The Fourth Secret

By Alia Edwards

An ancient prophecy. Powerful Secrets. And a desperate quest to save the land from the treacherous King Syrack...

After her country is struck by a ruthless war, Vanna, a seventeen-year-old orphan from Esten, crosses paths with three mysterious young men with strange-colored eyes and a dangerous mission. When offered the opportunity to help save her land, Vanna does not hesitate to take it. Together, the four new companions embark on a risky journey in search of a foretold Warrior in hopes of saving their world before it is too late.

Will they be able to find the Warrior and save the northern lands, or will the powerful king stop them before they discover the mystery of the fourth Secret?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9781685264550

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Acknowledgements

Prologue

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

About the Author

cover.jpg

The Fourth Secret

Alia Edwards

ISBN 978-1-68526-452-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68526-455-0 (Digital)

Copyright © 2023 Alia Edwards

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Lisa Henson, Amelia Abney, Lavinia Munteanu, Alyssa Edwards, Ashlyn Edwards, Ariel Edwards, and all of my family and friends who made writing this book possible. I couldn't have done it without your encouragement, support, brainstorming ideas with me, and eagle eyes when it came to editing! Thank you!

Prologue

Shifting Secrets

For centuries, the rightful kings of Banue have been protected by the Spells. These Spells have been passed down for generations from the first Council of Wizards. This powerful magic protected the kings from all harm, and so for years, the royal bloodline was kept safe. There was only one thing that could break the spells and keep these kings from total power: the Secrets.

The Secrets were information—information that, when the time was right, would reveal themselves to their holder. The Secrets were created at the same time as the Spells, so that no king, however powerful, would be completely unstoppable if greed consumed them. These powerful Secrets could destroy the kings, so they were always carefully guarded.

Secrets were born with each member of the royal family, and each person's Secrets, unless taken, died with them.

There was one flaw with the Secrets. The Secrets gave great power to whoever possessed them, power that gave them strength and knowledge. But if such great power was held for too long, the Secrets would shift, taking the kings' power and bringing out their true nature, amplified. They would begin to influence the kings' minds, taking any desire or thought they had and making it grow. For some, this only made them greater, for they were truly good. But it was also dangerous, for with some, their desires were evil and murderous.

Another difficulty was that it was possible for one person to steal the Secrets from another. This would be strenuous and would require a skilled person to steal them, and the Secrets held by any but the one they were born with turned the eyes of the holder a dark midnight black, making it difficult for them to keep the stolen Secrets hidden. Kings, however, began to grow paranoid, always suspicious that someone was trying to steal their Secrets. And so, the Council of Wizards created the orbs, which trapped the Secrets inside, keeping them out of the reach of any but the king.

All of the kings recognized the danger of these Secrets, both in the hands of those who wished them harm and in their own, so ever since the orbs were created, only a small handful of kings dared to use their Secrets. So there their Secrets remained, safely held in orbs, locked away in the wizards' chamber, under the watchful eyes of the Council of Wizards. The Council of Wizards are the sworn protectors of the kings, and therefore, they are the guardians of their Secrets. Under the wizards' protection and council, each king strove to live a life worthy of the power given to them. Most ruled well, and for a long time, the kingdom of Banue prospered.

1

Dark times fell upon the lands of the North, and the news of the tragedy spread with swiftness to the cities beyond the borders. King Kithram of Banue had been assassinated during the night.

His beautiful queen, Venasaiah, had died some years ago in childbirth, along with their only child.

Kithram had no siblings but his brother. The previous king, their father, had died of a failed heart, and Kithram, being the firstborn, had become king. His mother, the queen, was also gone, having wasted away from grief after her husband's death.

Kithram and Syrack were the only remaining heirs. Kithram had long suspected that his father's death had not been accidental and had therefore put extra protection around himself and Syrack to ensure their safety. Kithram had served Banue as a just, honest, and noble king for five years. But now he was gone, murdered in the night by an unknown assailant.

King Kithram had named no heir. After the many prescribed days of official mourning, Syrack, as the only remaining heir, claimed the right to the throne. Following long weeks of preparation, Syrack was publicly crowned king, ruler of the Northern nation.

Over the next three years, Syrack ruthlessly imposed his will on Banue. Taxes seemed to be in a constant state of increase. Syrack became wealthier and more powerful as the months passed, while his subjects struggled more each time the tax collectors went out. Although his subjects were afraid to speak out publicly, the murmuring about the unjust ruling grew steadily.

King Syrack's ambition ultimately could not be limited to Banue. On the country's borders, the Great Lake stretched so far that one could not see the opposite shore. A wide range of trading went on there at Banue's docks, and a constant stream of small ships sailed back and forth with trading goods between Banue and its neighbors. The bulk of the trade was between Banue and Esten, a tiny independent country on the opposite shore of the Great Lake.

Esten was not a rich country, nor did it have a large standing military. In secret, King Syrack and his royal council decided that it would not be hard to take by force and add to Banue. He ordered five swift ships built with holds that could carry two hundred men each. The process took many months of planning and building, but at last, the ships were completed. King Syrack gave the order to strike.

Early on the morning of the attack, squads of soldiers boarded the five ships. Each was disguised as a fisherman or tradesmen with large cloaks concealing their armor. The sails were hoisted, and the flag of Banue raised proudly at the bow. They started out, sailing briskly across the lake to the shore of the peaceful, small, and completely unaware country of Esten.

The ships arrived in a little less than an hour. They looked like ordinary trading ships flying the colors of Banue. None in Esten who noticed the ships' arrival thought twice about them.

The soldiers got into the small boats by order of the general, and they were slowly let down into the water by pulleys. They rowed up to the docks of Esterlean, the biggest and most populous town in Esten, and tied up their boats.

As they poured onto the docks, they could hear the bustle of the Estairians, the clanking of a loud hammer on metal, men yelling over each other trying to sell their goods, and general cheerful commotion.

The soldiers' feet crunched onto the sand. Each had a large sack hung over their shoulders.

What're ya gentlemen sellin' today? It was an Estairian sailor who spoke. The other Estairians' talk and work slowed so they could hear. It wasn't every day that they had a chance for so much trade with Banues.

Ready your arms! shouted the general. All the soldiers grabbed and ripped open their bags and pulled out swords, bows, and other weapons. Off flew their cloaks and disguises, revealing their dark gray armor. They were lined up in an instant.

Charge! the general hollered. The women screamed, and the men picked up any sort of weapon they could find. The soldiers attacked, and the Estairians fought back with all of the strength they could muster. One by one, they were slaughtered cruelly as the soldiers made their way to the large gates.

The women had flown through the gates, shouting for help when the attack began. The whole town was quickly alerted to this sudden battle, and any men who could fight found weapons and joined into the midst of the fighting.

The Banue soldiers burst through the gates and battled their way down the streets of the town. The bloody fight raged for three hours, then four, but it became clear that the Estarian's resistance was in vain. The Banues were great warriors, and the battle ended at last when a single soldier crept silently into the governor's mansion and stabbed the man in the heart from behind.

*****

Thank you! said Vanna, smiling at the plump and extroverted man who owned the loud, Estairian-filled shop.

Come back soon! he boomed cheerfully.

Vanna left the little shop. The noise of Esten slammed into her as she stepped down the two wide wooden steps and turned, arms full of food sacks, in the direction of the Esterlean orphanage. She had lived there for as long as she could remember, having been sent there when she was a little girl by parents whom she never knew.

The air outside was comfortably cool, for fall was just around the corner. An errant breeze played with a tendril of her rich, chocolate-colored hair, and rifled through its long, thick waves.

The beautiful flower-lined streets were bustling with Estairians. Her bright teal eyes sparkled as she worked her way through the well-known and loved streets. Shop doors hung open invitingly, and there was a constant stream of people going in and out of them. The noise and talking were incredibly loud, but to Vanna, it was normal, and, in a strange way, comforting to listen to.

Every lady she passed said hello, and all of the men tipped their hats to the tall, attractive girl. It was considered somewhat rude or unusual in Esten not to acknowledge the people you passed, even if you didn't know them. This unofficial rule created a happy and inclusive environment, and no one ever felt lonely or overlooked.

Vanna reached the orphanage and climbed up the front steps. As she was struggling to free one of her hands so she could open the door, she dropped one of the food sacks. Bending down to pick it up, two more fell from her hands. She sighed and began rearranging the remaining food sacks to pick up the fallen ones. As she did, the door suddenly swung open, and Nanny stood smiling in the doorway.

Nanny was one of the two orphanage mistresses (the other was Mrs. Harperson), and she was the nicest person Vanna had ever known. She was like a mother to her, and she was also her tutor and had taught her everything she knew. Nanny was beautiful, with gray-blond hair pulled into a loose bun and blue eyes. She was a widow and had two grown daughters whom Vanna had heard about but had never met.

Hello, Vanna dear! Nanny said happily.

Vanna smiled warmly at her, and together the two picked up the food sacks. When the sacks were gathered, they went inside the large, homey orphanage. It was well lit, and there were vases of flowers on every surface. Several children were there, running through the hallways and in and out of various rooms. They all knew each other by name, for most of them had been there for many years, though Vanna had been there the longest of them all.

As Vanna and Nanny made their way through the crowded entryway, Nanny called two of the younger orphans to come and take the food sacks from herself and Vanna and put them away.

There's something I want to show you, Nanny told Vanna as the last sack was whisked away to the kitchen pantry.

She led Vanna to her office. Unlike the other many rooms in the orphanage, Nanny's office was very small. It fit only her little wooden desk and chair, a chair on the other side of the desk, and a small shelf full of papers and books.

Nanny and Vanna both sat down, Nanny behind the desk and Vanna in the chair across from her. Nanny glanced at Vanna and smiled, then opened a small wooden box that was sitting on her cluttered desk.

She reached in and pulled out a small, leather-bound book with a lock holding it tightly shut. She then drew out a small, oddly shaped key from the same box and unlocked the book. She opened it, and Vanna gasped. It was a beautiful atlas. Vanna had heard about such books but had never seen one herself.

Nanny handed it to her, and she gingerly took it in her hands. She looked closely at each map. They were beautifully cross-stitched onto thin white sheets of fabric. The borders of the pages were embroidered pictures of extinct exotic creatures, such as griffins and winged horses. The colored thread was stunningly bright, and it glinted in the sunlight streaming in from the small window behind Nanny's desk.

Where…? Vanna started.

She was going to ask, Where did you get this? but Nanny spoke before she could finish the question.

Where is that? said Nanny, pointing to the map that Vanna was looking at. That is Jorika, the country above Banue.

It's so beautiful, said Vanna in awe, though she silently noted that Nanny had dodged her question. And the creatures around the borders are just like the ones in the stories you used to tell me.

Nanny smiled thoughtfully. They are, aren't they? she said. She leaned back in her chair. The atlas is for you.

Vanna looked up at her in shock, thinking she had heard wrong.

For me? But— Vanna stopped short, silenced by a strange expression that crossed over Nanny's face.

Nanny quickly pasted on a smile, obviously trying to avoid being questioned about something. She then took up the key that was in front of her and held it in front of Vanna. Vanna slowly lifted her hand to take it.

Why did Nanny want her to have the atlas? She would love to have it, of course, but when would she ever put it to use? She never traveled outside of the orphanage other than to help Nanny with purchasing food for the twenty orphans, and she certainly didn't need a map of the world for that.

She took the odd key in her hand and closed the atlas, locking it in place.

Thank you, Nanny. It's beautiful. Vanna pocketed the key in her crimson-colored dress.

You're welcome, dear.

Screams suddenly filled their ears, bringing them to their feet in an instant.

What's happening? Vanna cried. She ran out of the office with Nanny at her heels. Vanna dashed through the hallway, nearly knocking one of the younger orphans down. Reaching the front door of the orphanage, she grabbed the handle and flung it open.

She froze, mouth agape at what she saw.

The other orphans crowded around behind her, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on outside. Vanna didn't know where Nanny had gone, but she was no longer behind her.

Outside was complete chaos.

People were running madly in every direction, screaming, and