A Twisted Path ebook Read online

  A Twisted Past

  The Chosen Chronicles Prequel

  by K.A. Parkinson

  Copyright © 2017 by K.A. Parkinson

  All rights reserved. Published by Radia Books, LLC. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, except in brief quotations for review purposes, without written permission from the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors imagination or are used in fictitious manner, and any resemblance to any actual persons, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover title and design by Tugboat Design

  Editing and ebook formatting by KayLynn Flanders

  www.kaparkinson.com

  Books in The Chosen Chronicles:

  Prequel: A Twisted Past

  Book One: A Chosen Life

  Book Two: The Shadow Prison

  Book Three: A Chosen Path

  Book Four: The Chosen Redemption (coming 2018)

  Dedication

  For my readers,

  the reason I do what I do

  Note from the author

  Every tale has a beginning—an event, or series of events that started it all.

  This is the tale that began The Chosen Chronicles.

  It is both beautiful and tragic, as most beginnings are.

  I finished this story just after finishing book three, A Chosen Path, but I’ve had Areen’s story brewing in the back of my mind for a long time.

  I’m so excited I finally get to share it with you.

  If you are already a fan of the series, then you’ll know a little bit about Areen, Daemon, and Daedal. If this is your first jaunt into the Hidden world, I hope you enjoy their tale and choose to continue following their story throughout the rest of the series.

  I’ve included a simplified appendix at the back of the book containing a basic language dictionary, and character and creature list. A more in-depth appendix is included in following books.

  You can learn more about The Chosen Chronicles on my website www.kaparkinson.com.

  Chapter 1

  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep...and God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness...

  —Genesis 1:2–3

  Summer, 103LR (by Light’s Reckoning)

  I feel as if my life has finally begun. At least the life I was meant to live...

  Areen climbed onto a large boulder beside the river, tucked her dress beneath her knees to keep the hem out of the water, and removed her sandals. The cool ripples soothed her tired feet as the water tickled between her toes. The trees above cast gentle shade, offering welcome relief from the baking summer sun.

  She shook her thick red curls over her shoulder, leaned back on her forearms, and closed her eyes. She loved it here. Her ancient, overbearing parents had yet to figure out where she escaped each afternoon and she wasn’t about to enlighten them. Maybe she would run away, leave the life that controlled her every move, and live here in the forest. A smile touched her lips. No one would suspect it. No other Sphere was brave enough to live outside the protection of their kind. Especially here in this dark and lonely forest.

  At least, no Sphere but her.

  I don’t need their protection.

  “Areen?”

  She spun around and nearly toppled off the boulder.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Daemon?” Areen’s heart hammered in her throat. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was just about to ask you the same thing.” A mischievous sparkle danced in Daemon’s eyes.

  Areen shifted her position and willed her heart to slow down. She’d heard his story many times in the last months. The dashing young man from the nearest Honitahai village whose father and hundreds of others had been killed by Darkened humans during a raid on their home. His brother had then left to train with the Protectors. Daemon stayed behind to care for their heartbroken mother.

  She saw him every month when their separate villages gathered at the trade market, and every single time her heart pounded an annoying drum beat behind her ribs. He was so handsome! With his wavy dark hair tied back in a smooth ponytail, his wide brown eyes, his strong jaw and thickly muscled body—he looked just like the great warriors she imagined rushing to the rescue of fair maidens.

  Daemon cleared his throat and she looked down at her feet dangling in the water. “I asked you first.”

  He laughed and the sound sent pleasant shivers down her arms. “My mother likes to nag. I needed a break.”

  Areen’s eyes widened. No one spoke of their elders like that. She may have thought venomous thoughts about her mother regularly, but she’d never been unbalanced enough to speak them out loud.

  He noticed her shocked look and laughed again. “Oh, don’t tell me your parents don’t annoy you on occasion.”

  She felt her cheeks warm and kept her eyes on her toes.

  “Sorry, I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable.” He moved closer and pointed to the space beside her on the boulder. “Can I join you?”

  A tiny voice told her it was inappropriate. Neither of them should even be out here in this forest. Technically they shouldn’t even be talking at all without permission from their parents. At seventeen, she had yet to reach Transcendence and was still under the care of her parents, and therefore bound to the rules of their kind. But as Daemon looked up at her with his brown eyes, soft, imploring, and clearly admiring, she found herself scooting over to allow him room.

  When he climbed up beside her, a swarm of butterflies burst to life in her stomach and she turned her face away, feeling self-conscious yet excited at the same time.

  Daemon tugged off his shoes and put his feet in the water beside hers. He kicked his toes side to side, occasionally brushing the side of her foot with his own. She didn’t know if he did this on purpose or not, but every time it felt like fire ignited in her heart. Her breathing sped and she wondered if Daemon had ever thought of her the way she’d been thinking of him for months.

  She could feel his eyes on her, even though she did not turn to face him. “Areen?”

  She nodded but kept her face away.

  Daemon ran his finger along her hand. “Areen?”

  Slowly she turned her eyes toward him, her heart beating so fast and loud she was certain he could hear it.

  He continued to run his finger up and down her hand, and when she met his eyes, the request for him to stop wouldn’t pass from her lips. “Areen, I’ve wanted to talk to you for so long. Every time we go to market I tell myself to just do it, but I am a coward.” His eyes held hers with the sincerity of his words. “I don’t think we both ended up here at this place at the same time coincidently. I—I think fate wanted us to meet.”

  Areen swallowed and tried to look down, but realized she didn’t want to. She didn’t want to follow protocol and get permission from her parents to speak with Daemon, to spend time with him. She didn’t want to hide and follow the controlling rules of the Spheres for proper courting. She wanted to be with him—no one should be able to dictate that. She leaned toward him and he bridged the gap quickly, but she turned her head at the last moment so his lips only brushed her cheek.

  Chapter 2

  Three weeks later

  Summer, 103LR

  If love were a bird would it sing for me? Should I chase it, try to put it in a cage, or let it fly free?

  “Where are you going?”

>   Areen jumped and turned back toward the house where her mother, Kym, stood on the wooden porch wiping her hands on her apron, her thin silver eyebrows drawn together.

  “Just for a walk, mother.”

  “Did you finish your chores?” Kym dropped the apron and pushed her hands behind her back.

  Areen nodded.

  “All of them?”

  “Yes, mother.”

  Kym’s eyes narrowed. “Be back in time for supper.”

  “Yes, mother.” Areen turned back onto the dusty path that led into the heart of village, not daring leave it until she passed far beyond her mother’s sight. Her father was not due back from the Gathering for two days. A grin threatened at the corners of her mouth. It had been much easier to sneak away with him gone. Her mother’s eyes, so quick to notice a speck of food left after cleaning, were blind to anything else. Whereas her father, a very gifted and respected Sphere, was much more in tune with the moods and character of those around him, making it extremely difficult for Areen to hide the truth behind her evening wanderings.

  But since her father’s departure nearly three weeks ago, she had successfully escaped the confines of home several times to meet Daemon during his breaks from Honitahai training. It had been a lovely three weeks since they’d sat side-by-side on the riverbank. Every moment she managed to get away she’d sought him out, and somehow, he’d always known she was searching for him and he would arrive, dazzling smile stretching across his handsome face, bright eyes clearly showing his admiration. Twice he had tried to steal another kiss, but she had held her ground.

  She liked him, really liked him, but she would not transcend for nearly a month, and even though she did not agree with everything her parents believed, she knew she must follow this one rule. As sensitive as her father was, he would know her feelings the moment he came home, he would sense the lie the moment it left her lips if she tried to deny it. She wanted her father to like Daemon, and the only way to be certain this could happen was if she stuck to their strict traditions. So a relationship must wait. She knew this frustrated Daemon; he didn’t fully understand Sphere tradition, but he respected her and had followed her lead.

  Her pace quickened as she neared the center square. The sun was almost to the apex of midday; he would be to their spot soon. She crossed the street with her head down, trying to appear as if she were going toward the fruit merchant, before she quickly ducked between the large trees surrounding the square, dipped behind the building, and walked at a half crouch into the old barn that once housed the village horses. An accidental fire had burned half of it down, and it now stood as a reminder to the children what happens when power is used incorrectly.

  Her heart pounded out a familiar excited rhythm as the sound of the river met her ears.

  Daemon promised a surprise today.

  Chapter 3

  Summer, 103LR

  I choose to let love free. Please sing for me...

  Areen twisted Daemon’s surprise around her wrist. It must have taken him hours, days even, to weave the beautiful bracelet. She wondered what he’d had to trade to get the deep red and gold thread. She’d only ever seen thread like it when the foreign merchants passed through with their carts just before harvest season. Extremely expensive, and more colorful than any Sphere garb, the villagers always passed by the lovely thread carts, choosing the more sturdy and plain material vendors. Unnecessary, ridiculous indulgence, vain. That’s what her mother had said when Areen had pointed it out to her. But the words Areen thought were beautiful, exotic. And as she sat admiring the bracelet Daemon had made out of the unnecessary, ridiculous thread, another word crossed her mind. Unique.

  Unique. That’s what Daemon had called her...

  “I wanted to get you something, something that shows how I feel about you, what I think of you.” He pulled out the bracelet and she gasped. It was the loveliest thing she’d ever seen.

  “The red thread reminds me of your hair; no one has hair as beautiful as yours.” He brushed her curls behind her shoulders. “The gold reminds me of how precious you are. I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

  Excited she held out her wrist but he paused before tying it on, noticing the bruises.

  “What is this?” He turned her hand to better see.

  She tugged her hand back. “It’s nothing.”

  Daemon placed his fingers over the bruises that perfectly fit the shape of a hand. “Who did this to you?” he asked with an edge to his voice.

  “It’s nothing, Daemon, really. My mother has a strong grip, that’s all.” She said without looking at him. It wasn’t the first time someone had noticed the bruises her mother left on her, but it was the first time she admitted where she’d got them. When she was younger she’d tried to use her Sphere ability of healing to remove them, but for some reason, this type of injury could not be coaxed into healing quickly. She didn’t know why she wanted Daemon to know the truth she’d hidden for years.

  He touched her chin and raised her eyes to his. “I’m so sorry.” The tenderness in his eyes moved right into her heart and she couldn’t stop the tears from pooling in her eyes.

  “Thank you.” She whispered. “I’ve never told anyone before. She’s always careful when my father is around, but he travels a lot for his duties. She’s horrible when he’s gone.”

  Daemon pulled her against his chest and she made no effort to pull away. It felt so safe there.

  “You are a unique treasure, Areen, and you deserve to be treated as such. I want to take you away from here. I want to protect you and care for you forever. I promise to wait until you transcend, but after that, will you consent to marry me?”

  Caught completely by surprise she stammered yes without really thinking about it. He leaned in for a real kiss and she couldn’t find the willpower to resist. She knew in that moment that she loved him, and wanted to be his.

  ***

  It was nearly dark by the time she’d arrived back home. Her mother was in fits, slapped her hard across the face, and sentenced Areen to the house for the duration of her father’s absence, but for the first time Areen didn’t care. She had accepted the punishment with silence, knowing she wouldn’t be staying under this roof for much longer. It was too late to hide her feelings from her father, they were too strong, he would know the moment he walked in the door.

  Worry creased her brow as she continued to twist her bracelet. She had gone against every rule. Fallen for a boy who had not asked her father for her hand, spent time alone with him, allowed him to kiss her. The moment her deception became known she would be cast from the village. Daemon had no idea how strict the Spheres of her tribe were, and she’d been afraid to tell him. She didn’t want him to feel guilty for her choices. And a quiet part of herself feared he might not want a wife who’d been banished by her people. There was no higher disgrace.

  Daemon had asked her to sneak out again tomorrow night and meet him.

  She would go, and she would tell him. If he still chose her, they would have to be married in secret.

  Chapter 4

  Summer 103LR

  If this is what love is, let me never be without it...

  The forest was dark and quiet, the only light coming from the pale moon sitting high in the sky casting blue shadows across the tiny path. Areen’s neck ached from the many times she’d glanced over her shoulder. Sneaking out had been much harder tonight. There were rumors circulating that a band of evil creatures were gathering nearby and the Sphere Elders were on high alert. Guards had been posted and there was talk of creating a literal barrier of power to separate the village from the outside world, a barrier only a Sphere from the village could pass through.

  This time she’d managed to sneak past, but if the guards multiplied, if they made the Barrier, her excursions with Daemon would come to a screeching halt. With a barrier, they would know everyone who came and l
eft, they would sense it. For the first time, she wished her father were coming home sooner. He would at least listen as she explained her feelings for Daemon, something she knew her mother would never do. He would not approve of the quick marriage and the courtship that took place outside his permission. But if he could just see how much she loved Daemon, perhaps he would at least give her his private blessing, at least let her know he loved her despite her choice. And maybe, just maybe, she’d be allowed to transcend in safety in the village Capka before banishment. The idea of transcending out there in the world without the protection of her people was terrifying.

  The trees thinned up ahead and she could just see the outline of a lantern bobbing toward her. She quickened her steps and in seconds the lantern was on the ground and Daemon was holding her against him, his lips brushing her cheek.

  “I’ve missed you.” His warm breath tickled her ear.

  She trembled. “It’s only been a day.”

  “One day too many.” He tried to pull her in for a kiss but she pulled away and took his hand.

  “What are we going to do tonight?”

  The sigh that escaped his throat sounded frustrated but his tone was light and happy as he started to walk without retrieving the lantern. “I thought we’d take a walk in the moonlight. I found this little pond while I was exploring the other day. It’s full of Kornikye, so it’ll be glowing at night.”

  “It sounds beautiful.”

  He stopped and cupped her face in his big hand. “Nothing in this forest or in this entire world could compete with your beauty, Areen.” He leaned in again and this time she let him kiss her. The fire was back in her veins and it took more willpower than she thought it should to end the kiss.

  “I love you,” he whispered.

  “I love you, Daemon. So much.”

  His steps were almost buoyant as they started walking again. She too felt as if she were floating on a cloud. She needed to tell him about her imminent banishment, but she couldn’t bring herself to ruin the mood.