“I...I am going to marry him,” she mumbled reluctantly, unable to look anyone in the eye, especially Andon. There was no way she could handle seeing the look of pain that was surely on his face.
“Vina...” Andon sighed.
“You should have let us die,” Strelzar spat.
Already brimming with rage and anger from everything that had happened at Longberme with the Elemental Guard, and everything that had transpired with Browan in the infirmary, the tiniest feeling of annoyance at Strelzar's statement caused her to boil over. She jumped to her feet and rounded on him.
“I am not letting anyone die!” she shrieked. “I did not have a choice!”
“You always have a choice!” he bellowed back at her.
“Stop telling me that!” she cried. “Stop telling me that immediately after telling me what you wanted me to do!”
“Veria,” Andon muttered softly. “Love...”
She looked down at him and he was staring at the bottom portion of her nightgown, which now featured a fresh stain of red.
“Are you hurt?” Andon asked, his voice weak but rich with concern.
She dropped back down to her knees next to him and reached for one of his hands.
“No, I am...I'm not hurt, but...” she struggled to find and say the words, the words she knew would break his heart even more than the ones she had already said. Her throat ached as it clamped around the solid rock of sorrow that inhabited it, breaking and chopping up every word that passed. “There was a baby. And...and now there's not.”
Tears poured down her face as his body slumped, his face went blank, and his eyes closed. He took a deep breath.
“Raken?” he asked, his voice suddenly filled with glacial hate.
Veria nodded. “I suppose that the chill was the most stress on the body—but there was running and horses and so much going on—I don't know.”
“Your daughter pulled the entire house down,” Strelzar said. “Did I tell you that yet?”
“No, you did not,” Andon muttered.
“You daughters of Diamonds, you,” Strelzar sighed in frustration. “I think you destroy as much as you save in your efforts.”
“Don't antagonize her,” Sarco groaned from his cell next to Strelzar's. “Veria saved us. Irea saved us. You should be thanking them both.”
“I'd rather die in this cell than watch you marry that disgusting excuse for a King,” Strelzar pouted, crossing his arms sharply across his chest.
“Well, I would rather no one dies,” Veria snapped.
“A lot of people are going to die, Veria,” Strelzar said, staring her down intently. “If we can't stop Browan...if he thinks this is the end, this is him winning, he is sorely mistaken.”
“Finally,” Veria said, “we agree on something.”
“Veria, please,” Andon begged, reaching a hand through the bars of his cell to grasp one of hers, “don't put yourself in anymore danger. I beg you.”
She shook her head at him. “Go to Jura. Buy the jarrienta, move the children there—”
“No, Veria—”
“Keep them safe.”
“I am not leaving you.”
She grabbed his face in her hands, careful to be tender for the sake of his bruises. “It is not leaving,” she said. “It's the best thing for our family.”
His head dropped in defeat and sobs shook his barreling chest.
“I have to go,” she muttered through tears of her own. She was sure her half hour was coming to an end once she factored in the trek to the opposite side of the castle.
“Don't go to that man, please, Veria,” Andon wailed, suddenly frantic and panicked, clutching at her hands and arms and fabric of her nightgown as she hauled herself to her feet. “Don't do this—don't go through with this! I will fight my way out of here—I will kill him with my bare hands, just don't marry him, I beg you!”
She remembered his words to her the previous day, before he had left for Solderess, headed for Barril:
I had to make the decision based on logic. From reason. Not emotion.
“It's what has to be done,” she echoed his statement to her, and took a deep breath against her pain, both physical and emotional, as she made to leave the dungeon.
“Birdie,” Strelzar called after her, and she turned back to face him, surprised to see tears forming in his dark eyes. “I don't know when I will see you again.”
Veria swallowed hard and straightened her spine against the emotion that tried to talk her out of leaving them and going through with what she had agreed to—what she had to do to save them.
“You will see me again, Terror of the Southern Seas, Destroyer of Morenet, Dragon of Kortamant,” Veria said, her voice strong and hard. “You will see me again, when we finish this.”
Queen
Of The
Earth
Book V of the Elementals Series
will release in June 2017
For news, updates, and deals on books,
visit http://www.authormarisol.com/
A note from the author
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed the fourth book of the Elementals Series. I would be so grateful if you would leave a review, as it is an invaluable feedback tool for both readers and authors alike. I'd also like to invite you to visit my website, www.authormarisol.com. There is information about my other books, news about upcoming titles, and opportunities to get free copies! Again, thank you for your support and I wish you happy reading always!
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Books by Marisol Logan
THE ELEMENTALS SERIES
BOOK I-Lord and Servant
BOOK II-The Second Talisman
BOOK III-The Twin Dragons
BOOK IV-Daughter of the Diamond
BOOK V-Queen of the Earth (June 2017)
Paranormal Romance
Captive
Short Stories
Hometown Hero
APPENDIX
'Natural state'—a state of tranquil calm that some Earth Magers can impose upon other people.
Diamond Mager—sect of Earth Magers who specialize in natural state and memory clearing
Sand Mager—sect of Earth Magers particularly skilled in finding truths across all possible times, for example, possible truths in the future (precognition).
Sapphire Mager—sect of Earth Magers who specialize in detecting lies and deception, and seeking the truth. Their skills can even be used on inanimate objects by seeking the 'energy imprints' left on the objects.
Guyler—Estate assigned to Willis and Andon Villicrey
Longberme—the Estate belonging to the Laurelgate family.
Esperan—Kingdom south of Londess. Close allies. Birthplace and home of Andon Villicrey. Capital City: Barril
Govaland—Kingdom directly East of Londess, mostly mountainous with some barren valleys. Home of Diamond Mager Ellory Mielyr. Capital city: Varfelg
Tal'lea—Kingdom comprised mostly of desert terrain. Neutral with Londess, but has had issues with a Separatist movement that is hostile to Londess and Govaland. Capital city: Indil'la.
Plazic Peak—home of Strelzar Plazic. A spacious, luxurious dwelling in the side of a volcanic peak in the northeast peak region of Londess.
Solderess—a seaside city in South Londess. Ships for Esperan and Tal'lea depart from its docks.
Volglang—“The Bowl of Flames”. A large valley, featuring red dirt, in the Southern Range of Govaland that holds a large section of a multi-kingdom trade route.
Daloes Caircliff—Veria's first elemental master. A highly respected Sand Mager, member of the Ageless Council, former Master to Willis Villicrey, and, for a time, Lord Gordon Laurelgate (Veria's father)
Ambassador Yoro—head of the Esperan Diplomatic Council. Resides in Barril, the capitol city.
Cadi
t Ohren—former apprentice of Strelzar Plazic. A Fire Mager who served as an adviser to King Browan, along with Lord Gordon, and forged his suicide letter. Fled Londess and took refuge with Tal'lean Separatists.
Lady Emmandia Haleshore—Fiance to Lord Andon Villicrey. The Haleshore Estate sits between Dranspor (a major city) and the northeastern peak region.
Lord Rames—Heir to the wealthy Chadron Estates, initially thought to be the father of Veria's daughter, Irea, because of a deception placed by Tanisca. Married to Lady Ambra, originally of the Foreshore Estate.
Elemental Consortium—the once thriving and influential organization for all practitioners of elemental powers. Served as record-keepers, promoters of ethics and standards, and high-ranking members were often seen as world leaders and sought after for their advice and inspiration. Relatively defunct since the banning of hard elementals. Their base of operations was the Elemental Shrine on the island of Tarddiad, just north of Londess, but was destroyed in a violent ocean storm and never repaired.
Ageless Council—a group of highly-skilled Magers who were promoted to the highest positions in the Elemental Consortium two hundred years ago, and, at their reception, given a drink that made it so they would age very slowly and not die of old age. The Ageless Council was comprised of: Daloes Caircliff* (Earth/Sand), Ellory Mielyr (Earth/Diamond), Strelzar Plazic* (Fire), Urtiz Agion (Water), Virro Ladny* (Wind) and Adierre Ladny (Wind)
*indicates still living
dragonskin—an elixir, created by Urtiz Agion, that renders one indestructible for a short period of time, around two hours, however, the subject will still feel pain.
dracon-tongue—a flower, similar to snapdragons
Irea—Veria's daughter. Also, a flower, similar to an Iris
flora—a flower bush with large blooms, similar to hydrangea
braiberry—wild, juicy berry that grows on tall bushes in wooded areas, similar to a blackberry
Caro—an earthy root vegetable, similar to a carrot
beardclove—a pungent plant used in cooking, similar to garlic
sweet roots—sweet, orange root vegetable, similar to sweet potatoes
coacoa—a flavorful, yet often bitter, ingredient that gets used commonly in desserts, drinks and baked good, similar to cocoa (chocolate)
Rosa—a spice, and also an Esperan main dish soup named for and featuring the spice, that typically contains ox meat, eggs, caros, and a meade broth.
Daughter of the Diamond: Book IV of the Elementals Series Page 18