The Iron Hex: A Captivating Fantasy Romance of Outlawed Magic and Forbidden Love

PROLOGUE

Six of Astra's finest knights stood in solemn formation around the table in the dimly lit throne room. Flickering candles tossed heaving shadows against the stone walls as the knights waited to hear why they had been summoned on this brisk autumn evening.

Lord General Kerrigan, resplendent from his shining armor to his silvered hair, paced back and forth, his brow furrowed.

"Each of you have been chosen because you are the best knights in the Iron Retinue—and the most trusted," Lord General Kerrigan spoke, his deep voice booming in the quiet of the late night.

"I know there have been murmurs of promotions for knights within the Iron Retinue as of late. Those who have been selected have already begun their new role. They will be given the same assignment as you, and your results will determine who among you is most capable of a promotion such as theirs."

A palpable ripple of eagerness swept through the group, a silent tremor that passed from knight to knight. Failure in their duties could spell ruin, but success could mean the coveted opportunity to grow within the Iron Retinue's ranks.

"Commander Hugo Venton has abandoned his post and stolen documents vital to the safety and security of the Iron Empire—he must be apprehended and executed."

The lord general did not ask if they would accept this mission. He knew each knight in the room would follow him without pause or consideration. In response, the six soldiers placed their hands on the Iron Empire's sigil on their plate armor.

"Use whatever means and force necessary...and execute anyone who has assisted in concealing Venton or aiding him on his journey to destroy our glorious empire. May the iron in your blood strengthen the iron in your sword."

"May the iron in your blood strengthen the iron in your sword," the six echoed before turning sharply and leaving the room.

1

Eira

Eira Eckhart stood on the threshold of the Potions Patisserie on a crisp autumn morning, her skirts brushing the ground as she fumbled through her keys, trying to find the right fit for the front door. One would think that three years into running her shop she'd know the difference between her house keys and her shop keys, but that had never been something she'd bothered committing to memory. For a brief moment each morning she worried her memory loss from that fateful fall three years ago had caused everlasting damage, until she remembered that she was just bad at figuring out which keys worked in each door. And so, every morning, she tried each key before finally sliding the right one into the lock and letting the door swing open.

A chill instantly crept up Eira's spine as Pennyroyal, Eira's beige-and-brown-speckled rabbit, hopped into the store before she could. A heavy, unsettling silence hung in the air, as if something unseen in the room was quietly pulsing with a dark, oppressive energy. Something wasn't right. A witch's practice space was sacred, and the shop always had a certain feeling to Eira.

The energy in the room was different this morning, and it made her feel a little bit sick. She roamed the space slowly, turning the corner into her workspace and making sure that no one was in the building. Everything seemed right; nothing was out of place. Her sleep potions remained beside the shop's large front window, where they had been when she'd corked them last night in preparation for the full moon. Eira's hands were planted on her wide hips, her toe tapping on the worn wooden floorboards.

"Does something feel off to you?" she said to Pennyroyal, who had hopped onto the desk and started smelling the various herbs Eira had left scattered across the surface.

The rabbit thumped her hind paws sharply, a quick, agreeing gesture.

"Yeah, I concur. Something isn't right." Eira said again, toe still tapping the ground in an anxious beat. She shook her shoulders in a stretch and exhaled loudly before sitting at her worktable. "Penny, we're just going to need to cleanse the space and hope."

The rabbit stomped her paws again.

Eira decided that making magic was the best way to restore the peace in her space, so she got to work. With her sleeping potions all but done, she knew that she needed to stock up on healing poultices next. A little bit of lemon balm, witch hazel and calendula got thrown into a bowl with a dash of several other herbs...and a little bit of Eira's personal magic. Before she knew it, Eira was placing the salves into small jars with a tiny brush inside so that her customers could easily apply the poultice to whatever needed healing.