Rakia's POV
Clifford's grip tightened on my arm.
"No way, Voight!" Richard unsheathed his sword. "We saw her first."
"Finders keepers doesn't work here, pal!" The huge man bellowed. "Now hand her over!"
Sensing a fight, the other men stood, grabbing their weapons.
My eyes did a quick scan of the place in search of something I could do. Apart from the beer bottles, I considered using as weapons, nothing else was suitable. Behind us sat three huge tankers with taps on the front. Close by, a drunken man staggered to the side, holding a huge axe. Suddenly, an idea clicked in my head.
Without wasting a second, I yanked my arm out of Clifford's tight grip and tackled the drunk man to the wooden floor.
Clifford's POVWe hid behind the trees and bushes.Hartland and Midland warriors stood in front of our house. A couple of them rummaged inside. My little sister's shouts for help made my heart clench, but I couldn't ran to her aid.Voight crossed my line of view. Even with a swollen nose and an arm wrapped in gray bandages, the huge man moved around like he wasn't even hurt. He must really want that bounty.The mention of bounty brought someone else to my mind and I frowned. I couldn't believe she was that selfish enough to leave us hanging after everything we did for her. And to think I was starting to like her. I shook my head. We should never have rescued her in the woods that morning.The bush beside my rustled. "So what's t
Clifford's POVSloan took a step back, suddenly tightening his arm round my neck. He probably felt threatened by the bright pair of blue eyes staring at us.They weren't scary or frightening. But the fact that none of us had seen anything like it, made our skins crawl."I thought you said she didn't have powers!" Voight sniped at Sloan. He held Richard tight against his chest."She's not supposed to," Sloan hissed back. "But don't worry. Without water, she's harmless."Just when he finished that sentence, a loud gurgling sound came from the water tower behind the stables."Famous last words," I smirked and Sloan growled an insult in my ear."Men!" he called out. "Gr
Adrian's POV Today was supposed to be my coronation.Today, I was supposed to be crowned King of Hartland.Today, I was supposed to make my father proud.Instead, I was here knocking this dummy out, all because of that foolish girl!My water tentacle came down, slicing the white stuffed dummy in two halves.Sweat mixed with the drops of water on my body. I heaved out a breath, tired from pushing myself to train when my body screamed exhaustion. But it this was the only way I could vent out my frustration.The dojo doors creaked open and Mother gracefully let herself in. A crystal crown glittered in her blond curls, matching with one of her finest gowns. She'd probably just returned from o
Before Adrian's attack. Rakia's POV "Hey guys!" I hurried back to our small campsite. "Look, I found blackberries!" "What?" Richard turned to me, right after fixing the tea kettle above the fire. "I can't remember the last time I tasted those fruits." "Me neither," I chuckled, settling down next to Luca. "When we were kids, Riley and I used to pluck them anytime we went fishing with our fathers." "Who's Riley?" Richard asked. "Your brother?" "No, but I wish he was," I replied, smiling at the image of my friend in my head. "Riley is my best friend. We've known each other like... forever. We basically grew up together." "Huh, th
Adrian's POV I could feel death lurking around the corners, waiting for me to send Araknee to him. One last squeeze and Hartland will be mine. Tightening my prey in my water snake's hold, the sight of her writhing in pain brought a smile of satisfaction to my face. So long, Lost Princess! With a quick motion, I squeezed out the last bit of life in her. Her lifeless body slouched forward, indicating my victory. The small room in the temple filled up with applause. The council members stared in awe at the wonder I'd performed right before their eyes. The three wizards stood in their corner, clapping. "Thank you, gentlemen." I basked in my triumph. Finally! The assurance and satisfaction I needed ran through my veins. The throne was mine and mine alone. T
Adrian's POV Paow! Mother's slap stung my left cheek. "H-how could you!" she screamed. "The only person you were to kill was Araknee! Not Whitlock!" "He called me weak, Mother!" "So what?" She yelled in my face. "You should have ignored him! Oh heavenly Creator." Mother ran a hand over her face as she paced back and forth. "We can't let your father know about this. He will definitely disown you! He already doesn't acknowledge you as his son." "Well that part isn't my fault," I murmured but she must've heard what I said because... Paow! Another slap landed on my right cheek and my entire face burned. My hands curled into fists, resisti
Rakia's POVHermon was a town in the Eastern Midlands named after a great healer who cured the entire town of a dreaded skin disease that killed millions of people in the 1800s.That was what Richard told me, a few hours before we got to the town.It was buzzing with life, reminding me of market days back in Hartland. Traders displayed their goods and hawked everywhere. Fruits, vegetables, jewellery, clothes, hats, cooking utensils, farming tools, weapons, upholstery, pottery, ceramics, firewood, you name it. Everything was sold here. Little children loitered around the wooden stalls and tents as traders called for customers to purchase their wares."Is this place always like this?" I asked."Yeah. It's the biggest trading town in the Midlands,"
Rakia's POV "Here we are!" Marion chimed, as soon as the carriage pulled up in front of a huge three storey wooden house. I guess she wasn't lying when she said her father was rich. We followed her into the house, meeting her parents and two other siblings. Marion's plump mother was beyond overjoyed to see Clifford and Richard again. She trapped them each in warm hugs that nearly suffocated them. I caught Marion and her siblings stealing glances at the boys and whispering. It wasn't long before they climbed upstairs, giggling. Ignoring the jittery girls, I shook hands with her parents and thanked them for accepting to house us for tonight. Marion's mother brushed it off us nothing and invited us to their family dinner. We were asked to wash our hands, after which we settled at the table with me, sandwiched in between Cli