Fantasy

Let The Furball Fly

Hi Readers,

This is Ran, your usual host from the Curse Breaker series, with an update. But first, how are you doing?

Things are pretty crazy right now. So if you’re feeling sad, overwhelmed or having trouble focusing, know that you are not alone. We, characters, have been feeling that way too. Though probably for different reasons, and that brings me to my update.

Auntie Sovvan isn’t ending her book where she was supposed to. Instead, something totally unexpected (from our point of view) happened, and she met up with someone you have been asking about. Someone absent from Curse Breaker: Sundered.

This crazy scene might explain why this character was absent or it might not. Our Scribe’s not saying and well, Auntie Sovvan wouldn’t know either since she just met that character.

Should be interesting to see what that character makes of her and how that affects us in Curse Breaker: Hidden since we don’t know anything about that meeting. But this character now knows that Papa has a sister, who’s not exactly alive.

Might some of Papa’s secrets unravel? We shall see soon, I hope. I just need my dear auntie to end her book, so Melinda can work on mine. I’m not asking for much, just more page time.

And her book is approaching the length of a true Curse Breaker book. Not sure how I feel about my auntie and her allies having so much page time. I have some too, because she can’t stay away from me and Papa, but it’s never enough.

I only exist when you read about me. So getting more books written and published faster is my goal. More on that next week, though. And now back to our last glance at Magic Underground: The Complete Collection.

I don’t know what we’re doing next week to entertain you. This should be interesting, and you’ll have a front-row seat to whatever shenanigans we get into. Promise. Until then, enjoy the last part of the first chapter of “Spell of Wings & Glass,” by Melinda Kucsera from Magic Underground: The Complete Collection and Hidden Magic. Yes, it’s in both anthologies.

Magic Underground: The Complete Collection

“Spell of Wings & Glass,” by Melinda Kucsera

(Read part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.)

Furball shifted in his breast pocket and let out a frightened meep. That was three sounds he had made in the last few minutes. That was progress of a sort. Too bad Nulthir didn’t speak bird.

“Shh.” Nulthir rubbed the top of Furball’s head since that was the only part of him within reach. The lovable little creature nuzzled his hand. “I love you too, you little fuzzball.” He didn’t see or sense anything amiss, but he trusted the shivering ball of fur in his pocket.

Furball could see quite well in the dark. If only the little guy could tell him what he saw. That would be a huge help since Nulthir had no idea what had caused those screams; why they were quieting; or what he was slowly creeping toward.

Nulthir grasped his nightstick and glided forward, keeping the wall to his left. That still left three directions for an attack to come at him, though, only two were likely because the tunnel was only about four feet wide. That was wide enough. A power so cold it burned, struck Nulthir in the side, staggering him. Another bolt of that same killing cold slammed into him before he could recover his scattered wits. Icy magic burrowed under his skin, and his pulse hammered out a song of fear so loudly, it almost drowned out Furball’s frantic meeps. That killing cold sped through his body, dragging a black void behind it.

Nulthir fought it as he dropped to his knees, but he couldn’t throw off the attack. It was like nothing he’d ever faced before. He couldn’t even think of a way to counter it. The power was so cold, and it was pulling something out of him. Just thinking was growing more and more difficult. But Nulthir tried to hold on. He couldn’t pass out. If he did, the magic he’d hidden since he’d sought refuge under this mountain would be revealed, and his life would be over before he’d even lived much of it. He had to fight it, but how?

Furball shrieked, hopefully in fear, not pain, as another blast of magic so cold and dark it gave off no light at all struck Nulthir—this time in the back, and he fell forward, shielding Furball with his body. He caught himself before he hit the ground. “It’s okay, Furball. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Furball didn’t reply, not in words, but Nulthir heard something. Maybe the little guy was calling psychically for help. No, that couldn’t be right. Nulthir wouldn’t be able to hear such a call because he didn’t have the mind gift. But could Furball mind-call his family? More importantly, should Furball do that? Or would the scared kit just call his family into a trap?

 Nulthir opened his mouth to warn Furball, but the runes tattooed on his back heated up as they activated. They generated a field that cut some of the force pressing him down into the ground, and the sudden relief from the cold took his breath away. What had Mommy dearest inscribed back there—a transmutation spell maybe?

That would make sense, given its placement. The dark magic’s pull on him lessened as other spells tattooed on his skin lit up under his uniform, but his defenses had kicked in too late. That strange cold magic had taken something from him, and the loss was knocking him out. Footsteps came again as he collapsed on his side, too weak to hold himself up anymore.

 Another cold blast hit him. The blood roared in his ears. What kind of magic was so dark and bitterly cold? That question pursued Nulthir as the darkness closed in on him, but his last thought was of Furball. The poor dear was terrified and exposed. Nulthir curled his rapidly numbing body around the frightened little creature who was chirping as if his little life depended on it, and it probably did.

Hide, Furball. Nulthir tried to send that thought the way Furball’s grandsire, Thing, had taught him when he was a child chasing shimmering leaves under the boughs of the enchanted forest. But the blackness swept him under, and Nulthir was lost in its embrace.

***

Get Magic Underground: The Complete Collection or Hidden Magic to read the rest.


Deals, Giveaways & Other Cool Stuff


                   

Don’t let the Adventure end!




Available in Kindle Unlimited!

Enchanted, His Angelic Keeper, Darkens, Faceted, Falls, Sundered, Relic Hunter, Hunter’s Night, Rogue Night. Read them now!


In Case You Missed It