All Chapters of Fire's Determination: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

I stared down at the names on the scroll in front of me: Twenty-seven. Almost thirty more of us gone—dead and abducted. Twelve had been found dead at the site, while the other fifteen were unknown—either captured or killed. Without bodies, we had no way of knowing.I rubbed at my eyes, the weariness of the past few weeks weighing on me heavier with this grim news. Standing up, I pushed the chair back, and my mother's eyes moved to meet mine. She looked as tired as I felt, but there was a determination in her gaze that I admired. "Your father and I can take care of this. Go and get some rest, Lyra. I'll send word if any more news reaches us."I nodded mutely, not trusting myself to speak. It had been weeks since I had gotten a good night's sleep, and I knew tonight would be no better. Those names, their faces... they'd haunt me along with my past. The halls of the Villa were quiet as I trudged down them. I couldn't think of a way out of this. Every time we tried to make a move for our

I stood on the balcony of the Southern edge of the Villa, my hands resting on an intricately carved banister. The wood slid smoothly across my palms as I comforted myself with its familiar surface. I had just arrived a few minutes ago, having sent one of the other mages to fetch my mother while the wind I was heating up whipped through my hair."Lyra," my mother greeted, and I turned my head to the side, offering Sylvren, the Queen Mage a nod and a small smile. The events of last night still lingered in her eyes, and my heart clenched."Good morning, Mother," I replied softly. The Queen Mage came to stand beside me, joining me in looking out over the expanse of swirling mist that separated Keystone Island from the mainland."I've received a reply from the kingdom of Scepterfall," my mother began, getting straight to business as always. There was no need for small talk whenever Sylvren Belle was involved. "Kingdom?" I asked, shooting her a glance. "I didn't even know that you had reach

The small island that we mages called home floated in the middle of a giant crater that held nothing but water below. It was connected to the mainland by a single land bridge that was just big enough for three horses to walk side by side comfortably. There weren't many people that dared to bring a wagon over it. I had lived my entire life in this magical place. Our ancestors, while trying to avoid persecution, were searching for a way to keep their people safe. They had found this small chunk of land in the bottom of the chasm and lifted the little haven up and held it there with some of the most powerful magic ever wielded. Magic that was long ago lost to the mages of our time. By doing this, they'd effectively made an impenetrable stronghold for their people to find refuge from the prejudices of their time. I reflected for a moment how I was similarly working on a way to free my people from the oppression that after centuries of peace had resurfaced over the past few decades. O

"Lyra!" My father hissed behind me, thundering through the trees on my heels. Branches whipped past, stinging my cheeks and bare arms whenever I failed to block them. "We need to save her, dad." I shot back, my voice a tense whisper. "We can't lose another one," I said, feeling panicky. The thought of losing even a single life was too much to bear. I pushed my legs to move faster. We paused, straining to hear Carmella's call for help again. "Carm?" I asked tentatively, keeping my voice just above a whisper to avoid alerting the nearby humans. I prayed silently that we'd find her before they did. "Help!" Another scream echoed through the trees, still distant enough that I knew she hadn't heard me. "I don't think she knows a hunting party is nearby," my father said, urgency in his tone as we took off again. I nodded, saving my breath for running. When we broke into the clearing, I felt my blood freeze, despite having my fire magic pulled forward and ready to use. Carmella dangl

I gasped and sat bolt upright, my eyes darting around frantically, trying to figure out where I was. Ellis swam into view, relief and awe written on her face. Then I felt it—dark tethers, invisible to anyone but me, extended outwards, connecting me to every nearby life force. I looked up into Ellis's face, feeling her life force pulsing in front of me, alongside the throbbing energies of the others nearby. One of them was so weak already... I flinched, pulling back the magic and slamming it deep inside me. As soon as I did, Ellis took a deep breath as though she suddenly felt better. She shook her head in confusion, as if she had felt the shift, but offered me a small smile. "You know, a normal mage would've been out cold for days," she mused, pressing the back of her palm to my forehead. I waved her off, watching her face closely for signs of suspicion or doubt. "How long was I out?" I asked, throwing the blanket off and ignoring Ellis's attempts to get me to lie back down. I c