Wall of Thorns

By Shaun Kilgore

The wall soars to the heavens. It is an insurmountable barrier. For Lady Maya, it is also the boundary of her prison. Kept as a political prisoner by an enigmatic enchantress, the Lady Adara, Maya's fate is to be a bargaining chip to be sold to the highest bidder. Somehow she must escape. But to do that, she will have to face the 'Mistress of Thorns.'

• Language: English
• Publisher: Founders House Publishing LLC
• Release date: Apr 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005324780

Shaun Kilgore

Shaun Kilgore is the author of various works of fantasy, science fiction, and a number of nonfiction works. His books appear in both print and ebook editions. He has also published numerous short stories and collections. Shaun is the editor of MYTHIC: A Quarterly Science Fiction & Fantasy Magazine. He lives in eastern Illinois.

Book preview

Wall of Thorns

Shaun Kilgore

The wall soared to the heavens.

It was made of sturdy stone and was said to be as thick as ten men standing single file. Maya let her fingers trail across the enormous black stones, pressing them firmer against the pale mortar between them. So cold to the touch, she thought.

Maya stared up at the wall, trying to count the stones to see if she could guess its height, but she lost track as the stacks disappeared out of sight. Maybe if I get farther from the wall?

She pondered the possiblity as she continued her midday stroll along the barrier. The wall gently curved as it formed its magnificent circle which spread around to enclose the entire city. Maya left the stuffy confines of the fortress to venture along the cobbled lane that ran parallel to the wall as it made its great circuit. Only twice was the flow cut to accommodate twin guard towers surrounding an impressive gate.

Maya soon came to the first of the gates. She pondered the seals on the massive iron bars, the locks that kept them from being open for most of each month. Maya slowed and let her fingers move from the cold, rugged stone to the smoother feel of wood grain. There were ornaments carved into the aged-darkened oak. Symbols Maya did not recognize and a strange jagged script that was equally unfamiliar. She had yet to decipher them though she ventured out to study the gates for months now.

Maya lingered several minutes. She drew out a piece of wood upon which a sheet of yellow paper was attached from the leather satchel draped across her shapeless brown dress. With a slender piece of charcoal she made careful sketches of both script and symbols, craning her neck until it ached, just so she could be sure she was getting the symbols furtherest up. Maya knew she wasn’t seeing all of them. The topmost were beyond her sight. She longed for the means to see them, but her every request for a ladder had been firmly denied.

Maya sighed. There has to be a way out.

The words came out before she could silence her tongue. Her skin prickled and a cold tingling spread. Maya stopped her sketching and waited. She winced. The coldness was starting to sting. Maya stood there right next to the