The Sea Witch's Redemption Read online

  The Sea Witch’s Redemption

  Seven Kingdoms Tale 4

  S.E. Smith

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Copyright

  Synopsis

  Seven Kingdoms/Cast of Characters

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

  Read on for samples!

  Sample of Twin Dragons’ Destiny

  Sample of Dust: Before and After

  Additional Books and Information

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  I would like to thank my husband Steve for believing in me and being proud enough of me to give me the courage to follow my dream. I would also like to give a special thank you to my sister and best friend, Linda, who not only encouraged me to write, but who also read the manuscript. Also to my other friends who believe in me: Julie, Jackie, Christel, Sally, Jolanda, Lisa, Laurelle, Debbie, and Narelle. The girls that keep me going!

  * * *

  And a special thanks to Paul Heitsch, David Brenin, Samantha Cook, Suzanne Elise Freeman, and PJ Ochlan—the awesome voices behind my audiobooks!

  —S.E. Smith

  Paranormal Romance

  The Sea Witch’s Redemption:

  A Seven Kingdoms Tale 4

  Copyright © 2018 by S. E. Smith

  First E-Book Published May 2018

  Cover Design by Melody Simmons

  * * *

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission from the author.

  * * *

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events, or organizations are strictly coincidental and not intended by the author.

  * * *

  Summary: A Sea Witch, possessed by an alien creature, is cursed to destroy the world she loves unless she can discover a way to destroy it.

  * * *

  ISBN (eBook) 978-1-944125-34-9

  ISBN (paperback) 978-1-717309-96-9

  * * *

  Published in the United States by Montana Publishing.

  * * *

  {1. Fantasy Romance – Fiction. 2. Paranormal Romance – Fiction. 3. Action/Adventure – Fiction. 4. Fantasy – Fiction. 5. Romance – Fiction.}

  * * *

  www.montanapublishinghouse.com

  Synopsis

  She expected to die saving her world…

  * * *

  Magna's existence was once filled with laughter, love and joy. Her life changes in a single night when a mysterious object falls from the sky into the ocean and she wakes to find herself held captive in her own body. As the centuries pass, she becomes known as the Sea Witch—a creature who is feared and reviled. Her efforts to save the Seven Kingdoms and destroy the alien creature living inside her should have ended both their lives—instead, Magna wakes to find herself in a strange, new realm.

  Gabe Lightfoot and his best friend, Kane Field, have stood side by side through thick and thin. Brothers by circumstance, they have seen the darker side of life and lived to remember it. When Gabe rescues a wounded woman in the waters off the coast of Oregon, they have no idea what’s in store for them.

  It doesn't take long for Magna to learn that she is no safer in this new world than she was in her own. Fearful of endangering the two men who have taken her under their wing, Magna is torn between trying to return to her world or staying in this one.

  The choice may be decided for her when strangers come to town searching for clues regarding a series of strange disappearances. Can Gabe and Kane protect her from those who would lock her up to study her, or will the curse of the Sea Witch destroy them as well?

  Seven Kingdoms/Cast of Characters

  The Seven Kingdoms:

  * * *

  Isle of the Dragons: Ruler Drago

  Gift from the Goddess—The Dragon’s Heart

  Drago and the dragons were created second.

  * * *

  Isle of the Sea Serpent: Ruler Orion

  Gift from the Goddess—The Eyes of the Sea Serpent

  They control the oceans and the creatures who live there.

  * * *

  Isle of Magic: Rulers Queen Magika and King Oray

  Gift from the Goddess—The Orb of Eternal Light

  Their magic is the most powerful on their Isle but begins to fade when they leave it.

  * * *

  Isle of Giants: Ruler King Koorgan

  Gift from the Goddess—The Tree of Life

  They are capable of growing to massive sizes when threatened.

  * * *

  Isle of the Elementals: Rulers Queen Adrina and King Ruger

  Gift from the Goddess—Gem of Power

  The first created, they have power over the elements: earth, wind, fire, water, and sky.

  * * *

  Isle of the Pirates: Ruler The Pirate King Ashure Waves

  Gift from the Goddess—The Cauldron of Spirits

  Collectors of all things fine. Fierce and smart, they roam the Isles trading, bargaining, and occasionally helping themselves to items of interest.

  * * *

  Isle of the Monsters: Ruler Empress Nali

  Gift from the Goddess—The Goddess’ Mirror

  A haven for monsters thought to be too dangerous, rare, or unwelcome in any realm of the universe.

  * * *

  Characters:

  Magna: half witch/half sea people. She is Orion’s distant cousin on his father’s side

  Gabe Lightfoot – human – works for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife collecting data.

  Dr. Kane Field – human – doctor.

  Drago: King of the Dragons.

  Carly Tate: Banking Associate from Yachats, Oregon

  Drago Jr. (DJ): Drago and Carly’s oldest son, 4 years old

  Stone: Drago and Carly’s second son, 3 years old

  Jenny ‘Roo’: Drago and Carly’s daughter, 2 years old

  Theron: Drago’s Captain of the Guard

  Orion: King of the Sea People

  Jenny Ackerly: School Teacher and Carly’s best friend

  Dolph: Orion’s 8 year-old son from his first marriage

  Juno: Orion’s 5 year-old son from his first marriage

  Shamill: Orion’s first wife – deceased.

  Kapian: Orion’s Captain of the Guard and best friend

  Kelia: Orion’s elderly nursemaid

  Coralus: Kelia’s husband, a royal guard & mentor to Orion and Kapian

  Kell: Magna’s father

  Seline: Magna’s mother

  Ashure Waves: King of the Pirates

  Bleu LaBluff: Ashure’s Second-in-Command

  Nali: Empress of the Monsters

  Gem: Princess of the Elements

  Ross Galloway: Fisherman from Yachats, Oregon Mike Hallbrook: Detective for Yachats, Oregon Police Department

  Ruth Hallbrook: Accountant and sister of Mike

  Koorgan: King of the Giants

  Marina: Witch

  Isha: Captain of
the Guard for the King and Queen of the Isle of Magic; Marina’s older brother.

  Magika: Queen of the Isle of Magic

  Oray: King of the Isle of Magic

  Geoff: Marina’s younger brother

  Erin: Marina’s younger sister

  Gant: Koorgan’s Captain of the Guard and friend

  Cyan: Female Cyclops: Boost’s mate

  Boost: Male Cyclops: Cyan’s mate

  Meir: Minotaur

  Asahi Tanaka – CIA Agent investigating the

  disappearances in Yachats, Oregon

  Tonya Maitland – Undercover news reporter pretending to be an FBI agent investigating the disappearances in Yachats, Oregon.

  Prologue

  Centuries Ago:

  * * *

  Magna lay on the soft sand in the secluded cove that she, along with her cousin, and their best friend had found and claimed as their private fortress when they were younger. She released a contented sigh and stared up at the stars. It was truly a magical night. A warm breeze swirled around her, and she dug her fingers into the sand.

  “Do you ever wonder if there is anyone else in the world besides us, Orion?” she asked, letting the sand trickle through her fingers

  “I don’t know. I suppose so,” he murmured.

  Orion gazed morosely out over the water. She turned her head to look at his frowning face.

  “Lighten up, cousin. You are thinking too hard about the future again,” she teased, tossing a handful of sand onto his leg. “Accept that you’ll be king of all of this and be done with it. There is nothing else you can do,” she advised with a wave of her hands.

  “I hope it is not for a very long time,” he said with a grimace.

  Magna sat up. “What, is there more going on in that head of yours? Are you upset because Kapian couldn’t join us tonight?” she asked.

  Orion shook his head and looked down at the sand. He picked up a handful and let it filter through his fingers before doing it again. She waited, barely containing a huff of impatience.

  Finally, he sighed and spoke. “Kapian went with his father to the Isle of the Monsters,” he said in a distracted voice.

  “The Isle of the Monsters! Oh, I would love to go there. We should have followed them. I heard the Empress has these wonderful birds that are made of lightning, and beasts so huge that they make even the Giants appear tiny in comparison. I think we should go there tonight,” she breathed, thinking of all the amazing creatures she had heard about while growing up.

  Orion chuckled and shook his head. “Why am I not surprised you’d say that?” he retorted before he sobered.

  Magna twisted and scowled at her cousin. “Why not? If we left now we could be there by tomorrow night. Our stags are the fastest in the ocean! I bet we could beat Kapian there. Can you imagine his expression when he sees us?” she said in excitement.

  She stood and twirled around to look at Orion. Biting her lip, she gazed at him with a pleading expression that usually worked. Her smile faded when she saw the glum look on his face.

  “I can’t go,” he said, rising to his feet to stand next to her.

  “What’s wrong? You’ve been all moody tonight,” she complained.

  Orion was silent for a moment before he shrugged. “Father and Mother have chosen my bride. I’m to be married,” he said.

  “Married! But…,” she started to protest before her voice faded as the realization of what he had said sunk in. “Can’t you tell them you aren’t ready? There are so many things we planned to do still,” she murmured, gazing up at him in dismay.

  “Those were childish dreams. It is time to grow up. We each have our responsibilities. Kapian told me yesterday that his father reminded him that I would one day be king. Servants and guards are not the friends of a king. They are there to serve him,” Orion stated in a tight voice.

  Magna snorted. “Kapian’s father has a seaworm stuck up his butt. Just because you are a king does not mean you are no longer a person! Even a king needs friends. Besides, Kapian and I know too much about you to act like we never saw you covered in Sea Hares or helped you escape from Coralus when he insisted on extra training lessons, but you wanted to ride Sea Fire instead. Your father and mother are great rulers, Orion, but you will be an even better one because you have a genuine connection with your people,” she declared with a wave of her hands.

  Personally, she wanted more from life than being tied down with the weighty expectations of others. She loved exploring the vast world they lived in. Her plans were to visit every kingdom and meet the people who lived there. She wanted to learn everything that she could about the wonders of their world until she felt like her brain would explode from all the knowledge.

  Then, I will find new worlds to explore, she thought with excitement.

  She wanted to fly like the dragons, do magic like her mother’s people, live in the clouds with the Elementals, and swim to the bottom of the oceans as free as the sea dragons. She was in love with the independence, the differences between the people, and the unexpected treasures that she found when she visited each place.

  Orion chuckled. “How did you get to be so smart?” he teased, bringing her back to the present.

  She tossed her long black braid over her shoulder, looked up at him, and grinned. “Why from my cousin, the future King of the Sea People, of course,” she retorted just before a light in the sky caught her attention.

  She parted her lips in awe. Orion took his cue from her and looked up. A bright flash of light was cutting across the dark sky. They both turned, following the path it made across the sky until it disappeared into the sea with a tremendous splash, not far from the cove.

  “I call it! It’s mine,” she yelled, playfully pushing him down onto the soft sand before she laughingly raced for the water.

  “Not if I find it first,” Orion yelled after her, rising to his feet as he was overcome by her excitement and the challenge of finding the meteorite first.

  Magna raced him to the water. With a loud whistle, she called to her sea dragon, Raine. Diving into the waves, she swam as fast as she could out into the water. Raine swam up under her once the water was deep enough. She grabbed the reins and glanced over her shoulder. Orion was a good two hundred feet behind her.

  “Go, Raine!” she encouraged, clinging like a second skin to her sea dragon.

  Magna loved the heady feel of the race. She really didn’t care who found the meteorite first – or even if they found it. It was the thrill of the adventure, the fun of riding as fast as they could through the ocean, and the joy of not worrying about things like getting married or becoming a warrior like Orion and Kapian.

  Several miles out to sea, the ocean floor dropped from a sheer cliff into a deep canyon. Orion, Kapian, and she had explored the long narrow canyon a few times out of curiosity. Raine swept down along the cliff, turning in a tight spiral that left Magna laughing and slightly dizzy. Orion charged after her, swiftly closing the distance between them.

  “Magna, wait up!” Orion called.

  She glanced over her shoulder when she heard him. “I called it, Orion!” Magna replied. “This is my treasure.”

  She turned back and focused on guiding Raine through the long, narrow crevices that ran along the ocean floor. They weaved through tall ghostly lava vents left over from the volcanoes that had risen up out of the sea to create the islands that would become the Seven Kingdoms. She swayed from side to side in unison with Raine as the sea dragon rounded the columns.

  Up ahead, Magna could see a red glow illuminating the darkness. She knew that the canyon dropped again into an even deeper ravine. She had explored the deeper sections once before, but had found them dull and boring. There was not much down there except dark gray sand and volcanic rock.

  “Magna, wait!” Orion demanded behind her.

  Magna turned to see Orion reining in his sea dragon. She slowed Raine and patted the side of the young sea dragon’s elegant neck when it fought against her hold. She tur
ned on her saddle and grinned at Orion. If he thought that she was going to be tricked into letting him race ahead of her, she and the young sea dragon would show him.

  “It isn’t much farther,” Magna replied with a smile. “I can feel it, Orion.”

  Orion shook his head and frowned. “I don’t like this, Magna. Something is wrong,” he said, glancing around at the tall, rugged cliffs not far from the drop-off. “The water doesn’t feel right.”

  Magna shook her head and chuckled. Her eyes danced with merriment. She waved her hand through the water surrounding them. It felt the same to her.

  “You aren’t afraid, are you?” she teased. “The water hasn’t changed.”

  Orion shook his head again and pulled back on the reins of his sea dragon. “No, there is something very different about it,” he said in a slow measured voice. “We should go back.”

  Magna’s face crumpled with disappointment, and she glanced back over her shoulder toward the dark crevice with a look of longing. While she wanted to see if they could find the meteorite, she knew that if Orion said the water felt different, then there was something wrong. Pushing aside her disappointment, she reluctantly nodded.