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Excerpt
This is who I am. I’m the widow of a knight. My father was the Baron of Grimm. I’m the eldest of four. And my brother is the first Grimm to insist he can see magical creatures. My name is Violet.
On this November day, in the year of our Lord 1312, an unusual crime was committed at Edensa University, where my brother lives. There had been no warning that this event would be life-changing for both him and me.
As Master of Magical Theory and History, he soon became entangled in the event, for it had magical undertones. I intended to keep him out of harm’s way. But then I became worried, as I wondered if his convictions were not just the result of an overactive imagination.
What if there really are invisible monsters?
* * *
“Surely magical creatures are naught but myths, sir?” Gazi spoke from a bench two rows back. “They don’t exist.”
This late-night class, the first Kennard had held this autumn, would hopefully be the last. It had made for a long day.
The lit torches shadowed Gazi’s strong features, giving him a devilish cast. He suspected the clever lad of being deliberately provocative. At fourteen, he was only seven years Kennard’s junior, yet Gazi might as well have been a mischievous child of eight, the way he sometimes acted.
Kennard addressed his students. “What do you think of Gazi’s question? Is it worthy of our consideration?”
“No!” Fanil lounged on a bench to Kennard’s left and flashed Gazi, his arch-nemesis, an over-the-shoulder smirk. “But such creatures are present in Bernada,” he added, snapping on the bait despite his avowal to the contrary.
Two vociferous rivals for the class fool.
“As if you would know.” Gazi chuckled. “You’ve never been to the sorcerers’ kingdom. No mortal has.”
“Our queen has,” Elspera countered, one of only three lasses registered for his class, and the only one of them present tonight. She sat directly across from Kennard, her favorite spot.
Her maid sat by the door, head tilted, eyes closed, and mouth half open, while releasing soft snores.
Elspera pointed at a portrait of our fair monarch on the wall. Her long sleeve slid down as she raised her arm, revealing a pale hand and wrist covered in intricately painted, darkly dotted patterns.
Gazi straightened on his bench, running a hand through his hair. “I grant, unlike us, God bestowed Queen Amity with exceptional powers. Yet, even she’s never spoken of magical creatures, not in our lands or even in Bernada.” His tone grew soft as his gaze rested on the fair maiden. “Also, this topic is about magical creatures, like ogres, griffins, and water spirits. Not sorceresses.”
“As a sorceress,” Elspera argued, “the queen could be considered a magical creature. If you seek further evidence, what about religious texts, which mention behemoths, demons, and even dragons? They do not lie.”
“My pa says it is blasphemous to discuss witchery,” a lad said from the last row. “The church forbids it.”
Though Gregory had addressed his comments to the class, his gaze lingered by the doorway. Was he hoping he could be anywhere but here? Possibly. Kennard glanced toward the doorway, where Elspera’s maid, having awoken, sat straight and blinked tired eyes. It had been a long day.
His attention returned to Gregory, who hailed from a small village in Greece. Normally, a quiet lad. Why a religious boy wished to attend sacrilegious lessons had once troubled him when the lad’s family applied to enroll him in this class.
Had the Church sent this “little bird” to Edensa to report on Kennard’s teachings, so they could smear his father’s name? For the Baron of Grimm had spoken out against the Pope a time or two.
Kennard’s fist had clenched at the possibility of his behavior being used to attack his father. In the end, he met Gregory, and his instincts insisted the lad had good in him. So, deciding an enemy close at hand was worth three in the bush, he’d admitted him. Time would prove if he’d been wise or not.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with . . . Shereen Vedam . . .
LIGHTNING ROUND
What genre do you read?
Cozy Mystery, currently going through everything Tamara Berry wrote.
What genre do you write?
Cozy Fantasy Mystery, and likely 10 other genres.
What was the first book you fell in love with?
Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blytons (book 1 of the Famous Five series). Guess the love of mystery was in my blood from the beginning.
What was a book you said you would never pick up again?
The Lord of the Flies. (Hated it, still hate it, will hate it until after I die).
Which fiction character do you love?
Granny Weatherwax in Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett. I love witches with attitude.
Which fiction character do you love to hate?
Darth Vader, because he generates that touch of pity which pulls at one’s heart even as we recoil at what he does.
Which fiction character do you hate?
Fagin in Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, because he was corrupting children.
What beverage do you drink while reading?
Tea, English Breakfast with a touch of unpasteurized honey and Coffee Mate (Don’t lecture me. I love the stuff).
What do you snack on while reading?
Cashews, roasted and unsalted.
Have you always enjoyed reading?
Yes, to the exclusion of everything else in the world while I’m reading.
Loved the short lightning-round questions. Surprised myself when I read the answers.
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