Allure of the Goddess: Soul in Ashes, #2

By Shauna E. Black

When King Ghalad goes missing, the peace treaty balances on a sword edge as his enemies threaten to take over the kingdom. To rescue him, Alswyn must travel to the forbidden Plains of Dera and face not only the ghost of her former betrothed, but also the goddess Dera herself. They will both do anything to ensnare Alswyn once more in ash magic.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shauna E. Black
• Release date: Mar 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9781940855066

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Allure of the Goddess: Soul in Ashes Book 2

Text copyright © 2016, 2018 Shauna E. Black

Cover images by [e-mail] and faestock, licensed by depositphotos.com and Hummingbird Web Solutions licensed by greedeals.com

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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written permission of Shauna E. Black.

Allure of the Goddess / Shauna E. Black

Summary: When King Ghalad goes missing, the peace treaty balances on a sword edge as his enemies threaten to take over the kingdom. Alswyn discovers the remains of ash sorcery in his chambers and determines to bring him home by traveling to the formidable Plains of Dera, where the goddess of ash magic rules. The rescue mission gets complicated when she runs afoul of Cynet, her former betrothed, and the goddess Dera herself.

This is a work of fiction. Settings and events are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance characters may have to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

To Mrs. Berry

Thanks for saving my writing journal.

­

ONE

The West Wind raced down Eagle Canyon and worked its mischief with laundry lines full of billowing clothes. It picked up dust and debris that became a vortex dancing down the streets of the city. My poor balance taught me long ago to hang on tight when I saw a dust devil coming.   But this one caught me unawares.

Before I knew what was happening, wind pushed at me from every side. I stumbled and fell. My makeshift crutch clattered to the road. My wooden leg twisted at a painful angle. I sucked in a sharp breath as the dust devil writhed past me and snatched a child’s wooden toy right out of his hands.

The magic in my blood pulsed in rhythm with the child’s screams. It tingled in my chest and limbs, a buzzing ache that begged to be released. I gritted my teeth against it.

It was impossible that I had ash magic again when my right leg below the knee, including the mark of the evil goddess Dera, had been missing for nearly two years. Somehow, the magic was a result of my battle with a golem inhabited by a demon from the Plains of Dera. After I crushed the coal with my bare hands that kept the golem alive, the forbidden magic I’d once renounced had blossomed inside me. But I was determined not to use it. Dera would not make me her slave again.

No one offered me a hand up as I struggled to untangle myself from my green apprentice robes. In fact, I caught several smirks on the faces of people streaming past, from those who weren’t simply ignoring me.

Here in the northern quarter of Eagle Canyon, crowded by the worshipers of Ragnell, everyone believed it an Elaran healer’s fair penance to get knocked over by a passing whirlwind; just another testament to Ragnell’s irritation with Elara, her sister goddess. At least there wasn’t any mud splattered on my robes. The drought was good for something, after all.

I finally got my good foot under me with the help of my new crutch. It wasn’t as stout as the one I’d brought from my homeland, which had been a parting gift from my father. This crutch was hastily made from the twisted limb of a juniper tree to replace the one that had been destroyed in the battle with the golem. I pushed away my regret and limped toward the swaying sign of the Dancing Rooster.

Table for two, I take it? Rhonda asked as I pushed open the oiled cloth covering the door and entered the tavern. The daughter of the owner, Rhonda was a short, squat young woman shaped like an upended gourd with dark skin and hair piled in curls on her head.

Yes. Thank you, Rhonda.

She wiped her hands on her splotched apron and led me to a lopsided table on the far side of the room under a stone arch. The first time I’d come in here, I’d tripped on one of the jutting edges of the uneven stone floor, so I kept my eyes down and watched my step.

You’re becoming quite the regular customer. Rhonda gave the table a quick sweep with her cloth. This is the sixth night in a row you’ve come in.

I made a disgusted face. Everyplace else serves nothing but beans and squash.

Well, you’re in for a real treat tonight. Tah whipped up sweet and sour fish. He used trout from the river in place of the haddock.

I grinned, even though I disliked trout with all its little bones. Rhonda was justifiably proud of her father’s culinary creativity. He’d stepped up to the challenge of making the barbarians feel more at home by adapting various T’yathan recipes to the southern climate. As a result, there were several soldiers from the T’yathan peace delegation seated around the tavern every night.

It should be ready soon, Rhonda continued. That’s a beautiful necklace you’re wearing. It looks like a rope of gold.

I touched the torc around my neck. I hadn’t worn it since coming to Eagle Canyon. It was thick and stiff and felt uncomfortably heavy. But seeing Bridei on a regular basis again made me crave items from my homeland. My sister used to have one just like it.

Is she coming tonight?

I hope so.

Rhonda looked sidelong at me with a tentative smile. And she’ll have her folding lute, so you’ll both play for us tonight?

I pulled a short wooden flute out of a satchel at my waist and waved it