Graceling Po Novels & Stories

“Now, let her go.” Before I can react, Lilith pulls a small knife from the inside of her cloak and holds it against Grace’s neck. Tears rush down Grace’s face, but she doesn’t fight against her. “No!” I scream into the night, and I can feel the protective barrier behind me shatter into a million pieces as my emotions rage out of control. Rushing towards Lilith with my sword hoisted over my head I try to drive the sword into Lilith’s shoulder, but a gust of wind knocks me backwards and I fall to my knees. Just as I raise my head I see Lilith run the blade of the knife across Grace’s neck and Grace falls lifeless to the ground.

One by one, my belongings were cleared out of the master bedroom and dumped into the guest room. The pain in my knees was excruciating. I fainted several times, only to be splashed awake with cold water by the guards and forced to continue kneeling. The icy water soaked through my clothes, sending violent shivers through my body, but it was nothing compared to the freezing of my heart.

Grace reached forward and picked a card from the deck. Her fingers were steady, controlled. She flipped it over and read aloud, her voice calm but deliberate. "Choose one person and turn them on by any means necessary." Sophia rolled her eyes and thought, With you? We'll be here till dawn. She looked at Grace with mock pity, then smiled sweetly. "Did you miss the dress code, honey? The theme is leather with lace. What are you wearing?" Grace smiled. Slow. Wicked. She reached down, slid her hand under her silver gown, and pulled off her lace underwear in one smooth motion. Then she flung it directly at Mason's face.

No, there was something sharp in her presence, like a dagger hidden beneath silk. And then her gaze snapped toward Aria. “Aria, you foolish girl,” Gracie spat, her voice loud and venomous. “You think you can take my mate from me?” I stepped in front of Aria instinctively, but Gracie’s eyes were already glowing with unstable magic. Before I could react, she launched herself into the air, fueled by a dark burst of power, and flew toward us. “Gracie, stop!” I shouted, but she wasn’t listening.

Xyla asked Grace, who was now frozen on the door. “You… you can’t do this. You can’t fight magic,” Grace screamed at the top of her lungs, and I narrowed my eyes. “You are just lucky to have an ancient bloodline, Xyla. Don’t be so smug. You better not let them take a shape, or else you will never know how you die,” Grace screamed again and lunged inside, but the second painful scream made her cough blood. The second wave of gasps coming from everywhere made me look at the dining table, and my eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.

Liam was strumming a guitar, playing something quiet and folk-like. And Grace. Grace was nineteen. She was the youngest, the surprise, the miracle born after the war was supposedly over. She stood up. She was wearing a simple white dress, her dark hair loose around her shoulders. She held a glass of sparkling water. "One more toast," Grace said. Her voice was soft, but it carried the same quiet authority that Aria had developed over decades. "We're out of cider," Theo noted sleepily from his chair. "I don't need cider," Grace said. "I just need you to listen."

"Grace." Jocelyn gazed at her, pulling out her arrow with trembling hands. "We need to run from here," Grace whispered, preparing her sword. "On the count of three, shoot the one blocking our way, and run." Jocelyn nodded; meanwhile, the snakes hissed louder and crawled closer. "One." "Two." Grace tightened her grip on the sword, taking a deep breath. "Three!" Jocelyn's arrow flew, striking the snake standing in front of them right in the neck. This angered the other snakes to attack them.

Lilith and I begin to circle one another animals circling their prey. Without warning, Lilith throws another gust of wind in my direction throwing me back into one of the circles that is in flames. The flames lap at my skin but it does not burn. Each flame that touches my skin extinguishes immediately. Stepping from the circle I see the perfect opportunity to throw Lilith into the flames behind her. Raising my arms to blast her with air, Grace is suddenly at my side, and she rips my arms down causing my blast to hit the ground. Stumbling backwards, Grace is restrained by James. “You promised,” Grace cries as she struggles against James’s arms.

"Fredrico, why are you trying to make life difficult for me? You know I'd have to save up my allowance for a whole year without touching it at all if I were to pay for the cheapest of your clothes. Where do you expect me to get that kind of money from?" He burst out laughing, and everyone else joined him. "Why do you look so tamed right now? What happened to the fierce lady who poured trash on me earlier? Rita, just so you know, the clothes you just ruined are a custom-made order from bougie and classy and I had barely worn it for two hours"

“There are no cameras in here, and no one will save you.” “Come at me, I dare you.” I huff. It's enough, I will not be pushed around any longer. Grace stands up, her claws elongating as she walks towards me. “Get her Grace,” Natalie laughs. “We will drop a heavy bookshelf on her, and we will say it's an accident!” I back away until my back touches the first shelf. It's the one that holds the oldest set of books, and these books have been wrapped with heavy leather coverings, protected with metals.