Spindle of Life

SPINDLE OF LIFE THE FATED HEIRS C. L. QVAM This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, historical figures, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Copyright © C. L. Qvam, 2023 All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For press & permission requests, contact the publisher at [email protected] First published by Qvamington Press in 2023 Qvamington Press is an imprint of Qvams Forlag ISBN 978-82-94035-00-7 (eBook/ePub) ISBN 978-82-94035-01-4 (Hardcover) ISBN 978-82-94035-02-1 (Paperback) Cover art by Evelyne Paniez, www.secretdartiste.be Publisher website: www.qvamington.com Author website: www.chaselouiseqvam.com FOREWORD Dear reader, As you’re sat reading, these words might just be another couple of words on another couple of pages, but to me they are a miracle. This book you’re holding is a dream made tangible between a pair of binders (metaphorically or literally depending on which format you’re reading). It is the first book in a series that has been more than one and a half decade in the making prior to this book’s release. It is the fantasy world of a girl who dreamed up stories to make sense of her own. It is the work that many believed would never happen, and which some even decidedly said never could. It is the purpose that kept me going in times I believed there was nothing more to keep going for. Finally, it is my gift. From me to you, with a hope that it may inspire you, like books inspired me, to embrace the magic inside you. Yours, C. L. Qvam Content warning: This book, while fictional, deals with dark themes such as the abuse and indoctrination of young people, but in a gentle and sensitive manner. If it triggers something unhealed, please be kind to yourself; surround yourself with what gives you comfort and take reassurance in that the content serves a purpose. A more in-depth list of content warnings can be found here. To all readers, please note that this book is written and edited according to British style and spelling. To all who have had their magic suppressed, and to everyone pushing through, taking the world by storm. CONTENT Prologue Part I 1. The Raven Girl and her Brute 2. A Heritage of Magic 3. Two Broken Wands 4. A Memory of Hallows Grove 5. The Amphitheatre of Saltram Park Part II 6. Soli Gloria 7. Devil’s Marks 8. Magic in the Night 9. Mythos 10. The Child of Life 11. Temptations of Magic 12. One of Us 13. Fight or Flight 14. Coming to Bloom 15. The Final Spark 16. The Three Fates 17. Blasphemy and Truths 18. The Diversion 19. Maddison’s Secret 20. A Cold Hard Winter 21. Guardians of Soli Gloria 22. The Uprising 23. Betrayal 24. Wolves and Lambs Part III 25. Return of an Old Fate 26. The Experimental Station 27. Clotho’s Duty 28. The Operation Theatre 29. The Ordo Vitae 30. The Battle of Soli Gloria 31. Rowena’s Secrets 32. Second Chances Returning to Hallows Grove What Comes Next Author Notes Acknowledgments About the Author Books in the Trilogy PROLOGUE KENDAL, CUMBRIA, 31ST OF DECEMBER 1997 Her pulse hammered in her parched throat as she raced through the forest behind Hallows Grove. The sky flared up in noisy white, red, gold, and blue, but the fireworks couldn’t drown out the sound of growls chasing after her. Charlie did not know whether she was running towards town or away from it, only that she needed to keep going. Keep pushing through the thick woods despite the tree branches slashing at her, ripping her cotton dress, and cutting her cheeks and arms as she ran. In daylight, she had always found these parts of the woods mystical and enchanting. Now they felt like a threat to her life. Roots slithered in all angles on the ground, as if attempting to trip her up and catch her. Like the dogs chasing her. The farther she ran, the closer she felt to being caught, and her desperation rose. Get me out of here, please. Somebody! As if it had heard, a raven swooped in over her head to lead the way, and Charlie followed it without question, stumbling once, twice, into a clearing, her muscles heavy and weary. The sounds behind subsided. While attempting a glance over her shoulder, she stubbed her toe and finally went flying. Her lungs let go of what little oxygen they had left, and the taste of wet dirt and blood filled her mouth. Her tongue ached where she had bitten it, forearms burned as if they had been scrubbed with wire wool, and the bird took flight with Charlie staring after it, her breath grating against her throat with every drag. But these were the least of her worries. The air filled with low canine growls, and yellow eyes shone in the thick darkness. For a second, she dared to hope that she had run into some secret clan of dog-shapers, that they were fellow Defectives like her and there to lend a hand. To harbour a fugitive from the evil that chased their kind. She took a shallow breath. And the world exploded into barks and fangs. Her scream ripped through the forest as the first pair of canine teeth sank into her leg, shortly followed by another set cutting into her flesh. A third dog caught her foot with its claws at the same time a fourth attacked her hand attempting to swat them away. All surely driven wild by the smell of her tainted blood. Over and over again they bit and mauled her, until her screams were nothing but