A battle goddess and white wolf in Ravenwolf

Excerpt 1 from Ravenwolf, Celtic historical romance/fantasy, Rated PG

Ravenwolf is my second release and is the sequel to Of Water and Dragons. They can be read in order or as stand-alone books.

Journey to an ancient land filled with magicâ€¦

Blurb: Blending Celtic lore and history, Ravenwolf takes the reader on a journey to an ancient land filled with spiteful goddesses who threaten to tear Ambiorix and Nemu apart.

Available in ebook formats (including Kindle) and trade paperback http://www.awe-struck.net http://www.amazon.com http://www.fictionwise.com

In this second book, Nemu faces a dangerous past where she was known as Becuille.

How can you have a fantasy without a body switching? In this excerpt Nemu has been captured by Morrigan who decides she wants Ambiorix for herself and wants to switch bodies with her. Nemu has a plan to stop her, but will it work? Kelley

Excerpt:

The table had been moved to the side, leaving a wide-open space in the middle of the large room. The Raven Woman led me past the table on which sat the goblet. With sleight of hand, a shaking hand, I poured the water from the River of Forgetfulness into the silver goblet encrusted with bloodstones, moonstones and lapis lazuli. On the middle of the floor, painted in blood, was the eight-pointed star with four symbols in each of the corners. A coiled snake, a blackthorn tree, a raven and a three-sided crescent moon filled the corners of the star. I shivered, wondering if it was painted with human blood. Hopefully it was menstrual blood, which I knew to be especially powerful to the war goddess as a symbol of life and death, fertility and war, and not some hapless soul’s life force.

Torches burned bright, casting unnatural shadows all around like restless, dancing spirits. The Raven Woman gestured for me to stand in the center of the circle. I clutched the empty vial in my hand, hoping my plan would work.

Morrigan entered the room wearing a blood red cloak adorned in silver three-sided crescent moons and other circular symbols resembling coiled snakes. Raw power emanated from her. She carried the sacred kist with the eight-rayed star and crescent moon on the lid. Her black wings protruded from the top of the cloak. She picked up the goblet from the table and used her first finger to stir the ingredients.

I decided to keep quiet so as not to arouse her suspicion.

Morrigan took something from the kist and stepped into the center circle of the eight-rayed star, gesturing for me to join her, an eager smile planted on her lips. She extended the goblet to me. In her other hand was a yellow stone that glowed as bright as the sun, pulsating with powerful energy.

I froze. I did not remember her telling me that I would drink from the goblet first. My plan was falling apart.

"Why do I drink first? How do I know it is not poison and you are going to kill me after all?"

"Oh, come now Becuille. Do not play with me." Her eyes took on a chilling look.

"We were friends once. Were we not?" I tried to stall her.

Morrigan laughed, a chilling sound. "We were never friends, Becuille. More like allies."

"We could still be allies."

Her thin lips formed into a cruel smile, her slanted eyes stared hard at me. "Drink," she commanded. I saw her gesture to the Raven Woman. The Raven Woman stood next to me, ready to force the mixture down my throat. I had no choice but to drink. Tipping the goblet to my lips, I took a drink. The thick mixture tasted bitter. I almost choked on it.

"That is enough." Morrigan held out her hand for the goblet.

I held my breath. Time stood still.

She hesitated. I wanted to scream. My heart pounded wildly in my chest as I waited for her to take a drink. Finally, she brought the goblet to her lips and drank. I hoped there was enough of the water in there to affect her. I was not sure if it would even do anything to someone like her.

I could only hope.

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‘Ms. Heckart draws the reader into the pages and enchants them with her words.’