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NAHLI
Three years. That was how long Nahli had been living inside the Divine Valley. It was strange to still think that the outdoors had once been covered in bones—that she had been bones.
When she’d passed away for the second time in Kedaf, Nahli had feared she’d wake again as bones, or worse, she wouldn’t wake up at all. What if she’d come into the Divine Valley the same as the first time, a pile of remains, not knowing she was there?
But she hadn’t.
The deep blue sky had opened for her, and she floated to the grassy ground as though she were in a bubble. More than anything over the past three years, she missed Anton, but she knew he’d one day be with her again.
Before she died, she’d grown old and gray. Now, she appeared as she was in her much younger years. She hadn’t known it then, but she missed the agility—no longer needing to use a cane with her aching fingers.
After death, she’d found Pav and Ionna, who had been more like the family she’d never had in Huadu. Every morning under the afternoon orb, Nahli would swordplay with Pav and Ionna, challenging one another.
Yeva and Tasha were not in the Divine Valley yet, but she would see them again one day, too. Not only did Anton remain in Kedaf, but so did their children and grandchildren.
At her door came a hard knock, pulling Nahli from her reverie. She had expected it to be Pav, but her brows lifted when she saw Kezia standing before her instead. Even now, she remembered her as Daryna, the woman she’d known but never really understood until the past three years.
Kezia didn’t ask if she could come inside as she brushed past Nahli and sank down onto a padded chair. Her deep blue gown wrapped around her tan skin perfectly. Two horns, resembling that of an antelope, sprouted from the top of her head. Like Roka, Kezia could also shift into an animal.
Her hazel eyes met Nahli’s. “Today, I have a surprise for you.”
“Your surprises don’t generally end up being good.”
Kezia cocked her head. “What about the one where you got your life back?”
Nahli appreciated that more than Kezia could ever know, but she wondered if the queen had any regrets about it.
Either way, Kezia had chosen to switch places with Nahli. She’d been willing to give up her life by becoming a queen—that had been the only way. If Maryska hadn’t gotten between the lovers, Kezia would have already been queen to begin with. And as selfish as it was, Nahli didn’t want to think about how that would have affected her life, and everyone else’s.
“So only that one time, then,” Nahli replied, taking a seat in the chair beside Kezia.
“Roka wants you to meet him in the garden.”
“Oh, how secretive,” Nahli teased. “Are you the teensiest bit jealous?”
Her gaze shifted to her fingernails, inspecting them thoroughly. “Why would I be?”
Kezia went around pretending she was immune to Roka, but Nahli knew she wasn’t. The way her eyes always slid to Roka when they were in the same room, the way he brushed a finger against her in passing, along her neck, her wrist, her shoulder. Nahli would catch Kezia trying to suppress a smile.
Underneath everything, Nahli believed—whether she had forgiven Roka or not—Kezia was his queen and he was her king, and they were more than just titles.
“Because I know you love him.”
Narrowing her eyes at Nahli, Kezia waved her on and led her out into the bright light of the Divine Valley. Laughter, singing, and chatting echoed across the bright green hills, lined with tall, leafy and flowering trees.
A glowing orange orb, like the sun, shone high in the sky. At nightfall, it would ripple and fade to a pale shade of silver.
Once she rounded a hedge into the garden, Nahli stopped in her tracks when her gaze settled on a familiar, beautiful man with not locks of gray, but blond.
Anton.
She rubbed at her eyes because it had been so long since she’d seen him this way. As he talked to Roka, he hadn’t noticed her yet. The ruler stood shirtless, as he almost always was, his braids and meerkat tail swaying in sync.
Anton’s blue eyes angled to Nahli and froze, then his lips pulled back into a grin.
“I told you I had a surprise for you,” Kezia murmured, grabbing the skirt of her dress and strolling away.
She didn’t know whether to be thrilled or melancholic—if he was there, that meant he wasn’t alive in Kedaf any longer.
Death had slinked its way in and found him.
But she was too excited to see him, period. Nahli ran and leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered in his ear.
“Not as much as I’ve missed you.”
“I’m sorry you’re here.”
“I couldn’t walk anymore. My health was deteriorating.” His lips pressed against hers. “This is more than anything I could have asked for.”
“You know I am right here,” Roka stated.
Nahli slid down from Anton’s hold, but she left her arm around his waist. “Sorry,” she said, not meaning it at all.
“How about I chat more with the two of you later?” Roka whirled away, leaving them in their moment together.
Anton cradled her face and drew it closer to his. “Do you remember how I once told you that you were a thief who had stolen my heart?”
“I remember.” How could she not? It was one of her favorite memories—one that had stayed with her every day.
A smile spread, lighting up his whole face. “You never stole it—I gave it to you willingly. And I would again and again, as I’m giving it to you now.” Anton caressed her lips with his, reuniting them in an intimate dance.
In response, Nahli’s heart and bones gave themselves to him as they always did.
What was once the Bone Valley had become a faded, distant memory, but not forgotten, as its pieces remained in everyone and everything within the Divine Valley.
Did you enjoy The Bone Valley?
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Authors always appreciate reviews, whether long or short.
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Want more dark fantasy with romance? Don’t miss Candace’s upcoming standalone book, Merciless Stars
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Two sisters. Two loves. And a secret that can destroy them both.
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Since she was young, Silver has used her magic to draw a single human soul out from the afterlife. Though she shaped him into a wax raven, Keelen could never stay, so she brought him back time and time again. Each visit, their relationship deepened, leading Silver to want more than friendship. Yet it isn’t until after Silver and her queen sister, Afton, are forced to defend themselves from an enemy king's guards, that Silver discovers a way to give Keelen human life and become Afton’s weapon.
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Afton has never given her heart to anyone until she met Ragan. However, she must temporarily push her feelings aside and accept the betrothal to the enemy king to keep her territory safe. But when Afton uncovers a danger that threatens all she has built, it is only the sisters who can put a stop to it before everything they love, including their sisterly bond, shatters.
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Join Candace’s Facebook Group: Candace’s Pretty Monsters
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Check out Candace’s other books!
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Wicked Souls Duology
Vault of Glass
Bride of Glass
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Cruel Curses Trilogy
Clouded By Envy
Veiled By Desire
Shadowed By Despair
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Faeries of Oz Series
Lion (Short Story Prequel)
Tin
Crow
Ozma
Tik-Tok
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Cursed Hearts Duology
Lyrics & Curses
Music & Mirrors
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Letters Duology
Dearest Clementine: Dark and Romantic Monstrous Tales
Dearest Dorin: A Romantic Ghostly Tale
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Campfire Fantasy Tales Series
Lullaby of Flames
A Layer Hidden
The Celebration Game
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Merciless Stars
The Bone Valley
Between the Quiet
Hearts Are Like Balloons
Bacon Pie
Avocado Bliss
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Vampires in Wonderland
Rav (Short Story Prequel)
Maddie
Acknowledgments
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This story was one I had wanted to share for a long time, and while I love all my stories, this one has a big chunk of my heart. There are so many people to thank that have helped with this process, and because you’re reading this now, this is for you, dear reader. Thank you for sticking with me for a story that is more than just bones. You are what breathes life into Anton, Nahli, Pav, Kezia, Roka, and all the other characters of this tale.
About the Author
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Candace Robinson spends her days consumed by words and hoping to one day find her own DeLorean time machine. Her life consists of avoiding migraines, admiring Bonsai trees, watching classic movies, and living with her husband and daughter in Texas—where it can be forty degrees one day and eighty the next.
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Knorren is the demon of the forest, one who slaughters anyone who trespasses into his land. When King Werner steps into his territory, desperately pleading for the herbs that control his beloved daughter’s illness, Knorren toys with the idea. However, not without a cost. King Werner must deliver his beloved Gisela to Knorren or suffer dire consequences.
With unrest spreading through the kingdom, and its people growing tired of a king who won’t put an end to the demon of Todesfall Forest, Gisela must make a choice. To become Knorren’s prisoner forever, or risk the lives of her beloved people.
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Everyone takes things that don’t belong to them.
From Medusa, it was her reputation. From Poseidon, it was his freedom.
When Poseidon is released from prison, after years of being locked away, the bodies start piling up, and all fingers point to Medusa. Agent Kyrie Alcide of the Perseus Initiative is tasked with investigating the case, and keeping tabs on Medusa. But Kyrie is about to find out that everything in the legend of the infamous gorgon might not be as it seems.
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