Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…
When Aria returns to the Fair Realm to attend a ball at the Salamander castle, it isn’t long before things take a turn for the deadly.
With her father’s home in ashes and her newfound family reduced to dust, Aria finds herself King Auberon’s captive once more. Deep within the mountains that border the Celeste Kingdom, Aria is powerless to fight back, her newly-discovered abilities suppressed by the weight of the rock that surrounds her. But when a Celeste guard whispers about rebellion and promises to help her escape, Aria is desperate to trust him.
Crown Prince Xander returns home to the Gnome castle, laden with grief for his brother and father, and dreading the day he will be crowned king. Preparations are underway for his marriage and coronation, but thoughts of the girl he betrayed trouble him day and night. Until the morning of his wedding, when a note arrives that Aria has been taken by Auberon once more, and Xander is forced to choose between his life of duty and obedience, and what he believes is right.
Return to the Fair Realm and lose yourself in book two of The Fair Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series.
Targeted Age Group:: 16+
What Inspired You to Write Your Book?
I was inspired by British folklore and mythology, as well as nature and the elements when I started writing The Fair Chronicles. Book two is a little bit darker than the first, with aspects of alchemy and fairy tale mixed in as well.
How Did You Come up With Your Characters?
In some ways, Xander is the classic, tall, dark, brooding YA hero. But he has so much more depth. He was inspired by characters like Cardan from The Cruel Prince, male love interests who are surly and sarcastic on the surface, but wounded and sensitive underneath, who can't seem to stop themselves falling for the heroine. Aria was inspired by characters like Clary from The Mortal Instruments – normal teen girls who stumble across a world of magic and monsters and discover how their history and destiny are entangled with the people and creatures from this hidden magical realm.
Book Sample
Aria took a deep breath and smoothed her pale-gold silk dress, cursing when her sweaty palms left streaks on the material. She wasn’t sure why she felt so nervous, but being back in the Fair Realm gave her a strange feeling. Almost like déjà vu, except she couldn’t picture whatever it was she thought she remembered.
Instead, an electricity that she put down to the aether magic the First Fair Queen had used to create this realm raised the hairs on her arms, and butterflies did somersaults in the pit of her stomach.
A knock came at the door and a handsome face framed by russet curls appeared. “Are you ready? It’s almost time for your big entrance.”
At least Jasper had joined her for the journey this time. When the invitation to the Winter Solstice ball had appeared on her bedside table on the Autumn Equinox, she’d been so excited to tell him. She’d actually squealed when she noticed the second invitation underneath it, addressed to her best friend.
She could have guessed who’d sent the invites without looking at the wax seal, stamped with the Salamander insignia. Watching her newfound-brother, Bazyl, bidding Jasper farewell with that broken-hearted look on his face had been devastating. And seeing Jasper mope around for the next few weeks had been even worse.
That had been on the Autumn Equinox in the Fair Realm, but when they’d returned home to the Human Realm, it was still the Summer Solstice—the same day they’d left. She knew time moved differently on the other side of the Veil, but she couldn’t figure it out. All she knew was that the crossing was open on the five big festival days; the equinoxes, the solstices, and Samhain. So, they’d waited for the clock to strike midnight on Halloween, and for Bazyl and his men to step through the Veil and escort them to the Salamander stronghold.
They’d been assured that the greatest protection possible had been put in place, that only special guests had been invited to the party, and no one knew Aria would be in attendance. The entire Salamander army was on high alert, stationed along the border with Celeste and around the stronghold itself, which was protected from attack by the surrounding mountains.
Aria took a deep, steadying breath. “Let’s go.”
Jasper gave her a smile that would have melted her just a few months ago, but now she just smiled back when he said, “You look amazing. That colour is perfect with your hair and eyes.”
Aria’s brown eyes had turned a molten bronze after a few days in the Fair Realm, around the same time her pointed ears had reappeared. It had taken weeks the first time, but her body had remembered her true heritage quicker this time around.
“Thanks. You look good too, I love the dinner jacket and trainers look.” She meant it. He could pull off almost any style, but his canvas trainers gave the suit a young, fun vibe instead of being scruffy.
He grinned and held out an arm to escort her. “M’lady.”
Aria laughed, the butterflies in her stomach already dissipating as she slid her arm through his and they made their way to the ballroom.
She was glad he’d been able to make it, he’d left Hartwood for university in September and barely been back to visit. Too busy with lectures and his new friends to come back to the boring, small town they’d grown up in. But he’d sounded excited when she’d told him on the phone, and despite the fact they’d be in the Fair Realm for weeks, he shouldn’t have to miss any classes as they’d return to the Human Realm the same day they’d left it. If last time was anything to go by.
The Salamander stronghold looked exactly how she remembered it. Red brick walls with enormous tapestries hung along the corridors, stone floors with thick, patterned rugs to keep the cold out and soften the sound of their steps. Metal sculptures decorated each alcove, and gas lamps lit the way as they wove deeper into the castle.
Cook must have been working since dawn, if the incredible scents that drifted through the air were anything to go by. Aria’s stomach clenched, she hadn’t eaten for hours but she felt too anxious to let anything pass her lips. She still couldn’t put her finger on the strange sensation making her heart beat slightly faster and goosebumps race down her arms.
They stepped through a set of enormous double doors, carved with the Salamander family crest—the sword hilt rising from flames, with the words Forged in Fire beneath—and Aria gasped.
They stood at the top of a wide staircase, which curved around to the left and opened onto a vast hall. The room had been decorated in ice-blue and silver, silk banners fluttered in the breeze from the open doors, looking exactly like the hottest part of a fire.
Floral arrangements brimming with white roses and mistletoe stood on either side of the staircase at intervals, hoarfrost-covered ivy spilling down to the marble floor. Musicians played a pretty folk song and some of the guests danced a simple routine that Aria recognised from the Festival of the First Fair Queen that she’d attended in Hitherham.
The memory of dancing with Xander, his hand on the small of her back, his face so close to hers that she could feel his breath tickling her ear, sent a rush of blood to her cheeks. But then she remembered how he’d handed her over to Auberon without a second thought, and it was as if she’d been doused with a bucket of cold water.
Jasper squeezed her hand, pulling her out of her memory, and she realised Bazyl had appeared at the foot of the staircase. They made their way down the steps, taking care on the marble floor that sparkled like frost.
“You look absolutely exquisite, sister.” Bazyl took her hands and kissed both of her cheeks—it was oddly formal compared to his usual behaviour, but Aria assumed it was etiquette for events like this, and when she glanced around, she realised all eyes were on them.
“Thank you, Baz. You look pretty dapper yourself.” He was dressed in an oxblood suit and bow tie, a row of shiny medals pinned to his chest with ribbons of every colour. “What’s this one for?” She fingered a green and purple striped ribbon and Bazyl’s cheeks warmed.
“That one is for your rescue last summer. And mighty heroic it was, if I do say so myself. But enough about me, would you two care for a drink? There’s mulled jostaberry wine and warm, spiced cider. It’s excellent, Cook brews it herself.”
She nodded and a servant with a tray of steaming glasses materialised beside them, clearly waiting for the appropriate moment to interrupt. She picked up a mug of wine and took a sip, the dark, fruity liquid warming her insides. It was a mild evening for December, the glass doors of the ballroom were open onto the gardens, letting cool air in and light spill out. Aria wondered if the weather in the Fair Realm matched that of the Human Realm, or if Queen Oriana had created it to be protected from the worst of the elements and natural forces on the outside.
When she glanced back to Bazyl and Jasper, her father had joined them and was shaking Jasper’s hand, a broad smile on his face. He wore a fox fur trimmed cloak, a bronze crown that mimicked the licking tongues of flames atop his wavy auburn hair. He stepped towards her and took up the hand that wasn’t holding the mug of wine and bowed to kiss it.
“Aria, my dear, it is such a pleasure to have you join us this evening. Tala and I are so glad you could make it. Bazyl and your sisters, too.” She smiled and looked over his shoulder to her brother, but Bazyl and Jasper were deep in conversation, heads close together, and when Bazyl put a hand on Jasper’s arm and leaned closer, Aria looked away.
“Thank you for the invitation, I’m just glad I was able to come. Has there been no news about Auberon since I left?”
“None whatsoever. The bloody coward. The Celeste guards are so busy trying to continue functioning without their leader that there’s been no trouble for months.” King Ossian’s face darkened and his voice dropped. “But I don’t trust Auberon for a second, hiding or no. He’s up to something, and when I find out what we’ll make sure—"
His words were drowned out by a high-pitched squeal followed by a blur of pink satin and auburn hair, announcing the appearance of her two younger sisters.
Aria was still getting used to having siblings after almost eighteen years as an only child in the Human Realm. It was almost as disorienting as discovering she was Fair and had magical abilities.
Almost.
“Aria! You look beautiful,” Lark said, admiring the gold dress.
“Like a princess,” added Sable, wrapping her arms around Aria, who hugged her back tightly.
“Thank you, you both look wonderful.” Lark’s gown was a dark rose colour with sheer sleeves, and Sable wore palest pink, a sash of the same rose colour as Lark’s dress around her waist. Both had glittering tiaras nestled in their elegantly-styled, red hair.
Their father excused himself and left them to chat, and Aria noticed Bazyl and Jasper slip away too, each taking another glass of cider from a passing servant. She smiled as she watched them go, but her heart ached just a little. It had been months, but everything that had happened with Xander still stung, and seeing her best friend and brother so happy together gave her a dark, ugly feeling that she didn’t want to examine.
“Aria?” Lark said, glancing over her shoulder and back to her sister. “What is it?”
She shook her head and tried to force a genuine smile. “Nothing, I’m fine. I think I’m just a little warm.”
“Would you like to go for a stroll in the gardens?” Sable said, beaming. “They’re really beautiful this time of year.”
Fresh air did sound good, and there would be less eyes on her outside. The three of them crossed the ball room and stepped through the open doors into the cool, night air. Aria immediately felt relieved as she filled her lungs and the pressure in her head eased. A light shower misted her face, cooling her skin. It tasted cleaner and purer than the rain back home in the Human Realm.
“Come on, this way.” Sable led them through a row of arches covered in climbing vines, purple wisteria and creamy white roses. Aria reached up and plucked a rose as they passed, inhaling its scent as they wove through the flowerbeds and box hedges.
The Salamander stronghold sat in a valley on the edge of the Caelum mountain range, and Aria marvelled at the peaks that reached up towards the starry sky, the snow-caps on the tallest of them pointing icy fingers at the strange constellations scattered across the inky blue. It was a beautiful night, magical even.
She recognised where they were heading just as the small courtyard where her human parents' child was buried came into view. The buddleia was still busy with butterflies despite the lateness of the season, and Harmony’s grave marker—the stone carved with her name—lay in the same spot under the pergola.
Aria took a seat on the bench where her father, King Ossian, had told her the truth about Harmony. How he’d chosen her because of her sickness and given her parents his own healthy daughter to raise. How he’d had the best healers in the kingdom treat her, but it was all for nought, and she had passed away at a year old, leaving a hole in his heart big enough for two daughters.
Sable and Lark squeezed onto the bench on either side of her, Aria rested her head on Lark’s shoulder as Sable slipped a hand into hers. They sat there like that in silence for a few minutes, with the music from the party and the scents from the flowers drifting gently on the breeze. Aria’s heart rate slowed and she breathed easier out here, under the stars, away from all the eyes that weighed on her like a heavy cloak, away from the pressure and expectations.
She had only discovered who she truly was a few months ago, and it felt as though she was now expected to step fully into that role, the position of Salamander princess and heir to the throne, despite not being sure she wanted it.
On their arrival into the Fair Realm a few weeks earlier, Bazyl had explained that Auberon had not been sighted since that day in the Celeste Citadel. The Celeste Kingdom was still occupied by his guards, but there had been no threats or reports of trouble from the border villages in months. It was as though the Celeste King had gone into hiding after the incident with Aria and the Gnomes. Perhaps building up his defences in preparation for an attack from the Gnomes and Salamanders, as a retaliation for what he had done. Or attempted to do.
But Aria wasn’t so sure. Auberon was a coward, that much had been proven by his disappearance from the throne room in his glass castle. His chosen fighting tactics of mirrors and distraction were nothing but parlour tricks compared to the might of the Gnome and Salamander armies.
But his guards did carry aether guns.
“We should go back,” Lark said. “Father is making an announcement tonight and we don’t want to miss it.”
Reluctantly, they stood, Aria and Sable still holding hands, and began the slow walk back between borders of foxgloves and bee orchids to the castle. The whole wall of glass doors opened onto the night and they could see the party still going on inside. Aria saw King Ossian—her father, she reminded herself—taking to the raised dais and preparing to make a speech. There was a strange flicker of movement as he turned to face the crowd of royals and nobles before him, but Aria thought it must have been a trick of the light.
The silver-blue banners no longer rippled in the breeze, and the candle flames flared brightly as they approached. The guests had fallen quiet, waiting on their king’s words, all eyes now on the dais and the enormous, red-bearded man.
They reached the glass doors and were about to step inside when Ossian’s face froze in a grimace, and a figure dressed in pure white armour materialised behind him on the dais.
Aria would recognise that white-blonde hair, the cruel smirk on his mouth, anywhere.
It was Auberon.
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