Search for the Witch: Soulyte 2

By Eve Hathaway

From the Publisher that brought you popular short story series Song of Teeth, Children of Time, Chains of Darkness, The Splicers, The Night Sculptor, Blood Waters, Requiem for a Dream, and The Taken. And now, here's Soulyte...

He's a hero - that's a given
THIS NEW CHALLENGE REWARDS NOT NAME BUT WORTH

Cyrus is now a true Hero, having defeated a wicked beast and freeing a city of its tyranny. But now a new quest presents itself to the duo—the quest to break Magdeline’s curse.

They set off into the Forest, where countless monsters lurk, to search for the witch who is responsible for Magdeline’s distress. The Forest has been turned black by the curse swiftly running down the countryside from unknown depths to the north, destroying any vegetation it touches.

Cyrus can overcome the evil that resides in the Forest but can he overcome his fear of the female variety? And can Magdeline learn to look past her own selfish nature and care for someone other than herself? Both must learn to accept each other’s company and recognize their own faults in order to survive in this second installment of the Soulyte series.

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EXCERPT
His legs shook so much he was afraid of collapsing and wondered why he hadn’t already. His pants pulled at the wounds beneath the fabric and he felt the painful throb of his muscles with every heartbeat. Magdeline had rolled closer to the hearth when he had tripped over her; even her white hair looked dull in the darkness. She tossed and turned violently.

“She can’t overpower my magic in there,” Daphne mused. “It was lucky for you that your Soulytes are entwined enough that she was able to break into your consciousness to begin with.”

Black dots spotted Cyrus’s vision. The witch looked down at him pitifully when the weight was too much and he fell to his knees, sword striking the ground.

“She needs... to overpower your magic?” he gasped, holding his arm.

“That’s right.”

Cyrus was close enough to the fallen woman that he could touch her if he wanted to. Her cries were muffled as she fought the witch in her dream. It was strange to see her covered in soot and dirt and for a moment, he forgot she was his companion. He forgot that she was a self-absorbed albeit beautiful woman that had led him into such dangers. To him at that very moment, she looked only like a helpless girl trapped, needing a Hero. As the blackness threatened to take him again for what might have been the final time, he leaned down and kissed her of his own accord.

“Good luck,” he whispered, closing his eyes against the light that emanated from her body.

Other Titles in the Series:

1 - Journey to the Forest

3 - Pursuit of the Cursed

4 - (Coming Soon) Quest to the End

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandra Ross
• Release date: Nov 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310556470

Book preview

Search for the Witch

By Eve Hathaway

Published by Publications Circulations LLC.

SmashWords Edition

All contents copyright (C) 2013 by Publications Circulations LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, companies and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

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Chapter One

Into the Woods

CYRUS GROANED UNDER the weight of the supplies, almost toppling over when the shopkeeper tossed on another load of preserved food to the pile. He had everything he and his companion would need at least for a week or two. The forest where they were headed was infected by an evil famine, reducing its resources to inedible and toxic fare. Food was key to surviving their journey.

Unfortunately his female companion couldn't disagree more.

Sitting on the windowsill of the small shop, idly braiding a small piece of her long, snowy hair, Magdeline's priority was more about comfort. She had insisted on purchasing two of the more cozy sleeping packs, extra blankets, more clothes, soaps, rope, as well as miscellaneous items, all of which she refused to carry herself.

The hero's supply of jewels was dwindling to nearly nothing. With the purchase of a wet stone, the last blue gem was dropped into the palm of the shopkeeper. Cyrus sighed in resignation but he wasn't entirely disappointed. The city of Harben considered him a true hero, him having liberated them from clutches of a vile beast that terrorized their home. Its residents couldn't thank him and Magdeline enough and they had given him what they could for what little money he had. The town had almost been completely demolished by the monster but much of the necessary wares and supplies had been stored underground.

Among his new rations, Cyrus was also the proud owner of a good sword-one that wouldn't shatter after one blow.

He thanked the shopkeeper and hobbled out of the store, trying to keep from knocking over anything and keeping everything from falling. He collapsed outside and began to organize their supplies into some form that he could carry easily. Magdeline had followed him out and sighed.

Aren't you ready yet? We really should get to the forest before sundown.

Now that Cyrus wasn't completely focused on his heroic duties, Magdeline's presence had once again made him nervous and uneasy. She was standing close enough for him to almost feel her breath on his neck. He flushed and tried to inch away from her. Both of them had been in Harben for the past couple of days, but not even after slaying a creature or helping rebuild the city could give him the confidence to even look at her, much less speak to her. Not surprisingly, the knowledge of his fear of women had spread and had already earned him some good-natured teasing from a number of city-folk.

Cyrus managed a stiff nod. He rolled the sleeping packs tightly and tied them to the large pack. Some smaller bags filled with food and water canteens were tied to the outside. With a grunt, he stood and wrapped the straps of the pack over his shoulders. It was still ridiculously heavy but at least now, it was more manageable.

As they exited the city, they were showered with the well-wishes and gratitude from the crowds of residents. Most of them had returned from their trip as refugees, so the streets were bustling once more. The city had begun to look like a city again. Cyrus shook the hands of almost all of the men; his shoulder was throbbing with the force of all the enthusiastic pats it had been given as they made their way through. Magdeline was also the recipient of the people's gratitude and admiration. Cyrus thought she deserved it. While she hadn't been of