Long live an elemental m.., p.1
Long Live: An Elemental Magic Fantasy Romance (The Elementals of Iona Book 1), page 1
Long Live: The Elementals of Iona Book One
Copyright © 2023 by V.B. Lacey
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact vblacey.books@gmail.com.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Cover designed by Maria Spada; Instagram: @mspremades
Map illustration by Andrés Aguirre; Instagram: @aaguirreart
Editing by Amanda Chaperone; Instagram: @achaperonwrites
Fiction & Fate Press LLC
www.vblaceybooks.com
Everyone needs a friend
who makes them want to shine
when the darkness threatens to creep in.
This one's for you, Peyton.
Praise for Long Live
"A thrilling new fantasy that will spark your pulse."
Olivia Wildenstein, author of The Kingdom of Crows series
"Long Live is a superbly fun debut from an author you will want to keep your eye on…this is going on my must-recommend-to-everyone list!"
Vanessa Rasanen, author of the Aisling Sea trilogy
"From start to finish, this debut novel had me completely captivated...Long Live is a spectacular debut that left me breathless."
Miranda Joy, author of These Wicked Lies
"This book deserves more than 5 stars! An epic story that you won't want to miss!"
Emily Schneider, author of the Scales of Ash & Smoke series
"A breathtaking debut filled with lush elemental magic, edge-of-your-seat adventure, and tantalizing romance!"
Natalia Macias Lucia, author of Girls of Salt and Sea
Contents
Map
Prologue
Part One
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Part Two
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Part Three
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Part Four
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Chapter Fifty-Eight
Chapter Fifty-Nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-One
Epilogue
Thank you for reading!
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Author's Note
This book has scenes depicting anxiety, violence, grief, assault, and death of loved ones. Please be mindful of these and other possible triggers.
Prologue
Once, there were four great kingdoms.
Kingdoms of power, of plenty, of prosperity.
Now, only three remain.
Within a lone mountain, at the heart of the lost kingdom of the gods, rests a sleeping force. A force that can move mountains and decimate lands. A slumbering power that has not been disturbed for centuries.
Through the quiet, eternal stillness, there is a rustle on the wind. A shift in the peace that promises change. A single word is carried through the massive tunnels on a breeze, racing and tumbling as it nears the opening of the cavern in the mountain.
Aataran.
Aataran.
Aataran.
There is a sudden silence, as if the very earth itself held its breath. The waves at the shoreline cease crashing, the trees swaying in the wind still. She has not been awoken in centuries. Only for the greatest threats to the kingdom, the most violent forces of nature, is she to be summoned. She cannot ignore this call, this urgent warning of something greater coming.
She opens her eyes.
Aataran.
Part One
Breathe
Chapter One
Isla
Isla Belthare pulled the last strap of the saddle bag to Buttercup, clipping the buckles with a satisfying snap. She quickly ran through a list of all the supplies her father and brother would need.
Dried meat, check.
Extra clothes, check.
Plenty of coin, check.
As a special treat, she slipped a few crisp apples into the bag. The window for growing the rare fruit in the colder climates of north Evonlea was closing rapidly as they neared the heart of autumn, and she wanted something to cheer them up on the long journey.
Buttercup turned his head toward Isla and nudged her hand. “I can’t get away with anything, can I?” she chuckled as she pulled one of the apples out and held it up to the stallion, patting his tan nose affectionately. Buttercup snorted and took the apple, nuzzling into her touch.
“That’s a good boy,” Isla murmured against his soft mane. She gave the saddle bag a tap and said, “Take care of them out there.”
Buttercup’s short ears flicked up at approaching footsteps, and Isla turned.
“Thanks for getting it packed up for us, Lala,” her twin brother, Arden, called from the steps of their modest home. He headed toward the small stable where Isla stood, dressed in simple but warm travel attire. His onyx cloak was fastened tightly around a thick sweater, the fur-lined hood already pulled over his ears. The hard grass crunched under his sturdy black riding boots as he neared.
Isla rolled her eyes at his nickname for her. It might have been sweet when they were children, but at twenty-two years old she hardly considered “Lala” befitting of her age. Still, she couldn’t hold back the smile that brushed her lips every time he said it. The gods knew she was only wasting her breath trying to get him to stop.
“You’re all set.” She smiled, probably a little too brightly. The days when her papa and Arden left home were always hard; she dreaded each journey more than the last. But she knew they needed to make a living, and she’d learned long ago that she would never succeed in dissuading them from crossing the waters to trade in the neighboring kingdom of Karstos. Her father and brother were the most stubborn people she’d ever met.
Well, besides herself.
Their father followed shortly after Arden. A mahogany cloak swished at his heels as he pulled on a pair of leather gloves and made his way to the twins. His light brown hair had been slowly graying, and he chose to keep it cut close to his scalp. His short, scruffy beard was also flecked with white and new wrinkles on his face were beginning to show his age. Despite his years, he was still strong and capable—one of the most successful hunters in their village.
“Please be safe, Papa,” Isla said as she met him at the entrance. She hugged her father tightly, knowing he would chide her for being too paranoid but unable to resist the safety and warmth of his arms.
“We'll be fine, don’t worry. There hasn’t been news of many attacks in weeks, and we've had no trouble crossing any other time.” Her father’s green eyes, which she and Arden had inherited, sparkled as he kissed her forehead, his beard scratching her skin.
His words offered little comfort. They hadn’t heard of many attacks lately, but that didn’t mean they weren’t happening. It took a while for news to reach their little village of Lockhurt; it was entirely possible merchants were being attacked left and right without anyone knowing for months. Word traveled slowly, and even slower when one was dead.
She swallowed her worries and squeezed his arm as he released her. “Still, try to be careful,” she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.
“What of me, little sister? No warnings of safety for your brother?” Arden held a hand to his chest, feig
Isla shrugged. “You’ll be alright, dear brother. And if not, I’m taking your bedroom,” she said with a smirk. Arden’s booming laughter filled the air as he ran to her, grabbed her by the waist, and threw her over his shoulder. Isla squealed and smacked his back while their father chuckled as if watching toddlers wrestle.
Arden finally set her down and pulled her into an embrace. “Keep him safe, Arden. Don’t do anything foolish,” she whispered, no longer in a joking mood. She pushed away to hold him at arm's length, anxiously studying the features that mirrored her own. A heart-shaped face with forest green eyes, a scattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, and short-cropped, dark copper hair that contrasted with his fair skin.
While her papa was convinced the roads through Evonlea were safe for now, the growing unrest between their kingdom and Karstos still unsettled Isla. She hadn’t remembered there being this much tension between the kingdoms when the late King of Karstos was ruling; he and his court had cared deeply for harmony and prosperity among the people. But over the past couple of years, it had become more and more dangerous for merchants like her father and brother who traveled to trade with their neighbor, ever since the king had passed and his son had taken the throne. Nobody expected such cruelty from the once publicly applauded young prince. Isla’s people were angry with Karstos and its new king for imposing unfair taxes on merchants from foreign kingdoms such as hers, and the true radicals viewed anyone who continued to trade with the corrupt king as traitors to Evonlea. These rebels showed their frustration by taking it out on passing merchants.
Violently.
Isla could not lose anyone else to these attacks.
“Speaking of safety, I should be more concerned about you here on your own,” her papa called as he stepped into Buttercup’s stirrup and threw his leg over the saddle.
“Yes, what ever will you do without your strapping older brother to protect you? The men in this village are an immature bunch.” Arden winked at her, leading Bella, their black mare, from her stall.
“You would know,” Isla shot back. “Besides, I won’t be alone. Bri’s staying with me, remember? She’s probably more than happy to call one of those other strapping, immature boys to come protect us,” she said fondly of her bold and flirtatious best friend.
“Is that what they call it these days? Protecting?” Arden sniggered from atop Bella.
“Alright, that’s quite enough of that,” their disgruntled father called as he loudly cleared his throat. Isla hid her laugh behind her hands, already missing her older brother—if two minutes could be considered “older.”
Papa removed his old, bronzed pocket watch from his cloak, checked the time, then gathered Buttercup’s reins in his gloved hands. “You and Brielle take care of yourselves. Don’t hesitate to call on the Bristolls if you need anything.” He nodded his head toward their neighbor’s house. “I know you trust this town, Isla, but unease makes people act out of character. Don’t let your guard down.”
She knew he would always worry over her, even though she’d been staying at their house alone for two years since her mother had passed. The last few times Arden and Papa had left, her best friend had stayed with her—although safety was not the first thing on her friend’s mind during those extended stays.
“I know, Papa. You better get going if you want to make good time,” she said as she hitched a wagon to Buttercup’s harness. It was filled with their wares to sell and trade in south Evonlea and Karstos: handmade snares, replaceable arrowheads, and a myriad of other hunting tools her family excelled at crafting. Papa and Arden thanked her and promised for the hundredth time to be careful.
Watching them ride away was the worst part, not knowing if it would be the last time she would see them. She put on a brave smile as she waved, but her insides were wracked with anxiety and fear. She kept envisioning a moment like this from two years ago when she had waved to a different retreating figure, never suspecting that it would have been her final goodbye. Her eyes burned from holding back a fresh wave of tears, a sob on the tip of her tongue.
As they rode off into the dawn, she whispered, “I love you both.”
Chapter Two
Jade
On a gasping breath, her eyes fluttered open.
Jade’s heart pounded in time to her racing thoughts, practically echoing off the cavern walls. She could feel her pulse in her chest, her head, her core.
Trying to get her bearings, she took in the space around her. The ancient cave domed above her head, dimly lit from the far-off sunlight creeping in through the tunneled entrance. Everything came back to her in a rush, and she instantly knew what lay beyond that opening: the beautiful island of Iona, the only place she and her fellow elemental beings had ever felt at peace.
Jade glanced down at the raised platform of rocks she was laying on, which was pushed up against the cave wall. Closest to the walls, the ceiling sloped low before rising higher as it reached its peak. She could barely see, but her other senses could feel the earth and rock around her. Its steadfastness, its strength, its beauty. The earth had been her resting place for lifetimes, a comfort and home to her soul while her body was dormant. She remembered choosing this mountain as her refuge after the humans waged their war and rebelled against the forces that gave them life, that sustained them. She could never have left this island, even when things ended the way they had.
It had been centuries—longer, perhaps—since she had last roamed the earth. The fact that she had been summoned now meant something terrible was coming. This was the vow the elementals had all made after the war: that they should no longer abide among the living but could be called upon in times of dire need.
Her eyes and heart burned from the memories that flooded her. The tranquility she and the other elementals had once known. How the humans had loved them, worshiped them, even, because of the powers of nature they wielded to help the kingdom prosper.
But Jade and her companions had taken this power for granted, slowly turning their kingdom of solace into a breeding ground for control. The elementals had sought to rule the people, thinking that their great power meant the humans should bow to them and them alone. And some of the people had agreed.
Many had not.
She had learned how love and devotion such as the humans’ could quickly turn to obsession, and obsession bred violence. Flashes of that great civil war, the frenzied actions of oppressed humans clashing with those who staunchly supported the elementals, shot through her mind. It was she and her fellow elementals who had made them feel powerless enough that their only choice was to lash out, even against their own kind.
Shame rose through her like a dark wave, pushing against her insides, boiling over. She had never meant for any of it to happen. All she had wanted was stability, a balance between her earth and the people. Was that so wrong? She would have given everything for them, if they needed. She had given them everything: this perfect island that provided all the sustenance they required.
And they had spurned her, after eons of living off of her benevolence.
Bitterness mixed with her shame. She gritted her teeth at the memories. Perhaps, in the end, they were all to blame: humans and immortal elementals alike. If she truly had been awoken because of an unforeseen threat on the horizon, was she fit to enter this new world and help? Would the kingdoms even be deserving of her aid?
Still, she was awake; she couldn’t very well stay on this lost island.
Jade slowly sat up, relishing the feel of the crumbling dirt between her fingers. The earth thrummed through her, restless after being inactive for so long. She was unsure of how much time had passed while she slumbered; her power felt stifled from the length of disuse.
Taking a deep breath, she rose. The magic that had kept her body asleep and perfectly preserved was remarkable. She looked down to see generous curves, her ample form uncovered and unblemished. She would have to do something about that before traveling amongst the humans; they would likely not look kindly on a naked woman walking through their streets.
