Every year, the five kingdoms send their finest magic users to the Ink Academy to learn the sacred art of ink manipulation and create intricate tattoos of great power.

Ry knows this because he sits in their classrooms, his inkless condition so awful even the vachi, tiny flying lizards attracted to the ink, can't stand to come near him. His grey eyes mark him a Repeller, and his only value to society is keeping the vachi away from his betters.

Ironically, Ry's only friend, Thelt, is one of these vachi. For as long as Ry can remember, he and Thelt could speak to each other without talking. A secret no one else knows.

Ry didn't think his job could get any worse until speaking his mind during a class caught the ire of an important student who punishes Ry for stating the truth. Ry's brush with death awakens a power inside himself, but before he can explore it, Thelt lands in a deathly situation of his own.

Determined to save Thelt at any cost, Ry makes matters worse, starting a chain of events that could destroy himself, Thelt, and every Repeller in the city.

To fix this catastrophe Ry must find allies, explore his new terrible abilities, and face the secrets and lies of his parents.

Opposing Ry are the keepers of an ancient wrong that shackles Ry and his people. These guardians of oppression are intent on a single task: killing Ry.

If Ry, and everyone he loves, are to survive, he must embrace the dreadful power growing within him and accept the mantle of the Grey Warden.

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Author's Note: This book was a passion project created for my children before I started the Divine Apostasy series. It has a younger MC and a simple, straightforward plot. It is suitable for young readers but enjoyable by adults.

AFK