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 moment my fingers brush against Ilayda's, the world tilts. A rush of energy surges through me, colder than the deepest ocean, heavier than the weight of the sky. The jungle around us flickers, the vibrant greens and golds swallowed by an overwhelming tide of blue.

I hear Avis call my name, but his voice is distant, lost in the roar of unseen waves.

When I blink, I am no longer in the jungle.

I stand at the edge of a vast expanse of water, the shore glowing with bioluminescent light. The sky above is not the sky I know; it ripples like the surface of a lake, stars bending and shifting as if seen through water.

Ilayda is beside me, her gaze steady. "You are home."

The word tastes foreign on my tongue, but something in my bones hums in agreement.

I step forward, my feet sinking into the soft, glowing sand. "Where are we?"

Ilayda lifts her hand, and the water responds. It rises, not in waves, but in shapes, figures formed of liquid and light. They move with purpose, reaching toward me.

"Nai'ra vael'laan, Syl'ra thal'len"

A whisper in my mind. A shudder in my chest. I recognize this language, but I can't understand it.

"Thii'ra vael'kaan, vel'sora nai'then, Sha'len nai'ra ves'tii."

Images flash before my eyes shadows in the deep, hands pulling me from the waves, a voice murmuring words of fear. A warning. A lie.

"You were meant to rule the waters, to guide the currents, but you were taken away from us"

I stagger back. "No." My voice is barely a breath. "That can't be true."

Ilayda's expression remains unreadable, but there is sorrow in her eyes. "You feel it, don't you? The ocean calls to you."

I press a hand to my chest, where my heartbeat feels like the crash of waves. Memories swirl at the edges of my mind, threatening to break free.

I turn, and there he is, dripping wet, his expression a mix of relief and fury. "What the hell was that?" He looks at Ilayda. "What did you do to her?"

"She is awakening," Ilayda says simply.

Avis' jaw clenches. "That's not an answer."

I open my mouth to speak, to say something, anything but before I can, the water stirs.

A presence looms beyond the waves, deeper than the ocean's reach.

And I know, without knowing how, that something ancient has awakened with me.

Something that has been waiting.

Vael'thii’len