The Huntsman’s Heart: Excerpt #2

I’m still racing through this book! But in the meantime, here’s another sneak peek!

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The Huntsman’s Heart

A Clean Fantasy Fairy Tale Retelling of Snow White

Excerpt #2

Keep in mind that this is a work-in-progress. There will definitely be typos, as I’m racing through this manuscript like my tail is on fire. Despite the typos, however, I hope you enjoy!

Henri stuck his head through his mother’s open door to find her folding clothes and placing them in a travel bag. His heart gave an extra thump when he saw just how many she had prepared to go. His mother usually traveled light.

“You can come in,” she called, not looking up from whatever she was carefully rolling. “I’m nearly done.”

“You know Gigi would be happy to do that for you,” Henri said, leaving the doorway to sit at the end of the bed.

“I know.” His mother stood and pushed a piece of copper hair out of her face. “But I like packing my own things. It gives me time to think.”

“About how you’re second-guessing leaving your eldest son in charge while you go on an extended journey?” Henri grinned. “I can’t see why.” Despite his cavalier attitude, however, his stomach rolled slightly. Was she second guessing their decision?

His mother looked up and wrinkled her nose at him. “No. That was not what I was thinking about. Although, now that you’re here, I wanted to go over a few things with you.” She went back to her open wardrobe and pulled another gown out. “You won’t need to worry about your siblings. Ebo will be taking Gavin somewhere in the mountains to practice setting up a camp—”

“Don’t let Garret let you hear call him that,” Henri teased.

His mother rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“I am curious,” Henri said, lowering his voice and glancing at the door. It was unlikely his brother would hear him, but just in case. “Why does he hate his name so much?”

His mother sighed. “I think do. But it’s something he’s going to have to work out on his own. And not something I have time to explain in detail right now. But back to your siblings. You’ll not need to worry about Gavin because Ebo is not only taking him, but they’ll be accompanied by ten guards as well.”

Henri started slightly. “Ten guards?”

His mother only continued. “Genny will stay Hedjet, visiting Kartek’s family until we send for her.”

Henri sat straight up. “Mother, what’s going on?” From the time his parents had announced their plans to go to Ashland, Henri had known something deep was brewing. That they had sent his younger sister to the southern realm to visit her closest friend wasn’t unusual. But that she would be staying until they summoned her again was definitely suspicious. Most concerning, however, was Ebo’s little venture into the forest with not one or two but ten soldiers to accompany them.

“His mother pursed her lips and studied him for a moment before going to close and lock the door. Then she returned and sat beside him on the bed. As she walked, Henri noticed the large pile of weapons on the floor behind the place she had been standing.

“Your father left a detailed letter in your study so you have everything written down, but I suppose you do deserve to hear it now…” She glanced at the door and lowered her voice again. “I told you that there have been rumors of trouble in Ashland again,” she said in a quiet voice.

“Similar to what happened with the Shadow?” Henri asked. His thoughts immediately turned to his closest friend, Prince Nicholas Wheldmar, and Nicholas’s new wife, Princess Elaina. “Are they—”

“Nicholas and Elaina are fine,” his mother said gently. Her blue eyes were warm as she put one of her calloused, slender hands on his own and gave it a squeeze. “But they have given us some disturbing reports.”

Henri swallowed. “Such as?”

“A number of gifted citizens have been falling into what seem to be…permanent sleeps,” his mother said slowly.

Henri blinked at her. “The gifted citizens? Again?” The last time this had happened, a man who called himself the Shadow had sought out gifted citizens and killed them, harvesting their power to sell or use. Henri had nearly been one of his victims once when he’d ventured into Ashland to help Nicholas. But the Shadow was dead. Elaina and Nicholas had seen it themselves.

“Except, it’s not only happening in Ashland this time. After Nicholas contacted us, we received reports and requests for help from no less than six other kingdoms. And it’s always the same. No one seems to be visibly harmed. They simply sleep. And no one can wake them.”

She stood and began to pack again. “It makes sense that Ashland would be the first to report it, as they have disproportionately high number of gifted citizens there. We’re going to start there, but we’ll be traveling to other kingdoms after we do an initial investigation.” Her face hardened slightly. “We’ll traverse the entire realm if we must, but we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

“That’s why you’ve sent Genny to the southern realm, isn’t it?” Henri asked. “And you’re going to have Ebo take Gavin somewhere unspecified.”

“And you,” his mother said, narrowing her eyes slightly, “will stay within the confines of the Fortress’s grounds.

“Have we had any reports in Destin?” Henri asked.

His mother shook her head. “No. But Launce and Olivia have, and I’m afriad it’s only a matter of time…” She seemed lost in thought for a moment before shaking her head and closing her bag. “Of course, if you get any reports while we’re gone, please send them to Ashland. We’ll notify you where we’re going next whenever we move.”

Henri frowned. For want of something to do with his hands, he reached into his shirt and pulled out the stone that hung from a cord about his neck. As always, it hummed slightly, and it was warm to the touch. He rubbed it thoughtfully with his thumb as he considered alls he had told him. Finally, he asked, “Do you have any idea of what this is?”

His mother huffed and pursed her lips. “To be honest, we have absolutely no idea. The reports have dates that cross one another, and there are too many of them to involve just one person acting on his own. And that’s what frustrates your father. We’ve never seen anything like this. There’s no reason, no pattern. The gifts are all varied. Unusual strength, the ability to create jewels out of stone, being able to grow seeds to maturity in just three days, weaving stories into tapestries, the ability to make healing teas, the list goes on. And that’s why we’re leaving now. We need to see the victims for ourselves.”

“And…you still trust me to run the kingdom? Even though you don’t know when you’re going to return?” Henri asked. His throat felt suddenly dry. “Tumen has a new king. He could choose to attack to prove his prowess, or—”

“Henri, stop.” His mother said softly, a gentle smile replacing the anxiety that had been clearly etched into her face just moments before. It was the smile he most loved, the one she had first given him when she had saved him and his little sister ages over a decade before. It was so different from his true mother’s smile.

But no. The woman who had birthed him was not his true mother. She had never done anything to deserve that word. She had even threatened to kill him once—a threat which his adoptive parents had saved him from. Queen Isabelle of Destin was his real mother, and King Everard was his father. They had bled and nearly died to save Henri and his sister. Then, as if that hadn’t been enough, they had crowned him heir to the throne. And though they had never asked him for anything in return, Henri only wished he had a way to repay them.

“You’re ready for this,” his mother said with that same gentle smile, breaking through his morose thoughts. “Your father wouldn’t be turning the kingdom over to you if he didn’t believe you in. And neither would I.”

“But what do I do if something happens while you’re gone?” Henri asked, swallowing hard. Perhaps it would be best if his Uncle Launce came, as he often had in the past, when Henri’s parents had been called away…

“Trust the Fortress.” His mother leaned forward and gently took the stone from his fingers, rubbing her own down its smooth sides. The blue stone glowed, as it always did when his parents were near. A clear message that it recognized and loved the king and queen of the famed Fortress of Destin.

Which he was not.

“If something happens,” his mother continued, letting go of the stone, “send word to Ashland. As I said, we’ll let you know when we’re about to move, so you’ll be aware of where we are at all times. If you’re not sure, send word to Nicholas. He’ll ensure your messages find us.”

“Almost ready to go?” a deep voice called from the door.

Henri stood as he and his mother turned to see his father filling the frame. The mere sight of the king both filled him with love and dread. Love for the man who had taken Henri in and made him his own. Dread from the knowledge that he would never measure up to the impossible standard his father had set.

King Everard was a beast of a man. Full to nearly bursting with the Fortress’s famed blue fire, he had both the power and fighting skills to best any enemy in the western realm. Possibly in the world. Henri’s own blue fire paled compared to that of his father.

Technically, he was Henri’s uncle. But after going through the adoption ceremony as set forth by the Fortress itself, he was every bit Henri’s father. And the Fortress staff who had known King Everard growing up swore Henri could have been his twin for all the likenesses between them. Despite all these reassurances, however, Henri was painfully aware that the blood of the man who had sired him was not courageous and pure. He was as cowardly as man could get. And Henri wished there was a way to ensure such cowardly blood would never rear its ugly head.

But, of course, there was no way to tell.

“I’m ready,” his mother said, giving his father another warm smile. Then she turned to Henri once more and drew him into a tight hug. “Trust the Fortress,” she said again. “We wouldn’t be leaving you here if we didn’t think you were ready.” After kissing his cheek, she let go, and Henri’s father stepped forward. He put a heavy hand on Henri’s shoulder.

“Your mother is right. With the Fortress guiding you, you can’t go wrong.” The corner of his mouth lifted in a dry smile. “You’re a man now. If your mother decides she’s tired of me and decides to off me in my sleep, you’ll be the next king whether you feel ready or not.”

Henri’s mother rolled her eyes. “Ever, that’s not funny.”

Henri’s father’s smile only grew as he pulled Henri into a strong embrace. “You’ll do just fine,” he said quietly.

Henri accompanied his parents to the stable, where they set off down the toward the road that would take them down the Fortress’s mountain. As their figures grew smaller in the distance, he turned to look back up at the looming Fortress behind him with its white stone and colorful flags waving in the wind.

“I trust you,” he murmured softly. “It’s me that I can’t depend upon.”

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So…you asked for Henri, and Henri is HERE! I hope you’re excited to go on another adventure with the Fortier family! Because it’s going to be a wild one! As I said, make sure you’re on my newsletter team, Brit’s Bookish Mages, to get all the long sneak peeks, as well as to get book coupons, notifications of sales, updates, and more!