PrologueThe Forgotten ThroneThe night was cloaked in fire and shadow.Kael had heard the stories countless times as a child, whisperedamong the desperate and downtrodden in the slums of Lorynth.Tales of a lost dynasty, overthrown in a single, blood-soaked nightby betrayal and dark magic. No one knew the truth; the legend hadbecome a faint echo of hope for the powerless. But tonight, standing on the crumbling rooftop of a tenement building, Kael feltthe weight of that forgotten history pressing down on her like theash-choked sky above.Below, the marketplace hummed with chaos. The king's enforcersmoved through the crowd, faces obscured by their steel masks, their heavy boots silencing any hint of rebellion. Kael clutched thesmall, gleaming amulet she had stolen earlier that day-a peculiartrinket she had thought would fetch enough coin to buy her nextmeal. Now, it hummed faintly in her hand, warm against her palmas if alive."What are you?" she murmured, staring at the intricate goldensigils etched across its surface.A sudden pulse of energy shot up her arm, making her gasp. Theworld around her seemed to ripple, the sounds of the city warpinginto an eerie silence. For the briefest moment, she saw a vision-athrone of black stone, crowned with silver light, abandoned andcold. Voices, faint but urgent, whispered a single word: Aurelia.
PrologueThe Forgotten ThroneThe night was cloaked in fire and shadow.Kael had heard the stories countless times as a child, whisperedamong the desperate and downtrodden in the slums of Lorynth.Tales of a lost dynasty, overthrown in a single, blood-soaked nightby betrayal and dark magic. No one knew the truth; the legend hadbecome a faint echo of hope for the powerless. But tonight, standing on the crumbling rooftop of a tenement building, Kael feltthe weight of that forgotten history pressing down on her like theash-choked sky above.Below, the marketplace hummed with chaos. The king's enforcersmoved through the crowd, faces obscured by their steel masks, their heavy boots silencing any hint of rebellion. Kael clutched thesmall, gleaming amulet she had stolen earlier that day-a peculiartrinket she had thought would fetch enough coin to buy her nextmeal. Now, it hummed faintly in her hand, warm against her palmas if alive."What are you?" she murmured, staring at the intricate goldensigils etched across its surface.A sudden pulse of energy shot up her arm, making her gasp. Theworld around her seemed to ripple, the sounds of the city warpinginto an eerie silence. For the briefest moment, she saw a vision-athrone of black stone, crowned with silver light, abandoned andcold. Voices, faint but urgent, whispered a single word: Aurelia.
More About Barnes and Noble at CoolSprings Galleria
Barnes & Noble is the world’s largest retail bookseller and a leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products. Our Nook Digital business offers a lineup of NOOK® tablets and e-Readers and an expansive collection of digital reading content through the NOOK Store®. Barnes & Noble’s mission is to operate the best omni-channel specialty retail business in America, helping both our customers and booksellers reach their aspirations, while being a credit to the communities we serve.