Invited by the Elements: Card Masters Saga, #1

By Bria Lexor

Sixteen-year-old Mixie Avalon is unpopular. She stumbles upon a magic shop and discovers a magical blank deck of cards. Little does she know a secret organization known as the Council of Chronos is after the magic these cards possess. Mixie is the only one who can unlock the magic.The Council of Chronos's youngest member Chassin Lightborn has a devious plan on getting the cards away from Mixie by creating a contest where the winner will get their cards turned into a trading card game sponsored by his company Aggrivao Silverlace Industries. Will Mixie fall into their trap by entering her cards in the competition? Or will the Council of Chronos have to kill her in order to take the magic for themselves?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bria Lexor
• Release date: Feb 14, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393050247

Bria Lexor

Bria Lexor is the author of popular Paranormal Romance books. She lives in Colorado and works on her books full-time.

Book preview

PROLOGUE

LONG AGO, THERE LIVED a Priestess named Cressida Sage, who’s gifted with magical abilities, unlike anything which has not seen before. Because of this Priestess, they hunted Cressida down by The Council of Chronos, an evil organization that wanted to rule the world. The Council of Chronos eventually captured and killed priestess Cressida for not cooperating with them. Before her death, Priestess Cressida had placed all of her magic into a blank deck of cards we had given her to use and told everyone that she would one day return and get her revenge on those who wrongly accused her of being a witch. Since then, The Council of Chronos has been searching for the Priestess’s cards but has had no luck. Centuries later the cards have resurfaced, and a teenage girl has found them. This is her story...

ONE

MIXIE

I was walking home from school and had taken a different route today than I normally would have taken. I’m also exhausted because of my insomnia; I wasn’t sleeping very much at all. It didn't help that I was also being bullied at school daily by a girl named Harlow Norcross. Harlow was popular, and she hated me, I didn't understand. I was a loner who didn’t really have many friends because I was weird in the popular kid’s eyes.

My name is Mixie Avalon, and I’m sixteen years old. I am a Freshman at Acadia Grove Preparatory High. I have long orange hair with a blonde streak down the middle of my head, which makes the nickname Skunk Girl relevant I streak to me since my hair is like one. Anyway, I’m lost me in my thoughts when I suddenly felt cold drops of water hitting me in my face. It had started raining. I didn’t think to bring my jacket today, and I really wish I would have because I didn’t want my uniform to get wet. Without thinking, I ran into the first store I saw. I didn't care what it was being sold inside if I could stay dry, that's all that matters to me right now.

I opened the door and pushed it, making the bell hanging on the inside gave a gentle chime as the bell swing back and forth a few times before coming to a stop. I closed the door behind me and sighed in relief, happy to be out of the rain. I looked around and saw that it was a magic shop which I had entered. There were books, sage, candles, incense, crystals and so much more in here. There was quiet music playing from a radio in the distance, and I looked for the shopkeeper but could not see one in sight. I shrugged and started browsing through the store, checking out the statues first. They were of angels, fairies, dragons, everything you could imagine is here. I smiled as I continued my way through the unique store. I had never been in a magic store until now, that is. It was cool. I let my guard down and continued to browse the shelves when a small white box caught my eye. It was skinny and was the length of my hand. I reached for it when a female voice spoke from behind me, startled me.

I see you found the cards of Priestess Cressida. I yelped in surprise and twirled around to find an elderly woman standing behind me. She was short with long white hair, and she smiled warmly back at me. I didn’t mean to startle you, my dear, she said, making her way towards me. I was in the back storing some things when I heard the bell chime on the door.

I forced a smile. I was just browsing your beautiful store until the rain let up, I said, trying to calm my racing heart down. It was thumping so hard, I thought it would beat right out of my body. I picked up the box that held the cards and inspected it. Who is Priestess Cressida? I asked the old woman because I could not hide my curiosity at learning something new.

The old woman’s eyes grew sad, as if she knew Priestess Cressida personally. It made me feel kind of bad for asking her about the Priestess, but I just had to know.

Many centuries ago, Priestess Cressida was a beautiful young woman. She lived her life helping the sick and getting rid of demons who plagued her tiny village, she said looking down at the cards were still in my hands. Her powers caught the attention of a rogue group calling themselves: The Council of Chronos. When the woman said this, I could hear malice in her voice. They came to the village and took Priestess Cressida away. They tortured her, trying to make her give her magic abilities to them, but she refused. Finally, the Council of Chronos decided just to kill the Priestess for not giving them what they wanted.

She placed her index finger on the lid of the box, then tapped it twice. Before they could kill her, she had this box of cards in her possession. She did a quick spell and transferred her magic into this box of cards. I looked at it, then back at her, wondering if they lock away the magic inside of this deck of cards.

She handed the box off to a child who she instructed to give to an adult and have them hide it from the Council of Chronos. The next day they tied her to a stake and set her on fire. Before she died, she told them she would return one day and get her revenge on them for wrongly accusing her of being a witch. She opened the lid, and I looked at the top card. It was blank. The moment I saw you, I knew you were her. The woman said growing excited.

Um... what? I asked her, not understanding what she was talking about.

Priestess Cressida, she said, tapping roughly on my left arm. You are her reincarnation girl.

I shook my head at her. I don’t think I’m-

Yes, you are! She told her tone getting stern on me. She lifted a piece of paper from inside of the lid and had me read it aloud. Go on, she urged. Read it."

I sighed and humored the old woman, so I read it. The magic contained inside of this box is older than time, I said. It belongs to me and me alone, and now I am asking the universe to replace my magic back into my body. I gave her a strange look, but she nudged me to read on. The magic that’s lost return to me now, I ask that you come back into this new body so I can get my revenge on those who killed me so long ago. I frowned as I turned the paper over. The other side was blank. I looked at the old lady and shrugged. See, I said to her. Nothing seems to happen-

I gasped as a sudden surge of powerful energy started flowing throughout my entire body. I looked at the old woman, and she smiled triumphantly at me. Then the feeling stopped, and I looked around the shop for anything else strange to happen to me. Nothing did.

That was strange? I said to her.

That was the magic returning to your body, she said to me proudly. My family was to hold on to the cards until Priestess Cressida returned to this realm.

But... I stammered as I looked down at the blank playing cards. What am I supposed to do with these? I asked her. There just... plain cards now... there’s no magic left in them?

Ah, that’s where you are very wrong, child, she said, placing the lid back onto the box. Now that the magic has returned to your body, you can summon it and place it back inside of the cards yourself if you run into danger.

I frowned as I looked at the white box in my hand. Can I draw on the cards? I asked.

You can child. she said to me with a smile. They belong to you so you can do as you wish with them.

Sounds fair enough. I said reaching for my wallet was in my backpack. How much do I owe you for the cards? I asked.

She shook her head at me. They belong to you so I will give them to you free. She said to me.

Really? I said, unable to hide my surprise. Thank you.

She looked outside and nudged her head at the window. It looks like the rain has stopped.

I looked and sure enough; it had stopped.

I guess I should get home while I have a chance. I said to her, giving her a genuine smile. Thank you so much for the cards. I put them in my backpack when she suddenly stopped me.

But I warn you, she said to me. The Council of Chronos is still out there and when they find out you have the magical cards, they will come after you... be very careful who you trust child.

I uh... I will be, I said as she nodded to me saying I could go. They headed me towards the door when I stopped and turned to look at her. Can I come back tomorrow to visit you? I asked.

The old woman smiled and nodded in approval. I waved goodbye to her as I opened the door and stepped outside. I took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh smell of rain. I smiled as I closed the door behind me and started walking home. I felt dizzy, and I stopped briefly until the feeling subsides before I kept walking. Little did I know I was being followed by someone who wanted to do me harm.

TWO

CHASSIN

I walked into the magic shop that the old woman ran. She greeted me with a scowl on her face. What did that girl buy from your shop? I asked.

For a moment she stayed silent, and I wasn’t sure if she would answer my question at all. Then she