Nectar of War: The Song of Verity and Serenity (The Nectar of War Series Book 1)

LEVORA APOLLA ARVENALDI

L aven!’ I scream over the distant sound of deer running around me, within the trampling of the deer I can hear my voice heavily carry through the woods.

I scramble to my feet as nothing but darkness surrounds me, and the very dim shine of the moon holds no guidance. As I look upward I faintly see small bats scurrying across. The more I observe my surroundings, I perceive a small circle formed of lightning hovering in midair multiple feet away from me, and through it, I can witness Laven running about and shouting my name into the void of the woods. The realization sets in that I am no longer home and Laven cannot see nor hear me.

The circle begins to close, and I hurriedly run towards it with all ambition to make it through, but I stumble as sharp sticks dig into my bare feet. I can still hear him calling me, but he is moving in the wrong direction. ‘Laven!’ I cry out and my voice cracks the louder I scream, and slowly, he is fading as he moves farther and farther away while searching for me in all the wrong places.

The world moves slowly the closer I get, and just as I reach to touch the circle, it repels my touch and soars me backward. I collide with the ground, and gasp for air as the collision takes all my breath away.

When I look again, the circle has entirely closed.

The tears that have welled in my eyes fall as I relentlessly scream. I beat into the ground as if in some way if this circle will reappear, I will see my brother, and go home.

Slowly, I stop bellowing when I hear an unrecognizable voice calling for help.

I stand again and pull the knife from its sheath wrapped around my thigh.

‘Trust not a soul. Wield weapons against anyone you do not know.’ I do as my brother taught me.

The person hollering for help appears, and it is a man in a torn undershirt ripped from the laces and across his shoulder. He stands extremely tall, nearly the height of Laven, with dark glowing skin.

I hold out my dagger before me in warning.

His hands immediately hold up and he stops in his tracks. ‘No, no worries. I just heard you and came to find the voice.’

‘Why?’ I step farther away and continue to blink away the tears.

‘Because I am guessing you were thrown here through a portal just like I was.’

I say nothing and keep my dagger forward.

‘I am Phyv,’ he points to himself. ‘I am from Provas, the Realm of the Fae. You are?’

I am hesitant, but I answer. ‘Levora, House Arvenaldi.’

‘You are of the Realm of the Wolves.’

I rapidly nod my head.

‘Whoever you are looking for–’

‘My brother,’ I interrupt him. ‘And he will kill you if you touch me.’

‘I do not doubt it.’ Phyv stays put where he stopped.

An arrow whistles from afar and we soon see it as it veers between us. We turn in the direction the arrow came from and a young woman appears dressed in dark grey leather armor.

‘Greyce, Realm of the Hybrids.’ She immediately introduces herself. ‘Now how the fuck am I to get home?’

Home. I had grown used to calling Phyv and Greyce my home in the Mortal Lands, only out of the thought that there was no way home—there was no way of getting back to my brothers, my mother . . . Roaner.

Yet, as I look at Roaner, he does not seem to have the slightest reaction to my return.

“Vora?” Laven whispers ever so quietly. And all I can do is cry.

Before my body can fully register with my mind, I am running to him. And just as he used to, he catches me. He holds on to me the way our father used to, and the tears fall quicker, harder—like the rain pouring down windows in a frightful storm. But the thing about Laven, he catches every raindrop and fights the storm with his sword.

‘Want to know something?’ Laven whispers as I sit curled next to him.

I scoot closer as loud thunder strikes. ‘What?’ I ask while looking at the storm raging outside and clinging to his arm.

‘When Pa gave me my sword he had it made to fight off storms just for you.’

‘Did you?’ I look back at Pa as he reads a book in one hand and in the other sits Mama falling asleep with a swollen belly.

Pa smiles. ‘I did.’ He answers as he props his feet up on the ottoman in front of the fireplace.

‘Should I do it now?’ Laven asks.

‘Oh!’ I stand. ‘No! You will get hurt!’

‘If I have that sword, nothing can hurt me. I will fight all the storms that dare to frighten you, Vora.’

Just babies.

That was all we were during that time.

And even now, having been gone all this time, I have not a doubt that he will still be that pugnacious force in my life.

Quickly after, I am surrounded by Morano and Amias who hold on to me just as Laven did. Roaner continues to keep his distance.

“Where the hell have you been? And what are you wearing?” Laven asks as he looks me over. He glimpses at Greyce and Phyv as they stand not far off.

I look down at my jeans and so does Laven.

“Mortal clothing,” I say.

“Mortal clothing?” Morano shouts. “How in this world did you end up in the Mortal Lands?” He glances down at Nyt who is leashed next to Phyv and continuously cuts his eyes at Greyce who is holding Salem.

“A portal,” Phyv steps closer and Morano and Amias step backward. I grab his hand and Greyce’s pulling them both next to me to show that the animals are harmless.

“This is Phyv and Greyce,” I introduce. “And these two pets are Nyt and Salem. Nyt is a black German Shepherd,” I lie. He is a hybrid wolf-dog, but I will never tell them that. “And this little black cat is all three of ours,” I take Salem from Greyce and he clings to my arm out of fear of his new environment. “While Greyce and I have been in the Mortal Lands, Phyv took care of us like we were his own family. We found each other the night we were left on human territory.”

“How did you possibly conceal yourselves from the mortals?” Laven asks.

“It was very difficult, but thankfully, we all have very average features according to the humans, so we did not stand out too immensely.” Phyv informs them all. “When it came to shifting and using our powers we stayed hidden on our land far from society. I kept a fabrication over our features that were too out of the ordinary for humans, mostly my ears that would bring attention.”

“Your land?” Amias asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Yes,” Greyce answers with her usual sharp tone when she feels one of us is being wronged. “The land he purchased for us where our home resides.”

Roaner stays quiet as he stares off into the courtyard with a rapidly rising and falling chest.

Laven steps nearer to Amias and places a hand on his shoulder. “It is visible that you were very well taken care of,” Laven turns to Phyv. “Thank you, truly. This is a debt I will repay for eternity. There were never moments that passed when I was not thinking of where Levora went or what possibly happened. And thank you for getting her home safely.”

“Coming home is not something that I can take recognition for,” Phyv does not take credit, although he should. Greyce and I both saw how easily he opened the portal. If it were not for him, we would not be here. “Levora was the one who went back to the exact location of the portal and saw it finally opening again one day. Ever since, she went back daily to be sure it was the portal that took us from here. When she was sure of it, she monitored it.”

“You let her do that alone?” Amias cuts in once more.

“I am not a child any longer, Amias. I am capable of having a task such as that now.” I take offense to his assumption that I am still some weak young girl, yet I too cannot forget it has been years since we have seen one another, and he is not used to me looking out for myself while alone, he is still used to always being by my side.

Amias’s eyes soften before leaving the conversation alone.

“Levora did very well with this, if you cannot see, we are indeed home.” Greyce commends as she rubs my back.

“We are worried is all, we are well aware that our sister is capable, but thank you for your input.” Laven says to Greyce.

I take Amias’s hand and he smiles down at me before tugging me into another hug. “And I had Nyt,” I say looking up to him. “He was always there to watch over me before I got comfortable enough to be on my own.”

“You mean the Wolf you have roped?” Morano says stepping away from me again while glaring at Salem.

“Oh, Morano–”

“No, Vora!” Morano interjects. “You know I do not like cats, and can you please take the Wolf off the leash?” He says to Phyv.

“I am sure you did perfectly fine monitoring your way home,” Laven chuckles as he side eyes Morano. “Ma will be elated to hear about it.”

I smile at the mention of her. “Where is she?” I urgently plead to know.

Of everyone, my mother, my mama, I have missed her in times when I have needed her the most and had no one to turn to other than Phyv or Greyce—they could always calm my thoughts and be there for me in only ways they know, but no one will ever replace the love my mother gives and the knowledge she holds in her enthralling mind.

“I am unsure where Ma has gone to. I am certain a guard has already found her and told her of your return.”

When I look to where Roaner is, he is gone, without a word he has already left.

I do not stop to think of him and I turn to the ever so familiar voice approaching.

“Axynth!” I give Salem to Greyce before assailing toward him.

“By the Gods, Levora where the hell have you been?” He takes a quick glance over me before his eyes grow bigger and he is pulling me into another hug and multiple kisses are placed over my face, he stops and looks me over once again in disbelief. “These are mortal clothes,” he looks back at Laven and Laven nods.

“They are,” he says.

“Mortal Lands?” A man hovering behind Axynth asks.

“Vora, this is High King Stravan of the Fae Realm.” Laven introduces.

The Realm of the Fae.

“I am pleased to meet you; I am Levora Arvenaldi, this is Phyv, he is also from the Fae Realm.”

“What exactly were you all doing in the Mortal Lands?” Stravan asks.

“It was not willingly that we were there,” Phyv begins. “We were sent there non-consentingly and were stuck there for six years. We only have found our way home through the portal we were sent through.”

“So there was you,” Stravan points at me. “Of the Realm of the Wolves. Phyv, from the Realm of the Fae, and the young lady standing not far off with the dog and cat?” He glances at Greyce.

“Yes.” I nod.

“And where are you from? If you do not mind me asking.” Stravan asks Greyce.

“Ramana,” she answers. “Realm of the Hybrids.”

Stravan slowly guises over us. “You all are three of six. There are three others that went missing at the same time and day as you during the season of Spring. You have been known as the Six of Spring since it happened.”

I knew it, the three of us knew it.

“Did you already suspect this?” Stravan asks.

“We did.” Greyce responds.

“Well, when the other realms discover you all have returned, societies will not stop talking about it until the rest of you are found.”

“They will want us to travel through the portal once more to find them.” Phyv concludes and Stravan nods as he continues to observe Phyv.

“What year is it in the Mortal Lands?” Axynth asks.

“Year nineteen eighty-five.” I answer.

“Not to forget the other realms will demand this search while we have rogues roaming.” Morano says.

“Yes,” Laven nods.

“Rogues?” I question. “What rogues?”

“While you have been away there has been a recent outbreak among our people. A rabid mutation of some sort that has altered them mind and soul. There is no cure, and we do not know who it is that is spreading such a disease among our land, but we plan to find out before it can go too far and we approach war.”

“War began when they plotted an attack on our kind.” Amias says.

“Unfortunately, yes, it did.” Stravan agrees.

“How can I help?” I ask looking between them all.

Laven smiles walking forward and grasping my shoulders. “You can help me by resting.” He kisses my forehead before the same eyes of our father look down at me. “You have just returned home, and you should take time to grow accustomed to Vaigon again before being thrown into the strenuous tasks we have been taking on. Although, I would like to speak with you, Greyce, and Phyv privately.”