Page 240 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
‘Your name.’
She frowned. ‘What about it?’
Lucifer’s pale lips curled slightly.
‘In the old tongue, the one once shared between witches and wyverians, your name, Mal, carries a rather unfortunate meaning.’ His white eyes sparked with quiet amusement. ‘It means something wrong. Something… evil.’
The smile widened as he watched the shock appear across her face.
‘How curious,’ he said, ‘that such a name would be chosen for you.’
Lucifer laughed.
‘Run back now.’
Mal spun around just as the frozen lake began to splinter.
The ice cracked violently, jagged fractures racing across its surface. Shards lifted upward like knives, sharp edges thrusting into the air as the frozen sheet shattered.
She ran.
Mal did not look back, nor did she listen to the echo of Lucifer’s laughter chasing her across the frozen expanse.
She was halfway across when the ice beneath her boots suddenly gave way.
With a sharp crack, the surface collapsed.
Mal plungedinto the dark, freezing depths below.
Everyone has always feared Hades.
No one seems to realise that the worst of them is his cousin. The Sun God.
He is the real danger.
Tabitha Wysteria
Dawn was glad to leave the city of Aruna behind.
It felt almost unreal that she now stood at the foot of the great mountain range where the dragons waited, their shadows shifting against the stone like living echoes. The air was cooler here, thinner, carrying the faint scent of ash and ancient fire.
She and Kai had arrived at first light to make their preparations, and now they lingered in restless anticipation, waiting for the others to join them.
Kai, however, had no patience for waiting.
He paced like a caged beast, huffing under his breath every few minutes, his agitation growing with each passing moment. It was clear he wanted nothing more than to leave this place behind as quickly as possible.
Dawn could hardly blame him.
She wanted the same.
The enormous doors carved into the mountainside—through which most travellers entered the city of Aruna—groaned as they began to open.
For a fleeting moment, Dawn half-expected King Siroc himself to appear. But it was not the king who emerged. Instead, his son stepped forward, flanked by Isla and Arena. The young prince wore simple desert garments, suited for travel, and his face shone with unmistakable excitement.
‘Your father?’ Kai asked as the prince came to a halt beside them, his gaze already drawn to the dragons.
‘He did not wish to see me off,’ Zaydan replied. ‘He is still… processing everything that has happened.’
