Page 1 of Daughter of the Drowned Empire
THE FIRST SCROLL:
VORAKH
CHAPTER ONE
THETIMEKEEPERSSHOUTEDthehour as indigo bloomed across the darkening sky. Behind me, the sun sank into the crashing waves of the ocean. The bells clanged louder, and my feet pounded against the waterway. I was late. I turned a corner as sweat beaded the nape of my neck. The fortress was so Godsdamned big.
My arms pumped at my sides as I ran faster; the water rushed beneath my feet. I had to reach Cresthaven’s entrance before the bells stopped, but I was still nowhere near it. There was at least another quarter mile of fortress and waterway. Above me, the ashvan horses began their descent, already wrapping up their hourly patrol. Luminescent blue light glimmered from their hooves against the night, illuminating their jewel-toned bodies. Their lights vanished into the night sky, and only starlight remained.
Shit. The bells would stop at any second.
My sandals, laced up to my knees, were definitely not meant for running. Then again, neither was I, a lady of Ka Batavia.
The glass floor curved around a stone corner, and the bells stopped just as someone shouted my name.
Shit, shit! I was definitely in trouble.
“Lady Lyriana.” One of my father’s sentries. “Your grace? Are you there?”
I rounded another corner, sliding on the glass of the waterway. Stupid slippery glass waterways and over-sized fortresses.
Running into the torchlight, I found my father, the High Lord of Bamaria, standing impatiently before the front doors. His black robes blew in the summer breeze, and the golden Laurel of the Arkasva sat atop his head. He gave me one look.Thelook.The I was definitely in trouble look. Luckily, not the kind of trouble he would take the time to yell at me for. Not yet anyway. We had a public appearance to make.
I reached the promenade, completely out of breath. Several sentries watched me from the corners of their eyes, curiosity and judgment in their expressions. My cheeks heated as I rushed to the end of the line and tried to calm down. Servants and guards always talked, sharing gossip about their charges. Butithad just happened. Had word spread already? Did they know the reason I was late? Or why I had lingered so long at the pools?
My eldest sister, Meera, rolled her eyes at me but didn’t look upset—which was good. Even though today wasmybirthday, tonight was to be the most important night ofherlife, so attention on me had been somewhat minimized—to say the least.
Meera’s light brown hair was styled in perfect waves down her back. A golden diadem swept across her forehead, positioned partially like a crown, the ends threaded into her locks. Fitting, since tonight she’d come into her title, Heir Apparent, next in line to rule as Arkasva. She would be practically a queen—except for the fact that Bamaria was part of the Lumerian Empire and bowed before the Emperor. Still, it was never a good idea to piss off an almost-queen, especially when she was your eldest sister.
Morgana, our middle sister—eternally angry at the world—scowled beneath sleek black eyebrows pointed down in disapproval. I stuck out my tongue and took my place at the back of the line beside our cousin, Jules. She shook her head at me, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Your hair, Lyr,” she chided, slender arms reaching to rearrange my long waves. A flick of her hand readjusted and centered my diadem. Jules was the only member of our party not wearing one. She was our cousin and of noble blood, but unlike me and my sisters, she was not in direct line to the Seat of the Arkasva. “Shall I assume your disarray came from your rush to get here or…other activities?” A sly smile lit up her face.
“Running,” I said pointedly.
“Of course.” She nodded sagely, her expression making it clear she did not believe me. One more sweep of her fingers through my hair, pushing the loose waves over my shoulder, and she nodded. “Now, you look perfect.”
“As do you,” I said with a grin. It was a big night for Jules as well.
We began our procession down the main waterway.
She took my arm in hers. “Well?” she asked. “I need details. What happened?”
Morgana twisted her neck to peer over her shoulder. “Please. We already know you kissed him.”
“Morgs!” I snapped. “Shut up.”
“Did you?” Jules asked. “Kiss him?” she whispered.
Soturi, camouflaged to blend into the landscape, began to emerge—our ever-present escorts and guards—replacing the sentries at the fortress’s entrance. Three fell in step with my father. Meera as Heir Apparent had two guards, while Morgana, Jules, and I each had one following in our shadows. Mine was a surly soturion named Markan who’d watched over me since I could stand. His muscles flexed as he walked beside me, his golden armor clinking in tune to the slaps of his sandals against the waterway’s glass.
I caught Jules’s eye and nodded.
She squealed. “You and Tristan! I’m so happy for you.”
“Shh!” I clamped my hand over her mouth. Markan was too close, and he didn’t need to know any details about what we’d done—or that it had been the reason I’d been late. Nor was he entitled to know that I’d sat by the edge of the pool long after Tristan had gone, replaying the whole interaction in my head again and again.
Tristan’s scent, mint and the salted air of the ocean, still tickled my nose. My skin tingled with excitement, remembering the feel of his touch. His warmth. The way he’d tightened his grip on me, his fingers pressing into my back as we’d kissed and kissed, our bodies pressing closer, and hands exploring until I was dizzy from it. I’d kissed a number of boys before, but this…this was far more than a kiss. And Tristan wasn’t just some boy. He was the future lord of his Ka and already a master mage. The most eligible, and attractive, bachelor amongst the Bamarian nobility.
