"What the hell?" I took a step closer to the mirror, staring at my reflection in disbelief. The person looking back was still me, but at the same time it wasn't. I had the same thick, dark, curly hair. The same hazel eyes. The same olive skin with a light dusting of freckles (ugh) scattered across the bridge of my nose. But my curls were now streaked with highlights. And not the subtle, golden-brown ones that sometimes appeared during the summer. No, these were an aggressive, dazzling blond that went from the roots of my hair all the way to the tips. It looked like I had spent a full day getting my hair done in some upscale salon. Never mind that I had never set foot in such a place since the day I was born. My eyes appeared somehow wider and more luminous. The colour brighter, my eyelashes darker up against them. And, when I looked closely, my pupils seemed to be slitted almost like a cat. I looked down at my body. My skinny arms-which had always refused to gain any definition no matter how hard I exercised-were lined with flat, wiry muscles. My bony shoulders were now curved and smooth. My scrawny legs were toned like a dancer. I reached down and lifted my shirt, revealing two subtle lines running vertically down my perfectly flat stomach, hinting at the rock-hard abs underneath. My whole body was rippling with strength. Like liquid steel.

In the lands of Kainor some people are born with runes. These runes, scrawled in black at the base of the right side of the neck, grant the person a certain power. These powers can range from cooking to combat and some can be very powerful and others not so much. One girl is born with a different rune, a golden rune painted on her face. The strange rune gives her strange powers. She is able to steal other people's runes. Now a dangerous assassin, Laika travels the lands of Kainor until she is finally captured by the King of Galabee's soldiers. She is used as a brute to strike fear into the King's not so loyal subjects, while she is kept company by the King's two sons. One of whom helps her realize that maybe she is more than just a killer. (This book is no longer updating; I started writing when I was young and it no longer reflects my writing style.) Cover made by Black_Phoniex