Lloyd Sisters Trilogy – Book One – Sneak Peek

The simply but elegantly furnished room was filled with tension. Hawk stood silently as his queen raged at him. He knew he’d gone too far this time; even if he didn’t, her palpable anger filled the room making it obvious to all those present. He sighed to himself. He couldn’t even defend his actions to her, he’d been sworn to secrecy by Geraint and despite the closeness between his King and Queen he knew there were some things Geraint kept from Isolde to ensure her own safety. He wasn’t about to blow his cover even to justify his own actions and deflect her anger away from himself. He wasn’t stupid either; he also wasn’t prepared to be the one to tell Isolde her husband kept secrets from her. He valued his life far too much.He stood tall with his head slightly bowed, trying hard not to flinch as the queen berated him; failing miserably as she continued.”You have crossed the line, Hawk.” She pinned him with icy cornflower blue eyes. “This time you have no excuse for what you did, you have exceeded even you in this latest venture of stupidity.” She placed a hand on her slim waist as she paced around the throne room. “I can’t believe…what on earth were you thinking? Why do you think you can consistently flout the gravest laws of our people and get away with it? You believe Geraint will save you from my wrath? You dare defy me and expect me to look the other way?” she stepped up to him, her body tense from anger. “This is the end of the road for you Hawk, I’ve had enough.”

There was finality in her voice which caused a shiver of alarm to go through his spine. “Isolde,” he began, “Your Majesty please just wait for His Majesty to get here. I promise he can explain everything.” He knew his life was in very real danger. This time, the King was going to have to come clean or he was going to lose his head.

“What? So now you mock my intelligence? It is not enough for you to play the part of the fool but you must cast me also as one?” She took a deep breath and walked back to her throne.

Hawk stared at her as she sat on the throne; the very air around her seemed to crackle with the intensity of her anger. Yet when she spoke there was no longer any trace of the rage she had just displayed, instead her voice was cold. Hawk was now seriously worried, Isolde was even worse when she was icily angry. Where was Geraint?

“Hawk, as you very well know, according to our laws it is forbidden to use the gateway to Earth without the express permission of the Council. You did not have that. The penalty should be death but I am merciful.”

There was absolute silence in the throne room as everyone who was present paused, waiting to hear the Queen’s verdict.

“I have made my decision.” Isolde continued. “Since you seem so enamored of the earth realm you will live out the rest of your days there.” She paused for effect, “Stripped of all your powers.”

Hawk stood there paralyzed with horror as she muttered the words that would make her pronouncement binding. He should have protested, he opened his mouth to do as much but it was too late. Suddenly, everything he knew faded and was replaced by complete and utter silence.

The first thing he felt was the wetness followed closely by the bone chilling cold. He realized it was raining and as he looked around him and saw exactly where he was, he knew the rain was the least of his problems. Isolde had cast him out in the middle of some mountains. He stumbled around frantically searching for the gate he’d used while carrying out secret missions for his King but it had completely disappeared. He was well and truly locked out. He sat down on the wet grass in shock, the steady pour of rain now a mere irritation. For the first time in his life, he was totally and completely alone.

He began to shiver and absently cast a covering spell to keep the cold away but nothing happened. He frantically waved his hands and muttered the spell again; nothing. That was when he remembered the second part of the queen’s pronouncement. He had no powers. The thought struck terror in his soul. He had no powers! What was he supposed to do without his powers? They defined him; made him who he was. He suddenly felt a chill of a very different sort. By stripping him of his powers, Isolde had unwittingly stripped him of his identity.

He had no idea how long he sat there, in those desolate mountains. But when his teeth began to clatter from the cold, he knew it was time to move, if he didn’t he would die from exposure. Slowly, his movements clumsy from the cold and the effects of the shock running through his veins, he stood up and began to place one foot in front of the other. He located a small track and decided to follow it, the slim hope of shelter propelling him forward.

He understood Isolde’s anger but she had no idea what she had interfered with. They may all be in danger and he had been sent out by King Geraint to gather intelligence. He knew he needed to find a way back, across the gateway but at that precise moment, the cold was a more pressing concern.