calling them her ladies. It seemed the entire Sisterhood had become Morgana’s pet.
Pux had heard whispers at the Elmare Castle. There was a new King on Terra, a powerful King prophesied to rid the Lands of darkness. The elders of the merfolk gave him a sword, something enchanted from their land.
He used it to kill Morgana.
Pux stopped, taking a deep breath as he stepped into the meadow where Desaunius’s cottage lay. It was nothing but a mound of flowers now, and on top of it was a large tomb. Pux climbed the mound and stood beside it, brushing leaves off the glass casket. The King almost died in the battle against Morgana but Melianna brought him to Avristar with the Kiirar of the Shee. Collectively they used their magic to put him in a trance—a forever trance. Pux put his hand on the glass. He was nothing but a human, deep wrinkles set in his skin, whitish gray hair, full beard. His arms were crossed on his chest and he wore the finest red cloak. Pux tried to stave off the cascade of emotions festering within him but it was too hard.
One hero.
Kaliel destroyed everything and from the ashes of her destruction came one hero.
One in nine hundred years.
***
Chapter 8
The Not so New Guy at School
Maeva slung the black checkered backpack over her shoulder and slammed out the back door. Her sneakers clacked along the stones as she hummed along to the tune on her iPhone. She paused at the edge of her parent’s yard, tapping her foot in rhythm with the music, waiting for the song to end. She did this a lot, often starting a song while getting dressed or eating breakfast, and wanting to listen to it before strapping her iPhone in its waterproof case. Most of the other kids would walk to school with the music blaring in their ears, but unfortunately, Maeva had to be pragmatic about her electronics. Her dad was nice enough to get her the iPhone in the first place; she had to be nice enough not to drop it in the lake.
She glanced around the yard, taking in the big evergreen on the left, and the few trees on the right. The grass was salted with dry grainy leaves, some of them purplish, others orange. Nobody else really lived on Goat Island. They had a neighbor, but the yards weren’t defined like they were in Kenora with fences and property lines. It was sort of understood that where the house ended and the forest became too thick to walk through was where the line was.
The song ended as Scott came ricocheting out of the house, sliding his backpack over his shoulders and jogging to the pier. He was simultaneously trying to unscrew the lid off his PowerAde and Maeva turned; her eyes wide as he brushed past her and threw his backpack into his canoe. Hers was better but then she had to pay for it herself. Scott didn’t say anything as he took a long swig of the PowerAde and untied the canoe. He began cutting a quick path through the water.
Maeva found her feet and followed him, going through the same motions until she was dipping the paddle into the water in even successions. She switched sides with each stroke and regulated her breathing. She passed a small island on her left, Canniff Island, and stopped rowing. The canoe slid gracefully towards St. Mary Bay where the harbor was. The other annoying thing about Scott was that he was younger than her and didn’t have his license yet. His jock friends came to pick him up every day. Maeva didn’t relish the cat calls in her direction.
Scott tied up his canoe against their family’s dock just as she pulled up. He straightened when she approached and paused, throwing a smirk in her direction. Her stomach clenched in knots. She recognized that look, it was Scott’s classic I’m-going-to-play-a-trick-on-you look. She glowered.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said her voice raspy for early morning.
Scott smiled; the whole thing lighting up his face. “Morning to you, too.” He walked down the labyrinth of docks to the shoreline and Maeva shook her head, relieved
Pux had heard whispers at the Elmare Castle. There was a new King on Terra, a powerful King prophesied to rid the Lands of darkness. The elders of the merfolk gave him a sword, something enchanted from their land.
He used it to kill Morgana.
Pux stopped, taking a deep breath as he stepped into the meadow where Desaunius’s cottage lay. It was nothing but a mound of flowers now, and on top of it was a large tomb. Pux climbed the mound and stood beside it, brushing leaves off the glass casket. The King almost died in the battle against Morgana but Melianna brought him to Avristar with the Kiirar of the Shee. Collectively they used their magic to put him in a trance—a forever trance. Pux put his hand on the glass. He was nothing but a human, deep wrinkles set in his skin, whitish gray hair, full beard. His arms were crossed on his chest and he wore the finest red cloak. Pux tried to stave off the cascade of emotions festering within him but it was too hard.
One hero.
Kaliel destroyed everything and from the ashes of her destruction came one hero.
One in nine hundred years.
***
Chapter 8
The Not so New Guy at School
Maeva slung the black checkered backpack over her shoulder and slammed out the back door. Her sneakers clacked along the stones as she hummed along to the tune on her iPhone. She paused at the edge of her parent’s yard, tapping her foot in rhythm with the music, waiting for the song to end. She did this a lot, often starting a song while getting dressed or eating breakfast, and wanting to listen to it before strapping her iPhone in its waterproof case. Most of the other kids would walk to school with the music blaring in their ears, but unfortunately, Maeva had to be pragmatic about her electronics. Her dad was nice enough to get her the iPhone in the first place; she had to be nice enough not to drop it in the lake.
She glanced around the yard, taking in the big evergreen on the left, and the few trees on the right. The grass was salted with dry grainy leaves, some of them purplish, others orange. Nobody else really lived on Goat Island. They had a neighbor, but the yards weren’t defined like they were in Kenora with fences and property lines. It was sort of understood that where the house ended and the forest became too thick to walk through was where the line was.
The song ended as Scott came ricocheting out of the house, sliding his backpack over his shoulders and jogging to the pier. He was simultaneously trying to unscrew the lid off his PowerAde and Maeva turned; her eyes wide as he brushed past her and threw his backpack into his canoe. Hers was better but then she had to pay for it herself. Scott didn’t say anything as he took a long swig of the PowerAde and untied the canoe. He began cutting a quick path through the water.
Maeva found her feet and followed him, going through the same motions until she was dipping the paddle into the water in even successions. She switched sides with each stroke and regulated her breathing. She passed a small island on her left, Canniff Island, and stopped rowing. The canoe slid gracefully towards St. Mary Bay where the harbor was. The other annoying thing about Scott was that he was younger than her and didn’t have his license yet. His jock friends came to pick him up every day. Maeva didn’t relish the cat calls in her direction.
Scott tied up his canoe against their family’s dock just as she pulled up. He straightened when she approached and paused, throwing a smirk in her direction. Her stomach clenched in knots. She recognized that look, it was Scott’s classic I’m-going-to-play-a-trick-on-you look. She glowered.
“Don’t even think about it,” she said her voice raspy for early morning.
Scott smiled; the whole thing lighting up his face. “Morning to you, too.” He walked down the labyrinth of docks to the shoreline and Maeva shook her head, relieved
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