For the first time in the three years that I have been hosting authors on my site, I finally had one not return their information in time. So today, I decided I would be the featured author and share an excerpt from Destiny, the third book in my The Elemental trilogy. If you are an author and interested in being featured, please contact me.
Excerpt
Selda delighted in just holding the scepter in her hand. She caressed it as one might caress a lover. She couldn’t believe she was finally holding the instrument that would restore her magic. Movement outside the window caused her to turn. It was the red dragon, Kset, gorging on a horse. She shuddered at the sight. The abandoned farm was not her choice of places to stay, though it did provide food for the dragon. She had been all for letting him go, but Slade seemed attached to the creature. She glanced at her brother and then back at the scepter.
“How do we use it?” she asked her voice breathless.
Slade held out his hand, and she reluctantly gave up the scepter. “I don’t know,” he said turning it over in his hand. “I guess we should give it a try.”
“How?”
“Well it reveals magic. I have an amulet made by a Learner. The amulet was designed to track the wearer. We can test it on that.” He looked at her. “Of course we still need the sword.”
“We will need to find out where Val is.”
“I can use the spell Ben Dar used to track Lina.”
“We don’t need her. We need Val.”
“From what you have said, I figure they will be together,” he said as he opened his book and flipped a few pages.
Selda reached into the bag at Slade’s feet. She pulled out the book she had given to him. She opened it to a marked page. “Use this one.”
Slade read it and smiled. “Perfect.”
Selda quickly fetched a bowl and filled it with water from the pitcher on the counter. Slade leaned over the bowl, murmuring the spell softly. Selda watched him with a mixture of appreciation that he was helping her and a bit of indignation at the fact he could do magic while she couldn’t. That fact burned inside her as she watched the colors swirl in the water. A picture began to form. Selda took in the campsite that was clearly in the process of being broken down. She saw Val carrying a pack over to the black dragon. He fitted it on the beast’s back and then turned and took something from Lina. The two shared a smile. Selda pushed the bowl away. Water splashed onto the table as the image disappeared.
Slade looked at her with an amused smile on his face. “They aren’t in Harmony anymore,” he said. “Or Zena for that matter with all those trees in the background.”
Selda began to pace. “Where do you think they are?”
“They could be in Carna still looking for me.” But before she could say anything, he shook his head. “No,” he said, waving his hand to dismiss what he had just suggested. “Didn’t look like Carna. The trees were not quite right.”
“That would then put them in Altron. Where would they be going?”
Slade shrugged. “At least they will be closer to us when we are ready to get his sword. But enough of this. Let’s try the scepter.”
He walked over to his pack and fished out a tarnished silver amulet. A yellow stone set in the center of a delicate looking design. It hung from a simple silver chain. Slade set it on the table beside the bowl. He picked up the scepter and waved it above the amulet. Nothing happened. Slade lightly tapped the scepter to the amulet. Again, nothing happened.
Slade picked up the amulet. “I feel its power. But the scepter made no indication of it.”
“Try releasing its power.”
Slade looked at her. “I don’t want to destroy it.”
Selda laughed. “I know you like the amulet, but we need to make sure the scepter works.”
Slade waved the scepter over the amulet in his hand. His face was tight with concentration as he again tapped the scepter to the amulet.
“Maybe there are some words you need to speak to invoke the scepter’s power,” she suggested.
Slade sat down the amulet and scepter. He picked up the book that had led them to the scepter. “Nothing in here about how to use it.” He looked around the room. “Perhaps we should try it on something else.”
Selda sighed. “Like what?”
“I don’t know. Something else magical.”
“Create something,” she suggested as she picked up the scepter. “Or use it on the dragon; it’s a creature of magic.” Slade’s outraged look caused her to laugh.
“We are not using the scepter on the dragon,” he said as he opened his spell book. “If you want to try it on a creature of magic, I can do that.” He flipped through the pages, stopping on one. “Here we go.”
As Slade began to work, Selda turned the scepter over in her hands, wishing she knew how it worked and wishing she already had her powers back so she could hunt down Lina. She would make her pay for everything. But not before she took The Elemental’s powers.
Book Description
Destroying Quietus should have stopped the destruction to the Land. But it hadn’t. Slowly, the barren areas continue to grow destroying everything in their path. None of Lina’s Elemental powers can repair the damage while the Land remains contaminated by magic.
But there is an ancient scepter created by a Learner that they believe will lift this magical barrier. Before Lina can claim it, the scepter is stolen. Now Lina and Val must race to find the scepter and end the destruction to the Land once and for all.
You can purchase Destiny for $.2.99 at Amazon, Smashwords or anywhere e-books are sold.
Into Another World 