“Rubbish!” The flames in the fireplace leapt and danced as Morgana’s anger flared. “There is always a way.”
Lucian didn’t blink an eye. “Whatever you say, my queen.”
She flashed him a glare. “And what news is there from Eldoren? Are you sure your sister and her husband know what they’re doing?”
Lucian nodded. “The Blackwaters will take over the throne of Eldoren as you have commanded. The plans are already set in motion.”
“That is not enough,” Morgana snapped. “I want Prince Rafael dead as well. The Ravenswood dynasty supports Aurora, and none must be allowed to survive. We will strip her of all her allies and her friends. Without proper guidance, the girl is likely to destroy herself. Then we will strike when she is at her weakest.”
“What about Izadora? The fae queen will never bow to your rule, you know.”
She gave Lucian a pointed look. “Izadora will have no choice once I am done with her. My plans concerning Elfi are already underway. You just make sure Aurora never reaches her grandmother’s kingdom.”
Lucian shook his head. “Forget her, Morgana.” He came closer and put his hand on her shoulder. “She is weak and foolish. She doesn’t have it in her to be queen. Like you said, she will eventually destroy herself. Concentrate on taking over the other kingdoms first. Once you are crowned High Queen of Avalonia, Aurora Firedrake will become a memory.”
“I want her dead, Lucian.” Morgana moved away from him and turned to face the flames, dismissing the archmage with a wave of her hand. “I should have called for the Drakaar assassins much earlier. They will find her and kill her, even if you can’t.”
The archmage’s spine stiffened. “But Your Majesty, the Drakaar are not to be trusted. They will extract a high price for this—remember what happened after you hired them to kill Azaren.” He paused and took a step closer, lowering the tone of his voice. “Morgana, let me find the girl. I will not fail, just give me more time.”
The queen turned back around to face him. “There is no more time, Lucian. The people have already heard she is alive. You told me yourself rebel factions have sprung up all over Illiador and are searching for her too. We must find her before those troublemakers who call themselves the Silver Swords do. They are the last remnants of Azaren’s supporters, and I want them gone. Burn the forests where they take cover, and scorch the villages and towns that conceal them. If anyone is found supporting Aurora, they must be made examples of. My niece must have no place to go, nowhere to hide. Then we will strike and make her wish she had never been born a Firedrake.”
The archmage bowed, his eyes like shards of cold steel. “It will be done, my queen.”
“See that it is.” Morgana gazed into the dancing fire. “If I want to become high queen over all the seven kingdoms, Aurora Firedrake must die.”
End of Sample
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Acknowledgments
First, I want to thank God, with whose grace and blessings nothing is impossible.
My wonderful mother, Zinia Lawyer, who has always supported and empowered me to do what others thought I could not.
My amazing husband, Riyad Oomerbhoy, my pillar of strength and love of my life who has always believed in me and told me I could write, even though he has had to endure hearing me ramble on about my characters for the past ten years and knows them nearly as well as I do.
My precious children, who have always been my biggest supporters.
My wonderful family—my brother Rustom Lawyer, my sister and brother-in-law Roohi and Chetan Jaikishan, my father-in-law Rashid Oomerbhoy, my niece and nephew Amaan and Jehaan, my sister-in-law Shazmeen, and Shiraz Austin for their constant encouragement.
There are so many others I want to thank who have helped me bring this book to this point, so here it goes. Basanti Didwania, Shweta Nanda, Navya Nanda, Farida Irani, Shernaz Vakil, Priya Nathani, Gayatri Shah, and Anita Vaswani, who read a very rough first draft of the book and actually liked it.
My super-efficient assistant Kate Tilton, without whom I would not have met the wonderful women at Wise Ink Creative Publishing—especially Laura Zats for all her enthusiasm and unwavering support, and for giving me the chance and expertise to publish the best possible version of my book. My superb editor Amanda Rutter, who guided me throughout the editing process and helped create this final version. Thanks to the amazingly talented cover designer Scarlett Rugers for all her patience and wonderful creativity in designing the beautiful original cover. Many thanks to Steven Meyer-Rassow for reimagining the cover for the stunning paperback edition. I must also thank Jade Zivanovic and Josh Stolarz for their beautifully detailed depictions of the map of Avalonia. I also want to thank Patrick Maloney and Christie Stratos for their meticulous proofreading, and Kim Morehead for her beautiful interior design, which has enhanced the written word and made the book more enjoyable to read.
There are a few more people I must not leave out who have all contributed in some way toward me publishing this book. My wonderful Wattpad group, the Wattpad Class of 2014, consisting of twelve talented authors who have been so kind, helpful, and supportive. I am honored to be one of you. And last but not least, my wonderful Wattpad readers, who made me believe anything is possible.
About the Author
For Farah Oomerbhoy, writing is a passion and reading her solace. She is a firm believer in the fantastic and magical and often dreams of living in Narnia, Neverland, or the Enchanted Forest.
Farah lives with her husband and three children in their family home in Mumbai, India. She has a master’s degree
