Page 1 of Crown of Chaos

Chapter One

Unable to sleep, I turnedover in bed and groaned as my mind whirled with thoughts of the last few keeps we’d attacked. A worrisome feeling slithered through me, tightening like a vice around my heart, and I gave myself a minute to wonder what this place would have been like had Hecate never waged war against the realms. I fluffed my pillow, but the sense of weightlessness seized me.

Then I was standing, which had me yelping in shock as I glanced around for the culprit, or a reason someone had yanked me from my warm bed and dropped me into a frozen . . . graveyard? Scanning the bodies strewn everywhere, I grimaced. I mean, who didn’t desire to be plucked from their bed and plopped right into a field of dead bodies?

Ignoring the rocks that bit into the soles of my feet and the chilled air that forced me to rub my arms, I decided the remains were the ruins of what appeared to be a town, nestled at the bottom of a sprawling, massive palace. I moved onward, hesitantly taking a ruined staircase down to a trail, which cut an overgrown line through the abandoned city.

There were no signs of activity in the shadows and buildings I passed, so I aimed my attention at the ruins spreading throughout the sweeping valley. Unease and the sensation of being watched caused my adrenaline to rocket through me, putting me on high-alert, minus Ember, who was snoring undisturbed within me. Of all the times she ignored what was unfolding outside of her Aria-cocoon, now wasn’t ideal. Her senses were far more advanced than mine, and she could smell a meal from a mile away. I quietly took in the beauty of the ruined houses and churches that were decrepit with moss coating the roofs.

Signs of a battle marred the houses and structures off in the distance. There were more remains here than had been at the bottom of the hill, as if this had been where the people had fled, trying to escape whatever had happened here. The corpses above had held no obvious signs of wounds, but these that rested on the edge of the city did.

An unsettling stillness filled the ruins as blood echoed in my ears, pounding relentlessly while I shuffled barefoot over the gravel walkway. Everywhere I looked, there were skeletal remains scattered on the ground, charred and blackened as if they’d tasted flames during death. I ignored the chill on my feet and how the wind screamed through the narrow cliff walls that protected the city. But the shrill cry that echoed through the ruins and sounded as if it were slowly nearing demanded my focus.

Sound sliced through the air, squealing directly above me, forcing my focus to lift. A gigantic serpent-type creature cut through the sky like shears through silk. The moonlight kissed its scales, bathing the enormous dragon in its soothing light. A gentle smile flitted over my face as alarm rushed through me.

“Dragons,” I murmured, afraid I’d disturb the scaled serpent sailing through the clouds with grace and beauty. I briefly wondered if I’d created the fantasy, or if someone else had brought it here to me. I’d discovered that I held the capability to transfer my image into dreams, but it was taxing to accomplish. This one seemed different, and I sensed I wasn’t alone here. I could feel eyes on my spine, and the state in which I’d been yanked into this place suggested this wasn’t by my design.

Hearing the noise of surging water, I hesitated at a substantial wooden bridge that was suspended between two cliffs. I glanced below, where a swift river glowed an eerie green, similar to the emerald orbs of the dragon. On the far side of the bridge there was a valley that led to a sprawling palace built in the mountains that would have been beautiful had it not been destroyed during the wars.

High on the cliff, a palace sparkled with crystals and clear quartz embedded in it from the base of the walls to the lofty, obsidian towers. Intricately carved bridges and walkways adorned the crystal mountainside, winding and intermingling as they led higher and closer to the top.

Massive gates sat closed, barring intruders, with colossal statues of dragons and phoenixes posed as if landing on either side of the enormous gates that opened deeper into the town. Their wings stretched out beautifully with graceful purpose, and their wide jaws were open to reveal sharp, serrated fangs.

The dragon landed on a perch, howling his displeasure at my presence in the ruins, causing everything within me to tighten with panic as I clenched my hands into fists. Still, I pushed on as if drawn into the ruins by an invisible thread. Wood creaked beneath my slight weight, whining from being weakened and weathered by time. Keeping my focus on the dragon, I inhaled the earthy scent of the wood mixing with moss that my steps displaced from the boards.

I lost my footing on the decaying bridge, and as I steadied myself, I caught a hint of freshly baked bread and meat from the direction of the castle. Yet, there wasn’t any life visible other than the sage plants, which added splashes of vibrant color to the dreary backdrop of muted grays. I gripped the ropes tightly and gradually walked farther across the bridge.

The wind howled, adding a foreboding sensation as my hair whipped against my cheek. Halfway to the other side, my foot slid and sent my body careening toward the edge. I tightened my grip on the ropes, and a thin cry broke from my chest. Fighting to catch my breath and calm the anxiety rushing through me, I closed my eyes.

Nausea churned in my stomach as I struggled to find purchase against the terror threatening to swallow my mind. A bright light exploded overhead, lighting against my eyelids and tempting them to open. Above me, there was a fiery creature flapping its wide, red-orange-and-blue wings. I was in awe as its feathers dropped toward the bridge, catching fire where they fell.

I forced my body to rise, knowing that I had to clear the wooden bridge before the flames took it into the river below. A fiery feather landed on my arm, and I cried out as I shook it off. Slowly, uncertain of why I sensed the need to do so, I kneeled to pick it up. Grasping the plume in my fingers, I lifted it to inspect. Holding it to my nose, I inhaled the faint whiff of bergamot and sage that smelled heavenly as I drank it into my lungs.

The phoenix squawked, rapidly flapping its wings and making the bridge swing wildly. I ran headlong, rushing deftly over the slippery, moss-covered planks. The moment I reached solid ground, I spun to scan the sky where the enormous, beautiful bird had been. It was empty, and if it weren’t for the feather I still held, which burned with mesmerizing flames, I would have thought I’d imagined it all.

Turning toward the passageway, I narrowed my gaze on a tall silver torch arranged on the battlement, which had probably lit the way of weary, tired travelers. Padding forward, I placed the plume onto the silver top, and the lantern whooshed to life. The fire leaped from brazier to brazier, spreading the golden flames and illuminating the buildings. Runes sparked to life everywhere the gentle glow of firelight touched, and a multitude of kaleidoscopic prisms exploded across the village, chasing away the darkness from the areas in which they lay. Forcing myself to continue, I strode down what would have been the main road. Cobblestone crunched beneath my feet, which no longer ached without shoes. Windows to the shops had melted and sat in murky pools beneath the sills. The structures looked sketchy, as if a strong breeze could render them to rubble. At the start of the walkway, I surveyed the massive gate that blocked entrance to the trail leading higher.

Rainbow prisms caught my eye, and I smirked at the way they danced over the surfaces and offered light into the dark, dreary abandoned ruins. Someone had exquisitely crafted the palace so the crystals reflected light, turning the structure and everything near it ethereal and dreamlike. I slid my concern to the castle, to where the phoenix had settled beside the dragon, and found them both watching my approach from their lofty perches. My heartbeat was the only noise breaking the silence as I stared at them.

I made my way to the gates, pausing at the torn and tattered banner discarded before them. On it was the emblem of the sun with a dragon and phoenix clutching onto it; their wings expanded as if they sought to seize the light.

“It is the symbol of our people,” a masculine voice whispered.

I whirled in a small circle, searching the shadows for the man who had spoken. Swallowing the urge to drop the banner and run away, I shivered from the cold biting my flesh.

“Do not fear me, for I wish you no harm, daughter,” the male promised, his voice brushing against me with a sensation of warmth and protection.

“Where am I?” I asked, knowing they had led here me for a reason.

“This is the Kingdom of Fire.”

“This is where we are from, Aria. The inferno blazing inside you came from this realm and proves you’re one of us. Few can withstand fire, but only those truly from this kingdom can wield it in both battle and in their bed.” He made a sound in his throat before covering his mouth with his palm. Tossing a curious glance toward where the sound of his voice came from, I wondered if he was privy to the knowledge that I’d almost burned down Knox’s bedroom and the tent we’d wrecked when I’d reached my heat. “This kingdom was once a glorious place that knew only peace until the gods locked Hecate within the realms. She destroyed our kingdom in her quest to rule the Nine Realms.”

The entire scene changed, becoming vibrant and bustling with people. The ghostly images of children laughing, and running after each other as people chuckled at their antics, appeared. Women hung clothes on lines to dry or rocked babes in their arms while chatting with others as they proceeded down the pathway.

The town was full of carts with sellers, peddling goods to those who passed. The enticing whiff of baked goods and cured meat caused my mouth to salivate at the thought of tasting their fares.

Above the village, the castle sparkled with vibrancy and color. The sun glinting off the palace produced vibrant prisms and heated the valley housing the kingdom. Dragons and phoenixes filled the skies above it, sailing through the air. They mingled above me, swooping and sliding between one another while they played. A pair dropped precariously low to the ground, gliding together. The closer they got, the faster my pulse thundered, but they lifted before they collided with me, chuffing as I gasped and twisted to follow them ascending into the sky once more.

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