O.C. Writers

Forged in Shadow by Megan Haskell

“Welcome,” the younger fire sidhe said as he stepped out of the way with a slight bow and a wave of his hand.

It was time.

Keeping her body hidden within the shadows of the unlit hall, Rothruinil willed fire to blaze forth from the tavahatals. The magically enhanced wood burst to life in a blaze of orange and yellow flame. She let out a ululating war cry and began the fire dance.

Rothruinil became the flame. She spun in a vortex of fire, her tavahatals on their leather wrist straps spinning around her. The golden-armored warriors quickly stepped in to surround and protect their king. Rothruinil lunged toward the nearest golden warrior, but kept out of reach of the longsword that was suddenly in his hand. She spun away with a grin. Success.

The goal was not to start a fight, but rather to intimidate and gain a reaction. She danced backward, giving the king and his soldiers room to step deeper into the hall. Lunge, spin, jump, and twirl. Rothruinil screamed her defiance. These were welcome guests, but they would know the power of the flame.

With a final twisting jump, Rothruinil froze, landing with her left leg bent, right leg extended to the side, right hand touching the floor, left hand high in the air, pointing the tavahatal to the sky. She gave three short bursts of wordless sound, the signal for the others to begin.

The club-wielders jumped down from the ledges above and on either side of the king and his men. The spear wielders appeared out of the darkness behind her. Like her tavahatals, their weapons blazed with fire, and their war cries echoed through the chamber. This room was kept dark and windowless for a reason: the dancers were the only source of light. One had to face the flame and earn the right to move from shadow into the sun god’s dominion.

One of the club-wielders thrust his weapon into the face of the golden guard. The guard slapped the weapon away with the flat of his sword. A spear-wielder lunged forward, the point of his weapon stopping within a hairs-breadth of another guard’s belly.

“Enough!” the king roared. He clenched his hand in the spear-wielder’s direction. The Tirnor warrior, one of the best in the Summer Realm, fell to one knee, then to the floor. Rothruinil rushed to his side, extinguishing her tavahatals as she cradled his head in her lap. The warrior, a man named Valyaro with whom Rothruinil had trained with for the last two decades, gasped for air. His eyes bulged from his head, the whites showing all the way around his iris. No words were spoken, and yet Rothruinil could feel his desperate plea for help.

“Stop it!” she shouted at King Othin.

The king stared down at her with indifference.

Valyaro continued to struggle to breathe. The skin of his face grew wrinkled and ashen, his appearance aging thousands of years in mere moments. The energy for which he took his name leached out of him.

Fire burned within Rothruinil’s soul. Impotent rage welled up inside her as she watched her friend waste away in the prime of his life. The tattoos that told his life story would never be finished.

King Othin’s gaze examined Rothruinil. She returned the stare with naked aggression.

“This barbaric ritual is a waste of our time. Take us to the fire king. Now.” King Othin demanded.

“Return his life to him, and perhaps the sun god will show you mercy,” Rothruinil replied. Heat radiated from her skin in visible waves, her blood temperature rising with the magic inside. She lowered Valyaro’s head gently to the ground. Her tavahatals once more burst into flame as she channeled her rage into the carvings in the wood and stood before the high elf king.

To buy Forged in Shadow, please visit www.books2read.com/forgedinshadow.

Megan Haskell is the award-winning author of The Sanyare Chronicles, a fast-paced fantasy adventure featuring a kick-ass heroine and her carnivorous pixie sidekicks. Her most recent release, Forged in Shadow, has been described as “A gripping tale of the reckless destruction wrought by the powerful, and the bone-deep bravery of those who seek to stop them.” She is co-founder of The Author Wheel, helping writers become authors and get their stories rolling. Megan lives in Lake Forest with her wonderfully supportive husband, two wicked-smart daughters, and a ridiculously energetic dog. Visit her website at www.MeganHaskell.com.