Novels by lysiaspepplejustina

~ Caelum ~My side was a mess of raw heat and wet cloth. Every step felt like a serrated blade was dragging across my ribs, but I didn't let the sound of my teeth grinding escape. I looked at the dark red stain spreading over my tunic, then at Zara.She was staring at the spot where the earth had swallowed my father. Her hands were shaking so hard the dagger’s glow cast jumping purple shadows against the trees."Move," I rasped. I reached out and grabbed her shoulder, the touch sending a jolt of that same bruised energy through my palm. "The fissure won't keep him down. He’s a King. He’s crawled out of graves deeper than that one."Zara finally looked at me. Her eyes were wide, the pupils blown out until the amber was just a thin ring. "You're bleeding. Caelum, the spear—I saw it go through you.""I’m still standing," I said. It was a lie. My vision was starting to tunnel, the edges of the forest blurring into a grey haze. I forced my legs to move, dragging my weight toward the tree l

~ Zara ~The first howl ripped through the trees before we reached the creek. It wasn't a warning, it was a call to the kill."They're coming," Reid panted. He tripped over a protruding root and went down hard, his palms slapping the mud. "Zara, my legs—I can’t keep this up."I grabbed the back of his stolen tunic and hauled him up. "You’ll keep moving or you’ll be the first thing they tear apart. The Bloodthorns don't leave survivors."The forest was a blur of skeletal branches and shifting shadows. The red moon sat heavy in the sky, staining the world the color of a fresh wound. I didn’t have to look back to know the guards were already at the tree line. The King would have found the empty cell by now. He’d have seen Silas, or what was left of him, and he’d have realized the Prince’s coin was gone.A second howl sounded, closer this time. To the left. They were flanking us."The creek," I said, pointing toward the sound of rushing water. "If we hit the water, it might mask our scent

~ Zara ~He turned and walked toward the stairs, and I followed him. He climbed the spiral staircase to his quarters, and I stayed ten paces behind him. He entered his room and I followed, slipping through the door before he could lock it.He spun around and his hand went to his sword, but he stopped when he saw me."You're supposed to be in the cell," he said."The King is on his way there now," I said. "He knows you're lying.""I know he knows," Caelum said. "Why aren't you at the gate?""I couldn't leave Reid," I said. "And I wanted to hear the truth from you.""The truth is that you're going to get caught if you stay in this tower," Caelum said. "My father is doing a sweep of the quarters.""He's doing a sweep because of you," I said. "Why are you doing it, Caelum? Why didn't you just let Silas kill me?"Caelum walked to the window and looked out at the courtyard. "Because I killed you once, and I've spent three years seeing your face every time I close my eyes. I didn't think I

ZARA The torchlight hit the bars and I pressed my back against the stone, pulling Reid with me. "Move back," the guard ordered. He stopped in front of our cell and held the flame high, and the light cut across Reid’s face. The guard looked at the lock and then at us, and I kept my head down. "Two of you in here?" he asked. "The Prince ordered it," I said. "The Prince doesn't run the pits," the guard countered. "Tell him that when he comes back," I stated. The guard spat on the floor and moved to the next cell, and the sound of his boots faded as he walked down the hall. I waited until the light vanished before I moved. I dropped to my knees and searched the dirt until my fingers hit the metal of the key Caelum had thrown. "You have it?" Reid asked. "I have it," I said. "He's going to kill us, Zara," Reid whispered. "You think he's helping, but he's just putting us in a smaller box. He locked us in here with a body." I looked toward the shadows where Silas lay, and I could

~ Zara ~The iron key felt like a shard of ice against my thigh. I walked down the stone corridor, keeping my head low as I passed a pair of guards. They didn't look at me. To them, I was just another nameless boy carrying a tray of half-eaten bread.I reached the kitchens. The air was thick with the scent of roasted meat and the heat of the massive stone hearths. Dozens of servants moved in a blur, shouting over the clatter of pots and the barking of the head cook. None of them looked up as I slipped toward the back pantry.I found the heavy wooden door Caelum had described. It was tucked behind a stack of flour sacks, nearly invisible in the dim light. I pushed a sack aside and slid the key into the lock. It turned with a heavy click.I stepped inside and closed the door, plunging myself into darkness. I didn't have a torch, so I felt my way along the cold, damp stone walls. I followed the narrow tunnel for what felt like miles. My boots splashed through shallow puddles, the sound

~ Zara ~I dropped and hit the dirt behind the servant’s quarters. The impact jarred my legs, but I didn't stop."Guards!" Caelum shouted from the window above.I scrambled up and ducked behind a stack of wooden crates. Torches flickered near the stables as men started moving. I couldn't run for the main gate, and the open fields were too exposed. Caelum knew who I was now. He had seen my face, and he’d called me his mate. The word made my stomach turn."Check the ravine," Silas yelled to the scouts. "The boy jumped for the drop."I stayed low, pressing my back against the rough wood of the crates. Caelum was lying for me. He was sending his men to the canyon while I was still within his reach. I didn't believe he was helping me. He wanted to be the one to kill me this time.I moved through the shadows toward the rocks where I had left Reid."Reid!" I called out.Nothing moved. I reached the clearing between the boulders and saw the dirt was torn up. Heavy boot prints marked the mud,