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The serpent s blow “She is the one”

“No!” My father bellowed as an! Run!”

But I was frozen in place by their panic An ice sculpture atched two soldiers hold led in their are it into his heart He twitched and stiffened in their hold, a horrifying gurgling noise h his chest to spurt a thick, bloody fluid out of his mouth and down his chin My mother’s screaer-wielding soldier strolled towards her cruly over her hair They slid like leeches down to her throat and back up to her cheeks And then he twisted her head between his hands with a jerk that sent an echoing crack around my world

That’s when I felt the tug on my hand and remembered my brother With a thousand screaan to run, dragging him with me into the cover of the fields,in my ears I drowned out the sounds ofcries of my brother as I practically hauled hi behind us that made me race harder

When the thundering eased, I knew I had lost them in the fields We were small and knew the land as well as we knew each tiny scar and line upon our pal up er sure ere alone At last we reached the cavein only a year before Bears, he had warned But now I feared the soldiers from the palace more than the bears; the soldiers anted htered my parents to have ht I reainst me in the dank cave, felt his tears soak my dress

“I’m sorry,” he had whispered

I wanted to tell hi, but I feared if I spoke allconsequences

“I didn’t mean to”

At that, I pressed hiht filtered over his face He looked so lost ain He clutched his trousers, turning away froan to cry I did not want him to be ashamed of his fear He was so little

“It’s okay,” I whispered and h ht I must have yelled - I don’t know - but I stumbled blindly after hirey A day that had once blazed in a beautiful fire of heat and life Noas gone And as aze found my brother, I realised even the last sparks of the e only the fire’s funeral shroud of smoke

My brother’s sed in blood fro back into its place on the soldier’s belt

The serpent stepped over my brother’s body and knelt before me

“Say goodbye to your faan A new one awaits you”

Chapter One

I ached I had never felt such pain before But I had never been on a horse for so long, nor trapped in the embrace of themy body as far fro ar me in order to hold the reins

I didn’t knohere ere It was dark and even ier here We had moved south I twisted my neck to look at Kir, who rode trapped between the Captain of the Guard and the reins of his horse, Destroyer Such a fitting nae behind me, Vikomt Syracen Stovia – one of the Glava – destroy my life, as well as Kir’s

The Kral was dead

Only Haydyn Dyzvati, Princezna of Phaedra, re those left with rare nty, until Haydyn cae and produced more children of the Dyzvati

Kir was one of the Glava, a telekinetic

“The Dyzvati power has waned,” Kir had whispered to uard not too far frohts after the murder of my family Kir had been with the Guard for a week The other soldiers ate and talked quietly around the cae of it The way he talks… as if the violence of his crin and the peace of Phaedra With blood and cruelty With selfish pursuit of the last of the e”

“But I’ether offside of the fire Strangers But the wiry boy, a few years my senior, shared the haunted look in my eyes They had destroyed his family too

Kir had shrugged “You must be”

But I wasn’t Was I?

I caught Kir’s eyes now, as we e His face was taut, his eyes narrowed So

The horses drew to a stop, not even a snort, so obedient to their h me at the feel of Stovia’s hand in my hair

“Now, little one,” he whispered in ic of yours works”

I shifted away froic”

He chuckled “You’re one of the Azyl, child”

One of the Azyl? No He was mistaken

“I’m not” I looked to Kir for help He could only look on

With a growl, Stovia disently ripped round and he was shakingback in !” He hissed, seeo of me and I stumbled He lowered his body so his austere face was level with h e is one of the Dravilec I want you to seek out my healer, Azyl Now”

At the co with tingling vibrancy A e And I could feel her The Dravilec Six years old Valena of Daeronia We were in Daeronia Thought so We were growing closer to Sabithia To Silvera To the Princezna