Sneak Peek: The Stone Sea - Follow the Whisper of Reeds

With my eyes closed and lying on the surfboard, I strained to listen, my entire being focused on catching a whisper, anything, even the faintest of sounds that could lead me to my goal.

And yet, only eerie silence greeted me, as if my hearing had gotten worse the more I tried. No soft splashes of a duck-bill filtering along the water surface, no honking of geese from above, no buzzing of wings as a dragonfly hunts for a meal. Even the trees on shore with their autumn-kissed orange and yellow crowns stood mute with not a leaf rustling, frozen in shock by the summer-like weather. Or perhaps nature had gone quiet in reverence for the Eve of All Hallows. I shivered despite the heat.

Not even a rumble of waves broke the silence. I barely felt any rocking of my board, as if Lake Balaton had decided to take a nap under the unseasonably hot noon sun. In an impressive demonstration of willpower, I resisted following suit and falling asleep.

I'd been out here since morning. The hope of finding my quarry on my own waned with every tick of the clock. Not only had the sun begun its descending path, but I knew there wouldn’t be another day nice enough to swim this fall.

I dipped a finger in the water, testing the temperature to see if the sun’s rays had warmed up at least the surface level of the lake enough for me to not freeze my butt off. According to the thermometer by the dock, the water was 14 degrees Celsius this morning. Plenty above freezing level.

Then again, I’d wear a jacket if the air was that cool. And I planned on diving into this.

But I didn’t mind. Not really. Nothing compares to the peace of being on the water. Right there in the middle of the emerald lake known as the Hungarian Sea, I felt a contentment so profound that my heart clenched at the thought of the coming winter months when I’d miss this.
I may lack the skill to manipulate water, but my soul hears its call. A useless ability if there ever was, passive elemental magic.

Bemoaning my lack of witchcraft wouldn’t get me anywhere, though. I was out here to take control.

A sound shattered the silence, tearing me away from the never-ending merry-go-round of my thoughts. I held my breath as I concentrated on the rhythmic whoosh coming nearer. Could this be it? The sound I’ve been searching for?

This is the end of the sneak peek from Episode 1 of The Stone Sea.

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