Born during the deadliest winter storm her people had ever encountered, her siren mother had been fond of saying that the gods had gifted her serious-faced infant with the soul of a winter’s fury. After the Queen’s death, the council took over her instruction and the young princess had been...
She hadn’t blamed them. The girls who spouted ‘gods knew what’ at her earlier. Growing up amidst war had to be horrific. You could not trust any stranger in these times, least of all a foreigner.
It was hard to be angry at anyone here really, in the fire realm. Ann stared at herself in the...
Her hands dipped into the water in front of her, the cooling of her skin sending immediate relief through her psyche. She had seemed to fare a little better than her non fire elemental companions, but her stomach still felt a bit like it was on a ship during stormy weather. Of course, some of...
She didn’t know what had brought her to the alley. Perhaps she thought her mind hadn’t already had enough. But there she was, hiding in the shadows like a common thief, or a damned voyeur. All because she wanted to watch him once more before the stress of their plan was in motion.
The fact...
Revulsion. Disgust. Bone weary exhaustion. As the body crumpled before her, those emotions rocked her body. She sucked a breath in through her teeth to settle her queasy stomach. Through her glazed vision, members of the water realm looked satisfied. Proud even at the decisions of their...
As everyone began filing out of the tent again, her eyes met Djac’s over their heads and she lifted her brows, conveying her wish to speak with him. At his imperceptible nod, she turned to Goran, who remained at her side, a tic working his jaw.
Ann released a breath. ‘Here we go…’ Turning, she...
The waves rushed over her trousered leg, spraying up her body with a cooling mist that drenched her. But she didn’t care in that moment. The heat had become unbearable, and she had clawed at her leathers as she ran like a coward after leaving Djac in the tent, desperation to shed herself of the...
She had slept most of the way back. Held firmly in Goran’s arms, he had mounted a horse and taken off back to IshFahar like the hounds of hell were after him. Stirring only when she felt the horse being pulled up and people’s voices growing, she cracked open her eyes, her lids widening as...
Ann walked in silence, leading one of the horses that Kasim had given the three of them.
“I’ll have more delivered to your camp as soon as I can.” He had promised.
It was a nice gesture. One that she hoped would go far in reaching a kind of trust between the two elemental realms.
“What are...
Ann stood at the helm of the ship, beside Ramos, speaking quietly before he nodded and she made her way down and towards the bow. After speaking extensively with her captain and Kasim, she had made the decision, albeit reluctantly, to dock and set up a temporary base on the southwest side of the...
Terra knelt before her, beside the ornate burial boat. Its shallow hull was filled with offerings to follow Nikolas, consort of Queen Terra, into the afterlife. Ann watched her stroke his hair, the now familiar numbness within her chest welcome at least, her emotions lying dormant beneath it...
She was cold. Still within the dredges of slumber, she curled into herself, but an incessant dripping caused her to crack open an eye. Her breath hung suspended in the air, frozen droplets that clouded her vision before she could make out the damp stone walls that surrounded her.
Disoriented...
She was grateful. Grateful that Djac had assisted in warming her freezing body, but his obvious irritation nettled her, though she didn’t understand why. Did he not have every right to be frustrated? She realized though, that if she was in his shoes, and had been caught up in this, she might be...
Annalise sat where she had landed. Her mind was a fog, her skin felt paper thin and sensitive to the currents around them. Swallowing, she crossed her arms around herself, realizing she had used all the stored power within her as she felt the burn within her throat. Aeolus's voice crept over...
Ann rose from her position in front of the tree and walked towards Boreas, a question in her eyes as she watched Djac stalk away.
"Djac?!" She called worriedly and started after him, but Boreas grabbed her arm, holding her rooted to the spot. Annalise whirled, her eyes narrowing. "Let...
She watched him leave, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from stopping him, the taste of copper filling her mouth. It was for the best. For all of them. Still…. Fingers lifted to touch her cheek and she stared down at the damp sheen showing upon the pads she pulled away. Tears?
“Boy...
Ann scanned the horizon, her brows furrowing as she noticed the foliage becoming more sparse the further they traveled. It had been four days since they had left Andelese. Four days since the banquet. Gloved hands tightened upon the reins. Four days since Djac had let her know he would be...
They stared at each other for a long moment. Ann wasn’t sure what to say, how to form the words to express what she had just experienced. She felt the hollow grief even now, and a strange aching deep within her womb.
‘Here.’ She heard Djac’s quiet voice and her eyes lowered to see him...