Prolgue
“I wish I could be with you and Jack,” Becky said as
she adjusted the laptop’s camera. Skype was great in theory, but it required a
high speed internet connection and she didn’t have one.
When Monique laughed, it sounded garbled through the
speakers of the old laptop. “You just enjoy your cruise. You’re not missing
anything but snow and bad music.”
“There’s plenty of bad music to be had here.” Becky
felt a bitter sweet ache as her older sister moved out of the way of the
camera. In the background, she saw a huge, decorated Christmas tree, a mountain
of presents, and a two-year-old playing with colorful blocks in his playpen.
Becky went to the same paranormal university as
Monique, but was never as successful. She didn’t think she was as pretty,
smart, or powerful as her older sister. Whereas she was tentatively dating a
hyena shifter who was afraid of women, Monique married her childhood
sweetheart. The worst part of her envy was that she didn’t want a child; she
just didn’t want her sister to have one when she couldn’t. Despite that, Becky
did really love her sister and Jack. Jack’s father, on the other hand, needed
to be taught a lesson on how women should be treated.
“I’m going … get a … I’ll be right …” The video cut
out, working barely enough for Becky to understand why her sister stood up and
walked away.
Becky waited impatiently for a moment before picking
up her phone off the table next to her. At least there was one advantage to not
being very powerful; her magic didn’t interfere with cell phones. She played
Tetris and only looked up when Jack made a strange sound. He was standing in
his playpen, staring very hard at one of the presents.
Becky closed her game and opened an ebook. Jack
babbled something odd, causing Becky to look up again. Now there was a little
girl, about twelve with long, exaggeratedly blond hair and thick makeup. She
picked Jack up and brought him over to one of the presents, which was a
decorated box with the lid lying next to it.
The girl then stepped into the box. She somehow fit
inside completely, although there was no way the box was big enough for a baby
let them both. Then, as if pulled by a string, the lid lifted off of the floor
and resealed the box… which suddenly bowed in on itself. With each passing
second, the box was crumpling in on itself until it vanished altogether with a
small flash of light.
Becky was shaking and in shock as Monique returned a
moment later with a sandwich and a drink. “Was that a joke?” she asked.
“Huh?” Monique adjusted the camera. “I didn’t hear …
It’s brea … Hang on.” At that point, she realized it was too quiet, so she
turned to check on Jack. Seeing he was gone, she looked around the floor.
“Jack?”
“Monique!” Becky yelled.
Her sister either didn’t hear her or was ignoring
her. Monique ran out of the room, yelling for her baby. The call dropped.
Chapter 1
December 22, Tuesday
Christmas had always been a dismal affair for Dylan
Yatunus until one day, when he found a book on his lawn and his entire life
changed. He soon discovered that the book was the power source of Earth’s
magic, and the Guardian of it, Ronez, had recently been killed. Ronez’s twin
brother, Kiro Yatunus, found Dylan and introduced himself as Edward to appear
human.
Because he wasn’t human.
In fact, Ronez, Dylan’s father, wasn’t either. Dylan
was half sago, and it was his duty to take over the book and the responsibility
to protect Earth. He went with Edward to Duran, Edward’s home world, to be
trained in the necessary magic. To their mutual surprise, Dylan wasn’t exactly
a normal alien wizard; he had Iadnah powers.
The Iadnah were twelve ancient gods, each of which
ruled a particular world. Tiamat, the goddess of Earth, met Dylan as soon as he
arrived on Duran. Since she introduced herself as Divina, a harmless witch who
Edward had known for many years, Dylan didn’t
“I wish I could be with you and Jack,” Becky said as
she adjusted the laptop’s camera. Skype was great in theory, but it required a
high speed internet connection and she didn’t have one.
When Monique laughed, it sounded garbled through the
speakers of the old laptop. “You just enjoy your cruise. You’re not missing
anything but snow and bad music.”
“There’s plenty of bad music to be had here.” Becky
felt a bitter sweet ache as her older sister moved out of the way of the
camera. In the background, she saw a huge, decorated Christmas tree, a mountain
of presents, and a two-year-old playing with colorful blocks in his playpen.
Becky went to the same paranormal university as
Monique, but was never as successful. She didn’t think she was as pretty,
smart, or powerful as her older sister. Whereas she was tentatively dating a
hyena shifter who was afraid of women, Monique married her childhood
sweetheart. The worst part of her envy was that she didn’t want a child; she
just didn’t want her sister to have one when she couldn’t. Despite that, Becky
did really love her sister and Jack. Jack’s father, on the other hand, needed
to be taught a lesson on how women should be treated.
“I’m going … get a … I’ll be right …” The video cut
out, working barely enough for Becky to understand why her sister stood up and
walked away.
Becky waited impatiently for a moment before picking
up her phone off the table next to her. At least there was one advantage to not
being very powerful; her magic didn’t interfere with cell phones. She played
Tetris and only looked up when Jack made a strange sound. He was standing in
his playpen, staring very hard at one of the presents.
Becky closed her game and opened an ebook. Jack
babbled something odd, causing Becky to look up again. Now there was a little
girl, about twelve with long, exaggeratedly blond hair and thick makeup. She
picked Jack up and brought him over to one of the presents, which was a
decorated box with the lid lying next to it.
The girl then stepped into the box. She somehow fit
inside completely, although there was no way the box was big enough for a baby
let them both. Then, as if pulled by a string, the lid lifted off of the floor
and resealed the box… which suddenly bowed in on itself. With each passing
second, the box was crumpling in on itself until it vanished altogether with a
small flash of light.
Becky was shaking and in shock as Monique returned a
moment later with a sandwich and a drink. “Was that a joke?” she asked.
“Huh?” Monique adjusted the camera. “I didn’t hear …
It’s brea … Hang on.” At that point, she realized it was too quiet, so she
turned to check on Jack. Seeing he was gone, she looked around the floor.
“Jack?”
“Monique!” Becky yelled.
Her sister either didn’t hear her or was ignoring
her. Monique ran out of the room, yelling for her baby. The call dropped.
Chapter 1
December 22, Tuesday
Christmas had always been a dismal affair for Dylan
Yatunus until one day, when he found a book on his lawn and his entire life
changed. He soon discovered that the book was the power source of Earth’s
magic, and the Guardian of it, Ronez, had recently been killed. Ronez’s twin
brother, Kiro Yatunus, found Dylan and introduced himself as Edward to appear
human.
Because he wasn’t human.
In fact, Ronez, Dylan’s father, wasn’t either. Dylan
was half sago, and it was his duty to take over the book and the responsibility
to protect Earth. He went with Edward to Duran, Edward’s home world, to be
trained in the necessary magic. To their mutual surprise, Dylan wasn’t exactly
a normal alien wizard; he had Iadnah powers.
The Iadnah were twelve ancient gods, each of which
ruled a particular world. Tiamat, the goddess of Earth, met Dylan as soon as he
arrived on Duran. Since she introduced herself as Divina, a harmless witch who
Edward had known for many years, Dylan didn’t
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