Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (book club suggestions txt) 📕

information.”
“I have tried turning her.” Sabrina said. “It cannot be done.”
“Neither could Exiling you, but for a while, even that was done.” Cyrix announced. He saw her eyes turning red, signaling she was getting angry. Before she could start yelling at him, too, he placed his palms up to stop her. “Think about it, Sabrina. Use the information known about Tempest to get that Spell-book.”
Her red-glowing eyes faded back to her usual black and hollow. Realization hit hard. “Brilliant, Cyrix!”
“Of course. It was your idea.” Cyrix bowed to her, giving her credit.
“Aye, it was, was it not?” Sabrina nodded, laughing under her breath.
Just then, the three Warriors came back. Cyrix and Sabrina stood to meet them.
“Bad news, Maiden.” D’Kora announced. “Lord Maximaniac knows you have returned.”
“He has sent ss-Searchers-ss to find and re-Exile you.” Vino replied.
We will be found and captured in no time. Kasha relayed in Sabrina’s mind.
Sabrina only smiled. “We can do no other than greet him, now, can we?”
The three Warriors looked at each other, wondering what came over their Maiden leader.
“Nay, Maiden!” Vino supplied, shaking his head.
“You will be caught for sure!” D’Kora cried.
Sabrina kept her devilish smile. “Exactly.” She supplied, gesturing to Cyrix, who still stood beside her. “Come, Cyrix. Let us not disappoint our Lord Maximaniac.”
Cyrix shared the smile. “Aye, Maiden. Lead the way.”
They left the three remaining Dominionite Warriors confused at their Maiden’s behavior.

III

In the Dream Realm’s Kingdom, Queen Gloriana of the Unknown used her demon-witch’s magic to disguise herself as a common peasant, allowing her to enter the Castle.
“First things first.” She muttered.
She found the Kingdom’s own Lady Queen Challandra in a room that held herbs, books, and an array of magical supplies.
Challandra turned, sensing her there.
Before she could say anything but the Dominionite’s name, Gloriana used a powerful spell to freeze her, hovering in the air.
“Your Spell-book, Challandra. Where is it?”
“Guards!” Challandra shouted, hoping someone would appear to help her.
With a twist of Gloriana’s wrist, an invisible chain of magic wrapped itself around Challandra’s neck.
“I will never tell you!” Challandra cried. The chain pulled tighter.
“Oh, I think you will.” Gloriana remarked with a snide gleam to her eye. “Or be choked to death by the Witches Cord.”
Reluctantly, Challandra pointed to a shelf. “There. Hidden behind the Book of Herbs and Potions.”
Challandra watched helplessly as Gloriana found the Spell-book and sifted through it.
“My, my, what potent spells? What powerful potions you have here?” Gloriana remarked, sneaking a look at Challandra, who was dangling in air. “I must thank you ahead of time.”
Gloriana turned back to the book and flipped through it. “Ah, here it is. Just the incantation I was looking for.”
She put the book down and pointed her raised dagger at Challandra. With glowing red eyes and body, Gloriana cast a powerful sleeping spell.
Challandra fell to the floor in a heap, unaware that the Witches Cord still glowed around her neck.
Laughing, she took the book and simply walked out of the room, leaving a now-sleeping Challandra behind.
“Now to do some real damage.” Gloriana thought aloud, heading toward the main Throne Room.

IV

In the Dream Realm’s Feline Village, Tobias White-Snow was interrupted by one of his followers.
“Pardon the intrusion, Sire White-Snow.”
Toby turned and saw a tabby kit bowed at his feet. “Who are you?”
“I am known as Ginger, Sire. I came to warn you of danger.”
“I already know something is happening, kitten. Tell me what you know.”
Ginger bowed her head. “The Dominionite Gloriana was seen in the Ancient Mystic Kingdom, Sire.”
Toby’s ears perked.
“Did I not tell you, my love?” He heard Kitten’s Claw’s voice from behind him. “What else do you know of this?” Kitten’s Claw asked the timid young kitten.
Ginger shook her head. “Nothing more, Lady Kitten’s Claw.”
“Very well,” Tobias spoke up with a growl. “Thank you, Ginger. We will look into it more.”
With a nod, she was gone.
Both Sire Tobias and Kitten’s Claw stared after her.
“You know what this means, of course?” Kitten’s Claw asked her husband.
“It will happen soon.” Tobias answered. “Lord Guardian must be notified.”
Kitten’s Claw nodded her head, staring into the distance. Tobias followed her gaze, seeing the full Companion forms of a male Timber wolf and a white tiger. With them in her own mixed human-wolf-kit form, was the young Princess of Stargazer Castle, Celine.
“Young Guardian already suspects.” They heard a wolf’s howl in mortal-speak.
“Shift. Both of you.” Tobias remarked. “You know how I hate talking to either of you in those forms.”
Once they did, the white tiger, who was Toby’s son Tiger, apologized. “Sorry, Father. I forgot.”
The timber wolf was Wolfton Stargazer, the Sire of Stargazer Castle and the entire Canine Valley. He gave Tobias a look, silently telling the couple he was here on business.
Kitten’s Claw understood the look, saying. “Come, kits. This is the business of men, not Littles.”
“Mother, I am not little anymore.” Tiger protested.
“Tiger White-Snow!” Tobias roared. “Go!”
He went, reluctantly. Once they were gone, both Sires stared at each other.
“What does Young Guardian suspect?”
“Trouble, more disastrous than we have ever known.” Wolf told him. “Not only for our world, for her own.”
Wolf told his old Warrior-turned-Companion-Crusader friend about Young Guardian’s visit, and how she was at a loss.
“What do you think we should do?” Toby was worried now.
“As with anything that comes our way, we will handle it.”
Toby began to pace.
“Something else troubles you, Toby?” Wolf asked.
“Aye.” Toby told him. “Before you arrived, I was approached by a tabby kit named Ginger. She told me something that disturbed me.”
“What did she tell you?”
“Gloriana has returned, and was seen in the Kingdom.”
“Do you think this is what Young Guardian sensed so madly?”
Toby nodded his head. “I would count on it.”

Prologue #3:
Present-Day Hill View

Aaron Theodore tried to go home, but found he couldn’t. Again, like so many times before, he was stuck in his own Dream Realm. He searched for his aura trace, as an alternate way of getting back, but couldn’t find it. He tried chanting every Dream Traveling spell he could think of, even making some up as he went along, but nothing worked.
He headed to the Ancient Mystic Palace, but found even that was hard to find. Something was wrong. Why would the Palace be hard to find when he visited there often enough to know exactly where it was?
In his confusion, Aaron had lost his way. He didn’t know where he was, or how he’d gotten there. All he knew is that he was in a forest, his Unicorn Magic was itching in his system, and the night sky was bright with stars. He looked up and saw the full moon.
He also saw a beautiful young woman in the clearing. She was tall, with long and flowing black hair. Her back was to him, so he couldn’t see who she was. She was wearing a ruby-red velvet cloak that fluttered in the light wind. Her arms and head were raised to the night sky, a dagger in one hand and a long wooden staff in the other.
The sudden sense of longing in his soul filled slightly. There was something oddly familiar about this woman. The green Unicorn Magic in his blood itched something awful. When Aaron looked at his hands, he indeed saw the green glow. This woman, whoever she was, was going to be in trouble. He could feel it.
Not wanting to disturb her, he quietly drew closer. He could hear voices chanting in a language he didn’t understand.
Where were they coming from? He asked himself in his head. There’s no one else here!
He found a spot to hide behind a tree, watching the scene.
With the staff in hand, she drew a circle in the earth, moving around a cauldron that sat in the middle. He watched as her staff came close to the fire.
Aaron Theodore, known in the Dream Realm as the Unicorn, stood to race to her rescue, but it was too late.
As if sensing his presence, the woman froze, throwing her tools aside.
For a quick moment, one the Unicorn would never forget, the two stared at each other. The voices stopped, and it was silent.
He stared into her strange eyes; One blue, one green, before she was whisked away in the white-cloud of a magical mist.
“No!” The word spilled out of his mouth a little too late. The beauty with the strange-colored eyes was gone.

Also on that word, Aaron Theodore Schmidt woke up, returning home.
“Woah, careful,” he heard a female voice from beside him. It was his twin sister Amethyst. She was helping him sit up. She handed him a mug, urging him to drink.
“Welcome back.” He heard another female voice remark softly. Looking to his other side, he saw his best friend of over twenty years, Ariana Reading.
Not knowing what to say, he nodded, smiling.
“He’s speechless.” Amethyst, known as Aimee, remarked.
Aaron searched the room and saw all his friends surrounding his bedside. There was Derrick Reading, Ariana’s husband, Luna Morehouse, Ariana’s twin sister, and Shane Morehouse, Luna’s husband. All Dream Realm Crusader friends. All his family.
He took Ariana’s hand and said in his mind. What are you doing here?
“What does it look like, silly?” Ariana teased aloud, sharing a look with the others. “You were in some kind of trance neither of us could get you out of.”
“The only way was together.” Luna remarked, hugging Shane.
“How are you feeling, Aaron?” Derrick asked.
“Now, now, don’t bombard him.” Aimee playfully commanded. “I want everyone, including you, Ariana, to go downstairs and fix yourselves some grounding food.”
She pushed them out of the room before going back to her brother.
“What happened to you, Big Brother?” Aimee asked softly, standing above him.
Sensing her anguish, Aaron took her hand and pulled her in a tight hug. She broke down in tears in his embrace.
“Oh, Gods! I missed you!” Aimee cried.
Shh. He said in his mind to her. It’s all right. I’m home now.
She pulled back from the hug, wiping her teary eyes on her sleeve. “Talk to me, Aaron. Out loud, not in your mind.”
Aaron opened his mouth to speak, but shook his head. Not yet, I’m afraid.
He heard footsteps climbing the stairs and looked to see who it was. Smiling, Aaron reached out a hand to his best friend.
Ariana Moon. The voice in his head carried off once he saw the tears in her own eyes.
In a rush of emotion, Ariana hugged him, silently welcoming him back.
“We thought you’d never come home.” She whispered in his ear.
His heart skipped a beat. There was something in her voice he didn’t like. After he kissed her on the lips, he pulled her face to meet his.
Aaron smiled, staring into her sad silver-blue eyes. He could sense her feelings for him had changed, as his for her. He could also sense she had changed since he’d been lost in the Dream Realm. In fact, all the Crusaders had changed, including his own twin sister Aimee.
He was the first to break eye contact.
“What’s wrong?” Ariana asked, laying a hand on one of his legs.
He shook his head, not wanting to answer.
Before she could say anything else, Shane, Luna, and Derrick came in the room. Shane took charge.
“An ambulance is on