Dedication
To Ashley Keller, for your non-stop encouragement, endless music inspiration, and being my very own personal cheerleader. I love you more than you know. Thank you for being just as excited about this book as I am.
To Stacey B., for giving me the courage to change my book when I was almost done. Thank you for listening to me ramble, and for letting me bounce ideas off you.
To my husband, AJ, for all the love and support, for encouraging me to follow my dreams. I love you.
Prologue
200 years ago
A handmaiden runs through the halls of a stone castle, her blue dress billowing out around her. She comes to a stop in front of the queen’s quarters, a royal guard blocking her path.
“Please, this is urgent. I need to speak with the queen. The prophetess has had a vision.”
The guard moves allowing the handmaiden through. She is met with the steely gaze of the queens four mates, blocking her path to the queen. They relax slightly when they see it’s the queen’s royal handmaiden. The queen’s mates shift to the side.
“Bridgett is everything alright?” the queen asks frantically.
“No, my queen. The prophetess has had a vision.”
“What is so urgent about this vision?”
“She has foreseen the demise of you and your mates. The shifter world tilting on its axis. Magic will slowly fade away. The shifter race eventually dying out. There will be two great wars. The one to come and one many years from now. One to restore what is lost, should she succeed.”
One of the queen’s mates goes and barricades the door.
“Did the prophetess say who?”
“She did not see the hand from which you will die. Only that is it someone close to you. That many years from now a descendant will rise and claim her true pairing. She and her four mates will lead a war and restore balance once more. She said you need to protect the future.”
There was a loud boom, rattling the walls of the castle. It has begun. The queen quickly moves to a room off to the right. In the middle of the room sat a white, wooden bassinet. Rushing over, she quickly reaches in and picks up the bundle, cradling the baby to her chest. Running back into the previous room, she meets the eyes of her mates. She knows what needs to be done. The queen grabs a sack of coins from a nearby table and quickly moves to the handmaiden’s side.
“Bridgett, I need you to take her. You will go through that room.” She points to the left. “There is a secret passage behind the bookcase. Push on the top edge and it will open. Take the princess and run. Guard her with your life, and trust no one.”
“My queen, why do you not take the passage yourself? You should go.”
“I cannot. I need to stay here and stall for as long as possible.” The queen kisses the baby’s forehead. “I love you. I will always love you.”
The queen places the baby in the handmaiden’s arms. She then quickly takes the necklace from around her neck and places it around the baby’s. She hands the handmaiden the coin sack, which she puts in the pocket of her dress. The castle is rocked with another hit. You can hear the stone walls crumbling. The queen’s mates each quickly kiss the baby on the top of her head. You can hear fighting outside the door.
“Go, now. Tell her of me, of us. Let her know who she is.” The handmaiden nods as there is a loud boom against the door. “Run. Don’t stop. Don’t look back. Leave the city. Leave the country.”
The handmaiden takes off to the door on the left. The door the queen had indicated. She runs straight to the bookcase, pushing on the top edge. There is a pop sound, the bookcase moves just an inch. Gripping the side, she pulls the hidden door open, just wide enough for her and the princess to squeeze through. The handmaiden peers in but the passage is too dark. Quickly, she grabs a lantern from the table, using it to light her way. As she enters the passage, she can hear someone trying to break the door down. Looking behind her, she sees there is a handle.
Placing the lantern at her feet, she grabs the handle and quickly closes the door. Thus, sealing her and the princess from the dangers about to happen. The handmaiden picks up the lantern and does what the queen wishes. She runs. The passage seems to be never-ending, with twist and turns, until she comes upon what she thinks is a dead end. But the light of the lantern shines off a handle. Placing the lantern on the ground, the handmaiden pushes on the door. Fresh air hits her face. Grabbing the lantern, the handmaiden, and the baby squeeze through the opening, closing the door behind her.
A quick look around, and she realizes she came out on the complete other side of the castle. The marina. This is why the queen told her to take the passage. The queen gave her coins as well. She was told to leave the country.
Moving as quickly as she dared, as to not draw attention to herself, she made her way to the first ship. The handmaiden spots a crew member carrying cargo onto the ship.
“Excuse me, do you know where I could find the Captain?”
“Aye, on the dock, right over there.” He points to a man a few feet from where they stood.
“Thank you.”
The handmaiden starts to move toward the Captain. The moonlight catches on the baby’s necklace, the symbol of the Alpha Queen, a silver pendant with a star in the center and a symbol for each of the elements surrounding it. She puts the lantern down, tucking the necklace into the blanket the baby is wrapped in, before making her way to the Captain.
“Excuse me, Captain.”
“Aye, Lass. What do ye want?”
“Where is your ship headed?”
“The Americas. Why?”
The handmaiden reaches into her pocket and pulls out the coin sack, “I was hoping I could buy passage. I have coin.” She lifts and rattles the coins in the sack. The Captain runs a hand over his scraggly beard, contemplating.
“Is it just ye two?”
“Yes, Captain.”
“Aye. Four gold coins and I’ll let ye on my ship.”
Giving the Captain what he wants, the handmaiden makes her way onto the ship. Before she can get settled, the crew starts to rush around. The Captain starts shouting orders. She hears one of the crew as they pass. The castle is under attack, an uprising.
The handmaiden cradles the baby closer to her chest. In no time, the ship has set sail. She watches the castle get smaller, as it burns and crumbles to the ground.
The queen and her mates defeated.
The heir to the throne, cradled in her arm, the handmaiden weeps. A throne that will no longer exist. An heir to nothing.