Concealed Power: The Healers of Meligna, #1

By K. J. Colt

From USA Today Bestselling Author K. J. Colt. A Top #100 Bestselling Series

"There was an illness much worse than anything I had ever seen, and that was the sickness of my country."

Fourteen year old Adenine is blind and isolated in her small attic bedroom. Convinced she is the last carrier of the Death Plague -- that wiped out thousands of her country's people twenty-five years ago -- Adenine avoids contact with the outside world.

When her mother fails to bring her food Adenine begins to starve. Driven by her hunger, Adenine ventures into the house discovering her mother bedridden and sick. Despite her terror of infecting others, Adenine fumbles her way onto the streets of Borrelia in search of the town's doctor.

Soon, she is surrounded by new friends... and enemies she never knew existed. Adenine's mother is keeping dark secrets, her friends are lying to her and when threats arise she must decide who to trust.

• Language: English
• Publisher: K. J. Colt
• Release date: Jun 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781498927932

Book preview

Cast of Characters

Main Characters

Adenine: Protagonist of the story. Adenine is naive, young, fearful, and guilty and believes she is a carrier of the Death Plague. Adenine’s parents, Capacia and Ardonian, raised her with a very basic education and some knowledge of the outside world.

Capacia: Adenine’s mother. Capacia is a merchant who is knowledgeable in the exquisite materials of the world. She has traveled extensively to bring the finest goods to Borrelia. Her attitude towards Adenine is over-protective at times, and careless at others. Overall, Capacia is a dedicated and loving mother.

Klawdia: A warrior from the Bear tribe of Ruxdor and in line to become next chieftain of the northern country. When she was 15 she became pregnant with her rival’s child and fled her hometown. She has made her living training and hunting animals after betraying the Queens of Meligna and becomes Adenine’s personal protector in the novel.

Jemely: A doctor’s assistance and Varago’s niece. She becomes Adenine and Capacia’s housemaid earlier on in the novel. Later, she becomes a loyal friend to Adenine.

Varago: Adenine’s doctor and the main doctor for the town of Borrelia, Adenine’s home. He was present for Adenine’s birth and becomes Adenine’s mother’s lover.

Healer Euka: Direct ambassador for the Queens of Meligna. She travels through Borrelia to meet with King Erageo in Juxon City. She is also responsible for the arrangement of healer girls to be sent to Meligna when they have come of age.

Mayor Vawdon: Mayor of Borrelia and Emala’s father.

Frooby: Adenine’s good friend who becomes the only person she can talk to throughout the novel. His father is Derkal and is the town’s vegetable seller. Frooby’s mother died when he was young, and he’s always been of a sickly disposition.

Emala: Mayor Vawdon’s daughter. She befriends Adenine later in the book. Emala is sweet and kind to Adenine but becomes torn between her loyalty to her father and her new friend.

King Erageo: King of South Senya, and his castle is in Juxon City. King Erageo is the son of King Cevzik (The Wicked King).

Other Characters

Ardonian: Adenine’s father and also a merchant. Married to Capacia.

Uncle Garrad: Adenine’s uncle who suffers from a condition called the Weeping Pox. He lives outside of Borrelia in a self-made hill shack at the base of the Borrelia Mountains.

Jark: A school boy who creates trouble for Adenine.

Hawrald: The royal guard who escorts Adenine home from Juxon City.

Advisor Morrog & Advisor Sellend: The king’s personal consults.

The Town Crier: Every morning he announces the latest Borrelia news.

Derkal: Frooby’s father and the town’s main vegetable seller.

Captain Festral: Captain of King Erageo’s soldiers.

Headmaster Donlage: Adenine’s teacher at the small Borrelia school.

I have always loved reading and writing, but it never occured to me to publish a book. When the Healers of Meligna story popped into my head, loved ones encouraged me to publish it. I’ve had endless support from those close and cherished friends, especially from Ryan who helped make this possible. I am endlessly grateful to you all.

Chapter One

This evening, my parents prepared a last meal of rice and pork before they took my uncle’s best horse and cart south for merchant trading. I asked if I could go with them. They said no, as they always did. Mid-spring signalled the gathering of merchants across my country, South Senya, for the Bivinia markets in Old Bow. At that time of year, I worried about my affliction most.

Frothy soap dripped from my wet fingers as I tried to scrub them clean. They were red and sore yet I still believed the cracks and lines in my palms hid traces of my disease.

‘That’s enough washing, Adenine. Come over here,’ Father said.

I darted my eyes to his and then back to my palms, annoyed with the dim light that did little to show the details of my skin. Being the last carrier of the Death Plague, I had to be extra careful that none of the impurities passed to Mother and Father’s clothes. Outside people weren’t immune to my disease.

I dropped the soap on the side of the wash dish. I wiped my hands on my dress and walked over to where Father and Uncle Garrad stood. All three of us waited for Mother to finish her flustered search for the provisions they would need on the trip. My hands still felt dirty, and I scratched at them with my fingernails.

Mrs. Moferbury, my tutor, had told me that the Death Plague had led to a civil war. Our country’s turmoil made the Bivinians see us as a cursed land, which was why my parents had to travel so far to retrieve their exotic merchandise. In order for a Bivinian to accept a trade from a Senyan merchant, the Senyan must be dressed in a tunic as white as snow and as clean as the coat of a prized mare to demonstrate purification of our Senyan filth. Mother said the Bivinians were an aloof people ruled by tradition and ritual.

‘Now, you be a good girl, Adenine, and keep your old uncle entertained,’ Father said, leaning over to tuck a strand of my dark brown, flyaway locks behind my ear.

‘Yes, Papa,’ I replied, giving him my warmest smile.

‘Don’t be mocking my age, little brother, or I’ll guzzle that there prized ale of yours,’ Uncle Garrad said from behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder. One good thing about my parents’ absence was that I got to spend time with my Uncle Garrad, who was older than my father yet twice the fun, mostly because he bent my parents’ rules.

The only light in the room came from two small lamps—my uncle held one of them—and the fire in the hearth. As Uncle Garrad moved, his lantern swung from side to side, causing shadows to dance on Father’s face. I reached out and tugged on my uncle’s long beard. My father chuckled and straightened his spotless tunic.

‘I would not be surprised if I returned to find my casks drained.’ Father winked at me.

‘Are you calling me a drunkard? Least I don’t kiss the arse of the weak-willed Bivinians.’

‘Without my bottom kissing, you wouldn’t have access to my brew, now would you?’

Uncle Garrad laughed and stroked his beard. ‘Can’t deny that, I s’pose.’

Their jousting didn’t change the empty feeling that filled my gut knowing Father and Mother would be gone soon. They’d be away for a month, but it would feel like forever. My heart fluttered a little. Soon, he would open the great oak and iron barricade of a door that separated our home’s second story from our shop below, Mystoria, a door that kept me in, and other people out.

Father lifted a large leather bag that bulged with coin, clothes, and other necessities. With his other hand, he twisted his fingers around the brass ring that secured two iron keys. With a jingle, he brought the keys up in front of him in order to choose between them. I held my breath. The cart was packed. Mother was almost done in the nearby storeroom, and I was filled with anticipation of what Father would do next.

I followed his every movement as he turned and pushed the largest key into the lock of the door and twisted. The sound of the moving cogs made the back of my neck tingle, as it spoke of forbidden escape. Father tugged on the handle, and the barricade door swung inward, creaking as it moved. The aroma of exotic perfumes and incense rushed up to meet me, and I breathed in the delicious combinations of sweet, sour, and spice. The openness of the room made me feel uneasy, but my curiosity began to drown any nervousness. I peered down the stone stairs that descended toward the areas I was normally banned from visiting. The stairwell seemed to sink into the black.

Mother emerged from the back room, white bonnet fastened, and she tried to smooth out a few creases in her matching white tunic. She frowned, spreading her fingers. ‘How’s a lady supposed to keep such a colour clean and neat?’

‘You’re as beautiful as a snowflower, my dear,’ Father said, grinning at her. He placed one of the door keys into Uncle Garrad’s hand.

Uncle Garrad put the key in the pocket of his pants, and a glimmer of amusement flashed in his eyes when he caught me watching.

‘There’s something different about you in that colour,’ Mother said, looking Father up and down.

Father glanced down at his clothes. ‘It’s the white. We don’t see it very often now the healers have turned their backs on us. It was their colour of choice, remember?’

Mother glared at Father, putting her hands on her hips. His eyes darted to me. My parents rarely mentioned the healers in my presence. Mrs. Moferbury wouldn’t tell me much about them either.

‘Take care of my darling daughter,’ Mother said to my uncle.

Uncle Garrad straightened, his brown shirt stretching over his slightly bulging stomach. ‘I’ll keep her warm, fed and… amused.’

Mother narrowed her eyes, but the corner of her mouth twitched. ‘Remember to administer her medicine once daily.’

I screwed up my face. I hated the sour green mush that came in tiny little bottles. I’d found ways to subdue the taste, like sucking on a sugar cube directly after swallowing.

Long ago, I thought I’d given Uncle Garrad my disease because he sometimes broke out in weeping red sores and groaned when he walked. Once, his sores were so bad that Mother and Father took a long expedition to find a cure, but they returned empty handed.

‘She’ll need a bath within four days, and make sure you keep that door locked,’ Mother added.

‘I won’t leave, Mama. You can trust me,’ I said.

‘I don’t worry about you, my dear Adenine. I worry about… well…’ And there was no need to for her to say more. She worried I would spread the plague.

‘I won’t leave. I promise,’ I repeated but felt a little thrill knowing I had lied. Soon, Uncle Garrad and I would venture outside together.

Mother leaned over to kiss me.

I flinched. ‘Should I wash again? I may not be clean still.’

Mother tickled me and kissed my hair. ‘You smell only of soap! Say goodbye to your papa.’

I threw my arms around Father, inhaling his familiar scent of linseed oil and beeswax. ‘Goodbye, Papa. Bring me back a picture book for my lessons.’

Picture books were my favourite. Mrs. Moferburry had taught me the basics of reading and writing, but she could only visit once a month. Sometimes, Uncle Garrad helped me with my homework. Mother and Father were far too busy with Mystoria to give me that kind of attention. Sometimes Mother complained to Father that they needed a maid. That conversation always ended the same.

‘We have to think of Adenine.’ What they really meant was, ‘We don’t want her infecting people.’

I’d learned much about the world, along with many merchant tricks, from listening to my parents tell of their adventures. Through the picture books, I could see the world.

‘Have fun,’ she whispered taking the second lantern off the shelf and leading the way downstairs.

On the third step, they turned and blew kisses at me. I waved at them until they disappeared around the corner.

Uncle Garrad finally shut the door. ‘They’ll be back before you know it. Now. What’ll we have for dinner then, eh?’

‘French toast and spiced custard with dates and raisins,’ I said and my stomach rumbled, pushing away my sadness at my parents’ departure.

My uncle pushed the key Father had given him into the lock and turned it. After it clicked, he faced me and sighed. ‘Cheer up,’ he said, touching my shoulder.

He led me to the kitchen. I sat, put my elbows on the counter, and rested my chin in my hands. I tried to ignore the heaviness in my chest by watching Uncle Garrad cook.

He cracked two eggs into a pewter bowl, mixed them with a wooden spoon, then retrieved two satchels from the pantry. One contained raisins and the other dates. He took a skillet from a hook and sliced a small piece of butter to oil the pan. I loved to watch him cook, and Uncle Garrad knew many recipes. It interested me that he always prepared our meals as though handling a small bird with a broken wing—something delicate, something to love.

He tipped the eggy mixture over two pieces of bread, walked to the hearth, and slid the skillet onto an iron rack suspended above the fire. He poked at the embers and added more wood. Flames illuminated the dark corners of the room. The dining table was still dim, so I lit the wick of a beeswax candle. The light pulsed for a moment, casting long oval shapes across varnished wood.

‘Can we go to the hill shack tonight?’ I asked.

He checked our frying bread, and took the pan off the rack. He placed it on a cooling base and pulled out two wooden plates. ‘Not tonight. Got to look after your parent’s shop, don’t I?’ He faced me, and white teeth peered from between where his moustache tangled with his beard.

I frowned and folded my arms. Mother and Father would murder my uncle if they knew that he let me outside. But he took care to give me a double dose of medicine before we departed, and I never met with anyone, let alone touched them. We always snuck out from the house at nighttime, and I would hide in Uncle Garrad’s cart drawn by his horse, Gobbler.

My uncle tightened his lips. ‘None of that pouting or I’ll eat your portion of our dinner.’ But his smile reassured me of his teasing.

‘No!’ I said, making fists at him.

He swatted at one and snorted. ‘End of this week then? Got to harvest the rest of my strawberries before autumn brings the frosts.’

I nodded. ‘Yum,’ I said, thinking that the ripe berries would go well with our french toast.

‘I got some business after dark tomorrow. You able to keep yourself happy for the day?’

‘You’re seeing that lady friend, aren’t you?’ I’d heard him and Father having a discussion about it a few months ago. Father had advised Uncle Garrad not to see the woman lest he spread his illness to her. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for my uncle. I knew how he felt because we both had to stay away from people in case they caught what we had.

His eyes sparkled. ‘That’s none of your concern now, is it?’’ Suddenly, the joy on his face faded, and he became lost in some haunting thought.

I felt bad. Not wanting to ruin the chance of visiting the hill shack, I made sure not to utter another word on the subject. Uncle Garrad owned a portion of land nestled at the base of the Borrelia Mountains. The hideaway was perfect, and I only got to go maybe once or twice a year. Thinking about the outside made me look at the long window high up the wall. I couldn’t see the usual twinkling of stars and knew it was cloudy outside. Heavy rain would make my uncle hesitate about going to the hill shack, lest the river rise and keep us from returning. Mother and Father would miss any monies lost from Uncle Garrad not getting back and trading for a day.

‘Here we go,’ he said, transferring the egg-covered bread to our plates. He placed them on the table.

‘Don’t forget to wash before you leave tomorrow,’ I warned him. ‘You might have bits of my sickness on you.’ I tucked into my food. I didn’t want anyone to die or be hurt because of me.

Uncle Garrad became quiet, and when I peered up at him, I saw his displeasure with me. He didn’t like that I carried the plague.

We ate our dinner in silence.

Chapter Two

The next day, the sun glimmered off the roofs of the houses I could see through my small triangular window in my cosy attic bedroom. The town square bustled with life. Market stalls stood side by side, ladened with supplies. I recognised many of the people who came to the square to spend their coin. Most were residents of Borrelia, while others were from outlying properties or visiting from the south. Borrelia became the last stop before South Senya ended and North Senya began. Once, on a rare occasion when Mother mentioned the healers, she told me that many people fled to Borrelia when the healers took control of Meligna, the great northern city.

One of those seeking refuge from Meligna was Ms. Black Bonnet, so named for always wearing a black hat. Every day, she would visit the fish stall, the cloth stall, then the trinket-maker’s store and finally, after buying nothing, would drag her feet to the doctor’s house. I knew it belonged to a doctor as the sick flocked there. Most coughed, others limped, and some arrived on stretchers. Some left on stretchers, too. People seemed to get sick a lot, but not me. Well, at least I never seemed to get what others got such as fluid in the lungs, a dripping nose or swollen eyes – sicknesses common to a snowy climate. Mother said that my blood wasn’t susceptible to the illnesses of others and that trait was an inherited one. But that confused me because both Mother and Father fell ill many times a year and seemed cautious of being around my uncle when he fell ill with his usual sores and cough.

I watched Mr. Fat Man, the vegetable seller, flirt with Ms. Big Chest, who seemed to like the attention. Some days, she ignored him or chased him off with a broom. Her moods were as fickle as the weather.

And then came my favourite part of the day, when the town crier, wearing his funny hat, shouted the midday news. Borrelia happenings were fairly boring, so in my mind, I replaced the town crier’s mundane news with my own fantastical tales.

‘Hear ye! Hear ye! A witch flew into town today. She’ll brew you a nasty potion for a silver coin or two.’

A long time ago, I’d asked my father to take me outside. I’d wanted to be like the other children playing in the streets.

‘Absolutely not,’ Father had said.

‘But I want to see the market, Papa.’

‘There’s something you need to know…’ That was the first time I’d learned about what brewed inside of me.

Tired of watching the world outside, I went downstairs and lit a small fire. I checked the washbasin and saw it held clean water. Uncle Garrad hadn’t washed, and I fretted over the chance he might spread traces of my disease.

I picked at my breakfast—a portion of bread and some honeyed drink—then began reading one of my favoured books about the animals of Bivinia. A few pages in, I became distracted by the barricade door. I thought about Uncle Garrad bargaining with customers and recording inventory downstairs. I walked over to the door and put my ear against it; the house seemed unusually quiet. There were no thumps, scrapes, or voices. I didn’t dare check the door lock. I couldn’t trust myself with the freedom if I found it open, and I didn’t want to hurt anyone.

I washed my hands. Not clean. I washed them again. I wiped down any surfaces I’d touched and resumed my reading. The day passed slowly. I tended to other chores, sweeping, dusting, and darning a torn apron. When the daylight passed, and the living room darkened, I lit a lamp. My stomach rumbled, and I looked at the food Uncle Garrad had laid out on the kitchen bench.

The fire in the hearth had just ignited when I heard a thump downstairs. There were several more thuds and the sound of things being knocked over. I spun around to watch the door. My heart raced, and I wished I’d checked to see if the door was locked. I hoped it was my uncle and not a thief or criminal. I’d learned about thieves from Mrs. Moferburry who lived in Juxon City, the capital of Senya, a place she called Pilfers’ Paradise.

Hearing the scrape of a key in the lock, I relaxed. Uncle Garrad stumbled through the door, swaying under the influence of too much liquor.

‘’ello there,’ he slurred, making an exaggerated waving gesture. ‘What’s my wittle princess cookin’ her favourite uncle this evening?’

I noticed a festering sore on his left hand. I scanned the rest of his exposed skin, desperately searching for more wounds, troubled by the possibility that his illness might flare up and see him bed ridden. Without Mother and Father, I would have to care for him.

There were no more sores that I could see, but Uncle Garrad managed to catch my gaze as it fixated on his hand.

He put his arm behind his back. ‘Tsk tsk, it’s rude to stare.’ A hint of drool came from the side of his mouth. Clumsily, he pulled the key from the other side of the door lock, shut the door, and then relocked it. He took four uneven steps forward and fell into a lounging chair. He swung his legs up on the side of the armrest, and his head drooped as his eyes closed.

I tried to calculate how long Uncle Garrad would be sick and whether I’d have to call for a doctor. My thoughts raced, and I tried to quieten them by focusing on cooking. I dropped pork into the boiling water and pulled out the rest of the ingredients. I unhooked the skillet and began to oil it. When he began to snore, I closed my eyes and breathed out with relief.

A few minutes later, he grunted and peered at me with bloodshot eyes. ‘You’re so lucky aren’t you? Parents that love you. A whole future of life. And to finish off that mountain of luck, every man will want you. They won’t turn away in disgust like women do to me.’

Uncle Garrad rubbed his eyes and then put both hands out in front of him and spread his fingers. He pointed at the mark on his hand. ‘See this? It be a curse on my life! Loneliness. Rejection…’ He trailed off, his head slumping back again, and the snores resumed.

The key fell and clanked on the stone floor. Slowly, I stepped toward it, crouched, and picked it up. I held it as if it were a porcelain ornament. I placed the key on the table next to my uncle, forcing my fingers to let it drop. I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the desire to unlock the door and go down into Mystoria.

The sizzling of water brought my attention back to the cooked meat. I took the pan to the kitchen bench and scooped the meat from the water. Droplets sizzled on the sides of the iron pot. Uncle Garrad had been so sick once before that he’d spent a month in his home. Mother said when the sores were fresh people could catch the sickness. Neither of my parents had ever worried I’d catch it, but they’d been careful not to touch him.

I squashed the hot meat and herbs into balls and placed them on a cloth. I’d lost my appetite and decided Uncle Garrad would appreciate the ready-to-cook edibles in the morning. I found some apples in the pantry and placed two of them in a large pocket in my apron. They would see me through until morning.

I retrieved my parent’s quilt and spread it over Uncle Garrad, being careful not to wake him. I tipped the water I’d used to boil the pork over the fire to extinguish the flames. I picked up a candle and held it in front of me to see my way upstairs.

As I passed Uncle Garrad, I paused and inspected the sore again. Two other red circles were beginning to form on his skin close by. Tomorrow, more sores would appear, and soon, they would spread to his face and body. I only hoped the fever would be mild and short lived.

Chapter Three

The next morning, rain pattered against my windowpane, and my room felt colder than usual. I threw back my covers. Remembering the night before, I jumped up and sped downstairs to the living room. The lounging chair was empty, but my parents’ bedroom door sat ajar. Two large feet poked out from underneath a blanket on my parents’ bed. A small mound of lifeless coals sat in the hearth. The key had disappeared from the table, yet the barricade door sat wide open. I put my hand over my mouth in shock and ran to it, using all my strength to force it closed. With shaking hands, I went to my uncle and found the key on the bedside table. I took it back to the door and locked it.

After emptying the dirty water from the basin into a nearby bucket, I refilled it from our water barrel and added sage, lavender, rosepetals, and almond flour. I took the soap that sat nearby and wiped the scratchy block over my fingers.

Not clean enough. I used my fingernails to scrape at my skin. When I saw it become red and swell a little, I felt satisfied. I took a cloth and wiped down the barricade door and the key, then crept back to my parents’ room and returned the key to the table beside Uncle Garrad. No harm done.

I took the stack of firewood to the hearth and thought, smallest, small, medium, big. A simple recipe to make the fire. Deep in the ash, I found glowing embers. I sprinkled dry leaves and twigs on them and blew a little. The embers grew redder, and then a leaf caught alight. It glowed and curled. Quickly, I added sticks. I waited for them to catch and then added branches. Lastly came two large logs.

I tiptoed back to my uncle’s side. The sores had spread to his face. I gently pulled the cover over his exposed feet and lifted the blanket that covered his chest. The red spots were spreading across his torso. I touched his arm. Beads of cold sweat lined the skin, yet his forehead felt hot with infection.

‘Uncle,’ I said, shaking his shoulder, being careful not to touch the sores.

He groaned and his eyes fluttered for a moment.

‘Water. Fetch me water.’

I brought a goblet of water. He cringed with every swallow then lay back down. His beard stuck to different parts of his upper body, and I gathered it up and tied it out of the way.

‘I’m going to get worse. But it won’t last long,’ he said. ‘I’ll tell you what to do.’

I fought the tears that wanted to leak from my eyes and nodded.

Over the course of the day, the skin on the sores broke, wept, and yellowed. Bouts of fever brought pain and shaking. During his alert moments, he educated me on how to tend to his different symptoms.

Three days into his illness, it seemed the worst had passed. Scabs formed over the sores, and his forehead cooled. I disposed of any waste in containers and stowed them in the storeroom, but the smell of the bed became putrid. I knew how Mother treasured her bed, which she had told me on many occasions contained special goose feathers from Bivinia.

On day four Uncle Garrad’s fever subsided, and he managed to haul himself up into a sitting position and take some leftover leek soup. ‘Thank you,’ he said after slurping up the last of the broth. Holes had replaced previously smooth skin, and a red blotchy rash spread across the upper body. ‘I must look horrible. Like a monster.’

I patted an unmarked spot on his hand. ‘The scars will heal.’He looked at me with hopeful grey eyes. ‘Yes, they will. But this isn’t over. More will come. But not today, and not for a while.’ He reached out and squeezed my hand. He shifted back under the covers, and his eyes closed. ‘The worst is over,’ he whispered, and the relief on his face gave me hope as he fell back asleep.

The window in my parents’ room had always been boarded. In fact the only windows without boards were the ones in the attic and kitchen. That meant I couldn’t easily ventilate the stale bedroom air. I wondered if Mother had a pouch of dried flowers in her dresser. After searching, I found some that smelled of rose and lavender. I also retrieved some lavender oils from the pantry and sprinkled it everywhere. The fresh fragrance seemed to bring the house alive.

Hours later, footsteps drew my attention from my reading, and I looked up to see my Uncle Garrad standing tall in the living room.

He walked over, lifted the ends of my hair, and sniffed them.

‘You smell as bad as I do. Our baths are long overdue, don’t you think?’

‘Yes. You need to bathe. Uncle, I tended to you too much. You must wash my disease from your skin.’

He frowned and looked away. ‘Were you scared?’

‘Yes.’ I burst into tears.

He held out his arms, and I went to him and crawled up on his lap. He hugged me tightly while gently stroking my head. I’d never seen him that bad before. Whenever he got the sores in the past, Mother and Father had been home, and they kept him away from me. They worried it would upset me to see him sick, and they’d been right. It was dreadful.

After a while, there were no tears left, and he set me back on the ground and stood. ‘Let’s take a bath. You first.’

We had extra stores of water in the backyard, and since the day had turned to night, I could help him. A tall fence surrounded our yard. Outside, the cold air made my chest ache. In the distance, two women laughed and a dog barked. I took a moment to listen to the other sounds of the town. How I longed to explore the streets. I shook my head and concentrated on moving the large barrels into the house and across the floor of Mystoria.

Uncle helped me with the last barrel. ‘Thank you, you’ve been a great help,’ he said, locking the door. For a moment, he stared at the key

Reviews for Concealed Power

[cheriemccurry-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a really good read. I could not put the book down until it was finished! The story is set in a fantasy realm. The characters are believable and not over-the-top. The plot of the story is interesting. Adenine is a young girl, who is different than most girls her age. She is very sheltered due to this difference. I loved how Adenine matured through the story. She could have given up, but instead she chose to fight , and that was the best part of the story. Even though the world may seem harsh, I look forward to the next book, to see how Adenine can make it better! Would definitely recommend to others to read!

[lorihopkins · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was given the opportunity to read this for free in exchange for an honest review from librarything.com.I loved, loved loved this book! The characters were really good, the "world" it was in was fabulous, and the mythology behind it was outstanding! I cannot wait to read the next one!

[mshooker · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

[Concealed Power (The Healers of Meligna Book 1)] by [K.J. Colt] is a story of a young girl who was born with great powers but her parents hid this from her and her from the world. When a trusted relative tries in desperation to take advantage of her powers Adenine's world begins to crumble.The twists within this story are somewhat predictable but that does not make the story any less enjoyable to anyone who likes the fantasy genre.

[honoliipali · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I usually do not read fantasy books and I would not choose one if I knew. However, that was before reading this book. I thought that this book was very clever. I found the difference in characters very interesting. The author went so far as listing the characters as a prologue along with descriptions. I found that clarifying.Overall, I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to those who enjoy the fantasy genre. As for me, not a fan of the genre, I would read the series if it were free.

[sportzmomof5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.I am not a big fantasy reader, but I am so glad that I requested this book. It was very unique and easy to read. The story flows very well and you find yourself not wanting to put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy or who wants to try out the genre.

[carod_51 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Thirteen year old Adenine has been kept in isolation her whole life. She has been told that she is last carrier of the Death Plague that killed thousands of her country's people. When her mother falls ill, Adenine must leave the house to get help. This is the first step to a new life with friends, danger and secrets. The world building in this novel was well done. I was curious to learn more about the various countries and peoples of this world. The characters, including the minor ones, are all very fully realized and develop and change during the novel. I did have a couple of issues with the novel. For one thing, Adenine is so very naive and gullible and mostly the victim of circumstances rather than an active protagonist. When she finally begins to make decisions for herself, she mostly makes very poor decisions. I prefer YA novels to have stronger female protagonists. I also found that the novel spent too long in Adenine's time at home and in her village and then rushed a bit once she had to leave her home. The periods on the run and in the capital could have been explored much further, and less time spent establishing Adenine's home life and childhood. Hopefully the sequel will explore more of this interesting world and allow Adenine to become a stronger, and smarter, character.Warning: this book contains references to the molestation and sexual exploitation of girls which, although not explicit, may upset some readers.

[jldobias · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Concealed Power by K.J. Colt

First off I received this book free. To be honest I might not have read it if it hadn't been free. Mostly because it is just a bit out of my usual favorite genre. I really loved this story because it made me very angry and I'll explain that. I purchased a copy afterward, on amazon, because the story and the author deserve that much.

This book reminds me of all those old classic favorites of mine which also are a bit away from my favorite genre. It's reminiscent of Charles Dickens in its richly described atmosphere and well told characterizations. It has the mystery and intrigue of many of my favorite Alexander Dumas. Except, K.J. Colt's style is her own.

I have no idea of what the era of the story is. All I know is that its a time of backward benighted people who treat all illness as some sort of curse caused by witches and devils. And, Adenine is caught up into it with a heart of gold and the innocence of a child.

The reader is introduce to the story through a series of events seen through Adenine's eyes. Not only is this the way that K.J. Colt has chosen to tell the story, I'll venture a wager that it was the way the story chose to be told. First person is not always easy and has to be mastered in order to come out well at the other end. K.J. does this. It's always too easy to slip into making the story sound like a shopping list or laundry list when doing first person and I never once felt that way. Instead we are brought right into the world of Adenine without any unnecessary overhead.

What this does for the story is it creates a series of mysteries that will unfold as Adenine is able to discern them. And this is where I got angry. It's always a triumph when what you read takes you out of your comfort zone, which is what Concealed Power does. It's even more of a feat when it can move the reader with real emotion.

I was angry that these things were happening to Adenine. Disturbed that her parent left her with her uncle when her uncle was in such a shattered state and that it all led to disaster. Distraught that it seemed that Adenine was being treated poorly even by her parents. And very confused and distressed that she had been blinded and that I wasn't sure, but it seemed her parents were actively responsible for this.

I Can tell you that at that point I resolved that K.J. Colt had better have some good reasons for all these thing to have to happen to this poor little girl of 11 years.

Adenine lives with her father Adronian and mother Capacia in a sheltered life because she has some rare Death Plague that will infect anyone she comes in contact with. She watches life from her window while her parent run their shop Mystoria. On occasion her favorite Uncle, Garrad, takes care of her and sneaks her out of the house at night to visit his shack. Her life seems like a bad enough life as it is, it's about to explode into something worse.

Adenine will lose her sight and half her family and when what's left is too sick to care for her, Adenine has to venture into the world she's been kept from. She's about to discover her life has been a lie and she's going to have to grow up quickly to be able to take care of herself in a world that may be set to reject her.

K.J. Colt delivers but it takes quite some time, almost half way through the story for the reader to begin to get some answers. I can't agree with much of what her parents have done and it seems there are quite a number of other characters in the story who, for various reasons, will eventually agree with that assessment.

The important thing is that this story evokes emotion and delivers a well paced story with moments of the mundane contrasting the trials and tribulations that confront Adenine. The heartbreak and thankfully some of the joy.

This book is for anyone who loves Fantasy fiction and has enjoyed many of the classics of yesterdays authors. It has a well built world of specific customs and values that, though often frustrating, make perfect sense for this story. This is a great story for anyone who doesn't mind being jerked out of their comfort zone for few moments to set the stage for the rest of the story.

The best part is that you don't have to agree with how the characters act because there will always be another character within the story who will agree with you about that even if that character has some disagreeable qualities. And the actions for these characters make perfect sense within the story for the character no matter how frustrated or angry it makes you.

I like a story that makes me think and love the one that makes me feel.

J.L. Dobias