The Rising Read online Kristen Ashley (The Rising #4)

Categories Genre: Dragons, Erotic, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal, Romance Tags Authors: Series: The Rising Series by Kristen Ashley
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Total pages in book: 161
Estimated words: 162269 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 541(@300wpm)
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“The Go’Doan priest G’Ry has arrived,” Elena informed her. “He has brought the tomes.”

“Excellent, but can I have a word?” Serena asked, arriving at her sister and stopping.

“I’m keen to know what he reports, Rena,” Elena said carefully.

“I am too, Ellie,” Serena said quietly. “But I have something to report as well. I have for some time, and thus, I feel perhaps it is now beyond time to report it.”

She watched her sister brace as she asked, “What?”

“There is a presence about the Bay. It has naught to do with Beasts or even this realm. And it follows Chu.”

And with that, she had Elena’s full attention.

“Chu?” Elena queried.

Serena nodded.

“Do you know what it is and why it follows him?” Elena asked.

Serena shook her head. “He is aware of it as well. He knows I am. He refuses to discuss it.”

“Do you have a guess?”

“Yes,” Serena stated flatly. “It is, or they are, Mystics. Those who practice the art, not simply those who come from that land.”

“Bloody hell,” Elena muttered, as she would, for she knew about the Mystic Arts. The learning of them took much time, much patience, much skill, much talent, but mostly, acquiring the grasp of tremendous amounts of spiritualism. And because of this, the mastery of them, only few achieved. “Did he leave trouble behind when he left that empire?”

Serena hesitated, studying her sister.

“Rena,” Elena prompted impatiently.

“He did, of a sort,” she confided. “For he did so fleeing the assassins his mother had set upon him and two of his brothers to assure the stability of the future rule of his elder brother, the firstborn prince.”

Elena blinked. “Chu is a prince?”

Serena again nodded.

“And his mother tried to have him killed?”

Serena continued to nod.

“Good goddess,” Ellie whispered.

And then Serena confided again, not hiding the thread of fear in her tone.

“They must know he survived, Ellie, and they come to kill him.”

Concern suffused her features as Elena moved closer and took her hand. “Are you sure?”

“I can think of no other reason they are here. I move about, even outside the Citadel, I don’t sense them. Not ever. But if I am with Chu, anywhere outside the Citadel, in the Bay, by the sea, in the forest, they are always there.”

“Is Chu a master of the Mystic Arts?”

Serena shook her head. “He began his study, but he didn’t finish before he was forced to escape.”

“When did you first sense them?”

“Before we moved into Dunlyn.”

Elena’s head twitched. “That was weeks ago, Rena.”

“Yes,” Serena confirmed.

“If they wish to do as you think, would they not have done it?”

This question gave Serena pause.

“What do you wish to do?” Elena asked.

“Cast for them.”

Elena’s hand spasmed around hers.

“Rena,” she whispered. “That would take great magic. And we must build. We must conserve.”

“Yes, but I have much left from our ritual at The Cauldron. Even with my activities in Dunlyn, Ellie,” Serena replied.

“They slaughtered five entire families, sister,” Ellie reminded her. “They’ve stolen clothes. As such, we are led to believe they’ve taken human shape. And we have lost their trail. We have no idea where they are, what they look like, save one. Nor what they intend to do. Melisse and Lena are depleted. It will take months for them to cast a spell, even if they cast to form naught but a butterfly. We’ve lost the magic of Rebecca and Nandra. We need all the power we can get, my sister.”

“And if some unknown was following Cassius, with the possible intent to do him harm, what would you do?” Serena asked.

Serena should not have been surprised, but she was when happiness flooded Elena’s eyes.

“It is love between the two of you?”

“Yes,” Serena forced out.

She jumped when Elena pulled her in a tight embrace.

And in her ear, her sister whispered, “Then you must cast.” She pulled slightly away, though did not take her arms from about Serena, to ask, “Would you like some help?”

“I only wish to bring one forward. Talk to him. And when I do so, I would request Hera and Mac.”

Elena let her go then, querying, “Hera and Mac?”

“Mac, for he is gifted with a sword. I have not seen reflexes like his in any warrior. Hera, for I would wish her skills and magic at my side.”

“Not Heloise? Genia? Darma?”

“They are trying, but I feel those who understand what it is like to love will be more…committed to the effort.”

“This is wise,” Elena murmured before she queried, “Do you wish me to talk to them?”

“Would you?”

Elena smiled at her. “Of course.”

“You have my thanks,” Serena muttered.

Elena took hold of her, linking their arms and starting them down the hall that would lead them to Cassius’s study.

She did this inquiring, “Do I need to plan another wedding?”

Her mind filled with visions of Elena’s wedding.

“Oh goddess, please no,” Serena replied.

Elena chuckled through her promise of, “I will not use so much pink.”


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