Embracing Emerald (The Silvia Saga Book 1)

Copyright © 2023 by Jenna Lee All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Created with Vellum To the dreamers wondering why things don’t happen when you stay in your comfort zone Contents Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven 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 Taming Topaz About the Author Acknowledgments Prologue SAM My precious Marissa is gone. My heart pounds against my chest, threatening to burst as I stand over the lifeless body of my beautiful wife. Falling to my knees, I hit the hard floorboards of our bedroom floor, clenching her tightly in my arms. Why did you have to leave me here alone? You promised we’d stay together until the end. Tears run down my cheeks, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive without her. All I have left is our beloved daughter, Dara. Blood seeps out of Marissa’s still heart onto the timber, and my hands are painted a deep shade of red. I try to rub it off, but it doesn’t go away. The last words to come out of her mouth were, “Keep Dara safe. Do whatever it takes.” As soon as I heard that command, I took an oath. To protect our daughter with everything I have left. To make sure James can’t lay a hand on her. I cannot comprehend that my once beloved brother, James, could stoop this low. How could my own blood kill the one person I loved most in this world? How could he just walk into our kingdom and take the life of his sister-in-law? After turning away, I race over to the balcony, gripping the railing and yelling out in frustration, cursing the sky until I have no voice. Birds scatter across the horizon till it’s just me left standing on the balcony outside our room. She can’t be gone; I need her. She keeps us together. Without her, I am nothing. I am lost. My head falls. Marissa was in our room, freshening up when it happened. If I had been with her, she would not be dead. I could have prevented it. I could have talked James down. Told him this wasn’t the way, that we could help him, but I was at the local market, checking in with the vendors. How could I be so stupid to leave her here unprotected when I know James is off the rails? Marissa and I made Silvia the way it is today—a dimension we helped build, full of pure magic that is used for good. This is a land of stunning vibrant greens, lush vegetation, and prosperity; its beauty is unbelievable. The people of Silvia have a strong sense of community, all close and kind. Now James is threatening to destroy it all. To turn it upside down and have everyone on their knees, bowing to him—that’s all he’s ever wanted. Power. The power to make everyone do as he pleases. To turn Silvia into a world where we all have to use dark magic and fight for ourselves. He wants chaos. Ever since the passing of our parents and my coronation, he has been furious, drifting further away. What did he think would happen? I am the eldest child. Of course, I would be crowned king. On top of that, I had Marissa, who was fit to be queen. She knew how to rule Silvia. James didn’t have a better half—still doesn’t. He never could keep one long enough. Five years after being crowned, we had our precious daughter, Dara. Now ten years old, she will be absolutely devastated to hear of her mother’s death. And that’s what breaks my heart the most. Knowing how much pain it will cause her poor little heart. I grip the railing, my hands turning white. Right now, she is outside in the forest playing with her warriors. They were chosen to protect her. They are oblivious to what’s happened within the walls of my kingdom. What would have happened if I’d had warriors for Marissa too? Would they have been able to stop James? Would anybody? I have powerful spells in place to protect our kingdom and the land surrounding it, but somehow, he managed to break through the barriers and hurt the woman I love the most. The door creaks open and then clicks closed. Albert’s standing there, feet rooted to the ground taking in the scene before him. Pain and loss cloud his eyes. “No,” he yells in frustration as he runs over before falling to the ground near her body. I move inside to join him, looking down at my clothes covered in Marissa’s blood. Albert’s cries fill the quiet room and I’m about to join him when I stop, a loud sigh leaving me. This man needs his king. Silva needs their king, and Marissa would have wanted me to step up. “Please arrange to get her body taken away and cleaned. James will pay for this.” He bows his head and then his eyes meet mine; he wears the same expression as I do. He isn’t even surprised to learn that James is to blame for this death. Albert and Anna are our best friends and godparents to our Dara. Their four sons and daughter are Dara’s warriors. There’s no one else I’d trust with her life. A gasp breaks me from my thoughts. Anna runs to Marissa and collapses to her knees, clutching my wife’s hand till her knuckles turn white. “Is she …?” she cries