Excerpt Thursday: SOUL OF SORCERY
It’s Excerpt Thursday! This week’s excerpt is from SOUL OF SORCERY. According to the Kindle Popular Highlights feature, this is one of the most popular parts of the book.
I should not for completionists that SOUL OF SORCERY is finally available in paperback, and you can get it at the link!
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“Why her?” he said at last.
“Molly?” said Mazael. “She is the only child I am likely to have. And…”
Richard frowned. “Not her. Lady Romaria. Why wed her?”
Mazael blinked, surprised.
“Her brother is lord of Deepforest Keep,” said Richard, “yet she brings you no lands, no advantages. She has no powerful allies, and Deepforest Keep is too far to intervene on your behalf in any war. Why then wed her?”
“Because I love her,” said Mazael.
Richard scoffed. “Love? Love is a word, Lord Mazael. Love does not put food in a man’s stomach. Neither does it keep the peace or bring victory in war.”
It was not hard to see why Toraine and Lucan had become the sort of men that they were.
“Perhaps,” said Mazael. “But she has saved my life more times than I can remember, has stood by me in some very dark times.” And she knew the truth about his demon-tainted soul, had kept it from corrupting him at a terrible cost to herself.
And still she had not fled from him.
“So be it,” said Richard.
“Besides,” said Mazael, voice quiet. “Nothing we can do will guarantee peace. War is in the very nature of man.” And Demonsouled, too. “And even if the lords of the Grim Marches lived in perfect amity…a threat would come, one that no one foresaw. Like the Malrags. Or the San-keth. Or some other invader.”
“Nevertheless,” said Richard, “until my strength fails, I will fight to maintain the peace and security of my lands.”
“As will I,” said Mazael.
“Then we are in accord,” said Richard. “Enough of this talk. You mean to ride in the tournament?”
“I do,” said Mazael.
Richard lifted an eyebrow. “A tournament in your own honor, and you ride in it?”
“It would be churlish not to,” said Mazael. “And Romaria will shoot for the archery prize.”
Richard shook his head. “I doubt not her valor, having seen it in the fight against Ultorin’s Malrags, but your wife is a peculiar woman, my lord Mazael.”
Mazael grinned. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
-JM