Hey guys! This is my new book. It's spinoff of Cinda Williams Chima's Heir Series. The only thing that's really the same are the characters. Right now, there's just Jason and Leesha but I willl probably put in more from the original series later. Also, in this book Leesha is definitely NOT bad. Here's a quick summary of the book so far:

Jason is completely alone in the world. With no clue who or what he is he sets off to find someone who can tell him. All he knows is that he seems to have freakish wizard powers and other people seem to have them too. His mysterious, burning eyes are the only clue to his past and so he sets off to find out who he truly is. He enlists the help of Leesha Middleton, another wizard and a hunter. Desperate to control his powers he turns to her for help. When their fates collide, everything is put to the test. Loyalty, Love, Life, and the World of Wizards are put on the line when Jason realizes his full potential. Read on to find out more!

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! THANKS!

Prologue

LEESHA

I'm going hunting in the Dark Forest. The Dark Forest is a place that people avoid, claiming that nobody sane would go in there. Well, I'm pretty sane as far as I can tell. Mostly, anyways. The Forest is named for the fact that most everything in it is black. A long time ago, a fire raged through the forest, leaving everything covered with jet black soot and ashes. The forest is protected by large trees that are packed closely together and because of this, hardly any wind gets through. With no wind, the ashes of the fire never blew away and instead stay where they are, coloring everything a deep black. I myself, have dressed accordingly, in long dark pants, a dark gray turtleneck, because of the biting cold, and my dark brown hunting boots, frayed from use.

I spot a squirrel nibbling on a blackened seed ahead. Immediately, I drop into my hunter's crouch. I glide silently on my hunters boots towards the squirrel. It seems to be totally oblivious to me. An easy catch, I think, drawing my bow in one smooth, fluid movement. Then, something crackles. The squirrel sits up, nose twitching, ears poised and quivering; it's whole body vibrating with the intention of moving. I tense, furious, and stare around desperately, trying to locate the noise. All of a sudden, the squirrel moves, in a flurry of brown and gray fur. I hiss, seething, and send an arrow after it, but it's no use. I already have a pretty good catch, but it's too heavy to take with me. I make a split second decision and then turn and race after the squirrel grabbing my arrow off the ground along the way.

There's no point in hiding anymore. My boots crunch on the leaf strewn floor as I race after the squirrel. I know it will climb a tree pretty soon. I'm surprised it hasn't already. Then, without breaking stride, it hurls itself up a nearby tree and disappears into the leaves. I won't take no for an answer though. I clamber up a neighboring tree, much less gracefully then the squirrel's quick movements, and peer through the branches into the squirrel's tree. And then I see it. A tiny scrap of brown and gray fur, hunched over on a branch. I can almost feel its small heart pounding desperately and then slowing when it realizes it's alone. Or thinks it's alone. I slowly draw my bow for the second time today, careful not to disturb any leaves. The arrow hisses through the air, so fast the squirrel doesn't even have time to be scared before the arrow finds its mark. A quick and painless death, which I almost envy. One thing is sure about my death. It will not be quick and painless.

The squirrel carcass falls through the tree and I watch as it slips over branches. Then, it gets stuck. I realize I've been holding my breath. I always do, when I let an arrow go. I exhale with a sigh and look at the body. There's no way I'm leaving it there. Not after all I've been through for it. One stupid, measly squirrel.

I sigh then study the body. It's close, not close enough to reach but maybe… I peer down at my long, limber legs and then balance myself precariously on my hands and one foot. My other foot I send questing into the next tree, reminding myself to be grateful of my long legs and the small spacing between trees. Finally, my foot feels a small, hot, furry body beneath it. With one quick thrust, I send the body tumbling down to the ground, with my arrow stuck in it. I watch for a moment, holding my breath and hoping that my arrow won't be crushed into the ground when it falls. I exhale in relief when the squirrel tumbles onto its other side. I shimmy down the tree with practiced ease and fall to the ground, five feet up. I measure incorrectly though and hit the ground harder than I expected, sending jarring force up my legs. I grimace and shake the pain off. I look around for my squirrel but I can't see it anymore. I frown and look around, moving some leaves about where the squirrel should have been. All of a sudden I notice a slight depression in the land, about the size and shape of the squirrel's body. The squirrel, however, is noticeably missing along with my arrow. Furious with the loss of the kill and my arrow, which I spent so long in perfecting with beautiful sooty black crow's feathers, so it wouldn't be obvious in the Dark Forest, and knowing someone must have stolen my squirrel while I scrambled down the tree, I glance around furtively, anger seeping off me. A set of footprints leads deeper into the forest.

I can't help but think that whoever it is must have made the sound that scared of the squirrel in the first place and feeling very protective of my kills, I race back and grab my other fresh kill, relieved to see that they at least, are here, and hide them, carefully concealed, wondering why the stranger didn't take these too.

I race back and hurry after the footprints, thinking to myself the whole time, All this, for one stupid squirrel.

LEESHA

I rush through the forest, moving lightly on my feet. One thing is certain. The thief will never know I'm there. At least, until my knife is at his throat.

I keep moving down the forest path. His footprints leave dents in the soil everywhere he moves and I can track him readily. Honestly! You'd think someone with the nerve to steal somebody else's hard earned squirrel could at least bother to learn how to hide his own footprints! A few miles and a zig zag path away and I see his campfire. He'll probably set the forest alight with that blaze! I can see my squirrel cooking over the fire. I lean down, hunger clawing at my belly. With an effort, I look away and see the thief. He's nothing but a boy! I snort contemptuously. He has a curious amulet around his neck that makes me wary but I refuse to back down now.

I cautiously approach him from behind and before he knows it I have a knife to his throat. He stiffens and starts to turn around but I hiss, "Move and you're dead." He gulps. His Adam's apple bobs up and down. "You stole my squirrel didn't you?" I accuse sternly. He shakes his head. "Don't lie!" I snarl. "I saw you!" This is a lie of course. He gulps. "All right, all right! I stole your stupid squirrel! Please don't kill me!" I laugh to myself.

All of a sudden he begins to mutter something. A chant or something in a language I don't know. All of a sudden the fire spreads and spreads and spreads. It attacks the trees and I gasp. "What did you do?" I look up. The boy slips away. I throw myself at him and we wrestle on the ground. He breaks free of my grip and runs helter skelter through the woods. I cough as the smoke wreaths around my face and grab my squirrel as I run after him.

All of a sudden, I'm furious! Before I know it, the boy is on the ground and I haven't even touched him. I gasp, startled.

After that, the details are blurry. I know I took his amulet. Something happened then, when I touched the amulet. The boy fled and the amulet seemed to suck something out of me. When I wake up I'm alone. The amulet is around my neck. I touch it cautiously but nothing happens. I feel a faint stir of power in it. Cautiously, I sit up. I feel fine. Better even. I remember my kills and the squirrel. The squirrel has fallen beside me and I touch it. It's cold to the touch by now. I shiver, wondering what time it is. It's impossible to tell in the Dark Forest.

I pick up the squirrel and go back to retrieve my kills.

That was the day I found my wizard powers. Since then, nothing's been the same.

JASON

I've known about my powers for some time. I'm not going to talk about it so butt out. I don't know who I am or what I am. If you can tell me, you're welcome. If you can't... then just butt out for Christ's sake! That's it. Don't expect some huge novel on how I found my wizard powers. It's not going to happen so deal with it.