YA Fantasy
Release Date: 6/13/22
Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing
A bolt of lightning. And a dream of vengeance.
For wolf-demon Kari, these define her every waking moment. Her parents are dead, slaughtered by human hands, forcing their only daughter to masquerade among their killers to save her own skin. Now she dwells among them, hiding her lightning-based abilities and plotting a terrible revenge, believing her schemes are all she's good for now. But when she discovers unexpected solace among a group of humans who look past her monstrous nature, Kari finds herself questioning everything. Her mission. Her dreams. Even the hatred festering in her heart.
Is it possible for a creature like Kari to find happiness in a world that despises her?
Or will the specters of her past force her down the path of vengeance in the end?
Prologue
|
A |
woman and
man sat
on a couch
in Zina’s main room. The former was resplendent despite the plain, floor-length
silk dress draped over her muscular form. A curtain of moonlight silver hair
cascaded down her shoulders to her hips.
In contrast, the man
was rugged, bare-chested, with hair darker than the blackest night. Zina had no
clothes he could borrow; instead, he’d torn a table cloth and tied it around
his waist. While they dressed to conceal their natural nudity, they did not
attempt to hide their ears or tails, wolfish in appearance. The woman’s tail
was long enough that the furry tip poked out from the bottom of the dress.
They were the first
demons since Raven to enter Zina’s castle. If her mother were around to see
this—her eldest daughter consorting with demons—what would she say?
The two watched as
Zina took a seat in the cushy armchair across from them, back to the gently
cracking fireplace.
From the floor
beside the woman’s feet came a soft growl: a tawny young wolf was there, teeth
snagged on the woman’s—Zina’s—dress.
The woman lowered
her gaze, golden eyes narrowing. The wolf pup felt the glower and froze, then
released her jaw and laid down.
“Apologies.”
“It is alright,
Vymara. The dress is replaceable.”
“Can we get this
over with?” the man, Rannul, grunted.
Vymara laid a hand
on his knee. “Patience, bue.”
Zina clasped her
hands in her lap. “He’s right. The point of my inviting you here. Your
daughter. You said she—”
Rannul stood from
the couch and walked away. He stood at the edge of the room, back to them.
Vymara leaned toward
Zina. “It started as sparks. The day after she was born. She doesn’t seem to
control it...not yet.”
Zina recognized a
tension building over her shoulders. She shook herself and sat back. The change
in posture did nothing to dissuade the creeping discomfort. “It sounds like
magic.”
Rannul snorted.
Vymara shook her
head. “We have seen human magic. There is something different about this.”
“It’s unnatural,”
Rannul growled.
Vymara said nothing.
She leaned down to trace her fingers over the wolf pup’s ears.
Zina shifted, then
stood. “May I?”
Vymara nodded. Zina
stepped closer, kneeling when she neared the wolf. The pup bared her teeth in a
pitiful snarl. Zina extended a hand. The tips of her fingers shook.
“Show me, little
one.”
The pup snapped,
retreating.
Show me. Show me if the
words are true.
Zina kept reaching,
ignoring the wolf’s yapping. She backed up until her back hit the couch. Zina’s
fingers hovered closer, nearly touching her shiny, wet nose.
The space between
them charged with energy. Zina snatched her hand back as the pup snapped again;
this time, a series of yellow sparks scattered in the air.
Zina shot to her
feet, surprise raising her brows.
Vymara watched her.
Wariness dulled her gold eyes to bronze. “Well? We wanted your opinion. You,
the only human that treats us as more than demons.”
Zina was quick to
control of her expression. She exhaled, wiping away everything but mild
interest.
“There is a
possibility...for this to get out of control. However, I don’t believe the
concern will show itself for at least several years.”
Rannul spun. “What
concern?”
Zina looked down at
the wolf pup, mulling her words. “Just as with magic, there is a need for
control. Understanding the power, and how—when—to use it.”
Rannul stepped
closer. “Can’t you do something? Your magic is great. Can’t you...strip her of
this burden?”
Vymara shot a snarl
at him. “Rannul!”
Zina shook her head.
“You know this is not the same. If this power is at all tied to her soul, it is
out of my hands.”
Rannul threw his
hands up. “Then what do we do? Others will shun her. Shun us!”
“We have not shared
the company of others for many summers now,” Vymara snapped.
Rannul glared at
her.
Zina raised her
hands, placating. “There may be nothing I can do right now. She is too young to
learn any form of control, and I know you do not desire to live here—”
“I can smell that
holy lord from here,” Rannul seethed.
“—So, I have a
suggestion.”
Vymara’s ears
perked. “Tell us.”
Zina looked down at
the pup. “Seclusion. With no provocation, there should be no concern. And when
she grows to an appropriate age...bring her back. I will guide her.”
Rannul shifted his
weight. “How long?”
“Depends on the rate
of maturity. Ten years. Fifteen.”
“What if...” Vymara
frowned, dropping her gaze. “Mistakes happen, and humans are expanding their
grip on the land. What if...”
“Find the farthest
pocket of isolation you can.” Zina stood and walked to the bookshelf against
the wall. She grabbed a small chest and flipped it open. “Once you do, place
this on the ground.” She extracted a glass sphere the size of her palm. Starry
gas glittered within. “It will burst, alerting me to your location. If you need
to find me, you know where I’ll be.”
Vymara stood and
took the sphere in a long-clawed hand. As they touched, Zina laid her hand over
Vymara’s.
“Don’t fear for her.
This is unprecedented, but it is still all mystery. No one can truly know what
this power means or what it will do.”
Vymara offered a
rare smile. “Thank you, my friend.” She scooped up the wolf in one arm.
Rannul said nothing
more and simply followed Vymara. When the door shut behind them, Zina braced
her hands on the back of her chair and stared into the fireplace.
She was born. The
demon of wolf blood with the power of a storm. Though the sparks were nothing
like a storm now, Zina was not foolish enough to take this lightly.
The Catalyst had
come.
About the Author
Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love with everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was writing. By age ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape reality. When these stories became a full-length series, she considered the path to sharing with other children & children-at/heart looking for a place to call home.
Contact Links
Twitter @Valerie_Storm
Purchase Link
Thanks for the great excerpt. The book sounds fantastic. I love the cover!
ReplyDelete