Winged Pursuit Read online

  Arianne walked toward the edge of the roof. She looked strong despite her evident fatigue and worry. She wasn’t the kind of woman to give up easily.

  She extended her arms in front of her, the sleeves of her night dress draping elegantly over her forearms. Her lips moved—chanting a spell, I imagined—but then she brought her arms to her sides, and simply closed her eyes.

  An entire minute passed during which I began to worry if maybe something had gone wrong.

  Then the first few firedrakes came in for a landing, then the next, until all twelve of them stood on the roof around Arianne.

  “Well that’s a sight you don’t see every day,” Mordecai said.

  Arianne smiled a tired smile. “Hello, my darlings.” She reached hands out to caress the firedrakes closest to her. “Thank you for being here with us. We’re honored to have you in our company. Please allow me to rest and then I’ll come visit with you and get to know every one of you.”

  She took the time to make eye contact with every single one of the creatures, moving around to look past some to find the others. “You’re all so beautiful. I’m so excited to have you join our family.”

  She gave them a final smile, this one weary, and moved back toward Gustave. Then she led him through the door to the stairwell.

  Just like that.

  I was left staring at her, acknowledging two unbelievable facts: She’d left me to deal with a dozen firedrakes, and all these magicians I’d only recently met were beginning to feel like family.

  In time, I suspected I’d consider them as important to me as my parents and brothers on the other end of the world.

  To end the two strangest days of my life, I turned to face the dozen firedrakes. Their faces were long and dragonlike, their legs out to the sides like penguins, and their eyes pinned on me. Arianne must have told them to listen to me.

  I sighed, then raised my chin. I wasn’t courageous, but today I’d find courage. Here goes nothing.

  “Follow me, firedrakes,” I said, as if that statement were the most normal thing in the world.

  I started walking backward, and they started waddling forward, looking far less dangerous than a dragon.

  Don’t kid yourself. They still have claws and breathe fire, don’t they?

  I swallowed that thought, plastered a shaky smile to my face, and moved to open the door to the stairwell. I waited until I’d ushered a dozen firedrakes in, with Nando right behind them, before I looked to Gertrude for help.

  Her face broke into a genuine smile and her amber eyes shone happily. “I have to see this,” she said, and nearly skipped inside.

  I couldn’t wait to see how I managed this either.

  Unexpected Agents - Book 3

  Continue Isadora’s adventures in book 3 of the Magical Arts Academy, available for preorder now.

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  ABOUT SPIRIT OF THE SPELL, a Witching World story:

  Some things are worth dying for. Others are worth living for again.

  When Damien dies, Oliana is devastated. It’s understandable, he is her first love. She’ll cry and grieve and, eventually, she’ll move on, as she must—at least, that’s what an ordinary girl would do.

  But Oliana isn’t ordinary. She’s a witch. And she isn’t going to accept Damien’s death without a fight.

  With the power of the four elements at her disposal, she can do more than challenge death. The question is, what is she willing to sacrifice to get him back?

  ABOUT MOWAB RIDER, a Planet Origins story:

  I’ll go anywhere to find Princess Ilara. Even to the Wilds—where people disappear and don’t come back.

  The rebels are resisting King Oderon’s rule. I don’t blame them, I’d resist too if I could get away with it.

  But the rebels don’t know that. They’ll kill me and never ask questions. Especially now that they’re united by a rebel who can tame the mowabs, the fiercest animals of all Origins.

  Anyone who can ride mowabs must be as beastly as they are. Good thing Dolpheus has my back. We’ll need every one of his skills and all of mine to escape the Mowab Rider with our lives.

  Acknowledgments

  I’d write no matter what, because telling stories is my passion, but the following people make creating worlds (and life) a joy. I’m eternally grateful for the support of my beloved, James, my mother, Elsa, and my three daughters, Catia, Sonia, and Nadia. They’ve always believed in me, even before I published a single word. They help me see the magic in the world around me, and more importantly, within.

  I’m thankful for every single one of you who’ve reached out to tell me that one of my stories touched you in one way or another, made you smile or cry, or kept you up long past your bedtime. You’ve given me reason to keep writing.

  Read more by Lucía Ashta

  THE WITCHING WORLD

  (Young adult paranormal fantasy - a complete series)

  Magic Awakens

  The Five-Petal Knot

  The Merqueen

  The Witching World Omnibus, Books 1-3

  The Ginger Cat

  The Scarlet Dragon

  Mermagic

  Spirit of the Spell - FREE for joining my Readers Group

  MAGICAL ARTS ACADEMY

  (Young adult paranormal fantasy)

  First Spell

  Winged Pursuit

  Unexpected Agents

  Improbable Ally

  Questionable Rescue *

  PLANET ORIGINS

  (New adult space fantasy)

  Planet Origins

  Original Elements

  Holographic Princess

  Planet Origins Omnibus, Books 1-3

  Purple Worlds

  Planet Sand

  Holographic Convergence

  Mowab Rider - FREE for joining my Readers Group

  THE LIGHT WARRIORS

  (Visionary fantasy - a complete series)

  Beyond Sedona

  Beyond Prophecy

  Beyond Amber

  Beyond Arnaka

  DRAGON FORCE

  (Young adult space fantasy - a complete series)

  Invisible Born *

  Invisible Bound *

  Invisible Rider *

  POCKET PORTALS

  (Young adult paranormal fantasy)

  The Orphan Son *

  (Paranormal fantasy)

  Huntress of the Unseen

  (Time travel romance)

  A Betrayal of Time

  (Magical realism)

  Daughter of the Wind

  (Superhero satire)

  The Unkillable Killer

  (Magical realism)

  Whispers of Pachamama

  (Science fiction)

  Immortalium *

  (* coming soon)

  About the author

  Lucía Ashta, a former attorney and architect, is an Argentinian-American author who lives in Sedona with her beloved and three daughters. She published her first story (about an unusual Cockatoo) at the age of eight, a
nd she’s been at it ever since.

  Sign up HERE to learn about her new releases.

  Lucía on the web:

  LuciaAshta.com

  [email protected]