My Sweet
Saturday Sample is a morsel from my latest release, an epic fantasy romance, Lost Volumes: Enchanted
Bookstore Legend Three. This is the third of a 5-part series.
Available at Amazon.
Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three
About the series~
In this scene, Lyra and Cullen are in the mysterious, underground world of Terza. They are there in search of a cure for a deadly black magic plague that is affecting the residents of the Alliance where Cullen lives. Along the way, a witch and her son save the couple from a being eaten by a horrible scorpent monster. They also help Lyra and Cullen find that cure...both at a price.
“How long will
it take you to make the potion?” Lyra asked. “We’re in a hurry to save sick
people.”
“We start now. I
think only a short while. They suffer from the Sanguinous Low Pestilence, a
quick killer. Since I last concocted this, was a long time.”
The big black
bird sprang back to life and sailed around the room screeching, “Caw! Caw!”
Busy at a work
table, Mrinx didn’t take time to silence it. Instead, Lesot held out an arm
where the bird took a quiet perch on his shoulder.
“I don’t
remember this potion,” Lesot said.
“You were jest a
child. Here, grind these dried trochent eyes.” She handed him a stock jar of
shriveled eyeballs, and her pendant figures passed a mortar and pestle.
The bird tipped
its head down low, its tail jerking wildly to maintain balance while watching
the procedures.
Mrinx paused and
opened a large, worn leather-bound grimoire. “Spectaculae en hastium!”
One of her
pendants flew up, carrying reading glasses to her nose.
She snatched the
pair and parted the wads of her frizzy hair to wind the curved earpieces into
place. “Pinch of mettlehammer.” After collecting a bottle from the wall
shelves, she added the ingredient and returned to the spell book. “Chattle
piss—one squiff. Rant, if you don’t mind.”
The bird hopped
down Lesot’s outstretched arm and hovered at the edge of the cauldron. It
lifted its tail and contributed to the brew. The steam rising to its feathers
made the bird wobble. Once it regained some balance, it flew back to a safer
position at the far end of the table near Lyra and Cullen, greeting them with
another screech.
Glancing behind
her to make sure no roaming hands or wings reached for her from the walls, Lyra
backed away from the intimidating bird.
“Rant, manners
with our guests,” Lesot reprimanded.
Cullen moved
beside Lyra and whispered into her ear, “None of the people we’ve met here seem
to recognize where we’re from by our dress. But, these two know our land by
name. You may have given away too much.”
“It’s a chance I
had to take. People are dying. I’ll accept responsibility for my mistakes.”
He squeezed her
hand. Although he didn’t send any hidden thought, she understood his gesture.
Mrinx selected
an amulet and another jar from the wall. “Lyra, since you gave a generous trade
offer, I’ll include another level of magic. This striated obsidian dust will
protect all your folk from catching any future dark illness.”
“Strong stuff.”
Her son nodded. “The source of Malificate power.”
”Thank you very
much,” Lyra said, leaning around the cackling bird to watch the special substance
being added. Black powder glittered like sequins in the candlelight. When it
contacted the liquid, the mixture bubbled to the rim of the cauldron and rose
in a sparkling vapor.
“Quick! Bring
hands over the pot to take in the magic,” Mrinx urged her guests, with a wave
of her arm. “Like this.” She rubbed her hand together as though washing in the
steam. “Will help protect you from dark spells for the short.”
Lyra cautiously
slipped one hand into the mist. “Oh!” She jerked her arm back.
Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three
When Lyra McCauley learns residents of Dragonspeir’s
Alliance are suffering with a deadly plague, she doesn’t heed the warnings of
her fiancé, wizard Cullen Drake, to remain safe in her human world. After all,
she’s the present Scribe—one of five strong women in her ancestry who possessed
unique magic, each destined to protect the Alliance against the evil Black
Dragon of the Dark Realm. With Cullen dependent upon Alliance power to maintain
his immortality, the stakes are doubled for Lyra.
She leaves her college teaching and puts herself at risk for
the community afflicted by black magic. To find a cure, she and Cullen travel
into the vile, lawless underworld of Terza to strike a bargain with an expert.
Their efforts further enrage the Black Dragon, vowing to decimate the Alliance
and avenge the murder of his heir.
Lyra must secure the three lost volumes of the Book of Dragonspeir. Written by the
three earliest Scribes, each book contains energy. Possession of the entire set
will enable overthrow of the Dark Realm. Following clues into dangerous lands,
Lyra and Cullen seek those volumes. His assistants, Kenzo the tiger owl and
Noba the pseudodragon, prove invaluable aids. Only if they succeed, will the
Alliance be safe and Lyra reach closer to the immortality she needs to live a
life with Cullen.
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.
3 comments:
You carried me right into this scene :-)
Wonderful world building.
Thanks lots for your kind comments.
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