NOT YOUR TYPICAL MYSTERY
BUT A MYSTERY NONE THE LESS
Title: Defying the Odds
Author: C. L. Kraemer
Email: clkraemer1@gmail.com
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/Paranormal
Excerpt Heat Level: 1
Book Heat Level: 2
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BLURB:
The night elves on the hill aren't happy without their
magic. They concoct a plan to punish those who were involved in the act that rendered
them almost human. Meanwhile, Uther, the rogue night elf, has returned to woo
the Librarian to be his eternal mate.
EXCERPT
In a meadow east of Eugene, Oregon
Bram ambled up the
roughly hewn stairs to the willow lounge chair located at the front of his
home. He pulled the scrimshawed pipe from his pocket and filled the bowl with
his favorite blend of black cherry tobacco. The paced routine of loading the
ivory bowl with fragrant leaves and tamping them firmly into place was one of
his favorite after dinner rituals. Withdrawing a matchstick from the inner
pocket of his vest, he struck the sulfured end against a river rock he'd placed
on the root of the towering oak that served as his home.
The fading evening sky
showered the mountains in hues of gold and red. Pushing away the light, a
blanket of dark blue velvet sprinkled with luminous star points soon prevailed.
Bram puffed smoke rings at the darkening heavens.
"Evenin'." A
scruffy black and tan terrier mix meandered up and, after circling three times,
lay next to the chubby gnome.
"Evening, Silas.
How's the family?"
"Well, thank you.
Daisy announced we're expecting--again."
Bram chuckled into his
beard. "Congratulations."
"Humph. I'll be
glad when we're both too old to care. I came over to ask if there are any jobs
in sight. I'll need to be working as much as I can now."
It seemed he got one
batch of kids out of the house and another was on the way.
Silence stretched
between the business partners. Bram pulled deep draughts on his pipe, blowing the
smoke away from his friend. His eyes were drawn to the large block of light
spilling from the picture window of the behemoth on the hill. The Saun clan,
night elves whose callous actions nearly destroyed the fae population of the
meadow and surrounding forests, owned the out of place monstrosity.
Bram squinted his eyes
to focus his vision on the methodical movement that broke the beam of light. He
could just make out a figure pacing rhythmically in front of the casement.
Unable to ascertain which of the night elves was engaged in the determined
striding, Bram was sure of only one thing…if the night elves were restless and
unhappy, the rest of the valley was in trouble.
~ * ~
Gitty paced in front of
the picture window, ignoring the expansive view of the green valley below. The
thick carpet covering the hand selected hardwood floors muffled the angry
stompings of her boots. At the end of each turn, she jabbed the air with her
finger.
"Think you can
take away my magic, do you?" She spun on the ball of her foot and stamped
to the other side of the room. "We'll see about that!" Jab, jab.
Morgan, the younger of
the two siblings, stretched his limbs languidly across the fine leather couch,
watching the angry display being played out in the living room, a smirk residing
on his lips.
"What has your
knickers in a twist?" His leg, hanging over the arm of the couch, swung
slowly back and forth.
Gitty broke her tirade
for a moment. "I'm surprised yours aren't. How can you tolerate not having
magic to use?"
"Because, dear
sister, I don't need magic to get my way. I have my," he waved a
hand up and down his body, "obvious attributes."
Gitty grimaced.
"Please. Don't make me sick."
Pulling to an upright
position, Morgan stretched his long legs in front of him, tucking his hands
behind his head.
"You're just
jealous."
"Hardly."
"Then what's your
problem?"
"I don't fancy
living my life in pubs among the scum of the valley sponging off the pity of
strangers. My plans include owning all I see."
Morgan rose from the
couch and faced his sister.
"Good luck with
that. Even the Others are wise to your quest for power. I'm going out. See you
later." He moseyed out of the living room and down the hall.
Gitty gritted her
teeth. Morgan might be her brother, but he was useless when it came to thinking
beyond his next good time.
She glared at the
source of the fingers of light stretching over the meadow. The owner of the
Lending Library was an Other the local fae had embraced with open arms. Even
Uther, the one-time leader of the night elves and her uncle, had taken a
personal interest in the older female.
"Must be losing
his sanity."
She spotted a pinpoint
of red light glowing in the far distance. As hard as she tried, she couldn't
sense the origin of the light.
"I hate not having
my magic!" She smacked the wall with her hand, immediately regretting the
action. Bolts of pain shot up her arm.
"Damn it!"
Turning on her heel,
she tramped out of the room.
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