Chapter 29

The light from the Spirit of Blessing that fell on Mirias appeared dimmer to the travelers as they neared the west gate. Prince Edward breathed in a deep sigh of relief, mingled with heavy anticipation, much the same as the last time he had this view of home. ReAnne had sat limp in his saddle, …

Chapter Twenty Eight

“Benjamin, be still.” Hearing Edward’s sharp tone, Ottelo and Pitney drew their swords, but Edward was already working his gift on the vex walking beside his brother. Belda’s disappearance instantly forgotten at the sight of him. “Put those away. She will not harm me,” Benjamin said quickly, readjusting his brim to fall lower, hiding half …

Chapter Twenty Seven

“A meeting with the Assembly has been called, my lord, as you suspected. By Prince Dennis.” Begrenzen, who had just returned from assessing the Great King, shushed the whispered voice with one glare towards the dark corner from which it had come. He watched rather impatiently as his new servant, Dariah, poured his milk and …

Chapter Twenty Six

He was at the edge of the familiar and the unknown. The gift he had been learning, using, without thought as one uses a hand to reach for something, was awkward here. Uncomfortable. He stood at the precipice of the Spirit of Blessing and Decay. The Point of Rending. It was not what he thought. …

Working…

I promise you, I am working on it. And just to prove it, here is a small excerpt. *As always, I reserve the right to change, rearrange, or delete this from the finished chapter. Just sayin'.* Belda took him there. A touch of her hand. A whisper in his ear. She showed him how to …

Chapter Fourteen (Part 2)

The only snippet of time that Maurlee would allow herself away from ReAnne was when the Great King summoned her for private conversations. She knew what he was doing…over and over again, he would ask the same questions, waiting for her to remember another detail that might have been previously disregarded. Or waiting for her …

Chapter 14 (Part 1)

Maurlee took the small cup of water to ReAnne’s chapped lips. Her pugged nose turned up as if lifting her chin as the water went down ReAnne’s throat would somehow aid the process of drinking for her patient. The large postered bed and its large white coverlet, practically matching Maurlee’s fair skin, dwarfed both the …

Chapter Thirteen (cont’d)

Part 2 “But isn’t it true? Because we rely on each other’s giftings, we are better for it? No one kingdom can rule over another, truly, without having the weakness of whomever they are at odds with?” Edward said. He had been visited by Begrenzen the night before his confirmation. Surely nothing an initiate to …

Chapter Twelve

His dwelling was dark and cool, far beneath the unending sands of Paschar. He had led them through a long tunnel, the opening to which was constantly in a mirage. Proof that his skills far surpassed Ottelo’s. The narrow, underground path was followed by a steady stream of cool water. Halfway through the tunnel, they …

Chapter Eleven

“You don’t like Begrenzen.” Dennis picked off a leaf from an herb and dropped it into the bowl filled with oil extracts and began to stir. The curtains were closed now, to keep out the night critters and the chilly air. Candlelight cast shadows all over the room making the absence of Edward more acute. …