Shadow Queen (Gods & Dark Creatures Book 2)

Prologue

Hiraeth was burning in wild flames. Thick, black smoke absorbed the daylight. It hid the sun behind its dark veil. The tongues of fire reached towards the heavens like insatiable mouths, desiring to devour them. They colored the sky red. Amaya and Ciaran were running from the soldiers, who had orders to bring them to the new king of Deira, dead or alive.

"Run!" Ciaran grabbed Amaya's hand and dragged her through the burning city.

"I'm trying," Amaya snapped.

A long nightgown tangled under her legs. She was stepping on it. Ciaran stopped. He drew his dagger and cut it above her knees.

"Now try harder," he told her.

They ran through the burning city. The fire reached out to them as if tasting them before consuming them. Through the crackling of the fire, they heard the neighing of horses and the clatter of their hooves on the hot stone.

Their steps led them to the cliffs. They were driven there by their pursuers. The sea seemed to sympathize with the tragedy that was taking place there. Wild waves broke against the rocks. The loud roar of the water drowned out the surrounding world.

"We have to jump," said Ciaran.

"No." a frightened Amaya dismissed the possibility. "We'll shatter on the rocks."

"We have no choice," Ciaran urged.

Amaya panicked. "No. No. No." she repeated over and over.

Ciaran saw soldiers on horseback approaching them. They didn't have time. They will either jump or end up on the gallows and his brother will be happy to watch their heads get cut off. He grabbed her tightly by the shoulders and turned her towards him. He looked deep into her eyes, right into her soul.

"Trust me, Amaya," he told her.

Amaya nodded uncertainly. They must jump, she told herself. They have no choice.

They turned their backs on the city. They took a step to the edge of the cliff, two, three. They jumped.

The rough waters of the sea saved them from the sharp rocks. However, just as they were their saviors, they also became their enemies. They split them up. They were being pulled under the surface. As soon as they surfaced and took some air into their lungs, another wave came and pulled them back to the bottom.

"Amaya!" Ciaran struggled to find her. "Amaya!" he called her name into the void.

"Ciaran!" she called back, but her voice was drowned out by the waves.

He dived under the surface to find her. He saw how the sea currents were pulling her to the bottom. He swam to her. The water tried to separate them, but he didn't let himself be stopped. His hand found hers. He gripped her tightly around the wrist and pulled her to him. They emerged together. They were gasping for breath.

And in that, another wave caught them.

⸸

The sea washed them up on a distant beach. They were wet and tired. They lay down in the sand. They tried to catch their breath.

"Are you okay?" Ciaran asked her.

"I'm alive," Amaya replied.

Ciaran crawled over to her. He pushed her wet hair away from her face. A fine trickle of blood ran down the side of her face. She had a small gash on her forehead hidden behind her hairline.

"You're hurt," he remarked.

"Did you see yourself?" Amaya raised one eyebrow.

His white shirt was torn and bloody. Scratches, both harmless and deep, shone through the torn fabric.

"It's nothing," he said.

" Not even this." she pointed to the wound on her forehead.

Ciaran stood up and offered Amaya a hand. "We have to go. They will be looking for us and they won't stop until they find us," he said.

"In that case, we cannot stay in Deira any longer," said Amaya.

"And where do you want to go?" asked Ciaran.

"To the north," she answered. "There are many passages to the shadows, and your brother's army cannot go there."