Undoing the Swan Girl

By Natalie-Nicole Bates

Princess and her six brothers once lived in a land cloaked by a spell of innocence. Their lives changed dramatically when their father took a new bride with malicious intent. Valentina, an herbalist witch and proprietress of the Swan Club, a club which caters to royalty, dignitaries, and the social elite, has placed the brothers under a spell of hemlock, and enslaved them at the club.

Princess must rely for help on the alluring and mysterious huntsman Erich, himself a victim of Valentina. She must infiltrate the Swan Club and gain Valentina’s trust to rescue her brothers. Her adventure will come at a high price, including the loss of her innocence. But with this loss comes the possibility of love, and a new freedom which causes her to question whether the life she once treasured, was actually her bondage.

Excerpt:

Near dawn, Erich led Princess through the forest until they arrived at the gates. Behind was a large and foreboding dwelling.

Valentina’s Swan Club.

“This is where we must part, Princess.”

She looked into his handsome face in the low light of dawn, and tried to imagine what he once looked like when he was a man.

“Not forever?” she asked quickly.

“No, I will come to you soon enough. Will you be ready for me?”

Her heart fluttered beneath her breast, and the warm, vibrational hum between her thighs once again began its tune.

“I will be ready and waiting for you. Don’t be too long though. I already miss you.”

His expression pleased her. Yet she felt he was not quite finished with her at that moment.

“Now, Princess, I offer you my humble protection. But there will be one very big consequence to you.”

She swallowed hard. “I accept it without question.”

He lifted a dark brow. “Without question?”

“Absolutely.”

He stepped close, his toxic body only mere inches from hers. A heady woodsy scent emanated from him.

“Close your eyes, and open your mouth, Princess.”

Immediately, she obeyed, but full of anticipation at what may come to her. Surely, it was not his poisonous kiss!

He blew his breath into her nostrils and open mouth. It was a mixture of the deep, dark earth, fragrant moss, and something unrecognizable and other worldly. An almost faint fell upon her, but she recovered at the last second.

Then when she opened her mouth to speak—nothing. Her voice was gone. Not as much as a squeak remained. She began to panic, and touched her throat in disbelief. Had Erich poisoned her? This after she trusted him!

His eyes focused upon hers, and held her captive to him.

“Princess, listen to me! I’ve opened a channel between us. A secret, etheric cord now binds us together, and will allow me to visit you in dreams. The consequence is you will not be able to sing, laugh, or even speak, until the six weeks is complete. Your muteness will help keep you safe when I cannot be with you.”

Although the prospect of not speaking startled her, she had nothing to laugh or sing about any way. So she nodded her agreement to him.

“Now go forth, Princess. Stay vigilant.” He touched his fingers to his lips, and held them in the air. “Until we meet again.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Leap of Faith Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Mar 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370765577

Natalie-Nicole Bates

Natalie-Nicole Bates is a book reviewer and author. Her passions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian and Edwardian era photography and antique poison bottles. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristic love of hockey to being born in Russia. She currently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book and adding to her collection of 19th century post-mortem photos.