Friday, April 3, 2015

Thunderlord snippet - Banshee Attack

Please remember that this is a work in progress and drafts have a habit of changing drastically from inception to finished book.


From Thunderlord Chapter 11

When Kyria clasped her hands over her ears, Edric’s instincts urged him to do the same, to shut out the banshee’s cry. It was said to drive men mad, but he had never before understood why. The sound pulsed, throbbing, until it vibrated his eardrums and seemed to fill his skull, driving out all rational thought, and then subsided. But he had learned discipline at Neskaya, how to overcome physical discomforts and to master his fears. In a working matrix circle, a lapse on the part of any one worker might have disastrous consequences for them all. He drew Kyria to him, held her close against his body, and forced himself to listen.

The banshee wailed again, louder now. The cry rose and swelled, shrill and eerie, cresting and dying down only to begin again. The mare snorted and tossed her head; the whites of her eyes showed as gleaming crescents. Kyria shuddered, ducking her head into the curve of his shoulder. Yes, the banshee’s cry was definitely louder. The thing must be coming closer.

“The fire!” Kyria glanced toward the opening to the shelter, where the embers still glowed red. “It’ll draw the banshee. They hunt by warmth. We have to put it out!”

He grabbed her arm and stopped her before she could scatter the remains of the fire. “Listen to me! The banshee will come to the fire, yes, but it will seek out the hottest object first. That will give us a chance to get away…or, or find a way to kill it.”


“Kill a banshee?” Kyria stopped struggling. “Are you nuts?” 

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