"No." He stepped back, almost falling onto the ground. "Queen Isis and Royden offered to make me a prince. If you win, I'll return to Legacy and accept my punishment. When they come for me, I'll tell Queen Isis that Elizabeth and I are with you willingly."
"Queen Isis can't make you a prince." Chalcedony stepped towards Coal once again. "You're a human."
Coal pulled out Mischief and pointed it at her. "Queen Isis has a human lover, and she lets fey and humans travel through her door freely. She does whatever she wants."
Chalcedony's face and neck ached as she recalled the beating the queen had given her. Queen Isis would probably come for them, especially if Coal had told the truth about the offer to become a prince. Chalcedony looked forward to fighting Queen Isis when she was more experienced. Until then, she needed time to train and prepare.
"You know you can't win, Coal."
"I just need to try." Coal removed his hood and lifted her stolen sword higher.
Coal was right. The longer she delayed, the more likely Queen Isis or Royden would notice and come looking for Coal. "Both of you need to promise you'll come with me after I win."
He regarded Elizabeth and then Chalcedony. "If you win, I promise."
"Lizzy needs to promise also," Chalcedony said.
"Elizabeth, promise Chalcedony you'll come."
"But Coal--" Elizabeth began.
"Just promise."
"I promise," Elizabeth mumbled and averted her eyes.
Chalcedony glanced from the girl and then to the trees where Tetrick waited. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was watching. She felt as if she was in a training session in the human realm and this was her final test.
She pulled out Mayhem. It hadn't fully accepted her yet, but Chalcedony was wielding it as well as she believed her mother would have. Defeating him would be quick and easy, and she knew she could do it before Mayhem turned on her.
Elizabeth, Michael, and the fey from the back of the truck watched a few feet away. But as Coal stood with his weapon ready across from Chalcedony, it felt like they were the only living things left in the world. Despite the lack of sunlight, Mayhem's steel gleamed, emitting a light all its own.
"Let's get this over with," she said. "The first to draw blood wins."
His hand ached from the dragon fight, and he needed to warm up. However, Chalcedony didn't need time to prepare. She rushed towards him, her sword aiming for Coal's neck. He didn't have enough time to meet the blow, so he jumped back and out of the way, tripping over a rock and landing hard on his ass.
Coal jumped to his feet, gripping his sword and thankful that he hadn't dropped it.
Chalcedony grinned while she stood across from him. She could have ended it while he was on his back, but she hadn't. It should have been a relief; instead it made him feel like he was being toyed with.
Controlling his growing fear and shaking away the snow that clung to his back, he stepped forward and took the offensive. The ringing sound of metal against metal reverberated down the road and the surrounding forest as they fought.
After Coal's strongest attack, Chalcedony clenched her jaw, and with three consecutive overhand strikes, she forced Coal to lose the little bit of ground he had gained.
In spite of the cold, he perspired. His hand throbbed, and he feared he'd drop his weapon. It was as if he'd forgotten everything he'd learned from Grigory.
His sword knew they were losing, and it pulsed with displeasure. He didn't know how he was going to beat Chalcedony, but if he panicked, he'd never be able to figure it out.
Chalcedony attacked so fast he barely registered her movements until they ended. Out of instinct more than any defensive strategy, he was able to avoid her blows.
"What's wrong, Coal?" Her lips were twisted into a cocky grin.
"You've been toying with me all these years, pretending you were weaker than you were," he said, realizing the truth; he was no match for her.
She shrugged. "If I'm not the strongest person in my land, I will be once I am coroneted. Did you really think you had a chance?"
"Why did you make me believe I almost beat you the last time we fought?" Coal asked.
"Madoc Rule Number Seven: Never Let Anyone Know Your True Strength Until You Absolutely Have To." Her face glistened from melted snow. "Not even your best friend."
Three days ago, that would have hurt, a week ago it would have kept him up at night, but she'd just repeated something she'd already taught him. She had never trusted him, and he had been naive to have trusted her. Burying his hurt feelings and broken heart, his mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of this before Chalcedony decided to attack again. He didn't have Djamel's speed or Cesaro's strength. He couldn't change his fingers into talons like Queen Isis. But Haline didn't have any exceptional powers. She wasn't exceptionally strong, and she hardly used a sword. When he first met her, she had used speed and force to take him down.
Knowing he couldn't win with his sword, he threw it with all the strength left in his arms. His hunch paid off, Chalcedony's gaze followed Mischief as it disappeared in the darkness of the forest. While she was distracted, he sprinted towards her as fast as he could. She looked back just as Coal collided into her. He grabbed on to her waist and her sword fell from her hand as they both hit the ground. From the sound of Chalcedony's head hitting the pavement, Coal knew she must be in pain, but she didn't skip a beat. As soon as she hit the ground, she tried to roll over, but he held her waist with all of his strength. The awkward position prevented her from moving easily. He didn't know what he was going to do next, but at least she didn't have a sword anymore.
Coal was so intent on holding on to her and thinking of his next move that he didn't notice when she stopped moving. Chalcedony's sword moved towards her. She was using magic. Damn, he had forgotten she could do that. Before he could grab her, she already had the sword in her hand.
He released her and jumped away.
She stood, her chest heaving from exertion. "That was a dirty trick, Coal." She removed a hand from her sword and touched the back of her head. She pulled it away covered in blood.
"You're bleeding," Coal said.
With disbelief in her eyes, she quickly gripped the sword again as if she were trying to hide the blood.
"You're bleeding. You lose." The realization that he had drawn first blood occurred to him and ignited a fountain of hope.
"No," Chalcedony scowled. "This is a sword fight. You didn't use a sword." The snow fell heavier, and her hair was quickly covered with it. Already some of it had melted and dripped onto the ground.
"You're bleeding. I won," Coal declared.
"You didn't win. You cheated."
"That wasn't cheating," Coal said, with more confidence than he felt. "You told me no good fighter only uses a sword. I won. Now, keep your word and let us leave."
She sneered. "You are going to have to kill me first, and we both know you don't have the strength or the courage for that."
She stepped towards Coal, but one of the male giants who had been sitting in the back of the truck stepped between the two of them. "It's over. You lost." The giant towered over Chalcedony by two and a half feet.
Chalcedony reared back and raised her sword. "I'll cut you both down if I have to."
"It's over, Princess." A dwarf spoke this time, his voice deep and threatening. "You can't take us all out." Then others from the back of the truck stepped up.
Her sword stayed steady as she pointed the sword down the row. "Do you understand what you are doing? I will be queen."
"If you were a queen you'd be able to take us all out, but you're not," the giant said. "So leave."
"You think you won, don't you?" She laughed so hard she bent over and held her belly, her sword still held awkwardly in her hand. The sound was an odd mixture of insanity and joy. "You're returning to a world that threw you away. The human realm is filthy. Yes, congratulations. You won. You'll never see me or the fey realm again." She sheathed her swo
rd and strolled confidently into the forest.
She only said those things to shake his confidence and make losing easier for her. He'd done the right thing, and now Elizabeth was headed home to her parents. But maybe she had been right. What had he won?
"Are you okay?" Elizabeth asked, drawing Coal's attention. Was he?
He forced a smile as he placed the sword back into its sheath. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are you ready to go home?"
Elizabeth nodded. She'd taken off her hood, and her dark hair spilled onto the back of her coat, her cheeks red from the cold.
"You showed her," said the female giant with light skin and straight short hair. "That bitch got what she deserved."
"I wouldn't be so happy if I was you," the giant's male companion said. "The queenling, unlike Queen Isis, patrols the human realm for rogue fey. Now we're going to have to watch our back for the entire time we're here."
"Ireland is under Queen Isis's protection, not Princess Chalcedony's," the dwarf said. He had a heart-shaped face with long wavy black hair. He didn't wear a coat, and his jaw shivered as he spoke.
"Tell that to the weavers once she captures you."
"Regardless, standing here waiting for her to come back isn't going to do any good. Let's get the hell out of here," Michael said.
"Do you really think she'll come back for us?" Elizabeth asked once they were in the truck.
"No," Coal said. "She never wants to see me again, and I'm sure that includes you, too."
The End
I hope you enjoyed reading Coal. Please consider leaving a review. They are extremely important for authors and help readers find books they'll love.
Read On for an excerpt of Chalcedony.
You Can Get Book 2, Chalcedony, FREE!
(http://eepurl.com/b0WzHX)
Read On for the first chapter of Chalcedony.
Book 2 of the Everleaf Series
"Wake up, boy."
Coal opened his eyes. A short, heavily muscled human with a gold tooth and a tight gray uniform stood above him. His badge read: D. Abraham.
"Get up. Someone wants to meet you."
Coal stood, put on his slippers that were only slightly less hard than the floor, and let the guard restrain his hands and feet. He knew not to ask questions.
He'd grown half a foot in the past three months, and he towered above the guards and most people here.
When he'd first arrived at what he learned were detention centers, people were scared of him. Well, they were scared of him until he talked and they realized he was young and naive, and his accent told people he was different, and different was not good in this place.
After a few fights, he'd learned to stay quiet. The less people knew about you, the more they were scared.
D. Abraham led him past another guard standing outside of the cell. They were always in pairs. As they escorted him down the gray hall, he felt the gaze of the other inmates. If he'd learned anything over the past three months, it was to never show fear. He stood straighter and sneered as he passed the boy he'd fought with yesterday.
The guards stopped at a room a few floors beneath his cell.
A man with a blue suit stood as Coal entered the room. "I'm Agent Ellis." He extended his hand for Coal to shake.
Coal nodded and sat down. Don't shake someone's hand if you don't trust them. Since he'd been in the human realm, he'd learned not to trust anyone, especially the people he met in these small rooms.
Mr. Ellis continued to stand. "Coal, right?"
He stayed silent.
"Ah." The man sat down. "I get it. You're all jaded now. You're not talking anymore." He paused, looking expectantly towards Coal, and then he began again. "You're mad because you've been thrown in jail, and you feel like you've been mistreated. Well, answer this. How should you be treated? You were an accessory to kidnapping. The mother felt so guilty over the abduction of her child that she killed herself. So, I repeat, how should you be treated?"
"I brought her back." Coal bit back guilt and regret. He'd done all he could to get Elizabeth home. In the end, he'd succeeded. It just hadn't been soon enough.
Available on Amazon
About the Author
Constance Burris is on a journey to take over the world by writing fantasy, horror, and science fiction. Her mission is to spread the love of speculative fiction to the masses. She is a proud card carrying blerd (black nerd), mother, and wife. When she is not writing and spending time with her family, she is working hard as an environmental engineer in Oklahoma City.
www.twitter.com/constanceburris
www.facebook.com/constance.burris
www.constanceburris.com
Author Notes
Please help me on my mission to take over the world, and leave a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Smashwords, and/or Barnes and Noble. World domination is impossible without helpful minions, subjects, faithful followers book reviews.
I absolutely love to talk to readers, so please connect with me through Facebook, Google+, Twitter, or my blog. I really want to know how you feel about Chalcedony. Good girl gone bad, or is she just misunderstood? Personally, I feel like she's misunderstood, but I have a soft spot for bad girls.
Also By Constance Burris
Black Beauty
Shemeya knocked on Jason's door. For the past two years, they'd ended up in the same chemistry course as lab partners. He'd asked her out a few times, but she'd politely said no. He bored her. Turning him down made her feel like an idiot who only went out with thugs, but she wasn't stupid. She only wanted a little thug, not a full serving.
When Jason opened the door, she pulled off her backpack and stepped into his house. "Is your mom home?"
"No, she's with her new guy." He led her into his kitchen. "Want something to drink?"
"You got some juice?" She desperately wanted to get rid of the dry, earthy taste that the herbs had left in her mouth. Water hadn't worked.
"I got something better." He reached under one of the kitchen cabinets and pulled out a bottle of Hennessy.
"Jason, really?"
He smiled innocently.
She rolled her eyes. "Sure. I need a drink after the day I've had." And liquor should kill the taste in my mouth.
He poured the cognac into two yellow plastic cups before they walked into the living room and sat on his couch. The alcohol warmed her insides and seared away the taste of the herbs.
"We should be talking about absorption, not sitting here getting drunk," Shemeya pointed out.
"We always finish our projects tipsy. Why should this time be any different?"
Shemeya laughed. "Anyways, let's get started: absorption vs. adsorption." She pulled her chemistry book from her backpack.
"Stupid names. Why do they have to be so similar?" He sat back on the couch with a glazed look in his eyes.
"Are you going to get your books?"
He licked his lips and leaned forward. "I've heard stories about you and Latreece's boyfriend."
"So?" The buzz she had from the liquor quickly dissipated while her heart rate increased. She dreaded where the conversation was headed.
"I don't understand. I've been asking you out for months, but you go out with him instead. He has a girlfriend."
"I didn't go out with him," she said through clenched teeth. She'd expected to be harassed at school; she hadn't expected it here. She had hoped her anger would shut him up, but no such luck.
"I saw you go in the room with Corey last weekend at Serena's party."
She threw her books on the table and stood. "Oh damn, Jason. Really?"
"I've treated you with nothing but respect since I've known you."
"I've had a horrible day with everyone teasing me at school. Now I get here and have to deal with it from you, too. I'm leaving." She turned from him and bent over to pick up her books.
"Are you crying?"
She brought her hand up to her face, and it came back wet. Why was she crying in front of him? Wasn't the fake weed supposed
to give her courage?
"Don't go. I'm sorry."
She was so busy wiping away her tears that she didn't fight it when he grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the couch. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything."
She let him hold her as she cried. Maybe it was the liquor, maybe it was the fake weed, or maybe it was her loneliness, but whatever the reason, she didn't stop him when he brought his lips down onto hers.
His sweaty hands on her breast brought her back to reality. He wasn't who she wanted. "No, Jason." She pulled back. "I have to go."
"Don't go," he pleaded, with his hand still under her shirt. Somehow they'd ended up on the couch with him on top cradled between her legs.
"No." She tried to move from under him.
He loomed above her, flushed despite his dark skin. "Do you like it rough? Is that what it is?"
"No. This isn't what I came here for." Shemeya tore at his chest, but Jason refused to budge.
He kissed her neck. "I'm tired of being the nice guy," he murmured, pinning her further beneath his body.
"Get off me!" she screamed. His erection rubbed against the crotch of her jeans. She punched and kicked, but it made him more excited. Her scalp itched as she fought. She wanted to scratch, but she needed both hands to fight Jason off. I'm getting raped, but I can't fight the urge to scratch. The inconvenience of it almost made her laugh.
Something above moved. She looked past Jason. Five snakes were hovering above his head.
"I'm going crazy." This time she did laugh, and the snakes, which were the same rusty brown color as her dreads, smiled.
Jason looked towards her. "Why are you laughing?" His eyes darted above her. The feel of his erection disappeared as he crept away, but she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Her itching scalp had been replaced with pleasurable tingles that ran from her head down to her toes. "Where are you going?" she asked.
Coal: Book One of the Everleaf Series Page 19