The Wolven Mark Read online

  The Wolven Mark

  University of Sorcery: Book One

  Megan Linski

  Copyright © 2019 Megan Linski

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  The reproduction or utilization of this work in part of in whole including xerography, recording, and photocopying is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  PIRACY IS FORBIDDEN AND ILLEGAL. Any piracy or illegal sharing by this work will invoke legal action by the publishers.

  BISAC Category: Fantasy/Romance

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Art by BZN Studios

  Chapter Headers by Molly Phipps

  For information about custom editions, special sales, ARCs, and premium and corporate purchases, please contact [email protected]

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Contents

  Preface

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Hidden Legends

  The Dragon Oath - Sneak Peek

  Bonus Offers

  About the Author

  This book contains characters with the following medical conditions. To learn more, or to contribute to the research and education of these conditions, please visit the non-profit organizations listed.

  COMMON VARIABLE IMMUNE DEFICIENCY DISORDER (CVID)

  CVID is a rare and complex primary immune disorder that is estimated to affect 1 in 25,000 to 1 in 75,000 people worldwide, including the author of this work. It is categorized by low levels of immunoglobulins and antibodies, which makes the body prone to infection and other diseases. Patients are often treated with human plasma, which replaces the missing immunoglobulins people with CVID need to survive.

  The Primary Immune Foundation

  AMPUTATION

  Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. Some 1.8 million Americans are living with amputations. Many amputees use prosthetics as a way of increasing quality of life after losing a limb.

  Limbs for Life

  AUTISM

  Autism is a developmental disorder that impacts the nervous system and affects each individual differently, with a wide variety of symptoms. Challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and speech are common. Autism can affect as many as 1 in 59 children.

  Organization for Autism Research

  Chapter One

  Ethan

  The world was wide and open, and I couldn’t wait to spend the rest of my life exploring every inch of it… savoring every slip through reality.

  My powerful legs propelled me forward, though the tall pine trees that towered hundreds of feet above me. My paws landed on the lush, rich ground, thudding a pagan war sound that signaled to the world we were hunting. My tail flew out from behind me as my white fur blended into the thick ferns that coated the area. My sharp ears could pick out the sound of waterfalls in the distance, birds chirping, lake churning with fish. My nose caught onto the scent of the mountains… fresh rain… and I enjoyed the blissful sun rays as they beamed onto my back.

  This forest was old… very old. Probably as ancient as the world itself. The original Founders had come here millennia ago to form the country of Malovia in Eastern Europe, and had left the wilderness mostly untouched. They took only what they needed to survive and build the community. That was the way of the Arcanea. Our world was one from medieval times, a living, breathing monument in the modern, digital age, passed down from our fae ancestors. We stuck to the old ways, as was our tradition.

  My name was Prince Ethan, and one day, I would be King of the Arcanea. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my fore rulers. I wished to protect nature and my people equally. Arcanea, magic, and the land, living together in perfect harmony. It was my dream.

  I ran for a mile more before I came to an open clearing. I paused to catch my breath. I wanted to give an experimental howl, to see if any other wolvens were nearby, but that might scare the monster off. I stayed put, trying to figure out where to go next. I’d run all around the nature preserve, but it went on for hundreds of miles. Even working together, my father’s entire hunting brigade probably hadn’t covered a tenth of what was out here.

  I heard the roar of a dragon above, along with a long shadow. I searched the skies, and changed into my human form. Fur became clothes, and I went from standing on four legs to two. I sat on a nearby boulder to wait.

  There was a loud sound nearby like a creature was landing, and the ground shook. I heard a rustle in the trees, and the scent of scales and smoke. A few moments later, a man stepped out of the trees and stood beside me, smirking.

  “Miss me, white wolf?”

  I tossed a rock at the dragon shifter. “I just saw you this morning. Far too soon, in my opinion.”

  Stefan dodged the rock, and it hit a nearby tree. It made a blasting sound and shattered off a chunk of the trunk, sending bark and splinters everywhere. I suppose I must’ve thrown it too hard.

  Stefan gave a sarcastic noise. “Your temper’s getting worse than mine. You could’ve killed me.”

  “It would’ve bounced off your thick skull. Nothing can penetrate that boulder you call a head.”

  “That’s not the only part of me rumored to be harder than stone,” Stefan boasted.

  I would’ve laughed if I knew that wouldn’t encourage him, so I forced the grin off my face. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my time out here listening to crude jokes from my buddy. We had a job to do.

  Stefan was the same age as I was, twenty now, and was taller and broader than me. He had black hair, black eyes, and a look that dared someone to try and piss him off. And oh, how he enjoyed himself when they did. He liked toying with his prey, human or animal. We were in the same grade at Arcanea University, both about to head into our Third Year.

  “Did you see any trace of it?” I asked him, specifically referencing the monster in question.

  Stefan shook his head before he drew out his cell phone. He sent a quick text, probably to his commander, before shoving it back in his pocket.

  Although our race made use of modern technology alongside our ancient customs, we kept our society hidden from humans to ensure our survival. After all, if the human world found out there were sorceresses mated to men who could change into dragons, wolves, alicorns and griffins, they’d surely kill us all. There were a lot more of them than there were of us. Our sorceresses kept our city hidden from humans with their magical illusions and wards, to prevent such a chaotic event.

  But sometimes, there were mistakes. And if whatever we were hunting got out into the
human world, it could expose us. Which meant we needed to kill it. Fast.

  “I lost whatever we’re trailing somewhere over the falls,” Stefan said. “It just up and vanished.”

  “Dammit.” This was concerning. The monster had already slain three people, and we had yet to discover what it was. This forest was huge— one of the largest in modern Europe. It could be anywhere.

  “Sure you’re not losing your touch, High Prince of the Arcanea?” Stefan asked in a scathing tease.

  I smiled. Stefan was a prick. But it was always good to have a dragon as a best friend, so I kept him around. No one liked to argue when you had muscle to back you up, and in the land of the Arcanea, violence was the only language people knew.

  “I’m quite bored. Want to race?” Stefan asked.

  I laughed. “Not much of a contest, with me stuck on the ground and you using your wings.”

  “Better run fast, then.” Stefan pounced, and rose into the air. His body shifted mid-jump to become a large black dragon’s, nearly twenty-five feet in length. He tore down trees as he ascended, spreading his leathery and spiny wings to their full span. His scales were the color of obsidian rock, and sunlight bounced off his scales, as if light couldn’t bear to touch the inky-blackness. Long, curved horns grew out of his head, and white, sharp fangs hung over the lips of his mouth. Spines grew along his back, ending in a sharp barb at the end of his tail that he’d threatened to stick me with one too many times. He gave a roar that sounded like an insult. I gave him a rude gesture in response. He was already several lengths ahead of me.

  We were supposed to be working, but we’d been trailing the mysterious monster now for three days now, and we were exhausted. So what was the harm in having a little fun?

  I bounded back into my shifter-skin and chased after him. I increased my strides in order to catch up, and found that I had to push myself to retain speed. Stefan was more or less gliding effortlessly over the trees. I was no small wolf by any means— nearly twelve feet in length myself and half that in height— but I had yet to gain my wings as an Arcanea, and therefore had to run everywhere I went. Asshole.

  Stefan was having a delightful time up there. I could hear his barrel-laughs as I struggled to catch up. He lit the trees on fire up ahead, and I had to dodge around flames as the forest ignited around me. I nearly burned my paw on a falling branch, and I could smell the fur on my tail singeing.

  “You dick!” I shouted. Stefan only laughed harder. In our shifted forms, we could still speak using telepathy, and I wanted Stefan to know just how much of a jerk he was.

  Time to show him who was boss. I bounded off my back legs until they were burning, trying to catch up, and victoriously felt the shadow of Stefan pass me as I came out ahead. Stefan noticed that I was getting the upper hand and increased the beat of his wings to match my pace. We were neck and neck now.

  The trees were getting thicker here. We had to slow down. I attempted to use my magic to call out to him. “Stefan, watch out for that—”

  Too late. Stefan ended up losing control and careened into a section of trees. They uprooted, and the sound of wood cracking rang out through the forest. I moved like hell to get out of the way as Stefan went barreling through the trees at high-speed, wrecking everything his body came in contact with. Finally, his mass reached a structure that would not be moved, a large stone wall that had worn away from part of the mountain. He slammed into it, and debris from the stone wall went crumbling as the dragon came to a complete stop.

  “... Tree.” I watched as the dragon went slinking down to the ground. I nearly died laughing as the dragon shook his head, dazed. He changed back into Stefan, sitting on the ground and holding his head. A huge chunk of forest had been torn down by his crash-landing.

  “Oy.” Stefan shook his head again. “You win this round, mate. Must’ve been weighed down by my big—”

  “What are you two boys doing?”

  A pleasant voice broke our banter. The King of the Arcanea broke through the trees to join us. He wore a wide smile, and paid no attention to the destruction that Stefan had caused on his way down.

  Father’s stance was wide and commanding. His long hair was gray, broad shoulders covered by a long cape of bear’s fur. People said he was a mountain of a man, though I was nearly as tall as he was. His large hands were covered by rabbit skin gloves, one of which grasped a tight dagger in his belt, set with ruby gemstones.

  “Aw, Da, just goofing off,” I said. The royal guard wasn’t with him, which I was thankful for. Dad had a tendency to be less of himself and more of a king when people were watching him.

  Father’s eyes slightly narrowed. “This isn’t a game, boys. There’s a monster on the loose.”

  I knew he wasn’t mad. A chuckle was playing at the corners of his mouth.

  “I’m convinced it flew off. It shouldn’t be taking this long to locate a wild beast,” Stefan said. He sneezed, and a bit of smoke came out of his nostrils.

  “You have a right to be concerned. Something’s… different about this one.” Father rubbed his beard. “I can’t quite put my finger on what it is.”

  I slung my arm around his shoulder. “What do we have to worry about? After all, we’ve got the best monster slayer this side of the country on our side.”

  Like the rest of my kind, I was attending Arcanea University to become a monster hunter. I’d had no better teacher growing up than my dear old dad. He could behead a monster in less time than it took most Arcanea to assess the situation.

  Father shook his head. “Experience is no substitute for information. I don’t believe I’ve ever hunted a creature this elusive.”

  He made a face. “Perhaps I should send you boys back to town. This monster could be out of your skill level.”

  Stefan made an obnoxious noise. “Unkillable by us? I don’t think such a monster exists.”

  I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Stefan had the mind that he could destroy anything. If the Seven Gods themselves challenged him to a duel, he’d accept.

  Father still seemed troubled. I spoke up. “I’ve killed my share of monsters. Why would this one be any different?”

  Father frowned. “I’m not sure, son. Monsters usually leave clues behind. This one… it’s too clean. There’s no scent, no tracks, no indication that it’s been in the area at all, although it must’ve been to kill those people. Something’s not right.”

  I didn’t like how he spoke. When we’d found the bodies of the slain Arcanea, they’d been just outside of town, bodies ran through with twisting roots that rose up from the earth. Blood and entrails everywhere, though there was no indication the monster that had killed them desired to feed. The bodies hadn’t been touched after they were killed. This creature seemed to murder for sport.

  Father waved his hand, as an indication for us to follow. He pointed upward. “Search the skies, Stefan. Perhaps there’s something we’re missing. Maybe the creature can fly.”

  Stefan became his dragon form, and took off. The black dragon quickly became a spot in the sky as he soared through the clouds, on a hunt for something none of us were even sure existed.

  My father transformed, from his brusque human body to his wolven form. The old wolf’s gray fur seemed to be getting whiter and whiter by the day. On his back two large, feathery wings rested. He kept them tucked in close to his side as he prowled through the brush.

  I followed his lead, and changed myself. Father towered beside me as we stalked the woods, keeping close to the ground.

  Father’s feathers brushed me as we walked, and I had to suppress a sharp feeling of jealousy. Within the four Factions, dragons, griffins, and alicorns were the only Arcanea born with wings. Wolvens like myself and sorceresses had to earn them. I had yet to prove to the Seven Gods my worthiness, and therefore, remained wingless. I wasn’t sure what I had to do in order to earn my wings— it was different for everyone.

  For some Arcanea, their wings never came at all. It was a nightmare that haunted me
daily as I continued to age. It wasn’t exactly expected for a wolven to have wings… a lot of my kind lived and died without them... but the Circle would never accept an ascender to the throne who couldn’t fly.

  “Where’s the rest of the hunting party?” I asked Father, using my wolven magic to communicate telepathically with him.

  “Scattered throughout the area. They’re close-by.” Father’s amber eyes focused forward. “Have you given any thought to the King’s Contest?”

  The King’s Contest. It was due to be held this year. Father was aging, and soon, it would be expected for a newcomer to take his place. Twenty years had passed since he’d taken the throne, and now, the Seven Gods demanded that another be chosen. But the crown wouldn’t just be handed to me by birthright… I’d have to fight for it, against a handful of other greedy competitors who wanted the throne for themselves. It was the only way to prove I was strong enough to lead the Arcanea.

  “It’s all that’s been on my mind.” So much was true. I’d been practicing for the King’s Contest since I’d learned what it was, shortly after I could walk.

  “I know you are ready with strength and skill. Your magic is strong, as are your chances of winning the Contest.” Father paused to look at me. “But you can’t do it alone.”