From the Ashes

Danielle M. Orsino

Description

Queen Aurora and King Jarvok are finding that there is a thin line between love, hate, and Oblivion.

King Jarvok, leader of the Dark Fae, has his own point of view on the Court of Light’s Queen Aurora's plan for vengeance against the human monarch Queen Mary. The Dark Fae King pays Aurora a visit to deliver his critique. This leads to a knock-down drag-out fight between the two Fae monarchs. In a moment of desperation, King Jarvok utilizes a weapon no Fae has ever survived. Can Aurora? Will their kingdoms be thrust into another war? Both leaders refuse to bow even if it means certain Oblivion.

Or is there another option? Can the two find a deeper understanding from their past mistakes and pave a new future? Will these sworn enemies find common ground as long forgotten secrets crash into them? Is this political convenience or Fate? Are they destined to dance in the ashes of their kingdoms or rise above it?

Sujets

• Fantastique
• Romance fantastique
• Epic Fantasy
• Romance
• Romance Fantasy
• New Adult Romance
• Univers ado
• Imaginaire
• Fantasy
• Magic realism
• Young Adult Fiction
• Magical Realism

Informations

• Publié par: 4 Horsemen Publications, Inc.
• Date de parution: 20 janvier 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9781644504109
• Langue: English

Extrait

Table o f Contents
Dedication
Acknow ledgements
Prologue
Ch apter One:
Vapor
Ch apter Two:
The Last Tango
Chapt er Three:
From the Ashes
Chap ter Four:
First Impressions Are Only Skin Deep
Chap ter Five:
A New P erspective
Cha pter Six:
Nothing Ever Stays Buried, Not Even Und er the Sea
Chapt er Seven:
Sometimes it Takes a Mermaid
Chapt er Eight:
Al l My Stars
Chap ter Nine:
That’s How You Entert ain Guests
Cha pter Ten:
To Each His or Her Own
Chapte r Eleven:
A Ray of Dark in a Court of Light—T he Banquet
Chapte r Twelve:
Charmed, I Am Sure
Chapter Thirteen:
Parting is Such Sorrow, Especially the Way Jarv ok Does It
Chapter Fourteen:
The King’s N ew Clothes
Chapter Fifteen:
Have Fun Stormin’ Her Castle
Chapter Sixteen:
Fire, Acid, a nd Assault
Chapter Seventeen:
Fly By
Chapter Eighteen:
New Understandings and Perhaps Something Deeper...
Chapter Nineteen:
Bridges, Built and Broken
Chapte r Twenty:
Common Ground Makes for Strange Bedfellows
Chapter Tw enty-One:
Afterglow
Epilogue:
Dream a Li ttle Dream





From T he Ashes
Birth of the Fae: Vol 1 Book 3
Copyright © 2021 Danielle M. Orsino. All rights re served.


4 Horsemen Publicatio ns, Inc.
1497 Main St. S uite 169
Dunedin, FL 34698
4horsemenpublicat ions.com
info@4horsemenpublicat ions.com
Cover by Horsemen Publicatio ns, Inc.
Typesetti ng by MC
Editor S. L . Vargas
“Los” Dragon concept by: Danielle M . Orsino
Los Flying over the Forehelina Forest by: P andiiVan
Map is illustrated by Daniel Hasenbos–he goes by Dani els Maps
Photo : Julia Juliati
Makeup and Hair: Denise M. Apostle
Vapor Dragor Concept: Danielle M. O rsino
Vapor Dragor illustration: Pa ndiiVan
Power Angel Memorial:Lavalli on Arts
All rights to the work within are reserved to the author and publisher. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 International Copyright Act, without prior written permission except in brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Please contact either the Publisher or Author to gain per mission.
This book is meant as a reference guide. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. All brands, quotes, and cited work respectfully belong to the original rights holders and bear no affiliation to the authors or pu blisher.
Library of Congress Control Number: 20 21951150
Print ISBN: 978-1-644 50-411-6
Hardback ISBN: 978-1-644 50-535-9
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-644 50-410-9
Audio ISBN: 978-1-644 50-409-3



Dedication

Be open to love, creativity and all the universe has to offer, but more importantly be ready to give it back. You never know whose heart you w ill touch.




Acknow ledgements

PMD.
Carlos and Penelope: my hearts and the reason s I write.
Denise Apostle: Thank you for your creativity and f riendship.
Julia Juliati: Thank you for helping bring my Fae to life through your lens.
PandiiVan: The real mother of al l dragons.
Jamie: The Crys tal Queen.
CBS : My Yoda.
4 Horsemen: Thank you for allowing me to ride with you.
To all my Fae Friends: Thank you for spending your time in the Veil. These books are happening because of you. With each word I write, I take a piece of you with me into the Veil. Chaos be with you!


Prologue

“I could sit and watch these two for hours, but at the rate they are going, I don’t think it will last too long. The Court of Light’s queen put up a fight in the beginning— I find her adorable. This could have ended peacefully, but King Jarvok had to pick at the scab. The little queen was already upset over her mistake with Queen Mary; her ego kept her from handling the human monarch properly which led to the death of her Fire Bishop, Awynn. To be fair, he sacrificed himself to save the Dark Fae king and teach the little queen a lesson about compassion. What a waste. All that power, gone over a sill y emotion!
Though I did get to see Aurora’s vengeful side! I found her plan—making Mary give birth to nothing more than a swan feather—amusing. She needs to work on her speech. It was rather boring, just a reiteration of what she said to Mary’s father, King Henry. Jarvok felt her plan was worthy of a Dark Fae. I don’t believe Aurora liked the compliment; she is so sensitive. Some harsh words were exchanged, and so we find ourselves here. Aurora delivered the first blow, literally. She should have remembered the first rule of combat: don’t hit first; just hit th e hardest.
Now I sit and watch these two fight like children. It’s entertaining, especially as the Illuminasqua captain is involved. I like her; she has spunk and something else. I am enjoying the Vapor dragon, but then again, who doesn’t love a Vap or Dragon?
The Devil is in the details. I guess I truly am everywhere.”


Ch apter One:
Vapor

B oth Queen Aurora’s and Desdemona’s mouths dropped open in awe as their imminent demise materialized before them. The stench of charcoal, magma, and sulfur was overwhelming. Their eyes teared up, yet they could not risk closing them. What stood before them would haunt their nightmares for years to come if they survived. Perhaps throwing the Dark Fae king into a cyclone and almost killing him wasn’t exactly diplomatic and set this off. But he tried to kill the queen of the Court of Li ght first.
Dragor—the leader of the Draconian faction, a Fire-Breather and King Jarvok’s companion—stood on his hind legs to his full height of 25 feet. He brought his left front claw to his mouth, breathing a steady stream of fire onto it until it glowed red. Then, the dragon cut himself with the bright red claw from his throat to his stomach. The two Fae winced, disturbed by the self-mutilation. There was no blood or gore; the heat he generated cauterized the wound. Casually, the dragon used his long claws to dig into the vertical slice and pull it open, unaffected by the grotesque sound of tearing meat. The dragon’s rib cage cracked open, revealing a glimpse inside the beast’s chest cavity, including a beating orange heart encased in a crust of white magma. With each beat, it pulsed and smoldered like a hot coal.
Queen Aurora, numb with fear and awe, watched the dragon who did not appear to be in any pain. Desdemona glanced back at her queen, trying to keep the look of terror off her face.
“Suggestions, my queen?” Desdem ona asked.
It took Aurora a moment to find her voice. “Steady, my captain,” she replied, but even to Aurora her voice sounded unsure and wobbly as if the sound traveled up from her knees.
The dragon knelt down, the booming of his beating heart deafening as his chest cavity no longer muffled the sound of the six-chambered pump. Jarvok gave a mocking smile, maintaining eye contact with them as he backed into the Dragon’s chest cavity. The ribcage snapped shut on him like a Venus flytrap closing on its prey. Aurora let a startled scream escape her. Dragor took the same claw he had used to slice himself open and traced over his wound, sealing Jarvok inside of his body. The dragon took to his hind legs, standing at his full height once more, howling for a moment. Dragor’s body stretched another 100 feet while dissolving at the same time, his shoulders taking on a larger almost hulking musculature while his wings started to shrink, becoming as thin as gossamer, finally his legs were as thick as the crystal pillars of the palace, yet the dragon was leaving behind only an outline of smoke.
Desdemona rubbed her eyes. “I have never witnessed anything like this,” she whispered to her queen, daring not to look away from the wispy remains of Dragor hanging in the air. The dragon made of vapor blinked, and he had the same bright honey irises as the Dark Fae king. Desdemona gasped when, through the smoke, the silhouette of Jarvok suspended in Dragor’s chest became visible. When Jarvok raised his arms, the dragon’s wings unfurled. Jarvok and Dragor were of one body and one mind. The smoke dragon still maintained all the weight of a corporal body; the ground shook with each step.
“They have melded!!” Desdemona exclaimed.
With an explosion of wind, Aurora tried to make the vapor dragon dissipate, but nothing happened. Jarvok inhaled, and with it came the familiar sound of the clicking of the Fire-Breather’s back teeth. The two women scattered as a stream of flames narrowly mi ssed them.
Both Jarvok and Dragor smiled, Jarvok’s voice echoing through Dragor’s jaws. “You can’t win, Aurora. Give up. You may wield some power over the element of Air, but I have become Fir e itself.”
The creature stalked toward the Queen. Desdemona jumped in front of her, Elestial blade blazing, slicing and cutting into the vapor dragon; it did nothing to harm the beast.
Jarvok swatted at her with the dragon’s front claw, sending Desdemona careening across the terrace and into a wall, leaving a full bod y imprint.
Aurora gaped at the vapor dragon Why was I not made aware of Jarvok’s ability? Then, as if she had been trying to read words on a butterfly’s wings, the world finally slowed down, and the answer crystallized: no one has ever survived an encounter with him . The gravity of her situation took hold. Her knees quivered. She glanced at Desdemona’s sprawled