Sneak Peek: The Stone Sea - A Flameling at Your Service
I was cold to the bone. Marching around the ruins, I did my best to keep warm and stave off the chills by hopping up on the stone walls, then down again.
If I was to make it home before nightfall, I couldn't wait any longer. I’d just have to try again tomorrow.
As I was turning away from the crumbling walls, I heard a snap.
“Levi,” I said, glad to have him here despite my annoyance. “You sure took your time.”
Even before I finished the sentence, I knew something was wrong. I saw no one around me, but my instincts screamed at me to run.
Instead, I climbed up on top of the closest wall. I might make a better target, but at least I’d have the advantage of height. I was a terrible fighter, anyway. At least I had my staff. Once I was up, I flipped back my hood, pushed the cloak behind my shoulder, and turned my staff with the sharp, pointy end first.
I turned around slowly.
I heard nothing but the howling wind.
I saw nothing but the silhouette of naked trees and crumbling ruins.
Looking up, I blinked raindrops out of my eyes, while smiling grimly: since no tree branches were directly above me, I had one less thing to worry about. I’d hate for someone to jump on me from above.
From the corner of my eyes, I registered movement from the left. I whirled.
The sound of my staff hitting something soft echoed, and an answering high-pitched screech was its answer.
I jumped down and approached the tiny figure on the ground with my staff pointing steadily at it.
I would underestimate no one because of size.
“Please,” the creature said, panting. “Please, help us.”
I paused. Help us?
I squinted through the rain that was now steadily pelting my face. I saw bluish flames flicker around the creature’s back.
“Who are you?” I asked.
“Láng, at your service,” he said. “I’m a flameling from Master Levi’s territory.”
He rose from the ground, swiped from his clothes some wet leaves that seemed to have begun to steam, and bowed to me ...
“… I should have stayed. But I ran away.” He sniffled and wiped at his cheek with the back of his hand.
I froze. Giving solace was not my forte, to say the least.
So I patted him awkwardly. He singed my gloves. Yes, I’d just patted a creature made of fire. The signs of his distress obviously caused me to lose my freaking mind.
“Please, it’s going to be fine. Just show me the way and I’ll help.” I tried for an encouraging tone. I probably failed. To compensate, I handed him a tissue from my pocket.
“Thank you,” he mumbled. He blew his nose, then watched in distress as the tissue lit up and burnt away. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”
Yeah, buddy, that made two of us.
“Don’t worry about it. Just take a couple of deep breaths. Then we’ll get going.”
This is the end of the sneak peek from The Stone Sea.
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Still not sure whether The Stone Sea is your kind of bookish adventure?
Read another excerpt here: FOLLOW THE WHISPER OF REEDS!
Find out more about Zalka, the heroine of The Stone Sea, here: UNLEASH THE MAGIC - MEET ZALKA, A HUNGARIAN WITCH!
Or get a behind-the-scenes look at my book research for The Stone Sea here: 7 SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT HUNGARIAN WITCHES INVOLVING BUMBLEBEES, FAIRY KINGS, AND MORE