BLURB:
The four teens, led by the mysterious birds they believe are their parents seek a place of safety where they can learn to control their affinities. They find a place of refuge with Doma Jandia, grandmother of their friend Zand. The doma plans to take them to the highlands but news of the capture of two of their friends by Dom Senet, sends them on a rescue mission. Their powers are not strong enough to defeat the evil dom. They must find a way to succeed or their friends will be corrupted forever.
Excerpt:
Alizand prowled about his bed chamber. He paused beside the window and pushed the
heavy draperies aside. Another day of
confinement. Since the day his
step-brothers had invaded the suite, forcing Alizand to reveal his affinity for
Fire, he’d been a prisoner.
At least the guards at the door believed he
couldn’t leave. They didn’t know about
the hidden sections and the secret rooms and passages to be found beyond the
walls. Though Alizand could slip away,
he should wait until night lest his room be checked. Dom Senet often made random visits during the
day. Only when Alizand’s personal guard
appeared could he escape these chambers. The corridors and places he could go
had to be kept secret.
He was bored. He even missed the tedious lessons he’d been
given by the clan elders during the short time he’d been acknowledged as his
father’s heir. Having his affinity
exposed had ended the dream of being deemed fit to become a prince. No one who could use one or all of the
elements could rule the princedom of Wesren.
He stared at the tray on the table. A maidservant had delivered the food a short
time before. Though he had eaten nothing
since yesterday’s midday meal, he had no desire to break his fast.
The back of Alizand’s neck prickled. Trouble approached. Which of the many enemies he’d collected in
his fourteen years of life came to upset his day?
The door opened. Before the guard could announce the visitor,
a tall man entered. His ash blond hair
hung in a single braid. Black leather
riding clothes gleamed in the light from candles set in glass-shielded sconces
on the wall. His dark green eyes sought
and held Alizand’s gaze.
A smile appeared on Dom Senet’s face. Alizand felt like a tabby surrounded by a
pack of ratis. He forced himself to
breathe. How could one man raise such a
high degree of terror? Though Alizand’s
legs felt unsteady, he forced himself to remain on his feet.
“Dom Senet.” A sense of pride filled Alizand’s
thoughts. His voice hadn’t cracked or
risen to a high pitch to reveal his inner quaking.
The dom stroked the multi-colored gem he
wore about his neck. The gold chain
glinted. “I have questions for you to
answer.”
Questions, Alizand thought. What kind of trick was this? He couldn’t relax his barriers or forget his
suspicions of the dom. Was this a new
way to fool him into becoming the dom’s puppet?
Alizand needed to respond. To
remain silent would expose his fear.
“What do you want to know?”
“About your kin, the children of your
father’s step-brother. I have a great
need to find them. Poor lost children
who need a home and a guardian.”
Alizand’s hands clenched. His friends had saved his life when he’d been
injured in the aftermath of the destruction of the henge. With them, he’d been Zand, a person and not a
creature to be used. “I don’t know where
they are. I told my father I didn’t and
I say the same to you.”
“I think otherwise.” The dom moved closer.
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so menacing... great hook!
ReplyDeleteI like the way you've portrayed Dom Senet. Villains are not always ugly. Indeed, when they are attractive they're much more dangerous... hard to resist.
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