Then they were falling, tumbling down together into the black of the abyss, the drey ripping at scale and bloody flesh again even as they vanished over the edge of the void.

  “RYN!” Declan choked, fighting his addled mind to get up, to run to the lip of the chasm. He tried to stand, tried to get his feet under him. His left knee screamed in protesting pain, but he ignored it, knowing only the violent need to hurry, to run.

  He’d almost managed to stand when something hard, smooth, and inexplicably sharp hooked him beneath the line of his jaw.

  Declan stopped cold, instinct overpowering every other desperation. He looked down slowly, trailing the curved edge of the dark blade to its hilt, along with the gloved hand that held it without so much as a hint of a tremor. He followed the slender arm up, tracing the layers of gold-gilded armor until he found the still, hard face beneath its plumed helm. Declan had known what he would find, had glimpsed the reality the moment this very figure had led the devastating charge against the drey.

  All the same, it was hard not to stare at the black skin of the swordswoman’s face, nor the white eyes, hinting at irises of red, that held his gaze firm.

  When she spoke, the strange syllables were as cold as the edge of the sword at his throat.

  “Yl vas ah’ren, veht?”

  Though he knew only a little of the language—and a dialect entirely different at that—Declan could guess well enough at the meaning of the question.

  “What are you doing here, human?” the dark elf had demanded of him.

  Thank You All! Please Read!

  After months of effort, back-and-forth, and editing, the first installment of this crazy collaboration that is The Shattered Reigns has finally hit the shelves! We are so grateful to you—yes you, reading this right now—for making the investment in and taking the time for A Mark of Kings, joining us on this wild adventure. It’s your support that makes it possible for writers like the pair of us to practice our craft, and your involvement that makes this journey so enjoyable for us.

  On that subject, a few notes:

  First: Please, please, consider rating and reviewing A Mark of Kings on Amazon, or any of your favorite book sites. Many people don’t know that there are thousands of books published every day, most of those in the USA alone. Over the course of a year, a quarter of a million authors will vie for a small place in the massive world of print and publishing. We fight to get even the tiniest traction, fight to climb upward one inch at a time towards the bright light of bestsellers, publishing contracts, and busy book signings.

  Thing is, we need all the help we can get, and that’s where wonderful readers like you come in!

  Second: If you want to join our growing communities, be sure to like us on Facebook! Bryce’s page can be found here, while Luke’s page is here! If you’d rather hit either of us up directly with thoughts, feedback, or anything else that peaks your interest, our contact emails are bryce@bryceoconnorbooks.com and

  LyrianRastler@gmail.com respectively!

  Even better, consider joining our Patreon pages! You’ll be the first to know of any news, artwork, and announcements! What’s more, by joining Bryce’s page you’ll receive chapter-by-chapter releases of the rest of The Shattered Reigns series months in advance, and on Luke’s page you’ll have early access to books from his incredible Ascend Online series, and other upcoming releases!

  Regardless of whether or not you choose to review, reach out, or support us elsewhere, thank you again for taking the time to read A Mark of Kings, and we will see you in the sequel!

  Your biggest fans,

  Bryce O’Connor & Luke Chmilenko

 

 

  Bryce O'Connor, A Mark of Kings

 

 

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