Cin 'd Rella and the Water of Life: Circle of the Rose Chronicles, #1

By S. J. West

When Cin lost her father, she thought her world had been torn apart. Little did she know it was just the beginning of her story…

Being the sole heir to the d'Rella family fortune placed a target on Cin's back that she wasn't prepared to deal with at the age of ten. Luckily for her, she had a mysterious godfather looking out for her best interests who whisked her away from her selfish step-family and helped Cin discover her true destiny as a Thorn within the formidable Circle of the Rose.

Thorns are an elite fighting force trained at an early age to protect Briar Rose and search for a way to awaken her from a seemingly eternal slumber. The city of Briardale has been cut off from the rest of the world for a hundred years by a spell no one seems to be able to break. Only by finding a cure to awaken Briar Rose will the city be released from the magical curse and its citizens allowed to rejoin the world of Faloria.

Her mission is clear until a chance encounter with the dashing Coltan Prince turns her world upside down. For decades, his family has been sabotaging the Thorns' efforts to awaken Briar Rose. Although Cin knows Coltan is the enemy, she is inexplicably charmed by him. When Coltan goes to the Thorns with information about the whereabouts of the fabled Water of Life, Cin must decide if she can trust a man she has been taught to hate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: S. J. West
• Release date: May 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201742140

Book preview

Death is a cruel master, but not even death can compare to my stepmother. Why did my father try to replace my real mother with a fraud who did nothing but pretend to care for me when he was watching and who treated me with disdain when he wasn’t? My father’s greatest mistake was bringing Vivian and her heartless daughters into my life. How am I supposed to survive my stepfamily when the person who protected me from them is dead?

Right after my father’s funeral service, his lawyer drew my stepmother aside to inform her that Dad left all of his worldly possessions to me and that he left her a small sum of scripts, which seemed rather meager, considering my father’s vast wealth. When I turn eighteen in eight years, I’ll be of legal age to claim my inheritance, but until that time, my stepmother, Vivian d’Rella, is my legal guardian. She and her daughters, Lexis and Darcy, can continue to live inside my home until the law says I’m old enough to take care of myself.

My saving grace is that it’s in their best interests to keep me alive, since their livelihood depends on my survival. According to my father’s lawyer, if I die before I reach the age of eighteen, my father’s riches will be donated to the Circle of the Rose, and my stepfamily will only receive what my dad left for them in his will. Since Vivian and her daughters flaunted the luxury they enjoyed while my father was alive, I felt sure they would treat me with the kindness and respect I deserved so they could continue to live the high life. Until now, I never understood the depths to which Vivian’s jealousy for me ran inside her dark heart. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive my father for leaving me at her mercy.

Cin! I hear my stepmother shriek from the other side of my bedroom door. Her voice pounds against the wood like a mallet, causing me to jump slightly at the sound. Get out here this instant, you useless girl! You have chores that need to be done.

I consider staying hidden underneath my covers until she walks away, but I know my act of defiance would be a pointless one. Vivian has the key to the door, and not even my own bedroom can provide me sanctuary from her ruthlessness.

Coming! I call back as I angrily toss my covers aside and clamber out my bed.

Watch your tone, young lady! Vivian reprimands me through the door. I would hate to have to teach you proper manners again.

I absentmindedly rub my backside as I stand glaring at the closed door and mutter, I just bet you would, you old cow.

Speak up, Cin! I can’t hear you. What have I told you about mumbling all the time?

I don’t make a reply because I know Vivian will use anything I say as an excuse to discipline me again. It’s been two weeks since my father’s funeral, and for every minute of those fourteen days, I’ve been plotting my escape from this house. There’s one problem: Where will I go? I have no other family, and my father wasn’t a social butterfly. As far as I know, he didn’t have any close friends, only business associates. Besides, no one in their right mind will take me into their home. Practically everyone knows my family’s story, and none of them will want to make an enemy of Vivian. All I can do is wait for the right moment to break the chains that my stepmother and her rotten offspring have bound me to this house with. Even if I end up living on the streets, it would be better than living in this mansion. At least on my own I can figure out a way to survive until I come of age. Then I’ll finally be able to get my revenge.

I slip on my shoes and the plain, sky blue maid’s uniform Vivian insists that I wear. A few days ago, she dismissed all of our servants so she could pocket the funds set aside in his estate to pay for their salaries. In a not so nice tone, she informed me that since my father chose to be so apathetic toward her and her daughters, I would pay for his heartlessness. Every menial task she could find around the house was now my responsibility. Since I’m a terrible cook, she doesn’t make me do that chore. Vivian simply pays for prepared meals to be delivered to the mansion because she obviously wouldn’t dream of cooking for herself.

As I walk toward my bedroom door, I remind myself that in eight years’ time, I’ll be the one who orders Vivian around, not vice versa. Revenge is the one thing I have to live for, and luckily for my stepmother, she isn’t even at the top of my list. No, someone else has the honor of being in that spot: Edward Prince.

Edward is the head of Prince Empire on the other side of town. Briardale is broken in half by a natural landmark, the Lonely River. The only way to travel from one side of the city to the other is by crossing the Neverwhere Bridge. Now that I think about it, both the river and the bridge have pretty depressing names, but what else do you expect from a town that’s been cut off from the rest of the world? Ever since Briar Rose was cursed into a seemingly endless slumber almost a hundred years ago, the residents of Briardale have had to make do with what we have. It’s only by the generosity of the Guild that we have food to eat, electricity to keep us out of the dark, and technology that keeps most of the people in Briardale satisfied with their lives.

I remember asking my father about the Guild once because I didn’t understand what it is they do there.

What is it the Guild of? I asked him two short years ago as I sat in front of the blazing fireplace in his study playing with a set of Tinkertoys.

As he lounged in his favorite leather, wingback chair a couple of feet away, he laid the book he was reading onto his lap and peered over. I can still remember the sweet smell of the tobacco in his pipe and the kindness of his deep brown eyes as he gazed down at me lovingly.

The Guild of everything, really, he stated as if it was just a common fact.

How can they be the Guild of everything? I asked, curious to know more about the world I had been born into.

Well, he said as he pondered how to best answer my question while taking the pipe he had clenched between his teeth out of his mouth, there are so many factions working together inside the Guild that it was decided not to shine a light on any one group in particular.

What’s a faction? I asked, not having heard the word before.

Factions are groups of people divided up by their talents, my father said. Within the Guild you have mages, scientists, theologians, and engineers all collaborating to keep everyone alive. They’re the people who make sure we have everything we need to survive, and the mages give everyone a reason to work by using their magic to back the value of scripts. The more scripts a person has, the more luxury items they can purchase from the Guild’s mages. In any society, it’s important to make working worthwhile, Cin, and as long as people have goals to reach for, their lives are fulfilling.

Daddy, what do the Thorns do? I asked, having seen their formidable squads roaming the streets quite often around our neighborhood.

They are our peacekeepers and aid the Guild in searching for ways to break the curse that’s keeping our city separated from the rest of Faloria, he told me in a grave voice. Both the Guild and the Thorns make up what’s known as the Circle of the Rose, Cin. They deserve our respect and admiration. I want you to always remember that.

I will, Daddy, I pledged. I will.

From that day forward, whenever I pass by one of the Circle’s squads, I bow my head out of respect to them. Sometimes, I will get a smile in return, and sometimes I will get nothing but a stern glare of indifference. No matter the response, I know I am doing what my father wanted me to by respecting them in my small way.

As I place my hand on the brass knob of my bedroom door, I take in a deep breath and brace myself for the day ahead.

Out in the hallway, I find Vivian standing dead center in the middle of it with her usual scathing glare of contempt.

It’s about time you got out here, you insolent girl. Judgment isn’t only in her words, but also in the cut of her eyes as she looks me up and down like I just crawled out from underneath a rock.

If people didn’t already know Vivian is my stepmother, they might mistakenly assume she’s my real one, considering the fact that we both have long blonde hair and startling blue eyes. I know for a fact that my physical features are a gift from my mother, but since she died giving birth to me, I’m the only living proof of her existence.

It’s laundry day, Vivian says to me in a clipped tone. Go into your sisters’ rooms and gather all of their dirty clothes. Once you have them all cleaned, pressed, and folded or hung back up, you can resume cleaning out all of the fireplaces in the house. That should keep you busy and out of mischief for a while.

I don’t get into mischief, I say in defense of myself. I’m not like your daughters.

I know I’m poking an already angry bear with a stick, but my small acts of defiance against Vivian are the only things that keep me sane most days.

Watch your tongue when you talk about your sisters, or I might decide a permanently mute stepdaughter is preferable to an insolent one, Vivian replies as she tightens her fists by her side.

I hold my tongue because I quite like having one in my mouth, and I have no way of knowing if Vivian is bluffing or if she truly means what she said. Since I have no one left to protect me from her, I know I have to watch my own back.

Vivian takes a step forward to tower over me. Now, go do your chores before I contemplate giving you another reminder about your place in this house! she tells me.

Grumpily, I walk down the hallway toward my older stepsister’s bedroom. When I open the door, I can hear Lexis snoring loudly from the comfort of her king-size bed. A narrow stream of golden sunlight slices through the darkness of the room from the crack between the drawn velvet curtains. I give my eyes a second to adjust to the dimness, but as soon as I can focus them, all I can do is sigh at the state of Lexis’s room. Practically every piece of clothing she owns is scattered carelessly across her floor, and I assume she made the mess last night because she knew today is laundry day. I know for a fact she hasn’t worn all of these clothes in the past week, but there’s nothing to be done about her cruel act now. The most I can do is pick them all up and judge which ones need to be washed and which I can just fold or hang up right away. After I go to her walk-in closet and pick up the wicker laundry basket I keep hidden in its corner, I go back into her room and begin the tiring task of collecting all her clothes.

Don’t forget the shirt in the bay window, I hear Lexis instruct me dryly, as if she has been watching me the whole time.

Automatically, I turn to look at her and instantly wish I had resisted the urge. The mocking expression on her porcelain smooth face mirrors the sadistic joy she’s receiving from having me serve her like a slave.

Why do you hate me so much? I ask her, yearning to finally satisfy my own curiosity. What have I ever done to you but show you kindness?

Lexis sits up in her bed to fully sneer at me. Maybe if your father had been more generous to us in his will, you wouldn’t be cleaning my dirty laundry right now, and it’s not so much that I hate you, Cin. It’s more like I agree with my mother that you need to be taught the meaning of hard work.

I’m not the only one in this house who could use that lesson, I grumble.

Stop trying to be so argumentative, Cin, and just gather up my clothes and get out of my room, Lexis says as she slips down underneath her covers. The mere sight of you this early in the morning makes me nauseous. You should really learn how to bathe yourself, or were you so spoiled that you had a servant do that for you too? Can’t you wash off all that ash from your skin yourself?

From the way your clothes smell, I say, pinching my nose while grabbing the last of her shirts off the floor, it seems like you could use a lesson in bathing too.

A deep, guttural growl comes from the direction of the bed just before Lexis throws a pillow at me and screams, Get out of my room!

I take that as my cue to leave and pick up the basket before heading out the door. I don’t bother to close it behind me. If Lexis wants it shut, she can get out of bed and do it herself. I walk down the hallway to the other end where Darcy’s bedroom is located. Darcy may be two years younger than me, but she’s just as unpleasant as the rest of her family. If I’m being honest, she scares me to death. Every time she looks at me, I feel as though my life might be in mortal danger. Vivian and Lexis are harsh, but I’m afraid Darcy may grow up to become one of those serial killers you hear whispers about.

Right after my father married Vivian and she and her daughters moved into the house, I caught Darcy dissecting a mouse in her room. At first, my father simply shrugged it off as child’s play, but when I told him the mouse had still been alive when she started cutting into it, he told me to keep my distance from her. I don’t like going into Darcy’s room by myself because the frightened squeals of that helpless mouse still haunt my dreams sometimes. I’m terrified that one day the mouse might be me.

I tiptoe in and don’t make a peep, picking up Darcy’s clothing and tossing it into the basket. When I leave her room, I make sure to close the door because I certainly don’t want her to follow me out. I lift my now full basket and make my way to the top of the stairs that lead down to the foyer on the first floor. Just as I reach out to grab the banister with one hand while holding the basket full of clothes against my side with the other, I hear someone humming a song out of tune. My eyes quickly spot the person sitting halfway down the staircase with her back propped up against the railing.

Still dressed in her white nightgown, Darcy stands from her place on the steps and turns to face me. My youngest stepsister is eight years old, but a darkness looms behind her sparkling blue eyes that hides an older soul. Her corn silk ringlets accentuate her beautiful face, and it makes me wonder how many hearts she’ll end up breaking when she gets older. I just pray she doesn’t literally tear men’s hearts from their chests.

Good morning, Cin, she says brightly, almost making me imagine she’s happy to see me. I guess my mother has already started you on your chores for the day.

I simply nod my head and discreetly move to the other side of the steps. I won’t have the banister to help keep me steady, but with Darcy in my way, I don’t have much of a choice. She probably stood in that spot on purpose. Does she intend to trip me while I walk down the stairs? With this in mind, I make my descent extra slow so I can keep an eye on her every move.

Will you be cleaning more fireplaces today? she asks me, all the while maintaining her cheerful smile as I get closer and closer to her. Is that why you didn’t bother to bathe last night?

Again, I nod without giving her a verbal answer.

What’s wrong, Cin? Darcy asks as her mask of cheerfulness begins to crack and her irritation with me surfaces. Don’t you want to talk to me? Don’t you want to be my friend?

I just have a lot to do today is all, Darcy, I tell her as I approach her position on the staircase. Your mom will get upset if I don’t get everything done before supper this evening.

Poor, Cin, Darcy croons as a strange, detached look comes into her eyes. You’re all alone in this world, aren’t you? I mean, who would even notice you’re gone if you suddenly disappeared? It’s not like you have any friends or relatives who care about you.

I definitely don’t like the direction Darcy is taking this conversation and figure it’s better to just pass her hastily and go hide myself in the basement’s laundry room where it’s safe.

The doorbell unexpectedly rings, signaling the arrival of a guest to my home. No one besides my father’s lawyer has even stepped foot inside the house since the funeral, and I have no idea who has come to visit us now.

Why would someone be coming here so early in the morning? Darcy asks, sounding annoyed that her little cat-and-mouse game with me has been unexpectedly interrupted.

I don’t know, I reply, feeling relieved that my conversation with Darcy has been suspended for now. The person behind the door might not know it, but he or she could have very well just saved my life. The doorbell rings again, but the person outside rings it two times in quick succession as if in no mood to wait much longer for an answer. Then they bang on the door with their fist.

As I walk past Darcy to answer the door, a few things happen so quickly that I’m not entirely sure what takes place. I instantly find myself tripping over something in my path and feel the sensation of falling down the rest of the stairs. Just before my head hits the edge of a step below me, my body is jerked up into the air and held there as if by an invisible string. As I lie horizontally, staring up at the copper and darkly stained wood ceiling, my still airborne body is rotated to a more comfortable, vertical pose. From this position, I’m able to discover my savior.

Standing in the doorway is a man I’ve never seen before. He has both of his hands raised in the air, and I know he’s the one keeping me aloft. I’ve never met a mage before, much less had a magic spell cast on me. He’s handsome with dark blond hair and deep-set blue eyes. A neatly trimmed mustache and beard cover his face, and his light brown suit contrasts stylishly with the gray sweater vest, maroon tie, and white starched shirt he’s wearing underneath his blazer. He appears a little older than my father, but if I were to guess, I would say he’s probably in his late thirties.

What’s the meaning of this? the man thunders as he accuses Darcy. Did you trip her on purpose, or are you just naturally clumsy, girl?

She’s the one who’s clumsy around here, Darcy answers without hesitation as she crosses her arms over her chest in defiance.

What is all the racket about? Vivian shouts from the top of the stairs as the man slowly lowers his hands, causing me to descend to the polished wood floor of the foyer. When her eyes land on the stranger who just saved me, I know there is someone in this world that Vivian hates even more than me. What are you doing here, Maximus? I thought I made it quite clear that we don’t need your assistance.

Considering the scene I just walked in on, I would have to say your assessment of the situation within this home is inaccurate, to say the least, he replies.

I have no idea what you’re blabbering on about, but it really doesn’t matter, Vivian says as she unhurriedly makes her way down the staircase to stand in front of her unwanted guest.

My stepmother’s stiff posture tells me exactly what her feelings are for Maximus. Vivian is scared of him and his reason for being here.

You need to leave now before I call the authorities and have you thrown out of this house for trespassing! Vivian says with as much bravado as she can muster.

Maximus stands there for a moment before busting out in a deep rumble of laughter. It’s a pleasant sound to me, but it must be like nails sliding across a chalkboard for Vivian, because I see her physically cringe at the sound of his amusement.

Oliver never told me you had such a wicked sense of humor, Vivian, Maximus replies as he brings his laughter under control. To think you had the audacity to threaten me with such a thing is simply preposterous. Maximus’s expression turns cold and hard before he says his next words to my stepmother. I’m here on official business to execute an order signed by Commander Ford herself.

I didn’t think Vivian’s back could get any stiffer than it already was, but her muscles visibly tighten an inch more. When she spins around to glare at me, I’m shocked to see an expression of astonishment on her face.

She can’t possibly want, Cin, Vivian scoffs before turning back to Maximus again. She’s just an ordinary little girl.

I watch in fascination as Maximus pulls out a black envelope with a red wax seal on the back. He hands it to Vivian, but she remains motionless as if it’s a snake that’s about to sink its fangs into her flesh.

Frustrated with her uncooperative attitude, Maximus throws the envelope at Vivian, hitting her square in the chest. My stepmother doesn’t even try to catch it. She simply lets it fall to the floor in front of her.

Letter delivered, he says with satisfaction before turning his eyes toward me. Almost instantly, they lose their anger, and a kindness I’ve only ever seen in my father’s eyes for me enters his. He holds out his right hand for me to take and says, Come with me, Cin. I’m here to escort you to Thorn Hill Academy.

Thorn Hill Academy? I ask in disbelief, understanding now why Vivian seemed so shocked. Are you sure they want me?

Maximus nods his head and shakes his hand to encourage me to accept it.

Commander Ford is expecting you to arrive there this morning, he says. I suggest we don’t keep her waiting any longer than we have to.

Why do they want me? I ask, still not trusting such a miracle could possibly be true. I’m not that special.

You are to me, Maximus says in a voice filled with so much compassion that all I can do is believe him. Let me get you out of here, so you can discover who you’re truly meant to be, Cin. It’s what your father would have wanted if he knew how these people are treating you.

These people? Vivian asks, sounding insulted by Maximus’s words. You mean her family?

You’re not her real family, Maximus assures her.

Neither are you, Vivian says, turning red. I seem to remember quite clearly how much Oliver hated you. What makes you think you know what’s best for his daughter? Are you the real reason why Commander Ford is recruiting her?

The Thorns have claimed Cin, Maximus informs her as if his statement should be enough to shut Vivian up. And not even you can fight against that. Once they’ve claimed someone, that person has to attend the academy, whether they want to or not. It’s the law, Vivian, but be my guest to try to break it. I would love to see you imprisoned on Sparrow Island.

Vivian sighs in defeat. Take her, she says begrudgingly. And warn Commander Ford that she’ll have her hands full trying to deal with the messes Cin will make at Thorn Hill.

Maximus shakes his still outstretched hand at me again, and this time, I don’t hesitate to accept his offer. As I walk by Vivian to reach Maximus, I feel her cold, clammy hand land on my right shoulder and squeeze it so tightly that I don’t have any other choice but to stop. I turn my head to gaze up into her rage filled eyes.

You’ll fail at becoming a Thorn, she tells me confidently. And when you do, all of Briardale will know how pathetic Oliver d’Rella’s child really is. You’ll end up bringing shame to us and to your father’s legacy.

I wrench my shoulder out of Vivian’s grasp. I’m not the one bringing shame to my family name. You and your heartless daughters are, Vivian.

I walk over and place my hand in Maximus’s safe, warm hold.

Are you ready to start a new life, Cin? he asks, gingerly holding on to my hand.

I turn back to face Vivian and Darcy while a startled Lexis stands at the top of the staircase staring down at us. I don’t feel like it’s necessary to say goodbye to my stepfamily, but I do leave them with a few words of warning.

When I come back to this house, I say to them all, I’ll be here to kick you out of it. The moment I turn eighteen will be the exact second you’ll have to leave my home. Moving away from the staircase, I look up at Maximus. Now I’m ready.

Maximus leads me through the front door to the outside. As soon as I exit what was once a happy home with my father, I feel the weight of my despair evaporate from my heart, and it’s replaced with a sense of hope and the promise of a new and exciting life at Thorn Hill Academy.

CHAPTER 2

I’ve always loved the early morning hours in Briardale before the city fully awakens. I have fond memories of my father waking me up before dawn and walking hand in hand with me down the street to the nearest pastry shop for a freshly baked buttered muffin. He was the one person in my life I knew I could trust, and now he’s gone, never to be replaced. As I walk down the stone steps leading to the circular drive while holding the hand of a man I know very little about, I have to wonder if my father would want me to leave the only home I’ve ever known with someone he completely cut out of his life. If my dad didn’t trust Maximus, why should I?

Wait, I say, jerking my hand out of Maximus’s grip as I begin to doubt my hasty decision to go with him.

My would-be rescuer instantly stops walking and turns to face me with a questioning expression.

Who are you? I say, trying not to stammer. And how did you know my father?

My name is Maximus Kane, he tells me, exhibiting a patience with my questions that I appreciate. Your father and I were very good friends when we worked together at the Guild.

My father never told me he worked for the Guild, I reply as I begin to wonder if this man really knew my dad at all. If you were such good friends, why didn’t he ever mention you to me?

Those are very good questions, Maximus says as his gaze flicks toward the front entrance of the house behind me. Without even having to turn around, I know Vivian is standing in the doorway watching and listening in on our conversation. But I would much rather give you the answers you seek during our drive to Thorn Hill Academy. What I told your stepmother is true: Commander Ford is not a woman who likes to be kept waiting. It was hard enough for me to talk her into accepting you as a cadet at the academy. I would rather not test her patience any further by being late, Cin.

Is Commander Ford the leader of the Thorns? I ask. My knowledge of the academy is practically nonexistent.

Yes, and if you want to make a good first impression on her, I suggest we get going. I promise to give you truthful answers to anything you want to know while we drive there, but we really need to go now, Maximus replies.

The tug of my family home pulls at my heartstrings, urging me to return to its familiarity. It’s the one place I know the memory of my father still lingers around every corner, but it’s no longer the safe haven it once was for me. I’m sure my dad never considered the possibility of him dying before I reached an age where I could take care of myself. I don’t think many people consider the possibility that they’ll die before their children grow up and have kids of their own. I briefly weigh the two options I have available, but there’s really only one that makes sense for me.

With a heavy heart, I follow Maximus down the stairs to an awaiting automobile parked in the circular driveway. When I see the sleek black vehicle, I suspect my savior may be well-off because only the rich can afford to own this type of transportation. My father told me that before the curse