It’s #BookQW and Cor’s stumble in the ‘light’ opens his way to fulfilling his dream.
I am editing book 2 in The Windborne series, and am searching for the right title. Drop me a twitter comment if you prefer:
- Guardian of the Pines
- Death in the Sacred Pine Grove
Or have you another title to suggest?
Thanks!
Excerpt from Chapter 1:
Bonterra spread around the Gruen Estate in the city’s historic center. With few other buildings sixty-some feet in the air, Cor had the perfect lookout between their rooftops and the invisible dome of the magical shielding that hid the city from humans. Along with Toots circling above him, a handful of Windborne flew over the mostly dark city. It took a few minutes to spot the other two owlets. They’d stuck to the estate still, but how long might that last?
He knew little about birds, but figured the parents had this territory, and it wasn’t hard to spot other great-horneds in the city. It was selfish, but he wanted to keep his birds close by, and that didn’t look likely. They needed a permanent home, some place they wouldn’t need to leave, in wilder country. So did he. He had presented several options over the summer—all shot down.
When Toots returned to perch on a branch and flutter her wings in her usual begging posture, Cor climbed down. If he didn’t get out of her sight, she’d waste her hunting time. He stowed his equipment, collected his longboard and unfurled his wings, both to intimidate Toots and to drift to the ground. He hit a path and kept the winged limbs arched, stuffing his hands in his pockets and hustled off, keeping to certain slates that weren’t warded. Though that didn’t matter, really. At night, the guards focused on the perimeter, not the interior.
He approached the manor house set among smaller and more ornamental trees. A few lights lit the inside, but the conservatory to the side was dark, as were the windows of the old Cook’s cottage, both the main floor and his aunt’s bedroom window upstairs.
“Nice evening for a walk,” said a deep voice.
Cor stumbled. A frantic flap of wings lifted him and, at the last second, he landed on the wrong stone—
Lights flared to life, freezing him like a deer.
Beyond them, in the darkened frame of the conservatory doorway, someone sighed. He held a box to his lips. “My mistake. Cancel the alert.”
“Got it, Master Harold,” came the guard’s voice over the radio.
The lights cut off, but their damage was done; Cor was now night blind. He blinked and flipped his locks back.
“And a nice night for riding, I suppose,” Master Harold added with a lit gesture of his brown fingers to Cor’s board.
“True,” he agreed warily with the man who’d hired him to water in the greenhouses and garden beds. For being so old, Harold kept terrible hours.
“Have something for you, if you have a minute.” Master Harold pivoted through the open doorway, casting a dim amber light around his large frame.
~~~
I hope you enjoyed this start of Book 2. Be notified of its release in the spring of 2019 by signing up for my newsletter, or following me on Amazon or BookBub.
In the meantime, meet other characters appearing in the Pines story that are in Book 1, The Witch of the Meadows.
Leave a Reply