The Grimoire of Kings - E-Book

In a world where dragons and magic collide, one reluctant hero will discover his true destiny.

Tyler Wilson's ordinary life is shattered when he's suddenly transported to the realm of Bramoria - a land of epic battles, powerful wizards, and fearsome dragons.

As war looms on the horizon, Tyler finds himself caught in the crossfire with abilities he never knew he possessed.

Torn between two worlds and grappling with his own identity, Tyler must navigate treacherous alliances, master ancient magics, and confront the dragons that threaten to destroy everything.

With pulse-pounding action, heartfelt romance, and a richly imagined fantasy world, this thrilling portal adventure will keep you spellbound until the very last page.

Chapter One:
Tyler Wilson was doodling in the corners of his notebook, completely ignoring the droning, raspy voice of his social studies teacher. It was the last day of school and he'd be damned if he was going to spend any more time listening to what that old duff had to say. Besides, who the hell cared about another war? They were all the same, lots of dead people for no good reason except to claim land, oil, or dominance.
“Mr. Wilson,” the teacher called in his condescending tone across the quiet classroom. “I don’t care if it’s your last day. This isn’t art class. Put it away.”
Tyler looked up from his notebook, ready to argue. He’d put up with the bullshit for long enough. As he opened his mouth to retort, the shrill clattering of the school bell interrupted him. The shuffling of chairs and feet filled the room as everyone headed out into the hallway and Tyler realized he’d missed his last chance to tell off that stubborn old asshole. He shook his head. It was probably for the better, anyway. His mom wouldn’t like it if he got in trouble, even if it was his last day. If he couldn’t walk at graduation, she’d be heartbroken.
The bell was the final of the day and the last of his high school ‘career’, as his teachers liked to call it. While they liked to use professional terms to make public school sound more important than it was, he preferred the term ‘federally mandated boredom’. It had been years since he felt challenged in his classes and had therefore lost all interest in them. Most of the time, he was mulling over new ways to improve the video game he was building, doodling designs and maps in lieu of note taking. Even though he was bored with school and ready to be done for good, he wasn’t looking forward to college and the challenges it would bring. Leaving home and the world he’d always known was a terrifying thought and one he really didn’t want to pursue. That and there was so much he didn’t know about himself yet, like what he wanted to do with his life. He wasn’t sure if going to college was really a good idea for him. At least not yet.
According to his mom, however, he didn’t have a choice. As he walked down the hall, he glanced at the edge of a letter peeking out from the pages of his notebook and felt the unease swell in his chest. It had come in the mail three weeks ago and he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to keep it a secret, especially from his mother.
Tyler stepped up to his locker, reaching out a hand to grab the handle, but stopped halfway. There was a condom slipped over the lock.
“Ew…” he said under his breath.
For some reason, the senior jocks didn’t understand that senior pranks only lasted for one or two days, not every single day of the year. With the corner of his notebook, he worked the floppy piece of latex off the handle. Pulling his hoodie sleeve over his hand, he lifted the lock, trying to avoid the greasy lube smeared over the metal. His locker was mostly empty, cleaned out the days before to make his last day as quick and easy as possible. He slipped the notebook and the few remaining items into his bag, pulled it over his shoulder, and slammed the door shut for the last time.
“Hey dickhead!” a boy shouted to his right, nearly causing him to jump out of his skin.
“Hi Clay…” Tyler sighed, a hand placed over his chest in fright.
“Glad to be out of this hellhole once and for all?” Clay grinned, leaning his shoulder against the lockers with his arms crossed. He always had that cocky smile on his face.
“We still have to come back for graduation.”
“You’re coming back for that shit?” Clay scoffed, lifting an eyebrow.
“You know how my mom is. She’s gotta have photos and souvenirs for every menial task I accomplish.”
“Must be nice. My old man couldn’t give a fuck less,” Clay replied, turning his gaze away.
Tyler saw his expression shift to one of envy, but it was quickly driven out of his mind by a mark peeking out from under Clay’s collar.
“What’s that?” Tyler asked, pulling the neck of Clay’s shirt aside to reveal a deep purple bruise across his clavicle.
“Nothin’,” Clay lied, taking a step back.
Tyler reached out again. “Is it broken?”
“I said leave it alone,” Clay batting his hand away.
Placing a hand on Clay’s opposite shoulder, Tyler lowered his voice. “Again? Are you okay?”
“It’s not a big deal–”
“Yeah, it is!”
Clay laughed. “Yeah? Well, you’re the only one that seems to give a shit.” He raised his voice. “Nobody around here gives a flying fuck! Especially the teachers!”
Tyler didn’t break eye contact. “You need to get out of there,” he said seriously. “You’re eighteen now. Get a job and get the hell out. Come live with me if you have to.”
Clay cast his eyes downward and ran a hand through his dark hair. He always did that when Tyler got serious with him.
“Dude, believe me, if there was a way to get out of here, I’d do it and spend the rest of my life doing everything I could to never come back. But nobody our age can afford to live on their own, you know that.” He shifted nervously. “I appreciate the offer, but my dad would come looking for me. He always does. I don’t want to bring trouble to your place. Besides, it’s not like I can keep living there after you go to college.”
“Then come to school with me! I could use the company and it’ll get you away from all this,” Tyler replied, gesturing to the bruise on his neck. Having Clay at his side would make the transition to college much easier and it would be good for him. “Give yourself a fresh start!”
“Right, sure,” he chuckled. “I’m sure they’ll take a fuck up like me at your fancy school, especially on short notice.”
Nobody, especially the teachers, believed Clay was a smart guy. But Tyler knew better. Clay had read more books in the past four years than most people read in a lifetime. He knew something about everything and what he didn’t know, he’d learn in a matter of hours. However, his favorite genre was fantasy, an obsession that they shared. It wasn’t uncommon for him to blaze through a thousand pages every couple of days, especially when his father was on another drunken tirade. Tyler knew it was a form of escapism and he couldn’t blame Clay, not with the kind of home life he had. His grades and manner of speaking didn’t reflect his intelligence, but then again, who had time for tests when you’re worried about having your arm broken again because your dad had a bad shift at work? Clay had other things to focus on.
“Maybe I didn’t get in,” Tyler replied with a shrug. “Maybe I don’t want to go.”
Clay looked back up at him, a smile spread across his face. “Yeah right. I’m sure they looked at your four-point GPA and decided you weren’t smart enough.”
“It’s a public university, Clay. They’ll let almost anyone in as long as they can get you to sign the loan paperwork.”
Clay pulled away and Tyler knew he was finished with the topic. So much for taking a buddy to school with him.
“Any big plans for the summer?” Clay asked, crossing his arms again and leaning against the lockers. “Drugs? Girls? Boys? Maybe a sudden fascination with knitting? Hell, maybe you’ll even start to exercise a little. This teenager's metabolism isn’t gonna keep you skinny forever.”
Tyler sighed. Clay always liked to bully him when he was feeling too exposed. “No, not really. I’m just working on that game and getting ready to leave, I guess.”
“Ah-ha! I knew you got in,” Clay smiled, punching him in the shoulder. “Well, since you aren’t doing anything productive this summer, we should probably hang out as much as possible before you leave. It’s our last summer, after all, we gotta make the most of it.” He glanced around the hallway, making sure nobody was nearby. “Maybe we can start a cult or something? Take over a small country? That would be pretty fun.”
Tyler ignored those last comments. “You know you can come over at any time. My mother, for some unknown reason, loves you to pieces.”
“Your mom is pretty hot…”
“I swear to god, Clay.”
“Don’t swear on stuff you don't believe in,” he chuckled, lifting an eyebrow. “It’s not my fault your mom is single and attractive.”
“Maybe I’ll just go to school now, so I don’t have to listen to any more of this,” Tyler huffed. “Seems it would make both you and my mom happy to have me out of the house for good. Obviously, I’m not wanted.”
Clay wrapped his arm around Tyler's shoulders, leading him toward the exit. “First of all, I’m charming as fuck, so your mom wouldn’t stand a chance if you were gone. Second, you know I love you, dude. And third, quit being such a pussy. It’s just college. Just think of all the chicks you’ll get to bang between classes.”
Tyler shook his head. Clay didn’t understand. “Right…”
Together, they walked out of the school and across the parking lot to Tyler’s rusted SUV. Pulling the driver's door open, he tossed his bag into the backseat. Clay climbed in the passenger side without warning and kicked his feet up on the dash.