The sun was blindingly bright overhead, and the air felt intensely hot. Alec’s eyes were still squinted closed, but he was aware of many bright colors around him. The buildings on the far side of the street were painted in extravagant hues, and the people around him mostly wore robes and billowin...
the man said when he had come quite close to Grange. Grange cocked his head to look at the man. His comment was random and irrelevant. Grange then suddenly jumped back, as he saw that there was a dark shadow, darker than the other shadows cast by the flickering torch streetlights – a dark shad...
He had put his foot down and refused to wear robes for the dance, but had insisted on wearing a uniform of the Palace Guard, to show his pride in how well they had regained and improved their capabilities. As early evening arrived, the city of Oyster Bay rose to a level of social energy unseen in...
At the end of the week, three occurrences raised everyone’s spirits. The weather broke in their favor, with sunshine and air that was so warm the snow around them began to melt day after day. At the same time, their road began a consistent and noticeable tilt downward, which Kane reported was a...
“I can only guess – either it’s because our bodies are connected, and so the connection prevents you from changing into a tree,” he paused as he reflected on what could have happened had she converted to a tree while they were grafted together, “or maybe simply having my blood in your body stops ...
He remembered one boy whose reign as the oldest boy had only lasted for eight days, barely more than a week. The boy hadn’t even gotten to enjoy all his perks before he was forced to leave, and, even worse, he had suffered from an attitude that was mostly self-pity during the eight days he was t...
“We need to get out of here,” he told Caitlen. “That desk clerk may tell them that the Jag came back alone, and then they’ll want to talk to us again. Get dressed,” he told her as he picked up his own scruffy clothes and began to pull his pants on. He walked over to the window and opened it; the ...
she asked. “It’s the day after we left our hut,” Alec told her. He unwrapped his arms from around her and showed her the view of miles of beach that were welcoming an unending series of white waves. His heart was still racing and his mind remained focused on the horror of the scene they had lef...
one of Iasco’s guards spoke to Marco an hour later, as he stood at the rail and watched the last signs of land disappear upon the horizon.Marco followed the guard down to the sizable cabin that had been turned over to the small, striped woman.“Golden Hand, do you have any alchemy items that can i...
she said as they sat in the darkness. “It is morning,” Stillwater’s falsetto voice piped up. “The sunlight cannot yet reach us through the clouds and the shadows of the mountains.” “Let’s have a bite to eat, and then see if there’s enough light to ...
“We are in Gallop,” Alec said. “It’s the northernmost town I know that I can visit; I can’t travel to a place if I haven’t been there before,” he explained. “I’ve looked around Gallop a time or two.” Olivia took in a deep breath, and then exhaled. “That was frightening,...
the monster’s voice spoke in a raspy tone. “There will be no mercy this time.“Are you alone? Are there others here who will be able to witness the pain you’re about to suffer?” she asked as she lashed her tail free from the hardened rock that surrounded it.Marco stared in shock and consternatio...
He also found out he had quickly earned a nickname for the tournament, one that he picked up in his very first match. His opponent was an older man who fought bravely, but not for long, against Grange in a first round contest that only lasted two minutes. The crowd wasn’t...
“What’s wrong?” Marco asked. “Is there trouble?” “Look!” Kreewhite said breathlessly. He pointed at the island. Marco looked for several seconds, then suddenly realized what Kreewhite was staring at. The island was a small ...
a voice spoke melodically to him, soothing and low in its tone. “Kestrel dear, can you awaken?” the voice repeated moments later, a note of anxiousness almost evident below the surface. Kestrel inhaled deeply. He was lying on his back on a soft sur...
He had chosen that spot as the best place to stage his return to the land of Vincennes; the curative powers of the hot springs, along with the presence of the drayton’s agrimonia made it the location most likely to cure him of his disablement from the long trans-location jump. He tilted his head ...