Mahryn laughed a bit sadly, her chin going down to her chest before she spoke again, the silence punctuated by an unbidden sigh. “The use of his name was deemed unsafe. I do not believe he ever saw any of us beyond my sister anyway.” Her eyes were wistful when she again looked up. “But I am, indeed, his daughter. You have but to look at my eyes if you need to be convinced.”
The elder Sharanis did just that, bending close, turning her face toward the light with a finger beneath her chin. Surprise flickered in his own eyes as he recognized the faint flecks of gold within the blue, known so prominently to belong to the man heralded as the Kings closest confidant.
“Are you ill-gotten then?”
Mahryn’s lower jaw dropped at the question of her legitimacy. She clamped it back shut to glare at him with thinned lips. Seconds ticked by before she answered. “I am not! I am Tedran’s second daughter. His oldest, my full sister…” her voice broke slightly and resumed with only the touch of a tremor. “Hahna was marked, my lord. She was the chosen. Her death did not change that. It is a shadowed existence for those not first in line, regardless.”
The older warrior studied her, his expression giving away nothing of what he might be thinking or feeling. With a curt nod, he turned and opened the door for her.
“I shall remain here while you gather your belongings,” he told her. “Make haste, child. I grow impatient.”
Mahryn left him to return to her room thinking she was quite sure his lack of patience began long before he came to visit her. She also wondered at the timing of his visit and the need to take her away during the darkness of the night. She could only hope it would all come together and make sense.
There it was again. Hope. The one thing she’d been able to rely on through her whole life. She lifted the heavy metal cross from the bedside table and slipped it over her head. She seldom wore it. Its size alone made it impractical most of the time and Mahryn had found she more enjoyed laying it about where she could see it. It brought her a sense of comfort and peace, much as the woman who’d given it to her.
“Never stop believing, Mahryn,” her grandmother had told her as she sat beside the old woman’s deathbed. “Dreams belong to those who can believe.”
“I hope you are right, Grandmamma,” she whispered before lifting her bag and walking through the door that would take her into the next phase of her young life. Suddenly, everything seemed brighter to her, even surrounded by the darkness of the night.
Join Mahryn and Redahn to see if, together, they might learn to dance in their own light.
Stay informed at www.LindaBoulanger.com
Acknowledgments
Books are not written by a single person. It takes the cooperation of many and this book is no exception. If it had not been for my four children and one husband - who is a much better housewife than I ever dreamed of being, I feel certain this book would still be partially written and continuing to form in my head. Thank you all for stepping in to pick up the slack around our always overly busy household.
Along that same train route: A HUGE thank you to Patricia Green for lovingly cracking her whip and demanding chapter after chapter until I was finally able to write The End!
To the world’s best beta reading team: Kerri Wood, Gayla Catrett, Patricia Green, Nissie Lambert, Myrna Gamble... Your encouragement means more to me than any of you will ever know. When Kerri emailed me and said she was ready for the next book RIGHT NOW, I knew we had a story ready to share. I’m working on it, Kerri! October’s coming. But for now, know that Enemy would not be the story it is without each and every one of you.
Special thanks to Andrew E. Kaufman who has served as a source of great encouragement as I’ve watched him go from having just published his first book, to climbing to the top of Amazon’s top 100, to becoming the man everyone was asking “how’d you do it?” – I’ve seen the magic key through you, Drew … It’s HARD work and writing really well. Your stories are amazing. You’ve also been a great friend and I’m grateful to you for so much more than I have time to list out here.
To Pat Sipperly, the very best video guy I’ve ever known. Your talents are unequalled, my friend. I also appreciate your encouragement to keep at it until I was done.
Landshark – Violet says thank you for always believing in her. Once upon a time in her wildest dreams… Glad you came back to be a part of this dream.
To Judi Violette and Dixie Wiggins for not only having awesome “home libraries” but also for giving me a free pass to read book after book without overdue fines. Love you both for opening up my world.
Jaimey Grant/Laura J. Miller and Rachel Rossano, thank you two for putting up with me while I made tweak after tiny little tweak to my cover and other visuals surrounding this book. You also answered all my silly questions concerning life in historical times. Your advice, encouragement, and knowledge pools were invaluable. Jaimey/Laura … you made a comment to me way back when I started writing this book and let you read a little to see if it was viable. Do you remember what it was? Something about a particular line making you lightheaded. I LOVED that comment!
I especially want to thank my mom and siblings who have supported me and my love of writing for a long, long, long time. Mom, Jackie, Bobbi … thank you seems so little for all you’ve done, but it’s all I have. I love you guys with all my heart.
If you read the dedication of this book, you know we lost two of our family members during the writing of this book. My sister Leigh would have loved this story. It would have made her S.M.I.L.E. My brother … he would have loved the woman on the cover and been tickled pink for me getting it done!
And finally, to those of you who encouraged me to continue on with this story after reading the original short on Clever Fiction – you’re the real reason Enemy continued to grow in my head and expand well beyond those initial 1,152 words. You have no idea how many times I went back and re-read your wonderful comments. You’re the real reason Dance with the Enemy was given life.
I saw a plaque the other day that said Dream Big Little One. It made me smile because that’s what Tahruk calls Elenya and I saw it just days after I finished the final edits. It seemed funny that I should see it when I did, so I decided to accept that it was a message to me. Dream Big. I do! Thank you all for being a part of my dream.
About Linda Boulanger
http://www.LindaBoulanger.com
Linda Boulanger is a happy-ever-after author, wife, and mother of four. She has an eclectic mix of five published books, numerous story singles and short stories in a few group anthologies, plus several more novels slated for release this year and next.
Along with being an author, she designs book covers for herself and others through Tell~Tale Book Covers and TreasureLine Designs, all from her desk just north of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Other place to find Linda:
Blog:
http://writersshelflife.blogspot.com/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/TheShelfLifeOfLindaBoulanger
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Linda-Boulanger/e/B002NPYDC6
Romance Novel Center: http://www.romancenovelcenter.com/lindaboulanger
Email: [email protected]
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