Page 1 of Blooms of Darkness

Prologue

22 YEARS AGO

Blood spatter marred the walls of a quaint cottage in the dead of night.

The Fates demanded blood be spilled for a sacrifice yet to be discovered.

Agonizing screams of grief echoed off the stone walls and lingered, even after the vision faded.

This vision,thisvivid nightmare, promised to haunt Vivienne for the rest of her long Fae life.

She witnessed many dark occurrences, both in the past, and in futures still yet to come to this broken land.

As a Royal Seer it was expected.

Tonight, however, the vision shattered through her sleep and drew her from her bed, urging her outside of the palace walls. She grabbed her trusted mare from the stalls and raced toward the small village of Valeford, only a few hours away.

Lightning crashed across the sky with a fury Vivienne hadn’t witnessed in nearly a century. Something fated was turning, shifting. She prayed nature’s turmoil meant fate was falling into place andnotfalling out of alignment. Nature’s erratic response made it difficult to discern whether it supported Fate’s calling.

Thunder boomed seconds later, followed by another flash of lightning above, and her black spotted horse kicked onto its hind legs.

“Easy, girl,” Vivienne murmured. “Easy.”

Time wasn't on her side. If the wind and storm's ferociousness indicated nature's feelings, she had to get to the cottage now. Any further delay could mean not arriving at all.

Her horse raced with speed and grace, toward the quiet town the king’s sister had fled to only half a year ago to protect the babe.

The baby Vivienne had immediately sensed held no magic.

Regardless of her lack of magic, she was royalty. Something about tonight mattered to the Fates enough to jolt Vivienne from her sleep. The atrocity occurring around this baby riled nature.

Blood. Vivienne’s premonition, red with fury and blood, provided no clear picture of whose lifeblood spilled in the night. She prayed it wasn’t Illiana’s. Not the babe’s.

The small cottage finally appeared as Vivienne crested the hill to Valeford. Fae, filled with unnatural darkness, lurked at every corner. Each flash of lightning brightened their faces and illuminated their erratic movements. It appeared as if they were high on some sort of magic, an unnatural magic.

Lightning struck again and she heard screaming. The closer she drew to the cottage, the louder the screams sounded, breaking through the crash of thunder.

No,Vivienne thought.

She jumped off the horse, straight into a puddle beside a small garden. A coppery-scented wave struck her.

Blood. Lots of it.

She barreled through the door and found Elisabeth rocking the babe in her arms. The horrific sight of blood spatter along the walls led into the next room and drew Vivienne away from the crying healer and baby.

There on the floor lay the king’s sister and her husband, butchered. Vivienne’s hand flew to her mouth, but she steeled her heart, willing her body to remain in control so she wouldn’t heave the contents from her stomach.

They must flee this place.

And fast.

Despite the move from the palace, the safest place for the future heir required returning straightaway.

“Elisabeth,” Vivienne said, kneeling in front of the castle healer. Elisabeth was strong. She would help get them all home safely. Vivienne only needed to get through to her.

“Elisabeth, can you hear me?”

Shaking, Elisabeth still rocked baby Illiana in her arms as she slowly met Vivienne’s gaze and nodded.

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