BLURB:
Born under a dark moon, Norna has to battle rumors that she is tainted by evil and unworthy of being anything more than a servant. Discarded by her mother, she runs away from her aunt, a priestess who wants her to enter the temple.
Instead, Norna chooses to be a Healwoman, and a chance encounter with a novice hoping to be a priest helps her discover she has talents of water, air and fire at her disposal. With these gifts she is called on to battle treachery and attempts to prevent the promised prophecy of the god and goddess. As she battles evil powers, she loses her heart to Shandor, the man she met when her journey first began. She must come to grips with Britha who plots against her. Shandor has his own enemy Vorgan. When the pair of foes unite, the battles begin.
EXCERPT:
She slipped into the
hall. Eternal torches set in brackets
along the walls softened the deep shadows.
She crept toward the stairs. When
she heard her mother’s voice, she pressed against a door.
“Leave me
alone. I won’t drink your vile brew.”
“Will you allow me
to train Norna as my successor?”
“A drab nursed
her. A drab raised her. A drab I have named her and as one, she will
remain.” The frost in Bodlesa’s voice
chilled Norna.
“What if Midra wants
her? The signs in the cup were
strange. Four colors, followed by
red. That is the color of this nome.”
Bodlesa’s wild
laughter made Norna shiver. “And the
color of death and war. Has the goddess
marked her? When I dragged her to the
baths before we left the megara, her skin was unmarked. She is mine to give or hold. She will have no high place in the temple or
the megara. As one doubly misbegotten,
she must pay for the life the Healwoman gave to her.”
“Will you return to
the megara and willingly take Prasutus to your bed and produce the daughters
who are needed?”
“You ask too much.”
“Until you agree,
the cell will be your home.” The iron in
Ulrica’s voice made Norna ease away.
“Dear sister, your will is strong, but mine is as firm as the surface on
the roads throughout the nomes. Hold her
while she drinks.”
Norna fled along the
shadowy hall and returned to her cot.
Tears flowed down her cheeks.
What could she do? Twice
misbegotten. A drab she’d been
named. She couldn’t accept that
fate. She had to escape and find a
refuge. Would the Healwoman give shelter
to someone like her?
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4 comments:
Very compelling.
So sad. Heartbreaking.
Intriguing, even this sad. Great snippet.
Compelling but so sad. What a choice. Enjoyed the snippet! Thanks for sharing!
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