Book 6 of Sons of Destiny
Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day—they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy. Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems. The sixthborn son must find a way to trust his Destined bride…
First, his most heavily guarded refuge is breached. And now, the worst of all crimes against Rydan of Nightfall: Rora, a pesky, privacy-invading foreigner, likes him and won’t leave him alone! Rydan knows he’s as appealing as a rosebush stripped of its blooms, so why does she persist? Any normal maiden should be seeking less thorny company than his.
But Rora isn’t normal. She alone sees the secret of what torments Rydan. And only she can persuade him to put it right before it destroys him. But Rora has her own secret as well—one of such vast power that other mages have killed in order to possess it. It once drove Rora and her sisters into exile, and, in the wrong hands, its power could annihilate their world. In the right hands, it could change her and Rydan’s fate forever.
“If I am dreaming, a wistful corner of his soul whispered as he kissed her, as she reciprocated, may I never wake up.”
Name: Rydan of Corvis
Age: 25
Height: 5’10” (177.8cm)
Weight: 170 lbs (77.2kg)
Eyes: Black
Hair: Black, Chest-Length
Build: Fit, lean
Lineage: Sixth-born of Lord Saveno, Count of Corvis, and Lady Annia, Countess of Corvis (formerly of Traxon), stripped of birthright at age 22 upon proclamation of exile by the King of Katan and his Council of Mages.
Twin: Trevan, elder
Speciality: Harnessing the power of storms to convert natural energy into magical energy, opening any door without ever once having to touch the knob, and living a nocturnal life. He also has an affinity for working in stone, metal, and glass, though he does not create weapons like Saber does, nor does he work with fire as Koranen can. Other than that, the occasional Artifact or protective amulet, his brothers aren’t always sure what he does with his time at night.
Personality: Rydan is an enigma wrapped in a brooding, daylight-disliking shroud of quiet. He rarely speaks to his brothers, and when he does so, confines himself to short sentences, grunts, and once in a rare while, a longer-winded passage, usually filled with blunt advice. He does spend some time with his brothers, mostly confined to the morning and evening meals, allowing him to go to bed shortly after dawn, and giving him an excuse to stay away until after sunset. Because of this, he is the brother most often selected to cook breakfast as his main chore. Stoic is one word for him; brooding is another; anti-social is a third. Take your pick.
“Tilting her cheek on his shoulder, she smiled up at him. “Not very irritating after all, am I?””
Name: Rora Fen Ziel
Age: 20
Height: 5′ 8.25″ (174km)
Weight: 125 lbs (66kg)
Eyes: Green
Hair: Light brown, straight, waist-length
Build: Slender but fit
Lineage: Daughter of Fennon and Ziella of Family Whitetail, Clan Deer, of the Shifting Plains, twin sister to Mara Fen Ziel.
Twin: Mara, older
Speciality: Rora was born with the secret of a vast source of magical energy. But she does not know how to use it as a mage could; she can only contain it, hide it, See with it…and run from those who desire to control it. When she isn’t running from her enemies, she is happiest researching ancient knowledge and being useful as a scribe.
Personality: Because of her secret, Rora has learned to control her temperament, to relax her anger and her anxieties, and to seek the ways of serenity, the art of being calmly happy. She does not seek leadership like her sister does; instead, Rora seeks contentment in her life, and the knowledge of what to do about this secret that has ruined her life in the last few years. Her interest in others has been muted because of the need to maintain her secret, but it has not stopped her compassion, nor will it ever completely quell her curiosity about the world.