This week I have a new release Spell of Darkness, Tales of the Underlight 3 short story. It’s set in the world of my Andovia Chronicles. You can get it here on Amazon and read an excerpt below.
Track down a killer. Stop a convicted murderer. Get back to normal? Not if your name is Novia.
Novia is done with all the excitement and ready to enjoy some nice, quiet time with her sisters. Unfortunately, life has other plans for her – the kind of plans that could end in murder.
Those who helped the killer escape aren’t ready to move on yet. They are out for blood. Specifically, they want Novia and her sisters dead. As long as they’re around, no one on the island is safe.
Novia is in an unenviable position. She can risk everyone’s life by staying or she can leave to secure their safety. Before she makes her decision, a seer warns her about impending darkness.
That forces her to flee and search through the fragments of the life she can’t remember to find answers about who they are and who wants them dead.
Excerpt
A black-robed man swung the sword at Novia. Not the way she had expected her morning walk around Glenfel Island to start before she attended her duties at the prison.
Novia didn’t have any weapons of her own, aside from her magic. She used her speed and blurred out of the way as the man came at her again.
She grabbed a sword from one of the men and pointed the tip of the blade at his throat. “Who are you and why are you here?”
Another man crept up behind her and grabbed her arm. Novia yelped and moved out of his reach.
Novia hit him with her magic, too.
The first man threw a bolt of energy at her. She winced as it struck her shoulder.
Enough was enough.
She raised her hands and let her power flow free. As a mind whisperer, she could not only hear his thoughts, but influence them as well. Power impacted the air like thunder without sound and sent leaves blasting through the air.
“Who are you?” she asked the stunned men.
Both men stood dazed as her power took hold of them. Novia reached into their minds and found a wall of resistance.
Oh no.
“We’re immune to your parlour tricks, girl.”
Parlour tricks? Ha.
“You can’t kill me either.” She kept out of their range.
The second man threw a crystal on the ground. Both he and his companion retreated behind a tree. That couldn’t be good.
Novia didn’t have time to wonder what it might be. Energy exploded from the crystal and sent her crashing back to the ground. She clutched her head. Her skull throbbed and an intense ringing sound tore through her ears.
Good gods, what was that?
The two men advanced towards her, blades drawn.
She knew she should use her magic again, but she couldn’t focus as the ringing sound grew more intense.
A white owl flew over and thrashed against the first man’s head.
Two knives flew through the air and embedded in each man’s throat. Her sisters, Niamh and Nyx, ran over to her.
“Are you hurt?” Nyx bent to check on her. “Gods, what is that awful sound?”
Both sisters covered their ears.
“Crystal.” Novia motioned to it with her hand.
Both her sisters helped her up, then dragged her away from the bodies. Having some distance from the crystal lessened the pain a little.
“Niamh, you didn’t have to kill them.” Novia rubbed her aching temples. “We need to find out who they are.”
