Daughter of Tide and Illusion

Chapter 1

***Hello and welcome to Daughter of Tide and Illusion, the third book in my fantasy series, The Crowns. 

The first book in the series, Map of Ember and Moonlight, and the second, Crown of Beauty and Vengeance, are both completed and you can find on my profile. YES, YOU DO NEED TO READ THEM BEFORE THIS ONE! It's NOT a series you can read out of order.

Get ready for a new adventure!***

Chapter 1

Jai had gone down this path thousands of times in all the years he lived, but this time it seemed the longest. Maybe it was because the last time he walked it as it was then his brother had been beside him, smiling and flirting with the females who approached them.

Penrose, the main road through Ayveri, was decorated in all the bright colored streamers and balloons, smelled of freshly baked goods and sweets, and laughter and screams of delight of the children. The Summer Solstice celebration was upon them again, so different and yet the same as it had been before.

Eamon was tugging on his hand as he tried to follow a group of children he often played with. "Come on, Jai," his baby brother complained. "I wanna go with them."

Jai grinned down at him. "Kid, you promised we'd spend some time together today and it's only been an hour. I'm holding you to that promise."

"But is the first day of the solstice celebration. Can't we, I don't know, actually celebrate it?"

"And we are...by going to Sherine's. I promised you some sweets since we both got to suffer and made it through the temple service."

Obviously having forgotten that bit of information, Eamon perked up. "Deal!"

Jai kept a tight hold on his hand until they were just a short distance away from the fairy-run bakery. Of course, the guardsman who took over for Gideon on his day off was just a short distance away, even though there was hardly a need for him. The little prince let go his brother before bolting for the display window, pressing his nose to the glass to look at the sweets. When Sherine opened the door, Eamon gave her a quick hug around the waist before going inside.

This was good. Everything was good.

"Hello, Crown Prince," Sherine greeted with a smile as Jai approached.

"How many times do I have to ask you to call me Jai?" he questioned as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. She smelled of orchids and her silvery hair was in a braided crown around her head, showing her long, pointed ears with three gold hoops in both.

"Plenty enough," she told him as she closed the door behind them.

"Jai said I could get anything I wanted," Eamon boasted as he looked into the several bake cases. "And I want one of everything."

The fairy looked at Jai with a raised eyebrow, but he just shrugged. "It's his stomach. If he wants to ruin dinner and suffer Mother's wrath, it's not my fault."

"Enabler," she snorted, but went around to the back of the case to get what the little prince had asked.

It wasn't just the promise of getting Eamon what he wanted. This was the first time in months they were both acting like their old selves. With Destan being gone almost seven months, it had taken them all time to get used to their new normal family dynamic. They never really would, though.