Kay L. Moody - The Elements of the Crown

Books by Kay L. Moody

The Fae of Bitter Thorn

0: Heir of Bitter Thorn

1: Court of Bitter Thorn

2: Castle of Bitter Thorn

3: Crown of Bitter Thorn

4: Queen of Bitter Thorn

The Elements of Kamdaria

1: The Elements of the Crown

2: The Elements of the Gate

3: The Elements of the Storm

Truth Seer Trilogy

1: Truth Seer

2: Healer

3: Truth Changer

To receive special offers, bonus content, and info on new releases, sign up for Kay L. Moodys email list! Youll also get this story for FREE. Winds of Flame is a short story companion to The Elements of Kamdaria series. Manipulate the elements. Do an illegal job. Save a life. Its all in a day at Kamdarias finest academy.

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The Elements of the Crown

The Elements of Kamdaria, #1

She wasnt supposed to become so powerful.

She wasnt even supposed to survive.

In an empire divided into three rings, Talise is from the lowliest and most dangerous outer ring. To escape that life, she just has to do three things.

1) Attend an elite academy for manipulating the elements of water, air, earth, and fire.

2) Become the most powerful student in her year.

3) Prove her magic is the best in a competition in front of the emperor himself.

Everything goes according to plan until a handsome and rich young man shows up with just as much skill as her.

She has to win. She has to hate him.

But when the competition falls apart, the emperor forces them to work together instead. Their growing attraction only distracts them from dark truths that the empire has hidden for too long.

Secrets lurk in every shadow of the palace, hiding a conflict that sits on the brink of war. But Talise has secrets of her own. Secrets that could destroy her.

A war is coming. Talise can only hope shes powerful enough to meet it.

Publishers Note: This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, organizations, or locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the authors imagination or used fictitiously and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business or government establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Elements of the Crown

The Elements of Kamdaria, #1

By Kay L. Moody

Published by Marten Press

3731 W 10400 S, Ste 102 #205

South Jordan, UT 84009

www.MartenPress.com

2019 Kay L. Moody

All Rights Reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permissions contact:

help@martenpress.com

Cover by Angel Leya

Edited by Deborah Spencer

The Elements of Kamdaria, #1

The Elements of the Crown

Kay L. Moody

ICE THROUGH THE FINGERS;

FIRE IN THE VEINS.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE

IT WAS AN HONOR TO TRAIN AT the academy.

Talise recited the words to herself over and over again as she stood stiff-backed in the crowded deck of the riverboat. If chosen, shed be ripped away from the home and family she loved. Shed leave behind the life she knew. All to train at the academy. An honor.

It didnt seem so great to her.

A stuffy, humid heat hung thick in the air of the lowest deck. The lowest deck had no windows, offering no sunlight and no view of the river to help with seasickness. Two small lanterns hung from the ceiling, each giving off a flickering glow. Whenever the boat jostled, several people were thrown off balance.

Marmie gripped Talise by the shoulders, tucking her into the corner where no one could hurt her. The top of Talises head only barely reached Marmies elbow, which meant she couldnt do much to free herself from the corner. Instead, she folded her arms over her chest and pouted. Theyd been saving for this trip for months. Two years really. They had always known it would lead here. She always imagined it would be less stuffy and more exciting.

Most people from the outer ring of the continentor the Storm as it was usually calledcouldnt shape. Talise had the ability to mold and manipulate elements while most of her neighbors in the Storm could only worry about their next meal.

The academy would be safer than her harrowing and vicious life in the outer ring. She wanted to leave the Storm, but she didnt like the idea of being away from Marmie.

Almost there, Marmie said, her voice like honey and sparkles. She looked down at Talise and gave her a smile that was meant to ease fears. It helped a little but not enough.

Especially because the riverboat jostled again, and a heavy-set man lost his balance, nearly toppling Marmie to the ground. Talise let herself be tucked behind Marmies skirts after that. This time with no complaint.

She didnt understand why they had to ride in the lowest deck at all when both the higher decks had plenty of room. At least up there she could feel a misty breeze on her face and smell the wet soil.

Truthfully, she did know why they stood in the lowest deck. It was the same reason they didnt have enough food and couldnt learn to read. They were from the Storm. They were the lowliest members of the continent of Kamdaria: criminals, thieves, murderers.

Once people were sent to the Storm, they never left. Even if the original crimes had been committed ten generations earlier, people still never left the Storm. They never left because life in the Storm required crime.

It required stealing from trade wagons just so there would be a slice of bread for dinner. It required threatening guards so they wouldnt torment a neighbor. It required saving rainwater just so there would be something to drink after a day of labor.

Why it was illegal to save rainwater didnt make any sense to Talise. No one from the Storm could shape the water, so it was far from dangerous. It just seemed like another way to control the people. Another way to force people to commit crimes, which then forced them to stay in the Storm. Where they belonged.

People never left the Storm. Never. Especially not children who were seven years old.

Unless they got into the academy.

Talise sighed. Marmie had been saying they were almost there for the past twenty minutes. Maybe shed be right at some point.

A toddlers sharp shriek broke through humid air of the deck. The mother looked mortified as she tried to appease her child with promises of what they would see once the riverboat stopped. Cherry tree blossoms and green-tiled buildings. Fresh air and gravel on the streets. Only small glimpses of mud instead of big mounds of it.