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Monday 17 February 2014

Monday Morsel: Desperate Rescue - An Extract from In the Company of the Dead

Welcome to the Monday Morsel feature, where I share short extracts from the first draft of my adult epic fantasy/fantasy romance, In the Company of the Dead.

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His horse struck the other animal's shoulder, hard enough to rattle Lyram's teeth and knock the attacker's horse off stride. Lyram swung his sword, the blade whistling through the air, and the enemy rider flung himself out of the saddle. Lyram's mount surged past the now riderless horse in a thunder of hooves. Cursing, Lyram hauled on the reins. The horse swung about in a wide circle.
The young woman had stopped to watch the spectacle. Though the soldier had crashed to the ground mere feet from her, she watched with a calm expression as he climbed to his feet. Turning, the soldier saw her, and reached for her with his free hand.  
Horror squeezed Lyram’s chest tight. He was too far away to make a difference. She brought one long-fingered white hand up in a gesture of – what? Supplication? Forestalling? Defence? The soldier seized her by the wrist, and with her other hand she reached out and touched his chest.

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Thanks for dropping by! Don't forget, this is a first draft, and as such won't be perfect. If you like what you read, and are so inclined, show your support by leaving a comment, and In the Company of the Dead will be available in the future. I aim to have the first draft finished by the end of March. If you'd like to sample more of my writing, check out my novella Confronting the Demon.

If this is your first visit to Monday Morsels, find others in the series by clicking on the ‘Monday morsel’ tag, or go to the first installment.

More about In the Company of the Dead:


Lyram already crossed a prince, and now he finds himself on the brink of crossing a god.

Son of a duke and second in line for the throne, Lyram is exiled to a lonely castle after assaulting the crown prince. When a hostile army arrives to besiege the castle, he believes the prince wants him removed – permanently.

As though answering their prayers, Ellaeva, the Battle Priestess of the death goddess, arrives unexpectedly. But she has not come to break the siege. Instead, she is in pursuit of a necromancer of the evil god of decay. When misfortune after misfortune befalls the beleaguered defenders, Lyram realises the necromancer is hidden within the walls, sabotaging the very defence.

Against the backdrop of clashing gods, Lyram must fight to save himself from the political machinations of his prince, and the dread plans of a necromancer. But as the siege lengthens, he realises the greatest threat may come from another quarter — a woman sworn body and soul to a god tempts him to pay a terrible price.

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