Winter's War (Her Guardians series Book 4)(48)
Prologue
18 Years ago…
“Run faster,” the breathless voice of my mate’s best friend shouts to me as I rush through the cold woods of Scotland. The wind hits my face as snow brushes against my bare legs, but I can’t let it stop me. Not when everything lies on my child escaping Fray today.
“I can’t,” I say collapsing to the ground as pain rips through my stomach. I look down as blood coats the snow-covered ground by my feet. I’m not healing. I can’t do this anymore, it’s too late and I can feel the poison spreading through my body.
“Reni,” I whisper my companion’s name as she slides to her feet in front of me, my gaze goes to my new-born daughter that she holds in blankets close to her chest. Two hours, that’s all I had with her before they attacked us. It’s not enough.
“I will stay and fight to protect you, for him,” Reni says sharply, handing me my daughter, and I push her away gently.
“No, go. It’s too late, and I can’t out run them. I can distract them enough by closing the last fray-built portal,” I say quietly as Reni’s eyes widen in shock. If I close that portal, then there is no way for her and her army to follow us. They could go through one of the natural portals between our worlds, but she would lose her power slowly if she did. She wouldn’t risk that.
“Using any power now will kill you. My god died to keep you alive. You can’t do this to me,” she begs me in a whisper. I look around the snow-covered forest, remembering the autumn court and the brief happiness I felt there when I married the man I loved, and had my beautiful daughter.
“Something is wrong and neither of us are healers. Take her and keep her safe. Please?” I say, reaching to hold a hand against my sleeping child wrapped in her arms. I twirl a finger around the dark-red hair on her head, the same colour as mine and all the royal family before me. Her bright-green eyes open and watch me, but she doesn’t make a sound. She is so innocent for the world she has been born into. Reni looks down at me and then to my little baby she holds in her arms.
“I will do it for you, my queen. I will bring her up with my mate as our own. No one will know who she is,” Reni says, finally giving in, and I know her well enough to know she means every word. She may not be a full-blooded Fray, but she is family to me.
“Her name is Adelaide, after my mother,” I tell Reni gently, who nods.
“No one will know who she is, as long as you keep her away from anything Fray touched. She must never get her Fray powers,” I tell her, knowing that there is no way she can be taken back to Fray when I close the portal, but there are weapons here that have Fray magic, even some creatures that have passed through portals.
“You have my word. I’m sorry I can’t save you,” she says with tears running down her face. Everything starts going blurry as she stands, and offers me a hand to help me up. I stand shakily and look down once more at Adelaide before turning away, my heart breaking. I have to do this.
“They are coming, go,” I say, and she nods holding my daughter closer.
“I’m sorry,” she bows the best she can when holding a baby. My mind flashes back to the prophecy surrounding my child, and the Fray courts that have fallen to keep her safe. She has to be safe. I watch until I can’t see Reni anymore before walking back off into the woods. When I see the portal, a slightly purplish-clear shimmer that only Fray can see, I lift my hands. It only takes a second for my power to shoot purple bolts of lightning out of my hands. The portal cracks slowly, bit by bit until it explodes, and I go flying into the air. I close my eyes and think only of Adelaide, knowing she will be safe. Fate will not have my child.
Please keep reading for an excerpt from new author Paige Taylor’s new reverse harem book called Dark Moon…
Dark Moon
Prologue
I run towards my door, almost tripping over the welcome mat that sits outside the carved oak entrance. The sudden jarring of my body tearing open the healing cuts I have all over my body. My ribs burning as I grab the brass front door handle and fling the door open with as much force as I can.
My mind is scrambled in my panic. What do I do? What do I take? How long do I have left? Obviously not long enough to pack up all my belongings and get the hell out of here. I run through my minimalist living room, heading straight for my bedroom at the back of the house. I can feel my right eye closing over, narrowing my vision, my jaw not yet healed from the break jolting with every impact my feet make with the ground.
I run towards my bed, collapsing onto it, trying to grab my suitcases and duffle bags with my one good arm. Not that the arm is pain free, no, thanks to the broken ribs it’s almost as painful as the other arm that I’ve yet to reset at the elbow. Well no time like the present. I grab the wrist of my broken arm and jam it back into place, holding in the scream that is trying to force its way through my gritted teeth.
I take a second to rest from all the physical exertion, I need all the strength I have to get these fucking bags out from underneath the bed. The dizziness I get lifting the bags is killer, making the room tilt and swirl like I’m on a bad fucking rollercoaster. I try to stuff as many clothes into the two bags and one duffle as possible, I don’t have the space to take everything, I’m only going to be able to take what I can grab in a few armfuls. I stumble over to the bathroom and snatch my jewellery bag and throw it into whatever bag is closest.