Selina A. Fenech - Hopes Reign

BY SELINA A. FENECH

In a kingdom where humans and the fae live side by side, secrets and manipulation reign.

Young Adult Fantasy - Full-length novel Recommended Reading Age 14+

First Published by Fairies and Fantasy Pty Ltd May 2013

Ebook Edition ISBN: 978-0-9875635-0-7

Memorys Wake copyright 2013 Selina Fenech

Cover illustration copyright 2013 Selina Fenech

Internal illustrations copyright 2013 Selina Fenech

Architectural floorplans 2012 Rubn Navarro

All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

L iving in the castle with her friends wasnt turning out to be the Happily Ever After that Memory thought it would be. With skirts hitched up and heart fluttering with adrenaline, she bolted across the lawn and pushed through a gap between dense hedges and the garden wall. A final glance back showed a page, handmaiden, and guard stumbling down the palace steps, bewildered at her disappearance. Spying through the leaves, Memory grinned. If she knew it would be this easy to lose the entourage, she would have done it sooner.

Life had become an ongoing parade of public appearances, formal dress, legal documents, rehearsals, posing for portraits, fairy representatives, and the mighty task of rebuilding the kingdom of Avall. It gave Memory the distinct sensation of drowning. No time was left to just be herself. Whoever that was.

Moments ago, escorts had come to chaperone her to yet another meeting. Yet another meeting. I couldnt stand another meeting! Something snapped and she just dashed off when they were looking the other way. A tactic they obviously weren't expecting. And shed become well practiced at running away from people since returning to Avall.

Memory slowed from a jog to a relaxed walk. Light rain misted the air, weighing down her pale hair and the wide-skirted gown better suited to a ballroom. A carpet of muddy leaves sloshed under foot, and the hem of the dress was already stained, but Memory didnt care. Water beaded on soft ferns and she caressed the fronds, like wet velvet under her touch. Silence . She listened and smiled. Ive missed you.

Memory wandered farther into the long strip of woodland that spread into the distance on the eastern side of the palace. Hunting grounds, left wild and ancient and full of life, including one new resident. Or at least Memory assumed Will now lived somewhere in these woods. Neck arched, she peered into the rain-blackened branches of the sturdy oaks but saw no sign of him. She frowned. Mental note- must find out where and how Will lives. Memory wondered if shed come this way with the hope to see him, or just because being lost in a forest still seemed more familiar than the gold-leafed walls of the kingdoms finest castle. With Will, there was no pretense, no pandering. He was her only link to a forgotten past and distant life. She wished hed visit more often.

Memory felt like the kingdoms newest toy, getting propped up next to Eloryn on display as the visible face of change for Avall, while behind the scenes Hayes and the Wizards Council dealt with pulling the kingdom back together. The Council kept the information about where Memory had been on strict lockdown, letting people assume she had been with Eloryn and Alward the whole time, but rumors of how she defeated Thayl spread fast. The twin with the strange hair, name, and behavior was the hottest topic in Avall. The most people gossiped about Eloryn was to say how lovely she was.

Hayes and his cronies also treated Memory like some sort of arcane oddity to be studied. Her first visit with them, which had been advertised as being friendly and social, turned into a civilized interrogation full of questions she couldnt answer about things she didnt understand. Where did she get her powers, where had she been, what did Thayls ritual do to her? They wanted her to use magic for them, to observe her. She didnt want anyone studying her too closely, worried about what they would see.

Memory swore as something sharp jammed into the side of her satin slipper. The stupidly big skirts prevented her from even seeing her own feet and the source of pain. Memory glared at the lacey gown, now woven with twigs and leaves. She was not dressed for this. Run-away-and-plan-the-rest-later proves yet again to be a bad fallback strategy.

Trying to settle the voluminous skirts, Memory sat on a nearby fallen trunk and brought the injured foot up into view. A sharp stick had wedged itself into the sole of her shoe. She pulled her knife from where it had been stashed in her corset, flicked the blade out, and levered the stick free with the point. Eloryn would probably be able to just ask the stick to remove itself, not that shed be hanging out with me in a forest anymore. Memory sighed. Why did she think things would remain the way they were? Just her, Eloryn, Roen, and Will looking after each other. Theyd bonded under extreme conditions, and now that they were safe, Memory could feel the group drifting separate ways.

The princesses every minute was managed, and when Memory thought things couldnt get worse, Hayes sprung a new surprise on her. On top of the stress of the upcoming coronation ceremony, he insisted she had to go back to school. To that horrid land where bullies teased her hair colors and the only place to reliably skip class smelled like a urinal. She always hated school. She...

Chewing gum smooshed into the back of her head. The horrified disgust on her face when she turned around made the pointy faced boy behind her laugh. Gus. He was so getting unfriended.

Whats the problem? Its the same color as your hair anyway, he said.

Her hands became fists. Nice one. By that logic I guess it means you wont notice when I stick your head in a toilet because youre just a piece of

Opening her eyes, Memory clutched at the rough bark of the log to steady herself. The flashback was far too vivid to have been only imagination. Guss weasel-like features were still clear, and she could almost smell the dirty-sock scent of the school corridor. A shiver danced through her limbs simply by knowing what these were. Memories.

She replayed them like hitting the previous chapter button over and over on a remote, savoring them. She could remember something. School. Just a tiny fragment, but it was there, and it belonged to her. A low giggle started huffing its way out of her mouth, growing as excitement took over. She had to get back and tell Eloryn. A wide grin cracked her face. She closed the knife and jumped up to head back to the palace.

Memory skipped over woodland debris, ducking under dripping branches and trying not to slip in haste when she ran face first into something hard. A sharp sting shot through her nose, and she clutched at it with both hands. Eyes watering, she stumbled backward, only to hit something behind her. She blinked, trying to see what blocked the way, but found nothing. With arms outstretched, she tried all directions. The air seemed to spring back, like pushing on a firm mattress.