Fair Warning: Wizards don't always play fair.
Welcome to MFRW Book Hooks, a regular Wednesday feature! Today, I'm sharing a snippet from my second book, Deadly Enchantment, a Victorian paranormal romance concerning the deadly rivalry between two shape-shifting wizard brothers. The legitimate heir, Terrence, received his father's money and title, but his illegitimate half-brother, Dominic, received all their father's affection and love, earning all of Terrence's resentment.
Published by New Concepts Publishing, the story revolves around a young psychic woman unwittingly drawn into the brotherly conflict when she faces off with the dark wizard of Ravenscroft, whom she is convinced has brutally slaughtered her sister in a fit of jealous rage on their wedding night.
This segment introduces us to Terrence, who's at play in his dungeon. He's bored, and a bored wizard trained in black magic is a very dangerous animal indeed. He has been practicing one of his spells on a young maid, who displeased him that morning. This is not the first time he's worked this spell, but it is the first time he's been satisfied with the results.
She was unconscious now, which was
just as well, since Terrence was finding her screams a bit tedious. Not that he minded inflicting pain and
suffering on others, but this one had a particularly shrill voice that grated
on his nerves. Even so, she had turned
out better than most of the others. Her
skin was red, dried and wrinkled as if she’d been left out in the sun too
long. Years, too long. If he touched her, her flesh would peel off
into his hand like the skin of an over-baked chicken. She’d cooked much better than her eggs had.
He was regarding his handiwork when
Basil, his manservant, requested permission to enter. Basil was the only person whom Terrence
allowed to enter his laboratory and leave in the same condition he
arrived. He’d placed a magical barrier
around his domain barring anyone else from entering without his permission. It was a useless formality, since no one other than Basil dared to ask permission for fear of earning his or her lord’s
displeasure. Rumors circulated that not
all the rats Terrence’s cat took great pleasure in chasing and devouring began
their short lives as rodents.
He is not a man you would ever want to meet in a dark alleyway.
M/F, Shape shifting wizards in Victorian England.
Read the first three chapters at: Deadly Enchantment
Available at NCP, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Oh my, dangerous indeed! Great intriguing snippet Kathryn :)
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Roz
A villain to fear for sure.
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