Temperance
Ella Frank
Copyright © 2014 by Ella Frank
Edited by Mickey Reed
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except
for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Also by Ella Frank
Standalone
The Temptation Series M/M
A Desperate Man Series
Co-authored with Brooke Blaine
Many years ago, the mortals of Arcania succumbed to a deadly plague.
The illness spread throughout the land, killing nearly all of those in its wake—save the one who started it.
Caitlin, a magical being born of half-blood to the Guardians, surrendered to the power within her the day she met Dillon. With one touch, a touch she knew was best left unfulfilled, the desperate cravings her kind received in exchange overtook her mind, body, and soul.
She became crazed, delirious with her own strengths and abilities, and when Dillon in turn rejected her for the power he had awakened, she decimated the fragile lands which he, a mortal, walked upon. No man, woman, or child was safe, and within days of her wrath having been unleashed, those who were not of a higher power perished under the weight of her magic.
The Guardians, having witnessed this barbaric act of genocide, knew she needed to be stopped. If not, the world they had created over a millennium ago would implode upon itself, as there would be no one left to sustain its life-force. For Arcania’s core was fueled by the inner strengths those very mortals possessed. They were the keys.
Deciding that the only way to stop her was by capture and banishment, they created a being of great power—one who was pure, a direct descendant of the three full-blood Guardians—to implement the task. For the only being who could hope to succeed was one of absolute power. The Hierophant.
Sent down to the desolate wastelands that remained, he was instructed to wait at the heart of the land—the Gorge where the Twelve Lakes met. That was where the army of the Guardians would appear. They, together, would help to defeat Caitlin, who was high on the power of all those who’d fallen around her.
It is rumored to have taken months to overthrow Caitlin, and once she was exiled, a new order was dictated.
The Hierophant was to remain as a link between the mortals and Guardians, and from there on out, he would be the one to rule over all the land and name the Empress who would govern it. She, in turn, would be given an amulet that could be welded against any being of his kind should it ever come to this again.
The soldiers were to stay behind also, for their powers enabled them to entice the mortals, and the Guardians knew they would be vital in the repopulation of Arcania. Their kind had been wandering amongst the people for decades—a mystery of sorts. It wasn’t until the battle that the mortals were made aware that those marked by the Guardians had a very specific name—one that encompassed their very actions and abilities.
From that day forward, they would be known as the sensualeers.
Arcania
Past…
The sun was shining and filtering through the branches of the tall trees as Maeve ran down the grassy bank of the Hei Falls.
She loved this place. It was a magical little hideaway she and her three siblings had found when they were young children.
It was on the West bank between two tall Sequoias, and when they stepped in between them, they emerged inside an old, crumbling ruin. They’d since made this spot their own, bringing blankets and other knickknacks in order to make it more…theirs.
Today was different, however.
She was no longer a child, but a young woman, and she was not meeting all of her siblings. She was meeting only one—Seraphine.
She’d seen her just this morning, when her sister had been practicing her magic, and while Maeve had been climbing out of bed, she’d scared her half to death by appearing at the foot of it.
Sera hadn’t actually been there in the room with her, but the image she’d been projecting was clear enough, as was the message she’d given Maeve to meet her here today.
So there she was, racing along the bank and wondering what it could be.
Was it something about tomorrow eve? No, that could not have been it. If anyone would have been told of anything regarding tomorrow’s ceremony, it would have been her.
She was, after all, the guest of honor.
When she finally reached the top of the small hill, Maeve stepped between the two trees and appeared in front of her sister.
“Maeve,” Sera greeted with a grin as she hurried forward and reached for her with gloved hands. “You’re finally here.”
Maeve smiled and let her sister lead her over to the long, wooden bench they had sat on as children while reading of faraway lands for hours at a time.
It was peaceful there, and it was a place she loved to escape to. She often still came down with her writing paper and quill, but today, it seemed that Sera was using it for discretion—no one would find them there.
“So? What is so exciting you couldn’t wait until I awoke to come find me?”
Sera sat and urged her to do the same. Then she sank her top teeth into her bottom lip and appeared nervous, which had Maeve giving her fingers a light squeeze.
“What is it?” she asked with a soft laugh. “You can tell me.”
Sera glanced around as if she were checking to make sure they were alone, and then she turned back and confessed, “I’m in love.”
The words were said on a rush of air. It was clear she’d been keeping this to herself, not wanting anyone else to know. But with all of the commotion in the castle over the last few days leading up to the ceremony, Sera had had no choice but to wait. But now, it was as if she were finally free of a burden she’d been carrying around.
Maeve scooted in closer to her side and looked into her sister’s deep-blue eyes. She knew that Sera struggled with being different, but Maeve was also convinced that she was destined to be just as happy as the rest of them.
“You are? Tell me about him. Who is he?”
Sera twisted around so their knees were bumping and grinned even wider—if that were possible. “He is one of the Imperial Guards.”
Maeve couldn’t help her excited laugh as she asked, “Have you told him yet?”
“No,” Sera replied, shaking her head adamantly.
“Why ever not?”
“You know why, Maeve.”
Maeve let her eyes move to the gloves Sera was wearing. They were always in place to protect those around her and cover the marking below. An intricate vine weaved up from the golden tip of her index finger and followed the veins in her forearm all the way to her shoulder, which was currently covered by her dress.
“No man is going to want…what I am.”
“That’s not true,” Maeve said, instantly jumping to her defense. “Any man would be lucky to have you. This…” She paused and touched her finger to the glove. “This is who you are, Sera. In fact, if truth be told, it enhances your appeal. It doesn’t diminish it.”