Shadow of the Serpent Curse

Books by Niki Livingston Infernal Crystals Shadow of the Serpent Curse (Prequel) Descendant of the Serpent Queen – coming February 2023 Guardians of the Serpent Empire – coming May 2023 Theia’s Moons Series Eyes Wide Shut Enyo’s Warrior Protectors of the Stars Guardian The Chaos Awakened Saga Marked Chaos Expanded Chaos Transformed Chaos Stand-alone Novels Be My Leprechaun Novellas Wrong Side of the Mirror Novelettes A Web Through Time Wicked Heart Wicked Soul Jolly Old Monster Unable to Wake Shadow Of the serpent curse This book is a work of fiction, including, but not limited to, characters, events, and features. They are all the imagination of the author and any resemblance of any aspect or persons, living or dead, is entirely circumstantial. Copyright © 2023 Niki Livingston Publisher: Unbound Wonders Press Editor: Novel Nurse Editing All rights reserved. No part of this publication 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 written permission of the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. For permission requests, contact the publisher at [email protected]. Book cover design by © GetCovers.com ISBN-13: 978-1-952537-14-1 To connect: www.NikiLivingston.com Table of Content Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Descendant of the Serpent Queen Acknowledgments About Author Warning Shadow of the Serpent Curse is the prequel short story in the Infernal Crystals series and leans closer to Urban fantasy, while subsequent volumes will anchor readers into its darker themes. It is an introduction to some key characters who participated in molding and influencing Audrey’s future. This series is strongly recommended for those 18+ due to violence and intense language. To those with an empathetic heart. Thank you for your light and compassion. Fawn “No.” Somehow, I squeezed the word through my burning throat. Red-hot fury crashed through me like a blown volcano. Gina glanced my way, but her mage strength far surpassed mine. An unseen force I could not match was holding me back. I pressed against it anyway. “No, Gina,” I hissed between clenched teeth, every muscle in my body trembling with blinding rage. I could not take my eyes off the magic-infused barrier as it pulsated with its growing intensity. No way in. No way out. The nearly translucent shield flashed its deadly warning. A tomb for the vampires and any others who were unfortunate to be caught in its snare. It was my sister’s creation and an obvious line in the sand for me. The energy from the barrier sparked, and a collective gasp rose from the crowd behind us. Gina raised her hand, waving it in a circle above her head. The green light from her implant lit up next to her ear. “Team, we are at the end. Well done. Place the final protective layer on my mark,” she said, never taking her eyes off the pulsating barrier. I squealed. “Gina! No!” “Five, four, three—” “Don’t do this,” I pleaded, scratching against her powers that continued to hold me from moving closer to her. “Please, sister. Do not do this to us.” “Two, one.” Her gaze flittered briefly at me, and for a split second, regret pierced her features. “Go.” She turned back to face her creation. The cement platform quaked, and I teetered to the right, scrambling to find my footing as a blast of energy pulsed just beyond our reach. My body seized, and I sank to my knees, ignoring the pain radiating through my bones. The scene before me stole all my attention. Screams of terror rose from beyond the barrier. A deep ache tore through my heart, and I could do nothing but stare in horror at what my flesh and blood had done. The skin around my eyes sweltered from the intense heat of the combined alchemy power keeping the vampires hostage. With angry tears flooding my eyes, I squinted at the flashing neon sign, a warning that stretched across the green hills, threatening intruders to turn back. Guilt gnawed at my stomach. Thousands of innocent people, trapped within the confines of Montana and the deadly perimeter that the Western United Realm government just placed along the state’s border. No way up and no way down. They made sure the vampires would no longer be a flight risk. I turned my glare toward my sister, now that she had softened her hold on me. “How could you? This is wrong, and you know it.” “If they had been warned, the vampires would have escaped.” Her lack of sympathy showed in her hard stare. If someone noticed us on the streets, they would have believed we were twins with our jet-black wavy hair that flowed down to our lower backs and our matching hazel eyes. But we were as different as night and day on the inside. My sister, always the diplomat. Her loyalty to the country superseded her loyalty to anyone else, including her family. She would sacrifice everyone to keep peace in WUR and remain relevant in this ever-changing world, where magic controlled every inch of livable land and sea. Her shifter abilities far-exceeded most others because of the mage genes mixed into our family from several generations in the past, and she used it to keep her high-level government status. I, on the other hand, would betray every government on this planet to protect the ones I love. Caring too deeply was my kryptonite. Gina had warned me it would be the sword that cut off my head. “Fawn?” Gina’s voice pulled my stare from the barely visible barrier. The energy emanating from it clawed at my flesh, warning me of its power. Her intentions were apparent for the entire world to see, with the press and many country leaders looming from a safe distance. My reluctant gaze drifted her way again. “This won’t end well,” I whispered, fighting back the tears I refused to show her. “It’s done.