My Sweet Saturday Sample is a morsel from my latest release, an epic fantasy romance, Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two. This is the second of a 5-part series.
Two characters who
confuse and challenge Lyra are the alchemists. Eburscon from the Alliance and
Tarom from the Dark Realm clearly dislike each other, but leave Lyra wondering
if they are her allies or foes. In Heritage
Avenged, Eburscon steps up to instruct her in the basics of alchemy that
help Lyra understand her scribal inheritance. It also shows her exactly why
others covet her aura, including him. This shocks Lyra since, as a member of
the Alliance, he is sworn to protect her. This sample illustrates his haughty dark side during their lesson.
“Surprising you are so knowledgeable,” he
scoffed. “Continuing…the active energy of life, the niter, operates through the
elements of fire and air. The passive celestial salt energies take forms of
water and earth.”
“Like the four Guardians?”
“Yes, that is the fundamental principle of
the arrangement of energy in the Alliance.” He scowled. “I will continue where
I left off prior to your interruption. Water and earth are equated with the
force of prana, vital energy carried by the air we breathe and the food we eat.
A bridge exists between those water and earth elements of the material world to
the high energy sulfurous world of fire and air elements—that is spirit. As all
Scribes, you are governed by a fire sign, the most active energy, modulated by
high amounts of sulfur, the principle of the soul. Therefore, your inner life
force is vast. The power of your soul extends far beyond your body, into future
generations, exactly how Brigid’s force of scribal fire extended into you—a
rare and enviable inheritance.”
Lyra’s mouth dropped open. Much as she
disliked this man, he did answer one of her biggest questions—how she inherited
such a powerful magic aura and how she was selected before her birth to become
the next Scribe. She also now understood why the Imperial Dragon kept this vile
man as a member of his High Council; he possessed incredible knowledge.
He waved her to one end of the bench. “Here
you see an alchemical inspissation taking place in this system, beginning in
this alembric flask. Liquids are heated at the bottom of the flask, and
vaporize into the upper tube where they condense before channeling into the
long spout. This particular solvent has required months of preparation
following the moon’s phases in to conduct specific procedures.”
Lyra inspected the liquid remaining in the
original flask. Clear, like water, but probably not. She stepped along,
following the connecting tubes and glass cylinders.
“The
solvent is completing as I speak, and I might add, in a timely fashion for your
visit. Your personal fire is so volatile, so unbalanced, you can easily suffer
from impatience and unrest. I have repeatedly sensed that in your manner. Your
soul unbalances those around you; Sire Drake’s predictory powers are limited in
your presence. I assume you’ve noticed this.” The alchemist pointed his chin in
Cullen’s direction to draw her attention.
Stunned to learn there was a chemical
explanation for that problem, she stared at Cullen. She thought it had been the
disorienting effects of love affecting Cullen. But now she wondered if love
even existed in this strange world. Or was everything here merely a system of
energies moving in and out of balance? Her head spun.
With a couple swift steps to the library
table, Eburscon picked up a mug from the library table and returned to the
bench. He placed the cup under the dropper end of the collecting tube and
opened the stopcock. After a few tablespoons of the liquid dispensed, he handed
her the sample. “This will mitigate your extreme sulfurous nature and calm your
nerves. Sire Drake will also benefit, his full power restored. Drink it. I’ve
spent months preparing it. Swirl it around first to activate the energies.”
His logic seemed convincing to Lyra. She
twirled the bottom of the mug, watching the dark liquid spin. The circular
motion seemed hypnotic. She fought against its pull, drawing her inner fire
into her mind.
Cullen took hold of his staff, twisted it
slightly, and spoke a conveyed thought to Lyra. Don’t drink it! Do not chance anything on my account. He isn’t to be
trusted.
His first words shocked her from the mental
hold. While she listened, her hand stopped moving. She looked into the mug, and
in the still liquid floated tiny silver spheres, just like she created in a lab
when she took chemistry. Shiny, metallic balls of deadly mercury!
Lyra McCauley receives an alarming letter from the coroner
who evaluated her deceased aunt, originally thought to have died of cancer. The
news causes Lyra to take leave from her job and travel from sunny Tampa to the
frozen island community in northern Michigan. Questioning whether Dragonspeir
magic was responsible for her aunt’s death, she resolves to learn the truth and
accepts the Imperial Dragon’s appointment into the Alliance sorcery training.
Additionally, becoming proficient in magic craft is the only
way she can bridge the gap between her mortal human world and her lover’s.
Cullen, a 220-year-old wizard, is dependent upon his Dragonspeir magic for
immortality. He is her only family now; she cannot lose him.
Evil forces block her and try to steal her inherited scribal
aura. Riding a stealth dragon, a cloaked rider pursues Lyra. Both the Alliance
and Dark Realm alchemists lay tricks and traps. Her aura equals that of the
first and most powerful Scribe, but will Lyra’s novice training allow her to discover
the truth…and find a life with Cullen? Or will the
Dark Realm keep them apart?
About the series~
About the series~
The Enchanted Bookstore Legends
are about Lyra McCauley, a woman destined to become one of five strong women in
her family who possess unique magical abilities and serve as Scribes in
Dragonspeir. The Scribes span a long history, dating from 1200 to present day.
Each Scribe is expected to journey through Dragonspeir, both the good and evil
factions, then draft a written account. Each book contains magic with vast
implications.
Lyra was first introduced to
Dragonspeir as a young girl, when she met the high sorcerer, Cullen Drake,
through a gift of one of those enchanted books. Using its magic, he escorted
her into the parallel world of Dragonspeir. Years later, she lost that volume
and forgot the world and Cullen. These legends begin where he finds her again—she
is thirty-five, standing in his enchanted bookstore, and Dragonspeir needs her.
When Lyra reopens that enchanted
book, she confronts a series of quests where she is expected to save the good
Alliance from destruction by the evil Black Dragon. While learning
about her role, Lyra and Cullen fall in love. He is 220 years old and kept
alive by Dragonspeir magic. Cullen will die if Dragonspeir is taken over by the
evil faction…Lyra becomes the Scribe.
I'm
looking forward to seeing what sweets some of my fellow authors on this hop
will serve. Be sure to check them out on the main blog page for Sweet Saturday
Samples.
6 comments:
You had me hooked right from the beginning and the ending opens up many questions
I really need to do a more in-depth study of fantasy, because I can't even begin to pronounce all these names!
Lindsay, Eburscon certainly leaves Lyra with many questions too. He's quite a complex character.
Sandra, alchemists do seem to have their own language!
I was surprised to learn that Lyra was 35 years old. In the excerpt, I read her as younger. But then, I'm not familiar with your series.
I enjoyed Eburscon immensely. What a convincing snake he is!
--Kimberly K. Comeau
Yikes! It's a good thing she was able to receive that warning. Good cliffhanger.
That alchemist is far from done trying to kill Lyra for her amazing aura, but she managed to avoid him that time! Thanks, Sandy.
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