Title: The Key
Author: Jennifer Anne
Davis
Published: November 15th, 2013 by Clean Teen
Publishing
Word Count: 80,000
Genre: YA Fantasy
Romance
Recommended Age: 14+
Synopsis:
Within these pages lie kingdoms with castles and princes who
fall in love with fair maidens, but make no mistake−this is no fairytale.
His father’s kingdom is on the brink of upheaval and at the
center of it all is an ordinary girl who could be the key to its undoing. When
faced with the ultimate choice, will he choose the girl he’s falling in love
with or the kingdom he has sworn to protect?
An ordinary girl with an extraordinary past. All she wants
is to be free. What she doesn’t realize is that freedom comes with a price she
can’t afford to pay. She’s forced to accept the proposal of a prince she
despises, even though her heart belongs to someone else . . . his brother.
Seventeen-year-old Rema lives in a brutal kingdom where
travel between regions is forbidden, people are starving, and looking at
someone the wrong way can mean death. Nineteen-year-old Darmik is the king’s
son and Commander of the King’s Army. He spends his days roving the island,
doing his father’s bidding and trying to maintain control over the people.
When a chance encounter throws Rema and Darmik together,
they share an instantaneous connection, but any sort of relationship between
them is strictly forbidden. Darmik’s brother, the Crown Prince, notices
Darmik’s interest in Rema and, in a calculated, political move, blackmails her.
Faced with an impossible choice, Rema is forced to sacrifice her heart in order
to save her family.
As Rema is taken to the palace with the Crown Prince, Darmik
confronts the growing rumor that a legitimate blood heir to the throne exists
and is trying to overthrow Darmik’s family. In Darmik’s quest to hunt down and
kill the threat, he discovers that nothing is as it seems. Locked in the king’s
castle, Rema finds herself a key player in a massive power struggle. When
Darmik shows up, she’s not sure if she can trust him. The line between friends,
enemies, and loyalty becomes blurred. As truths are unlocked, Rema understands
that she just might be the key to finding the rightful heir and restoring peace
to the kingdom… if she can manage to stay alive long enough.
Teaser Excerpt:
Darmik had to talk to her again. He
ran to the back of the stables, hoping to catch her alone. He rounded the
corner, slamming into her, knocking her to the ground. Big, round sapphire eyes
looked up at him.
“I’m
sorry,” Darmik stammered, reaching down to help her up. “I didn’t realize you
were there.”
“Prince
Darmik,” she politely nodded, getting to her feet on her own. Her eyes quickly
scanned him from head to toe, lingering on his royal markings that covered his
neck and shoulders. The black stallion whinnied and ran away from them. Tabitha
sighed, exasperated. “What are you doing here?”
“Um,”
he wasn’t usually at a loss of words, but there was something about her
piercing gaze that made him forget what he was doing. She cleared her throat
and brushed the dirt from her dress.
“Sorry
about that,” he pointed to her, indicating the collision. Her eyes darted
behind him. Darmik glanced back, but no one was there. “Are you looking for
someone?” he asked.
“My
uncle. He’s waiting for me. We just came to deliver this horse.” She waved her
hand toward the black stallion grazing nearby.
Tabitha certainly was bold, and far more interesting than
any of the nobles Darmik had ever met. But then again, she wasn’t from the
noble class—she was from the merchant class. Still, she stood out like she
didn’t belong to anyone or anything.
“Tabitha?”
He took a step toward her, wanting to get closer.
“That’s
not my name,” she stated.
“Excuse
me?” He remembered her band: Tabitha, seventeen years old, niece of Kar and
Maya, not yet married or engaged.
“Aren’t
you the commander of the King’s Army?” she asked. Darmik nodded. “Don’t you
have an army to run? Or do you only hunt and mosey about, pretending to be of
use to the kingdom? I thought King Barjon would manage to keep you busier.”
Was she
serious? Nobody had ever spoken to him in such a manner.
“Well,” he began to answer, but she
started laughing.
“I go by Rema.” She held out her
hand in greeting.
Darmik never shook hands with
anyone. Even though he was the commander of the army, he was also a prince, and
his men addressed him as such. Shaking hands was for commoners. Her pale hand
remained suspended in air, waiting for him.
His hand slid into hers. “Prince
Darmik,” he responded, shaking her warm hand, eager for the chance to touch her
again.
“I got that part,” Rema smiled. Her
breath smelled sweet like apples. She tried pulling her hand from his, but he
refused to release her.
“Let me escort you inside the
stables.” Darmik put her hand on his arm. She seemed reluctant at first, but he
pulled her along toward the front of the stables, not giving her a chance to
refuse. “Do you live nearby?” he asked.
“Yes.”
When she didn’t elaborate, he
forged on. “I haven’t seen blonde hair very often. Does your mother have the
same coloring?” As soon as he asked the question, he knew he’d made an error.
Her body tensed. He looked down at her, remembering her band said she lived
with her aunt and uncle. Rema shook her head, refusing to answer.
Afraid he’d offended her, he
continued on. “I’ve traveled to Emperion. Almost everyone there has blonde hair
and blue eyes.”
“You’ve been to Emperion?” she
asked, squeezing his arm.
“Yes. For training.”
Rema’s eyes widened. “Tell me about
it,” she demanded. Darmik smiled in response to her excitement.
“Rema!” a stablehand yelled.
“I forgot about my uncle,” Rema
said. “He’s waiting for me. I have to go.” She jerked her hand away from
Darmik’s arm and spun around, heading back the way they came. Rema glanced over
her shoulder and smiled at him. Then she rounded the corner and disappeared.
Not
ready for her to go, Darmik jogged after her. Nearing the corner, he heard the
boy say, “We’ll miss seeing you Rema.” Darmik turned the corner and saw the
stablehand holding a pitchfork, his face bright red. “You have such a way with
the horses,” the boy stammered.
“I’m
getting married, not dying.” She smiled mischievously. “You’ll see me again.”
“Rema,”
Darmik couldn’t help himself. “You’re engaged?”
The stablehand dropped to one knee
and bowed his head.
Rema’s
smile vanished. Standing just behind her next to the stables was an older man.
The elderly man’s eyes moved from Darmik to Rema and back again. His face lost
all color as he knelt on the ground. Darmik assumed this was Rema’s uncle.
Rema’s eyes bore into Darmik’s.
“Yes, Prince Darmik,” she answered, kneeling before him. “I am engaged,” she
replied softly. “The signed contract was delivered to Lord Filmar today. My
band is going to be marked tomorrow.”
Darmik was about to reply when a
flicker to his left caught his attention. His brother, Prince Lennek, stood
just inside the stables with a devious smile. Darmik prayed he hadn’t drawn any
attention to Rema. Lennek leaned against the wall, watching.
“You’re
dismissed,” Darmik said, trying to sound nonchalant. He moved past Rema, into
the stables. Seconds later, Darmik heard the sound of a wagon pulled by horses,
and Rema was gone.
Lennek
sauntered over to him. “She was beautiful, in a wild sort of way,” he mused.
“She looks like a bit of a challenge.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Might be fun
though. And you know how much I love a challenge.”
Darmik had the urge to punch that
smirk off his brother’s face. Lennek always knew which buttons to push. Anytime
Darmik was interested in something, Lennek had to have it, whether he wanted it
or not, just to prove he was better.
Darmik
drew in a deep breath, smelling horse sweat and sweet hay. He couldn’t dismiss
Rema—Lennek was too smart and perceptive. “Blonde hair is so rare that I found
her appearance interesting. Not my type though. Not only is she a commoner, but
she’s engaged.”
Lennek’s
eyes sparkled. “Definitely a challenge.”
“Laws
are laws, Lennek. Some not even you
can break.”
“No,”
he laughed, “but there are always ways around them.” Lennek strolled out of the
stables.
Jennifer graduated from the University
of San Diego
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