Child of War-Rising Son-Sweet Saturday Samples

Hi there! Welcome to my little offering for this week’s Sweet Saturday Samples from my upcoming novel

Child of War-Rising Son. As always, my excerpt is PG-13 or below, the novel, however, is written for ADULTS.

Cerci.

She stood there silently, patiently, waiting for him and watching him approach. Her long gray hair caught in the sea wind, flying out behind her, as she held her old arms across her body to keep whatever warmth she could.

Raven felt both elated and a little uneasy as the boat cut through the water bringing him closer to the old Sea Witch and her abode. He made no move to put into her shore, instead he just kept rowing toward the coming night with his eyes locked to hers as she grew closer and closer. He steeled himself for whatever she had in mind for him. As he neared and passed within fifty yards of her shore, when he no longer had to look over his shoulder to keep an eye on her, but instead they were even with each other, Cerci tossed her old hands up in the air. Raven’s gaze followed.

Overhead the twilight turned to full night. A great shadow passed under the light of the moon. Someone screamed. The scream grew louder, closer, because the screamer was falling from the sky. Silver-gray hair flew out from the billowing folds a wrap of purple cloth, a blanket perhaps. Then the screamer, in their bundle of purple, hit the water with such force Raven was sure they’d broken their back, their neck, and died. The splash from the impact leapt up more than a hundred feet. The stillness of the night amplified the watery thud sound that sent shock ripples rushing to all surrounding shores.

The shadow too large to belong to a bird and too small to belong any aircraft moved across the moon again, it flew back and forth over the water as though looking for its lost cargo. It had no luck and soon flew off. Just as it gave it and took off the way it may have come an image appeared on the face of the moon as big and bright as the orb itself.

Although Raven never met her, his genetic memory told him the ethereal woman staring down was Artemis, Sister to Ares and Apollo. She had long flaming red hair, eyes greener than the most sparkling emeralds, a simple gold band around her head told of her station. She looked to the flailing person in the water and then to Cerci standing on her shore just her face faded replaced by that of Ares’ and then his island. Artemis returned, she smiled, she nodded and then she was gone.

There was nothing but the night and the drowning woman.

A great wind suddenly kicked up blowing in the wrong direction it pushed Raven’s boat back the way he came. Back toward the island so very far behind him. The flailing woman went with it, the tide carried her away, her head bobbing up and down as she choked and gasped for air. Digging into the water with his oars trying to keep it on course, Raven watched her go until he couldn’t see her anymore.

The strong wind died down, the dark turned to purple twilight again, and Cerci still stood there staring at him. Even though his heart pumped cold ichor through his veins, Raven managed to make his voice weighty, “You got something to say to me, Old Witch?” It seemed that just about everyone had something to say about his Mother lately. Raven was familiar with the tale of how Magdalena MacLeod washed up on the secluded shores of Ares’ island. He knew Eros dropped her from the sky she hadn’t been able to hide that fact from him as he grew inside her. Even if she had been able to, it wouldn’t have stopped Apollo from bragging all these years about how he had her before Ares. She was meant to be his bitch and Ares had no right to interfere. Apollo never made any bones about the fact that he intended to rectify that one day and have her under his roof, at his side, and in his bed where she was supposed to be all along.
What Raven hadn’t known until now was that Cerci or Artemis had anything to do with Alena’s journey from nearly open sea to the relative safety of the island so far away. He doubted any of the rest of them knew it either.

Until now.

Cerci just shook her head. She didn’t smile. She didn’t say a single word. She just stared at him as he rowed past her before retreating into her cave by the sea.

Feeling confused but relieved, Raven let the tension out of his sore shoulders grateful to see nothing passing but an empty shore until he reached the very end of Cerci’s island. Gliding past the tip he was met with the sight of Daphne standing in the tall grass of the dunes with Jilios. The girl waved, she looked very sad, he wanted to call out to her, say something, maybe even row over and talk to her a moment. There was nothing to say.

Raven rowed on into the open sea and black night.

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