Hoodwinked: The Summoning Book One

Prologue

Prologue

The black mountain loomed above Princess Otswana. A cold evening breeze swept against her frame. A baby's cry came from the dark, jagged cliffs.

Casting her eyes upwards, Otswana listened to the child's cry.  She didn't know how she knew that the child was her son, or that he was in grave danger, but she knew. She had to save her baby. Taking hold of the sharp ridges of the cliff, the princess began to climb. The cries grew louder as she scaled the face of the mountain.

Below her, a glowing light from the forest, warned the princess the fire had already erupted and was engulfing the trees, just as she had seen in her vision.

The young sorceress dared not look down as she continued to ascend. She must get to this baby; the son, Otswana knew was hers, though in the back of her mind, she knew she had no child.

A glowing, green fog rolled in as Otswana reached the last ridge. She pulled herself up and stilled as silence reached her ears.

Otswana stood on the edge of a wide cliff. The thick green haze cleared enough for her to see the silhouette of a man walking towards her. The princess began to rub her talisman ring to begin an enchantment, only to find her ring felt different to the touch.

Looking down at her hand, she blankly stared at a man's gold wedding band. A familiar dragon outline was etched into the width of it. Why was she wearing this ring? It was intended for her husband; the one she foresaw in her wizard's vision, with the Dregan royal mark inked into his chest.

"The child is gone," a man's voice spoke.

Otswana snapped her attention back to the man who now stood before her. He was a taller-looking gentleman. He wore dark robes with a dragon pattern stitched into the front. He had a gray beard, but his face remained hidden in the shadows.

"Who are you? Where is my son?"

"You should not be concerned for the child.  You cannot protect him, Otswana, for you must fulfill your vision. You will die today. You know of your fates and you can end the curses upon the land."

"No, I refuse to die! I shall not give into my fate. I know I am to be queen. Now give me back my son. He is the chosen heir to the throne."

"First, you must close the portals. There must not be a summoning. You must prevent the darkness from entering your world," the man told her.

"There have been no portals here for thousands of years. Of what portals do you speak?" Otswana asked as more mist cleared away, revealing a large stone behind the man.

The stranger did not answer her question. Instead, he turned and pointed to the stone. An outline of a door appeared before Otswana's eyes. "You must fulfill your wizard's vision. Close the portals or we are all doomed."

The man disappeared as the stone door began to catch on fire. Dark figures shot out of the flames, towards her. Otswana fell backwards, tripping on her own feet. She twisted to catch herself, but was only able to grip the edge of the cliff. Huge flames from the forest below, scorched the soles of her feet as she clung to the edge.

"I cannot die! I will not give into my fate!" screamed the princess.

A hand, covered in blood and soot, reached over the side of the cliff. It grasped her straining limb. She was saved. The hand gripped her tightly as she released her hold of the cliff.

"You must fall or we are all doomed!" the man's voice echoed in her ears.

The hand released her. Otswana screamed as she fell into the flames below.

The princess jerked up in her bed. She clutched her throat, feeling the rapid pulse of her heartbeat. She attempted to make herself speak, as she had in her dream. No sound escaped her lips. This came as no surprise. She had several dreams where she had a voice and was no longer a mute.

Throwing the covers off of her, Otswana leapt from her bed and marched to her desk. She pulled out her black velvet pouch where she stored her stones. She needed the blue topaz gem, the one that matched the rare color of her eyes. She would use the healing gem to calm her spirit. Grasping the first large item her fingers touched, she yanked her hand out and then paused.

From the moonlight shining through her curtains, the princess stared down at the gold wedding band. The etched dragon stared back at her, reminding her of her wizard's vision.

She had already made her decision to fulfill her fate, but she was constantly haunted by what that meant for her future. She would give her life for a kingdom she would not live long enough to reign. It was her destiny.