by
The Valda-Cree lion has returned.
With it come new challenges to the mages and those who follow his hopes, who believe in the will of the Goddess Adhrer to a free and prosperous Kielbos. Doubters and allies will reveal themselves.
Duran is but one of the six mages who believes in the prophecy, the goddess, and Lord Morrow. As keep liaison, he works tirelessly to ensure a fledgling peace can grow in strength. With the introduction of the skin shifters to the keep, their outlook strengthens. One skin shifter in particular has caught Duran’s attention, though he’s not sure why now, or why this feline shifter.
But there is more at play that can affect their futures as Duran and the mages of the keep continue their journey to return the Valda-Cree lion, the true blessed royal line, to the throne. Questions and quests.
A crown missing for centuries.
The Blood Spawn army’s purpose.
And did someone say dragons?
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 4
Ending: Click here to reveal
Tropes: The Bargain, Fated Mates / Soul Mates, Hero and the Great Quest, Lost Heir
Word Count: 90800
Languages Available: English
Raucous levels of noise echoed and flowed through the keep and along hallways, penetrating into the crags and cracks of the keep walls like the reverberating boom of a spring thunderstorm. Duran frowned, burrowing into his bedding as he fought to cling to sleep. Why was it so loud? He rolled over in bed, determined to block out the annoying clamor. It refused to go away. If anything, it seemed to build, billowing ever louder now when he couldn’t avoid hearing it. The ability to fall asleep became even more evanescent as he caught onto the bawdy notes of the commotion bouncing all the way upstairs and drifting beneath their door. The voices of a lot of people. Odd clangs and clicks he couldn’t place. His brow furrowed as he listened. Was that a dog? It didn’t make sense. The keep was never fully quiet, but the jovial shouts and laughter coming from below weren’t normal either for the sun’s rise.
READ MOREThe keep at the beginning of the day more resembled a slow moving convoy, sluggish to gather strength. There truly weren’t enough people there yet to sound like an overrun city.
“What is going on out there?” Grayson grumped from his bed on the other side of their shared room. He yanked his blankets higher, determined to push the unwelcome din away. “The sun is barely up. Damn Rune and his early morning meditations.”
Duran snickered, nuzzling into his pillow. He knew what he was hearing wasn’t Rune. A timid mouse made more noise than Rune ever could if he were on his way out of the keep for his dawn meditation. Rune was an enigma to most, a fire mage of the higher Fifth circle who had been receiving visions regarding the perpetuation of their world. Visions of a young man who would be their next king.
If everything went even marginally in their favor.
So far, it had. But they hadn’t faced any hard challenges yet, either. He didn’t doubt their time would come. And unless he was wrong, Rune had actually spent the night in Jayce’s rooms last night. At least, he hoped that was where he’d been. It had taken the two of them long enough to figure out they were supposed to be together. Which meant it most certainly wouldn’t be him causing such a fuss at sunrise.
Duran, along with Rune and four more chosen mages, had traveled for several days as a group from the Windwise training temple to this abandoned and forgotten keep in the mountains with Jayce Morrow. They were now secluded in order to prepare for whatever the goddess would show them for their next directives. Jayce had been training, working on improving and increasing his magic, broadening his education of Kielbos, as well as the history of the crown and throne. It was an unbelievable challenge to undertake for someone who had no prior knowledge of their world or of his destiny. As the presumed next king, he had a lot of specifics to learn about their world: everything from etiquette to proper addresses, and then there was his magic. Duran didn’t doubt Jayce was King Bail’s missing son, but he knew it would take a worldwide belief to propel him as the long-lost prince to the throne, guided by the prophecy and Rune’s visions. It wouldn’t be an easy goal, but Jayce’s own actions gave Duran the confidence it was within reach.
Another clang from downstairs made him grind his teeth, and he tossed his blankets back. “Good luck on more sleep,” he groused. “I give up.”
Grayson snored, oblivious. Duran pursed his lips at his roommate in vexation. Of course, Grayson would be the one to sleep through a siege if he could. It truly wasn’t Grayson who was owed his ire, though. He didn’t doubt Ulcieh was already up, noise or no. Along with Rune, he was the other early riser of their group. Maybe Duran would be able to question him about the commotion from downstairs. Dressed in everyday trousers and a summer weight, linen tunic hanging past his hips, he finished with a waist belt snugged smartly. He sat on the edge of his bed to tug on boots before slipping out of their shared room. Apparently in time to see Brin walking out of Jayce’s chamber with a clouded expression.
“Brin!” he called in a whisper-shout.
Brin whirled, surprise turning into relief. “Oh! Good! You can help me calm that lot downstairs.”
“What’s going on?” He followed at his elbow as Brin marched down the hallway at a fast clip.
“I’m not sure. Ulcieh is downstairs now. There is an entourage from the Kinsi pride and several elders asking for admittance and an audience.”
Duran’s eyes goggled. “What? How? When did they arrive?”
“Less than an hour ago. Ulcieh made the decision for the clan leaders and their entourages but not more to enter the keep. It was a risk with us being so poorly armed.”
“You have to tell Jayce!” he hissed.
“I just did.” He stopped in his tracks and pulled Duran closer by a sleeve, ensuring they were alone enough in the hall with circumspect glances in both directions. “There’s more. There is a couple traveling with them, volpes. They claim to be his parents.”
Duran gaped with shock. “His parents? Volpes?” How? Before he could demand answers, Brin continued.
Brin nodded, pinching his sleeve tightly before releasing it. “I’m not sure what’s going on but we have to watch the coming hours closely.” There was a strong sense of expectation in the air. When Brin acknowledged it, Duran agreed. Something was changing today.
COLLAPSE
