Solasta Academy: Vicious Thorns

Prologue

Monsters, born in the most unexpected places, lurk in the shadows of our world. Some emerge from the depths of the ocean, a storm in their cradle. Others slither out of the dark forest, where dead trees stand as silent witnesses. Yet, the most perilous of these creatures can spring from any corner, their true nature a mystery until it's too late. It's a chilling truth that no magical being on this Earth is inherently good, and the Kingdoms they've forged with their sinister past are not without their own dark secrets.

Ambrosia has Witches' blood on its hands. Locasta showcases its fang trophies to this day. The pack of Efrem Werewolves slaughtered each other after the Great War. Even the Kingdom of Seraphim, but if you want to hear that story, ask Kalama Breevort. Lastly, Faylinn had a hand in destroying the great and mighty Kingdom of Neera.

But before they did, the Fae and Nymphs joined to destroy another Kingdom—one so evil that nature herself had nothing to do with it. Before that, there was another story with two sisters who loved each other unconditionally. The older one lashed out of the womb like she was ravaged and almost bit off her mother's cruel head with her razor-sharp teeth. A year later, the younger sister came into this life with the same loving heart as her father, which was one reason she didn't see her sister's envy until too late.

As the two sisters grew into women, they battled for the title of Queen. They sliced each other with their forged weapons and laughed two seconds later. No matter what, they both knew it would be difficult to destroy one another. After all, their Kingdom was just as powerful as Neera, which posed a threat to them for years.

Only they needed a reason to raid their rival Kingdom.

The sisters gave them one.

Eventually, the older of the two sisters overthrew the younger and trapped her in an oak coffin for years to come. Without her, the new Queen's hunger grew worse until it made her mad with frenzy. She chewed off her advisor's arm and ate until she licked the bone clean. She went back for more until it sated her hunger for a fortnight.

But the hunger returned more deadly than before, and the Queen could no longer control it. She ate fifty of her people before the Kingdom of Neera and Faylinn intervened. They trapped her in a personal cage that would hold her for centuries. She dreamed of vengeance if she ever could escape and more of her slumberous sister miles away.

Like many secrets, she was kept hidden from the other magical beings.

And it is best to keep it that way. 

Across the Kingdoms, the Queen and her deadly hunger were merely scary stories told around campfires. The young immortal creatures will speak about her as if she were a myth, but they would not know she is sleeping peacefully miles away. If she were to awaken, the crime scene would be bloody and give everyone nightmares for years to come.

I am writing this down so future generations will know their enemies before they crawl out of the shadows. It will give you all an upper hand to stop them from destroying us once and for all. Not only are the Fae and their Brotherhood a threat to us, but if the starving Queen were to escape, the Nox lineage would be gone forever.

This is your warning.

—An excerpt from the journal of Safiya Nox, also known as "A Tale of the Nymphs"