Wrath of the White Tigress
Page 30
"Well, I had intended for you to stay. However, I think your punishment for impudence—this time—will be to go away and leave me in peace."
Turesobei bowed sullenly then stalked toward the door. Outside, the soldiers continued to practice. "Haiyah!" Clack, thud, clatter!
"Oh, by the way, could you tell Arms Instructor Kilono to move elsewhere? All that noise is very distracting."
Turesobei clenched his fists, restrained a yell, and began to storm out of the tower.
"Sobei," Kahenan called.
He spun around. "What!?"
"You are forgetting your books."
When he'd arrived for his studies, Turesobei had placed his spell books on a table beneath the open east window. He stomped over, swept the books into his arms, and rushed out. But without realizing it, he took one book too many, a book that wasn't supposed to be there, a book that hadn't been there until a few moments ago. It was, in fact, a book unknown to Lord Kahenan or any other living wizard.
Awake for the first time in centuries, the arcane runes embossed on the cover shimmered beneath Turesobei's touch, and if not for his anger, he might have felt this subtle pulse of magic.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the following people who assisted in the writing and production of this novel. I am indebted to you all. And if there's anything wrong with it, the blame is mine alone.
Pepper Thorn for first-reading, support, graphic design, and an astonishing and endless display of love and tolerance.
Josh Black, Will Cockrell, and Tommy Ware for many years of beta-reading, friendship, and story-stimulating game sessions. And Elizabeth Campbell for additional beta-reading.
Sandara for the amazing cover art.
William Hooper for astute proofreading.
Lou Anders for amazingly generous advice on cover art and book production.
About the Author
David Alastair Hayden scribbles tales of fantasy adventure for young and adult readers. He lives in Alabama, along with his delightful wife, Pepper Thorn, and three lovely cats.
David studied history, literature, and religion at the University of Alabama. He practices Yang Taijiquan, and he enjoys playing and designing roleplaying games. David is also an avid collector of vintage manual typewriters, mostly from the 1950's. He sometimes composes fiction on these machines.
To learn more about David's upcoming projects or to leave him feedback about this book, please visit dahayden.com or sign up for his newsletter at tinyletter.com/dahayden.