Reign of Ruin

Table of Contents Reign of Ruin (Elderwood Series, #2) Chapter 1 Chapter 2 | Rayna | Four years ago Chapter 3 | Present Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 | Cadeyrn Chapter 8 | Rayna Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 | Cadeyrn Chapter 22 | Rayna Chapter 23 Chapter 24 | Cadeyrn Chapter 25 | Rayna Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 | Cadeyrn Chapter 29 | Rayna Chapter 30 | Cadeyrn Chapter 31 | Rayna Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 | Cadeyrn Chapter 35 | Merlin Glossary | (Terms and their association) Reign of Ruin Saga one – Book two of the Elderwood Series Copyright © 2023 by J.C. Blacklock All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any electric or mechanical means without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademark status and owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owner. Any use of terminology or language other than English was researched and sourced via the internet. An acknowledgement of alternative ways of pronunciation or terms is recognized, and any use of such language is merely for character development and not an indication of proper and singular usage. For information contact: http://www.jcblacklock.com Beta Readers : Cindy Blacklock Editing by Grammarly Cover design by Artscandare Book Cover Design Formatting by Derek Murphy @ Creativindie ISBN: 9798395830654 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Dedicated to my loving family and friends that have encouraged me to follow my dreams. Without you this journey would never have become a reality. Set your sights upon the heights, Don’t be a mediocrity. Don’t just wait and trust to fate, And say that’s how it’s meant to be. It’s up to you how far you go, If you don’t try, you’ll never know. -Merlin The Sword in the Stone (1963) Chapter 1 AWARENESS PULLED AT THE EDGE of unconsciousness, urging me back from the oblivion in which I had found a momentary reprieve. The sound of water dripping on stone was the first thing that registered as my sense of hearing slowly returned. I was still in that state of unrest, halfway between the waking world and the realm of dreams, where you could easily slip back into either one. I wasn't ready to return. I wanted the comfort of sleep. There was no fear there, at least not this time, as the nightmares that usually plagued me had stayed hidden. There was no pain either, unlike now, as a wave of nausea and burning agony raged through my body. One spot, in particular, jolted me fully awake as a deep, guttural ache sent shocks of pain down my leg, stemming from my injured thigh. Reality took the wheel, forcing me to blink back the sleep from my eyes until they adjusted to the blurry darkness surrounding me. Only a sliver of light crept along the floor. A crack along the bottom of a rickety, wooden door that one would see in a barn or dilapidated house. Where the hell am I? Groaning, I forced my aching body upwards, throwing off the thick wool blanket. The cold, stale air kissed my bare legs, one thigh wrapped in a fresh bandage. With jerky movements, I forced my trembling, weak body to slither off the end of a mattress until my feet hit cold stone flooring, causing me to yelp and pull back from the shock, wincing at the quick move that tugged at my injury. That’s when the memories came flooding back. The ball. Where I danced with Cadeyrn, and he confessed his feelings for me. The kiss with Finn. The fire. The devastation. The loss. Breathing through the new onslaught of pain, I braced myself for the cold as my feet touched down. I felt like a newborn foal, staggering and stumbling, trying desperately to get my legs under me and to function normally. I was weak, both in mental and physical capacity. My hand outstretched in the darkened space, feeling my way through blindly until it touched the worn wood of the door. The creaking irritated my sensitive ears as it opened, roaring as my heart thudded painfully in my chest. Glowing light filtered from the end of a narrow rock hallway, flickering off the walls as it rounded a corner, leading in only one direction. Squinting my eyes, I gazed down at the white sheath that covered my body, reaching just below the knee. Someone had changed me. I was thankful in one respect. The wet, cold fabric would have been uncomfortable to wake up to and may have gotten me sick if I had lain in the cold for an extended period. On second inspection, I noticed my left arm was unhindered at the elbow. My prosthetic arm had also been removed. Probably useless after the saltwater drenched it. I blinked at the light bouncing off the walls; my footsteps were silent as I walked toward it. Voices, muffled and far away, echoed off the uneven rocks lining the space's sides, floor, and ceiling. Peering around the corner, the first thing that caught my eye was a makeshift fireplace on one wall and a young boy sitting at an old wooden table in the center of the room. Merlin. Releasing a nervous breath, I tentatively stepped forward, making my appearance known. The space was cramped, with the only lighting supplied by candles scattered around the room