Empress of Fire

By Kaylee M. Preston

Lavana (the main character), a fae princess who has raw magic, is imprisoned in her castle by her guardian. She meets a fae warrior named Kadar, who was initially sent to gain their nation’s alliance. But in meeting Lavana and finding out that she is imprisoned in her castle, he helps her escape.

They travel around the continent, hunted by the rest of his cadre on order of Darrow, her guardian. While they travel, their relationship complicates and grows more intimate.

When she realizes the full extent of Darrow’s plot, she storms into her castle, captures him, and takes over her castle where she deals with the men loyal to him and Darrow himself.

She cleans up the mess Darrow left behind and rebuilds her nation. She deals with the deals he has made with other nations and the laws that he has set in her own home. What will happen with Kadar and Lavana now that she’s home and has an arranged marriage to face?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796024326

Kaylee M. Preston

I grew up in the small town of vandalia with my grandma and Grampa. I'm 14 and in 8th grade I currently go to van-far, my birthday is March the 16th and i was born in 2005.

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Copyright © 2019 by Kaylee Preston.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 03/27/2019

Xlibris

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Contents

Chapter 1 Trapped

Chapter 2 Escape

Chapter 3 Hate and Dread

Chapter 4 Bonds

Chapter 5 Discovered

Chapter 6 Love and Rejection

Chapter 7 Falling

Chapter 8 Trapped

Chapter 9 Introspection

Chapter 10 Tension

Chapter 11 Revenge

Chapter 12 Secrets

Chapter 13 Realization

Chapter 14 Plans

Chapter 15 Beginnings

Epilogue

This book is

dedicated to my adopted grandma Karen, my dad, my grandma Elizabeth, and grandpa and to all the people who have ever supported me. I also dedicate this book to the readers whom I thank for reading my book.

1

TRAPPED

Lavana’s POV

It is quiet, so quiet. Silence, it has always been my only companion here, trapped in this abandoned tower, where I will be forgotten. No one has ever come looking for me. I wonder what lie he has told them, or maybe they do not care about their princess imprisoned and destined to be forgotten, their princess who is only remembered when taken out to be put on display, their princess who is no better than a doll who’s movements are controlled by the one who plays with her, their princess who is manipulated like a puppet the only time she is remembered.

Like now, I will be paraded around like a prized breeding horse. Put on display, indeed. The only reason I know this is because of the sudden break in the silence. I get no warnings when I’m going to be put on display. The only warning is the sound of the king’s most trusted men stomping up the stairs to claim me.

To make matters worse, every minute that ticks by, my cage’s door shuts even further. The walls of the cage get tighter with every passing moment. The time of my being sold gets closer with every moment, for I am to be sold to another kingdom as the crown prince’s bride to expand his territory and influence. And to make matters worse, I have never seen or met the man I am to marry. I don’t even know his name. A prince who to me has no name or face.

These are my thoughts, grim as they might be as I am hauled through the abandoned part of the castle. Their grip is tight, and I know it will bruise later. Then we get into the actual halls of the castle, the halls teeming with people and activity. That’s when they become mere escorts, their grip becoming gentle. One loops his arm through mine, and the other falls in behind me.

They lead me through a door, and then we are in a room full of fae males, warriors. The king, ever the kind host and guardian, puts an arm around me. Liar, deceiver, I wanted to spit as he speaks.

These past few years have been hard for us with the death of the king and queen, he says. Liar. He would have killed them himself if he could.

The fae tense as if sensing my unsaid words, but I ignore the others because this one particular fae has caught my attention. They all have a warrior’s build and ethereal features. But he, he somehow is even more handsome.

He had short naturally spiked hair. It was white, not from age, but it shined in the light, practically glowing. His skin was tanned and sun-kissed, a beautiful golden brown. His eyes were pine green, his scent that of wind and snow. Lacing his scent was the smell of the oceans and far-off lands. His face was handsome, his eyes almond shaped, his nose long and straight, and his lips bow shaped, long, and thin.

But I still averted my eyes. I was worried of all of them as I’m sure my eyes showed. Their unnatural beauty was a lure to get people to drop their guard. I know what men are capable of, and the fae, they are of more. So I stood there, unmoving and not talking like a doll. I was a mere puppet to this man. I stood there, tuning out the world, only hearing snippets of their conversations.

An alliance would be beneficial. Her fire is powerful … I hear.

I cannot offer marriage. She is already engaged. The fae looks at me.

If you ally with us, we will come to your aid, he continues.

It is your decision …

We will take this back to our queen, they say.

They make to leave, but I leave first. They escort me out, and the guards manhandle me. I don’t fight back as they throw me into the tower. Knowing they won’t come back for hours, if at all, I transform into a crow. I fly out the window, and a hawk gives chase. I outrace it to the clearing and transform back into my human form. My clothes change with me. I’m now in my training clothes, my hair now in a tight braided bun. As I take in the familiar clearing, the trees create a perfect circle around the grassy clearing, a clear lake in the center.

I sit on my knees, humming a small tune so they’ll know I’m here and come out. First, Nephritis emerges from the lake, and then the tree and plant spirits come out, followed by the animal spirits. They are all beautiful and ethereal creatures, glowing and magical.

Though they don’t look it, they are as fast and swift as the fastest currents, not to mention they are as strong as the strongest winds. They train me as fast as quicksilver. We fight. I parry, meeting them blow for blow. I only come back when I have to. Hours later, sweat covered me, making my clothing uncomfortable. I was not out of breath though. And when I transformed, my clothing changed to a short, thin nightgown. Then there was a flash of light. One minute, I was alone, and the next, the fae warrior from before was standing in front of me.

Kadar’s POV

The princess, she was beautiful. She wore a sea-green dress accented with a seashell pink. She had a curtain of silky black hair that was pulled up in a regal hairstyle. Her hair contrasted greatly with her delicate pale skin, her eyes a seafoam blue. Her eyes were lined with black and slightly feline, her aquiline nose small, her lips full and bow shaped. I could tell I was not the only one who thought that she was beautiful as she attracted the attention of the rest of my cadre. Their gazes were filled with lust, even as they tore them away from her to her guardian. Most women would stare back or at least do something at the attention of us