Page 6 of A Sky of Storms
I wouldn’t let Ethan and Hadley be subjected to the same fate. I would do anything it took to become queen, and if I had to claw my way to the top, then screw anyone who got in my way.
This could all go away. The exploitation of those under Auger Enterprises, and the incessant greed from my parents and those who orbit them. And Stormcrest City was just the tip of the iceberg of a whole host of problems in this country. If I wore the crown, I could do something about the bullshit squabbles among the great cities and the petty warmongering between Houses.
My enemies had better watch out because Fallon Auger was about to tear them apart.
Istaredatthesun emerging above the horizon and felt a kinship to that burning orange ball in the sky. I would soon rise too and claim my rightful place in this world.
Kayden Hale, King of Terrulia.
It had a nice ring to it.
Old King Theodore the Blessed had finally croaked in his sleep one month ago after a long, drawn-out battle with old age. Bro had been losing the plot for years, his body and mind failing like an old battery. The last few years had him constantly shadowed by his advisor, Julian, who was a dead-set oddball.
“Reckon I’ll have Julian breathing down my neck when I become king? Or can I fire his ass?” I asked Flynn. He was my second of sorts, but mostly my best friend. We grew up together here in the Crimson Steppes and instantly clicked thanks to our love of pulling pranks, weight training and boxing.
The stocky guy chuckled as he adjusted the tape around his knuckles. “Not a chance. I’m gonna be there to advise you. Unless you want him around to wipe your ass like I heard he was doing for old Theo?”
I punched him hard in the side, earning a barrel of a laugh from him as he stumbled. The news may have said that King Theo had died from natural causes, but Chief Advisor Julian was way too shifty for that to be believable. The guy was suss and had probably been doing something dodgy to the king for years.
It’s kind of sad because old Theo had been a top-notch king in his youth, but now it was time for a new reign … and I planned to be at the head of it. With the Terrulian Trials fast approaching, I would have the perfect opportunity to compete and secure my throne as the new king.
There were five ruling Houses in Terrulia. Jupiter in Stormcrest City, Neptune in Tritosa City, Mars in the Crimson Steppes, Ceres in the Verdant Plateau, and Pluto in Damascon Hollow. Each had its own specialised industries and people with geographical adaptations. Unfortunately, the divide between cities was only deepening in Terrulia, and it was bound to get worse without a fair leader.
Good luck to Julian if he thinks he will mess with me. He’ll be out on his ass as soon as I stroll through the palace doors.
“You’re a dick,” I said to Flynn, huffing a laugh and curling my fingers. “Break’s over. Ready, bro?”
He nodded, and we spread out again on the cliff edge overlooking the red sands of The Crimson Steppes in all its glory. There wasn’t much room up here to spar, but nothing raised the stakes like a drop to your death. We circled each other in the limited space, the dusty red stones kicking up with the movement.
“No adaptations this time,” Flynn declared, and I grinned. Being unable to turn my skin to rock meant I was more vulnerable. He wanted to draw blood.
“Fine by me,” I said with the shrug of a shoulder. “You’re the one who’s gonna spend the night being patched up.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I made the first move, darting towards him and throwing a fist at his chest. He grunted, but it didn’t stop him from retaliating. We exchanged punches, blocking and absorbing blows. We were relatively equally matched, but that was to be expected. Having trained together for so long, we knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses the way I knew each crevice on my rocky hand—at least when I let my adaptation cover my skin; otherwise, my tan was silky smooth.
“Couldn’t let me get the first hit?” Flynn said with a grin as we stepped back, and he wiped his thumb over his split lower lip. “Impatient bastard.”
I laughed, bouncing from one foot to the other and shaking out my shoulders. “If I had to wait around for you, I’d be long dead. We both know that I take the lead.”
“Not like I ever get the chance to forget.”
“It’s going to be burned into your brain when you see me in the crown,” I replied with a shit-eating grin. “And made worse when I make you bow.”
“Fuck off,” Flynn said, chuckling.
It wouldn’t be easy winning the crown, but I didn’t cower from a challenge. The trials were notoriously dangerous, and over the centuries, countless people had died in pursuit of becoming the kingdom’s future ruler. The Terrulian Trials were renowned for its brutality. Consisting of three brutal tests, the trials were devised by a council of representatives from each of the five cities to ensure only the most powerful and cunning Terrulian was crowned in the end.
The throne had my name written all over it.
“Why do you think the first Terrulians thought trials to the death was a good way to find a ruler?” I asked.
Flynn shrugged. “It takes a special kind of person to survive the destruction of a planet. Maybe leaving Earth scrambled their brains.”
“Damascians are still feeling the effects,” I joked, earning a booming laugh from Flynn.
Damascon Hollow was like an illegal dogfight. They were just a bunch of psychos scheming to survive. From what I heard that place was a free for all.
