I wasn’t giving up, but giving in. I had to regain my strength. I needed to try another strategy—fighting and magic weren’t leading us anywhere. So, I walked to the door as Lex lunged for me. I used the last of my energy to hold him back with magic, and I opened the door to face Sire.“I don’t want anyone to die,” I told the mage in a somber tone.“I know,” was all he said as he opened the door wider, and guards moved inside the workshop.I had spelled the workshop against anyone whom I didn’t want in there so Lex could be there, but so could Sire. I’d truly never thought he would betray us. I’d believed in him, and learned just how I I’ve been with his treason.I focused my mind on conjuring up a stronghold of protection that no one could pass. I had to keep Lex safe, and I only thought of Cheyenne and Gabrielle as trustworthy enough to release him.I felt the burn in my veins and knew the magic worked. As soon as the soldiers approached the door, they were zapped and burned by magic
And now Aria was screaming, at the mercy of Sire Vanoire and Polonius.I couldn’t take it anymore. I tried beating down the door with my foot, but it didn’t budge; all the kicking did was hurt my foot. I then attempted to smash the window and climb down, and as I did, I saw Bindi and her troops fighting with great skill and effort. But it wasn’t enough. There were too many Crypt Claw.As I smashed the window with a huge, leather-bound volume, the glass didn’t break. I looked around the room for something else to throw at the window, my wolf howling to be released.“I know,” I said to him under my breath. “I’m trying.” The amount of fear trembling around Aria was too much for my wolf.I looked down at the city square again. Now, Bindi was on her knees at the point of a sword while other Royal Guards were being killed and brought down in submission. When I saw Aria on her knees with her head bowed and Polonius hovering over her, I shifted, practically losing my mind as I lunged and dive
Chapter 1AriaI tumbled down into a cacophony of sound and heat. Lava bubbled from the Genesis Pit I had voluntarily jumped into, spitting up from the depths and searing my skin.I was determined to unlock the mage within me. While I was driven to take that jump, falling into molten lava with the magma burning every inch of my body suddenly felt like a bad decision as pain seared every nerve. I was buoyed on the sounds of screaming and song.The wailing came from people who wanted me back among the living, and the songs came from those who were already dead. A vision flashed before me, but it wasn’t my life I saw. It was their memory of the moment Warlord Zonas marched his troops into the Onyx Rah kingdom. People fled their homes in distress as the Crypt Claw soldiers fought Onyx Rah’s Royal Guard. Black wolves battled fiercely to protect their people and their homes, but the Crypt Claw army were too many in number and too ruthless in temperament to defeat.As my bones cracked and br
As I exited the pool, I shifted into my wolf and was surprised to find that she, too, had been made more beautiful by the ordeal. She was black with a trail of blond diamond fur patches down her back and on the tips of her ears and paws. She was massive, much bigger and stronger than before.I could feel magic pulsing through the air as it filled my body with an undeniable force. I’d unlocked my mage, yet beyond that, I carried with me the power of all those souls who had perished. I was their voice, their beacon, and their chance for resurrection.I wanted to tell Lex I’d found my mage, but then I remembered I’d jumped into the pit with him screaming and wailing for me to stop. He must’ve thought I was dead. I had to get to him and let him know that not only had I survived, I was thriving in a way I’d never thought possible.I looked around me to find a way out. Magma and lava flowed everywhere. Above me, in a pool of bubbling lava, was the Genesis Pit. The air was hot and thick with
Chapter 2LexAria was alive! I couldn’t think of anything else, just the fact that she had survived the impossible. She’d jumped into a pit of molten lava, and come out moments later looking more radiant and beautiful than she ever had. I wasn’t thinking of Sire Vanoire or Polonius watching us, nor was I considering that my brother was right there beside me; I knew Cheyenne would be thrilled for our reunion. I’d kissed Aria with reckless abandon, grateful to see her alive. Now, we faced a sea of angry expressions and had to contend with the fact that we were actually on the run from Polonius and his men.At the moment, I didn’t care. I had Aria back, yet she was different. Not only was she more radiant, but her aura and light seemed brighter, like she was becoming a beacon for her people. She exuded such an immense amount of power, I could feel it electrifying the air.She had changed. While I didn’t doubt she still loved me, I couldn’t help but wonder if things going forward would b
“Surely not behind her this very instant,” Polonius said with a laugh, looking pointedly around us as if the threat of Navarrian armed forces wasn’t a deterrent.This sent Aria into a rage. Having just obtained her magic, she had little control over its use. With her fury boiling over, she yanked her hands free from Polonius and launched blasts of fire and wind at him, making him jump away from her before being burned alive.The heat radiating from Aria destroyed dilapidated buildings and overgrown trees, proving the great magnitude of her magic. From the blazing flames, a being started to take shape. Monstrous and dangerous, the fire creature grew to an unfathomable height. Since Aria’s mage didn’t have the means to temper her magic, she quaked in the throes of rage, infernos spurting and popping around her. The monster she created didn’t know who was on the right or wrong side of the argument and likely would have killed everyone had Sire not stepped in.“Aria!” Sire Vanoire called
Aria stiffened a little in my grip, but the tension in her muscles quickly released. Whatever objection she’d tempered must have passed.“My dear brother, Aria clearly doesn’t need anyone’s protection,” Cheyenne said with a laugh. “However, I relish the chance to learn more about leading our troops and honing my fighting skill. I’ll fill in for you for as long as you need me. Father now trusts me enough to sit at his table and participate in his chamber meetings in the great salon,” He gave a proud smile. “They’ve been riveting and very informative.”A pang of jealousy stabbed me. Only months ago, I was the only Redveign heir to sit at my father’s table and be privy to his chamber meetings where vital issues relating to our kingdom were discussed. While it hurt to think I was no longer able to sit by my father’s side and weigh in on crucial matters, I couldn’t think of anything more important at present than Aria’s health and well-being. Both were being compromised by her transformati
“I told you,” Lex scolded Sire.Sire Vanoire lowered his arms and caught his own breath. “I had to see the extent of her raw magic,” he said as if doing so was absolutely vital to my existence.“She needs to rest. She’s just been burned alive, and all you can think to do is try and fry her again?” Lex was both exasperated and incensed.“I have my reasons for doing so,” Sire said, regaining his strength.“We need to eat.” Lex glared at him. “You brought us to your home, and as reluctant as I am to be your guest, I must ask that you provide us food and a place to rest. Polonius backed down too easily today. We can’t expect him to relent that quickly. He will return. At any moment, he and his Crypt Claw warriors will become our biggest problem. We can’t face them starving and fatigued.”“Of course not,” Sire Vanoire said condescendingly. “This way.”Sire Vanoire walked to his front door, and it magically opened. Once we were inside the room, my stress dissipated with the warmth and pleas