“How much further?” I ask Levi as I hop over a murky puddle. Thankfully, I had the presence of mind to wear work boots for this task. The...

The cozy living room was bathed in the warm glow of a single lamp, casting shadows that danced on the walls. Near the window,...

I’m little more than a silent observer in the tumultuous world of Elpis. My life is a shadow cast upon the poorest borough of this...

I wake up to the monotonous buzz of my alarm clock, groaning as I squint at the offensive brightness streaming in through the blinds....

The ground beneath me solidifies with each step, creating a path over the sunken forest ruins where the Haven once hid. Trees with...

Everything has changed. I don’t like change. Especially when it comes with so much attention. Drake reclines back on his bed in his...

The world around me slows as I digest the news. Heaviness in my chest threatens to drag me under. My eyes burn and my vision blurs. I...

I race down the mountain, leaping over boulders and fallen aspen trees, catching my balance when I slip in the snow. My team follows,...

Joyce clutched her tablet in her hands, pressing the edge into her lap as she waited for her meeting. If this failed, she risked losing...

The room is white from the tiled floors to the seamless ceiling. Along one wall, a bay of mirrors casts the image of an unfamiliar girl...

The clean, crisp scent of earth and stone fills the small room I’ve been living in for what I can only assume to be days. I haven’t felt...

Hulunbuir Grasslands – Khorchin Territory – Spring 1462 “Disgraceful,” Lord Bolunai sneered, looming over Bayan who cowered on the floor...

Kherlen River Valley – Summer 1476 The summer sun burned hot and high in the sky. Not even the cool breeze blowing down off the Khentii...

Mongke Bulag – Spring 1470 Mandukhai paced the dais in the gathering tent, back and forth between copper fire pots, as she waited. News...

Mongke Bulag – Summer 1468 Mandukhai sat in Dust’s saddle on the hill to the east of Mongke Bulag, closed her eyes, and tilted her head...

Ongud Territory – Eastern Mongolia – Spring 1464 A warm breeze ruffled the hem of Mandukhai’s riding deel —a simple tunic wrap worn by...

Chapter 5 The Odds in Good Favor The palace of Vorovesti stood at the heart of Mordelic. Lord Aethan Starkling loved everything about the...

Chapter 4 Eyes of Sun-Kissed Amber Aslyn Kiernan, Crown Princess of Novavito, hated Emperor Oxon’s Arithian ambassador. Her dealings with...

Chapter 1 A Trail of Shadows Beneath the cloak of darkness, Bast Blackblade found liberation, his footsteps silent against the city’s...