Once every six hundred years, a ruling descendant of Axeris must offer up a pure breed daughter of Khione to the ancient spirits to keep the seal over the undead army of Osyron from breaking open and unleashing the wrath of the blood thirsty god upon the people of Astaroth and the other six kingdoms.
Lord Ryder’s rule falls under this year and he has his eyes set on Lyra, a pure breed descendant and princess of Dragonsbane, but there are complications when he tries to get her, she cannot remember him and he cannot offer her up if she is not in love with him. 
Time is running out, the seal is very unstable and everything seems to be working against him as he is soon caught up in a whirlwind of impossibilities and forced to make a difficult choice.
There are secrets and twists as this is a tale woven into a maze of labyrinths, with each turn unlocking a new and unpredictable play out, until he is left standing against all he had ever believed in.
 

Ryder, Lord Of Astaroth

Lyra winced when Ryder tried helping her put on the coat. The huge gash on her shoulder had begun to heal but it was slow in healing, Ryder believed it was because she was weak now. She sat with her back against a tree trunk, the extinguished fire pit was to her left and Ryder was to her right on one knee beside her. The expression on his face was set and serious and he frowned slightly but he never for once met her gaze, she suspected that he was trying to avoid doing that and she wondered why. Was he angry at her again? Even if he was, he had never really avoided her gaze. 


“Can you walk?” He asked her, still not lifting his head to meet her eyes. She pursed her lips in a thin line and nodded slightly, her eyebrows furrowed in pain as she tried to stand, he placed one hand around her waist and the other held her hand as he helped her to her feet. When she was standing upright, he let go of her and took a step forward. 


Leaving The Forest