Serenity: The Blood Moon Prince: A Novel

By Kya Wolf

Eighteen-year-old post war survivor, Kain Raingel is haunted by his hidden magical past while trying to heal from his trauma; and he must find the courage to face his past or risk losing everything he holds dear to save the one he loves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Jun 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781631954313

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

KAIN

Twelve years later—the 9th year and 6th month of the Great Republic War

The shock of shells impacting the ground vibrated Kain. He ducked and rolled away from the shrapnel. He looked back, watching for Separatist soldiers. None were advancing.

Kain hoisted himself over a fallen building and dropped down into its cavity. The thick, concrete walls would protect him as he made his way. He brushed his hand along a scorch mark on the wall. He couldn’t tell if it was from magic or a missile. He glanced around the industrial area of Central City. The advancement of science over magic was evident.

He double-checked the connection to his hood, to keep it up even if he flipped around.

Captain, his radio crackled in his ear.

Copy, Kain replied.

You are out of position; where are you going? the officer chirped in his ear.

Challenger is in trouble; I’m heading his way to give support.

Negative. You are to return to your target’s location and fulfill your mission.

I won’t leave him to die, Kain growled.

Captain, this is a direct order. There are reports of sorcerers in that area, Commander Rider’s voice came over the radio.

Kain swallowed hard. With all due respect, sir, I won’t leave him.

You will obey your orders, Captain, Commander Rider said.

Kain removed the earpiece from his ear and let it fall to the gravel beneath his boot. Then, he stepped on it.

I’m in enough trouble as it is; I might as well ignore them.

Kain moved through the destroyed buildings. The sounds of war echoed in his ears. As he turned past some rubble, a squad of enemy soldiers came into sight. Kain drew his sword and rushed them.

Assassin! a soldier yelled.

Kain sliced his throat before he could say more. Yes, Kain wore the clothes of an assassin. He was supposed to assassinate the general of the Separatist army. At least that was the case until he heard his comrades’ trouble across the battlefield.

Kill him!

Call high command.

Kain took two more out before they could raise their weapons.

With the surprise gone, the rest of the squad readied their weapons. They fired at him, but he zigzagged across the area, dodging the bullets easily.

Demon! another soldier yelled.

Kain smiled under his cloaked face. It wasn’t the first time he been called a demon.

A soldier managed to pull his sword on him, and Kain’s sword clashed with it. The sound vibrated off the surroundings. They exchanged a few blows before Kain found an opening and delivered the death stroke. From the corner of his eye, he saw a gun rise from someone’s side, the barrel aimed at him. He pushed away from the corpse and dodged as the bullet sailed past him.

The last few of the squad fell quickly. Kain stood, blood-soaked with his sword in his hand. He watched for any movement. None came. He cleaned his sword on a soldier’s cloak and sheathed it.

Kain took stock on his digital map of where he was in the battlefield. He was close. He turned on his trackers and picked up Seth’s I.D. code. He followed it, careful to not draw attention. He was deep in enemy-controlled space. He couldn’t afford any unwanted attention.

He slid down a slab of concrete and crawled into a space. A knife met his throat as he started to stand. The tracker told him exactly who it was.

Challenger, stand down, he said.

The knife left his throat. Kain turned and found Seth, bruised and beaten. All he had was a small knife. His hood and face cloak were gone.

You came, Seth said. His breathing was uneven.

Are you hurt? Kain asked.

I’m pretty beaten; nothing serious, though.

So, I guess you didn’t manage to succeed in your mission? Kain asked.

Who do you think you’re talking to? Seth said with a smile. He held up a small data disc. Next to you, I’m the best. Of course, I got the data but . . . Seth trailed off.

They spotted you on the way out, Kain finished for him.

Seth nodded. They really laid it on me. Platoons came after me. I took out quite a few, but they started to get the best of me.

Kain nodded. We need to go.

Wait, Seth said.

Kain looked at him, his pale-yellow orbs penetrated Seth’s blue eyes.

There was no order to come for me, was there.

Kain didn’t answer.

You defied orders, didn’t you? Seth asked.

Yes. That means we need to go before they find this location. The information on that disc is vital to win the war.

Seth cursed. You’re a dumb idiot.

For saving your hide? Yes, I am. Now, let’s go.

Seth rolled his eyes.

Here, take my hood. It will at least help obscure your face, Kain said. He unlatched his hood and removed it, revealing his long, black hair pulled tightly into a ponytail.

Better than nothing. Is it okay for them to see your hair? Seth asked.

It’s the face that’s the most important. My facemask will do the job, and the hood on you will help. If there is a chance they haven’t seen you yet, we’ll need it.

The pair crawled from the space and began to make their way back to Republic command. Kain already knew the punishment for disobeying an order. He would take the twenty lashes any day if it meant saving Seth, his only friend. Even if they locked him up for a day or so, he could manage. As long as they didn’t try to lock him up for the rest of the war, everything would work out fine. Besides, he was too skilled to just lock away and not use.

They turned a corner. Kain’s heart stopped at the sight: a squad of soldiers and what Kain feared they would run into—a sorcerer.

Seth cursed under his breath. What do we do? he whispered.

There’s no turning back, so we fight.

They took defensive stances. Kain analyzed the area and the enemy. It was rare to see a sorcerer. This one would pose a problem. He could see every way to defeat all the enemies, but how do you kill a sorcerer without any magic? Kain cursed under his breath. He could sense magic but couldn’t wield it. He was unique in that regard. Kain glanced to Seth as a soldier noticed them.

Don’t attempt any magic. You’re still a novice, Kain whispered.

Assassins! an enemy soldier yelled, pointing at them.

Kain groaned as they were rushed. Seth took out a soldier with a series of kicks and relieved the body of its weapon. Kain’s sword swung in his hand again as if it was a part of his body. He danced around the area, meeting sword with sword and flesh. One, two, then three enemies fell. Kain struggled to stay near Seth in the heat of battle.

A fireball blazed toward him. He rolled out of the way. He could feel the heat from it as he did so.

Too close, he muttered.

What do we do? Seth called.

Go! I’ll take care of this, Kain said.

I won’t leave you, Captain, Seth said.

Do it! Get that information to command.

The sorcerer lashed out at Seth. A lightning bolt hit Seth in the chest, sending him flying. He crashed into a window and fell into a shallow hole.

No! Kain yelled.

He stepped between Seth and the sorcerer.

Spells ran through Kain’s mind. Even though Kain despised magic, he searched within himself, hoping to feel that connection. The connection to magic. Nothing was there. He sighed and gripped his sword tighter. Kain didn’t know why he knew so much about magic yet couldn’t use it. It was probably why he hated it so much.

Useless information, he muttered.

He lunged at the man. The sorcerer easily sidestepped Kain’s attack. Kain swung again and again. None of his fluid movements connected.

Seth’s movement caught the corner of Kain’s eyes. When Seth regained his feet, though unsteady, Kain knew what had to happen.

Go! Now! Kain ordered.

Seth looked at him, defiance in his eyes.

Go! That’s an order, Kain growled.

He blocked the sorcerer’s ice sword. It shattered, sending millions of ice shards over Kain.

He can do ice now? Seth asked.

He’s a sorcerer, Kain said. He kicked a gunman in the head. He can do all basic elemental spells without actually chanting.

Right, Seth replied as he plunged his sword into an enemy.

Now, go! Kain yelled.

When Kain twirled around again while avoiding the next fireball, Seth was gone.

Good, Kain thought.

Kain faced the sorcerer again, rage in his eyes. He wanted to kill the man.

There is no hope for you, assassin, the man sneered.

We’ll see, Kain growled back.

A small part of Kain longed for magic to be able to defeat the sorcerer. He knew what it felt like to touch it, yet to his knowledge, he had never used magic. It made him angry to have such conflicting emotions about it.

He dodged the next blow. He ducked behind a short wall of concrete, trying to find shelter as a rain of ice streaked toward him. After several minutes of the dance, Kain felt himself begin to tire.

There! a soldier yelled.

Kain hoped with all his soul that they were Republic soldiers. As they came into view, his heart sank. Two platoons of Separatist soldiers surrounded him and the sorcerer. Robed figures among the newcomers marked them as magic users.

The sorcerer grinned and began an onslaught of attacks. Kain went into a defensive stance and blocked what he could. The ferocity of the attack pushed him further down. His sword was lashed from his hand by a lightning whip beside him. An electrical magus stood there, magic swirling around his frame. Those not keen to magic wouldn’t see it. But Kain could.

The sorcerer reached out with his electrical whip and coiled it around Kain’s torso, sending waves of shock through Kain’s body.

When Kain awoke, he was in a cage, arms and legs bound tightly. He was stripped to his pants. He could see the burn marks from the lightning bolt that knocked him out. He adjusted his seat and looked around. Wailing screams echoed toward him, and his blood felt like it would turn to ice. The cage sat in a large room alongside other cages. Some were filled, some empty. Kain heard a gasp from another cage as he adjusted his seat again. They had seen his bare back, and now, they knew his face. He cursed silently.

We’re doomed, a prisoner whispered.

Kain swallowed hard as the door snapped open and an elegantly dressed man waltzed in. The man’s dark eyes took in Kain and laughed. The cage was unlocked and Kain was pulled out, forced to kneel. Kain struggled against the hands that held him. He was met with vice grips and nails, all digging into his flesh.

The famous assassin is finally before me. I’m impressed that you are only a boy. You are what, sixteen? Seventeen?

The man walked around Kain, inspecting him. A soldier filled his hand with Kain’s long, black-and-red hair, keeping his head from moving.

Process him but be careful. He will attempt any chance to escape. It will take time to wear this one down, I do believe, the man said to a soldier. The solider scurried off, and a soldier at Kain’s side drew a knife.

Kain pulled on his restraints and the soldiers holding him. A fire of anger burned within him.

The soldier with the knife pulled it close, and with one sweep he cut Kain’s hair short. Kain felt that his honor had been cut from him. He was human, but he had pride in his long hair, just as an elf would. That simple act dug deep into Kain. He growled at the soldiers. A hand found his hair again and pulled his head up, nearly pulling him off the floor. He winced from the strain.

The finely dressed man turned to Kain. Welcome, master assassin, to my facility, your new home as a prisoner of war. I am your host. You may call me Grimla.

CHAPTER 2

KAIN

Six months later—Central City Hospital, Monday

A steady beat drummed within, accelerated. The sound of a whip rattled the air, and pain quilled through him. He hung in a stone prison and watched the blood kiss the icy stone. Pain, as the predator, and he, its prey. It was all he knew now. The whip coiled and struck again. He tried to move away, his limbs pulling on the chains above.

The shadows danced and moved around him. Mumbled voices reached to him, but they formed no recognizable words. There was laughter, but no faces to go with it. Candlelight illuminated the amber stone in the rock. Candlelight? Why not use electricity? The steady tone got more prominent as he slowly became aware that it was only a dream. The pain. It felt so real. Why? Why was this dream so real? Why could he feel the sweat and blood stream down him? Why did the pain rattle him so? The last pounce of the whip jerked him awake.

The memory faded. The pulsing tone in his ear matched his rapid heartbeat. The room was dark and cool, the only light coming from the machines next to him. It was the same room he had seen for the last month. His black and red hair sprawled across the white pillow. It was wet. Sweat pearled on Kain’s brow. He whisked it away and glanced at his right arm. The thin IV line delivered fluids to his recovering body. For a moment, he remembered that day thirteen years ago when he awoke in Lumera, the secondary city on the Island of Luna. No memory of anything. Just knowledge. The doctors then estimated him to be five years old.

Outside, he could hear the buzz of the hospital staff. Sleep eluded him. When he did sleep, the nightmares surfaced, crashing down on him in a wave of panic.

He cursed as he looked to the closed curtains. He opened them with the press of a button, revealing the sprawling city of Central with reminders of the war speckled about.

The pain restrained his sleep and kept him from staying there too long. When he did manage to drift off, the nightmares invaded.

The door to his right slithered open, the light punctured the void of darkness. A slender woman, Doctor Jasmine Hagan, walked in. Her long, dark-blonde hair hung loosely around her shoulders; the sides were pulled up into a loose bun. Her green eyes scanned the data pad in her hand as she approached the bed. The soft glow illuminated her beautiful, smooth face. The door slid closed behind her, thrusting the room back into darkness.

How are you feeling? she asked. I imagine you are in some pain. While your other injuries have fully healed, your knee still has a way to go.

It’s manageable, he said softly. I’ve felt worse.

Have I?

It was hard to tell which nightmares were his memories and which were something else.

She smirked and shook her head. Always the strong one. She cracked a door and pulled out a small vial, pain medication. She held it up. Do you want it?

Pain rioted from his knee and into the rest of his body. He eyed the vial and realized he could not handle the pain much longer. He nodded, surrendering. She smiled, scanned the barcode, and hooked it up to the IV line. The cool liquid trailed into the line, and soon, relief chilled his veins.

The damage the Separatists did to your knee was extensive, but you are healing quickly. I estimate you are nearing the stage when it will not hurt so much. She looked from her work back to him and saw the uncertainty on his face. What is wrong?

Jasmine, he began, knowing he could talk to her but uncertain if he should. My dreams. I am not sure what is real, what is memory, or— he stopped.

What is made up?

He nodded.

You have had dreams before, she comforted.

Yes, but now . . . he paused. Again, the images flashed through his mind. They are different.

How? Worry filled her voice.

He didn’t answer, just turned his head away.

Nightmares? she asked.

Yeah, he replied.

May I ask of what?

He turned his head back to her. A cave. A cave of weakness and pain.

Jasmine froze while taking notes, her face void of expression. He could tell that what he just said resonated with her. She recovered quickly and seemed deep in thought. He stared at her, his pale-yellow eyes piercing hers.

Memories will come to you, but we do not know in what order, or how.

If these are memories, I don’t want them.

It is possibly because of your recent experiences that the bad memories are surfacing now. Trauma can do that.

Memories of six months of imprisonment and torture boiled back and cascaded over him. His body sunk into the depths of anxiety. He shut his eyes, trying to will his body to stop. He hated being out of control.

Its intensity grew until a feather-like hand touched his face.

Kain, I— The door opened, and she stopped mid-sentence.

Commander Ryder strode into the room, his tall frame accentuated by his black military uniform.

He is not ready for anything, Jasmine said.

I’m sorry, Doctor. These orders come down from Representative Raingel himself.

Jasmine huffed but said nothing.

Kain Raingel, you are relieved of duty and will be put under the watch of the Royal Guard.

What? Jasmine demanded. What do they plan to do with him?

I don’t know, Doctor. Ryder replied.

Flashes of imprisonment marched through Kain’s mind—of him running from both his enemy and his people. His heart rate spiked again.

Jasmine noticed and placed a hand on his. She held tight.

Kain, you were a great soldier during the war, despite your age. I still don’t agree with training children for the tasks you fulfilled, but just because you became a POW doesn’t mean you deserve to be punished or locked up, Ryder continued.

Locked up? Kain whispered.

These are fancy words for it. I have seen it before. I don’t think it is right, Ryder said.

I will talk to Janel, see if anything can be done, Jasmine responded.

Good luck changing his mind. You know him better than anyone else.

Jasmine nodded.

I don’t know when they will come for you. Ryder turned his attention back to Kain.

Kain looked up at his commanding officer.

Thank you, sir, Kain replied.

Ryder saluted and quickly left the room. The swoop of the door closing felt like Kain’s freedom vanishing into thin air.

This is not right; I do not care what Janel thinks, Jasmine buzzed.

Always locked up, Kain said in a daze. Everyone wants to lock me away. To hurt me.

No, that isn’t true.

Then why did I just see myself running from my enemies and from my own people? The same people who used me in a war and now want to lock me away. Are they afraid of me? Kain yelled.

Kain, Jasmine said softly. He calmed down.

It isn’t fair, he whispered.

You’re right; it isn’t fair, but one thing I have learned in my years of life is this: Life isn’t fair, and we must learn how to live through it and overcome it.

But why?

I cannot tell you,

Like you can’t tell me how I am connected to your family. The family of Raingel.

Jasmine nodded at his words.

Why so many secrets? Not only do I know nothing of where I came from or who I really am, I am haunted by a past I don’t remember and don’t understand.

Things will come together in the end. I promise. I am working on a solution to your situation.

And what is my situation? Kain was trying to pin her into a corner and force her to give something up.

I see what you are doing. I will not say anything. Janel has forbidden it all.

Kain looked away. He felt trapped with no allies, other than the men he served with and Jasmine.

"I will talk to Janel, see if I can change his mind. Until you

Reviews for Serenity

[sennebec · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've read several YA books where characters from another world, or from the past end up in our time and must cooperate with teens here to survive/get home/accomplish an important task. This stands near the top of them. Interesting players from both worlds, intricate plot, several surprises along the way and a cliffhanger finish. I ordered book two as soon as I closed the cover on this.

[srsharms · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Conventional, but good. Nothing out of the ordinary from your typical YA fantasy: mysterious/cute boy from Other Realm with a big problem, Special Snowflake Everyday Girl who learns she can save them all. Good characters, decent plot. If you're in the mood for something familiar, try it!