by K.N. Lee
Whispers. Beckoning. The trees in the distance rustled as if in greeting, urging me to take the leap, and shed my dismal life.
If only I had the courage.
I scraped caked-in blood from my ragged fingertips. Me and the other workers had toiled for hours while the cold wind blew at our backs.
As I stood at the top of The Wall, overlooking what was left of the Old World, I coughed and rubbed at my frozen nose. Wetness smeared on my knuckles, only making me colder.
From this high up, the quiet and peace was worth every frozen finger and toe. For a moment, I pretended to be free, picturing myself at the helm of a ship as it sailed across the Karcadian Sea.
Veruth was the largest kingdom on the Aranthian continent, but none of us would know it. We’d never been outside of those walls.
“See anything, Ava?” Ford asked, breaking me from my thoughts. He called up from the platform just below mine. “Any monsters? Anything at all?”
I glanced down at him, his murky, brown eyes hooded by thick black hair that constantly whipped into his face as the Northern winds continued their assault.
Taking another look, I wished I had seen something. Was the mysterious Dark out there, floating around and breeding new terrors like the elves and our ancestors said?
So far, I’d never seen it. Some wondered if it even existed. Centuries had passed since it had shown itself. No luck catching a glimpse today. But, to the east, over the city, I did see the magical Sky Keep where the elvish monks lived. Though faint, I could see wyverns flying above it, weaving in and out of the thick clouds.
I’d give anything to go there one day, even if just for a moment.
I shook my head. “Nothing,” I said, glancing back up as I held onto the black pole at the top of the stone structure meant to protect us from the creatures across the wall.
The unnerving silence on the other side always captivated me since I’d taken this job. While we were slaves within the walls, there was such eerie beauty in the wilderness. As I gazed into the horizon, mountains emerged from the thick green of the forest, and the sea stretched all across the east.
This was just my first week helping tar and stack heavy stones onto the top. For years, the humans had made the wall taller and more fortified, and each year we began to wonder whether it was meant to keep something out…or to keep us in.
I already knew the answer to that question, but we worked nonetheless, feigning ignorance and convincing ourselves that the sun elves who had invaded our land had our safety in mind.
“Oy,” a loud shout came from far to the right.
I shuddered, turning to meet the hawk-like glare of Hyatt, the task master. Silvery-white hair whipped around my face as our gazes met.
His pointed ears were red from the cold, yet the cruelty in his glowing amber eyes betrayed nothing of his discomfort.
I dreaded the lashing of his long, enchanted whip, lip trembling as I eyed it, waiting for it to snap out and slash my face or back open.
Damned sun elf. It was as if our peace only angered them even though we did the menial work that built the city. Nonetheless, we kept our heads down, executed our tasks, and sealed our mouths closed.
“Get back to work,” he ordered, and everyone turned their attention to their respective jobs pulling stones up from the ground.
There were hundreds on the wall, old and young, children, and the outcast class of gnomes. No matter where we came from, we were all slaves.
Quickly ducking down, I accepted the next block of stone and used all of my strength to slide it to the top of the wall. As I leaned down and got the next one, a wyvern swept in, stunning me. Black wings blotted out the faint light of the sun, silver claws glistening.
Instead of flying away, it lunged into my face, knocking me from the safety of my spot on the platform.
I screamed. Though I tried to catch myself, another gust of wind blew at me and my descent into the foggy abyss began.
Ford reached for me.
He missed, his hand sliding up my arm and catching nothing but air.
My scream caught in my throat as I realized I was falling to my inevitable death. The Wall was hundreds of feet tall, so tall that most days the clouds met us halfway, leaving mist on our faces.
No matter how much I flailed, the fall continued to pick up speed. A cry of pain ripped from my lips as something wrapped itself around my ankle.
I slammed into the side of the wall, foot, ankle, and leg burning with pain—pain that was nothing compared to the cracking of my skull against the stone.
I heard them screaming my name.
Yet, the darkness called it the loudest.
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The soft splatter of cool rain dripped onto Wren’s hood.
She sat in the tree, waiting, listening. It was just before sunset when the horns would blow and the villagers would be called back to town before curfew. Nightfall meant danger for anyone who dared to linger outside of the gates of The Vale.
It was up to Elise and the other Dragon Elite to keep them safe—to protect them from the beasts who prowled at night.
She’d taken this mission from the King of Saldoria—a king who balked at being sent the ‘little fairy’ instead of one of the elven males from the Elite.
Arrogant bastard.
She glanced at the darkening sky, and the gray clouds that rolled across at a leisurely pace. From the sweet smell of the air, she could tell that a storm was coming. She loved a good storm. Perhaps the weather would keep the creatures who haunted most children’s nightmares away.
When the loud horns began to blow, she settled in on her belly, hiding within the leaves of a tall tree. The black bark and dark, evergreen leaves were perfect for such a disguise. Her purple hair was hidden beneath her hood, and her olive skin helped her camouflage herself along with the branches and foliage.
She pressed her ear to the branch, listening to the wood nymphs humming. It was a hypnotizing melody that almost lulled her to sleep.
Peeking down at the villagers as they left the fields and lakes from a busy day gathering food and supplies, she spotted North. He walked behind his two younger brothers, ushering them on as they begged to stay out and play just a bit longer.
With a crooked smile on his face, and long chestnut hair falling into his eyes, he was one of her oldest friends from the Titan Academy for Mages.
She was coming of age to leave the Academy and pursue a life of her own. It was either that, or continue her studies to rise up the ranks of mages, and perhaps ascend to greater things.
She’d chosen her path, and the Dragon Elite was where her heart belonged.
The silence that followed the procession of the villagers away from the forest was unsettling. She tried to focus on the hum of the nymph-folk and the soft drip of rain. Before long, thunder began to vibrate across the sky and strike lightning with a loud crackle that perked her up. She pushed herself to her bottom and wrapped her toned arms around her slim frame. The wind picked up and her soaked cloak and tunic began to cling to her in the most uncomfortable fashion.
It was then that she noticed something out of the ordinary—something…odd.
Two pairs of glowing red eyes emerged in the looming darkness as the sun set. She held her breath, tensing her neck as she watched a two-headed basilisk creep through the forest in search for food. The snake-like heads sniffed and searched the thick underbrush of the forest floor and let out a shrill sound unlike anything Elise had ever heard.
Lips parted, she watched in awe as they seemed to communicate with one another in a series of shrieks and grunts that reminded her of a pig. Swallowing, she reminded herself of why she was there in the first place.
She carefully pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back, not blinking and barely breathing. As the storm raged on, she nocked the arrow and pulled the string back as far as it would go.
Rain fell into her eyes, clouding her vision. She b
linked them away and clenched her jaw. Perhaps it was a bad day for a hunt, but she had no choice. She’d taken this mission, and would execute it.
She sucked in a long breath of the cool air, and said a mental prayer, asking her wisp guides for clarity.
Releasing the breath, she also let go of the arrow and watched it soar through the night and into the chest of the deformed basilisk.
The roar that resulted made her jump, almost falling from the tree. She held steady, shivered as the massive creature ran. Her arrow protruded from its body.
“Fiddlesticks,” she growled, and with a leap from the tree, she descended down to the forest floor, landing with barely more than a soft squish in the mud.
The basilisk ran, and she chased it, nocking arrows and shooting as fast as her skilled fingers could go.
The hide was tough, and as she ran behind the frantic creature, it took two more arrows into the back of the beast’s heads to send it crashing down to its death. The thud made the entire surrounding area vibrate, and sent dirt flying through the air.
Skidding to a stop, she breathed heavily, lifting her hood and exposing herself to the onslaught of rain. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she knelt and felt the beast for any signs of life. Closing her eyes, she thanked the Mother for her blessing. Then, she removed her dagger and cut out the beast’s heart.
As she did so, her body trembled at feeling the spirit leave the the beast. For a moment, she was overcome with sadness for the poor creature. Her hand glowed a faint orange, and she placed it onto the belly of the beast, and closed her eyes.
“On to the Mother,” she said. “May your journey be peaceful.”
It was the only way she could do this job—to come to terms with bringing death to any living creature.
She was a fairy, through and through, even if she only had scars where her wings had once been—even if she was one of the last of her kind.
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The moment the doors swung open, the salty sea air rushed in, bringing the storm with it. Rough winds tangled Aurora’s dark hair, threatening danger, and she held her breath as she took in the woman strolling into The Salty Gull.
Wind and rain raged against the woman’s back, her face obscured with hair as crimson as blood. If her skin wasn’t fully covered by gray cloak, gloves, and leather pants, the scales would have given her away. Instead, it wasn’t until she pushed her hair away from her face that Aurora realized who was standing in the dim lighting and dragging in the fury of the storm with her.
Why is she here?
At least the hair in her face had prevented too many scales from forming on her skin, and already the blues and purples were fading from her jaw and temple.
She wiped her hands, and tossed a wet rag dripping with spilled beer into a pail and leaned my hands against the edge of the inn. The scene outside the doors caught the attention of my patrons, distracting them from what I’d just seen on her skin. But she had my full scrutiny.
And, she positively wreaked of magic. The unmistakable smell of it radiated from her frame as she shrugged off her coat and hung it on a hook on the wall as if she owned the place. How could she risk exposure this way? How could she stroll in here so carelessly during the height of a storm?
Tensing, she held her breath, and tried to keep her face blank of emotion as she stood to her full height behind the inn. Her eyes scanned the room and landed on me. As she strode over to her, the green of her eyes almost glowing in the dim light of the inn, the gaze of all of the fishermen and sailors broke from the storm outside and trailed to her short skirt and long legs.
It was impossible not to notice her. Especially here, where she stuck out from the regulars.
“Aurora,” she said, almost like a purr, as she slid her narrow behind onto the chair in front of her. “Don’t make me drag you out of here by your hair. You’re too pretty for that, love.”
Aurora met her eyes, pleading. Her heart thumped in her chest and the blood drained from her face.
“That wouldn’t be wise,” Aurora said, lowEliseg her voice. “For a hunter to handle Poseidon’s heir in such a way.”
Khia sneered at her, tilting her head. “You’re but one of his bastards. And, not the more powerful, either.”
“Fine,” Aurora said, placing her hands before her in the shape of a triangle. “You can try to drag me by my hair, and you will feel my wrath.”
Khia chuckled, tossing her head back. “I do miss you, Aurora. You’re one of the only Demis to stand up to me.”
A smile came across Aurora’s lips, and she slowly lowered her hands. “I’d miss you too,” she said. “If you hadn’t betrayed me.”
“Ah,” she said, meeting my gaze. “I do wish there was any other way. But, you know that I serve the throne before any one individual.”
She grabbed a bottle of pixie nectar. The cold bottle against her palm did nothing to cool her nerves. “Sit with me for a moment,” I said. “I’m sure we can talk this out.”
Khia nodded, and she took two glasses and headed inside the tavern to sit at a bench. Two men looked up at the women and with a nod, left to give them a bit of privacy.
She sat down, breathing in as she poured her a little more than she’d normally give to her customers.
She handed her the glass. “Try this,” she said. “It might make you love the human world a bit more once you do.”
She lifted an eyebrow and placed the glass to her lips. She poured it down her throat, wincing at the strong flavor. “What is this?”
“Pixie nectar. Aged. Distilled.”
She took another sip. “I guess it’s not that bad.”
Her grin annoyed Aurora. They were once friends, but lately she couldn’t help but wonder if she was working with or against her. She held onto a tiny shred of faith that it was the former.
“You aren’t supposed to be here, Khia,” Aurora said, narrowing her eyes and keeping her voice barely above a whisper. As if anyone could hear her soft voice over the fishermen arguing in the back of the inn the way she could hear every word my patrons spoke…even when she didn’t want to. “Why can’t you, and Atlantis just leave me alone?”
Khia leaned in even closer, until their noses nearly touched. She liked to test Aurora. But, as delicate as Aurora looked, she’d never back down first.
“I just came to check on things. You spend too much time with these humans when we have real problems back at home. Atlantis needs you. The sea needs you.”
Sighing, she titled her head. “Why do you think I left? Poseidon is dead, and I don’t want to be brought into the balance of heirs or politics, or any of that.”
“What if there is war? Will you stand by and watch our people get exterminated by dark magic?”
Her heart sank at the thought. “There won’t be war,” she said, hopeful that her words held even the tiniest measure of truth.
“Aurora,” she said, face softening. “War is coming.”
Aurora breathed in, eyes cast downward as she stared into her glass of nectar. Then, she drank it down. “Sirens have been saying that since I was a child.”
“This time, its true.”
Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes as she looked at her. “Why now?”
“Because King Orion has declared it.”
Her blood ran cold at her words.
King Orion?
Could it be?
She gasped, covered her mouth with her hands.
Cassian.
She stood, and in a haze, she walked to the double doors and pushed them to stand outside in the storm.
The cold, salty air hit her full force. As it did so, the scales on her face began to glow in a luminescent show of power and magic.
The boy she loved had become a man…and now served as king—king of the Atlantian’s greatest rival.
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About the Author
K.N. Lee is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She is the author of the Dragon-Born Saga, Eura Chronicles, Wonderland University, and the Chronicles of Koa series. When she is not writing twisted urban fantasy, epic tales of dragons, pirates, and mermaids, and dark poetry, she does a great deal of traveling.
Also by K.N. Lee
The Dragon Born Saga:
Half-Blood Dragon
Magic-Born Dragon
Queen of the Dragons
War of the Dragons
Fate of the Dragons
Curse of the Dragons
The Chronicles of Koa Series:
Netherworld
Dark Prophet
Blood Princess
Crimson King
The Eura Chronicles:
Rise of the Flame
Night of the Storm
Dawn of the Forgotten
Prophecy of the Seer (Coming Soon)
Empire of Dragons Chronicles:
Fallen Empire
Reign of Magic
Fire and Fury
Realms of Ruin
THE FALLEN GODS TRILOGY:
Goddess of War
Goddess of Ruin (Coming Soon)
Queen of Chaos (Coming Soon)
The Darkest Day:
Waking the Dark
Tempting the Fire
Breaking the Oath
Stealing the Soul