Smoke and Mirrors

By Melanie Hatfield

Under the guise of Tina the Terrible, Princess Azedeh fights evil within her kingdom. When an impostor uses Tina’s persona to murder the wealthy, she must investigate before another innocent life is taken. Her pursuit takes a turn when she discovers the impostor may be a victim who idolizes the violent justice Tina enforces. Our heroine must find a balance between violence and peace, or be killed by her own devices.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melanie Hatfield
• Release date: Feb 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311521996

Melanie Hatfield

Melanie Hatfield spent a decade in Los Angeles with hopes of becoming a television sitcom writer. That dream did not come true, but she learned how to write like a pro. She wrote her first fantasy series, Kingdom of the Snark, to incorporate her two favorite genres of comedy and fantasy. Her second fantasy series, The Chronicles of Turrack is an action-adventure spin-off from Snark. Ms. Hatfield currently lurks in her hometown of Kansas City and writes whatever she pleases!

Book preview

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

BOOK 2 OF THE CHRONICLES OF TURRACK

Melanie Hatfield

Smoke and Mirrors: Book 2 of The Chronicles of Turrack

By Melanie Hatfield

Copyright 2016 by Melanie Hatfield

Smashwords Edition

Cover art by JoshuaJadon.com

Digital edition produced by Maureen Cutajar

www.gopublished.com

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, taping, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner except in the context of reviews, quotes, or references. To obtain permission, contact the writer through her website at www.melaniehatfield.com.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Anything in this novel that is anyway similar to your own life and/or work is coincidental.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Kyla (A Short Story)

About the Author

Chapter One

I wrap my body around the tip of the Golden Castle’s horn in a tight embrace. The world beneath me nothing more than flickering dots, the lanterns of the Golden City minuscule in the darkness of night. The winds whip my black cloak around me, and I fear my Tina the Terrible disguise could rip off my body. Using the teleportation gem Halotana gave me three months ago as a device for extreme flight seemed like a good idea, but now those second thoughts were tugging at my heart. Or perhaps that is the butterflies wanting to purge from my stomach.

It’s not as though this was an impulsive decision. I’ve been practicing this jump for weeks. I first tested the gem itself on Numerio. I challenged him to foot races, just to use the gem embedded into my crown and teleported directly to the designated finish line around the hallway corner. My little brother refused to believe what I thought was a brilliant explanation of, I am so fast, you cannot see me when I run. He insisted on rematches every hour, and I eventually just allowed him to win to make him stop.

I then researched the perfect places to land safely. I consulted Evangeline on hypothetical places I should land if, by chance, I were to fall from a tall structure. After my cousin prodded me for more details of my Tina adventures, she advised it would be best to land in a large body of water. She then diagramed the best method of entering said water, although this was hypothetical as well since there weren’t many pools, ponds, or any other types of exposed bodies of water in the Golden City. She gave me more realistic options, but as far as this jump was concerned, it seemed as though water would make the best landing pad.

That lead to the trickiest part of this act—the only body of water that would be large enough to allow to me fall from the top of the Golden Castle and have enough depth to cushion my body was the ocean. The issue was that I have to visualize the location I want to teleport to in order for the gem to work, and my thoughts can only depict memories of places I have actually seen. The beaches were given to the mutant Dandelions (as detailed in other places of Turrack’s history books). I had only seen paintings of beaches made before the people in my kingdom stopped venturing to such places, and if they were not accurate, then I could not create an exact visual in my mind. The gem would not teleport me to fictional places, so I had to get the visual exactly right.

It took me three weeks of staring at paintings before I could master the visualization. It was a piece entitled Below the Cliffs that provided the best accuracy for the gem to work. I stared at it for a full minute before the gem teleported me in a flash of green light. I stumbled backwards upon golden sand, the remnants of ocean waves lapped at my ankles. Birds squawked as they flew in and out from their nests embedded into the cliff wall. It was strange to see such animals take flight—most fowl in Turrack have evolved to become such huge beasts that they lost their ability to fly centuries ago, or so Evangeline has explained to me several times. These creatures were too far above for me to get a good glimpse of them, but I didn’t spend all this time to stare at weird flying creatures.

I saw the ocean, and that was the only visual I needed before my next step.

I tested the gem with a small jump. When I was back in my chambers, I leapt from my bed and thought of the ocean. The gem made me land directly upon the beach, and I realized that I would have to actually go into the water for this jump to work. Turrack isn’t known for boats, but the Kingdom of Quaal is. I visualized the places I saw when I ventured into those lands as Tina the Terrible, and in that guise, I teleported back to that land. I had more than enough coin to borrow a merchant’s vessel that he designed for children for an hour. The tricky part was teleporting the boat back to the beach without anyone witnessing my magic. I nearly threw out my back dragging it into the woods, but all I had to do was hold onto the boat’s edge as the gem performed its trick to get it to come with me.

Back at the beach, I drifted into the middle of the water. I teleported from the boat to my chambers successfully, but coming back I would come in a few feet above the floating device. That was all I needed for my jump. I teleported back to Quaal and returned the boat I had borrowed, although I’m certain the merchant was confused as to why his ware was already wet.

I jumped from my bed to the ocean several times. I leapt from my chamber’s balcony into the water without any issues. Now, as I remain clinging onto the tip of the horn upon the Golden Castle, it seems as though I may have not prepared enough.

I remove my hood and mask. I free one hand to run my fingers over the pins securing the crown to my head. I must of have touched them thousands of times to make certain they haven’t come loose. I take in five deep breaths.

I release my arms, and the rest of my body follows. I allow myself to fall, but the wind punches my gut and I tumble backwards.

I barely fall a few inches before I visualize my bed, landing with a slight jump into my private chambers.

My heart feels as though it will pound its way out of my chest when I land upon my mattress. What was I doing this for, anyway? I had nothing to prove to anyone, nor could I even brag about such an accomplishment. Magic was still outlawed in my kingdom, and even if my peers would to discover my trick, Tina the Terrible would be deemed too undignified for them to acknowledge any such feat. I didn’t have to go through with this. I could just sleep like my parents think I do at night.

Such thoughts of quitting offer no satisfaction for my soul. There’s a void in my everyday life that this jump is supposed to fill. Evangeline says it best when she looks upon my serious countenance: It seems to me, dear cousin, that perhaps you could take a few moments for some fun every once in a while.

I sigh, get off my bed, and start pacing around. Every waking moment of my life is spent for my people. In the day, I am the proper future queen in training. At night, I suffer bruises protecting the Golden City against the vile ones who threaten the good citizens in the guise of Tina the Terrible. Was it so wrong for me to do something a bit selfish? I spent too much effort and planning to give up now. I have to follow through with this.

There’s still something off in my idea to make me feel comfortable trying it again tonight. When morning comes, I remember a book in which the hero used cloth to glide down from a tower where he was held hostage. He couldn’t just jump down as there was a moat with vile creatures swimming in the waters, but the parachute he created allowed him to float over it. That made me discover the true source of my hesitation—the levels that encircle around the Golden Castle get wider as you go down. I couldn’t just make a straight jump toward the ground. I would splat upon a lower level before I could think to visualize the ocean.

I take the parachute idea to Evangeline, who’s more than enthusiastic to design something. It’s not until a few hours before supper that she comes to me with plans. She takes me into her hidden laboratory buried in her closet, making a quick meeting before we would be summoned to our evening meal.

You could tie the ends of your cloak to your ankle, she informs me from across her table.

That’s it? I reply. It seems a bit too simple to work.

But simplicity is always best. If you were to fall from a tall structure, you may not have much time to dig out a full parachute from a pouch, or a pack, or whatever you carry. You could, in theory, create straps at the bottom of your cloak to wrap around your ankles. With your agility, you could perform this feat during a single flip in the air.

In ‘theory?’ I inquire, arching an eyebrow.

Evangeline shrugs. It is not as though I have had much opportunity to conduct tests on such a scenario.

I’m better skilled with a thread and needle than my cousin, so I create the adjustments to my cloak based on her suggestions. I try it a few times from my bed to the ocean, but I’m always coming in a few feet above the water. The only way I could truly test it would be to jump from a higher distance.

So just two nights after my conversation with Evangeline, I’m back to clinging to the top of the castle. I strapped my cloak to my ankles with slip-on ties, but for this practice, I used additional rope to make certain the cloth loops stay put. I take in so many breaths I lose count. I keep reminding myself that, should anything go wrong, I can always teleport myself back to bed. I can’t allow fear to cloud my thoughts—I must remain calm and in control.

I take in one last breath before I let go.

The wind punches me in the gut, as I expected. The air fills my cloak, making me soar backwards. The fabric tightens around my ankles and even upon the collar of my neck where my cloak fastens. It’s not enough to cut off my breathing, but it clouds my mind with panic.

At first, I fly upward, and the castle shrinks underneath me. I take in the scene beneath my feet, and the beauty of my kingdom makes my breath pause. Flickering lamps from the streets twinkle like stars upon the ground. The summer air is so clear I swear I can see the smaller villages, some of which would take a week to reach on horseback.

The awe of the sight clears my mind of fear just as gravity takes its proper hold.

I twist my body, allowing the wind to catch my cloak. I feel as if I’m soaring as I make my descent, the blood pumping through my veins, tingling with excitement. I throw my hood off, releasing a victorious whoop as I fly over the Golden Castle, although I can barely hear myself from the roar of my speed.

Homes seem like toys, the roads more like scribbles upon parchment. It seems as though I have been airborne forever, but in moments, the outskirts of the city are beneath me. A tall apartment building seems to grow from the ground like a stalk of corn. I flip around, and just as I’m about to plant my boots against a sturdy wall, I think of the ocean.

I disappear in a flash of green light. In an instant, I slam feet first into the water. I sink into the depths; the pulsating glow of the teleportation gem is my only source of light in the complete darkness.

I begin to fear that I may sink longer than I fell, but eventually I slow down. I hover in the water, the moonlight barely glimmering upon the surface above. My lungs start aching for air, and I kick upward with all my might. The ties around my ankles are no help, and the manner in which my cloak is fastened to me only causes delay.

I spin in the water, flipping around so my feet are in my face. As I untie the rope, something grazes against my back. I glance around as I continue my work, but only shadows dance in my vision. I’m uncertain if there is something in the water with me, but my lungs burn for air. Once my ties are free, I swim toward the surface with all haste.

Then that shadowy something ensnares my cloak.

The strap I created for my ankles proves to be sturdier than I originally assumed. Whatever took the loop for itself was powerful, and I soar through the water like an arrow from a bow. My cloak tightens around my neck, which doesn’t help my need for air. I try to unfasten it but the creature spins around, and in my struggle, I release a yelp of panic. Water enters my mouth and nostrils, the salt burning my sinuses.

I grip my crown just before the last of the steel pins tears loose. I press my teleportation device firmly upon my head. I can’t take this thing back to my chambers and I can’t return to the city if this water beast ends up coming with me when I teleport, so I visualize the first open space I can think of in which there would be no one around to be harmed.

The gem flashes its green light, and the creature and I slide across the sands of the Dead Lands. It’s the exact place where I first landed here months ago, the only witness to this event was the moon and stars in the sky. The sand slows down our momentum, and by the time I catch my breath, we come to a stop.

The monster flips upon the sand, taking me along