Prologue
To the Edge of Athenia
Prequel Novella in the House of Hyrax Series
Rankor, Kent, Lorelai, Iris, and Camilla are more like family than just friends, but in the months before Thea's arrival at the castle, they each find themselves facing their own individual struggles.
After his mother’s death, Rankor interrupts his tour of the country to escort his younger brother, Elaijah, to a new caretaker.
The two, having grown up apart, struggle to find common ground.
Rankor, already bonded with his fellow soldiers, sees no need for another connection.
But when a beast from Ciclopia attacks, the brothers are forced to fight side by side.
In the aftermath, they realize the importance of their bond, finding camaraderie before parting ways.
Lorelai is returning to the castle when her carriage is attacked by bandits.
She escapes into the woods and meets Helena, a wild and unruly woman who offers to help her get home.
Helena takes Lorelai to Charlington, a crime-ridden port city where rules mean little.
Though initially out of place, Lorelai lets her guard down for one night, drinking at a tavern and, for the first time, truly enjoying life.
Kent returns home for the wedding of his childhood love, Seralyn.
Though he swears to his family that he has moved on, he can’t help but use his power to sense Seralyn’s emotions.
When he realizes she still loves him, he rushes to stop the wedding—only to discover that Seralyn is pregnant, and her fiancé, Jaxon, is the only way to secure her future.
Heartbroken and mistrustful of his abilities, Kent leaves, questioning everything.
Iris has just become an official member of The Order, an elite group of spies and assassins.
Her first mission is to kill the infamous criminal known as the Serpent.
Disguising herself as the Serpent’s daughter, Joliette, she infiltrates Eagirton but falls into the hands of Nikolai Legum, a rival criminal.
Trapped in his home, she struggles to gather useful information while fighting her growing attraction to him.
When Joliette is attacked, Nikolai saves her, and Iris knows her feelings have become too dangerous.
During a brutal confrontation, Iris realizes the true mastermind behind the Serpent’s empire isn’t him—it’s Joliette herself.
When the Duke of Eagirton betrays his kingdom, revealing that Clayton Vail is planning a coup, Iris kills both the Serpent and the Duke to protect her cousin.
Nikolai discovers her true identity, and while they vow to keep each other’s secrets for now, they know their next meeting will be far from peaceful.
Camilla’s grandmother is determined to see her married to Clay.
But when the Crown Prince ends their relationship, Camilla is sent home, where she is treated little better than a servant.
She begins hearing voices and seeing things that aren’t real, her grip on reality slipping as the days pass.
The hallucinations grow worse, leaving her unable to tell what is real and what is an illusion.
Then she stumbles upon a box of ancient prophecies and is drawn to one in particular: The daughter of Hyrax will shake the Veil.
When her grandmother finds her reading it, they make a vow—to ensure that the prophecy never comes true.