Hello friends!
Can you believe it is nearly June? That means that I am about to embark on my fifty-first year around our sun. Usually my birthday gives me anxiety, as I kind’ve hate getting older. I don’t quite look my age, but I know it’s going to catch up to me soon, and I’m not sure how I’ll handle that! I wanted to be that elegant older woman who just accepted it, and allowed herself to age gracefully, but for whatever reason, I could not do so. This year, I’m going to embrace it. Besides, to be honest, I didn’t think I’d make it this long.
I think I’d like to go camping for my birthday, but it is entirely too hot. But, I think I’d prefer experiences this year. I’ve had some crazy experiences in my life, but not enough of THOSE SORTS of experiences. I’ve partied with rock stars, I’ve helped people give birth to new babies, I’ve rescued animals, I’ve fostered children, I’ve written books etc.... but I haven’t explored the world enough. I have been to Australia and I’ve technically been to New Zealand, and I’ve traveled across a few states and spent a wonderful month in Colorado. Ultimately, though, I want to visit Canada to see my husband’s home, because, shockingly enough, despite being together for nearly twenty years, I’ve never been. I want to see the Northern Lights and camp out underneath them and I want to see Ireland. Anything else will be a bonus for me. Oh, and I want to move to Maine. My bucket list is rather small. It’s there.
Anyway, I’m rambling a bit. Today I wanted to share with all of you a small excerpt from my book “The Fae Chronicles; Battle for the Underworld”. But first, I should set the scene. Atlas and Nessa had just married in a beautiful ceremony. But as soon as their vows were spoken, their wedding had been crashed by the Dark Fae, led by their head necromancer, Almu, who cursed the joyful couple, bringing darkness to what should have been the happiest day of their lives.
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Amidst their jubilant celebrations loomed the shadow of the threats from the Dark Fae, Atlas and Nessa sought refuge and comfort in their room located in the farthest corner of the castle, leaving the grand party held in their honor early to sort out their swirling thoughts and emotions that cast a heaviness over their beautiful day. The joy of their vows to one another now felt heavy, with the fears that a harbinger of darkness that would soon encroach upon their newfound happiness. The unseen ominous presence, now a constant shadow to their joy.
The King and Queen visited them later in the evening, after bidding the last guest farewell. The event had grown quickly sullen after the bride and groom departed, with guests murmuring over their fears of the threats, and exchanging ideas about what they could and should do with the uninvited Dark Fae, some suggesting that they should just stay out of it and let nature take it's course, while others wanted a full out war. But the King and Queen knew that in the castle, with it's many guards, vast armies and strong magics to protect them, they knew that Atlas and Nessa's best course of action that they could take would be to just stay inside, where they would remain safe. As Queen Esta sat and explained this to the couple, Nessa began to cry.
"I came here looking for freedom, and now I've lost it again.", Nessa cried. Atlas's heart grew heavier with each tear that trickled down her cheek, this is not the life he had wanted to give her. As he thought about the hard life she had left behind and all the promises he had made to her, his anger bubbled over. His serene green eyes that usually held so much warmth, turned to stormy gray pools filled with tempestuous emotion. He felt his fists clenching instinctively, uncontrollably, his knuckles turning white under pressure, as icy tendrils of anger coiled around his heart. He began to pace back and forth, seeming to forget everyone around him as his mind began to spiral.
"Atlas?", Nessa grew nervous, as she recognized the danger all too well. Realizing that what his reaction was scaring the woman he loved even more than she already was, he turned his anger inward toward himself. He never wanted her to feel afraid again, and here he was, scaring her. His body seemed to move without him, surging itself forward and punching a nearby wall hard enough to splinter wood and send echoes reverberating throughout the castle —a visceral act breaking free from the chains of civility, forged by the sorrow and regret of causing so much fear. Everyone stood in stunned silence, before the guards burst into the room, ready to protect them from intrusion.
The King held his hand up to them, reassured them that everything was fine and dismissed them back into the hallway.
"Atlas," The King finally broke the silence, as he watched the blood trickle from Atlas's knuckles onto the stone floor below them, "I understand your concern, your fear, the duty you feel. I feel it, too," the King places a gentle hand on Atlas's shoulder, "You are one of my oldest friends. I trusted you with the woman I love, I need you to trust me with yours now. Not as your king, but as the boy who wandered into my Father's court many years ago, and became my closest and dearest friend. We will do everything to protect Nessa and you. I promise." Atlas felt his body collapse into the arms of the King, his childhood friend, who pushed aside the formalities of the throne to hold him as he cried.
As Atlas pulled away he just nodded in thanks, before turning to his concerned wife and pulling her into his arms. The storms in his eyes had given way to the calm, this was the Atlas she knew and trusted.
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Thank you for taking time to read my little excerpt, and I hope that if you haven't checked out our Beyond the Realms anthology, you will soon. So many talented authors in one place! You can find it on preorder for 99 pennies or you can get the paperback now
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