LOGINSydney
I jolt upright, blinking into near total darkness. Moonlight sweeps over a cavernous space, illuminating darkened corridors and intricate carvings along the green-gray stone of the wall I’m facing. Condensation drips down the stones, gathering in pockets of moss.
Cool night air touches my skin as I scan the perimeter, catching sight of four gray, wolflike bodies bleeding green onto the tiles.
Reality sweeps over me like a tidal wave that w
FallonCathy turns me by the shoulders to inspect the roughly cut silhouette hanging from my body. Pins pinch precariously close to my skin, but I’m not a novice by any means. I’ve been to thousands of dress fittings over the course of my mostly dreadfully boring twenty-three years in the Goddess’ kingdom, and this one doesn’t even come close to the more painful experiences I’ve had. “Is this really the type of shape you like?” Cathy frowns, pinching the fabric toward the curve of my hips. I swat her hands away, tilting my chin toward the ceiling in defiance. “I know what I like.”“Obviously,” she murmurs, sucking the word in on a breath. “Well, it wouldn’t be what I’d choose.”I bite my tongue to stop myself from tossing the fact that she’s shaped like an effigy of a goddess while I’m reminiscent of a twelve-year-old boy out into the universe. “I like to be able to move and breathe.”“It’s rather dated.”I huff with frustration, blinking up at the ceiling. “It’s a vintage cut. Ther
ZaynJason, barefoot with his cotton trousers rolled up past his ankles and the top buttons of his shirt undone, moves into the shade of a large palm tree and sinks onto the grass where Tali and I are already situated. He passes a bottle of beer to me and then hands one to Tali. Undone is a good way to describe Jason right now–in more ways than one. Tali’s golden eyes hold mine for a few seconds before he leans forward and nudges Jason on the knee. Jason, unaccustomed to not only being touched, but conversing openly in general, flinches away. He casts Tali an apologetic glance and drinks deeply from his beer. Meanwhile, I’m watching the scene on the beach just outside my house–my castle. Fallon stands beside Cathy, the two of them deep in conversation, while the three boys–Andy, Gracen, and Koa–dart in and out of the surf. Fallon has already been in and out of the water several times testing the swimsuit Cathy was able to conjure, along with an array of other clothing items that w
FallonWhile the tunic and what I believe might be considered capris on a taller person fit well and look somewhat decent, I can’t escape the heinous sandals that followed me from the inn in… Toppifaire? Yes, that was the name of the portside village. I stare at my reflection in the full-length mirror in Zayn’s–our–dressing room, which is empty. Totally, completely empty, like whatever life he lived here before was completely cleared out during the six years he was masquerading as a knight in the Allied Kingdoms. I’m too hungry to fret over my tangled hair and my overall appearance. Normally, I’d have my hair brushed, styled, and out of my face entirely when leaving. An intricate skincare routine and a few swipes of makeup would follow before I donned whichever gown tickled my fancy. I frown at myself, shake my head, and surrender to island living–which is very laid back, at least so far. My ugly sandals clack loudly, echoing off the walls, while I follow Zayn, who’s dressed very w
FallonZayn fell asleep the second he returned from the ensuite bathroom, teeth brushed, hair combed, whatever else he does during his nightly routine. While he snoozes with his back to me, practically hanging off the far side of the massive bed that could easily fit five full-sized men side to side, I sit here, twiddling my thumbs, not sleepy in the slightest after wasting an entire day with an epically painful migraine. I doubt Zayn’s a heavy sleeper. I’m sure he’ll wake up with a jolt if I so much as breathe too hard, so after trying and failing to force my body back to rest, I slink out of bed in the early hours of the morning when, under normal circumstances, a house of this size and rank would be quietly alive with the earliest of the day’s preparations. Instead of maids hurrying from room to room, and a kitchen bustling with steam and the first heavy scents of breakfast being made, I’m met by silence. It’s not heavy or eerie. It’s a calm, sea-kissed kind of peace that follow
FallonI wake from a state that’s similar to what I assume a coma would feel like at exactly 9:47 P.M. I have no idea what day it is, or, quite frankly, where I am. I have very few memories of much beyond that amazing dinner and a salt breeze before my brain split in half. I sit up, blinking into a totally dark, but regal, room that curves in nearly a circle. A few doors catch strips of moonlight beaming through six arched windows, all of which are open to the sound of waves rolling against a nearby shore. For a moment, I feel transported to Maatua, but this place has none of the modern charm of the beach houses my family shares. Marble columns stretch toward the ceiling, and even in the moonlight, I can tell the room is decorated in shades of sand, with pale blues and greens–very beachy and serene, indeed. I am, thank the Goddess, without a doubt, no longer in Meccana. I slide out of bed and immediately spot a new shift and matching robe draped over a nearby armchair, which mean
ZaynA calm, tropical breeze ruffles the fabric of my black cotton shirt. It’s loose, airy, and a far cry from the armor I’ve been wearing for three years. I’m not used to the fit, nor the feeling of the air on my skin. Nor the salt-scented breeze that ripples through fine mesh curtains lifting from the open-air archways that line the entire south-facing side of the room. A room that belongs to the Alpha King of the Packs of Meridem. I have vivid memories of standing in this room holding my mother’s hand while she conversed with her father, my maternal grandfather, Papa–the Alpha King who effectively cut ties with the Grand Wizard and whose reign ushered in a new era of pirating that allowed the packs to spread out along the archipelagos and island clusters far south of Meccana. Papa had one thing that worked in his favor–the Alexandrite mines. Meridem, as an island system, is the richest source of Alexandrite, which the wizards have long used to strengthen their magic. It’s hard to
LexaSummer sunlight sweeps across the trembling fields of wheat–a wash of pure gold against the emerald face of the mountains just beyond. I lift my face to the sun and breathe in, letting the scent of what will be another prosperous harvest fill my lungs. It smells like… bread. Bread and apples.
LexaI keep my hand tucked in the crook of Kaleb’s arm as he guides us through the crowd, ignoring the glances, the underhanded comments in a language I don’t understand but know he does. Most people give us a wide berth. Many of the women hide their mouths with fans, their jewels sparking in the l
LexaI slowly turn to Austin’s voice, opening my eyes to first my feet, then slowly look up at figures standing before me. Dozens of them. Faces I recognize. Eyes I know by heart, now milky and unseeing with death. My body’s paralyzed with fear when Austin parts the crowd. My regiment. Warriors I
LexaThere are no weapons to be had, which is my first and only observation as the horn sounds. Before the chains binding my wrists can fall to the ground like a dead weight, I grab the chain and spin, using my body weight and height to my advantage to send the chain ripping through the air. I keep







