Essence abilities: rending, shielding, force, and mending (has yet to manifest illumination and portaling)

Jassyn (JAS-sin) Raellyn (Rae-ELL-in) - a mender and researcher at Centarya, half cousin to Vesryn

Essence abilities: mending, telepathy, shielding, illusion, illumination

Known shaman abilities: controlled plant life

Vesryn (VEZ-rin) Falkyn (FALL-kin) - prince of Alari, arch elf. Commander of Centarya and the rangers

Lykor (Lie-CORE) - wraith leader whose consciousness split from Aesar’s (Vesryn’s twin) at the hands of King Galaeryn during experiments with Essence. Aesar is thought to have perished during the first wraith appearance in an attack on Kyansari a century ago.

Essence abilities: shielding, rending, portaling, force (other talents were stripped away and not returned).

MINOR CHARACTERS

Kal (CAL) - A wraith and Lykor’s captain.

Fenn (FEN) - A wraith, Kal’s son, one of Lykor’s lieutenants.

Elashor (e-LASH-or) Vallende (Val-LEND-e) - Serenna and Ayla’s father and Alari’s General, arch elf.

Velinya (Vel-LIN-ya) - Serenna’s elven-blooded friend who was injured during the wraith attack on Centarya and taken to Kyansari with other wounded for healing.

Magister Thalaesyn (THAL-Aye-Sin) - Mender and researcher at Centarya, Jassyn’s mentor and an arch elf

Galaeryn (ga-LARE-rin) Falkyn (FALL-kin) - Elven king of Alari, Vesryn’s sire.

Ayla (EYE-la) Vallende - An initiate at Centarya, half niece to Jassyn, half sister to Serenna via Elashor. Engaged to Vesryn.

Lady Farine (Fa-REEN) Vallende - Elashor’s mother and one of Jassyn’s former contract holders.

Fynlas (FIN-las) Kovaer (COE-va-air) - an archivist who disappeared decades ago. Had a study in Farine Vallende’s estate when he was one of her live-in companions. Tracked human shaman lines. Jassyn discovered both his and Serenna’s family tree among many other elven bloodeds’.

Queen Maraelyn (Ma-REL-in) - Vesryn’s mother who perished in the first wraith attack, half sister is Jassyn’s mother.

Nelya (NEL-ya) - Jassyn’s peer and research associate at Centarya.

Flight Captain Zaeryn (Zare-IN) - Vesryn’s second in command of the rangers

RACES

Aelfyn (ALE-fin) - The elves’ ancestors.

Elves - Ruling race, subjugated humans and elven-blooded.

Elven-blooded - Those with any amount of elf blood mixed with human blood.

Humans - Natives of the mortal shores, provide resources to Alari.

Wraith - Two groups of wraith have been speculated on: “mindless” wraith and “organized” wraith (Lykor’s).

Druids - An extinct race who perished in the Great War with the Aelfyn, not much is known, but they were suspected to be shifters

Shamans - Ancient line of humans who had access to elemental power (fire, water, earth, wind, lightning).

PLACES

Centarya (Sen-TAR-e-ah) - The elven-blooded military academy.

Alari (a-LAR-e) - Elven realm

Kyansari (KEY-an-sar-e) - Elven capital

Frostvault Keep - Lykor’s haven with the wraith, a dormant volcano thought to be an ancient druid capital.

Ranger Station - stables where the dracovae rides under Prince Vesryn are based out of, in the plains of northern Alari.

Human Realms

Southern realm - Allaenar (Al-LAE-nar) Capital - Vaelyn (Vey-LIN), Serenna’s former home

Northern realm - Nydoraen (Nye-DOR-ain)

Eastern realm - Halaema (Ha-LAE-ma)

Western realm - Dosythe (Do-SITHE)

CHAPTER 1

JASSYN

Stars, am I seriously doing this?

Jassyn stalled in front of Vesryn’s apartment. Resolve slowly leached out of his raised arm. He couldn’t bring himself to knock on the looming oak doors.

Three harrowing days had elapsed since the wraith attack. In the wake of the destruction, a somber heaviness hovered above Centarya like a gathering storm. Based on gossip scavenged from other magus, Jassyn had gleaned that the prince had finally returned to campus that morning—presumably after spending days hunting the wraith that had fled.

After arguing with himself for the past hour, Jassyn had abandoned the safety of his chambers. He’d spent the entire ascent of the Spire—all five hundred stairs—fabricating countless excuses to turn around. Somewhere in the mire of his thoughts, he knew it was a futile attempt to convince himself that he didn’t require his cousin’s aid.

It would be better to go to the prince directly, he reluctantly reasoned, and accept the consequences. He didn’t have anyone else.

Like the spiral stairs leading up the tower, Jassyn’s thoughts circled back to the root of his problems—and the reason he desperately needed help sobering up. He’d nearly lost his ability to control Essence due to Stardust. If the wraith returned and he was useless during another assault…

Surely he could manage resisting the craving until his dependency no longer held his will hostage. But his determination to abstain from the drug eroded, like water weathering stone.

If someone like Vesryn can sober up, then so can I. Before Jassyn’s birth, the prince’s wild behavior had bordered on legendary debauchery in the courts. His cousin had somehow freed himself, overcoming his own addiction to Stardust decades prior.

Jassyn shook his head, wrestling with a festering madness. Tempted to return to his quarters, he warred with the urge to consume his remaining dust.