THIRD BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF FANTASILIA SERIES
𝘈 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘈 𝘥𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘺. 𝘈 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳. 𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴.
Two sides of the same coin are brought to the light...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Xanthy's head snapped up as a groan escaped her lips. Her back throbbed with a kind of pain that gripped her whole body. What happened? Where was she?
Memories flashed in her mind like a searing metal scalding her scalp. The bridge. The Death Knight. Was she still in Lanteglos? Why was the ceiling so low?
Scant light shone through the metal grating of a window placed high up the wall nearest her. Other than that, it was dim. Dark, even. The window was small, about as tall as her hand. Xanthy blew a breath. Escaping through that was out of question.
Another groan escaped her lips as she sat up after having lain on her back for gods knew how long. Her neck pulsed with pain. Ugh. What did they hit her with? As soon as her head left the floor, her temples throbbed. Nausea rushed to her head, causing black spots to dance in her vision.
She raised a hand to cradle her pulsing head. Something clinked. Her wrists felt heavy. What—
Cuffs linked to each other circled her wrists. The chains snaked towards the wall behind her. Her feet were shackled as well. The rectangular room she was in could fit at least twenty fairies with the same build as her. Dust and dried blood mixed in an atrocious ambiance. Xanthy fought the urge to sneeze. She glanced down and blew a breath. At least they hadn't taken her clothes.
First things first. She needed to escape. Where's Canelis? Nyxis?
She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes. Listen. Distant cawing and the howl of the wind bursting through the narrow slits called windows were the only noises accompanying her.
Xanthy tugged at the chains one more time, the metal clinking against each other. She called for her magic, waiting for that rush of familiar warmth in her veins. Nothing came, not even a flicker. She tried again, and again. Nothing. She sank into herself, peering at the Virtakios. Something held it back from her reach.
What's with this place? Why did it have enough strength to even block the Virtakios?
The door swung open with a loud creak. Xanthy flinched as footsteps scratched against the cold, stone floor. Dark ocher contrasted with the sea of gray around Xanthy as the leather boots stopped by her. A reedy, masculine voice chuckled. "Having trouble with the spellsies, miss?"
A huge shadow blocked her view of the door. Xanthy raised her eyes to a towering fairy wearing a red coat and a black cap on his head. An Imperial soldier. The Imperial Insignia glinted from the guard's chest with enough menace.
His features twisted into a sneer that sent a chill up Xanthy's spine. From the look of his hard, green eyes, Xanthy's stomach turned. He wasn't to be pushed around.
She flinched when the soldier bent down and produced a set of keys from his belt. "The Imperial High Queen requests your presence," he unlocked the chains in her wrists. Good. She could jump at him. The soldier chuckled, stopping Xanthy's thoughts. "Before you think of trying anything, there's a ton of guards beyond this cell that could kill you in one snap. The Death Knight made sure of that. He seemed to know you well, if you ask me."
