Prelude (The Rhapsody Quartet) (38 page)

My eyes widened. It was a map.

Read Ahead for an Excerpt From…

Glenn placed a hand lightly on my shoulder, cocked his head and gestured behind him, “Ready?”

I nodded stiffly. We headed up to the tower that contained the scrying pool. When we arrived, Glenn closed the door behind us and locked it with a solid click.

It was as private as it could be in this house.

We gazed into the water. It remained black. Glenn cleared his throat, “Member of Her Majesty’s Guard, Glenn, checking in with the council in regards to the siren.” The water rippled for a moment, and the darkness brightened just a tiny bit.

There they were, looking exactly as we’d seen them before, nine council members seated in a ring.

“Ah!” Lady Amaranthe said, “There you are. We were wondering if we’d hear from you at all.”

“We were delayed,” Glenn said apologetically, “Sarah was speaking with Princess Marin.”

“Alone?” the Lady said, her brow arching sharply.

“The Princess is adequate at defensive magic,” Glenn explained, “and they were within King Dorian’s estate.”

The Lady’s shoulders relaxed marginally, “I do hope you are not shirking your duties, Glenn,” she reprimanded. “Especially with that horrid attack at the commencement of Auct.”

Glenn’s mouth hardened, but he didn’t say anything for a moment. Finally he sighed, “You’re right. I will keep closer contact.”

“Unnecessary, but we appreciate it nonetheless,” Marin’s father said. He grinned boyishly, his gaze moving to me. “We have fantastic news. A family of naga in Florida have accepted guardianship of you. You’ll be departing in the morning.”

My heart thudded dully in my chest. I was leaving Whitecrest.

“I’m…” I said slowly, “grateful for the thought, council members, but with all due respect—”

“Right now,” reminded the vampire councilman carefully, “you are under the protection of this council and, in particular, His Majesty King Dorian,” he gestured towards Marin’s father. “We feel that his generosity has gone far enough. The naga have been kind enough to take you.”

The Lady of Flowers nodded. “Indeed,” she said, smiling widely. “In fact, this allows you to return home to the Amaranth Guard, Glenn.”

He frowned, “With the attack three weeks ago, I hardly think it’s prudent to—”

She raised one hand, silencing him, “The attack has been handled by the council, and those responsible are no longer a threat. Those who wish harm on the siren have been suitably disbanded. The menace is eliminated. The naga will provide adequate protection.” Her eyes hardened, “You may
come home
, Glenn.”

“I…” he said slowly, “I understand.” He bowed his head.

King Dorian smiled, “Good. Then it’s settled. You’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

Acknowledgments

I owe many thanks to the following people whose patience, wisdom, or overall awesomeness made Prelude possible.

To my amazing beta reader, Alicia: your feedback is more valuable than you know. Thank you for your patience, advice, input, and enthusiasm. This series would not have been written, and certainly not so quickly, without you.

To my cover artist and beta reader, Alexis: your designs are beautiful, your input fantastic. Thank you for bringing my characters to life! And thank you for your wild theories. They’re my favorite.

To my publicist and editor, Mariesa: thank you for your advice, your expertise, and your critical eye. You’ve been invaluable.

To my line editor, Jessica: not only have you acted as an alpha reader, you devoted plenty of nights to fixing commas and clumsy sentences. It wasn’t easy, but the product is worthwhile. Sonata is coming up soon. Hope you’re ready!

To my mother, Lynne: what can I say? You’ve been unfortunately subjected to every version, every rewrite, every addition, every revision, every exhausting night awake, every plot twist, every meltdown, every moment. You’ve been my cheerleader, my fan, and my mentor. This story would not exist without you— it would be some half-formed thought scribbled on a notepad or lost on a few kilobytes in MS Word.

And finally, to my husband: it hasn’t been easy, I know. I never knew the depths of how much someone could love until now. Nothing tests one’s devotion like writing a novel— let alone a series of them. I love you, Darin.

About A.M. Hodgson

We’re not saying A.M. Hodgson is a deadly ninja by night. But we’re not
not
saying that, either. When she’s not making up fantastical plotlines and endearingly flawed characters, she’s reading, playing video games, or being forced to socialize with real, living, breathing people.

She lives in Spokane, Washington with her husband, two cats and a rage-filled chihuahua. She enjoys long walks on the beach, daring adventures, and other activities she only frequents in her imagination.

Learn more about A.M. Hodgson at her website: 
http://www.amhodgson.com

Prelude
Copyright © 2013 by A.M. Hodgson
Cover Artwork by Alexis Orellana
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author. Protected under copyright laws of the United States of America.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or businesses is coincidental.

First Publication: November, 2013
Kindle Edition: November, 2013
www.amhodgson.com