by John Donlan
“An offering,” she intoned, then drove the dagger down swiftly and cleanly. The sound of the blade cutting into flesh echoed horribly around the chamber, but none of the gathered women even flinched, even when the woman who had been stabbed let out a garbled scream around the gag in her mouth.
When it was done, the priestess cleaned the dagger and turned to those assembled.
“It has begun,” she said, softly. “The wheels of fate are turning, and the return of our queen is at hand. Armies march, darkness gathers. The storm is almost here! The winds of strife have already become a hurricane!”
“And it shall scour the lands,” the women intoned.
The priestess made a gesture and several acolytes hurried forward to remove the corpse. One of those who remained behind moved forward and bowed to the priestess.
“Thursa is dead,” she said.
The priestess nodded and then uncovered her head. The face was younger, softer, freed of the lines of age, but it was still unmistakably that of the head of the temple. Thursa.
The acolyte stared for a moment, but if she was shocked by the sight of the temple’s ancient priestess apparently alive and well, and stripped of her advanced age, she did not show it. Her faith was strong. She believed. “Praise her,” she said softly.
“Do not fear,” Thursa said, laughing. “All is as our queen wills it. Our beloved sister made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that Shuvani was set upon the correct path. When she took my place, she knew what fate awaited her. She knew it was required. Now, Shuvani marches to war in the north, and when she is victorious, she will be ready to face her true destiny. It has already been written, in blood and fire.”
The acolyte nodded, then turned to watch her sisters drag the sacrifice out of the chamber. “Will it be as you said?” she asked as she turned back to Thursa. “The world wiped clean, remade in the image of the true queen? Will our paradise truly come to be?”
“It will,” Thursa said softly, raising a hand to caress the girl’s cheek. It was soft and supple now, as it had been when she was younger… much younger. She had lived for over two hundred years. In time, her skin would grow old again and another sacrifice would be needed. Until then, she would have all the strength and vitality of youth to face the storm that was coming. “It has been promised.”
The acolyte smiled and a shudder ran through her body. “Praise her,” she said again.
Thursa laughed. “Praise her, indeed.”
Together, the two turned and left the chamber.
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Also by John Donlan and available on Amazon right now:
Book One of the Genevieve Stone Adventures: The Relic of Lemuria
Genevieve Stone is not the typical Victorian lady. She is an adventurer, amateur archaeologist, and antiques store owner with a passion for mysteries. When she learns of the strange death of a museum guard, she is compelled to investigate further, especially since she has connections and friends among the museum staff. But what begins as an intriguing mystery, soon turns into something more. What is the link between the death of the guard, an ancient relic recently acquired by the museum, and the disappearance of members of a recent expedition to the pacific?
Genevieve is intent on finding out, but her investigation turns into something more when the life of someone she cares for deeply is thrown into jeopardy. Soon, her investigation becomes a race against time and a journey across half the world...
The Relic of Lemuria is the first in the Genevieve Stone series of Victorian era adventures.
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Book One of the Iron City Trilogy: Iron City Rebels
The Iron City is the industrial city at the heart of an empire ruled by the wealthy and the politically powerful. An urban dystopia where the poor and the disenfranchised are used for cheap labour.
The rich elite plot and scheme amongst themselves, while one of their number plans something terrible, and aims to use the rebel faction of idealistic freedom fighters known as the Fist of Truth as a pawn in his scheme. Meanwhile, a young man inadvertently steals an item which may bring those plans tumbling down. In the run-down slums of the Skein, one woman will lead the Fist in a daring plan to rescue their leader, and in so doing, set up a confrontation which will have long lasting implications for the entire city.
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