The Priestess

By M.A. Abraham

Britallia hides secrets from her people, even as she leads them as their Princess Priestess. She is an Elf. She keeps her hair in a style that always covers the points of her ears, but she can’t hide what she is from others like her.

Talus is one of the chosen, an Elven Prince who has earned the right to be part of the squadron of Elven/Dragon shifters that guard the Elven Empire. He, like his brethren, have been in Dragon form for too long, and have lost a part of his heritage to the character he becomes.

It takes one look for these two unlikely mates for them to recognize each other for what they are, Life Mates. The question is, can she tame his Dragon, or will she be bound to forever love half an Elf?

• Language: English
• Publisher: M.A. Abraham
• Release date: Feb 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463927403

M.A. Abraham

I don’t really know what to say about myself.I have been writing books since before I became a teenager. Most are still hidden in the closet. I used to make up my own stories as a child, everyone used to act them out while we were playing outside. As a teenager someone issued me a challenge. I told her that her stories stunk, she told me to do better.My job growing up was to play guardian to my little brother, keep him safe. That meant I ended up getting into more fights than enough – makes sense now that I write about warriors.My family will try to tell you that I’m not innocent, I have a personality that keeps them on their toes. Over my lifetime and theirs I have earn several nicknames – The Godmother, The Evil Christmas Elf (comes from making my nieces wrap their own Christmas presents), Mistress of Ambush. My favorite response to them when they try to get me into trouble is just to look at them with a wide doe eyed expression and say “Moi?????”I have a seal point Siamese cat named Snoop, named after my favorite cartoon character and hobby. I have a “healthy” but small collection of Snoopy memorabilia. He is a character alright; never met a cat who can talk back like he does. He expects daily dosages of adoration on his schedule when he wants it – not when it’s convenient for me and he HATES snow.I come from a very large family (mostly brothers) and I could outrun the whole works of them (I’m the shortest!). It was called survival.This book has been in the making for a long time now. Over a half a year to write it, about the same amount of time to edit it, and probably about the same amount of time to get the art work and website! I have learned you can’t control the timelines of other people – Murphy likes to step in.So for now I am setting up good luck charms everywhere... didn’t know I had that many stuffed Snoopy’s. *Fingers, legs, toes, eyes and anything else I can crossed*

Book preview

CHAPTER I

Ricard had no idea who to blame for the position he was in. He hadn’t tampered with the gold bricks but it was something Lorne would do. If this was the case, his brother only acted like a friend to get him to let his guard down. Well, it had worked but he would know better than to trust him the next time.

In some ways, Ricard was tempted to blame himself for his troubles. He hadn’t been thinking clearly since he first saw Dragons coming out of the sky breathing fire at his men on the battlefield. Then there had been the Elven Army, which had seemed to come at them from every direction at once. There had been no signs of those Warriors before his men had gone on the attack.

When they had loaded him with treasure and sent him on his way, he had been too busy counting himself lucky to think the matter over. Common sense should have told Ricard he was being set up for a fall by his Elven enemies, but he had chosen to disregard his instincts. He should never have believed those three breathtakingly beautiful women. They had devious and cruel minds in the way of all females. But they had looked so innocent, so ethereal, he couldn’t think past it.

Women. Ricard spat blood and his lips split with the effort. They were all the same, it didn’t matter where they originated. He would never trust another again. Perhaps Lorne had the right of them when he allowed his men free rein to treat them any way they wanted. From this time forward, it would be exactly what he intended to do as well.

Worse than what the women had done was the treatment he had received at the hands of his own family. When his brother had finished his meal, he had come into the dungeons and beat him. He knew better than to believe his father would take Lorne to task over something so trivial as this. Their brother, Evart, wouldn’t dare say a word one way or another if he wanted to live to see another day.

The sound of a key turning in the lock of the cell heralded the arrival of someone and Ricard could only question whether it was Lorne coming back to finish the job he had started, or another. He wouldn’t put it past the bastard.

Ricard, the sound of Evart’s voice broke through his brother’s musing.

Evart had known Lorne went down into the dungeons to see Ricard after they had finished their meal but he couldn’t believe how badly he had beaten him.

Evart’s silent look of horror was followed with one of pure hatred and anger. It made Ricard fear his little brother was going to do something stupid. He didn’t doubt that Evart had the brains to find a way to make Lorne bleed without facing him in a battle. But if that happened, Lorne wouldn’t think twice about killing him. As he remembered, their older brother had never exhibited much use for the boy.

Don’t do anything rash like go after Lorne with a weapon, Ricard rasped out.

That wouldn’t be rash. Evart sounded more disgusted than Ricard believed possible. It would be suicidal.

What are you doing here? Ricard wondered.

I brought you something to eat and drink, Evart explained. The thoughts of what he had been doing to Ricard made him feel like a devious monster, but it wasn’t going to stop him from going through with his plans. There were some things he might reconsider though; especially after seeing what Lorne had done.

I am not sure I can eat anything, Ricard admitted, although it hadn’t stopped him when he was in much worse shape in the past. What he knew for certain was that he was hungry enough to at least try.

Just as well I didn’t bring anything solid then. I will release you from these cuffs so you can use your hands to eat on your own, Evart informed Ricard. Father said I was allowed to do that much. I will also get some warm water to clean the blood from you. There is no real proof you did anything wrong so he isn’t about to act on this. Not yet anyway.

What you are saying is that Lorne acted without our father’s consent, Ricard noted. They both knew their father wasn’t going to put up with that. If there was one rule they were all held to, it was as long as Felix wore the crown, no one was supposed to do anything to counter his orders, not if they wanted to live to tell about it.

When the chains fell off Ricard’s wrists, it was all he could do not to yell from the release of the tension on his joints. He held onto the walls and slowly made his way to the only bench in the room. When Evart was sure Ricard was stable, he placed the meal he had brought onto the bench beside him. His brother smiled as well as he could under the circumstances. He saw it was mainly stew and a large piece of apple pie that wouldn’t take much to chew. Lorne had beaten him but he hadn’t broken any bones that would prevent him from enjoying what he considered to be one of his favorite desserts.

Ricard wasn’t as capable of eating as he thought. He had trouble using his hands, although he could chew well enough. This meant Evart stayed with him and spoon-fed him before leaving him behind the locked door once more. He didn’t put him in irons the way Lorne had and he promised to return with warm, clean water to wash with. He told him to rest because no one knew what would happen when morning came.

Evart had a better idea of what to expect from the next day, although he hadn’t planned on acting on anything until he had seen the damage Lorne did to their brother. Things had been bad enough before but things had gotten out of control. Lorne was upstairs drinking heavily, as he had been doing since the death of his last daughter. This meant he would sleep like one of the dead as would the woman he had dragged up to his room. Evart decided it was the perfect time to put his plans to work. What he had meant to do to Ricard, he would do to Lorne. It didn’t particularly mean their father would do anything about it when they discovered the gold in Lorne’s possession but it would get Ricard released and the care he needed to heal. Evart had realized Lorne was King Felix’s favored child from the beginning and as his heir, he could get away with more than anyone else. But could he steal from their father with impunity?

As Evart walked through the hidden passages that led to the treasury, he shook his head and wondered when his life had become such a tangled mess. Although he hated the way his family acted, the truth was they were all he had. He loved them too much to want to see any of them hurt. Despite this, he knew this was inevitable. He decided that if any of them died because of his actions it was meant to be. Besides, who was to say they wouldn’t meet their ends on a battlefield, which was even more likely. They were warlords and death was sure to find them sooner or later.

CHAPTER II

Britallia visibly jumped when Matrium suddenly spoke from beside her. When had her grandmother entered the room? She wondered how long she had been there and what she had witnessed. She hoped it wasn’t the scene she had been watching or this meeting wasn’t going to go well.

Grandmother, I didn’t hear you come into the room.

Not surprisingly, Matrium hummed. She hadn’t seen what was in the waters of the scrying bowl, but she had a good idea what Britallia was up to and it didn’t have anything to do with her usual tasks.

What do you mean by that? Britallia sounded a little uncomfortable. Getting caught red-handed was awkward but something she didn’t have any control over. She was guilty of using temple artifacts for her own means, something that was frowned upon. It was a rule she had implemented personally and was strict about. She wasn’t about to admit to her transgression unless she was forced to, though.

Matrium laughed as she replied, My young girl, I wasn’t born yesterday. I know the look a woman wears when she is interested in a man. In your case, it is even more than mere attraction, unless I miss my guess.

I don’t know what you are talking about, Britallia denied. She wasn’t about to admit that she had been using the scrying bowl to spy on Talus.

Britallia’s innocent act didn’t fool Matrium. She could tell when her granddaughter was trying to pull the wool over her eyes and she knew why. Britallia might not want to admit her attraction to the handsome young Guardian of the Empire, but it was plain to see the thread that bonded them. This was going to be too strong for her to fight, although she would undoubtedly try. Britallia could be like that and there were times she felt the young girl needed to be shaken soundly. Well, that part was between Talus and Britallia. Her task was to help guide her to make the right choice.

With a sniff, Matrium responded, Coward. I never thought I would see the day when I would be forced to call a member of my own family by such a degrading title. You are a disgrace to your bloodline.

Britallia gave a sharp gasp of outrage as she answered, I am not a coward. That was totally uncalled for.

I call it as I see it, Matrium retorted. She turned to walk away, knowing Britallia would either try to stop her from going so she could continue to argue, follow on her heels while she kept denying her bonding instincts to everyone, including herself. She could have told her she was wasting her time, but it was something every Light Elven Female had to learn for herself.

Britallia couldn’t believe her grandmother would say something like this to her and then blithely walk off. How dare she demean her character in such a manner? She was the General of the Citadel City army and had proven herself to be a good leader, a fearless fighter. She was not a coward.

To further convince herself that she was an independent Elven Female, Britallia added that she was the High Priestess of the Citadel to her list of accomplishments. A High Priestess never betrayed her office by getting involved with a man. She remained chaste, as was expected of someone of her station. There was no room in her life for a relationship but deep inside, a voice rose to argue this point with her. She refused to listen even to her subconscious. Instead, she turned with an inner snarl and stalked after Matrium. Something needed to be done to quell the voices in the back of her mind and the only way to do that was to face the main source of the problem head-on and this was her grandmother.

By the time Britallia had finished losing the inner battle, Matrium had already disappeared from sight, which further annoyed her. Now she was going to have to hunt her down to continue voicing her side of the argument. She already had the feeling she would lose and that fueled her need to prove Matrium wrong. Could she get any more contrary? Things were about to get rough for everyone around her and woe betide a certain Guardian of the Empire if he crossed her path because she was apt to bite him.

It took Britallia close to an hour to find Matrium, something that drove her temper to the boiling point. Eventually, she managed to track her down to the room where her parents had left messages for their children.

How dare you run and hide from me? Britallia screeched. She inwardly admitted to herself this wasn’t the case but she wasn’t in the mood to be reasonable.

Matrium smirked as she replied, What makes you think I am hiding from anyone, girl? Britallia, your station in life has given you an inflated ego. You are not that important that I think I need to run or hide from you. I suggest you get a better grip on where you fit in this world and come down from that high horse you are sitting on.

You are overstepping your boundaries, Grandmother, Britallia warned.

Probably, Matrium admitted. She then added, That sort of thing happens when an old woman tells the truth to a young one that is in a state of denial. Time doesn’t change this.

Britallia threw her hands into the air in frustration as she responded, Why do I bother? No one can tell you anything. You seem to think you know it all because you have lived so long. Well, you have no idea how I feel.

Matrium leaned forward as she rested her hands on the table and replied, I know enough to recognize a Light Elven Female when she is acting true to her nature. There are few of us that give in to what the Fates grant us without putting up a good fight. I swear it is bred into our lineage. In the end, something happens to make us realize we are battling a lost cause.

I can’t lose this fight, Grandmother, Britallia stated with a mournful sigh. I am the High Priestess. My people look up to me to guide them, as well as to lead them into battle. If I can’t hold true to my office in life, how can I expect them to? It wouldn’t take long for anarchy to reign over the land if I allowed that to happen. I owe them more than this.

You wouldn’t be the first and won’t be the last High Priestess to take a mate, Matrium stated. She knew what she was saying to Britallia was news to her. The history of the High Priestesses that had served while raising families had been left unrecorded for whatever reason, so the order had decided, but it didn’t make it any less true. The only one that remembered them was her.

It is against the rules of the order for the High Priestess to marry, Britallia gasped at the thought. What her grandmother had suggested was tantamount to blasphemy in their eyes now.

Matrium laughed out loud as she replied, You can think what you want, but I know better. Some of the best High Priestesses this Valley ever had were not only married but raised children while in office. They were best suited to their positions because they understood the weakness of the flesh as well as the strengths of the mind and spirit. Think about what I say and return to your scrying bowl so you can continue to watch your Guardian Life Mate as he waits for your next move. When you falter, which I guarantee you will, he will be waiting to catch you. It is in his nature to do so. He is an Elf and that’s what our men do best—they protect their women.

Just what I need in my life, someone waiting for me to trip so he can take advantage of the situation, Britallia sniffed. She knew this wasn’t what Matrium meant but she wasn’t prepared to give an inch on this. She was afraid her worst fears would be proven true if she did.

Foolish girl, Matrium replied. Beware you don’t anger the Fates and lose the gift they have favored you with. I am not saying you should throw yourself at the man. A challenge never hurt anyone, especially an Elven male. But when you make fun of the Fates, it has a way of coming back to haunt you at the worst possible moment.

Britallia took a deep breath to fortify herself, even as she put together another denial. She didn’t get a chance to voice it.

Don’t bother trying to defend your actions, Matrium continued. They speak loudly enough on their own. As High Priestess, you should know better than to do things like this. Shame on you.

Talking to you is a waste of time, Britallia declared.

As is trying to convince you of your folly is a waste of my breath, Matrium countered. Stubborn to the end.

Britallia lifted her chin in defiance as she returned, I came upon the character flaw honestly. I inherited it from my grandmother.

Wear it with pride. It has its place but remember, it won’t keep you warm in the cold of winter, Matrium added, as she turned to walk away. Unfortunately, you refuse to use the intelligence you got from our ancestors to wield it properly. I propose you practice doing so before you lose the ability to remember how.

As Britallia gasped in outrage, Matrium walked off. She didn’t worry about whether the harsh words would cause a permanent rift between her and her granddaughter. They loved each other too much not to look past their differences.

As Matrium went her merry way with the certainty she had done as much damage to Britallia’s peace of mind as she could, Britallia headed for the inner sanctum where she thought she would be able to find a little solitude. She didn’t get that far. Instead, she ended up in front of the scrying bowl again.

As Britallia bent to see what visions she could access, she tried to focus on Gabriella and Cambria. They were the only people she could think of that would give her a legitimate reason to be using the device. She could see them as they looked over the land and took note of the different ways they worked and how it meshed.

Cambria reached through the network the trees created as she studied the forest to check for problems through the Sentinels. There was no indication there were any illnesses in the great giants that needed her specialized attention. She looked further to make sure the smaller plants were healthy as well. Outside of general aging, which was a natural process, she could find nothing.

Gabriella used her talents in a different way. When she reached a new stretch of land, she placed her hands upon the ground and allowed her sense to flow. She gathered whatever information she was looking for, then moved on to do a more personalized exploration on foot. When she was finished, she sat with her maps and added the changes she had noted during her search onto the scrolls. Whatever she was doing seemed to make her job much easier.

As the waters cleared, Britallia’s attention strayed to the area Talus had been earlier, only to find he had moved on. She soon found herself looking through the air to see if she could catch sight of him. The only sign he was anywhere was a glimpse of his Dragon as it flew far out over the ocean. She wasn’t terribly impressed he had left without saying a word to anyone, not even to send a message to tell her he was leaving. She knew how pathetic that sounded, but surely she meant enough to him to take a few moments to track her down to say goodbye before leaving.

With the thought that she might have given him a reason to go without considering that she cared, she decided to push all thoughts of Talus away. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin before she prepared to leave the room. After all, she had work to do that was more important than watching the actions of one inconsiderate Guardian of the Empire.

A short time later, as Britallia prepared to walk into the inner sanctum to meditate, Talus’s voice entered her mind.

I will return shortly, my love. I only left your side because our King has recalled us to the base for a meeting.

You needn’t give me excuses for your absence, Britallia sniffed. We are nothing to each other.

I am and will always be yours, Britallia, Talus assured her. Never doubt this.

As Talus withdrew from Britallia’s mind, she gave a sigh. She couldn’t believe how empty she felt without his touch or presence close by her side. She gave an inner groan as she wondered what she was going to do about how he affected her and realized how lost she was. She was so heavily attracted to Talus without even knowing him that she might as well give in to her feelings, and the will of the Fates. She swore she could hear them laughing as this thought ran through her mind.

CHAPTER III

As much as Britallia would have liked nothing better than to wallow in her misery, the outside world wouldn’t allow her that luxury. Even as she was descending the stairs to return to the sanctum, an alarm heralded an emergency from the scrying bowl room. Something was wrong that needed her immediate attention. She swiftly glided down the staircase and without appearing to rush, she managed to make it into the viewing room in record time. It was still slow enough that Lindquist, Mariss, Cormar, and Mistral beat her.

Does anyone know what is going on? Britallia asked. She assumed they would have received the news first for them to react this quickly.

The outside perimeter of the Valley has been breached, Lindquist stated. We received the report moments before coming here and hoped to find you before the scrying bowl looking to see what was going on and where.

I was with Matrium on the highest level of the temple complex until a short while ago, Britallia admitted. I was on my way here to do a quick scan of the Valley when the alarm was triggered.

Cormar gestured to the bowl, indicating Britallia continue what she had intended as he ordered, I want to know what you find out the moment you do.

No problem, Britallia assured the men as she took her place by the bowl. She held her hands over it for only a moment before the waters began to grow foggy and then cleared to show her what was happening. She waited a few moments more so she could gather all the information she needed.

Fifty-five men from the other side of the mountain range have entered the Valley.

Lindquist immediately grew irate as he looked at those around him. Why were we not informed about this before now?

It was Matrium that spoke in defense of her people. Perhaps this wasn’t reported because even Elves can’t see through solid rock, despite all their talents and power. Did you consider that?

Lindquist’s face flushed in anger but he held his tongue. This was no time for posturing and Matrium had a point. No one could see through rock, nor had he heard of anyone being able to reach the distances through the scrying bowl the way Britallia was doing. She had been able to reach beyond the mountain ridge and into their enemy’s lands, which was a feat on its own. As it was, the visions were sporadic and covered with a fog that made some of what was shown guesswork. They needed to find a way to connect to someone on the other side to get past this.

Cormar frowned at Lindquist and in a calmer manner spoke to Britallia, Can you see anything else? Something that would give us more answers?

The scene is unfolding before me, telling of their actions when the enemy arrived. The commander in charge split the company into four segments and sent them out on scouting expeditions. One set is to follow the route they came in on when they came the last time. Another is to ride along the edge of the mountains until they find a trail that will lead them into the interior of the Valley. The two others are to do the same, but in different and opposite directions, Britallia reported.

As more scenes unfolded in the waters, Britallia gasped then continued. They are being joined by sixty more men. These are being told to go in a different direction, one that will place them in Cambria and Gabriella’s current location. They are going to need help.

Where are the Guardians? Mariss asked. He noted there were none at this meeting and he was certain they should have known their presence would be needed.

From what I understand, King Gerolth recalled them to discuss plans to relocate. I assume he thought it would be a safe time to do this as there has been no activity from the enemy in the last while.

We will need to contact them and get them back, Mistral quickly decided. They are going to be needed. We will place them in strategic locations to cover as much ground as possible. This is a big valley and although they fly, it still takes time and attention to keep track of what is going on below as they travel.

As Mistral spoke, his brother reached out to King Gerolth to relay the decision. "King Gerolth, General Mistral Eagle Claw has ordered the Guardians of the Empire to return to the Elven Empire. The security of the Valley has been breached and although the numbers are not many, it is true that a few can sometimes do more harm than a whole army. We