The week of November 8, 2010, Queen of Hearts by K Dawn Byrd, and The Stones by Eleanor K. Gustafson sparred in round 2 of Best Weather Description during week 4. One for the memory books, COTT had it's first TIE with both books declared victorious! Our drawing winners were Mary T Williams and Joanne Sher.
Here are their excerpts:
Excerpt A--The Stones by Eleanor K. Gustafson
Here are their excerpts:
Excerpt A--The Stones by Eleanor K. Gustafson
The day of the wedding was dark-hued from the start. Seth had muttered endlessly during the betrothal about losing Marana to Daniel, but in the end he not only provided a suitable house for a king’s son-in-law, but a sumptuous feast, as well.
Daniel had wanted to escort Marana from her house to his, but she elected to come to him with her parents, her sister and husband, and her brothers and their wives. Under a yellow, roiling sky, a dozen children wove ropes of flowers in and out of the bridal procession. The entire town of Goath gawked at Marana, who had been marinated in oils and spices and adorned with gold and jewels. A tall, stately cypress, she was cool and composed, yet her eyes held a smoky fire that both excited and disturbed.
As Daniel waited for his bride, the air of his courtyard seemed about to combust under a restless circle of dry, silent lightning. Dressed in the splendor of youth and privilege, he drew on the flame-licked sky to infuse the approaching assemblage with the force of his being.
The bridal company, now swollen tenfold, shifted its attention from weather to the striking couple. Under the enchantment of nobility, they ate and drank and sang and danced, and when everyone had grown mellow, they chanted for one of Daniel’s celebrated song-stories. He seldom needed coaxing, especially on such a day. He crouched in a whisper and with a sudden leap and roar catapulted into a dazzling tale of battle and heroism that made children cling to their mothers and clamor for more.
The last golden note of Daniel’s first wedding drifted off . . . but the sky remained sulfurous.
Excerpt B --Queen of Hearts by K Dawn Byrd
Excerpt B --Queen of Hearts by K Dawn Byrd
Daphne screamed when thunder roared and lightning bathed the room in light, intruding through the bars in the old windows and casting eerie shadows against the ancient walls. Hot tears scalded her cheeks as her heart began to race. She gasped for breath. Dear God, no! Not a panic attack.
She surveyed the room. There was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Another clash of lightning bathed the room in a light show more sinister than the last, sending everything in the room spinning out of control. Dark shadows reached out from the corners like talons of an unknown creature seeking to pull her in, to devour her.
Claustrophobia came over her in waves, steeling to her bones. Daphne opened her bedroom door and bolted, not caring where she ended up as she long as she vacated the room. She raced down the hall, making a right hand turn, sure that the dining room was just ahead. The tile was frigid underneath her bare feet as she rushed on, her heartbeat whooshing in her ears.
The halls were so dim that it took her eyes several minutes to adjust. Pure fear shot through her veins as she turned a corner and bumped into a table, sending an ornate vase plummeting to the floor. The vase shattered, sending shards of glass flying in all directions.
Daphne had noticed earlier that the hallways were devoid of any type of decoration. For the first time, she realized that she'd taken a wrong turn. She was lost.
Daphne winced when something sharp stabbed into the bottom of her foot. She ran wildly, ignoring the pain her feet. She glanced over her should, sensing that something evil was stalking her. She'd never been one given to superstition, but the house was evil. She could feel it. If she didn't get out of there soon, she'd been as insane as its former patients.
Daphne's lungs burned as she gasped for air. Dark shadows seemed to seek her with outreaching tentacles. A screeching noise assaulted her ears as something skimmed the top of her head. Daphne raised her arms, flailing wildly against whatever had assaulted her. She'd never make it out of this mad house alive.
A scream erupted from her lips as she turned a corner and ran full force into a brick wall. Something held her tight. Daphne fought with everything in her, clawing, scratching, and biting.
"Stop it, Daphne!"
She ceased fighting, drained of all strength when she recognized Vito's voice. She burst into tears and collapsed into his arms. When he released her, she slid to the floor.
"Are you okay?" he asked. He sighed audibly. "I never should have brought you here."
Daphne allowed him to pick her up.
"I'm going to take you to the parlor," he said, cradling her in his arms.
She buried her face in his chest, oblivious to the fact that the material of his formal suit was soaking up her tears.
