Skirts & Swords (Female-Led Epic Fantasy Box Set for Charity) Read online

  Skirts & Swords

  Three Full Length Female-Led Fantasy Novels to Benefit Literacy

  By

  L.P. Dover

  R.K. Ryals

  Melissa Wright

  Copyright 2014 by L.P. Dover, R.K. Ryals, and Melissa Wright

  Smashwords Edition

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  © Cover Art by Cora Graphics

  © Dragon - elevit-stock.deviantart.com

  Author proceeds from the sale of this anthology will be donated to benefit literacy. Thank you for your support!

  Book One: Betrayals of Spring by L.P. Dover

  About L.P. Dover

  Book Two: Mark of the Mage by R.K. Ryals

  About R.K. Ryals

  Book Three: Frey by Melissa Wright

  About Melissa Wright

  Book One

  Betrayals of Spring

  By L.P. Dover

  Betrayals of Spring

  By: L.P. Dover

  NOTE from the Author: Betrayals of Spring is the second installment in my Forever Fae series. The first one, Forever Fae, is FREE on all ebook sites. I hope you enjoy the Land of the Fae.

  By L.P. Dover

  Copyright © 2013 by L. P. Dover

  Editor: Tabitha Short

  Cover Artist: Regina Wamba

  www.maeidesign.com

  Formatting by JT Formatting

  https://www.facebook.com/JTFormatting

  ISBN:

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Smashwords Edition License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

  Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring

  Two Courts to Four is what it will bring.

  Without the Four the evil will spread,

  The Land of the Fae will fall into dread.

  The next generation will provide the Four,

  The maiden souls and nothing more.

  The Power of Four will start with the first,

  If he gets the power, only then will you be cursed.

  The Power of Four will be drawn to the others,

  Their power is strong, the power of lovers.

  The moment they become one,

  Only then will the change have begun.

  Two Courts to Four is what needs to be,

  To save the Land, so shall we see.

  “A letter has arrived for you all the way from the Winter Court, Your Highness,” Naida says as she bows. My heart about jumps out of my chest at the mention of the Winter Court. I look at her smiling face and then down to her outstretched hand holding out the letter.

  Naida is my servant, and although I have no need of one she chose to serve willingly. She is also a wood nymph that loves nature just like me. Her brown hair is pulled back in a bun, and her eyes remind me of the deep green color of grass. Naida helps me in the gardens along with my sprites now that Calista has become Queen of the Fall Court and can no longer join me. I enjoy her company just as much as I do my best friend, Elissa.

  I hastily reach for the letter. The envelope is smooth and thick. My fingers twitch with the need to tear it open to see if the letter is from him. Could it be from Kalen?

  I look up at Naida and she has a huge smile on her face.

  “Thank you, Naida, for bringing this to me. Do you mind if I open it in private?” I ask sweetly and pout my lips. Naida and I share numerous secrets, but this one I would like to keep to myself for now.

  Her delicate laugh makes me smile.

  “Of course, Your Highness,” she replies. Naida bows her head and leaves the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

  I am excited, but nervous to know what the contents of the letter. I turn the envelope over and there sealed in wax is the Winter Court crest symbol. I gently slide my finger under the paper to break the seal, and it breaks with an audible snap. Closing my eyes, I lift the flap. I take in a calm breath as I reach in to grab the letter inside. It’s folded over once so the anticipation of seeing the words will be short lived. I peek in from the bottom of the paper and my breath ceases as I see his name. What if he is professing his love to me in this letter? We had a great time at Calista and Ryder’s wedding. We enjoyed numerous hours of talking about his wolves and my animals. His joking manner caught my attention from the very beginning and I have been waiting impatiently for the chance to see him again.

  I groan in annoyance at myself. I need to stop stalling and read the letter. I feel like a lovesick adolescent pining over a boy. I am twenty years old and have had many crushes on the warriors over the years, but what I feel for Kalen surpasses all of those ridiculous crushes. I open the envelope slowly and I’m disappointed to see that there are only a few words on the paper. I guess I was thinking there would be more.

  Dearest Meliantha,

  Please meet me out by the gardens. I’ll be waiting. Yours Truly, Kalen.

  I can’t believe he’s actually here! I jump up and down with joy and dance across my room in excitement. I had asked Calista what the connection to Ryder felt like, and she had described it to me. I couldn’t believe it, but it is exactly how I feel about Kalen. Could he be the one I am supposed to be with?

  Calista and Ryder had their vision when they touched hands, so maybe that is what I have to do with Kalen. I rush to my closet, almost tripping along the way, and I pull out the purple tank top that matches my amethyst-colored eyes. I grab a pair of khaki shorts and a pair of sandals.

  Satisfied with the way I look, I head straight for the gardens. The gardens are a short distance away and it only takes me a few minutes to get there. When I arrive I can see a tall frame and black, shoulder-length hair, and I know it is him. He must hear me coming because he begins to turn around slowly. My heart stops along with my feet, because I’m mesmerized by the sight of him. He’s breathtaking with his muscular body encased in his warrior uniform. It hugs the planes of his body, and I can see the extent of his muscles. His breastplate is silver, and it covers his entire chest and back. The Winter Court symbol is engraved on the chest. He’s also wearing black leather vambraces to protect his forearms and the usual black leather pants and tuni
c underneath the armor.

  I begin to walk toward him since my feet seem to be cooperating now, but I notice that something seems different about him. He walks toward me to close the distance, but he stops a couple feet away. My fingers ache to touch him to see if the vision will appear.

  His lips turn up in a smile.

  “Good morning, Meliantha. Thank you for meeting me.”

  I fidget from nervousness, and my voice squeaks when I say, “Good morning to you, Kalen. I was going to head out this way anyway to tend to my gardening, so it was no problem at all. What brings you to the Summer Court?” I ask.

  He pulls out a small silver box from his pocket and extends his arm out slowly to hand it to me.

  “I brought you this,” he replies coolly.

  His eyes lock with mine when I reach for the box. I’m scared to touch his skin, but I’m also excited to see if he’s the one. He has to be the one, I just know it. I close the distance to grab the box, and then our fingers touch. I feel the coldness of his Winter skin, but then…nothing. I release the breath I didn’t realize I had been holding to look down at the silver box resting in my hands. I don’t want him to see the tears that are beginning to form in my eyes. I open the box to see a beautiful amethyst-colored jewel encased in a silver setting with a silver chain. It’s very lovely, but it begins to blur as the tears build in my eyes. I can’t believe I was wrong about him being the one. My heart shatters and it’s taking every ounce of my being to keep it together.

  My voice quivers when I ask, “Why did you bring me this?”

  I instinctively look up to meet his eyes when I notice him stepping forward. Kalen is a tall man who is about 6’2” which makes him tower over me about five inches.

  He laughs and shrugs his shoulders.

  “I brought it as a gift for you. I thought things were going to change, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen. I guess I was wrong.”

  My mouth hangs open and I stare dumbstruck at his audacity. I can’t believe he would be so flippant. He acts as if it’s not a big deal and that he doesn’t care. I should have known from the beginning that he wouldn’t take this seriously. I’ve heard stories of the flirtatious Prince Kalen, but with me I thought it was different. I thought he was going to be different.

  I can’t believe how stupid I was thinking that Kalen, the prince of heartbreak, would actually settle down with me and be the one the prophecy had foretold would be mine. I thrust the necklace out to him.

  “Take it back! I don’t want it! I thought you were different… that you actually cared,” I scream.

  Kalen rushes over and pulls me into his arms. I stand motionless as he leans down to place his cold, Winter lips onto my forehead. The searing pain of his frozen kiss has branded me a fool. I want him gone and out of my life.

  He lets me go but holds me by the shoulders.

  “I did care, my sweet princess, but I can see now that it was a wasted effort. Besides, you’re a little too timid for my tastes. I’m sorry it has to be this way, but it’s a good thing we found out now before things were taken further.” He reaches down and touches the necklace in my hand. “Keep the necklace. It’s the least I can do for the heartache I have caused. You need to forget about me, Meliantha.”

  I look into his piercing blue eyes, but I see nothing. He smiles again, but instead of seeing his playful smile, I see one of mischief and deceit. Even though I’m dying inside, it takes everything I have to muster up the strength to say what needs to be said.

  “I want you to leave… now! I will forget you and think nothing more of you from this day forward. I can guarantee you that. Leave!” I yell.

  He bows.

  “It’s been a pleasure, Princess, but I will do as you wish. Again, I’m sorry.”

  He gives me one final glance and walks away, never looking back. The sounds of his footsteps are silent as he leaves. I can no longer breathe from the anger taking over my body. Why did I fall for him? Why can’t I be strong like Calista? The heartache feels like a poison slowly travelling through my body and killing everything in its wake. Why does it have to hurt so much? I take one last deep breath and the world seems to stop as I let out the loudest, guttural scream imaginable.

  I know the whole Summer Court can hear me, but I don’t care. The scream lasts for what feels like an eternity. When my lungs are spent I collapse to the ground out of breath and heartbroken. A broken heart is something I never want to feel again, and from this moment on, I vow to keep my heart safe.

  - Five Years Later -

  I jerk awake covered in sweat while the memory of the dream comes flooding back to me. I have tried to forget that day, but it always comes back.

  “Mel, are you OK?”

  I look over to see Finn’s amber-colored eyes staring at me with worry. I try to force a smile to reassure him that I’m fine.

  “I’m alright, Finn, it was just another nightmare. Go back to sleep,” I reply softly.

  He quirks his eyebrow to let me know he doesn’t believe me. He leans up to give me a kiss and I gently kiss him back. His tongue traces my bottom lip and he moans against my mouth. Satisfied with the kiss, he rolls over on his side and slowly drifts back to sleep. The deep rumble of his breathing lets me know he is sound asleep. I wish I could fall into the realm of dreams that fast. These days I am lucky to get even a couple hours of sleep.

  Finn is one of our warriors in the Summer Court and has been for one-hundred and fifty years. We’ve been lovers for almost five years. It began not long after the ordeal with Kalen. I guess you could say he was there to mend my broken heart. According to the prophecy, I am one of the Four. That means I will be drawn to another to complete the magic I am destined to fulfill, just like Calista and Ryder. They are now King and Queen of the Fall Court and have expanded their powers in the Land of the Fae.

  Finn knows that one day I will no longer be his, and that he has to accept that. Our time together is amazing, and I enjoy his company as well as the intimacy. His attitude changes in bed sometimes from being soft and sensual to being rough and possessive. It has concerned me on numerous occasions. On the rough nights, our encounters tend to be a little wild and heated. I can honestly say I have enjoyed some of those nights, but sometimes it gets a little too rough. My sense of danger spikes to a whole new level when he gets like that. Every time I mention it to him he seems to not understand a word I’m saying. It’s like he can’t remember some of the things he’s done. It doesn’t happen often, but I have learned to be more alert around him when his mood changes.

  I stare at Finn. He’s lying peacefully in my bed. I wish that I could love him, but the feelings never come. I care for him and have a deep respect for him, but I know in my heart that I will never fully love him. I reach over to play with his silky, long, blond hair that flows past his shoulders and is splayed across the pillow. He always keeps it pulled back when he trains, but when we’re in bed together he lets it hang loose because he knows that is how I like it. He looks ethereal when he has his hair down. His face is always smooth and his smile is angelically beautiful. He may have the face of an angel, but his fierce temper and battling skills would claim otherwise. Sometimes I wonder why he stays with me knowing it will never last. There are so many Summer faeries here that would kill for a chance to be with him. Maybe one day he will find one. His hair glides through my fingers as I gently twist it around. His blond hair is so white it illuminates in the glow of the candlelight in my room. It’s so white it looks like snow.

  I silently groan at the thought of snow and it sends a sharp pain straight to my stomach. I wish to all the heavens and the stars that I could just forget about a certain Winter Prince and that dreadful day in the past. I close my eyes and I lean back on my pillow. I can’t stop my mind from recalling all of the events from the last five years.

  Calista and Ryder’s court has flourished with love and life. They now have a two-year old son named after her fallen Guardian, Merrick. He is the cutest little
boy and what’s strange is he looks exactly like a little version of Merrick, except for the eyes. His golden blond hair is long and it curls at the ends, giving him a cherub look. His big, round eyes are the ice blue color of Ryder’s and it’s the first thing everyone notices in his tiny face. I can almost see Merrick looking out through those eyes, and it makes me wonder if some of his essence inside Calista was passed on to him. I haven’t been able to see him much until recently, now that I have been allowed to travel. I was on house arrest for years because of the threat of the dark sorcerer. It’s been five years now and nothing has gone amiss. Being cooped up in this palace for that long has left me in a foul mood. I’m twenty-five years old and I refuse to be treated like a prisoner.

  I am no longer the shy and timid princess of before. I now train for battle with the warriors, thanks to Calista and her demands to my father, King Oberon. She disclosed how she trained with Merrick for all those years and how she’s a skilled dagger thrower. I knew she was strong, but I had no clue she was that skilled. It hurt that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me, but I know she had her reasons. I train every morning with my brother, Drake, and my Guardian, Ashur. Training has made me strong, both mentally and physically. I have found that I’m excellent with the bow and arrow, and just like Calista, I never miss my target. There is one secret I have kept to myself and told no other. I have always had my ability to do anything I desired with nature, whether it’s with plants, trees, grass, or land.

  I still have an affinity for animals as well, but a new magic has occurred in me. I didn’t figure it out until a couple of years ago when one of my sprites had a flying accident by running into a tree. Her wing was severely damaged, and it didn’t look like she would ever be able to fly again. I heard her wailing in the garden, so I ran over to see what had happened. I saw her lying on the ground screaming in agony. Since sprites are very small, I scooped her up in my hands and began looking at her wing. I remember feeling a strong emotion surging through my body. I wanted to help her so badly. Then, almost instantly, the magic happened. I could feel a buzzing throughout my body like it was travelling through my bloodstream, and then out of nowhere it blasts from my fingertips. The power exploded into the sprite’s wing, and then, a few moments later, the wing was miraculously healed. I haven’t used my healing capabilities since. I don’t know if it was a fluke, but I haven’t actually tried to heal anything since then. This type of information would be valuable to the dark sorcerer and it’s not something I want spread around the Land of the Fae.