The Silvia Saga: Boxset

Prologue

Sam

My precious Marissa is gone.

My heart pounds against my chest, threatening to burst as I stand over the lifeless body of my beautiful wife. Falling to my knees, I hit the hard floorboards of our bedroom floor, clenching her tightly in my arms. Why did you have to leave me here alone? You promised we’d stay together until the end. Tears run down my cheeks, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive without her. All I have left is our beloved daughter, Dara.

Blood seeps out of Marissa’s still heart onto the timber, and my hands are painted a deep shade of red. I try to rub it off, but it doesn’t go away. The last words to come out of her mouth were, “Keep Dara safe. Do whatever it takes.”

As soon as I heard that command, I took an oath. To protect our daughter with everything I have left. To make sure James can’t lay a hand on her.

I cannot comprehend that my once beloved brother, James, could stoop this low. How could my own blood kill the one person I loved most in this world? How could he just walk into our kingdom and take the life of his sister-in-law?

After turning away, I race over to the balcony, gripping the railing and yelling out in frustration, cursing the sky until I have no voice. Birds scatter across the horizon till it’s just me left standing on the balcony outside our room.

She can’t be gone; I need her. She keeps us together. Without her, I am nothing. I am lost.

My head falls. Marissa was in our room, freshening up when it happened. If I had been with her, she would not be dead. I could have prevented it. I could have talked James down. Told him this wasn’t the way, that we could help him, but I was at the local market, checking in with the vendors. How could I be so stupid to leave her here unprotected when I know James is off the rails?

Marissa and I made Silvia the way it is today—a dimension we helped build, full of pure magic that is used for good. This is a land of stunning vibrant greens, lush vegetation, and prosperity; its beauty is unbelievable.

The people of Silvia have a strong sense of community, all close and kind. Now James is threatening to destroy it all. To turn it upside down and have everyone on their knees, bowing to him—that’s all he’s ever wanted. Power. The power to make everyone do as he pleases. To turn Silvia into a world where we all have to use dark magic and fight for ourselves. He wants chaos.

Ever since the passing of our parents and my coronation, he has been furious, drifting further away. What did he think would happen? I am the eldest child. Of course, I would be crowned king. On top of that, I had Marissa, who was fit to be queen. She knew how to rule Silvia. James didn’t have a better half—still doesn’t. He never could keep one long enough.

Five years after being crowned, we had our precious daughter, Dara. Now ten years old, she will be absolutely devastated to hear of her mother’s death. And that’s what breaks my heart the most. Knowing how much pain it will cause her poor little heart. I grip the railing, my hands turning white.

Right now, she is outside in the forest playing with her warriors. They were chosen to protect her. They are oblivious to what’s happened within the walls of my kingdom.

What would have happened if I’d had warriors for Marissa too? Would they have been able to stop James? Would anybody? I have powerful spells in place to protect our kingdom and the land surrounding it, but somehow, he managed to break through the barriers and hurt the woman I love the most.

The door creaks open and then clicks closed. Albert’s standing there, feet rooted to the ground taking in the scene before him. Pain and loss cloud his eyes. “No,” he yells in frustration as he runs over before falling to the ground near her body. I move inside to join him, looking down at my clothes covered in Marissa’s blood. Albert’s cries fill the quiet room and I’m about to join him when I stop, a loud sigh leaving me. This man needs his king. Silva needs their king, and Marissa would have wanted me to step up.

“Please arrange to get her body taken away and cleaned. James will pay for this.”

He bows his head and then his eyes meet mine; he wears the same expression as I do. He isn’t even surprised to learn that James is to blame for this death.

Albert and Anna are our best friends and godparents to our Dara. Their four sons and daughter are Dara’s warriors. There’s no one else I’d trust with her life.

A gasp breaks me from my thoughts. Anna runs to Marissa and collapses to her knees, clutching my wife’s hand till her knuckles turn white. “Is she …?” she cries out with tears running down her face. She looks toward me, and I nod. “What happened? She can’t be gone.”

I cannot stand to see my friends in pain or Marissa’s still body anymore. It’s too much. I make my way out of the room. It’s time to tell Dara. What am I supposed to say? How am I going to explain it to her without breaking her heart? There is no way I can.

I need to keep Dara protected and away from all of this until it’s safe again. But where could she go? Where is safe?

I enter my office before sitting at my desk, trying to muster up a plan of attack. But how can I do that when she’s with me? You can’t. I ignore the little voice inside my head. I must. I’ve just lost my wife. I can’t send my daughter away too.

I lose track of time as I work out a plan. I don’t even hear the knock at the door until Anna and Albert take the seats in front of my desk. They look heartbroken, their eyes swollen and red.

“Sam, we need to ensure Dara’s protected. I hate to say this, but nowhere is safe here in Silvia anymore. Let’s send her someplace where James can’t hurt her. With her powers, she will be able to defeat James when the time comes. But for now, we must remove her from the dimension,” Albert confirms my worst nightmare.

As much as I want to say no, that I want to keep Dara here with me where she belongs, it’s in everyone’s best interests to send her away. At least until Silvia is safe again. “Very well, but where?” I ask both Albert and Anna.

“Earth. It’s farthest away and has no affiliation with Silvia. No magic is present there. Dara can live a human life until the time comes for her to return. It’s the last place James will think to look,” Anna reveals, surprising me as Albert is usually the one with the plans. But she’s right. Earth is the perfect choice. I’ve never heard my brother so much as mention the location—which makes it ideal.

“Very well then. I need to let my daughter know what has happened tonight. Then I will remove her memories and put a block on her powers, so she has no recollection of Silvia.” And me. There’s no way she can have either—memories of her father and this place.

It breaks my heart but I have to keep my daughter safe. That’s the most important thing of all.

That leaves only one problem. I run my hands through my hair. How and when can we summon Dara back to Silvia? It comes to me. “I will put a spell on Dara so that upon her twenty-fifth birthday, she will be summoned in some way that will make her return to Silvia. With the help of her warriors, of course.”

They nod in agreement. “Good plan, Sam,” Anna says. “Let me go and retrieve Dara.”

I nod my permission, and she leaves the room.

Albert clears his throat. “It will all be okay, Sam; this is the best way to keep Dara safe. She will be back before we know it. Hopefully, Silvia is safe and we have defeated James by the time she returns.”

Someone knocks on the door, and in comes my sweet Dara. Albert gives me a final nod, pulling Dara into a tight hug before he leaves.

Dara stands in front of me with a smile on her face. How can I be the one to tell her of her mother’s death? I don’t ever want to see my daughter upset in any way. But she needs to know before I take her memories away; I owe her that much.

“What did you want, Dad? Where is Mum? We were meant to be going to the market,” she says, which breaks my heart even more. I stay silent for several minutes. She must see the sadness in my eyes as I watch her face fall. “What’s wrong, Dad? Has something happened?”

I swallow hard. “Dara, sweetie, I have no idea how to tell you this but your mother…. she is gone; I am so sorry.” I gaze into her bright blue eyes. It’s like looking into a mirror. Her face falls as she breaks down with me. She is in my arms, hugging me within seconds. Her tears soak my shirt, and I don’t care one bit. I cry with her until we both are exhausted with no tears left to fall.

“Dad, what’s going to happen now? It’s Uncle, isn’t it—he’s the one who did this? How are we going to stop him?” My sweet little girl has figured it out without me having to tell her. She really is the brightest, strongest girl I know. That’s why she will be perfect to rule Silva one day. But until then, she’s safest on Earth—safer than anywhere here in Silvia.

“Well, sweetie, Silvia isn’t safe for you anymore. Uncle is too far gone now; there is no way to bring him back. To ensure your safety, we need to remove your memories and send you to Earth. You will live there until things get better here. Understand?” I ask. The hurt in her eyes breaks my heart all over again.

“But why, Dad? Why can’t I stay here with you?” she pleads, not understanding how powerful and important she really is.

“We need to keep you safe, Dara. Daddy loves you more than anything. I couldn’t stand losing you as well. You’re what’s keeping me together. You’re all I have left,” I say, confiding in her, hoping she understands.

“Please, I don’t want to leave Silvia; it’s my home. My family is here—you are here. I don’t understand.” She breaks down again, clinging to me for dear life.

I pull her against me, hugging her tightly. I kiss her head and pull back. “Dara, I wish there was another way. But there isn’t. Please, please understand,” I beg her.

She lets out a heavy sigh, looking up into my eyes. “Okay, Dad. I trust you. We can do this.”

She falls into my open arms, and I squeeze her tightly, feeling the rapid pulse of her heart against my belly. Knowing this may be the last time I get to hold her.

I pull back and catch her eye. “I love you, Dara. This is for the best. Be strong.”

I make one last wish—for Dara to find happiness in her new life.

“Goodbye, my princess.”

With a deep breath, I draw all my power from within and perform the spell that will take away my little girl.