Ariel Slick writes original fiction including short stories, novels, and memoirs to spread the joy of imagination and creativity. She also helps clients achieve their fiction writing goals with her ghostwriting skills on Upwork.com and Guru.com. Although she has  worked as a freelancer for three years, she has been dedicated to the craft all her life. Her fiction focuses on themes of love, justice, and magic, and her most popular works include romance and fantasy romance. 

What would make a girl, terrified of everything, go into the woods? Knights chasing after her, for starters. All Elaine wants is to stay in her small village forever, baking bread with her family. All that changes when she discovers that she is one of seven girls with the gift of magic. Elaine must leave behind her family and flee into the deep, dark woods where anything and everything can happen. Only guided by a talking fox, who may not be who he says on the surface, Elaine battles thieves, murderous plants, and magical creatures of all sorts. She will discover her powers and why they matter: to dethrone the evil king.  Will she be brave enough to embrace her powers?

Valient

"Wake up! Wake up!" screamed Nicole. She ran around the campfire ripping blankets off of the girls and jostling them awake. 


Maria bolted awake instantly. "Are we being attacked?" she said, reaching for her sword. 


"In a manner of speaking, yes," said Nicole. She pointed an accursing finger at Renard. "We have a traitor in our midst."


Nicole continued to shove and push at Avril, Alicia, Jasmine, and Elaine, until everyone was awake. The girls rubbed the sleep from their eyes and tried to stifle their yawns. 


At the word "traitor," Renard opened his eyes. He knew what was coming. It had felt inevitable, yet he was still surprised that it had happened: he had been discovered. He had tried so hard to keep concealed, but someone, the secret was out. He should have known. Things kept hidden always have a way of coming to the light. 


Chapter 56