The End
A Note from the Author
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Now for a sneak peak of BLAISE book two of
The Blood Lake Chronicles …
Prologue
Snow crunched underfoot as the hunched hooded figure walked along the frozen lakeside. She leaned heavily on the rosewood staff and did her best to hide the growing pain in her side. Her attendant had said nothing about the staff or their destination. He knew better than to question her. He carried a red cloak lined with fox fur and maintained a respectful distance behind her.
The edges of the lake were already freezing in webs of ice though the winter had barely begun. She had to stop the infernal curse that was threatening to destroy them all, even if that meant summoning one of her enemies to help her. She stopped on the edge of the lake and brought the butt of her staff down upon it three times. On the third strike, the ice cracked, and her magic poured through it, feeding down into the lake in a stream of golden light. Power wrapped around the prisoner and began pulling them through the icy water, their deep sleep shattered.
A pale bloodied arm punched through the ice, and a woman stumbled to the shoreline. Her skin was blue and wrinkled under the translucent white fabric of her dress, and her hair was snarled with mud and lake weed. She looked up at her mistress with pale blue eyes before vomiting up a lung full of lake water.
“My Queen,” the woman replied, dutifully lifting her frozen fist to her chest. The Autumn Queen beckoned to her servant who dropped the cloak over the shivering woman.
“You disappointed me once,” the Autumn Queen said as she placed her hands on the woman’s wet head. “I’m going to make sure you don’t do it again.” Power poured from the Queen’s hands, and the woman started to scream.
Chapter One – The Prodigal
“How have you been, Father?” the stranger asked. “And what the hell do you know about snow in Faerie?”
The room was silent for a long moment. Rosa’s heartbeat pounded in her ears as the tension in room rose higher. The stranger’s smile slipped as Eli’s glamor burnt away until only a ferocious Unseelie Prince remained. His startling emerald eyes glowed with fury.
“You are not my son,” he hissed. “You are not my Merlin.”
“I go by Eldon these days, but I assure you, Father, I have come home.”
Balthasar pulled Rosa behind him as Eli leaped from the second-floor balcony. Bright blue fire stretched out of his hands towards Eldon. The air crackled and a shield appeared in Eldon’s hand, blocking the inferno that closed in around him.
“Cut it out, Bleddyn, it’s me.”
“Liar!” Eli hissed as he circled Eldon. “You are a shifter, a doppelgänger, sent by the Autumn Queen to disarm me.”
“The Queen! Father, seriously, it really is me.” Eldon’s shield vanished, and he held up his hand in surrender. “You turned a Wylt, did you really think I would let that go unanswered?”
“My son has been dead for centuries,” growled Eli. Smoke gathered around his hand before it materialized into a shining sword.
“I’m not dead. I was temporarily…misplaced for a while, but I’m back now, so you can put Widows Fury away before someone gets hurt.”
“I will not be fooled by that treacherous whore again.” Eli rushed towards Eldon, sword raised. Eldon lifted his hands, and his clap echoed like thunder, drowning out Rosa’s scream. Roots shot up through the marble floor, catching Eli mid-swing and separating him from his sword.
“Enough Bleddyn!” Eldon said, the command washing over them. Gone was the quick talking, joking man. Instead, something ancient and angry remained. Eldon took two steps toward the struggling Eli, a dagger in his hands. With eyes filled with golden rage, he ran the blade over his wrist and held it up to Eli.
“Here, see for yourself you pig headed faerie.”
Eli hesitated only for a moment before his tongue shot out and tasted the blood. His eyes went wide, and Eldon lowered his dagger. The two men stared each other down with almost identical frowns.
“Myrddin,” Eli whispered using his softer, Welsh name, “I’m sorry…I didn’t –”
“You can save your apology, old man. I’ve been traveling for days, and I need to sleep. Get one of your new sons to help you down,” Eldon muttered, turning his back on his father. His golden eyes lingered on Rosa for a moment with a tired smile, “Rhosyn.”
No one stopped him as he walked up the stairs and disappeared.
Wylt: Book One The Blood Lake Chronicles Page 25