Breenan Series Box Set by Emma Shelford

Author:Emma Shelford [Shelford, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781530439355
Publisher: Kinglet Books
Published: 2018-07-22T23:00:00+00:00

***

At mid-day, they crested a small hill. Below them lay a valley, one half forested and the other carpeted by golden meadows. In the center of the valley, where trees met grass, a castle stood sentinel.

Unlike Isolde’s solitary palace nestled deep within brooding trees, this castle was surrounded by a town, the largest Gwen had seen in the Otherworld. The castle was constructed of wood instead of stone, and rose a few storeys above the surrounding dwellings. The town had no discernable roads—instead it presented a jumble of rooftops liberally interspersed with crowns of trees and climbing vines.

When they drew closer to the city gates, Tristan and Rhiannon swung down gracefully from their horses and continued to walk on foot. Gwen and Aidan dismounted, if not smoothly, than with more ease than previously. Tristan turned to Gwen.

“Once we’ve passed Bran off to the king, you’re headed east to the Longshore realm?”

“Yes. That’s where Isle Caengal is, right?” Gwen’s heart gave an uncomfortable jolt when she recalled the people of Isolde’s realm, the starving children and the refugees on the road. At least they had almost delivered Bran to his father. Then he would be in safe hands, and they could continue on to find a cure for the realm. It sounded simple, in theory. Plans always did.

“So they say. Never been, myself.”

“I’ve seen it,” Rhiannon said, her voice hushed. “It’s only an hour’s walk from the village where I was born. No one ever makes land there, though. They say the island is guarded by an enormous sea serpent.”

Gwen and Aidan exchanged skeptical looks and Tristan laughed.

“A sea serpent? Really, Rhiannon. They’re all extinct by now. I’d love to see one—could you imagine?”

Aidan raise his eyebrows in disbelief.

“You mean sea serpents actually existed here? At some point?”

“Yes, of course. They turned on each other once they’d hunted all the selkies. The last one died three hundred years ago, I heard.”

“You can laugh,” Rhiannon said darkly. “There are plenty who swear they’ve seen it. And there must be a reason why no one ever visits the island.” She turned to Gwen. “You really have to go there to find some ‘cure’ for the Velvet Woods?” Rhiannon snorted. “You like impossible quests, I see. First Bran, now this.”

Gwen had nothing to say in response. Her shoulders sagged. Rhiannon had a point—everyone said that Bran was incurable, and that no one ever visited this island where a magic spell might or might not be, that might or might not fix the realm.

Aidan put an arm around her shoulder as they approached the gate.

“We’ll figure it out,” he whispered in her ear. “We’ve made it this far, haven’t we? We’ve only almost died twice on this trip. That’s good odds for us.”

Gwen chuckled weakly despite herself. She leaned her head briefly against Aidan, acknowledging his touch. She straightened when two guards approached their party, and Aidan’s arm slipped off her shoulders.

Tristan greeted the guards.

“Good day, gentlemen. We have an urgent need to see the king.

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