BLURB
Then
there's the Second, Protector of all. One noble, a shield for his role.
To the
outside observer, Skylar Mitchell has a life most people only dream of. With
the wealth, fortune, and power granted to a nobleman's son, life should be
perfect. But the ideal family seen by all and sought by many for political gain
are shadowy illusions of the truth: the Mitchell family is anything but
perfect. Wrapped up in the politics that have infected their home, Skylar
yearns to find the one thing he's craved his entire life: a genuine family.
Adding to
the conflict, Skylar is a Human-Born with extraordinary powers that aren't
becoming of a nobleman's son. Though he wishes to explore his abilities and
grow in his strengths, his parents have staunchly denied his involvement with
anything outside the norm.
Until one
day, a portal opens from another world, unleashing enemies aimed at attacking
Skylar, and threatening to tear the veil that masks the Mitchell family's happy
facade. In that moment, everything could crumble, most notably the boy who was
supposed to be unbreakable.
Caught
between duty to his family and his remarkable destiny, Skylar may be forced to
make a decision that could fracture the Mitchell family. Will he be bold enough
to step into the path he was made for, or will he cower under the weight of
family pressures?
Excerpt
Skylar looked forward to Tuesdays. They were short by all
accounts. His classes wrapped by late morning, and he always grabbed the train
to London so he could have lunch with Charles in the city. The train’s bustle
awarded Skylar anonymity for a spell. Between tourists and general passersby,
no one paid him any mind.
Well, no one save his Zaheri.
He’d grown accustomed to the ever-present knowledge that
someone was watching him over the last year and a half. Initially, the concept
had been unnerving. Skylar would whip around in a panic, only to be welcomed
with the sight of one of his Zaheri shaking their hands dismissively or
not-so-subtly trying to not be seen.
Truthfully, that ‘eyes on your back’ feeling was one he’d
always attributed to fear at mis-stepping or misspeaking. Now however, it was a
comfort to know someone watched over him and sought to keep him safe.
Safe from what, exactly, he wasn’t entirely sure.
There had been a handful of lessons from Ira and notes for
him to study that Streya slipped into notebooks and textbooks. He’d seen the sketches
and studied the bestiary of Agerius. He’d spoken with Ryder enough times to
know that grovix weren’t beasts to underestimate or undervalue. The beasts and
creatures he might one day encounter were easy, he thought, to wrap his head
around.
But this mysterious Caliga, and their shrouded-in-rumor
leader, left him puzzled.
What was he to this powerful opposition? Just another
shield-bearer in Skylar’s mind. Sure, he was told he was incredibly powerful.
And yes, he’d made a couple shields that his Zaheri had marveled at.
But he’d never actually protected anything.
Was he truly something powerful enough to withstand this
Cregorous or any of his followers? Since he’d never had anything combat his
shields, Skylar genuinely worried whether he’d be capable of stepping into the
shoes of…whatever his Zaheri and their people saw for him.
Though, perhaps he was overthinking it. After all, it wasn’t
as if making indigo shields of raw energy was the norm for people. That had to
mean something.
Ambling on his way to the train station, he could hear
Erador’s heavy footfalls against the pavement not far behind him. The bulky
warrior was the funniest to see try and hide himself. On more than one
occasion, Erador had stumbled over barrels or boxes or run smack into other
people. Apologizing wasn’t exactly Erador’s strong suit, and he tended to
become a spectacle of chaos in those moments.
The memories made Skylar chuckle a bit as he continued on his
way.
He had barely left Oxford’s main hub when Ryder suddenly
burst through the trees nearby. Skylar nearly leapt a foot off the ground.
People nearby shrieked. A handful of phones were whipped out, pointed toward
Ryder as they recorded the massive beast.
Erador was there in a flash as he asked angrily, “What are
you doing?”
“We have a problem,” the dark furred grovix shot out.
Before he could continue, Streya and Ira joined them. Streya
began to shove at Ryder, as though that would make his appearance null to the
world around them. “Are you trying to get us all noticed?! Why are you out
here?” Streya demanded as she continued to push in vain.
Ryder shoved her off and barked, “There are bratak’ra and
werewolves nearby! Not a hundred feet away. We have to act!”
Author Info
2022
Readers' Favorite Award Winner.
Susan Markloff spent a majority of her childhood pretending to live in other
worlds. Coupled with her admiration for fantastical stories, she crafted one of
her own. Studying writing at Houghton College, she learned how to hone her
skills as an author, writing first drafts of five books during her college
career. The Rise of the Raidin is her debut novel and the first in the
Human-Born Era series. Susan resides in her hometown of Sellersville, PA with
her faithful dog, Pinkerton.
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