Prologue
“There are so many legends and lies,” a woman started, tapping her long fingernails along the side of a chilled glass. Her skin was light with dark undertones; her hair a gentle mix of black and brown, braided and stretched down her shoulders. Her ears were pierced entirely around each lobe, and bright jewelry was interwoven on her neck to accent her collar bones. They jutted out like many of her other features. Her face had sharp angles pulling at her skin to make it tight. Her light brown eyes flicked with light even as they remained perfectly still; her teeth white and sharp. She was born powerful. Every part of her demanded attention.
The man across from her watched her closely. His skin was much lighter than her. His dark hair barely peeked out from his hood, and his brown eyes narrowed. “This legend is not a lie. The Bellarians quivered over it; they killed for it. ‘The child of the rotting moon will end an everlasting empire.’ The prediction itself coming from the Great Mother of the Colorines. They swore the kingdom would fall, and you know how King Rim took things so lightly. We don’t know quite yet what kind of a king Vik will be; he only took the throne ten years prior. In royal terms, that is a blink of an eye.”
The woman’s lips pursed. “They won’t dare step foot toward my planet. All of Finis is under my protection. I’ve killed their king before, and I won’t shy from doing it again. Rim's bones lie in my dirt; his legacy forgotten in my lands; his soldiers sent running by my people. Do you think me so low as to not do it once more?”
“Never, I know your power and I admire it. But, the truth is, they have control of Cosmo's Arch. That means they have the power to your borders and to your planet,” the man stated plainly. “You are the Queen of Finis, but you can’t hold them off forever just guarding your land. You have to take action against them.”
The queen sneered. “Jonah, even if I charge into Highlends, I have no right to the planet. There would always be war.”
Jonah shook his head, holding up a thick hand to point to his veins. “Someone with a bloodline rooted in the planet must rule it. My bloodline. I can’t do it, but my son can. He can prove himself by making it to Finis from the dying moon of Polathrin. He can fulfill the prophecy and protect Finis, by conquering Highlends.”
“Why him? What makes you think he can defeat the Bellarians?”
Jonah smiled. “The Bellarian bloodmark is the exact opposite of the Valinor bloodmark. They have always underestimated my kind. They were right to have fear in the beginning, but now they believe my kind is dead forever. I feel their eyes, but not their claws.”
The Queen of Finis leaned back. Her form was covered in loud colors while Jonah merely donned black with a large hood pulled back to reveal only his face. She investigated his features. “Their power is strong, Jonah.”
Jonah grit his teeth. “They brought the world to its knees. Let my bloodline show you how to lift it to its feet.”
The woman sighed deeply. She looked around, as if searching for an answer in the room with them. The queen finally stopped and licked her teeth. There were limited options, and she knew at least part of what he said was true. “I will look forward to seeing your son, if he makes it to Finis.”
The queen held out a long hand and Jonah grasped it firmly. They shook. Jonah’s smile grew wide. “It’s a promise, Luella.”
Leaning in to lock eyes on Jonah, the queen whispered, “For Finis.”
