Woman of Silk and Stone

by Mattie Dunman

  It twined around my ankle first, trailing invisible fingers up my leg to the backs of my knees, dallying when I shivered in pleasure. I felt him form above me and opened my eyes, staring up at the face I loved with all of my heart.

  Adar had been single-minded in his courtship. I told him the day I emerged from Tam's room that he wasn't off the hook just because we were technically already married. He merely smiled at me, and the next day I awoke in a bed covered in blue-hued flower petals, their fragrance floating around me in a cloud. The next day, he managed to serve me waffles in bed, which was quite an achievement since no one in Solis had ever heard of a waffle.

  They ended up being pretty popular.

  Each day continued in the same vein; I would be stressed from dealing with the council, or downhearted watching Tam struggle with his ordeal, and then suddenly Adar would be there, his loving presence soothing every part of me, whispering to me in that language I didn't understand, but adored. And each day got a little better, a little brighter.

  Today was my first day away from the palace in months. Tam was doing pretty well. The tragedy with his aunt had marked him, matured him, which was a shame in many ways; but he was still the same sweet kid, and he was trying so very hard now to be a wise king. I loved him like crazy.

  Adar had insisted we get away from everything, and I agreed. Despite the fact that Efrim and I had briefly been on the same side, he was as obnoxious and manipulative as ever, so I could use the break.

  "Ti summu, what are you thinking?" Adar murmured, trailing his lips along my neck.

  I smiled contentedly, happy on a level I never dreamed possible. When I thought back to my dreary life in D.C., the monotony of going every day to a job that I hated, returning to a cramped apartment, the lack of true friends or lovers, I thanked the Ilati or whoever was responsible for dragging me through the void to this magnificent, inspiring world.

  And to this man.

  "I was thinking that it's time for you to live up to your promise," I said, running my hand over the smooth skin of his chest. Adar nuzzled me and groaned as I dug my fingers in just a bit.

  "What promise was that?" he purred, his tongue darting out to taste my skin, sending bolts of heat all the way through me, setting me aflame with hardly any effort, as always.

  "The one where you promised to make my rather painful journey through the void to be your mate worth my while," I whispered, feeling him stiffen as he comprehended my meaning.

  Though we had spent most days together, and he insisted on sleeping by me at night, he had never pushed our physical relationship past my readiness. I had felt strongly about it for a while now, but I wanted to wait until the time was right.

  "Honey-sa, I will make it worth your while, I will make your every dream come true if you allow it," he swore, his voice trembling with need.

  A shaft of heat surged from him into me and I arched in bliss. "Okay," I said.

  And he did.

  And let me just say, when the romance novels claim, "he touched my heated core," they have no idea what they're talking about.

  The End

  Thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed Woman of Silk and Stone, please leave a review, or email me! I love to hear from my readers!

  For more information on Mattie Dunman please visit her website at www.mattiedunman.com or like her on Facebook.

  Extras

  Honey's Playlist

  Monday, Monday—The Mamas and the Papas

  Brain Damage—Pink Floyd

  Somebody's Watching Me—Rockwell

  People Are Strange—The Doors

  Mo Money Mo Problems—Notorious B.I.G.

  Royals—Lorde

  Viva La Vida—Coldplay

  Wouldn't It Be Loverly?—My Fair Lady

  Knock On Wood—Eddie Floyd

  Hit Me With Your Best Shot—Pat Benatar

  Light My Fire—The Doors

  Eternal Flame—The Bangles

  Helter Skelter—The Beatles

  Revolution—The Beatles

  Poison Ivy—Coasters

  Good Woman Down—Mary J. Blige

  All You Need Is Love—The Beatles

  Woman of Silk and Stone Glossary

  Ahatki—Sister-mother; aunt

  Anu sepiya, a talamu sharaku; anu ersu, a negeltu; anu irtu, a assata. Za din ilu gir Utu kanpir! Za din ila gir Nanna kanpir! Irnini, a daris anu. A daris ana sa—Traditional Darisam mating vows: At your feet, I will place treasures; in your bed, I will awake; at your breast, I will succor. God of the sun, hear me! Goddess of the moon, hear me! Sweet woman, I am yours forever. You are mine forever.

  Arrami—the life-mate and wife of a male Darisam.

  Arramu—male version of arrami

  Beleti—woman, lady

  Common Tongue—a common, somewhat limited language spoken throughout Edin.

  Damu—youth, a young boy

  Darisam—a race of immortal beings. The males are shape-shifting warriors with animalistic traits, including the recognition of an arrami, or life-mate. Only males are born; females become part of the race when chosen as an arrami. Males are born with an affinity to the elements and the ability to shape-shift into their elements, and impart their immortality and affinity to the elements when they complete the mating ritual with their arrami. A male can only know death through his arrami; if she is killed, the male will not survive.

  Edin—the world reached through Ka Harsag. The planet is approximately half the size of earth, with one known continent divided by geography into three separate kingdoms: Solis, which is primarily a plains and desert region; Shuru, which is a coastal region; and Hursag, which is a mountainous region known for its gems and precious metals.

  Ekkalum—the royal house, palace.

  Ensi—"righteous ruler," the king of Solis.

  Eresh—"house of rest," a Solish spa

  Golden City—the capital, or royal city of Solis.

  Halqu—the 'lost ones,' those who pass through Ka Harsag.

  Horde—a nomadic tribe of warriors allied with Solis who patrol the borders.

  Hursag—"mountains of the sky," the mountainous kingdom to the west of Solis.

  Idimmu—demons, evil spirits

  Ilu/Ilati—god/s; goddess/es

  Ka Harsag—the high gate, the place between worlds.

  Kashaptu—witch, evil woman

  Litum—elite guards, the "secret service" of Solis

  Melammu—the "bright blossom", a Solish flower known for its luminous beauty.

  Namluh—"The Purification," the ritual by which a Darisam male claims his Arrami. The male shifts into his "pure" form, that of fire, water, earth, or air, and engulfs his mate in the purifying element, converting her into a female Darisam, ensuring she takes on her male's immortality.

  Nergal—'watcher,' a city guard.

  Old Tongue—ancient language predating modern Solish or the Common Tongue. Rumored to be the language of the Ilu and Ilati. Bears a striking resemblance to ancient Sumerian of Earth.

  Sa—Mine (possessive n.)

  Sisu -horse-like creature with leopard spots and long manes like Clydesdales. Main mode of transportation in Solis.

  Shinar—the Darisam's land of origin, said to be a kingdom of untold beauty and plenty that can only be found by the Darisam. Resembles descriptions of Earth's "garden of Eden."

  Shuru—"land of utmost well-being," the coastal kingdom to the east of Solis.

  Solis—the sun country, one of the three ruling nations of Edin.

  Solish—the dialect spoken in Solis

  Sukkall—royal advisor, chief of staff

  Ti arrami.—Darisam endearment: Lifemate.

  Ti summu—Darisam endearment: Light of life.

  Zagmi—priest, holy one. Possess some magical knowledge and abilities. Similar to a mage or wizard.

  Zi—spirit; essence

  Map of Edin

  Acknowledgements

  There is no way this book would have been completed withou
t the help and support of my parents, especially my mom, who helped me figure out how to fall in love with the story again. Thank you both for everything you do for me, and for being the complete opposite of poor Honey's parents!

  Thanks also to the wonderful ladies at the Indie Romance Convention, who inspired me and have shared so much incredible advice that would have taken me years to figure out on my own. There are many fantastic indie voices out there still getting ready to be heard, and I can't wait to see what comes of it.

  And thank you readers, who take the time to download an untried author and give a new voice a chance. You are the reason I will keep writing.

  Sneak Peek

  At First Touch

  Liz Hannigan has been on the run since she was twelve years old.

  Her mother is dead. Her father has lost his job. And thanks to an experimental procedure, Liz is now able to 'download' the contents of every brain around her with a simple touch. Forced to hide from both the federal government and a darkling group of morally deficient scientists known as the Coalition determined to exploit her abilities, she moves with her father to the bucolic coal town of Pound, West Virginia.

  But the hunt for Liz and her abilities hasn't ended, and her hopes for peace are shattered when she inadvertently downloads the enigmatic Carey Drake, whose unusual good looks and charm conceal a secret as shocking as her own. Stunned by the knowledge that she has found someone else who has extraordinary abilities, Liz finds herself drawn to Carey, discovering a deep attraction, and dares to hope for the first time she might find love.

  When an agent of the Coalition begins stalking her, Liz must find a way to work with the government agency she most mistrusts as she strives to build a longed-for normal life and take down the agent who has tracked her down. Caught up in a struggle to save herself and those she loves, the girl who sees all is blind to true danger until it is too late.

  Excerpt

  Chapter 1

  I stood in front of the hallowed hall of learning and looked down at my white ballet flats, now splashed with mud and decorated by little smudges of green from the squishy grass I had just trudged through. There was mud on the cuffs of my jeans too. A great way to start the day.

  "Elizabeth Hannigan! Welcome to Shank High! I'm Preston. Preston Deene. I'm your student mentor and I'll be helping you find your way around here today."

  For a moment, I thought the overexcited boy in front of me might implode with the thrill of his assignment. Perhaps if I hadn't met about 15 other 'mentors' in the past couple years, I would have been more impressed with his performance, but as it was, I just wanted to find my classes and slink to the back, remaining invisible for as long as possible.

  Preston, Preston Deene's hand was outstretched in friendly welcome, though as I continued to ignore it the gesture became increasingly wilted. As his cheerful expression faltered I sighed and gave in.

  "Hi, Preston. Call me Liz." I placed my gloved hand in his and shook, doing my best to reward his persistence with a smile. He looked askance at the glove, but didn't ask any of the usual awkward questions and just grinned fiercely, probably relieved that I had finally responded.

  "Ok, so...uh, Liz. Your locker. Let's hit that first, and then I'll get you to your class." He gestured for me to start walking and paced along at my side. We continued in uneasy silence until my overly chipper guide halted in front of a locker in the center of the hall. He chuckled at the number, 665.

  "Boy, you're lucky you missed the next number, huh? Bet that locker's cursed or something." He gave a casual laugh and I took a closer look at him, surprised to see that for the first time I hadn't been assigned an overachieving computer geek.

  Preston was tall and solid-looking; I was willing to bet he was on the basketball team. His hair was blond and shaggy, hanging just below his chin, softening somewhat sharp, pointed features. All in all, he was probably the kind of boy who coasted through high school on moderate good looks and athletic talent; typically harmless and generally uninteresting.

  He handed me the slip of paper with the locker combination on it and I fumbled with the padlock until it popped open. I sighed in exasperation; it was one of those stupid half-lockers shared with another student. The top half was empty, so I placed the afternoon textbooks I was given on the clean shelf and hung up my jacket. Slinging my messenger bag back over my shoulder, I slammed the door shut and turned to the still eager Preston. Repressing the urge to roll my eyes and groan, I stood quietly waiting for the next exciting development in our tour.

  "Ok, well then, let's get to your first period. We're a little late, but Mr. Tesh won't care." He glanced down at my schedule. "Hey, it looks like we have two classes together; gym and English. We can sit together in English, and if you need a partner in gym I'd be happy to help you out."

  I just bet you would, I thought. Like every other male mentor I've had, Preston had that same 'I got dibs on the new girl' look on his face. I gave him a noncommittal smile and trudged along at his side, resigning myself to the usual stares, humiliating remarks about the strangeness of my wardrobe, and barrage of well-meaning representatives from every social group in the cafeteria. When you've been to as many high schools as I have, you know the drill.

  After an interminable walk through a labyrinth of identical hallways smelling strongly of bleach, we ended up in front of the typical wooden door with its thin rectangular mesh-screen window.

  "Ready?" Preston asked with a raised eyebrow. I nodded solemnly and he opened the door. As predicted, the class was already in full swing and of course every head turned to watch me enter. Preston led me to the teacher, who was standing in front of the whiteboard clutching a marker looking confused and hurt, as though by interrupting his class I had insulted him personally.

  Mr. Tesh was short, stocky, and balding; a few last, defiant hairs greased across the top of his head in an unfortunate mimicry of every Wal-Mart manager I've ever seen. Preston handed him my paperwork and stood silently as Tesh reviewed my information. After a moment he looked up at me with more confidence and nodded a dismissal to Preston. My guide backed out the door, giving me an encouraging wave and engaging in a little manly shoulder punching with a boy in the front row. I shifted my bag on my shoulder and waited for instructions.

  "Class, we have a new student. This is..." Mr. Tesh squinted at my name on the paper in some consternation, apparently defeated by the small type.

  "It's Elizabeth, but I go by Liz, sir." I decided to help him out, doing anything I could to speed up the process of the uncomfortable introduction. He nodded gratefully and began again.

  "This is Liz Hannigan. She's joining us rather late in the term, so hopefully some of you will help her get caught up." He glared at the class intently, willing them to behave like human beings for a change. After a lengthy moment of scrutiny, Mr. Tesh finally gestured to an empty desk in the exact center of the room. I would be placed in just the right spot for everyone to stare at me.

  Just what I live for.

  I took my seat and immediately tried to become less conspicuous; after a few moments of avoiding eye contact by studiously staring at my pencil, I felt the myriad eyes shift back to the front of the room and let out the breath I'd been holding. Finally looking up, I caught the eye of the guy sitting diagonally in front of me. He was turned around completely in his desk, apparently not worried about being yelled at for not paying attention. He had a knowing smile on his face and I steeled myself, guessing what was coming.

  "Hey, new girl," he whispered in what he thought was a sultry voice. "Wanna have a study session?" He smirked and I rolled my eyes; I'm sure he thought he was being original, but I had heard every variation on this line in existence. It never failed that on the first day I would be picked out by the obligatory hot jerk as easy meat, be subjected to derogatory remarks from the trademark "mean girls," and eventually end up eating lunch alone in whatever corner of the school I managed to hide in.

  I was exhausted by the process. High school wa
s redundant for me anyway. I already knew more than the faculty at Shank High in the economically depressed town of Pound, West Virginia, could ever possibly teach me. Only my father's insistence that I would draw less attention as a normal high school student than an eccentric recluse kept me locked in the endless cycle. At the age of 16, I could qualify for a doctoral degree in any subject I chose, never mind a high school diploma.

  I ignored my unwanted admirer, despite his persistence in whispering increasingly obscene suggestions at me, and finally, predictably, he called me a frigid bitch and left me alone. With a sigh of relief, I turned my attention to Mr. Tesh, discovering belatedly that I was in a history class, presently focused on the American Revolution.

  As the class progressed I began to feel sorry for Mr. Tesh. He obviously cared deeply about his subject, but his attempts to elicit discussion were thwarted by his pupils' indifference. When he asked 'who was Thomas Paine' and got no response, I caved.

  "Yes, Miss Hannigan?" His wistful look as he responded to my raised hand was painful to see.

  "Paine was the author of Common Sense, a pamphlet distributed to American colonists that advocated independence from Britain and was used to incite the revolution. Later, his highly popular Rights of Man became the foundation for the Enlightenment and was instrumental in inspiring the French Revolution."

  As soon as the words left my mouth I was sorry; the dawning hope on Mr. Tesh's face and the baffled looks from my peers told me I had drawn attention to myself with my textbook answer, the last thing I wanted to do. I cursed inwardly, appalled at my blunder so early in the game. Usually it took several weeks for me to get on the faculty's radar, and a few more months before they were recommending me for early graduation and college interviews. Each time I had to move I promised myself I wouldn't let it happen again, I would keep my mouth shut and fake my tests by purposely putting down mediocre answers. But every time it became impossible; it was as though the information that was stuffed in my brain was constantly seeking a way out and side-stepped my intentions at every turn.