Sight

By Kailin Gow

If you like Sarah Maas or Anne Rice fantasy books, you will love Kailin Gow's fantasy series. From the ALA YALSA Award-winning author and multi-award-winning filmmaker Kailin Gow comes this supernatural thriller that makes you don't want to get lost in the (Wicked) Woods...

PRAISE for THE WICKED WOODS SERIES

5 of 5 Stars - TEAM KEVIN!!! I feel for Fallon, but Briony+Kevin=intenseness. This book had everything of the first, romance, action..I liked the plot line and I think the author did a great job of keeping the reader hooked to see what happens - Alexis Reviews
5 of 5 Stars - I have enjoyed Kailin Gow's amazing imagination that intrigues her readers to anticipate the next story line. - Kare Bear Reviews

Books of the Wicked Woods Series (Completed Series)

Book 1: Wicked Woods
Book 2: Shimmer
Book 3, Silver
Book 4, Silence
Book 5, Sight
Book 6, Shifter

DESCRIPTION

The Gates of Palisor has opened and now the most dangerous and powerful creatures Wicked has been harboring have been let loose. Briony is now in a race to save Wicked, with the help of her friends from the Preservation Society and the two men who would go to the ends of the Earth and Palisor for her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sparklesoup Inc.
• Release date: Jan 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781597480611

Kailin Gow

It's official! Read about Kailin and her books being adapted into films and tv series here: https://filmdaily.co/obsessions/kailin-gow-loving-summer/ FIND OUT MORE ABOUT KAILIN GOW AT: https://linktr.ee/KailinGow including how to get a free book from her! Kailin Gow is a million-selling international and USA Today Bestselling author of over 680 published books! She writes in many genres under her name and other pen names. She has been an invited speaker on Book Expo America, appeared on CBS News about writing books with social issues, and the Top 15 National radio regularly on women's issues, women in film and Hollywood, and leadership. She holds a Masters in Management from USC and degrees in Social Ecology, Criminology, and Filmmaking. She is an author influencer on Instagram, owns a podcast network with multiple channels, is a multi-award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, actress, and host. Her books have been made into games, animated short films, and series. Currently, a number of her book series have been optioned, are in development, or pre-production, including her YA Fantasy Sci Fi Thriller FADE (which has been optioned) and Red Genesis (also optioned) by Netflix producers. Kailin Gow is a regular guest in radio and television on women in Hollywood and filmmaking, naming the top Women Execs to Watch. She is a judge in film festivals, writing contests, and is also a voting member in the Academy Awards. AWARD-WINNING INTERNATIONAL MILLION-SELLING AUTHOR, PRODUCER, AND TV PERSONALITY Kailin Gow is an internationally-recognized multi-award-winning multi-genres USA bestselling Asian American author and woman director/filmmaker who has written and published over 400 books under Kailin Gow and her pen names. She is both traditionally-published as well as indie. Considered a digital publishing pioneer, her books have been downloaded over 10 Million times around the world. She is known as one of the most prolific authors internationally who not only writes novels but screenplays fast, but of world-class quality they win prestigious awards like the ALA YALSA Awards and Los Angeles Film Awards. Besides having gone to law school, she holds a Masters Degree in Communications Management from USC and Drama/Film and Social Ecology Degrees from UC Irvine. She has also been a longtime member of TED Talks. She is the first Asian American author to have sold over 1 million books and to be featured on Amazon.com's homepage as an indie Author Success Story. Her success as an Indie Author and advocate for Indie authors during the early Kindle days has inspired many to take a plunge to become authors. The first Asian American woman who is independently published to appear on Amazon's homepage as an Author Success Story, she also represented Amazon as an author spokesperson during Amazon's Kindle Family Launch press conference in Santa Monica and at Book Expo America where she was an invited speaker. A digital publishing pioneer, she was one of the first authors and publisher to publish digitally back in 2001. Prior to becoming a full-time author and filmmaker, she worked as an Exec in Legal and Production at Walt Disney Company, a writer/producer for Cable Television, an Exec at high tech start ups, and Exec at Fortune 100 Hotel and Travel Corporations where she has managed and trained hundreds of employees on world-class service and operations. She has also been a professional model, a tour director, journalist, re-organization consultant, a secret mystery shopper/consultant for top brands, and professional speaker who has been an invited speaker at Book Expo America, Girl Scouts, Asian America Heritage Week, and more! FUTURIST AND SOCIAL INFLUENCER A social influencer, she has over millions of views on her YouTube channel and her Vimeo channel with over 1.5 million views on her Bitter Frost trailer and award-winning animated short film alone. She is a judge on writing contests for writing incubator social sites, has been a member of TED Talks, and is one of the most quoted modern living authors today. She has also been regularly published as a contributor on Fast Company magazine on articles about publishing, leadership, business, and social issues. https://www.fastcompany.com/1800256/social-media-and-future-publishing-industry

Book preview

DEDICATION

To my parents who were amazing enough to get a vacation property in a wooded mountain resort when I was a child where Wicked is based. Childhood memories and campfire tales are the stuff dreams are made of.

Prologue

Maisy stood with Steve in the center of the meadow, looking around at the wild flowers, the stream, and the strange, alive-looking trees. They had found it thanks to the computer program Steve had put together to allow him to find anything he could identify characteristics for, from vampires to places like this. It was, Maisy had to admit, pretty impressive.

Impressive enough apparently that Steve wasn’t bothering to look at the clearing around them. He just stared at his device, then at the sky, then at the device again.

Steve, Maisy asked, what are you doing?

Steve didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned with his device, watching the screen until he seemed satisfied that he was facing the right way.

Look over there, he said, pointing.

Maisy did her best to follow the line of his pointing finger, and what she saw in that moment made her stand with her mouth open. Dragons. Two of them, one golden while the other was purple and green, flying out of the clouds with their mouths open in a roar that echoed over the countryside.

Maisy hadn’t thought she would ever see anything like that, even living in Wicked. Yes, the town was full of vampires. Yes, there were werewolves living nearby. Yes, thanks to her friend Briony, she and Steve were members of the Wicked Woods Preservation Society, dedicated to fighting those creatures that threatened humans. So she knew as well as anybody some of the amazing things that lived near the town, but to actually see dragons?

Wow, was all Steve could say as the two huge creatures circled overhead.

Maisy could only agree. It looks like they’re looking for something.

Well, aren’t they from where Briony and Aunt Sophie went to?

Palisor, Maisy supplied, nodding. Something serious must be happening there for two dragons to come over together. I wonder what it could be.

No sooner had Maisy said it than mist sprang up in the clearing, forming the shape of an arch before solidifying into something like stone. The space within was still filled with mist. From that mist stepped a huge man with long, matted blonde hair, dressed in a mixture of leather and furs that looked completely out of place around Wicked. He was larger than any man they’ve seen, yet strangely attractive. The fierceness of his eyes and the cruel set of his jaws kept him from being completely handsome. He had a pair of swords by his side, and as he opened his mouth to bellow a challenge to the dragons, Maisy saw that he had fangs that made most other vampires’ look dainty by comparison. Instinctively, Maisy drew back.

She did not know what had been happening in Palisor, or what had happened to Briony and the others there, but from the looks of it, things were very serious indeed.

Chapter 1

Briony knelt in the castle of the vampires of Palisor with Kevin’s arms around her, trying to comfort her while her father laid dead just a short way away. Behind her, Aunt Sophie and Vigor were fighting off the last of Marcus’ vampires, but Briony did not care in that moment. She had lost her human father to Pietre back in Wicked. Now, when she had discovered another father in King Waltham of the Hugtandalfer, she had lost him too.

So she knelt there, and as she knelt, she looked over to where Fallon stood, not far from them. There was so much in his features in that moment; jealousy and anguish and longing all together until it seemed to Briony that he might burst with it. Despite her own grief, part of her wanted to run to him then and open her arms to hold him too, yet Briony knew that she couldn’t. The hugtandalfers did not accept vampires. They certainly would not accept the daughter of their king, his rightful heir by blood, being in that close a relationship with one.

Briony tried to focus on what needed to be done. Someone needs to go after Marcus.

Let the dragons do it, Kevin said softly. Fletcher and Archer are already after him. They can handle him.

For a while. Not forever. Briony looked over to where Vigor and Aunt Sophie were finishing their fight against the vampires. Only the youngest and weakest of the creatures remained in the hall, so unless the two had already slain all of Marcus’ older servants, that meant those ancient vampires had fled. Where though?

Fallon rushed over in that moment, reaching out to take Briony’s arm. Kevin gave his brother a hard look. He clearly did not like the young vampire breaking into Briony’s grief like that, yet Fallon no longer seemed to be simply consumed with jealousy. Instead, his expression was earnest.

What is it, Fallon? Briony asked. What has happened?

It’s Marcus, Fallon said. I can hear him. He has sent out a mental call for his vampires. He wants them to join him on the other side of the gate.

The gate to Wicked? Briony asked, but even as she asked it, the answer to that was obvious. Marcus believed that the scepter of the hugtandalfer was in the town. He needed the scepter for the power stored within it. There was nowhere else he would go. That he had taken his vampires with him, however, was a frightening thought.

Vigor and Aunt Sophie approached. Aunt Sophie had a few flecks of blood on her otherwise pristine face, and Vigor’s armor was dented. Other than that though, the two appeared unharmed. There were no more vampires in the room. Briony spent a few seconds explaining the situation to the pair.

When she was done, Aunt Sophie nodded. He’ll want the power of the scepter to let him give the town to his men for a feast.

Briony looked up at her youthful looking great aunt, who helped her to her feet. Why would he need the scepter for that? Why not simply attack it?

Fallon explained. Weirdly enough, the problem is Pietre.

Pietre? Briony laughed. She couldn’t imagine Wicked’s master vampire ever doing anything to help the human populace of the town.

Vampires are territorial, Aunt Sophie reminded her. Respecting territory prevents all-out war among them. Only a vampire with truly overwhelming power would be able to simply allow his followers to terrorize a town belonging to another without permission. And after all that has happened, I do not think that Pietre will give his permission easily.

So Wicked is safe for now? Kevin asked.

Aunt Sophie shook her head. Safe? In the middle of a war between two rival factions of vampires? Marcus and his vampires are stronger than Pietre’s. They will begin their feeding even if they do not move up to full scale slaughter until they find the scepter. No, you need to get back to Wicked at once.

Leave? Just like that, with the body of her father still on the vampires’ floor? Briony was not sure whether she could do that. There were other things to consider too. What about Palisor? I can’t just leave now, can I? Not when everyone thinks that I’m their long lost heir. Not with King Waltham... she didn’t need to finish that.

Aunt Sophie touched Vigor lightly on the shoulder and he moved forward with all the grace of the fanged elves. He knelt beside King Waltham’s body and lifted it as easily as he might have lifted a child. His face was a blank mask, but as Briony watched, a tear fell from his eye.

I will... do what needs to be done. I will see to our father’s burial, and ensure that things remain stable here.

I’ll help him, Aunt Sophie promised.

You aren’t coming back? The whole reason Briony had gone to Palisor in the first place had been to get her great aunt back. More than that, with the unpredictable way portals from and to the kingdom opened, she knew that if Aunt Sophie did not come back with her, then there was a chance that Briony might not see her again.

Briony, you have to go. Aunt Sophie reached out to pat her hand. "Wicked needs you. You have Waltham’s blood in you, so the scepter will speak to you in a way it does not connect with anyone else. You will be able to find it. You must find it. You know how much havoc Marcus could create if he acquires that kind of power. I even dread to think of the damage he will do simply looking for it. He has to be stopped."

Then come with me to stop him, Briony argued. She really did not want to leave Aunt Sophie in this place. Not when it might mean never seeing her again. Jake wants you back. So does George.

Only to feed me that awful food of his, Aunt Sophie shot back. She smiled gently and pulled Briony into a hug. I will see Jake and George soon enough. When you have the scepter, you will have full control over the gates. You will be able to come back to me easily enough.

And if I don’t find the scepter?

Aunt Sophie looked serious as she pulled back slightly. "Then Marcus will find it, and we will all be in a great deal of trouble. Trust me, Briony, you will be the one to find it. In the meantime, Vigor and I will watch over Palisor. He knows the kingdom, and my family has always provided advisors for rulers. Plus there are dragons here that have lived as long as any of us. Between us, we will be able to keep the kingdom running smoothly."

But if it will run so smoothly, Briony argued, why not come with me? We could do with your extra skills in a fight.

You have your own skills, Aunt Sophie said. You have Fallon, Kevin, Fletcher and Archer. Not to mention all your friends on the other side. In any case things will not be so easy here. There are factions among the hugtandalfer, and I will be needed to help prevent problems with them. She dropped her voice. You know that not everyone loves Vigor.

That was true. The hugtandalfer had been waiting for Briony so eagerly when she returned precisely because Vigor was so direct. So uncompromising. His bluntness would not endear him to all the nobles of the kingdom, and then there was the problem of his lack of royal blood. For all his training, he was not of the royal line, and that would make it difficult for him to maintain power without help.

After your return... Aunt Sophie said, but stopped herself with a shake of her head. Go now. You don’t have much time. The gate will close at some point and you need to be through them if you are to deal with Marcus. Sophie looked around. And Pietre. He is not here, which probably means he has retreated from Palisor. I cannot see him turning down the chance at power.

Briony had not considered that, but she knew she should have. Pietre having the power of the scepter would be every bit as bad as Marcus getting it. Perhaps worse. Even so, there was one more thing she had to do before she left. She turned to Vigor, who still stood there with King Waltham in his arms. She put a hand on his shoulder.

I will return if I can, Briony promised. If I can’t, I know you will do a good job of ruling with Aunt Sophie. She decided to forget the formality, and hugged Vigor as best she could. "I’m sorry about our father, and he was ours, both of ours, even if it was only by blood in my case. I was glad to have known him, and I am glad that I have met you too, Brother."

Vigor didn’t say anything then, but he shook his head gently. He looked up at Aunt Sophie and she went to him, not helping him with the body, but being close enough that he knew she was there. It was a simple gesture, but it was obviously a comforting one for the hugtandalfer warrior. Aunt Sophie had that way with everyone, and despite her gruffness at times, Briony was glad Aunt Sophie was in Palisor to help smooth things over in what could have been a very politically dangerous situation.

More hugtandalfer warriors arrived then, shouting and ready for battle, clad in armor of gleaming silvered steel that shone in the light, their swords at the ready. It was only as they saw Vigor standing there that they ground to a halt.

What happened here? One asked. The king...

The king is dead, Vigor said, his