Untethered

Chapter One 

Ren 

The flowers on my father s tomb had withered and died two months ago. And though it was my duty to replace the flowers, to remember my father s life, those dried husks remained. 

The white entrance to the castle s crypt arched over my head, beckoning me in as it did at least once a day since I returned to Hálendi. 

I clenched a cluster of the season s last blooms in my fist, their fragile stems already broken. 

This was my duty. Whether or not I accepted my father s death, or wished I d never left for North Watch to protect the border, or taken the Medallion from him when he d offered it, this was my duty. To care for his tomb. To honor his life. 

Black ash stained the stone walls above the dimly lit sconces on either side of the archway--the perpetual flames standing guard to the tombs of the kings. They d started carving my section of the crypt the day after my coronation. 

Down here, the crash of light and sound from the dining hall were a distant memory, though my stomach still swirled with cider. After a full month of parties and dinners to celebrate the commencement of my reign--festivities the kingdom couldn t really afford--one would think I knew my limits. Yet here I stood, swaying. 

I took a few deep breaths, hoping the cool air would clear my head. The Medallion rested against my chest, right over my heart. It had warmed during dinner, a tingling sense of foreboding that was gone before dessert had been served. 

The Medallion had been like that ever since I d left Turia. Warm, then cool. Warning, then nothing. It had been nudging me for the past two weeks, but toward what, I couldn t decipher. It was a key to the Black Library, but my father hadn t told me about that. He d said the Medallion would guide me, help me detect deceit. He was supposed to teach me more, but . . . we d run out of time. The last advice he

KayLynn Flanders is a graduate of Brigham Young University, with a degree in English Language and a minor in editing. When she's not writing, she spends her time playing volleyball, reading, and traveling. She lives in Utah with her family, and is the author of Shielded and Untethered. To learn more about KayLynn, go to kaylynnflanders.com or follow @kaylynnflanders on Twitter.

Praise for Shielded, Book One:

A Whitney Award Nominee

A gorgeous fantasy that captivates from beginning to end, and a fierce heroine every reader will root for. KATHRYN PURDIE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Burning Glass and Bone Crier s Moon
 
Beautiful writing, wondrous world building, and enchanting characters. This is YA fantasy at its most fun. DANA SWIFT, author of Cast in Firelight
 
Intrigue, betrayal, and magical battles follow as Flanders injects humor and a touch of
romance into this suspenseful debut novel packed with twists, turns, joy, and sorrow, and the first-person narrative runs the gamut of human emotion. The ending promises a sequel to an
excellent start. Booklist
 
[Shielded has] affable characters and moves at a solid clip that will keep readers entertained with its mix of magic and political intrigue. Kirkus Reviews
 
Weaving action, intrigue, and romance into a fast-paced tale there s plenty to enjoy in this series opener. Publishers Weekly