Promise
of Magic
House
of Xannon
Book
3
Melinda
VanLone
Genre: urban fantasy
ISBN: 978-0-9887455-4-4
ASIN: TBD
Word Count: 65k
Cover Artist: bookcovercorner.com
Book Description:
On instinct, Tarian bowed her
head in return, shocked. “Dulra. Welcome.” She breathed the words, awed by the
presence of creatures she’d only known through legends. What is the Balance
Court doing here?
“Tarian A’marie Maitea Xannon, of
the House of Xannon, Keeper of the Water Artifact, you are summoned to the
Balance Court.”
She’d been summoned, and every particle of her
being cried out to answer it.
Despite the advanced stage of her
pregnancy, Tarian has some explaining to do. Fulfilling her Agreement with the
Carraig was an issue of honor—but it led to complications. The Keeper of the
House of Xannon is called to account, and Tarian must embark on a dangerous
mission which could cost her the life of her unborn daughter, end in disaster
for all planes of existence—or save the world.
Some promises are deadly to keep.
Will the promise of magic be one of them?
Excerpt:
Tarian forced
her eyes open to focus on the rock in front of her. Earth as dense as anything
she’d ever seen, more power than she’d ever experienced. The feeling of old
that surrounded it. The sense of longing as if the stone itself wanted freedom
from the long and arduous task it had been set. She grabbed onto the longing
and let the stream of energy pour into it, into the Stulos, then twisted it as
she’d done once before. Another twist, and the flow of power into the Stulos
reversed. Three streams of colored light became one solid column of white.
A thousand
voices sounded in her head. High ones, low ones, her sister’s voice, dolphin
cries and emotion, all around and through her. The energy bound them into
something greater than mere humans and Ancients. They were timeless. Eternal.
It was almost like she felt when she made love with Daric, but…different. At
once more intense and at the same time more encompassing. Less personal. More
global. As though the universe spoke through her, and she through it. The awe
of it. Tears spilled onto her cheeks.
Another cramp
gripped her body and she swayed on her knees, gripping the rock as it crumbled,
trying to maintain her balance as the ground shifted and her body twisted. Not
now. Too soon. Not now. Too soon. She couldn’t be…the baby couldn’t be…
The voices rose
in her head. Everyone joined in as the power flowed around and through, around
and through, until she, the Caraigg, her sister, the baby, and the dolphins
were all one with it. The crack in the Stulos widened, a giant lesion extending
from the floor all the way up until she couldn’t see the end. Cold retreated,
heat entered. A loud snap. The Stulos shattered into a million pieces that hung
suspended in air for a flash of eternity before rushing outward to the edges of
the cavern.
A dolphin cry
sounded, triumphant, exalted, as the world exploded in a rain of cold fire,
magic power, ash and lava.
About
the Author:
Melinda VanLone writes fantasy
and science fiction, freelances as a graphic designer, and dabbles in
photography. She currently lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband and
furbabies. When she's not playing with her imaginary friends you can find her
playing World of Warcraft, wandering aimlessly through the streets taking
photos, or nursing coffee in Starbucks.
twitter: @melindavan
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