Unbound, p.1
Unbound, page 1
Also by Holly Huntress
The Broken Angel Series:
Broken Angel
Condemned Angel
Forsaken Angel
Unbound
◦Book One◦
Holly Huntress
Copyright © 2021 by Holly Huntress
Published by Kindle Direct Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review.
First edition: January 2021
Unbound by Holly Huntress
Cover design and map art done by Holly Huntress
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Pronunciation Guide
Characters
Mylah – My-luh
Emil – Eh-meel
Vita – Veet-uh
Castien – Cast-shien
Elias – Eh-lie-us
Edris – Ee-dris
Torin – Tore-in
Haldor- Hall-door
Lachlan – Lock-lan
Ailsa – Ail-sa
Places
Hyrdian – Her-i-dee-in
Adair – Uh-dare
Elowyn – Ell-oh-win
Cyprian – Sip-ree-an
Olliria – Oh-leer-ee-uh
Other
Shreeve – Sh-reeve
Hosath – Hose-ath
ONE
“Two more were found dead across the border between Adair and the Unbound territory this morning,” a voice echoed up through the council chambers. Mylah leaned forward, peering over the balcony railing until the owner of the voice came into view. He wore the forest green Adairian uniform, but Mylah did not recognize him.
She leaned back, watching from her assigned seat in the upper gallery as King Florian and the fourteen advisors who made up his council shared an uneasy look. The king sat upon his simple black and gold throne built into the platform at the front of the room. Mylah studied him as he opened his mouth to speak. His brown hair had recently been cropped short to allow his gilded crown to sit comfortably on top of his head. The forest green train of his royal robe bunched at the base of the throne where an unused footstool had been placed.
Mylah’s eyes flicked to the queen at King Florian’s side, Queen Aurelia. Her braided hair, black as a starless night sky, sat piled on top of her head. The sun that streamed in from the windows up above them caused her deep brown skin to glow. Her hazel eyes were glazed and unfocused as per usual, uninterested in what the man before them said. Their two children, Princess Mina and Prince Ari, were too young to attend the council’s meetings. Mylah had only seen them once from afar, but they seemed to have inherited most of their mother’s traits.
Greyson leaned over to ask Mylah and Cassia, “Do you think it was an Unbound creature or a shreeve?” Greyson leaned over to ask Mylah and Cassia. His voice distracted Mylah from the conversation happening below and he raised an eyebrow at them in question.
“Obviously the shreeve, Greyson,” Cassia snapped. “They’re always trying to get more of our land.”
“Pa told me that our quarrels with them have nothing to do with the land. He thinks it’s a creature from the Unbound territory doing the killing, not the shreeve.” Since the shreeve, who were human-fae hybrids, normally kept to their own kingdoms of Elowyn and Amaris, Mylah had never encountered them before, but she had seen depictions and heard about them. They were usually at least a head taller than most humans and were covered in blue and green markings. Their most distinctive feature was their eyes. An image from a book flashed in Mylah’s mind, sending a shiver down her spine. There was color where the whites of their eyes should be, and their iris was another color.
“We will expand the patrol for that edge of the border, day and night.” King Florian’s commanding voice cut through the conversation in the upper gallery. “No citizen of Adair will be allowed out of town after sundown unless they are given special permissions.” Mylah noticed some grimaces at that declaration. The king’s sharp, hazel eyes missed nothing. He went rigid in his throne, glaring out over his council. Mylah chuckled as she watched them all sink into their own chairs. To have such power… she thought.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Greyson said, stealing her attention away from the lower gallery again. “The good part’s over.” Greyson stood but kept low as he half waddled out the doorway that led to the stairs, Cassia following close behind him. Mylah worried that they might miss out on some interesting information, but she decided to join her friends. Sighing in resignation, she turned and trailed behind Cassia.
It wasn’t unusual for them to sneak out of meetings, but Mylah wasn’t always happy to leave. Though, if she asked, her parents would fill her in later about the rest of the meeting. She enjoyed hearing what was going on in the kingdom but spending time with her friends had become harder and harder as more responsibilities fell on each of them.
The trio hurried down the stairs and out to the king’s gardens. The gardens were enclosed by the castle on all sides, but with no roof, it gave them a breath of fresh air. Roses were the most common flower to be found in the gardens, but Mylah’s favorite was the blue dahlias. The king had them specially altered by a witch since they didn’t grow that color naturally. The king had at least two witches at his disposal, that Mylah knew of.
“Greyson, why don’t you go fetch us some biscuits from the kitchen, I’m starved,” Cassia said as they wandered down a path lined with daisies. Greyson assented immediately, as usual, always seeking Cassia’s approval. Mylah understood – Cassia was much prettier than most girls their age. She was fifteen, a year older than Mylah and Greyson, and had glistening, warm, brown skin; fine, black hair that reached the middle of her back; and fierce, green eyes. All her features were soft and rounded. Mylah envied her.
It wasn’t that Mylah was less attractive, but her own features were sharper and more defined like her father’s, not quite as seamless as Cassia’s. Mylah had rich chocolate brown hair, much thicker than Cassia’s, and it fell in curls down past her shoulder blades. Her eyes were a dark grayish blue color, not nearly as intriguing as Cassia’s eyes. Mylah could thank her mother for that combination, while her dad had brown hair and brown eyes.
Cassia noticed Mylah staring and offered her a dazzling smile.
“Now, Myles, it’s not polite to stare,” she chided as she flipped her hair over her shoulder and laughed.
“Sorry, Cass. I was just wondering whether you realize you have poor Greyson wrapped around your finger,” Mylah said, watching as Greyson’s slender, twig-like figure disappeared into the castle. His shocking white-blond hair blinked out of existence amidst the shadows of the doorway.
“Oh, don’t be silly. He’s wrapped around any girl’s finger who gives him a second glance. He’s too willing to please.” Cassia giggled. Mylah thought that was unfair. She’d known Greyson her whole life and had never seen him act that way around anyone else. But, before she could say so, Greyson was hurrying back towards them, so she kept her mouth shut.
“Thanks, Greyson,” Mylah said, smiling brightly at him. There was a permanent glimmer of innocence in his deep blue eyes, and she wondered how long he’d keep that before Cassia crushed his heart. Mylah knew it was bound to happen. Cassia had her sights set elsewhere, and poor Greyson would never stand a chance.
Mylah sat in the kitchen eating dinner with her parents that night, listening to them bicker about the meeting earlier. Nights after a council meeting almost always went that way, their voices steadily rising to fill their normally calm and cozy two-bedroom home. Mylah’s mother was usually upset about something the king had said or done, while her father tended to go with the flow.
“King Florian needs to retaliate and show the Elowyns they can’t get away with this!” her mother argued.
Mylah traced a whorl in the wooden dining table with her index finger, pretending not to pay attention, though she absorbed every word that was said.
“Yes, Vita, let’s storm their castle while we’re at it!” her father quipped.
“You know what I mean, Emil. Patrolling the borders is not enough!”
“I agree, but there is no evidence that the shreeve are responsible for these deaths. It could easily be an Unbound creature…” he trailed off as Vita began speaking again.
“It’s madness. Next those shreeve will be invading farther onto our land and killing more of our people. They may not be as fast and as strong as the fae, but they certainly have the upper hand against us humans. Allowing them to gain any foothold on our land will be detrimental.” Vita and Emil both glanced nervously at Mylah. She felt their eyes on her and looked up from her empty plate.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing, Bun.” Mylah cringed at her father’s nickname for her. Bun, short for bunny, because she used to pretend she was a bunny when she was five. Unfortunately, though she grew out of that phase, the nickname stuck.
“Where did you and your friends sneak off to earlier? I don’t think King Florian would be too happy to see his future advisors skipping out on meetings,” Vita said, giving Mylah a disapproving look.
“The gardens. Greyson led the escape, I went along for the thrill of it all,” Mylah joked, which made her father laugh, and her mother even cracked a smile. They both knew Greyson and how ca
“If it’s the shreeve, do you think they’re trying to start a war?” Mylah asked. Emil sighed, looking to Vita for help.
“You don’t need to worry about that, Mylah,” Vita used her soothing voice that was meant to ease all Mylah’s worries. It had stopped working on her when she’d turned twelve and started attending the council meetings. It was hard not to worry when you were always being informed of everything that was going wrong in the kingdom.
“Yes, leave the worrying to the adults, Bun. You’ll have plenty of time for it when you’re older,” Emil added.
“Very reassuring, Pa,” Mylah laughed, but he was right. When she turned eighteen, she’d be an official member of the king’s council, and when Emil stepped down, she’d take over as an advisor. Vita would step down from her role as an advisor eventually as well, and presumably, Mylah’s future spouse would take Vita’s place. Advisors had more say than other council members since the rest of the council was made up of the advisor’s children. Occasionally the king allowed a few random citizens of Adair, picked in a lottery or by popular vote, to attend council meetings and voice their opinions.
A pounding on the door made them all jump out of their seats. “I’ll get it.” Emil hurried to the door. Curiosity had Mylah peering around the corner, attempting to see who stood behind the door. They didn’t usually have uninvited guests after dark, and it left her wondering who could be out and about so late.
“Sir,” Mylah heard, but then the voice turned to a harsh whisper. She caught a few words but couldn’t make sense of any of it. “We need…the sprites…yes. There’s no one else.” A sense of disease began to settle into Mylah’s stomach as a thick tension became palpable in the house.
After a few more minutes of chatter, Emil shut the door and turned back to his family. He held a leather-bound book in his hands and brought it to the table, setting it down gently. There were intricate swirling designs on the cover and words written in a language Mylah had never seen before.
“What is it, Emil?” Vita approached cautiously, as if the book would self-combust.
“A book.”
Vita scoffed. “Obviously. What kind of book?” Mylah could tell from the look on Vita’s face that she already had some idea of what kind of book sat on their table. Fear filled her eyes and worry shaped her features. Emil clenched and unclenched his fists nervously but when he spoke, it came out clear and without strain.
“According to the sprites who stole it from King Haldor of Elowyn, it contains information that could help us gain an advantage over the shreeve. If we can translate it, we can potentially keep them off our land, forever.”
TWO
Emil set to work translating the book the next day while Vita and Mylah went into the village to do some shopping. Vita had been on edge since the night before, and Mylah noticed her mother glancing sideways every now and then. Mylah’s gaze swept the woods surrounding them, but nothing of note stood out.
As they walked, the woods thinned out and disappeared entirely where the village began. Shops and a few food stands lined the straight and narrow streets. Mylah knew the village well enough, but she didn’t venture too often to the outer edges where most of the villagers lived. Her family mostly frequented the other advisors’ homes which were separate from the village and set further into the woods.
Mylah caught herself staring at the bookstore, admiring the ornate covers displayed in the window. Vita stepped up beside her and squeezed her shoulder.
“We can take a look,” she offered. Mylah nodded before pushing her way through the front door. It always stuck and took extra effort on the entrants' part. From the outside looking in, the store appeared to be an exotic and luxurious place, but the displays in the window were the only part of the store that were tended to. The rest of the store was basically a small barn with long shelves that created aisles. Books were piled at the ends of each aisle, all along the walls, and almost spilling off their shelves.
Mylah wandered through the bookstore aimlessly. Though she normally loved to look through the books, she found herself too distracted thinking of the book her father was at home translating.
“Psst.” Mylah whipped around to face the towering bookshelf behind her where the sound had come from. “Mylah.” She followed the voice to the next row over and found Greyson with an armload of books.
“What are you doing here?” Mylah asked. Greyson had always complained about reading in the past, saying he found it tedious and dull.
“My dad wants me to start reading up on warfare and fighting tactics. I’ve already started training,” Greyson said, struggling to keep his pile of books from toppling over. Mylah reached out and took a few books from his stack.
“Warfare, huh? I guess my parents aren’t the only ones worrying that a war is coming.” Mylah cringed looking at the gruesome images depicted on the covers of the books in her hands.
“I guess. Anyway, I wanted to ask you something…” he was cut off by Vita as she hollered from the front of the shop.
“Mylah! Time to get going!” Mylah gave Greyson an apologetic look.
“Sorry. We can talk tomorrow, okay?” She placed the books she had taken back on his pile, nearly sending the whole stack toppling to the floor, and hurried out of the shop. Vita stood waiting on the cobblestone street, empty handed. She’d had as much luck as Mylah.
“Come on, let’s pick up some vegetables and head home.” Vita snaked her arm around Mylah’s as they made their way to the vegetable stand. A sense of longing nagged at Mylah as they passed by the dress shop along the way. She paused, imagining herself at one of the balls in the palace, swaying to the beat of the song playing in her mind.
Vita nudged Mylah’s arm, pulling her from her reverie, and steered her into the shop. Light scattered throughout the store, glinting off a diamond-encrusted chandelier that swung slightly from the ceiling. The fractals of light caught on the bejeweled gowns sending a cascade of rainbow glitter onto the walls and floor. Mylah held out her hand to catch some of the light and watched the colors dance across her palm. Her mother wasn’t looking at the dresses, though. She gazed into the jewelry case off to the right. Mylah drifted to her side.
“May I help you with anything, Vita?” the shopkeeper said as she walked over to them.
“Good afternoon, Sissany! How nice to see you!” Vita beamed at her friend. “Could I please see that necklace?” She pointed to a heart-shaped diamond pendant on a silver chain. In the center of the heart, there was a sapphire. Sissany pulled the necklace out of the case and handed it over to Vita.
“That’s one of our newer pieces,” she said. Vita held it up to Mylah and nodded to herself.
“Yes, we’ll take it,” she said. Mylah gaped at her.
“Ma, no, I don’t need anything.”
“Nonsense, Mylah,” Vita waved her off. “Charge it to Emil please, Sissany.” Sissany had already packaged up the necklace and handed it over. “Oh, no. We don’t need any of that.” Vita unwrapped the necklace and clasped it around Mylah’s neck.
“Ma, thank you, I love it.” Mylah didn’t understand what had prompted her mother to buy her the necklace, but she accepted it.
“It brings out the blue in your eyes,” Vita said, smoothing down Mylah’s curls. Her lips were pinched together, and her eyebrows furrowed as if she were in deep thought, but then she was on the move again, waving to Sissany as she strolled out the door.
Mylah caught up to Vita as she walked down the sidewalk. An unfamiliar carriage rumbled past headed in the direction of the castle. Mylah watched it for a moment, considering who may possibly be inside, but her attention snapped back to watching where she was going as she tripped over a cobblestone.
While Vita bought vegetables at a roadside stand, Mylah watched the villagers. A young couple strolled past, heading for the butcher, while another twosome stood directly opposite Mylah. The shorter of the two, an older man who held flyers, pinned her with his stare. The younger woman beside him, most likely his daughter or granddaughter, leaned heavily on a walking stick. Mylah recognized them as petitioners for the Hall of Hosath.
