Primal Igniting

Primal Igniting PRIME SHIFTER ACADEMY BOOK 4 MELODY ROSE Copyright © 2023 Melody Rose All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law. This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously. Cover design by Claire Holt at Luminescence Covers Created with Vellum Contents Prologue 1. Sunny 2. Deimos 3. Sunny 4. Seamus 5. Sunny 6. Sunny 7. Talon 8. Sunny 9. Sunny 10. Baron 11. Sunny 12. Sunny 13. Sunny 14. Alecto 15. Slade 16. Sunny 17. Seamus 18. Sunny 19. Sunny 20. Alecto 21. Sunny 22. Sunny 23. Sunny 24. Sunny 25. Baron Epilogue A Note from the Author Prologue To our fellow Otherworld community leaders, influencers, and folk of all kind who have made this land their home, I hope this message finds you well. That is, if it finds you at all. As you can imagine, not many of us in New Hearth and the surrounding shifter territories knew very well how to contact any one of you, so I’ve sent these letters out on a wing and a prayer—literally. On that note, please be kind to the birds who are acting as our messengers. As our collective communities are not universally connected by digital means, we owe them the pleasure of this interaction. You see, our mages have gently gifted each of them with an improved sense of direction and a vague understanding of our common language to help them along on their travels. As I am not a bird myself, I am not entirely certain just how well our feathered friends have adapted to all their new talents. However, I am certain that every one of them enjoys apple slices and pistachios if you happen to have either handy. They are quite cute when they are enjoying something tasty. But I digress. The reason I am reaching out is in the hope that we may begin to rebuild the bridges that have been long burned. First, let me admit that they were burned with good reason, as it has taken us too long to admit that the Council had slowly evolved from a democratic group with goals of improving our world to one that only looked out for themselves. They grew power hungry, greedy, selfish, and none of us realized how terrible things had gotten until they were too terrible to ignore. We would like to rebuild the bridges between our people and those who saw the direction our Council was going, and counted themselves out. While the circumstances of our restructuring could have definitely been better, it is with no regret that I inform each and every one of you that the Council has fallen. Evil comes in many forms across Otherworld, as I am sure we are all aware, but a specific evil has plagued the shifter clans, an evil which slowly infected our people and our leadership. Perhaps word of his existence made its way to all corners of our world, or perhaps you’ve been spared hearing of the black dragon, Deimos, and the sickening effect he’s had on our people. It is truly by the grace of the Spirits Above that New Hearth and all the shifter territories have been spared a fate worse than death at the hands of the dragon. That is the only explanation that would truly encapsulate the series of remarkable events that have occurred, and only fate can explain the incredible young shifter that has led us to this place in our lives. The phoenix spirit has returned to us, and her flames have burned bright enough to lead us out of the dark. It is a possibility that you also have experienced the changes that have swept our world thanks to her– clean water, strong forests, sweet winds and rejuvenated wildflower meadows. It is truly a blessing to have been given this opportunity to correct our wrongs and recreate the world the way it should have always been. We’ve begun our journey back to the place our ancestors intended for us, back to when we first splintered off from the human world, and we hope you will join us without obligation or expectation. Simply put, we have come to learn that our greatest strengths lie in one another, and true power lies in diversity. We are only as strong as our allies, and our community has done nothing in the way of preserving our alliances. We plan to rectify that now. So, we invite you to learn along with us at Prime Academy, which was once an all-male, exclusive, elite secondary school that we now hope will become so much more. Any and all young Otherworldians between eighteen and twenty-five years of age are welcome to attend free of charge. Any experienced folk willing to share their culture and experience with the students may also attend in a teaching role. All newcomers will be provided with room, board, and all the comforts our campus can provide. Fall term begins the first week of September and ends just before the Winter Solstice. The end of term will be marked by a grand unity celebration to celebrate our togetherness, and all Otherworld leaders and their families are welcome to attend. With luck, there will be much to celebrate as we raise our glasses to a new beginning for all of us. If you choose to take part in this effort to mend the relationships between all of our peoples, please respond accordingly on the attached card, and our bird friend will return with your response. If you do not care to join us, your decision will be met with dignity and respect. Thank you all very much for your consideration, and