Stella King Sartorius’ voice rang out. “Captain Marco, prepare Mr. Guo for his castigation.” “Please, no!” I cried, straining against...

Stella I trembled. Standing required every ounce of energy I had left. Prince Fernando partially shielded me from King Sartorius’ glare,...

Bolin Vether take me. The doctor popped my shoulder into the socket three hours ago, but it hurt like cursed fire. The bones Stella...

Stella Eric struggled to keep a pace beyond fast walking with me on his back. I barely had the strength to hold on to him with all the...

Stella The hooded man pulled me away from the royal estate, but the grassy ground did little to hide us. My stomach clenched. If the...

Stella ‘Get out!’ I opened my eyes, expecting the woman screaming at me to be right above my face. ‘Get out!’ she yelled again. My gaze...

Prince Fernando I checked on the beautiful woman sleeping in my bed every half hour. After two hours, I decided to make my claim, then...

Prince Fernando Dario gripped the obsidian stones, attempting to explain his failure. A flash of green and gold caught my eye, and my...

Bolin I flew backward, hitting the wall. Bones shattered. My shoulder and my side screamed with sharp pain. Hundreds of thoughts shot...

Stella Two more weeks passed with nothing odd occurring. Astralini became more understandable, and simple conversations were easier....

Bolin Two hours passed. I feared Patrick may have not received permission to stop by. In my agitation, and the need to hide it, I told...

Author's note: I originally had this opening, where Nirel and Jase go to Trestaine, but I eventually decided that having them land in...

Bolin Stella caught on to Astralini vocabulary with surprising speed. Even with her constant headaches, she pushed herself to learn more....

Prince Fernando My half-sister, Valeria, leaned on me for guidance as we strolled the gardens. At the tender age of fourteen, she’d...

Stella After two days, I felt much better. Bolin never left my side during waking hours, and he slept in the next room, so I wouldn’t be...

Prince Fernando The pale, languid healer opened her eyes two hours after she arrived. Ocean-gray irises locked on mine. Then they...

The welcome feast was part of my original manuscript for Nirel. I decided to cut it and rework most of the events into new chapters. The...

Stella The brown-haired guard led Bolin and me to one of the great horse beasts. I gripped Bolin’s wrist so hard, my fingernails probably...

Prince Fernando Dario and I entered my father’s study. The guards shut the doors behind us with a harsh thud, a sound that marked our...

Stella Patrick. Bolin’s friend’s name was Patrick. I repeated it to myself over and over, hoping it stayed in my memory this time. After...