Alexia Purdy - Dark Prism (The Glass Sky Book 2)

Dark Prism

(The Glass Sky Book2)

June 2021 by AlexiaPurdy

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All rights reserved aspermitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of thispublication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in anyform or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval systemwithout the prior permission of the publisher, except in the caseof brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain othernoncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

The characters and eventsportrayed in this book are fictitious and any similarity to a realperson, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended bythe author.

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Book 2 of The Glass Skyseries, a brand-new fairytale retelling fantasy series from awardwinning author Alexia Purdy for those who love dystopian futuristicfantasy and magical tales .

Betrayal. Loss.Heartbreak.

I feel all those thingsafter escaping Farlans demented prison. But Im determined to moveforward with my new life in the Glass Sky City. Newfound friendsand an unlikely romance keep me busy, but the deviant past is neverfar behind.

Assigned to a new missionas the rebellion threatens to fail, my team disturbs old grievanceswith unworldly creatures far beneath the surface. It brings dangersto affront, threatening mayhem and destruction. There are far moreplayers in Farlans intricate games than I couldve ever imagined.Its not long before Im facing down horrifying monsters of allkinds and getting tangled up in absurd magical bargains. Only oneperson can help me but how do I reach them in time?

Chapter One

Star

There are terrible thingsroaming the dark, but none more treacherous than those lacking allmorality.

I stumbled, followingEverlee as we made our way through the underground labyrinthsfilled with a darkness which sucked the life out of the soul. Softpillows of dark green moss lined the tunnel walls where waterthreatened to burst from the cracks, and the feeling of beingwatched never ceased. Traversing the delicate ridges at the edge ofthe ravines could shake anyone to the core. Still, we hadnt seenanything to prove that any sentient beings existed there other thanCommander Everlee and me, Star Rickton, the unluckiest girl in theworld.

Even so, something told meI was going to find out exactly what the terrible thingswere.

The floor fell from beneathmy feet, followed by a downpour of rocks pelting me. Everlee caughtmy arm as my legs dangled over the edge. I lost my flashlight inthe process. Gasping in surprise, I glanced downa huge mistakeandwatched the light flash across the rocks before it disappeared intothe abyss below.

Everlee! Pull me up! Iclawed desperately at his arm, afraid hed let me go. He winced butdidnt complain.

Anyone ever tell youyoure a magnet for trouble? Everlee grunted, tugging me back uponto the narrow ledge of the cliff we were navigating. He draggedme a few inches in so I wouldnt slip off the edge again. He threwme a warning look to tell me to watch where I was stepping. Mycheeks burned from both embarrassment and fear.

Well, if you wouldvetold me we were going to attempt a life-threatening hike throughhell itself, Id have been more physically and mentally prepared.I scowled, pulling away from his iron grip. He hadnt let go evenwhen I was firmly back on the ledge. His eyes moved to my arm as Irubbed it furiously.

I dont think either oneof us planned this week to turn out like this. He turned andcontinued on, one hand gliding along the wall of the stone tosteady himself. I copied his movements, afraid to fall into theblack pit of nothingness below us. I avoided looking down again atall costs. There was no way I was going to die by falling off somevast fissure in the earth where no one would ever find my body. Thethought sent a shudder through me.

The path wound with sharpcurves, thinning at some points and widening at others. The terrainwas rocky and uneven, as though it wasnt traversed often. It hadbeen long neglected, with loose rocks littering the way. Everleeconstantly had to shove stones out of the way, kicking them to theside to disappear into oblivion. One such time, it was his turn toslip, and I reached out for him, grabbing at his elbow as he losthis balance. Luckily, he regained his footing faster than I had andslipped just one boot over the edge. He straightened and turned myway, his eyes wide with surprise.

Um, thanks, he muttered,but I could feel his heart beating madly beneath his chest, whichwas now so close to mine that I could feel the warmth of his bodynear me. The frigid air of the wide ravine made me shiver, and hereached out and rubbed my arms.

Here. He undid his darkjacket and draped it over my shoulders, helping me to slip my armsthrough it. It was too big for me, but the warmth within flooded myfrozen limbs like sunshine on a winters day. I sighed blissfullybut cleared my throat almost immediately.

No, you need it. Itsfreezing here.

Actually, Im not reallycold at all, he answered. Hed already turned to continue down thepath, probably to avoid looking embarrassed that Id saved him thistime around. I frowned. This guy was a puzzle to solve. His moodswere abrupt and unpredictable. He hadnt acted creepy at all likehe had before on our ride to Farlans mansion. In fact, if I didntknow any better, I could believe he wasnt Everlee at all, butinstead some complete stranger or a hidden twin of his.

How much farther? Iasked, relieved when the path widened as we approached anothertunnel in the wall of the ravine. My stomach dropped. The completedarkness of the caves was oppressive and filled me with dread. Iwasnt sure how much more of this endless maze I couldtake.

How about instead ofasking me that every five minutes, Ill let you know when weregetting close. Its not a long way, but the terrain is not astraight shot.

Everlee kept walking. Hedidnt offer any more information, which frustrated me to noend.

I didnt really know thisman. He was a mystery full of twists and secrets I couldntdecipher. I hoped trusting him was the right thing to do. He hadsaved me from Farlans grip, but at what cost? Was he now labeledas a defector? As a spy of the rebellion, could I truly trust him?His Insurgent persona had been incredibly convincing; Id beenfooled into thinking he was the worst of humanity, a trash humanbeing without any care about who he hurt or what havoc hecaused.

Now, following closelybehind him as he led me back to the Glass Sky City, I doubtedeverything Id known. And not just about him. Id been wrong aboutso many things, so why not add one more to the list? At leastEverlee was a lot more pleasant after shedding his soldierpersonality. I could only hope that it wouldnt return.

Commander? I asked, myvoice echoing in the massive cavern, startling myself with how loudit sounded. I shivered, the warmth of his jacket already fading.The fabric smelled like him, but I ignored it even though it wasntunpleasant.

What is it? he asked,not truly paying attention as we reached a massive boulder sittingquite inconveniently in the middle of the path. He shoved at it,grunting and sweating, to no avail. It wouldnt budge to save themoon. There wasnt even enough of a strip of the ledge to shimmyaround it. It was also too smooth and too high to climb over. Thefeeling of dread grew in my middle. I always talked way too muchwhen I was nervous, frustrated, or agitated. It wasnt my mostendearing quality. I cleared my throat, remembering what I wasgoing to ask him.