The Dragon Heart: The Chronicles of Evana Sweetland, #1

By Nathan Pedde and Audrey Pedde

In a land of islands, and ocean. A new danger cascades over the land. A young girl might be the only one able to save them all.

Evana Sweetland is an ordinary girl that likes to walk on the beach. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happens to her. Then Evana picks up a shiny jewel off of the beach. A series of events erupt out of nowhere and flips her comfortable world upside down. Events that must be endured and survived.

Eve pulled from her normal life and thrust into a world of dragons, faeries, magical jewels and hidden powers. Eve must find the shattered pieces of the gem called the Dragon's Heart. Before the shards can turn more people into monsters and beasts. 

If you like fantasy stories about magic, dragons, and magical jewels. Then you will enjoy the action-packed, race against time serial written by the father-daughter team, Nathan, and Audrey Pedde.

Grab a copy of "The Dragon's Heart" today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pedde House Publishing
• Release date: Aug 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9780995984622

Book preview

Chapter One

Evana Sweetland skipped along the beach. She was a ten-year-old girl who lived in the village of Freiburg. Eve was a happy girl who enjoyed skipping along the sea as she walked back and forth to the tiny house that was her school.

Eve was tall and skinny for her age. She had long curly black hair that kept getting into her face most of the time.

Today she wore her school uniform. A white shirt and dark green and dark purple skirt. A small backpack rested against her back, in it was the remains of her lunch and a couple books.

Eve. A voice called out from behind her, Wait up.

Eve turned around to see who called out to her.

Susanna. Eve called out to the other girl, What took you so long?

Susanna was a younger girl that went to her school. She was in one grade lower than Eve, but they walked back and forth to school along the same route. Susanna wore the same uniform as Eve.

I'm sorry Eve, Susanna said, I only stopped for a second. There was a pretty flower.

Did you pick it? Eve asked.

Yes. Susana showed off a flower in her dark hair, Why didn't you wait for me?

I told you. Eve said, I need to hurry home.

Right, cause you have work to do.

That's right. Eve said, I have to help my mom and my dad in the restaurant.

Well. Susanna said, I don't have to do that.

I know, Eve said as she walked faster.

Eve found Susanna annoying at the best of times. Susanna's dad was the Captain of the Guard in the small village. That made Susanna think that she was more important than the rest of the villagers. Eve could barely stand her.

You're dawdling again. Eve said, I can't wait up for you.

Eve walked along the sandy beach and then up a small grassy knoll. At the top of it, she saw the village. The village was made up of homes and work places of a hundred different families. The houses were built out of white rock and mortar. Red clay tiled roof shingles splashed color across the vista.

Eve walked down the other side of the small grassy knoll and into the village. People walked down the street absorbed in their tasks, most were dressed in work clothe. Eve passed lumberjacks, and farmers, as well as fishermen, and fisher-women.

Eve turned a corner and came to her home.

I said to wait up, Susana yelled from behind Eve.

And I said that I can't wait. Eve said, Just because you don't have work to do after school, doesn't mean that the rest of us don't.

Are you gonna go to school tomorrow at the same time? Susana asked.

Yes, Susana. Like always.

Eve walked towards her mom's restaurant. The restaurant was called, 'Heyhey's Chicken Eatery."

The restaurant was a smaller building with a large patio space out front filled with tables and umbrellas. The red umbrellas matched the red-tiled roof in a way Eve enjoyed looking at. Eve also liked the view of the harbor from the patio.

Eve turned back to the restaurant. Eve noticed that a couple patrons were seated at some tables. Bowls full of her mom's famous chicken soup in front of them.

Taking a break from work? Eve asked the two patrons.

The pair of elderly men came to the restaurant every day to sit on the patio, and people watch. According to them, they enjoyed looking at the different people walking back and forth along the streets.

Of course young Eve. One of the men said, A nice long break.

Eve rolled her eyes as she walked towards the large double doors.

Eve, A voice called out from the restaurant, Is that you?

The voice was her mother's. Her mom's name was Katherine Sweetland. Katherine was the owner of the restaurant. She had inherited it from her mother, who had inherited it from her mother. According to her mother, Eve will be the eighth in a row to own the restaurant.

Eve wasn't sure about the sound of that. Eve wasn't sure if she wanted to run a restaurant for her entire life. She wanted adventure. She wanted to go see places and see things. The village was on an island in the middle of the Scattered Isles after all. All three hundred islands needed to be explored.

Yes, mom, Eve said as she entered the restaurant.

The restaurant was bright and cheery. Large oil lamps hung from the wood rafters that brought out the cheerful furnishings and tables. Large windows stretched along the southern wall and let natural sunlight into the restaurant, the wall that faced the patio and the harbor.

On the opposite wall was the large collage. It was a massive collection of rocks, shells, and driftwood. It was incomplete. It needed some more things to give it a look that Eve couldn't quite get.

Katherine was a skinny woman with petite features. She had a small dimpled face that looked like it had been stuck smiling at one point and froze. At least Eve's mom was always happy. Almost always happy, Eve corrected herself. Katherine was wearing a purple blouse and a gray skirt. A purple apron was wrapped around her waist.

You're late. Katherine said, I need you to go feed the chickens out back, then dishes need to be done.

Yes, mom. Eve said, Let me change out of my school uniform, and I'll do it.

Eve walked through the backroom and into their living space. Their real home.

Their home was three small rooms at the back of the restaurant. There was a little living room with a tall bookshelf, then there was her bedroom and then her parent's bedroom.

Eve entered her tiny bedroom. Her room had a small bed off to one side as well as a little desk to the other. A half-full bookshelf sat to the other side. Her window looked over the chicken coop in the backyard.

Eve quickly changed out of her school uniform and into some of her work clothes. The work clothes matched her mom. Purple blouse, gray skirt, and purple apron.

Eve finished changing and left her room. After she fed the chickens, she went to the kitchen to tackle the pile of dishes that awaited her.

Chapter Two

It took longer than Eve thought it should have to clean all of the dishes. She swore that her dad dirtied four pots, a pan and eighteen pieces of cutlery just to boil water.

The kitchen had a large wood cook stove with chimney pipe that snaked its way across the kitchen to exit the room just above her head. Eve stood in what her parents called the dish-pit. A collection of three sinks and drying racks that Eve had to use to clean all of the dishes. Each of the sinks had scalding hot water that ran from the boiler out back.

Eve's mother, Katherine walked into the kitchen. A couple plates in her hands.

Here's a couple more, Katherine said.

Where's dad? Eve asked.

It's a slow day. Katherine said, He's headed to Heipburg to get some more chickens.

Right. Eve said, When's he gonna be back?

Tomorrow. Katherine said, Like usual. Why?

Cause I want him to buy a magic spell to get these dishes done faster, Eve said.

Katherine smiled and laughed. Her voice was sweet music to Eve's ears.

That would cost a small fortune. Katherine said, But nice try.

How long until we close for the day? Eve asked.

Why? Katherine asked.

Cause I want to go down to the beach to find some shells for my collage.

Go. Katherine said, Just be back before nightfall.

The restaurant?

I can handle a slow day by myself, and new dirty dishes can wait for you to do tomorrow after school.

Eve ran into her room and quickly changed out of her sticky work clothes and into a yellow dress. No, she changed her mind and got dressed in the blue one. She grabbed a wicker basket as she left her room.

Eve ran out of her room and through the restaurant.

Slow down. Her mom yelled, And have fun.

Eve exited the restaurant and onto the patio.

Shell hunting? one of the old men asked from their table.

Of course. Eve said, My collage won't finish itself.

Eve ran down the road towards the harbor. Eve was going to get a look at the