A World Beneath The Sand
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The sand swept under Xyn’s feet as she looked out at the seemingly endless dunes of Sand. Her long pink hair was flowing on the wind as she shifted her dazzling green eyes over the red sand. “It has to be around here somewhere.”
She muttered to herself as she stepped forward and left tracks in the sand behind her. She was dressed in a torn version of Yara’s two piece dress, horns curling out of her hair as the long black feathers on her wings ruffled. Her tail curled around her leg for a moment when she caught sight of the mineshaft leading down into the underground. With a grin she dashed over to it and jumped down into the shaft, landing with a soft thud when she hit bottom. She walked a ways until she smirked and looked up over the city Darius had so well kept up on his own. It had only been a month since the supposed death of his queen and daughter, when Xyn had at long last been separated from Ania’s body.
Meanwhile, an unknowing Darius strolled about his palace, still unsettled by the loss of his queen and daughter. He held his son Athan tightly in his arms as if he too would vanish if he let him go. He sat in his throne and laid Athan in his crib that sat next to him. He smiled down and him but was suddenly distracted by an unknown power he sensed.
Xyn climbed the walls of the palace and leapt into a window, looking up at the doors that lead into the throne room. She grinned looking at the guards and suddenly the doors exploded open and parts of it shattered on the floor. A cloud of dust rose as the guards were thrown into the room and slid across the floor. The plume was still growing slightly but there was a shadowy figure on the other side. Darius stood and motioned one of the guards to take his son. He watched the figure slowly walk through the rising dust, its power was obvious but he couldn’t help noticing it was strangely familiar.
She jumped up onto the ceiling and crawled along it without noticing. Then she swung hanging upside down in front of Darius’ face, the same green eyes and pink hair that Yara had, looking just like her except the deformities. “Boo.” She grinned before dropping down onto her feet and standing upright. He stepped back falling in his throne. His eyes widened as he looked into her eyes. “Yara? No.Who, who are you?” Rarely was Darius caught off guard like this and he was flustered to the point he wasn’t sure what to do. “I know you, don’t I?“ He asked.
She grinned evilly. “Don’t you recognize me?” She said running her fingers through her hair. “I am the evil that was once Yara and Ania. I am Xyn, one of the three people who were trapped in that body. Thank god I’m out.”
He sat back and looked puzzled at her. “Now I remember, you are the one who tried to rip my…” He smiled suddenly. “Yes I remember, but you were still with Yara when she was here, weren’t you?“ He asked, feeling less threatened for some reason.
She smirked as she tilted her head to the side. “She was annoying but I was surprised at how easily she deceived you. In a mockingly sort of way as well.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “What do you mean? I won’t have you talking about her like that! She died with my daughter. I can’t have you besmirching her name!” He said angrily. He stood to meet her gaze; they were so close they were almost touching although he stood about a foot taller then Xyn.
She smirked. “Died? I think more like staged a death. I saw everything they saw and Dio was waiting for her in the mines. She tricked you!”
Darius’ face was filled with anger; he grabbed Xyn by her torn shirt roughly preparing to strike her until he realized what he was holding. “This, this is Yara’s dress...” He let go of her and stepped back. “You tell the truth, don’t you? She left to go to Kris! With my daughter!“ He was so angry he wanted to smash something but there was nothing in sight. He sat back down and placed his head in his hands.
She crossed her arms under her chest. “If I was lying how would I be alive right now? I was separated from them both just a month ago. I don’t recall seeing Yara with a child, other than the one that guy what’s his name… Dio is having with her.”
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Deep in the desert of an unexplored world, mourning the deaths of his twin daughter and Queen, Darius, King of the Seraphiray is unaware of the dangers in his kingdom. When a mysterious vixen steals his heart, and works her way into the tyrant king’s life, Darius finally feels that his life is complete. However, uneasiness begins to grow, as his first born, Athan, reveals a deadly fire within. Haunted by the warnings of his forever lost queen, his new bride convinces him to throw caution aside, and Darius ignores the darkness building in Athan’s heart. Upon the births of his next two children, regret builds as Prince Athan’s actions become dangerously violent towards his ever growing family. When a woman comes between Athan and his brother, the sparks begin to fly, and hell itself seem ready to unleash. Finally unable to control him any longer, Darius is forced to turn to his enemies for help. A reluctant hero and his wife join forces with Darius to put a stop to Athan’s insane attack, when a surprising young woman comes to their aid. All is not lost, but the hour-glass is nearly empty and time is running out. Darius must now decide between the life of his son, and his beloved kingdom.
About the Author
Jessica and Michelle have been best friends for about two years, since meeting in an online art gallery. Michelle, age 20, lives in
“We’re old school headbangers,” they’d often say. Together, they decided to bring their drawings to life through writing. As they have never met in person, it was necessary to use the internet to write their stories. From many long phone calls and discussions, the characters of A World Beneath The Sand were given form. Their first published work, this story is actually part of a lengthy series, still in progress.