Under Ember Skies
Carley Nitkowski
73,265 Words
73,265 Words
When Alyndra, a young and fiercely independent huntress, single-handedly takes down the largest cougarin male Ember Hollow has ever seen, she returns to her dusty village savored by post-hunt pride an d anticipation for May Day festivities. The impending festival promises a much-needed respite and perhaps a subtle chance to deepen bonds with Nathian, a captivating village guard with a brave heart and sharp wit. Even though tradition often places men in the role of hunters, Alyndra has defied those norms, stepping up to provide for her family since her father passed, holding her place as a respected figure within her close-knit community. Unbeknownst to Alyndra, however, her new hunt isn’t the only drastic change set to alter the order of things in Ember Hollow. King Alaric, renowned for his tragic loss and unprecedented reign, dispatches messengers across the realm of Flamegate. The king, left without a successor after a series of misfortunes, is in desperate search of a new queen to bear him an heir. That fateful proclamation, echoing through bathhouses and market stalls alike, disrupts the ordinary life Alyndra cherishes. Despite the excitement and commotion, it’s well-known in Ember Hollow that girls from coal-laden villages—fondly referred to as Cinder girls—hold little magical preeminence, deeming them unfit to carry the king's child and wear the crown. Yet, as the king’s sniffers close in, testing village maidens for latent magic, an unbidden revelation threatens to upend Alyndra's reality. A hidden spark of enormous potential lies dormant within her, touched by secrets of the past that neither she nor her family could have imagined. As ancestral magic begins to awaken, she finds herself in a reluctant plight—one that may thrust her into the political turmoil of Verdanthaven’s glittering court or, worse, label her a threat to the ruling order she never sought to challenge. Caught between the secure life she built with her loved ones and an unforeseen destiny draped in royal intrigue, Alyndra must navigate through newfound powers, a kingdom's perilous exploits, and a budding love that entwines further with each heartbeat. Will she surrender to her destiny, unravel the mystery behind her magic, and protect her family from the colossal forces aligning against them, or will Ember Hollow’s ashen veil shield her from the kingdom’s consuming gaze? The choices she makes will echo through Flamegate, altering not just her fate, but the future of dragons and men alike.
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