Sleigh lives in a city at the very tops of the age-old valor trees, where babies born defective are taken and delivered to the other defects living on the Surface. When Sleigh’s sister is born one of these 3re-breathing, earthquake-inducing monsters, she follows the transporters to the Surface in secret, desperate to learn what will become of her. There, she discovers a new world of incredible people she’s instantly drawn to, one man in particular. Everything she’s been taught is a lie. She also 3nds out the Avarice will have her killed if her disappearance is detected, so she’s forced to return to her city after only a brief escape, feeling more like their captive than someone living under their safeguard.
“Chief is probably going to insist on me having someone on my back when we do go to battle, especially since I’m our greatest warrior…” He crossed his arms over his chest, forcing all his muscles to bulge out impressively. “You’re a scrawny, inexperienced luminary. You’ll be nearly useless in battle. But you put yourself in danger to save my life, and saved the life of Tiberion. I trust you. That’s not something your greatest fighter could offer me. I know I said before that you would not always ride on my back, but maybe you would ride with me into battle?”
Wow. I was both insulted and honored. Having the choice offered to me alone was such a privilege. There probably wasn’t a better place to be in the approaching war than on the back of the Elyxeos’ greatest warrior. Of course that might also make me a target. “Would you always be in the front line of things?” I asked.
He nodded slowly. “I would.”
“So the Trios may want you dead most of all?”
He cocked his head back, blowing out a large gust of his breath. “Probably.”
My head and my heart clashed in disagreement. It seemed stupid to ride with Amphion, but I knew I’d never get another offer like this one. No matter what, if anyone stood a chance at surviving this war, it was certainly him. And he’d earned my trust just as I had his by protecting me so well to this point. “I would be honored to ride with you, Amphion.”
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret









