Heartrender, p.1
Heartrender, page 1
PRAISE FOR V. ROMAS BURTON
I knew Heartmender was a winner when, after reading mountains of other books, this was the one I kept thinking about.
S. C. MEGALE, NEXT GENERATION INDIE BOOK AWARDS
V. Romas Burton’s Heartmender pumps new blood into the classic good-versus-evil paradigm by way of the classic Seven Deadly Sins.
LOREHAVEN MAGAZINE
This is a perfect combination of fairy-tale and Christian fantasy that I absolutely adore.
M. H., AMAZON
Though Addie’s story is only fictional, her journey testifies to us that there are forces of light and darkness around us. That we can choose to be “mended” by someone greater than us and who loves and cares for us.
LAURA, BARNES & NOBLE
This is one of the best allegories I’ve ever read.
ANGELA, INSTAGRAM
We feel, taste, smell all the different challenges faced with great description.
JASON, AMAZON
It was frightening and beautiful, a tale of the war between good and evil and our parts in the fight.
DAWN, AMAZON
Highly recommended for those who love light romance, action/adventure, sibling stories, christian allegory that’s done in a very relatable, not overbearing/heavy handed way.
CLAIRE, AMAZON
Narnia meets Dante’s Inferno.
KELL, GOODREADS
Addie is a flawed yet dynamic character I couldn’t help but root for.
ANGIE, GOODREADS
A deliciously dark world sprinkled with Hope.
RACHAEL, GOODREADS
I read it breathlessly racing along as fast as the main character did.
MAURA, GOODREADS
I devoured the new world created by the author.
SOFIA, GOODREADS
The artistry is hauntingly surreal yet truthful for its depiction of a young woman who must overcome the trials of life that blindside so many of us.
LANDS UNCHARTED
This has been one of the greatest books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year.
JEFF, GOODREADS
A very unique take on the seven deadly sins, and the choices we all face throughout our lives.
CHRISSY, AMAZON
HEARTRENDER
HEARTMENDER #3
V. ROMAS BURTON
Copyright © 2021 by V. Romas Burton
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 author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Map by Adam Gray
To those who have lost hope:
the future is not as shadowed as you believe.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
PSALM 23:4
CONTENTS
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
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Acknowledgments
About the Author
PROLOGUE
Lyle landed on the smooth stone floor with a grunt. His spectacles flew from his face, clattering a few paces in front of him. Groaning, he groped around until he grasped the familiar metal frames. Sliding the spectacles up his nose, Lyle gasped. White marbled columns lined the perimeter of the cool floor. Between each of the columns lay various picture frames, each depicting a different scene.
Screams and groans wailed from a horrific battle taking place within the frame to his right. A man with flaming red skin commanded a tornado of fire against his enemies, burning them to ash. Lyle flinched then shuddered, unable to look away as a group of blue-skinned people shrieked for help. But none came.
The frame then detached from the wall and hung itself in the adjacent slot. A new painting zoomed in, barely missing Lyle’s head as it clicked into place on the wall. Thin wisps of clouds drifted across its starry midnight sky. The stars twinkled peacefully as a woman with glittering skin gathered them in her palms before rearranging them. In seconds, the delicate whisper of an evening wind blew from the painting as perfect constellations winked back at Lyle.
Lyle pressed himself against the wall, dodging the paintings circulating through the long hall. A powerful aura radiated from the frames and blanketed over him, sending his nerves into a frenzy. Who were these depicted entities that could command fire and structure the stars?
Making sure he didn’t disturb the paintings, Lyle scampered behind a column as heat radiated up his arm. In his hand he still held the yellow orb Eman had given him. Another burst of warmth spread up his fingers to his bicep. Glancing down, Lyle gasped and dropped the orb. Pulsating lines of golden light surged through his veins, illuminating his limbs. What was happening to him? Had the orb infused him with some sort of power? But he thought it had transported him somewhere.
Hesitantly, Lyle covered his hand with his sleeve, scooped up the orb, and placed it in his pocket. Another frame whooshed by, scraping his nose. Yelping, Lyle jumped and scrambled down the hall, trying to shake out the power writhing beneath his flesh. The powerful aura pulsated down the hall, making his skin crawl with unease. Wherever he was, he didn’t like it. Maybe there was a door that would return him to Ramni.
As he hurried along, the click of a new frame hanging itself on the wall brought his attention to the left. A blue being with orange fish eyes and gills on its neck swam as fast as a fish through murky water. Lyle shuddered as the fishman dissolved an underwater mountain with a wave of its webbed hands.
With no exit in sight, Lyle continued scurrying down the hall, pressing his glowing, clammy hands on his slacks as he went. He didn’t want to encounter any of the powerful beings in these paintings. And why were his hands glowing?
As he shoved them in his pockets, his fingers brushed against the orb and the light within the sphere intensified. With a cry, Lyle raced down the hall, a cold sweat dripping down his neck. There had to be a reason why Eman had given him this orb and sent him to this place.
Lyle squeezed the orb, hoping it would send him back to Ramni. But when the welcoming trees of the library didn’t appear, he grunted. Maybe this was a test and he had to find his way out without any assistance.
Just as Lyle was about to continue through the corridor, a voice squeaked from between his boots.
“Ah, you’re here! Just as he instructed.”
Lyle squealed. The little ball of fluff, resembling a hedgehog, squeaked and fled behind one of the columns. Taking a deep breath, Lyle stared at the column until a little furry face peeked around it. Two beady black eyes blinked at him as a pink nose wriggled frantically from around the square base.
After taking another calming breath, Lyle adjusted his spectacles and focused his thoughts. He remembered reading a text about the creature cowering before him. An erica was what it was called, and they were only known to dwell in one realm. Yet, as Lyle peered at the glossy marble, he frowned. This didn’t look like how he pictured Lignum, the realm and home of the Rexus.
The erica slowly crept out from behind the column.
Lyle tensed, raising his hands in defense. The books he read never expounded on an erica’s behavior. Would it attack him? Eat him? As his mind whirled with the possibilities, the little creature spoke.
“I apologize for scaring you.”
Lyle sucked in a breath when the erica shook its whiskers. A smartly pressed red vest covered its spiny body. Taking a step back, Lyle lowered his fists. Why was a tiny hedgehog wearing a vest?
“That’s okay.” Lyle’s voice cracked. He cleared his throat and stood taller. “You said you knew I was coming?”
The erica nodded fervently. “Master Eman said you would come on this very day at this very time. He instructed me to lead you through Praetor Octavius.”
Lyle’s chest caved. “Praetor Octavius? The Hall of the Elders?”
His gut twisted into knots so tight, he nearly puked. The Elders. The leaders who reigned beyond time and space itself. Weeks ago, he’d stumbled upon a barely legible book about them in Eman’s library. For millennia, the Elders used to be under the authority of the Rexus. However, there was no Rexus currently on the throne. So now, they answered to no one.
Lyle swallowed, his mouth dry. With no king to keep them accountable, who was t o stop the Elders from killing him in one swipe? Especially when he was trespassing? Lyle fisted his hair in his hands. Why would Eman send him, a weakling with only half a heart, to face the Elders alone?
“Precisely!” the erica cried, jumping into the air. “Come, come, there’s something Master Eman wanted you to see.”
Before Lyle could question what was happening, the little animal hurried down the long corridor.
Lyle hesitated. He really shouldn’t be here. Especially not with the Elders nearby. But the erica did claim that Eman had set up this whole charade. So, the question remained: Should he follow this little creature or try to find a way back to Ramni?
Lyle wiped the nervous sweat accumulating at his brow. He had to trust that Eman was right.
Mustering the small amount of courage he had, Lyle started after the spined creature. Just as he jogged a few paces, a gilded frame latched to the wall on his right and shook the marble corridor. Lyle stumbled to the floor, barely keeping his spectacles on his face. When the earthquake ceased, he glanced up to see a large man comprised of brown stones lifting his hands, commanding the land to rise into a plateau the size of Barracks. Squelching his fear, Lyle bounced up and focused on following the creature.
Gawking at the new paintings floating by, Lyle didn’t notice the erica had stopped. Lyle cried out, his boots skidding along the polished floor as he tried to cease his steps. He winced at the squeaky sound as black marks branded the once perfectly shined floor. Glancing down, Lyle found the erica rolled into a tight ball, spines poking out in defense.
“I apologize,” Lyle breathed as the creature unrolled its spikes and stood. “Are you okay?”
“Oh no, I’m the one who should apologize, Master Lyle,” the creature exclaimed, dusting off his already pristine vest. “An erica can get easily frightened.”
“That’s right,” Lyle said, crouching down and lowering his voice. “I remember now. I’ve read about ericas and your … timid spirit.” He smiled at the erica who looked down at its padded feet, embarrassed.
Lyle chuckled. It was then he noticed the pair of onyx black doors before him. They stretched from floor to ceiling, forcing Lyle to crane his neck to find their end. Two crystal handles hung in the middle.
Lyle wanted to reach out and turn the knob, but his fear of what lay on the other side was too great.
Instead, he crouched next to the creature. “I thought erica were only known to the realm of Lignum, exclusively to serve the Rexus. What are you doing in the Hall of the Elders?”
The animal sighed as he paced back and forth. “It was a horrible day when Lignum was destroyed. We had nowhere else to go. We had no choice but to flee to the Elders to find safety and protection.”
“What do you mean Lignum was destroyed?” Lyle asked, confusion sweeping through his mind.
Nothing he read had ever mentioned the destruction of Lignum. He was about to ask another question when the erica squeaked and ran up his arm, clinging to his shoulder. Lyle flinched as its spines poked into his cheek, his elbow grazing the great black doors.
The onyx doors cracked open just a sliver. Anxiety and excitement pounded in Lyle’s chest. Should he look in? Who knew of the wonders he could learn from the Elders? Or they could kill him on the spot.
“Quiet, Master Lyle,” the creature whispered softly. “Eman sent you here, but you must choose whether you wish to stay and listen or flee.”
Lyle sucked in a breath. He could return to his safe dwelling in Ramni and forget this all happened. Or he could possibly find out why Eman wanted him to come here.
“I’ll stay,” he replied before the creature shushed him.
“If you are to listen, you must not be seen or heard.”
With his decision made, Lyle nodded and lowered himself fully to the ground. As quiet as a mouse, he crawled closer to the cracked door.
Inside, three people sat around a large wooden table. In the center, a beautiful woman with sparkling pale skin and long, flowing hair elegantly folded her hands over one another. To her right was a man with golden eyes, like the refugees in Ramni. Leather armor wrapped around his body as he leaned back in his chair. His lips turned down as he crossed his thick arms over his chest, facing the third person. Lyle strained to glimpse who the last person was but could only see a pair of ebony hands that shone like stone.
He remembered how Ophidian had replaced Schism’s severed arm with the same stone. Was the third person working for Ophidian? Why would they be in the Hall of the Elders?
“There must be another way!”
The stone fists slammed onto the large table, causing another small erica seated on the table to shriek and curl into a ball.
“There is no other way,” the man with the golden eyes replied calmly. “We’ve looked into all possible futures, Amos. This is the one that must be fulfilled.”
“Are you absolutely certain, Mistress Stell?” Amos questioned with forced hope.
The woman in the middle, Mistress Stell, released a deep sigh and lifted her face to the ceiling. Closing her eyes, she outstretched her palms and beckoned three delicate stars to descend from above.
“What—” Lyle started before the erica dug its spines into his cheek. Lyle growled but clamped his mouth shut.
“The stars of Reliqu have divulged three possible futures. The first is cloaked with darkness and tragedy. Violence, plagues, and monsters will appear. But there is hope that the Bellata’s power, along with a new power, will be revealed to cage the darkness forever. The second is filled with emptiness and longing. Loneliness will consume her life, but she will be at peace. And the third future is unknown.”
Lyle muttered under his breath, “Why are the Elders talking about Addie and her possible futures? And what does that have to do with me?”
The erica on his shoulder pinched his cheek and Lyle stifled a cry. The creature gave him a chiding look before motioning back to the Elders.
“The first future is the only one with hope. It must be the one taken,” the golden-eyed man finished.
“What about the unknown future? There could be hope there,” Amos said, but Lyle could hear the defeat in his voice.
Lyle leaned forward, trying to get a better look at Amos. Why did he care so much about Addie’s future? Who was he?
Mistress Stell lowered her hands and looked straight at Lyle through the crack between the doors. He held his breath.
“I’m afraid the stars of Reliqu have spoken all they wish to say. It is now up to the individuals connected to these futures to decide what happens.”
“They’ll both die!” Amos exclaimed with panic and frustration. “I’ve already lost Laurie; I can’t lose my children, too.”
Lyle’s thoughts whirled. This man couldn’t be ...
Mistress Stell turned to Amos. “Have faith, Master Amos. The future is not as shadowed as you believe.” She cocked her head, her shimmering hair brushing her slim shoulders. “I’ve done all that I can. However”—she faced the golden-eyed man—“you have not.”
The man jerked back, surprised, but quickly regained his composure. “If you wish for me to be involved, Mistress Stell, I will.” The man gave a quick bow before disappearing in a flash of golden light.
