A King's Caution Part One

Middle   In the two months since the battle against Teron’s forces on a nearby beach, protectin...

Raimie   The winter months were over, and I was glad for it, even with how much we'd needed the...

Raimie   As I approached the gate, I once more took note of how empty this fort had been. Even ...

Rhylix   To my great surprise, Nessaira had made tracking her a challenge. Not difficult! I’d s...

Raimie   Rhylix looked ready to leave. With his hand on my shoulder, he said, “I’ll bring you ...

Raimie   At Oswin’s prompting, four people joined us at the tower’s top, and Oswin was right. I...

Raimie Eventually, the two of us found the tower’s cell block, and spying Rhylix up ahead, I m...

Rhylix   As I ran out of the tower, the scene I’d left behind kept playing out in my mind, most...

Rhylix   Slowly, I pieced together what had happened to me. I’d died—obviously—and slipped into...

Rhylix   I started with my cursed height. To this point, I’d never bothered with correcting tha...

Raimie   The great stone doors of Tiro cracked open loudly in the forest’s quiet, and on seeing...

Raimie   I didn’t stop for any other pleasantries with my family. Storming through the door, I ...

Raimie   The world had taken on a slight haze. At my side, Ryvolim was happily chattering about...

Kylorian I watched Ren’s new ‘friend’ run after his companion with my head cocked and disquiet...

Kylorian   The route to the meeting point with my siblings was hidden and somewhat frustrating ...

Raimie   It had been a while since I’d been able to sit back, relax, and read, purely for my ow...

Raimie   Muttering a greeting, Kylorian joined me and Hadrion with a glass already in hand, and...

Little   After waiting in a small copse of woods near the Birthing Grounds for six hours, I’d s...

Little   Soon enough, the Overseer faced the Conscripted squad, which made me gulp. The man’s s...

Little   Later, I eased the barrack door shut behind me, backing away from it. Picking my way t...

Little   The hostile Eselan was much too close, so I stumbled backward until a wall halted my r...

Little   Fortunately for me, the Birthing Grounds seemed to follow a day-night cycle. As I daze...

Eledis   The role of the king is harsh and unforgiving. Impossible, even. Your subjects will al...

Eledis   “Where do I begin?” Raimie asked, looking incredibly lost. “How about with a target?”...

Eledis   As if the delay with Ryvolim had never occurred, Raimie said, “With Da’kul’s capture, ...

Eledis   When Tanwadur jerked his eyes to me, I realized that not only had the protest I’d mean...

Thumb This line was advancing at a ridiculously slow pace, one that was clearly wearing on the...

Thumb   No matter how hard I tried, my mind wouldn’t go empty, as I’d like. My thoughts kept re...

Thumb   My next opponent—a stout man, madly smiling—stopped opposite me, and on inspecting him,...

Raimie   We were halfway through the third day of our journey to the Birthing Grounds when Oswi...

Ryvolim   I was in the middle of a pleasant conversation with one of Sanc’s farmers, gradually ...

Raimie   By the time dinner rolled around, I was exhausted in a way I hadn’t been for a long ti...

Ryvolim   And so, I found myself here once more. Standing on the fringe of the forest that sep...

Ryvolim Near where the Daevetch bolt had cracked a cave wall, Kylorian had already straightene...

Raimie Focusing in this place was impossible. With every step I took, I struggled to break fre...

Raimie   Thank Alouin for no further surprises. In the house at the middle of the Birthing Grou...

Raimie   My other half spun toward the noise, stumbling to a stop as soon as he had. At the fr...

My darling, I’m writing to you from Auden, the last stop on my tour of the human kingdoms, and a...

Heir to the Audish Throne Today is a special day. Today, my father spent the morning with me. ...

Heir to the Audish Throne   6th of Fifth, 3461 Recently, I’ve learned that this is the proper ...

Raimie   Securing the Birthing Grounds and returning humanity to the Kiraak had become welcome ...

Raimie   Should I sit beside Hadrion? Should I let this roiling pot of grief and guilt in my gu...

Kylorian   My brother is dead. For perhaps the millionth time, I cast that thought out into th...

Kylorian   I kept going until I reached a dense line of familiar trees. This was what finally s...

Kylorian   Leading the horse closer to the center of the clearing, I dropped her reins and than...

Raimie As Nylion fuzzed over, I started asking, What are you talking—" “—about?” I sleepily f...

Raimie   Turning on Oswin, Queen Kaedesa grinned at him with an almost feral edge to it. “Midd...

Raimie “That was stupid,” Nylion said. With his hands on his hips, he leaned over me, smirkin...

Eledis Caution is an incredible asset in a monarch’s arsenal, but when situations call for dec...

Raimie “Somebody help me restrain him!” With Oswin’s voice roaring through the black of my dr...

Raimie   Daira’s streets race beneath my feet as I flee from my pursuer. Beyond, Nylion urges m...

Raimie   The five days after the return of my memories followed in an unchanging sequence. Ever...

Raimie   In the room's threshold, Ren braced one hand against the doorframe while the other kep...

Eledis   “Laest one fur evening, uld man,” Sigemond told me. His peculiar accent always made i...

Raimie   Pins and needles were running rampant over my leg, but still, I wouldn’t shift Ren off...

Raimie   How could Ren do this? It made no logical sense for her to say she loved me and then, ...

Ryvolim   Raimie had left for Tiro without me. My friend had promised to stay out of trouble fo...

Raimie   I was getting extremely annoyed by how long it was taking to find my father. I’d expec...

Ryvolim The view while balancing atop Tiro’s concealing lattice was, as always, terrifying, mu...

Pointer   Nudging his companion, the plate-mail clad Kiraak ahead of me jerked his chin in my d...

Pointer   The pit’s holding pens were filthier than I’d imagined, and the smell was horrendous,...

Pointer   A big man stopped opposite me, exactly as every other opponent had, and when he met m...

Ryvolim   As usual, Sigemond’s tavern was noisy and packed, strongly smelling of alcohol and ot...

Ryvolim   Seemingly finished with me, Bright craned their head toward their human. “Crisis sol...

Kylorian   Raimie and his army had left Tiro a day or so ago, almost as soon as his people had ...

Kylorian   Unfortunately, turning to their own grief was a luxury only Eliade and Ren could aff...

Eledis When I’d learned about the order to leave Tiro, I’d been irate. Why hadn’t Raimie consu...

Raimie   I didn’t want to catch up with Kaedesa right now. I’d much rather head into the wilds,...

Doldimar Waking to the horror of my life, screaming alongside my mind with my throat a blazing...

My darling, I’ve safely delivered our beloved Illasaya into the hands of the Audish royal family...

Eledis You know the old adage, ‘Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’? Bullshit! Always inspec...

Ryvolim   “What is this?” Eledis asked behind me. Ignoring him, I irritably hummed to myself. ...

Ryvolim, Eledis   Ryvolim Raimie had been right about our pacing. Soon, we turned a corner, an...

Heir to the Audish Throne   25th of First, 3467 I met my betrothed today. She was accompanied ...