The Starlight Heir

Dust and debris rain down from the ceiling as an army of palace guards swarms in to safeguard the royal family. I gasp for air, deafened and shell-shocked, and force my body to move to avoid being trampled by the herd of people trying to escape.

“The Dahaka!”

someone shouts amid the screams as another ground-shaking blast makes my ears ring, this one closer than the last. A giant crack fissures along one of the walls. The ground rumbles, and I’m nearly thrown to my ass. Another quake makes me stumble, and I fall hard, knees buckling and elbows smacking to the floor. Agony ricochets through my bones, and I fight back tears of pain.

“Secure the girl,”