Trial by Fire

By Aryanna Munro

About the Book
As a member of the Machiavellians, a race of beings with supernatural powers and unnaturally long lifespans, Brianna Maddox has to overcome her fear of leadership, her pride, and her stubbornness in order to lead the Machiavellian people to victory against a foe who has haunted their kind for millennia. Along the way, she must learn to teach and guide six young recruits as well as make a decision that will change her life. Trial by Fire is a tale filled with conflict, action, drama, love, comradery, suspense, magic, monsters, dragons, and so much more.

About the Author
Aryanna Munro is a transwoman from a small town with the hopes of bringing joy to others through her stories. She’s dreamed of being a published author since she was twenty. But it’s not always about writing for her. When she’s not glued to her computer, she likes to get out and to practice swordplay, archery, and marksmanship. She loves to practice with throwing knives and hatchets. On days when outside is not an option, she is usually playing computer games with her brother or playing on her Xbox. Aryanna loves MMORPGs, RPGs, shooters, puzzle games, and some horror games. She has a special interest in music and wanted to start her own band and be a singer, but before that dream ever formed, she used to play violin and was pretty good at it. She loves rock, metal, pop, some rap, alt rock, hard rock, punk, dubstep, chillstep, lofi, chillhop, and classical.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Aug 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886839784

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The contents of this work, including, but not limited to, the accuracy of events, people, and places depicted; opinions expressed; permission to use previously published materials included; and any advice given or actions advocated are solely the responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for said work and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from publication of the work.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2023 by Aryanna Munro

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, downloaded, distributed, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without permission in writing from the publisher.

Dorrance Publishing Co

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Visit our website at www.dorrancebookstore.com

ISBN: 979-8-8868-3119-1

eISBN: 979-8-8868-3978-4

How did this happen? What did I do wrong? Brianna thought to herself as she lay motionless in a pool of her own blood, thoughts beginning to slow. She knew what was happening; she was dying, but what escaped her understanding were the how and the why.

***

–Three months earlier–

Brianna woke to an angry alarm clock. As she sat up, she saw the time and immediately snapped out of her morning funk. She was going to be late, again. Class started in twenty minutes.

There is no way I’m going to make it in time. Unless…, she pondered.

She took a quick shower and opted out of breakfast, then packed her purple, butterfly-printed messenger bag with all the books and papers she would need for the day’s classes. Forgoing her usual morning ritual of putting her long, brunette hair in a braid, she put it in a messy bun instead. She shouldered her bag and headed out of her dorm room and off to class. Fortunately for her, she got there before the professor even though she was five minutes late.

Class went along as usual, long and boring, especially since she was already four chapters ahead of the class.

Who knew college anatomy would make such good reading material? she thought as she thumbed through her book during the lecture.

At the end of class, she approached her professor for a bit of witty banter on the lesson, knowing he would play along. What she got, however, was a bit of a shock.

Brianna, you need to slow down. If you keep reading ahead, what are you going to do when you reach the end of the book and the rest of us are still only three quarters of the way through? her professor inquired. Her smile faded, replaced by a contemplative frown.

You know, Mr. Kendrickson, I never really thought about it that way. I guess I’ll check the library for some reading material, she replied.

He smiled gently, packing up his bag.

We all appreciate that, Brianna. You have a good weekend and I would say don’t forget to finish your project for Monday but seeing as you already turned it in, instead I’ll say, go have some fun.

With a cheery smile, he took his bag and left her alone to contemplate his words further. Two hours and a trip to the bookstore later, Brianna settled into her dorm, waiting for her evening class to start. She had bought several books, both fiction and nonfiction, and was eager to start reading. That’s just how she was. Brianna had started reading at age three and would read anything she could get her hands on, even if she didn’t understand the majority of the words. Just as she was about to open up one of her new books, there was a knock at her door. Upon inspection, her mysterious guest turned out to be Jason Maddox, a guy in her anatomy class that she had a major crush on. She opened the door and gave him a friendly greeting.

Good afternoon, Jason. Is there something I can help you with? she asked with a smile.

Would you like to go out tonight? And before you ask, nobody paid me and it’s not a dare. I’ve seen you around and I thought you had a beautiful smile, which is no surprise given how beautiful the rest of you is.

This is not happening. Jason freaking Maddox just asked me out. ON A DATE! Play it cool, Bri. It’s just a date. She smiled and nodded.

I’d love to. I have a class at six until seven so how about you come by at eight? That should give me time to get ready. Does that work for you? she offered. Jason chuckled a bit and nodded.

That sounds perfect, he replied. Oh, and Bri, don’t worry about dressing up too fancy. I just figured we’d go somewhere like Red Robin and maybe go to the park. There’s supposed to be a blood moon tonight and the park is where I always go to stargaze. Brianna nodded, barely containing her excitement at this point.

Alright. I’ll probably just wear a simple dress, then, she said, beaming. He smiled and nodded.

Sounds good. I’ll pick you up at eight.

She closed the door and went back to her books, but she was too excited to read now so she opened her laptop and opened Evernote to write in her journal. This journal entry was short on account of it not being complete seeing as she normally did entries at night when everything that was going to happen had already happened. If anything happened after the entry was written, it went in the entry for the next day.

Satisfied with her partial entry, she closed the app and her laptop, then went over to her stack of books. Looking through them, she picked out a hardback and looked it over, reading the summary in the cover.

Eragon? This seems like an interesting read. She lay down in her bed and started to read the book.

By the time she had to get ready for her evening class she was already a third of the way through the book and she would’ve missed her class if her alarm hadn’t gone off. She put a bookmark in the book to save her place, then got a quick snack before heading out to class. On her way to class, she noticed a guy and a girl had started following her but decided to ignore them unless they got too close. Her Programming 101 class seemed to go by fairly quickly, most likely because she was excited for her date. After class, heading back to her dorm, she noticed the same couple. Only this time they just watched her as she crossed the commons area to get back to her room.

Once there, she tried to forget about anything other than getting ready for her date. By the time she had showered, brushed, and braided her hair, put on deodorant, brushed her teeth, and got dressed in a plain pink sundress, it was almost eight o’clock. The only thing left to decide was what shoes to wear, not that she had a million pairs of shoes. Her issue was what kind of shoes to wear and she was stuck between sandals, tennis shoes and high-heel boots.

Brianna remembered Jason saying to not dress too fancy so she weighed her options carefully before slipping on a pair of thigh-highs and the boots. Not a minute after she zipped up her boots, there was a knock on her door. She got off her bed and went to the door, opening it to find Jason dressed in his usual T-shirt and jeans. She noticed that his wallet chain was different, the one currently on looked newer. She smiled and walked out into the hallway with him, closing and locking her door behind her.

You look absolutely gorgeous, Bri, he greeted when she finished locking the door. She smiled, a soft blush crossing her cheeks.

Thank you. You look very handsome yourself. Must’ve showered too, she joked, eliciting a chuckle from him. He smiled and held out his hand.

Only for the prettiest girls, he teased. She took his hand and smiled, knowing he was flirting with her, enjoying it thoroughly. It was the first time in a while she’d been with a guy who actually enjoyed complimenting her. Her last boyfriend was kind of a jerk, but she would rather not relive that disaster, so she focused on Jason.

They talked as he led her to his Kawasaki Ninja 650R. When she saw the motorcycle, she froze up and shook her head, letting go of his hand.

I’m sorry, Jason, but can we take my car instead? I’m just not ready to get back on a bike. He nodded but was curious as to what happened, so he asked very carefully, seeing the discomfort on her face.

That’s perfectly fine. If it’s not too traumatic, may I ask what happened? She led him to her Ford F-150 and dug through her purse for the key, explaining to him along the way.

Two and a half years ago, I was riding with my brother and some of our friends. I looked over to see how one of our friends was doing since it was her first time and she was riding on the back of another friend’s bike and before I knew it, I was facedown on the road with a broken femur in my left leg and three broken ribs, two on the right and one on the left. If I hadn’t been wearing my helmet, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. I woke up in the hospital two days later surrounded by friends and family who had been told I might not wake up again. Apparently, I hit a pothole and got sent flying. Sometimes, on stormy nights, I can still feel where my ribs broke. It took a year of physical therapy to get me walking normally again but I still can’t walk as long as I used to without breaks.

As she opened the driver-side door, he gave her a quick sympathy hug, careful not to squeeze too hard. After he let go, she blushed deeply and he sighed softly.

I’m sorry if that was awkward. I just know what it’s like to get thrown from a bike. Got a bunch of scars on my chest and back from accidents not too dissimilar to that. He walked around and got in the passenger seat as she got in the driver’s seat. As she started the car, she looked at him and smiled.

It wasn’t awkward. It just caught me off guard. Usually people just say ‘I’m sorry to hear that’ or ‘oh wow. That sounds terrible.’ Only friends and family hugged me when I told them. So, thank you, she expressed. He shook his head and smiled, then buckled up as she did the same and backed out of her spot.

It’s nothing, really. I have no doubt you’d have done the same in my position. She nodded and smiled.

Of course. So, where are we going? she inquired. I might need you to guide me there.

We’re going to Red Robin, he informed. If you need me to give you directions, I can.

I know how to get there, she confirmed. But thank you.

She drove, holding a conversation as they passed through the city. The moon was fairly high in the midnight blue sky and, as Jason had said, it was a blood moon. Brianna parked in the Red Robin parking lot and turned off the truck, locking the doors after she and Jason got out. She walked up to the door and waited for him to catch up to her to see if he would open it for her. Unsurprisingly, he did, motioning her in and walking behind her. As they waited to be seated, he struck up a conversation about random stuff, asking about her favorite color and what she was going to college for. The usual first date banter. She happily answered his questions, asking a few of her own, continuing the conversation until they were seated. Once they were seated and had ordered their drinks, Jason picked the conversation back up, talking until it was time to order. And so, their trip to Red Robin went, full of conversation, laughter, good food, and a few serious moments. Obviously, Jason paid the full bill despite Brianna’s pleas to pay even a fraction of it.

"What kind of guy would I be if I let you pay for a meal on a date I asked you out on?" he implored.

I suppose that’s a fair point. I’m just not used to having things paid for me. It’s a little odd but it’s nice, she replied with a soft smile.

After the bill was paid, they went back to her truck and got in once she unlocked it. When they were both buckled, she started the truck and looked over to him.

So what park are we going to? Mason Grey Memorial? Barksly’s National? Pine Grove State Park? she inquired.

Just follow my directions. You probably know of the park but just don’t remember, he told her with a mischievous grin.

With a giggle, she nodded and started following his directions to the mystery park, eager to see if she had been there before. It didn’t seem likely seeing as he had her go to a part of the city she didn’t even know about. When they got to the park, she turned to him.

My mother is a cop and my sister is a lawyer. If you’re planning anythi— He silenced her with a soft chuckle and spoke softly to help ease her suspicions.

"Brianna, do you honestly think I brought you out here to rape or murder you? he questioned. Am I that suspicious of a person that you would believe I would do harm to you?"

She thought about it for a moment, remembering all of her interactions with him over the semester, then shook her head.

No…I’m sorry…I guess I just got a little worried seeing as I have no idea where I am and we’re pretty far from the city and I guess I just assumed, she murmured apologetically. He chuckled again and smiled, nodding slightly.

"That’s perfectly understandable. I’m a little disappointed you don’t remember this place, but I suppose that with everything that’s happened, that’s fair. Although, I had hoped you would remember me by now. The Others are worried about you, Bri," he assured her.

I…I…I…. She stumbled for words to say. What he was saying made no sense to her. Who were the Others? What had happened? This whole thing was confusing her. She felt herself getting lightheaded so she stepped out of the truck and into the cool autumn air. Her mind was racing at a thousand miles an hour and she needed a moment to stop and let her thoughts settle. If they would, that is. She wanted to scream at him and tell him to get away from her but something inside her knew his words were true.

Who am I? she thought. Who am I really?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden embrace. She had been so focused on her panic attack that she hadn’t noticed Jason get out and walk around to her. The embrace was nice, warm, comforting…distracting. As they stood there, she succumbed to him, to his touch, allowing herself to softly weep in his arms. The day had been so perfect, but now she was crying and what for? Could it be for the lost memories she had misplaced? Or perhaps for not remembering how she and Jason were involved? Either way, tears were streaming down her face with no signs of stopping any time soon. But there they stood, him gently rubbing her back while she cried into his shoulder. They went on like that for just over an hour before he pulled away, holding her at arm’s length to look her in the eyes.

"Let me try and help you remember who and what you used to be, he pleaded. Please, Bri. Let me back in. I need you in my life again. It’s been way too long without you."

Exactly how long have we known each other? she inquired, not sure she actually wanted the answer to that question.

I’ll explain that later, alright? He didn’t want to overwhelm her any more than he already had. Tonight was supposed to be about helping her remember but that clearly wasn’t going as he had planned so he was falling back on Plan B. He was going to salvage what was left of the happy feelings they’d felt earlier so he could avoid leaving her at the end of the night with a head full of questions and a heart full of negative feelings. He looked her in the eyes again and smiled.

You wanna get some ice cream? he suggested. There’s an awesome shop a couple miles from here with flavors you’ve probably never heard of.

She smiled halfheartedly and nodded, too mentally exhausted to say anything. She started to get back in the truck but stopped. She gave him a look that he understood immediately and they switched sides, him in the driver’s seat and her in the passenger seat. The rest of the night was a blur for her with only bits and pieces sticking out in her mind. She didn’t even remember falling asleep.

When she woke up, she noticed she wasn’t in her dorm room and that worried her a little. She saw that her dress, thigh-highs, bra, and panties had been folded up on a dresser in the room she was in, but she also noticed she wasn’t naked. This realization also worried her.

Right as she was about to start freaking out, Jason entered the room with a tray. On the tray appeared to be a plate with two eggs, sunny side up, two strips of bacon, both crispy, and a serving of hash browns, a bowl of cheesy grits, and a glass of juice.

Orange pineapple banana, he informed when he saw her staring at it. Wow. It was her favorite breakfast. She started to wonder how he knew, but then she remembered last night and how he had hinted at how they had history together. She sat up and realized she was wearing a flannel nightgown. She looked at him and he gave a slight nod before bringing over the tray and setting it on the nightstand.

The nightgown is yours, as is everything else in this room. I never understood why we had separate rooms, but I figured it made you happy so I didn’t question it. The truth is we used to be married. But a few years ago, you had an accident and your memories got erased and replaced. You did get in that motorcycle accident, but it was with me and the Others not your brother and his friends, he explained. I understand that that might be a lot to take in, so I’m gonna let you think on it while you eat. If you want, I can stay and we can talk or I can leave and let you contemplate what I’ve said. It’s up to you, honey.

She listened closely to what he said, somehow not surprised by the used to be married part. It explained why his reactions to what her favorite things were so mundane. Things were finally starting to come back to her. She knew where she was now. She was in her room in their countryside home just outside of town. She remembered why she insisted on separate rooms and that, the fact was, Jason secretly loved it. She took the tray and began to eat, pointing to the end of the bed for him to sit down. He sat down with a smile and watched her, happy to do nothing but.

I vaguely remember bits and pieces of that life. We had a Devil’s Food cake at our wedding but I was so full from the dinner that I didn’t get a slice until about an hour after we cut it. I remember that you were so nervous about buying this house that you puked on the way to the realtor’s office the day of the closing. And I remember that I chose separate rooms because I used to have nightmares and I thought it would be cute for me to crawl in bed with you at three in the morning. And you loved it. But let me ask you a question. The motorcycle accident didn’t cause me to lose my memories, did it? she questioned. "Somebody wiped them and