Aveena: The City of Gold (The Black Knight duology Book 1) Read online

  Aveena

  The City of Gold

  by

  Destiny Hawkins

  Copyright © 2016 Destiny Hawkins

  Edited by Samantha Ann Marie Achaia

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the author, with the exception of brief quotas used in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Novels by Destiny Hawkins

  Caged

  Caged 2

  Angel’s Blade: Power

  Subscribe to Destiny’s website at:

  authordhawkins.com

  Dedicated to Devonte Smith. I wouldn’t have been able to finish this book without you.

  Table of contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Prologue

  The Kingdom of Raluza

  “You won’t catch me Princess!” Aveena’s little brother, Avon, teased. He was only two years younger than her, but at eleven years old he stood a few inches taller and could take much longer strides. Avon stopped at the end of the hall and smiled back at Aveena, who stood hunched over on the other end. He knew that there was no way that she would be able to catch up to him at this point.

  Aveena smiled back at Avon with a sparkle in her eyes. She knew that she had lost this game, but the next time she would get him. If it weren’t for the seal on her chest, she would have been able to use her powers to catch up to him in no time. The King and Queen thought that it would be best that she didn’t have any access to her abilities until she was an adult, so she would have to rely on her physical abilities for now.

  It was said that the first born of every generation would inherit the power of Ralu, a gift from the Raluzan god that was meant to protect his people. The ruler of Raluza always grew up to be a kind and pure person that wouldn’t use his or her powers against others but instead, to help them. The only time that it was used to harm someone was when it was for the sake of the Kingdom. It was set in stone that Aveena would rule over Raluza in the next nine years, or whenever the King believed her ready.

  Aveena stood tall when she saw her father come from around the corner with tired eyes. He had been working a lot lately with word that the North and South Kingdoms were bringing their war here, to the Western Kingdom. The King was against war in every way, but he would make that hard decision of joining if it meant protecting his home.

  “Father,” Avon said as he turned around. He admired his father’s tall muscular physique and could only imagine what he would look like when he grew up. At his young age now, the only traits he inherited was his father’s dark skin and brown eyes. He and Aveena both got their curly hair from their mother.

  “Avon, Aveena, why are you both out of bed at this hour?” The King asked.

  Aveena’s eyes grew wide. She had completely forgotten about the time and was supposed to have gotten into bed by now.

  “Oh,” Avon chuckled. “Well, you see, Aveena here wanted to play for a while. I told her it was too late, but—”

  “Father, he’s not telling the truth,” Aveena interrupted as she jogged up to them.

  The King smiled at both of his children. They were the light when he was in the dark, and he could see things clearer when they were around. They were like their mother in so many ways that he couldn’t believe it. Especially, Aveena.

  Avon sighed, “Fine, I just altered the truth a little.”

  “Altered? Really? Why not just say that you lied?” Aveena asked, putting her fists on her hips.

  “Because!” Avon yelled.

  “Because?” Father asked while holding back a laugh.

  The King’s brother, Lavier, came from around the corner and stopped next to him. “I knew I would find you over here Xavier.”

  The King frowned at the sound of his brother’s voice. Lavier came to try and convince him to jump into the war and take down the North and South Kingdoms. It was very possible since they had the strongest Kingdom in Raluza, but he didn’t want to join unless he absolutely had to.

  “I thought that we would discuss this tomorrow morning in your quarters?” The King asked with a frown on his face. He clearly didn’t like that Lavier was on his side of the Palace.

  Aveena and Avon looked from their uncle, then to their father, in question. They both knew that the two brothers didn’t get along very well, but they never understood why. The King had always told them to stay away from their uncle, but Avon would go and visit him every now and then.

  Aveena never told her father about Avon’s visits because Avon begged her not to. She could feel it rattling her bones whenever Lavier came near, something was off about him. Even though Avon loved his father, the King was never around, so he became attached to his uncle instead, and Aveena didn’t want to take away what made her little brother happy.

  After their mother passed away, Avon wouldn’t speak to anyone but his sister—and that was rare. The first adult that he had opened up to was Lavier, and then he started speaking to Xavier again, but they never bonded the way he and his uncle did.

  Xavier noticed their relationship, but he didn’t want to upset his fragile son. Avon needed someone to look up to, and he knew that it couldn’t be himself.

  “Yes, you did say that, but it needs to be discussed tonight. These are important matters brother,” Lavier said.

  King Xavier sighed again, then turned back to his children with a half-hearted smile, “You two get to bed. I’ll be there shortly.”

  “Alright. Goodnight uncle Lavier,” Avon said as he turned to walk away.

  “Goodnight,” Aveena said softly. She smiled at her father, but her smile slowly faded as her eyes set on Lavier. She completely turned around and walked back to her room down the hall, and right across from Avon’s.

  “Goodnight Aveena,” Avon said before entering his room.

  Aveena looked back at her younger brother and smiled. She loved him more than anything. “Goodnight little brother.”

  They both walked into their rooms and shut their large double doors.

  Aveena was happy that the fire was still going in her room, because she didn’t want to come back to the cold. She skipped over to her canopy bed and crawled in, then waited for her father to come and tuck her in.

  ~*~

  Almost an hour had passed before King Xavier came to check on his daughter. He figured that she would be asleep already, but he was wrong. She stayed under the covers and waited for him the entire time. If only he hadn’t been arguing with his brother about the war, then she would be sound asleep by now.

  “You made it,” Aveena beamed. “I was afraid that you weren’t coming.”

  Xavier quietly shut the door behind him and walked over to her large bed to sit down. “You know I come to say goodnight every night. Even when you’re sleeping and snoring.”

  “I don’t snore,” Aveena giggled.

  “You do,” Xavier laughed. “I hear you
all the way in my room snoring loud as ever.”

  Aveena and her father laughed together.

  “I do not!”

  Xavier slapped his knee as he laughed, “You do, but don’t worry you’re not as loud as your mother was. I was afraid she’d wake up the entire Kingdom.” He laughed a little while longer and then it died down as he thought about his deceased wife.

  “Do you miss her?” Aveena asked.

  Xavier sighed, “Yes, I miss her a lot. She was a crazy one.”

  Aveena chewed on her lower lip, “Sometimes I forget what she looks like.”

  Xavier’s smile faded a little. He reached over to rest his hand on his daughter’s cheek. She was the spitting image of her mother, inheriting her milk chocolate brown skin, her grey-hazel eyes, and long silky black hair that curled when wet.

  “Well, all you have to do is look in the mirror. You look just like her,” Xavier said.

  “Really?” Aveena smiled.

  “Yeah. You look just like she did when she was a kid, and you’ll probably grow up looking like her twin,” Xavier chuckled.

  Aveena smiled and sunk her head back into her pillow. “I’m glad. She was beautiful.”

  “So are you.” Xavier stood up from the bed and leaned in to kiss his little girl on her forehead. “I love you, sweetie.”

  “I love you, too, papa,” Aveena yawned. She was on her way into the land of dreams.

  Xavier smiled as he watched the younger version of his wife fall asleep. He could see her seal glowing yellow through the covers, as it did every night when she slept. One day that seal would break away and Aveena would be the Queen of Raluza, but until then, it would protect her from any harm that came her way.

  King Xavier turned around and walked away. He had no idea that he would never be seeing either of his children ever again.

  ~*~

  Aveena had a nightmare that night. She saw everything that happened.

  Lavier and his poison. Her father’s golden drinking cup. Her father drinking from it. His eyes turning red. Him grabbing at his heart. He fell to the floor.

  Lavier stood over him…He smiled.

  Chapter 1

  Houston, Texas

  Year: 2015

  “Give it back!” Vincent yelled at his twin sister, Ayva. He was chasing her around the kitchen table while trying to get his notebook back from her. She had gone into his room this morning and snatched it from under his pillow.

  “Why? You don’t want me to read your diary?” Ayva teased.

  “It’s not a diary Ayva!”

  Ayva stopped and spun around with a grin planted on her lips. Her straight black hair swung across her face, and then settled back down on her shoulders. She flipped open Vincent’s notebook and began reading out loud.

  “Dream one—”

  Ayva’s mother, Xavia, reached over her daughters head and snatched the notebook from her fingertips. “Stop messing with your brother’s things Ayva.”

  Vincent ran around the table and took the book from his mother, then he turned his head and stuck his tongue out at his sister.

  “But mom, it’s a diary. Those are meant to be read!” Ayva said.

  Vincent huffed, “It’s not—”

  “If you keep messing with your brother I’ll make sure that you don’t get to open any of your gifts for your birthday. The next three days Ayva, you’d better have good behavior while your grandfather is here.”

  Vincent frowned at the thought of his grandfather being in his home.

  “I don’t think I’ll be the one with the bad behavior mom,” Ayva grinned at her brother.

  “Whatever,” Vincent said before walking back to his room.

  Vincent and Ayva Dawson, twins of Xavia and Christian Dawson, were both having their thirteenth birthdays in three days. It was a big celebration for the two of them, and one where their grandfather would finally come and visit them after five years. Their mother had once told them that their grandfather was always working, and that’s why they couldn’t see him as often as they used to.

  Vincent had always felt like that wasn’t a good enough reason for him to not come and see them, and he grew up feeling resentment towards his grandfather. He and his sister had never even met their grandmother, so he didn’t know how to feel about her. From what they were told, she used to visit them when they were babies, but she always ended up getting sick and had to go back home. They were told that they would be allowed to visit their grandmother one day, but only when they were ready. Whatever that meant.

  Vincent shut his bedroom door behind him and plopped down belly first on his bed. He flipped open his notebook to the last page and stared down at the beautiful drawing of his grandmother, or at least who he imagined to be his grandmother.

  Every now and then, Vincent would have these dreams about another place that was clearly very far from home—another world maybe—and he was sure that it was because of all of the stories that his grandfather had told him when he was seven. It had to just be his imagination, but he was okay with that. He liked dreaming about being in a beautiful Palace and running through the large city with all the different people. No one ever actually saw him there, but sometimes the animals would notice his presence. Vincent knew that this was all in his imagination, but sometimes he would confuse it with reality.

  It was because of the woman in his notebook. If there was a male version of her, he would say that he was it. He had the woman’s silky curly hair, her dark grey-hazel eyes, her smooth brown skin, and the same little bird shaped birthmark on the side of his neck. He assumed that this was all just a coincidence, but he had his times when he wondered.

  “Wow, she’s pretty,” Ayva said while peering over his shoulder.

  “Ayva!” Startled, Vincint slammed his notebook shut. He didn’t even hear her come in.

  “What?” Ayva plopped down on the bed. “I just came to say sorry. Sheesh!”

  Vincent stuffed his notebook under his pillow and then scooted off of his bed. He walked around to Ayva and put his fists on his hips. “You came to say sorry?”

  “Yeah, mom told me to, duh! Anyways, I’m sorry for taking your diary and reading it. If it makes you feel any better, I only read a few words,” Ayva sighed.

  Vincent shook his head. He loved his little sister, but sometimes he just couldn’t stand her. Ayva was born a few minutes after him, and since then, he decided to take the role of being her big brother. He felt like the world would be unbalanced if he accepted being the twin of his little sister.

  Vincent sighed, “Well, apology accepted, I guess.”

  “Great!” Ayva hopped off the bed and started walking out of the room. She stopped in the doorway and looked back over her shoulder, “Who is she anyways?”

  “Huh?” Vincent turned around.

  “The lady in your notebook. She kind of looks familiar. Who is she?”

  Vincent shrugged. He didn’t want to sound lame and tell her that he had dreamed about the woman, and then drew a sketch of her.

  “Oh, well. It’s a nice drawing. You’re kinda good,” Ayva complimented before walking away.

  Vincent shook his head and plopped back down on his bed. “I wish I knew who she was,” he mumbled. He dreamed about her almost every night, and he knew that those dreams had to mean something. “Wait a minute? Did she say she looked fam—”

  “Grandpa!” Ayva yelled so loud that Vincent could hear her in his room.

  “Hey, sweetie!” Grandpa laughed.

  Vincent sighed and shook his head. He was just about to go and close his door when his mother stepped in the doorway.

  “Aren’t you going to come and say hi to your pops?” Xavia asked.

  Vincent shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe later?”

  Xavia squinted her eyes and drew her brows together. It was a look that she gave when she wasn’t taking any answer other than yes. This pretty much wasn’t a request.

  “Umm,” Vincent’s eyes widened as he stood frozen in the
doorway.

  “Ah, is Vincent down here?” Grandpa asked as he walked down the hall.

  “Yeah, he’s right here,” Xavia’s terrifying frown went back to a warm smile, and Vincent could finally breathe.

  “Oh, there he is!” Grandpa stood next to Xavia and looked his grandson up and down with wide eyes. “My, my, have you grown!” he laughed.

  Vincent did his best to hold back a frown, but he didn’t look happy to see his grandfather either. He looked grandpa up and down and also noticed how he had changed over the years. Grandpa had short black curls with a hint of silver in his hair, dark brown skin, a short gray and black goatee, and muscles like a body builder. It was as if all this time, instead of working, he was in the gym lifting weights!

  “H-hi grandpa,” Vincent stuttered.

  “Oh, please, calm down son, I missed you too,” Grandpa laughed.

  Xavia sighed, “I’m going to get some food cooking dad.”

  “Alright sweetie,” Grandpa said. “I’ll be out there in a moment.”

  Xavia sent a warning glare Vincent’s way before walking away. He knew not to do or say anything that would upset grandpa after that.

  “So,” Grandpa popped his head into Vincent’s room and looked around, “how have you been? I haven’t seen you in—”

  “Five years?” Vincent turned around and went to sit down at his desk that was on the far side of his room.

  “Yeah,” Grandpa sighed. He stepped into Vincent’s room and looked around. There were drawings all over the walls of places that he didn’t believe were in Houston, Texas. They were of tall mountains, a Palace, large birds, and a great fountain. Vincent was certainly coming of age.

  “They said you were working,” Vincent said in a dull tone.

  “I have,” Grandpa laughed while scratching the back of his head. “I wish that I could have come to visit, but your grandmother needed me to help her out at home.”

  “My grandmother…” Vincent drew his eyebrows together in thought. “Where exactly do you guys live?”

  Grandpa smiled, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”