Bloom

By Britt DeLaney

When Briony finds an old amulet in her mother's jewelry box, she is transported to an adventure in a magical realm. There her hidden powers are revealed and she is called upon to help a fallen kingdom. But will it cost her a new-found family? Or lead her to the life she's always longed to live?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Britt DeLaney
• Release date: Mar 19, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463267080

Britt DeLaney

Britt DeLaney lives and writes near Philadelphia. In her spare time she watches too much Netflix, eats too many Pop-Tarts, and is currently writing her ass off.

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BloomTitle

Britt DeLaney

© 2020 Britt DeLaney

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law. 

gaze pub tsp-200X200

Philadelphia, PA

www.gazepublishing.com

Bloom/Britt DeLaney. —1st ed.

Dedication

flowers

For B, who brings color wherever she goes.

flower1

If he’d have moved his bow an inch to the right, he would have killed her. 

As it was, he lost the deer he’d been trying for and he wasn’t likely to get a shot that good again, with the deer out in the open. The girl had fallen to the grass, startled as the arrow whizzed by, and he worried for a moment that he’d grazed her. It wasn’t until she got shakily to her feet and started brushing off her skirt that he knew she was all right.

And then he got mad. He’d promised venison for dinner, and now he’d lost the damned deer. He stomped over to her, unable to see her face since she was bent over, picking up her satchel.

What are you doing? he demanded. I could have killed you!

The girl pushed a brilliant cloud of red hair out of her face as she straightened up, and her eyes locked with his. She looked more than a little dazed as she turned slowly in a circle.

It worked. Her voice was a bare whisper. It really worked.

He considered nocking another arrow into his bow since she was acting so strangely, but reasoned he could draw his dagger on her quickly if he needed to. 

Is this— She wet her lips nervously, and he couldn’t help but look at her full lips. Whoever she was, she wasn’t hard to look at. Not at all.

Is this— She began again, then swallowed hard. Where am I?

Tír na nÓg. He looked at her oddly.

Tír na nÓg, she repeated. Oh. Okay. She glanced around again, her arms making a small, fluttering gesture, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to do.

He leaned on his bow, studying her. Just where did you come from? I had that deer in my sights, and suddenly, there you were. Were you hiding? Spying on me? 

He gestured to the copse of trees behind her, and she turned to look. When she turned back around, the wind blew her long, red hair across her face, and he noted as she moved it that she had a light sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of her nose.

If I told you, you might think it was crazy, she said.

He lifted a brow.

She turned again, pointing at two enormous, gnarled yew trees, whose branches had entwined over centuries to form an archway.

There, she said. I came from there.

He went still. That’s impossible. No one’s been able to use the portal in centuries.

She lifted her chin. It worked for me.

And just how did you find the portal? he asked, looking at her warily.

She reached into her shirt, pulling out a necklace made of gold. It was a heavy thing, thickly made, bearing one very large emerald in a Celtic knot intricately fashioned to slide over the links of the chain. With this, she said.

He reached for the necklace and looked down at it, unable to believe his eyes. His fingers lightly traced the pattern of the knot. He flipped it over and studied the etched runes upon the back of it.

Niambh, he read, rubbing the runes again with his thumb. This is the necklace of Niambh.

I found it in the back of a wardrobe at my mother’s house. I was— She swallowed hard, pausing as if to gather her thoughts. I was going through some old things. And then I started dreaming about it. It told me how to find the portal from our side.

He studied her, but his face was unreadable. Briony lifted her chin, ready to do battle if he intended to send her home. Finally, he said simply:

Interesting.

She took the necklace back, sliding it under her shirt again. Maybe we should just introduce ourselves.

He gave the barest nod. I am Gareth.

She smiled widely, sticking out her hand. Briony, she replied, taking his hand and shaking it with gusto. 

She looked around again, wrapping her arms around herself and hugging herself tight. She let out a long sigh, as if in gratitude, or perhaps relief.

So, where do I go now? she asked, grinning.

Gareth tried not to be pulled in by her infectious smile. She bore the necklace. He needed to know her motives. Why are you here?

I’m trying to figure that out. She sighed again. All I know is the necklace brought me here. And it brought me to you. So—here I am. You get to figure out what to do with me.

He