Eve of the Exceptionals: A YA Epic Fantasy Adventure & HEA Romance When fate brings the young Prince Ryzyn and the rover girl Gem together, not only do their lives become forever entwined, their meeting also ignites the power within an ancient object—the Heart of Cyan. With the mystical Heart discovered, the wielder must prepare for an epic battle against a vicious, pervasive darkness that threatens all of Parlethis. Magical forces unite for the good of the land, but will that be enough to stop the Shadowland creatures from destroying them all? Normal 0 false false false EN-US JA X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Join the incredible journey full of magical beings, terrifying and majestic creatures, and the two young hearts destined to save a kingdom. ParkerSinclair.net/Buy-a-great-book Excerpt:

Chapter 1

Shadows

“Gem!” “Did you find it, Finn?” Finn’s glowing owl eyes send round balls of light bouncing off the walls at the far end of the room and then higher into the ceiling rafters. His bright orbs light the throne chamber just enough for Gem to set up her aim. Thick wooden beams traverse the cavernous throne room. She eyes them, calculating. They are wide enough for a small girl like her to delicately crawl upon. Although she hopes to have her arrows do most of the work, she’ll brave the heights if need be. Even though they creep around quietly, Gem takes comfort in knowing they are alone. This isn’t the library, armory, treasure vault, or a private quarter. No, this is a wide-open space that no one would suspect of holding such a treasure. Yet the hide-in-plain-sight tactic is no match for Gem and her father’s wits. They discovered the location of the rarest of treasures, and tonight, Gem will take it. Finn’s strong dark wings carry him swiftly and silently around the hall while his eyes light the way for Gem’s keen sight. Of course it is more than her sight that tells her Finn has located the priceless object. Instinctively, her fingers move to her throat where the necklace she has worn all her life rests. To everyone else the teardrop-shaped stone appears lifeless and cold, but against her skin and to her wide eyes, it is a brilliant turquoise blue. Blue like the stone of her desert homeland, like the aqua flecks in her golden eyes. It has never led her astray before, and it doesn’t tonight. Gem aims her bow into the darkness; the only light is shining from Finn’s soft orbital glow. Her necklace flames to life as she whispers to her first arrow, willing it to find its mark. Be swift . . . Be true. When the arrow takes flight, red string trails behind it, the thread coiling and flying wildly after the projectile, resembling the cursive writing Gem’s mother makes her practice. A thud signals that she has hit her mark, and the satisfied smile curling her lips is a trademark for her brand of mischief. The grin doesn’t last though as a bright stream of light pours from the target out over the massive hall. The harsh glow instantly exposes Gem and Finn, freezing them in place for a second. Finn drops to the ground, taking on his white polecat form and scampering to Gem, crawling up her long legs to burrow in the back of her leather vest. His small, shaking body vibrates against her, signaling to her that she has to work quickly. “Gem, we have to get out of here! Forget the prize and let’s save our hides!” Finn’s words are an echo within her mind. “Gem!” he urges again. His voice is understandably full of worry, but they are so close to success, and she has something to prove to her family. She satchels her bow to the straps that crisscross her back alongside her full quiver. Reaching into her boot with one hand, she withdraws a small blade while she uses her other hand to calm Finn with a tender ear rub. Once he stops trembling, she grabs the red string and takes off toward the source of the light. When underneath it, she yanks and pulls until a box gives way and begins hurtling toward the ground. As it falls, an object wrapped in a dark velvety dressing is thrown free. Finn leaps from his hiding spot, transforming into his customary cheetah in a spectacular mid-air fashion before snatching the object with his jaws. Gem hears rapid, heavy footfalls from down the halls and knows that the castle guards are on their way. With all the slits in the stone walls and the endless halls spider-webbing off in all directions, the light in the room has no chance of staying confined. Gem cuts the string from the arrow, letting it fall to the ground while working her projectile free. Once the sharp stone gives way, she closes the box to cease the glow. Suddenly cast back into a barely moonlit darkness, she manages to quickly scoop up the string, sheath her knife, and take off at a sprint, barely registering Finn’s holler of warning before she smacks into flesh and bone. A boy, a tad taller than she, stands still as stone, staring at her for a moment before his dark eyes land on Finn running full out toward him. Taking a firm stance, hands poised to grab his own bow and an arrow from his quiver, he speaks urgently. “Gem, wait, I’m here to help you. The kingdom won’t give you a second to explain if they take you tonight.” Gem puts her hands on her hips; one twitches, wanting to punch him in his boyish face before leaving him in the dust. Instead, she uses it to halt Finn, knowing immediately who the boy is. Gem recognizes him from the show she and her family put on earlier, here in Castle Lence. He had come on stage for the featured archery game she plays with each crowd. Her arrow had whizzed past his deep brown eyes and through a section of his wild, long black hair that she was sure his father, the king, must despise. Prince Ryzyn. He didn’t show even a bit of fear when Gem aimed her deadly arrow at him. She had even envisioned allowing the arrow to nick his perfect face, but his captivating eyes released her thoughts and caused a flutter inside her that she didn’t recognize. And here it is again. Gem’s fourteen-year-old mind forgets the danger for a moment, but Finn’s growl snaps her out of it. “You’re going to have to leave that here. The wards won’t let it leave the castle, especially in a kitten’s mouth,” Ryzyn warns, looking at Finn, who growls while inching away, the treasure clamped tight in his jaws. “Don’t be a fool,” he goes on. “There will be dire consequences for stealing from the castle.” Gem had made an oath to bring the prize to her family that night, but she knows deep in her bones that Princey-pants isn’t lying. It sounds like the castle guards heading her way have quadrupled, and her father’s charms are burning away, leaving her skin cold and tingly. Not even Finn and she can escape, at least not without help. Sconces along the wall start to flame as the sounds of pursuit close in. “You there! Thieves! Stay where you are!” Finn and Gem inch into the shadows, but the light falls clearly on the Prince’s face. He holds his chin high and his hand down low. Finn glances at Gem while posing a question in her mind. She gives him a swift nod. Keeping to the shadows, the cheetah tosses the velvet-wrapped prize from his mouth to where it lands expertly in Ryzyn’s outstretched palm. He is going to take the fall for them, and Gem doesn’t know entirely what that means, but it has to at least mean that he is risking his life for them. Why? “Run. Head left down the hall behind me, and when you see the picture of the dragon and the unicorn, push it back and follow the secret passage. You’ll be led to my room. Find the hatch under my wardrobe closet. It will lead you out to the forest. Now go!” Without thinking, Gem follows the shadows to slink behind Ryzyn. He turns to look at her and, knowing his face is now in the shadows as well, she rocks onto her toes to place a light kiss on his cheek. Tucking something small into his pocket, she moves away from him, turning back when his words surprise her. “Be swift,” Ryzyn’s voice vibrates through her. “Be true,” she replies before running away as fast as she can.   “What in the world was that, Gem?” Finn is flying down the halls with cheetah speed, easily carrying Gem’s weight on his back. Gem isn’t sure what that was, but the fluttering feeling continues and it isn’t from fear. It is from the boy prince—from Ryzyn.