The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Eighteen: The Cursed Waters of Carnific

Not long after Ravan had left Roznova, the Mystery Miracle Worker packed a small bag of food for herself and a couple of oddly shaped, multi-colored, glass bottles. She wrapped the bottles in a thick, soft cloth and tightly packed them in her satchel to make sure that they were kept safe. Then she put on her large-brimmed hat, threw a gray shawl over her shoulders, and turned to her king cobra who was perched in his tree."Are you ready, Stephocra?""I couldn't be more ready, Miss," Stephocra replied as he slithered up her arm.The Miracle Worker put out all the lights in her lair and raced to a dinghy she kept some distance from the beach, her burgundy skirts catching and tearing on foliage along the way. She had covered the boat with damp moss to hide it from any visit

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Nineteen: The Cataras Springs

The garden of the Cataras Springs was the most beautiful wonder on Xyntriav at its time. Specks of gold light floated about the brightly-colored trees and bushes. Mossy vines draped the silverstone walls and bright, colorful bubbles served themselves as rocks beside the shimmering rivers and streams. The sweet smell of lotus, lilies, lilac, and lavender was so strong that the visitors could taste it. And though the Springs were located underground, there still seemed to be a light blue moonlight present to illuminate everything in this enclosure."Me eyes have never beheld such a sight," murmured Captain Tzatara."Aye," agreed Yacomé with his jaw dropped.There was one visible waterfall right beside the entrance which poured into the same body of water through whi

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Twenty: The Truth Comes Out

Back at the Obsidian Palace beneath the Aquamarine Ocean, Empress Renée had picked up a mussel shell and stormed into a garderobe for privacy before speaking with anyone. She required immediate answers before she could face any seafolk. There she urinated on the underside of the shell and set it aside for a minute to process. She paced dramatically in the tiny chamber, anxiously waiting for the time to pass quicker."Change color," she growled at the shell. "Change,change!"Nothing happened to the color of the shell. Once the minute was up, the empress bashed and punched the walls of the garderobe. The Mystery Miracle Worker's theory had been proven accurate, at least in Renée's case."Curse you!" Ren&

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Prologue: A Difficult Task Indeed

Three hundred years had passed and there were new rulers to the kingdoms on land and the empire under the sea. Gerardo had left his mark on the hearts of the seapeople and his name had gone down into history on land and throughout the five oceans. Gerardo's only child, a son he and Mira named Jaskaran, became emperor after he married a naiad named Renée. Renée was infertile, so she and Jaskaran adopted a mermaid and named her Nadia. After a ceremony to make her heir, Nadia became the only heir to the throne. It was not long after that Nadia became deathly ill and Renée refused to leave her child's bedside. A couple more months passed, and the miracle worker whom the emperor and empress hired said that Nadia was getting better and should be healthy again in a year, but when Renée looked at her daughter, she didn't believe the miracle worker and remained hopeless.

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter One: Hasty Assumptions

The day was only hitting its peak at the Obsidian Palace where Emperor Jaskaran and his two advisors held a meeting in the grand drawing room. They sat at a round, polished stone table with another naiad and a merman with a shark's tail. The dim light of the glowfish chandelier above them left dramatic shadows on their faces as they feasted on their luncheon and discussed matters light-heartedly. The meeting seemed to be going very well for the emperor and his advisors until a booming voice jolted the smooth current surrounding them."I require a word with His Majesty!Immediately."Jaskaran paused for a moment to eye who had dared interrupted them. When he recognized it was his wife, he breathed a heavy sigh and addressed his guests. "I apologize for this. Please wait outside, we shouldn't be long."

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Two: The Wrong Place at the Wrong Time

Unfortunately, Rein had not yet recovered from her regrettable episode three hundred years ago when the infamous Emperor Mentir tore her wings off her back. Ever since, she had been eating the petals of the burdania flower to keep alive as pixies cannot live without wings for the most part. To further Rein's misfortune, this flower was native to the Maja Forest and when she had left this forest the first time, she had not done so on good terms. Returning without wings was humiliating, and making amends was painful. Interestingly enough, even after spending another three hundred years in the forest, not all hard feelings had been amended and Rein was anxious for this opportunity to leave again.Throughout these years, Rein spent much of her time perfecting her hunting, running, climbing, and jumping skills. She now looked about the age of a twenty-year-old with a black design devel

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Three: An Island for the Immoral

Arcor was an ungoverned city where the most dedicated criminals came to smuggle and trade, where the outcasts came to live, and where the bloodiest of pirates came to hire their crew. This gave it a reputation of being the most unpleasant city in the world and it nearly took up the entire island.Unlike Rein, Empress Renée was unmolested on her way to Arcor and she shored the same day as Rein was carried onto the pirate ship. The empress took cover in a snowed-out wooded area away from civilization as all the ports and beaches seemed to be in constant use by filthy, crazed Arcorians. She kept her light gray cloak wrapped tight around her and pulled her hood on to hide her streaming blonde hair and most of her face. Then she waited in the frozen air of the woods for a while where she struggled to invoke the courage required to enter the city.

The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles   Chapter Four: The Proposition

The two pirates who had taken Rein captive returned to the cabin with the captain just as the jar containing Rein began to tumble off the desk. Immediately the captain dove for the jar and caught it just moments before it shattered on the floor."What did ya do?" the captain scolded as he brought himself back to his feet."We left the jar on the desk so it wouldn't roll like that, Cap'n," the first pirate said. "She musta did that herself."The second pirate observed Rein closely. "She don't look so good.""You fools!" the captain exclaimed as he removed the lid. "She's suffocating 'cause ya put the lid on the jar!" He poured the limp pixie into his hand and set the jar on his desk. "Return to yer posts, ya bottle-h