Spellscribed Tales: First Refrain

And now for the moment you're waiting for!

Coming soon (I.E. in May) is Spellscribed Tales: First Refrain!

This book, while not the third in the Spellscribed series, tells stories from the world of Spellscribed. Anyone who is a fan of Spellscribed will find this book doesn't disappoint! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

Here's a Sample from one of the two stories in First Refrain:

Then, one night while Devinia was sleeping, her mother swept in and woke her with a start.

“Get dressed and grab the bag I packed for you.” Ashrava commanded, shaking Devinia’s shoulder. All the lights in the house had been extinguished, and only her eyes could pierce the darkness.

She slipped out of bed and went to her closet. Inside was a stand mirror for which the frame had been grown instead of carved. Because of the pitch darkness, though she could see, there was no reflection in the mirror. While still reflective, there was nothing it revealed except a pair of golden cat eyes staring back at her.

She reached for the small light crystal her mother had put in the closet, but Ashrava caught her hand. Looking up, she saw her mother shake her head slightly. Frowning, she turned back to her clothes.

Slim and slender, Devinia hadn’t even grown into her full height yet. Just under five feet, she was pretty but indefinite, with no definition of curve nor muscle, she could be confused for an elven boy just as easily as a girl. She was nearing her growing period, which happened between twenty and twenty two.  Her father, as a silk weaver, had made sure her wardrobe was well stocked so she had plenty of adult clothing prepared in advance.

She dressed quickly, confused but afraid to ask her mother any questions. Ashrava was wearing her civil service gear and smelled of blood. Her face was tight, drawn into a mask of emotionless focus. Devinia had seen her mother make that face before, when she thought that Devinia wasn’t looking. It was her expression when she thought a fight was going to start. It was the face she made when she was called in to do a contract.

Since Sha’hdi fashion trended towards the blacks and grays, Devinia didn’t have much clothing that couldn’t be stealthy. She avoided clothing with hanging adornments and shiny embellishments. Thus dressed, she pulled her shoulder length blonde hair together and bound it from her face with a simple black ribbon.

Devinia pulled the bag out from under her bed and slipped it onto her shoulders. She looked over to her mother and nodded. The room was pitch black, but the two of them could see clearly they were alone for the moment. Ashrava opened her mouth to speak, but froze.

A faint tick of something hard touching wood came from the other side of the bedroom door. Devinia looked to the door and back at her mother. She had disappeared.

The doorknob silently turned, and the door slipped open just enough to let a lithe, masked figure into the room. Devinia backed away as quietly as she could, hoping that her pack wouldn’t make enough noise to give herself away. The assassin looked over the bed and scanned the room. She had golden eyes; the gold burning in defiance of the muted colors of the dark. She spotted the girl immediately.

“Ah… already dressed and ready to go.” The voice purred. Devinia thought she had heard the voice before. “Where is your mother?”

Devinia shook her head.

“Pity.” The assassin said, drawing a long, thin blade barely wider than one of her delicate fingers. “I had hoped to take care of her without waking you, but since you’re now awake… I am sorry, honey. But if you lay back down on the bed, I promise I will make it quick and painless, okay?”

Devinia trembled in fear, but shook her head. “No.”

“No?” the assassin pouted. “I’m offering you a gift, child.”

She did not hear Ashrava drop down behind her.