Excerpt from Far-Knowing,
a YA fantasy novel
By Melinda Brasher
"I picked this up from a trader a
few days back. Would you take a look at it, tell me what you think it's
worth?" Kallinesha kept the ring in her fist, out of sight, so Daistar
would have to take it in his own hand to examine it.
He stared at her fist, stared into her
eyes. Then he reached out and she dropped it into his waiting hand. Instantly
she felt more alive, freed of the sleep enchantment bound to the ring. She set
her hand on her dagger, just in case.
He turned it over in his hand several
times. His eyes should be drooping by now. He should be thinking of his nice
soft bed, the smooth linen, the quiet peace of an afternoon nap. But when he
spoke there was nothing sleepy about his words. "It's gold, I believe, but
not very fine work."
The baron leaned forward. "I hope
you didn't pay much for it."
What? The beauty enchantment should have
dazzled a man like the baron, who clearly liked his comfort. But when
Kallinesha looked again at the ring, it no longer sparkled as before.
Daistar was staring at her again, and she
feared she'd exposed her surprise.
"Maybe if you put it on…" she
faltered.
He slid it halfway down his ring finger,
twisted it, held it out to admire it, then took it off again. He grabbed her
wrist, roughly, and pressed the ring into her palm. The sleep enchantment, she
knew at once, was gone. How had he broken it so quickly? Mistress took hours to
unravel spells as strong as the ones they'd cast. This was power as she'd never
before seen. She had to stop him. She tightened her hold on the dagger. She'd
only have one chance. It had to be his throat. But his hand was still on her
wrist, and he tightened his grip.
"I wouldn't, if I were you," he
whispered, as pain burst into life where he touched her.
His other hand, she saw, was on his own
dagger, and she was sure beyond any doubt, without any magic to tell her so,
that he'd had a lifetime more practice than she had. A mage and a
warrior.
She took her hand off her dagger, jerked
away from him, and stood up.
"Baron Selkimear, I believe I must
see to my servant. Thank you for the sumptuous refreshment."
She fully expected not to live to see the
outside of the dining hall.
Far-Knowing: ON SALE until November 15—only 99 cents!
What
people are saying about Far-Knowing:
“Both well written
and entertaining.”
“Far-Knowing pulls
you in right away.”
“The world-building
is spot on.”
“A fascinating view
of how magic could work.”
“Hard to put down.”
Melinda Brasher loves visiting
alternate worlds through books and exploring this world through travel. She's
currently quite obsessed with Alaska, and has lived in Poland, Mexico, and the
Czech Republic, teaching English as a second language. Her short fiction
appears in Ellipsis Literature and Art,
Enchanted
Conversation, Intergalactic
Medicine Show, and others. Visit her online at melindabrasher.com
Thanks for being a guest on Penny's Tales, Melinda. You have been around! Your book looks fabulous! Congratulations....
ReplyDeleteThanks! And thanks for hosting me. Your site is beautiful.
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