Realm Leaper, page 1
Realm Leaper
Realm Leaper
Book 1 of the Realm Leaper Series
P.E. Craven
Little River Raven
To my husband, my own personal Fated-Mate:
Thank you for always jumping on board for all my crazy ideas, hyping me up whenever I doubt myself, and being the very best supporter I could ask for.
I couldn't have dreamed of a better partner if I tried.
Copyright © 2022 by P.E. Craven
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Printing, 2023
1
✧✦✧
She was falling.
Faster. Faster. Blinding.
She could hardly think as that one singular word kept pounding through her head: falling.
She hurtled through space; through darkness and time; falling for eternity; she was sure of it. A weight pressed in on her like a fist squeezing the air from her lungs. Her hair fluttered against her face, scratching at her eyes and nose as air whipped by her like bramble vines.
She breached the impenetrable darkness, squinting against the streaks of white painting the sky. The darkness was still a void she plummeted through, but now she fell amongst patches of stars and bursts of debris. A gasp was torn from her gut as she gulped for air, trying to relieve the lurching of her stomach.
And still, she fell.
Below, a massive shape loomed as she tumbled through the air, flipping end over end. She tried to control her limbs, pulling them tight into herself, but it only made her plummet faster. The sensation of spinning pulled at her insides, threatening to rip her very soul out through her throat and mouth.
Suddenly, a blinding light flashed. She crested through clouds, hurtling towards the ground. She would not, could not, survive this.
“Help...”
“Help me,” she whispered.
She was picking up speed; falling faster. A bright shield of fire formed around her, creating a solid ball of flame as she plunged toward death.
“Help,” she growled, baring her teeth at the flames licking at the air around her.
She should be burning, could not remember whether she could burn, or if this was how fire was supposed to behave.
Water came into view below her as she surpassed the clouds. Water and lands unfamiliar and strange, unwelcoming, as she tumbled towards the end.
She thought of the water and whether there was any possible way her body could survive smacking the surface. Whether she would hit the surface and be knocked unconscious and drown. Or maybe the gods would have pity on her, allowing the sweet end of instant death from the punishment of hitting the rolling ocean below. The idea of letting go teased her sweetly as panic surged through her. She inhaled deeply, the hot air singing her throat and chest as she readied herself.
Only, she wasn’t heading towards the ocean anymore; a city was coming into view. She didn’t want to hit the city. Her impact would not be small. How she knew; fuck…how did she know anything?! She just couldn’t fall there, she knew it.
“I. Said. Fucking help me,” she grunted between clenched teeth. She shoved her hands against one side of the fireball, briefly amazed that she could touch it and not be burned alive, even as the skin of her palms blistered and cracked. She pushed hard, until her arms quivered with the effort, sweat beading on her forehead. She stifled a cry of pain. A force rolled her away from the city.
Faster. Faster. Gods…this was going to hurt. Not the ocean. Now she was heading for a small peninsula; an outcropping of stone and trees rising up from the water. The wind howled in her ears, against her body. The force of falling squeezed her from all sides as tears streaked from her eyes.
No, no, no, no, no, no. She didn’t want to die.
She’d accepted that fate before, but she was scared now.
She did not want to give up. Not here.
Not in a place she didn’t know.
Not when she had so much to do. What, she couldn’t remember just now. But it was important.
“NO. Help me!” she cried out to gods she could only vaguely remember. The ground was so close, reaching up to swallow her now.
“NO!” she demanded again, reaching her hands up and gasping loudly as she tried to stop her ball of flame from hitting the ground. She slowed, the ocean surging forward up the coast to meet her, and she hit the ground with an explosion of water, steam, rock, and debris.
That. Hurt.
The water flowed away back to the sea, leaving her lying broken, bruised, and exhausted in a crater of red dirt, grass peeking over the ridges. Something warm ran down her face, warmer than the rest of the water soaking her body. The sun beat down on her over the trees. She closed her eyes; it hurt. It all hurt.
She opened her eyes, straining against the sun hanging overhead before slipping back into a brief darkness.
When she managed to peel open her eyes once more, three winged figures stood on one side of the small crater, staring down at her.
Angels. They’d come to take her spirit away. She blinked, silently thanking Cerridos for sending angels to this unknown world to carry her spirit to the beyond. Light flooded her as she opened her eyes, and…
They weren’t angels. They were warriors; menacing and terrifying, with crude, antique weapons in their hands and strapped to their bodies.
She tried scrambling up the slope of the crater. Making to stand, push to her feet, to scream, to get away. Dirt scraped away from the crater, embedding below her nails and sticking to her bloody elbows as she felt her legs give way.
She tumbled back into the pit. Nausea clawed itself into her mouth as she felt bone protrude from her leg.
“Help,” she pleaded softly. “Please.”
A feeble rumble of earth from the crater was the only response as she fell once again into darkness.
✧✦✧
Gavin stood on the balcony of the Obelisk towering over the city, Veritasailles. He let himself admire the wind whip through his hair and tousling the wild curls of his commander, Meliza.
She stood, leaning against the archway of the balcony that led back into the tower which housed the private training center and accommodation for some of the chosen members of the King and Queen’s Court. Gavin avoided making eye contact with his Commander, a fierce leader who had proven her merit in combat in addition to being the sister of the King.
Not only was Meliza a fierce leader, she was a hell of a fighter. Gavin had a wound wrapped in bandages on his arm to prove it. Could he have avoided Meliza’s downward thrust? Probably. But Zeke, the army’s General, had made a distracting comment about Gavin’s form. That moment of distraction had cost Gavin. He wasn’t mad, though. If he was honest, being stationed in the Obelisk and serving in the city had been some of the best fun he could remember having.
The country of Felysia had spent the last one hundred years under the control of a genocidal psychopath. King Rankor murdered the leaders of every sovereign state on the continent, using forbidden blood magic to serve his purpose. The conquered people had been thrown into work camps where they’d been abused for a century.
Gavin rolled his shoulders, willing the uneasiness of memories better left forgotten to trickle out of his muscles and into any other place but himself. He might still be burning for vengeance deep down inside, but he was content to ignore that need as long as the Tri-Goddess would allow him to.
Just then, Meliza tensed. She pushed off from the archway and strode towards the edge of the balcony, peering into the sky.
“What is it?” Gavin asked.
Meliza ignored the young fae, keeping her eyes shielded to the sun just cresting towards the other side of the sky. Gavin tensed as she remained still.
A boom erupted in the sky, and a small fireball broke through the cover of fluffy white clouds smattering the horizon. It didn’t appear to be anything malicious; a falling star perhaps?
A watery voice echoed from behind Gavin and Meliza. “Meliza- do you know what that is?” Gavin and Meliza turned to meet the gaze of King Symon. He stood in his transparent form, a projection of his true form which likely stood in his study.
“I do not,” Meliza replied firmly, twisting to look again at the strange star falling to the land. Which now seemed to be heading directly towards the Obelisk.
“Shit,” the three of them muttered in unison.
Gavin stilled, scrambling to come up with some way to be useful against the meteor plummeting towards the city and destroying everything in its path. He could use his wind powers, but would that be enough? Glancing at Meliza, he could see similar calculations running through her mind. Her power over earth and stone, while impressive, would likely make the situation worse. A mighty wind roared across the beach and appeared to push the falling object towards a distant peninsula, avoiding the city itself.
“Was that you?” Symon asked Gavin, a small smile in his voice.
“No,” Gavin replied, shaking his head.
“Get Zeke. I want to know what it is as soon as it hits the ground,” Symon ordered. “Go.”
Gavin could sense Zeke sprinting up the stairs, clearly having sensed the danger already. As soon as Zeke hit the landing, the three fae warriors leapt from the balcony and plummeted towards the ground. Simultaneously, they shifted into their feather-winged form, spearing towards the clearing.
The wind sang in Gavin’s ears as they soared towards the outcropping of rocks that bordered the city and sea. He whispered a quiet plea to the Goddess herself as they prepared to shield the city from whatever might come next.
But their trajectory was too closely aligned to that of the blazing fireball. Without warning, Meliza pulled up towards the sky, steering the trio upwards so that they could observe the damage from a safe distance. Gavin hovered slightly behind Meliza, Zeke a short distance to his side.
Gavin allowed himself to focus on the mission at hand, letting the beating of Zeke’s wings lull him into a trance-like state of hyperfocus. It was close now; any second the fireball would crash into the dirt, no doubt annihilating whatever trees and brush grew on the grassy point. He braced himself, remaining steady in the air, prepared to dodge any debris. But just before the fireball hit the ground, time seemed to slow. No, not time. IT slowed down. And as the fireball slowed the sea rushed towards the peninsula, swallowing it whole. The impact, although not as destructive as it could have been, was brutal. The clearing smoke and dust revealed a steaming crater scarring the earth.
“What, the-” muttered Gavin. Zeke whistled between his teeth. The trio beat their wings in the air for just a moment before they quickly swooped for the crater as one.
Gavin dove to the crater, but stopped short before reaching it. In the center of the crater was a petite girl with short, cinnamon hair, battered and crushed, lying completely inert. He gasped, “It’s a girl.”
“Very perceptive,” Zeke hissed.
“Funny. I just meant, what is a girl doing inside a fireball?” asked Gavin through his teeth.
All three hit the ground a few yards from the crater and ran towards it. The girl seemed unconscious, battered, but breathing. Her cinnamon hair reflected the glow from the sun.
Gavin, Meliza, and Zeke stood together at the rim of the crater, peering at the strange girl who’d fallen from the sky. Slowly, the girl’s head moved, and her eyes fluttered open. Fear masked her face. She tried to scramble up to the top of the crater, as if to get away but stumbled.
Meliza stood her ground, waiting. Gavin watched as Meliza assessed the girl’s state, waiting for her to lose consciousness. Gavin had seen soldiers with lesser wounds succumb to the relief of unconsciousness on the battlefield. He could sense her pain and panic, and something urged him forwards. Gavin stepped forward to approach the girl, but Meliza grabbed his arm to stop him.
The girl, still scrambling up the crater and trying to stand, hit the ground and rolled back down. A slight tremor murmured through the clearing, and the girl passed out. Gavin jumped in, scooping her into his arms, careful to avoid hurting her clearly broken leg.
“We’ve got to get her back to the Obelisk. Raphael can help,” said Gavin.
Zeke barked, “You and Meliza go to the Obelisk, get the girl to Raph. I will get Symon. He can help.” Zeke moved without pausing, scooping up a brown lump sitting, steaming, on the edge of the crater before bolting back into the sky. From Gavin’s perspective, it looked like a satchel of some sort, but he couldn’t be sure. If it were a bag, maybe it could provide some answers. After all, there was no telling how long it might take for the girl to heal enough for them to question her.
Not wasting a second more, Gavin shot into the sky, followed by Meliza. They raced toward the Obelisk.
Above the wind roaring in his ears, he heard Meliza mutter curses beneath her breath. Gavin couldn’t help but agree to some extent. What was this? Was it an omen? Was the girl a weapon in disguise? They would find out soon enough. Meliza would surely wield her Truth Teller powers on the girl once she had healed enough to think coherently.
How fast Gavin flew. He couldn’t remember a time he’d flown so fast. His heart thumped in his chest with a primal instinct to protect the girl in his arms. Thoughts raced through his mind as fast as he flew, and he had no idea where the urgency to protect and save her came from. He looked down at her limp body, hair whipping across her face.
This girl, this small girl. She was strong. How else could she have survived? He wasn’t sure he would have survived an impact like that; shit, he wasn’t even sure Zeke could. That huge wave, summoned mysteriously from the sea, had likely softened the blow. But she was hurt- brutalized from the fall.
Blisters covered part of her face, her palms, along the back of her arms. Her leg was broken, the bone sticking through her pant leg. Blood soaked both sides of her face, and trickled from her ears. She was breathing, and he could hear her heart beating, but barely. Thank the Goddess Raphael was there. And with luck, Symon and Zeke would arrive at nearly the same time.
She squirmed in his arms.“No. Don’t,” she croaked.
“It’s fine. We’re going to help you. Just hang on. Keep breathing,” Gavin said over the wind roaring past. His wings beat harder as he speared to the Obelisk. So close. They were so close.
His feet hit the balcony floor at a run, closely followed by Meliza, and together they bounded up the stairs towards Raphael’s medical ward. Gavin tried to stabilize her head as he tackled the stairs two at a time, trying desperately to avoid worsening her injuries. His jaw worked as he ran, conscious of her ragged breaths, simultaneously trying to block out memories of cradling warrior friends injured in bloody battle.
“Just hang on. Almost there,” Gavin said again as he burst through Raphael’s open door.
“Gavin, that better not be you again,” drawled Raphael, not bothering to look up from the text he was scanning.
“Raph. Hurry,” demanded Meliza as Gavin placed the girl on a medical table in the center of Raphael’s room.
Raphael turned and took in the damaged female on his table, face changing from a look of annoyance to dignified purpose.
“Meliza, roll that cart over here. Gavin, be ready in case she wakes up. I need to assess her. Keep her calm. Yes, Meliza, that one. Quickly. NOW.”
Symon may be King of Veritasailles, but Raphael was lord of this domain. Raphael spoke with a soft, lilting voice. His long dark hair, dark brown eyes, and long eyelashes often had people curious about his gender. But when he was in the midst of healing, his soft voice carried no questions, only commands.
“Symon,” directed Raphael in his cool manner, not looking up from his work on the girl as Symon and Zeke entered. “I need you on pain management. Use her mind to numb the extremities. She’s in shock, and we need to sustain her vitals.” Symon stalked to her head, and placed his hands on either of her temples.
The moment his fingertips brushed her skin, she bucked.
She. Bucked. Back arching off the table, her arms reaching up as if she would pry Symon’s fingers from her scalp. Symon inhaled sharply, but remained focused on her mind while she continued to thrash upon the table.
No one should be able to resist Symon like that; Gavin hadn’t witnessed anyone resist Symon’s mind control in the slightest before.
Gavin stared at the girl, pulling her hands away from Symon as she glared at him, pleading, “Please don’t. Don’t let him take me,” she sobbed.
Symon grit his teeth, and Gavin could tell he was reaching further into his power.
“No, please,” the girl screamed as she flailed her broken body. The blisters on her arms left bloody streaks along the table, staining the sheets a sheer crimson. Gavin trembled as he tried to keep her arms on the table without hurting her.
“It’s ok. Look. Look at me. I won’t let them hurt you. Trust me,” promised Gavin. “I won’t let them hurt you.”
He wasn’t sure why, but he meant it. She looked up at him, still trying to reach for Symon’s hands, and held his stare. They looked at each other as Gavin whispered again, “I won’t let them hurt you.”
She nodded, exhaled loudly, and let Symon into her mind as she closed her eyes. Gavin could feel her body lose its rigidness, but he could also feel that little heart of hers slow down.
“Raph,” warned Gavin.
“I know, I know,” barked Raphael. “Just hold her. Meliza, come hold this leg while I set it. I need to get the bone back in to help slow the bleeding. Symon, be ready. She might fight this.”
