Warrior's Oath (Sacred Promises ~ Book 2)

By Jennifer Hines and Mindy Bigham

With war raging between the last two ruling families, the Skye's and the Fino's, Abbey will be forced to step up and announce herself as the rightful queen to the world of Elementals sooner than expected. At which time, her chosen advisors will also be declared. Including the person whose oath she unknowingly accepted to stand by her side.

Beginning her journey by traveling to Iceland to meet Garik's family, and ask their blessing to put him through the trials to be her First, brings forth an entire new world. She dives deeper into the world of a warrior and what it means to have a family.

After a vision of destruction Abbey must make a decision to save a school or let it fall to Fino's army. Saving it will mark her identity, but letting it fall would mean the loss of many innocents. Either way, her life will never be the same after her decision.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jennifer Hines
• Release date: Oct 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301260317

Jennifer Hines

Jennifer Hines was born in Missouri, grew up in upstate New York, and currently resides in Texas. She has four children, two boys, along with twin girls. She has been employed with the same company for over thirteen years, which is where she met her best friend and co-writer/editor, Mindy Bigham. She loves spending time with her family, going on road trips, and camping.Mindy Bigham was born and raised in Texas. She is married and has four children, two daughters and two step-daughters. She loves spending quality time with her family, shopping, and vacationing anywhere there is a beach.They both have a love for reading and writing fiction. It is this shared interest that made them first decide to write something they could share with the world.

Book preview

Chapter One

In the darkness of night the crisp cold shivered through me. The warm summer air had begun turning cooler making way for fall. Upon the overlook, lit only by the brightness of the moon, was the only place I had left to find solace from myself. It was there the shadows danced across the valley below and the sounds of nature filled the air, subduing my broken heart and growing list of responsibilities from my mind.

A rift had been forming between the last two ruling families, the Skye's and the Fino's. Their desires for power were now strong enough that there was only room for one. Fighting had already been reported in desolate areas around the globe and it was only a matter of time before I would have to step up and put an end to the disastrous wake they were leaving behind.

Realizing that time was limited, my thoughts naturally drifted to Kaleb, as they usually ended up doing. It had been two excruciating months since Kaleb had disappeared. After he overheard Nathan and me in the woods he went so far off the grid I couldn't find him no matter how many times I tried. Finally, I realized he didn't want to be found and gave up the search.

I knew in my heart that wherever he was he was safe, but the longer he remained absent the more my head attempted to second guess. The constant thoughts of him wore me thin and broke me down until I had no choice but to push them away. Emptiness overtook the pain leaving only a passionless duty of things I had no choice but do. That too, was one of the many thoughts that drove me to the solitude the overlook offered.

Tonight was different somehow. I wasn't sure if it was the sudden fear of time slipping away or the pounding of my broken heart, but for the first time the cricket's serenade and the twinkling of the stars did nothing to ease my mind. Instead they gave me an impulsive sense of urgency and I shimmered somewhere I told myself I wouldn't go.

Even in the darkness the river remained exactly how I had remembered it. I sat upon the bank, dipping my toes into the gently flowing cold water, remembering the intimate moment Kaleb and I had shared there. His words echoed in my mind, I love you. We'll figure out the rest as we go. I promise. That was the one and only promise of his I accepted, making it unbreakable.

Any promise made by a queen or accepted by her was abiding until fulfilled, which was why I had always been careful not to make promises I couldn't keep. If I had followed my teenage heart I would have accepted his promise to always be with me, but no, I had to follow my sense of duty and responsibility and not accept it. Now that he was gone I kept wondering, what in the world was I thinking?

I walked through the darkened forest to the destination my spontaneous traveling had led me. A nervous shiver radiated across my skin as I reached out and knocked on the front door. Nevara, it's me. Are you here? I called softly.

The door knob turned slowly and the door cracked open. Long soft golden blonde hair billowed, casting shadow upon her face, as the door opened further. I've been expecting you. Though I was beginning to think you forgot where I lived. Nevara's calming tone and welcoming smile brought an instant comfort to my tightly wound nerves.

Nevara had been my guardian and protector since I was barely a year old. She was the one who hid me away from the eye of our world to keep me safe. She was also the one who trained me to fight and taught me everything she thought a queen would need to know. She was like a mother to me, but through a twisted fate it turned out that she was actually Kaleb's mother. I could never do that. Though I have to say part of me kept hoping I wouldn't have to come here. Not for this anyway.

Come on in. Make yourself at home. I followed her to the living room. It was just how I had remembered it. A place for everything, everything in its place. Neat and tidy. There was a fire blazing in the fireplace, but I still felt the cold chill of why I had to come in the first place. She sat on the edge of the over-stuffed tan couch and motioned for me to sit beside her. How have you been?

Getting by. And you?

Her gentle smile faded slowly away. Abbey, I can't tell you where he is.

I know. Part of me hoped she would, but I knew her loyalty belonged to her son, as it should. I didn't come here to beg to see him. Though that was exactly what I wanted to do. I came to collect on a promise. I never intended to get you involved, but time is no longer my friend, and coming here was a last resort.

Your resistance to come to me was greater than I imagined. Your strength is beyond anyone's comprehension, even yours, she said with complete seriousness. Her tone reminded me of the way she used to speak to me back when she was my guardian. Always firm, but always laced with a hint of sweetness.

"I'll have to trust you on that one because right now I don't feel very strong. I feel as if I'm grasping at nothingness and hoping to somehow find something there to hold on to. And it may sound ridiculous, but it's what brought me here tonight. The war between the ruling families is getting worse and soon I will have to accept the full responsibility of the crown and try to protect my people from their devastation.

Most of my team is in place and I have faith I'll find the warriors I need to complete it, but I've been prolonging making any of it official. I've been waiting for a broken piece of me to become whole. And with the absence of my heart it's been a constant battle not to give into the bond I share with Nathan.

Ah...yes, Nathan. He has been the topic of many a conversations. I wasn't aware they were still choosing mates for queens since they had all but become extinct, or I would have warned you of the possibility. But now that he's in the picture what does the future hold?

That, I'm afraid is out of my hands and up to time. I wished more than anything that it wasn't true, but in the end my words carried the truth.

There was a night when I thought Nathan had moved into my heart, but it turned out my heart fully belonged to another leaving no room for anyone else, and it was only the connection which made me think I wanted him more than I did. A connection I continued to fight every day. I did not want to give into something that was not true in my heart. Then again, it would have been easier on both Nathan and me if I would have. In the peak of the pain, when every breath stung with sadness, I contemplated giving up and giving into the bond he and I shared, but then I would remember the tingle of Kaleb's touch and the passion of his kisses, and then thoughts of sacrificing those for an easy option would disappear.

Truth of it was that no matter what I wanted, or what my heart thought it wanted, when the time came I would have no option. Kaleb had made the choice for both of us, leaving Nathan to stand beside me and fulfill his destiny. A time that, ready or not, was coming sooner than anyone could have imagined and I could only hold on for so long and then time, instead of my heart, would dictate who would stand beside me.

What do you mean it's out of your hands?

I could always talk to her about anything, but suddenly my nerves got the better of me. The room became hot, I started to fidget, and the only sound I could hear was the pounding of my own heart. My relationship with her son was known, but never discussed in detail, and I wasn't sure what he had told her about us or where her thoughts laid when it came to the subject of me and him, but it was why I came and I had to tell her.

I was a tangled mess of knots with frayed ends and the more I tried to make things work the tighter they pulled. I could no longer sit still, I stood and began to pace. Your son made me a promise and until it's fulfilled I'm having difficulty moving forward. I paused, looked at her, and then started to pace again. Truth is…I gave my heart to him and I spend every day trying to hold on to the love I have for him, but with him gone it's getting nearly impossible to ignore the bond I have with Nathan. The more I resist, the greater it grows, and although my mind tells me to want him, to love him, and to be with him, I do not want to give into it. I fight the urges every second of every day because I want to be with Kaleb. I'm not whole without him and I cannot bear the thought of never seeing him again. But if he stays away much longer I won't have a choice.

She looked past me, almost as if something had caught her attention, but when I turned I saw nothing. When I turned back to her she said, You may not want to hear this, but I did warn both of you that your relationship would not be easy. But that doesn't mean it's not worth the effort. Love, when it's meant to be, is worth fighting for. Her slender hand went to the silver ring she wore upon a chain around her neck. "It's even worth sacrificing everything for.

My Tabbris gave up everything because he believed in a better future for our people. There's not a day that goes by I don't miss him, but between his stubbornness and his will to do right I know he made the right decision by sacrificing his life for yours. I only hope Kaleb's stubbornness allows him to do the right thing and make a decision, no matter the consequences. She stood, grasping my hands firmly within hers. There's only one question left unanswered.

And that is?

Is your love meant to be? Because if it is, it's worth fighting for.

Her pale blue eyes held mine, awaiting an answer to what should have been the easiest question, and yet her words echoed though my head. Was our love meant to be or was I just a girl, like all the other ones back at school, who didn't want to let him go? I loved him, I needed him, and I longed for him, but did he feel any of that toward me?

Pondering the questions left me unsure of how to respond. Instead I replied with what I knew was true, It's worth fighting for. He's worth fighting for. But maybe you should be asking him the same question, because it's hard to fight for someone who doesn't want you back. And I need to know if I should give into what my head is telling me or if I should continue to fight in hopes that Kaleb will come to his senses and fight for me before it's too late and he loses me forever.

Her eyes swept across the room as if holding a secret and then a smile danced across her face as she said, Then fight for it.

It almost sounded as if she was talking to someone else, but I heeded her words. Understood. Thank you, Nevara.

You're welcome.

Knowing there was nothing more to gain from my conversations with her, no inkling to where her son may have disappeared to, I decided it was best for me to leave before I did something I shouldn't. Like start crying and begging her for information. I better get back.

She nodded and I shimmered. I could have stayed longer, but delaying my departure would have only pained my heart further as I longed for Kaleb to magically appear.

I should have gone back to my dorm room, possibly even back up to the overlook, but I didn't. Instead I shimmered upstairs to Kaleb's bedroom. My fingers lightly brushed across his bed, softly tracing the lines on the quilt his mother had made. Touching the pillow brought back memories he and I had shared. I couldn't help but lift it up into my arms, squeeze it tightly, and inhale his comforting aroma. His clean line dried laundry scent filled my nose and left chills upon my skin. The pillow fell from my hands. The smell was fresh. He had been there. And recently.

A nervous excited panic hit me. Was he still in the house? Was he close? If he knew I was here would it scare him away? I didn't want to risk making him run further away so despite my urge to scream out his name I quietly walked over to the desk. Against everything my head was telling me to do, I followed my heart and pulled a notepad from the top drawer and wrote: Remember your promise. Love-A

I tore out the page, folded it in half, and placed it on his pillow. Then despite my desire to crawl into his bed and stay there until he returned I shimmered back to the overlook.

The forest slowly came into view as the morning sun lit the sky on fire. Too quickly was the night over as the vibrant oranges and reds stretched up from the horizon, dawning a new day, reminding me only of the sleepless nights I had become accustomed too.

Sleeping turned into dreaming, dreaming turned into remembering, and remembering turned to crying. It was easier to not sleep.

Chapter Two

I started spending my Saturdays doing extra training sessions with Coach Lexi. He was intrigued by my abilities and wanted to sharpen my skills. I silently wondered if he knew who I was, or at least had an idea, but decided I wouldn't mention it if he didn't, and so I never asked him.

Today was dummy training. I got to unleash my skills on all of the dummies that stood in the middle of the track. Twelve unarmed, unmoving dummies went down with little effort. It was kind of a disappointing exercise.

Now me, he instructed as he handed me a long sword. The silver handle was cold in my palm. My initial assessment before he handed it to me was that it looked long and heavy. Truth was it was indeed long, but it wasn't heavy. Whatever metal it had been crafted from made it almost as light as my hairbrush. Though the gleam on the blade as the sun hit it told me it was definitely not a harmless plaything. It was a deadly weapon.

My initial thought was: A sword? I knew I must have been looking at him as if he'd lost his mind, because he was all about battle techniques and never used weapons, as that was more of Coach Alexander's specialty.

Do you not know how to use one? he asked.

Coach Lexi Kotova was a warrior. He was a Knight of Noir Warrior, but he gave up his warrior title in order to teach, and had been teaching for many years. Under the old ways he never would have had to give up a title he had rightfully earned, or the status that came with it, and under my rule he would get it back. I do. I was more concerned about your skills. How long has it been since you held one of those? I teased.

He held his sword out in front of him. The rising sun glistened off the etched steel of the old, almost ancient looking long sword. I wondered if it too was as light as mine, but the bulging muscles in his arms told me otherwise. Compared to his mine looked like a toddler's toy.

As a warrior this was my weapon of choice. You need not worry about my skills.

Come on old man, let's see what you got. He was only in his forties, but I couldn't resist teasing him a little.

He was a good swordsman, but a little rusty, and yielded beneath my blade. I learned quickly that although my sword may have looked like a child's toy, it wasn't. It stood against his with ease.

Nice moves coach. Want me to show you how it's done? asked Garik, who apparently had been a silent spectator.

Garik Drengr was one of the best warriors I'd met. His bloodline connected him to every queen in our history. He was destined to become one of the queen's ten warriors and protect me. Unfortunately he has had several events in which to already demonstrate the lengths of his protection and so far he had done an outstanding job of filling that role, even though I hadn't officially given it to him yet.

Coach Lexi handed his sword to Garik. Be my guest.

He gave me a smirk that meant he wasn't holding back and I nodded in acceptance.

Garik was over a foot taller than me, and his extended arm length gave him an added benefit, but my daintiness and quickness made for an equal match. Coach Lexi had to finally call it as a draw or we probably would have been out there all day.

The rest of my day was filled with a weight bag, which no longer did anything to help relieve my frustrations, and the sauna. By the time I made it back to my room and showered I was utterly exhausted and ready to call it a night, but then Morgan came bouncing in. Her wicked smile told me she was up to no good. And she being the type of person that the world seemed to revolve around, not the other way around, told me to hold on tight because whatever she was going to say, it was going to be a doozy.

Morgan was my roommate and we had become friends very quickly after my arrival at the Maramec Conservatory, and over the past two months she had become one of my closest confidants. I had told her my secret, she knew my true identity, as did all of our friends, and they had all agreed to become my advisors. I didn't want to risk their safety by asking them, but when they discovered who I was they all basically volunteered to stand by my side. I couldn't have asked for truer friends.

Abbey, you are sooo gonna go to the party with us tonight. I'm not takin' no as an answer. So get ready! Morgan's sternness was becoming a force to be reckoned with. She was taking her soon to be advisor role to mean it was her responsibility to advise me on what to do and when to do it. She was determined to bring back the old happy me.

Fine, but you're getting blue jeans with a sweater and definitely not getting more than a ponytail.

Well if ya wanted me to do your hair all ya had to do was ask, because ponytails don't belong at parties. Ya need to look radiant wherever ya go, it's a look ya should get used to.

Yes, ma'am! Sometimes she made me feel like her puppet. At least she didn't argue about my wardrobe choice too. The night air was cool and some cute little dress, like she normally made me wear, just didn't seem appropriate. Point well made. You can do my hair.

She ran a straightener through my hair and that was it. No twisty braids or curlers, just a quick straightening. It was a nice change. I enjoyed simple.

The party was held in the usual spot, the playground area outside the barrier. It was an area free from teacher's view and an area protected from human sight by the assistance of a few of the elementals.

The bonfire raged, the techno music pounded, and the elemental punch flowed freely. The ear plugs I discretely put in before leaving our room helped filter the vibes I felt from the music, and I planned on keeping far from the elemental punch. The first time I indulged myself in the delicious moonshine made by the local elementals I found myself in a compromising position that could have ended very badly, especially since I later realized it also affected my powers. It affected anyone with mystic blood in their veins, although every other mystic had enough sense to stay away from the stuff. I, like always, had to learn the hard way.

Hey, Abbey. This is Colin. Morgan pointed to the handsome, dark haired boy standing beside her.

I held my hand out to meet his. Nice to meet you, Colin.

We've already met. You're in my transformations class.

Oh. I never really saw the watchers from class in their normal human form so I wasn't entirely sure who, or what for that fact, he was.

I'm the lab, he said, as if answering my unasked question.

Oh. Now I know who you are. He was the one who used to hang out with Darian. Hopefully for Morgan's sake, he wasn't as crazy as his friend was.

Morgan leaned up against him, wrapping her arm around his waist. He's my adorable little puppy.

Yeah… Yeah… And this is Gabe, Timara appeared from behind them and motioned to the preppy, blonde haired elemental boy next to her.

Hi, Gabe.

Hi, Abbey. Nice to finally meet you.

He reached his hand out and I took it cautiously, as I knew by his appearance that he was an elemental and wanted to prepare myself for the effect of his element. As our hands met a rush of pine swirled around me. He was an earth elemental like her. As far as I knew, it was a first for our little group to have a couple with the same affinity.

I felt like a third wheel, or in this particular situation, a fifth wheel. Yet, I didn't want to be alone at a party she had drug me to, so despite the feeling of being misplaced, I stayed with them.

I glanced down at the watch Morgan had forced me to wear because it went with my outfit. She was always about accessorizing. It had been almost twenty-four hours since my visit to Nevara and Kaleb was still MIA. Maybe she didn't know where he was, or maybe she...

Dance with me, Nathan whispered softly from behind me, interrupting my thoughts.

As I turned around to say no his mesmerizing turquoise eyes captured mine, his closeness tingled through my body, the uncontrollable desire I felt for him left me unable to speak, and he interpreted my silence as a yes. Taking my hand within his he lead me away from the bonfire, down the stone stairs, across the playground filled with students socializing and horse-playing to the basketball court turned dance floor.

The moment he pulled me into his embrace I realized that he and I had never danced together before. And I wasn't so sure it was a good idea. His hand grasped mine gently, pulling it to his chest, and his other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to him. It was entirely too intimate of a situation I unknowingly put myself in. I should have said no. I should have forced the little two letter word from my mouth.

The longer we danced the further no slipped away and the closer yes felt.

Out of all the emotions I had for the bond he and I shared, hate was the strongest. Nathan was a great guy. He stood up for his sister, came to me whenever I needed him, even when I didn't ask him too, and he was incredibly sweet. But he simply wasn't the one I wanted. Though to him, I was definitely the one he wanted. And he made no attempt to hide his feelings. As a matter of fact, he tried at every turn to show me how much I needed him simply by being there. Always. And it was driving me insane.

So what if I was sad and wanted comfort, I didn't want it from him. But that never stopped him from showing up at the exact moments my emotions overwhelmed me to scoop up the pieces and paste them back together with the perfect strands of words and actions. I hated that he could bring me comfort. I hated it because it was working and I didn't want it to. I didn't want to forget Kaleb and move on. I didn't want to give into Nathan's comfort. Though more and more that's what I had been doing. And I was so angry with myself for letting it happen.

Unexpectedly, he twirled me, dipped me, and then pulled me in close. The actions brought my wondering thoughts back to the present. A present where his lips were only inches from mine and the gap seemed to be closing. He wanted to kiss me, his intention was obvious, and my head told me I wanted to kiss him too, but then my heart fluttered and I gathered what little strength I had left to pull away.

There was only one person who could make my heart flutter like that. I turned around, scanning the crowd as I did. My eyes stopped on a familiar clique of girls, Kaleb's old groupie girls were huddled together, and obviously excited about something. Then I saw the reason.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Nathan's disapproving eyes. He could sense my emotions, knew that my heart had leapt, and knew that he wasn't the cause. I