Excerpt of Defenders of Magic

Dear avid reader,

This is the very moment I have been waiting for, to share with you a little of my new book, Defenders of Magic. If you’ve enjoyed the first two books then you will be pleased to learn that there are still even more surprises in store for you.

Prepare yourselves for a story like no other …

‘Defenders of Magic’ Book 3 of the Magic Trilogy

Prologue

The cave was creepy, dark and isolated and was a place which had long since been forgotten. In the lengthening shadows, small sea creatures skittered across the cool, damp sand, tumbling over moist seaweed and piles of rotting driftwood in search of microscopic organisms on which to feed.

Within the swirl of activity, something much bigger stirred and a deep-throated rattle vibrated against the cold, damp walls. From within the darkness a dragon raised itself on all fours and gave a huge roar of discontent. A scorching flame of red and gold shot from its two nostrils, a heat so ferocious that any creature which had the misfortune to walk in its path at that very moment was simply burnt to little more than a cinder. Just as quickly, the flames died away and the huge beast limped with purpose to the very edge of the cave. The bright light of morning reflected from its cornea, replicating the light, like a mirror, and two horizontal slits closed to protect two very large, vertical eyes.

The dragon stood upon the rocks, water lapping gently around its enormous feet. The scent of the sea filled its nostrils and the soft hiss of the wind caught inside the mouth of the cave whistled eerily about its ears. The dragon took a deep breath and looked further out to sea, shaking its head like a wet dog unable to recognise any of its surroundings. The dragon was confused, unable to fathom how it had come to be lying inside this cave, and an unexpected shudder rippled from the tip of its almost triangular head right down to its spiky tail. The dragon gazed up towards the sky. The heavens were clear, brought on by an early frost and a slight sea breeze continued to stir the salty air. The dragon’s eyes shifted beyond the horizon. The calm, blue sea stretched out for miles and miles, not a snowy-peaked mountain in sight and so the beast had no way of knowing in which direction to fly. Its senses were numb, disjointed, and this only added to its misery. Taking a step forward, the dragon felt a stab of white pain in one of its lower limbs and looked down at the silvery-grey leg which was seemingly hurt. A large wound at least two inches thick snaked from the thickest part of its ribbed front leg and ran all the way down to its foot, its claws white, like polished ivory. The dragon knelt down into the sea, claws gripping onto the slippery rocks, water splashing when its feet met the tide. The salt water broke gently over the scaly skin, washing away the dirt which was embedded in the wound, and it was plain to see that the monster had lost a lot of blood. Hunger was ravaging the creature’s stomach, causing the dragon to almost weep and the fiery pain coming from its leg was nothing compared to the burning sensation rising from its lower abdomen. Having clearly not eaten for days, the dragon eventually clambered awkwardly back onto its feet. Weak from hunger, the beast simply had no choice but to venture outside to find food, for if it did not feed soon, it would not die from the loss of blood but from starvation instead.

With its head dipped, the huge dragon dived under the cold surface of the deep, blue sea, its cumbersome body no longer a burden as it swam with a grace that no one would think possible of such a gigantic creature. The dragon used it wings as underwater fins and swam closer to the seabed and it was fast, like lightning. A school of fish flashed into view, their bodies little silvery needles. They turned left, then right, gleaming like mirrors, and the dragon opened its huge mouth and demolished most of the shoal in one clean sweep. It is a documented fact that dragons do not need to drink. The meat and fish they consume gives them all the nutrients and essential liquids they need and soon the dragon’s belly was full and so the beast turned tail, swimming back towards dry land.

On entering the cave, the dragon felt refreshed, but the wound still needed time to heal and so it crawled to the furthest corner. The dragon found a cosy spot, the floor dry and the ceiling low and looking around, soon used the driftwood and bunches of mushy seaweed to make itself a warm nest in which to curl. A cold breeze blew in from the sea but the dragon was contented and drifted off into a feverish sleep. Then the dreams came, terrifying images that the creature could not understand. There were many people; men with unfamiliar faces wielding weapons of steel, whilst bursts of white magic soared through the air. Swords flashed and horses cried but the dragon could make no sense of it and the beast shivered uncontrollably in its sleep. Humans are something most dragons learn to fear yet in this dream the dragon feared no one. Evil men screamed with unquenchable rage whilst wizards and elves fought alongside one another in a battle that saw the sun shimmer red with spilt blood. The beast snorted continually with distress and coils of smoke left its two large nostrils in a constant stream of grey. The dreams continued for a night and a day and when the dragon finally awoke from its induced slumber, its wound was healed but its blood red eyes smouldered, aware of the importance of a girl … with hair of fire.

The final book of the trilogy is available in both ebook format and paperback from your local Amazon store.

Best wishes,

Lynette