Category: Talon the Black (Dragonwall Series # 1) By Melissa Mitchell

Chapter 60 – Beautiful Enchantress Kastali Dun Talon drummed his fingertips impatiently upon the armrest of Dragonwall’s throne. Its white marble was smooth under his skin, its finish glossy as the day he took up rule. The throne was the pinnacle of the Great Keep. Dragonwall’s kings would come and go, but the throne would never change. If only the same could be said about today’s circumstances. Cyrus’s Gift changed […]

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Chapter 59 – The Execution Kastali Dun Reyr did not move, not even to shift his feet. He stood as still as stone, hands clasped behind his back. If he appeared at ease, he was anything but. His fellow Shields stood upon the platform beside him, and before them, King Talon. Everything was ready: the high block, the axe, the executioner, and the crowd. All that remained was the spectacle. […]

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Chapter 58 – A New Promise Kastali Dun Claire greeted the day with a groggy groan. The morning was already half over when she rose. Last night’s conversation with Reyr was still fresh in her mind, but she was resigned to not let it bother her. After sleepily stumbling through her apartments, she found breakfast waiting on her dining table. Out of curiosity she checked her chamber door hoping she […]

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Chapter 57 – Blocking the Voices Kastali Dun Claire watched Reyr pace back and forth, muttering. Rather than stop him, she took another opportunity to admire her surroundings. The large chamber she found herself in was one of three allotted to her. The large sitting room was opulent, with plush couches and oversized arm chairs, little end tables topped with flower vases, a dining area, and a marble fireplace. At […]

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Chapter 56 – A Curious Past Kastali Dun Desaree collapsed into an armchair—the only armchair she owned—her head still reeling from the fight with Caterina. Surely she had stumbled into a strange dream where the most absurd possibilities had become reality. Any moment she might wake—any moment life would return to normalcy. She sat, staring unblinkingly at her chamber’s bare wall, she waited for that instant, but it did not […]

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Chapter 55 – The Gift Kastali Dun Claire allowed Reyr to drag her through the keep’s corridors towards what was undoubtedly the south wing, the place where King Talon lived. Initially, she was too astounded to protest. How was it possible? How had she done magic? She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to understand it. One moment Caterina was clawing at Desaree and the next she was slammed into […]

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Chapter 54 – Magic Kastali Dun Desaree deposited a tall stack of empty trays in the washroom, sighing once she’d rid herself of the weight. Done with breakfast, she made to depart in search of Claire. Tess stepped in front of her, brandishing her spoon. “You take extra care today with Lady Crafton’s chambers,” she said. “I’ll not have that woman chasing me down again.” “I’ll clean it till it […]

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Chapter 53 – The Impossible Kastali Dun Saffra freed an arrow from her bow. She watched it arc through the air, whistling towards the target. It struck a dummy’s chest, but not its heart. She scowled. Three points were awarded for striking the head or heart, two for the chest or neck, and one for the abdomen, arms, or legs. With the Fall Tournament approaching, she had every intention of […]

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Chapter 52 – Sharing A Secret Kastali Dun Claire’s eyes flew open. Panting and covered in sweat, she pushed her blankets away. Tonight marked the fourth night this week. She got up and lit a candle then sat cross-legged upon her cot to think. The dream was the same as before, bits and pieces, strange scenes, riding on the back of a red dragon, a dark cave with a lake, […]

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Chapter 51 – Council Meetings Kastali Dun Talon resisted the urge to shift in his chair. This was the third council meeting since Claire’s trial. It was proceeding as poorly as the first two. Was it a surprise? Hardly. He came to understand the usefulness of council meetings remarkably early in his rule. The more difficult the problem, the less helpful his advisers became. Their first meeting had occurred the day […]

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