Originally posted May 2024
Before Merlin's Legend. There was her story.
Here is a slice of Chapter 1 of Solasta: The Highlander Fae. I hope it pulls you in as much as writing it pulled me.
Chapter 1: Escape
A nightmare, no, a premonition, woke Maximus from his sleep. He instantly sat up and then froze. Jada, sleeping soundly next to him, was startled awake. "What is the matter?"
When he did not respond, she knew something was wrong. To share in his vision, she placed her hands on his chest, linking herself to him. They both began to cry as a vision unraveled before them.
The future, if not changed...
"The Kelpie Ring! We must make it to the Kelpie Ring." The Ailey sisters ran from their burning home as the dark fae hunted them. Their brothers and father attempted to hold the fae off to allow the women to escape. The first to fall was their patriarch, Maximus. As he moved to stop one of Stygian's minions, another lanced him from the side.
River, the eldest Ailey son, roared with fury. Using his ability to fly, he was able to deflect the onslaught and kill the minion who slayed his father. Rune and Ronan combined their powers of strength and weather to create a tempest to block the dark fae from the few survivors. They miscalculated Stygian's powers. Their tempest halted and threw them across the village square. Rune fell to his death and Ronan was gravely injured. The Ailey women gathered their powers to save their youngest brother.
Celeste used her ability to create illusions to blind Stygian. She was able to hold the enchantment for a moment to allow Aurora to use the Earth to pull Ronan from Stygian's grasp. Once he was freed, the remaining Ailey family members ran for the Kelpie Ring.
The premonition began to fade into the darkness, releasing its oracle.
Want to read more? Signed and collector's editions of Solasta: The Highlander Fae are available in the shop.
Nita Lipan, Fenix Rising Press