KFrancesca

In the lush forest kingdom of Verdanthe, magic is a crime punishable by death. Pandora, a quiet girl living on the outskirts of the kingdom, is different.

Born with a voice that could weave storms, heal wounds, and hands that could create plant life, Pandora has spent her life in silence, fearing that even a single note or flick of her wrist might expose her. Her father once told her that magic like hers can only end in fire. But when the ruthless king’s hunters arrive in her village, searching for her, she is forced to flee back to her home in the Nyxmaris sea.  

She is one of the last of her kind and the only one who can restore magic to the world. But the more Pandora uncovers about the her origins, the more she realizes that singing might not set her free—it might break the world apart.  

Torn between silence and rebellion, fear and freedom, Pandora must decide: will she keep swallowing the magic inside her, or will she let it finally be heard?  

Perfect for fans of lyrical prose, atmospheric fantasy, and heroines who wield quiet power, The Wild Song She Swallowed is a spellbinding tale of identity, music, and the price of unleashing your true self.

The Wild Song She Swallowed

The world around me stills, the jungle's hum fading beneath the weight of Ilayda's words. Avis shifts beside me, his unease a tangible thing, crackling like static in the air.

I should be afraid. I should demand answers before even considering taking her hand. But something deep within me stirs a pull, as natural as the tide.

"I don't understand," I say, my voice quieter than I intend. "What do you mean, I was taken?"

Ilayda's gaze softens, though there's an undercurrent of something ancient in her eyes. "There is much you do not yet know, Pandora. But I can show you."

Avis huffs, stepping between us. "You can tell her, just like you told her she was 'one of you.'" His fingers curl around his dagger. "If you want her to trust you, start with the truth."

Ilayda regards him for a long moment, then nods. "Very well."

She lifts her hand again, but this time, the air around her shifts. The mist thickens, coiling like restless spirits. The ground beneath us trembles, and then-

A rush of memories slams into me.

I am weightless, cradled in the arms of the sea. Laughter echoes around me, voices calling my name in a language I do not recognize but somehow understand. Hands gentle, warm, belonging to faces I cannot fully see hold me close.

Then, the laughter turns to shouts. The water, once calm, roars in protest as figures emerge from the darkness. Rough hands tear me away.

I gasp, stumbling back into Avis. My knees threaten to give out, but he catches me before I fall. My breath comes in sharp, ragged bursts.

Ilayda watches me carefully. "You were meant to grow among us, to know the call of the waves as your own. But you were stolen from the tides and hidden away in the forest."

I shake my head, the weight of it all pressing against my ribs. "No, that doesn't make sense. My dad.." My voice falters. I don't know what I was about to say. That he loved me? That he raised me? But memories of him feel distant, blurred at the edges like something not entirely real.

Avis' grip on my arm tightens, grounding me. "And why tell her now?" he demands. "Why not sooner?"

Ilayda's expression darkens. "Because the ones who took her have found her again."

The jungle seems to breathe around us, the trees swaying though there is no wind. A shadow moves between the branches, there and gone in an instant.

Avis curses under his breath, already reaching for his blade. "We need to move."

Ilayda holds out her hand once more. "Come with me, Pandora."

I stare at her palm, my heart pounding.

I have been running my entire life. From questions, from truth, from the feeling that I have never quite belonged.

But maybe it's time to stop running.

As Natural as the Tide