen Prince Baldair so harsh. Daniel looked at her hopelessly as she followed the prince away and into camp. She knew she should feel guilty, but she didn’t. And her mood soured up until the point that Prince Baldair ushered her into his tent.

  His tent was completely unlike Aldrik’s on the inside. He had an actual table and three chairs positioned around it. A single brazier made of bronze hung from the center of the tent and lit the room. Prince Baldair’s bed was larger—for reasons Vhalla could guess, given his reputation with women—and it appeared to be an actual mattress. She wondered how difficult it was for the horses to carry it all.

  The prince closed the tent flap behind him and did a short circle around her, assessing Vhalla from head to toe. “Sit.” He motioned to a chair. “Or, perhaps you’d rather I threw some pillows on the floor?”

  Vhalla’s eyes widened, hearing the meaning between his words.

  “You look uncomfortable.” The prince paused, his eyes reading hers. “I would think you’d be more at ease in a prince’s tent. Or is it just my brother’s?”

  “What do you want?” she demanded.

  “Today, I saw him in you.” Baldair squinted his eyes, as if he was trying to imagine Aldrik imposed atop her. “The way you moved, the way you were rushed by the fight. Tell me, is that the only way he’s been in you?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Vhalla hissed.

  “I can’t recall the last time I saw Aldrik with a woman, at least one who wasn’t bought or given to him as an attempt at finding a future Empress by our father.” Baldair took a step closer to her. She didn’t know this prince. There was a competitive and ugly nature about him that was made only worse when it clashed with his handsome exterior.

  “Not another word,” Vhalla cautioned.

  “Oh? Jealous of the other women? Did you think he was some paragon of purity? I’ve seen him kill girls younger than you. I’ve seen him wind women up to crawl to his bed.” Prince Baldair laughed.

  The tension in her muscles became so great that Vhalla feared it would snap her bones. “Speak about him again and I’ll—”

  “You’ll what?” Prince Baldair called her bluff. “Don’t threaten me, Vhalla. We both know the terms the Senate gave you. You wouldn’t want to force Aldrik’s hand, would you?”

  Horror stilled her, and her hands relaxed. He wouldn’t. “What do you want from me?” she whispered.

  The prince leaned toward her to whisper in her ear. “Whatever you have with him, end it now.” His voice was quiet and it sounded sincere and pained. “If not for your sake, then for his.”

  Vhalla’s chest tightened, but she didn’t have an opportunity to ask him what he meant. The rumble of a single horse and the whinny of an abrupt halt could be heard from outside the tent.

  Prince Baldair looked up as the tent flap was thrown open. Vhalla turned and a wave of relief crashed over her as she saw the dark figure step inside.

  “Ah, brother,” Prince Baldair said sweetly, straightening away from her face. “We were just talking about you.”

  FOREMOST, I’LL SAY it again—Thank you to all the people who were mentioned in my dedication and everyone else who supported me from the very beginning. I had no idea what Air Awakens was going to turn into and I’m so glad you all didn’t let me give up on it.

  My mentor, Michelle Madow, author of the Secret Diamond Sisters and the Transcend Time Saga— thank you for your endless support. You have been irreplaceable in my journey into the publishing world and I’m really not sure where I would be without you. All your criticisms and insights pushed me harder and made me better, things that you had no reason to do other than because you are an amazing friend. Your edits and story revisions were mind-blowing to me and this book would not be what it is without you.

  My editor, Monica Wanat—I knew from the moment I met you that it would be the start of a beautiful relationship. You cut words that I did not even see needed to be cut and made the story better for it. Thank you for helping fix my flaws and polish my tale.

  My cover artist, Merilliza Chan—you shattered my every expectation for artwork and gave me something that I could not have conceptualized in my wildest dreams. People say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But with the cover you’ve created I hope they do! You made Vhalla come to life in a way that I could not. For that, I am eternally grateful and I can barely contain my excitement for the next cover in the series.

  Jessica—without you there really may not have been an Air Awakens at all. It was you and all of our discussions and endless car rides filled with talk of books and really epic music that put the passion back in writing for me. I hope you know the important role you’ve filled in my life and what an amazing friend you truly are. Thank you for reminding me to be patient and torture my characters.

  Katie—where would I be if I didn’t have you to geek out with? In a very sad place, that’s where. Your enthusiasm kept me going long after the initial glamor of penning these words faded. Were it not for you I may have never found the courage to press on. You inspired more than you know in Air Awakens.

  Dorothea, Pete, and Tom—my lunches with you three were essential for me getting organized and keeping my head on straight during an overwhelming process. I hope to return the favor as I put some experience under my belt.

  Betsy—your love and enthusiasm is irreplaceable. You make me smile constantly and I know that I’ll always have someone in my corner.

  Jeffkun—I could not have done this without your support, tolerance, patience, and love. You could have told me to quit, or been frustrated at every night when I sat on the couch, put in my headphones, and went into my own world, but you weren’t. You let me go on my adventures and you’ve never made me feel foolish for dreaming, wishing, hoping, or trying.

  The AAAPodcast Community—it exceeded my e
very expectation when you all didn’t roll their eyes at me, but were supportive of this venture. Astro, ChibiRob, SailorB, Reiji, Kenshin, Kou, Rextyn, Brooks Austin, just to name a few of you. Thank you for your support, not just the “me” that you listen to talk about anime week to week, but the real person behind.

  My sister, Meredith—the other half of me, my “octurnal twin,” thank you for your confidence, your love, and your pragmatism. You’re always there when I need it most and you’ve always been a nurturing force for everything that’s positive in my life. You’re the person who taught me the true depth of familial love and inspired relationships in this story.

  My parents, Madeline and Vince—I don’t have enough words to say thank you. Not just for your support in Air Awakens and your thoughts about my drafts, but for everything you both have ever done for me as a person. I am not perfect, and I will always have more to learn and grow from, but I would not be half the woman I am today without you both. I hope you enjoy all the revisions to this and future installments of Air Awakens.

  ELISE KOVA has always had a passion for storytelling. She wrote her first novella, a high-fantasy, in sixth grade. Over the years she’s honed her love of literature with everything from fantasy to romance, science fiction to mystery, and whatever else catches her eye.

  Elise lives in Saint Petersburg, Florida, where she’s currently working on the next installment in her debut YA fantasy series: Air Awakens. She enjoys video games, anime, table-top role playing games, and many other forms of “geekdom.” She loves talking with fans on Twitter and Facebook. Visit her website, EliseKova. com, for news and extras about her books!

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