The Dragon Rises Read online

  He frowned, wondering what this could possibly be about. There was no meeting scheduled tonight. “I am taking Prince Alberto to his rooms.”

  “The council needs to see him, my lord,” the soldier insisted. “You are to take him there at once.”

  Tinian sighed. He had expected pushback on this, of course. It was a bold move, taking a prince of Estala and sailing for home. He had known that he would need to persuade them that this was the only correct course of action.

  He had not guessed that he would need to do so tonight.

  So be it. He nodded to the soldier and detoured down another corridor. He glanced down at Alberto as they walked, noting the boy’s open, honest brown eyes. “We must speak to the council. But you will be able to rest soon.”

  Alberto only yawned in response, too young to care about being dignified.

  Despite the late hour, the council chambers were well-lit and packed with people. Tinian frowned as he made his way inside. Every councillor was here, and some he did not know, and….

  His family. His own family. And in his chair, a man wearing a mask. The masked man stood as Tinian entered, and dread seeped through his veins, ice-cold and slow.

  “The First Councillor has arrived,” the masked man said. “Come, Lord Tinian. Kneel before your Lord.”

  What was happening? Tinian looked desperately at the others and paid for his hesitation when a soldier struck him across the shoulders with a pike. He knelt, and Alberto knelt beside him, showing more good sense than Tinian had credited him with.

  “They arrived before you did,” Lord Ozda said. The Third Councillor’s voice was tight with hatred, but he spoke the words he needed to say. “Before you stands Anios reborn, Tinian. He rules Xantos now.”

  “Xantos is but the first of my conquests,” the Lord said. “And with my fleet returned—thank you, Lord Tinian—the rest will come quickly. Ah, Alberto. Come sit beside me, brother.”

  Tinian lifted his head and stared at the masked man in disbelief. Could this possibly be Prince Stefan? His manner was so different, and yet…

  The masked man did not look at him, however. He stroked Alberto’s brown hair, his eyes glittering through the openings in the dark mask.

  “It is late,” he told them. “But there is no time to waste. We begin our planning now.”

  ~ A Note from the Author ~

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  THE FINAL INSTALLMENT IN THE LAND OF FIRE AND ASH SERIES WILL BE COMING SOON!

  The Blemished series – Now in a bargain boxed set!

  A beautiful world comes at a price…

  The Blemished is a frightening take on a fractured future where the Genetic Enhancement Ministry have taken control of Britain. It will take you on a ride filled with adventure, romance and rebellion. Buy it here!

  The White Hart series – YA Fantasy

  In this magical, coming of age YA fantasy series, Mae Waylander is the craft-born. Born a lowly peasant girl, Mae has to come to terms with being the only person left in the world with the ability to use magic.

  Can Mae face her destiny, and rid the kingdom of Aegunlund from its oppressors? The complete series is available now!

  About the Author

  Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.

  Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, Apex Magazine, and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons.

  There are books aplenty, from YA fantasy to YA horror, so keep in touch for more information!

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