This is the third book of a trilogy. Excerpt is PG but the book is spicy. Join me with a group of authors blog-hopping to show you our books. Visit here to find all. http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com
Blurb:
Lorana, sold by her father to the slavers, resides in the harem in the citadel of the wizards. Her desire is to escape before she is given as a reward to one of the two wizard trainees who are competing for a spot on the council. She knows how to brew a cordial from firethorn berries and a poison from the thorns. When Arton, one of the young men is poisoned by the thorns she must care for him. She feels an attraction to him but she must escape. One night she hears the voice of a dragon. She thought the wizards had destroyed all the dragons on this side of the mountains. When the wizards leave to collect men to sell to the slavers, she takes the opportunity to escape with few supplies and a determination to reach the dragon.
Arton is a fledgling wizard and is about to be tested for the council. His mentor has died. His mentor wasn’t his father. The wizard purchased Arton from the slavers years ago. The present chief wizard would like to thwart Arton’s quest because he wants his son and trainee to join the council. Arton and his rival are evenly matched. The escape of Lorana becomes a quest. Which of the young wizards returns her to the citadel will win the competition and gain her as a reward. Cregan the rival decides to search on the desert. Arton chooses the hills. Because of Lorana’s care of him when he was poisoned he is attracted to her and he still craves a seat on the council.
Can Arton find Lorana first and will he make her a prisoner or allow her to remain free?
Excerpt:
High gray stone walls surrounded the citadel. The ones around
the hareem courtyard where the women spent most of their days were lower. A
chill rippled along her spine causing Lorana raised her head to appraise the
danger. She glanced at the grilled gate separating the women’s area from the
outer courtyard. A burly man leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.
Lust radiated from his stare. Moments alter an austere figure joined the first
man. Mecador, chief wizard’s sly smile added to her discomfort.
Lorana’s hands clenched. She vowed to find an escape
before the day she was destined as a reward for one to the two young men
competing for the vacant spot on the wizard’s council.
She had made the same promise since the day her father had
sold her to the wizards of Fyre. For four years she had hoped for a way to
escape these evil men. She couldn’t wait much longer. Last evening Hag Mother
had told her the two senior fledglings would soon fight for the vacant council
seat.
A third man entered the outer court and stood at a
distance from the staring pair. For some reason the tall trainee failed to
cause her as much alarm. From the gossip among the women the husky man had the
favor of Mecador. No matter. She had no desire to remain as a prisoner to be
owned by a wizard and used as the man willed.
Lorana’s hands clenched. Resentment churned her gut. She
hated her position in life. Not forever, she vowed and walked to the work area.
She poured several cups of dried fyrethorn berries into a
mortar. She slid the pestle over the surface crushing the berries to a powder
to be added to the bubbling cauldron over the first fire. The result would be a
cordial.
The acrid aroma of brewing fyrethorn poison rose from a
kettle in a spiraling stream. Lorana hated working with the death-bringing
liquid. The wizards sold the poison and the cordial to the slavers for
supplies. They also sold captured desert clansmen. Her hands tightened on the
pestle and grounded the berries to dust.
She added the powder to a simmering pot and stirred. A
hand with long slender fingers grasped her shoulder. She stiffened. The chief
wizard turned her to face him. The stirring stick clattered on the stones. Her
eyes met the cruel cold gaze of Mecador, often called Supreme.
“I’m pleased to see you hard at work. You always seem to
be busy not like these other creatures.” He indicated the women seated in
clusters in the courtyard.
She kept her gaze steady. “Keeping busy makes the days
pass.”
He chuckled. “See that you remember your place.”
His oily voice made her want to look away. She dare not.
To do so would court punishment something she had avoided since her first year
here. “I do what I’m told.”
His smile raised her to near panic. He stroked her face
with a finger. She fought to control her racing emotions. Fear galloped like a
runaway burden beast. This man savored fear. She hoped to hide the revulsion
she felt.
“So my dear, I hope you’ve made enough poison. The traders
find it useful during their travels. If the jugs fetch prime goods I’ll bring
you a special gift.” His hand touched her chest.
Lorana willed herself not to flinch. “There are pour jugs
of poison. The fifth is cooking. There will be three of the cordials.”
“Not enough. We need six of the poison and four cordials. If
you can’t fulfill our needs you will be beaten.” He pointed to a woman tied to
the cross. “Like her.”
“There are sufficient berries for the cordial but more
thorns are needed. They should be picked before they fall for they have more potency
and fewer are needed to make the poison.” She stared into his eyes. “I could
leave the hareem and gather them.”
His eyes hardened. “The tangle is no place for any woman,
especially one soon to be claimed.” His gaze caressed her body. “You’ll be a
tasty morsel. The young wizards who are competing for a seat on the council
will be glad to become your master. Which one do you prefer?”
She wanted to say she had no desire for either man. “The
choice isn’t mine to make.” His laughter reminded her of the cry of a carrion
crow, the huge black birds she’d seen at home hovering over dead animals.
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6 comments:
Gorgeous cover and I love the premise and excerpt. xx
You make his laugh sound creepy without ever saying creepy. Nice!
I do not envy her one bit. She needs to get out of there--NOW! Wonderful snippet, Janet.
You can feel her desire to escape and the wizard is horrid. Great excerpt! I hope she gets back at her father for selling her.
Not enough poison, eh? What a thorny dilemma.
Note to self: Always pack extra poison!
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