New Release in epic fantasy

 

Amazon Paperback https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSTYY9LM

ISBN: 9798339009474

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSTFW3BQ

.99 for a limited time. Regular price is 3.99.

Unravel the threads of fate.

It is written in blood.

One of Her kind will betray Her.

In a world where mortals are at the whims of the capricious gods, a prophecy foretells treachery committed by one of their own, leading to the inevitable downfall of the once-mighty Titans. The Great Goddess Rhea, seeking retribution, dispatches Her vengeance goddess, Becuille, to the land of Hatti. She is charged with the daunting task of uncovering the origins of star metal, a substance fatal to the old gods, and finding the enigmatic Destroyer.

Disguised as a human slave in the royal palace, Becuille finds herself entwined with her master, Prince Callileon, plunging both into a treacherous world of power-hungry gods, formidable magic, and widespread betrayal. As tension mounts and loyalties are tested, Becuille faces an impossible choice between duty to her goddess and the stirrings of forbidden love for Callileon.

Warning: Of Gods and Vengeance is a Greek tragedy featuring star-crossed lovers set in an era where slavery and human and animal sacrifice were commonplace.

Excerpt:

Dazed by the relentless, blinding sun, she stumbled and fell. Laughter erupted from the crowd. Becuille pulled herself up and brushed dirt from her knees as best she could with shackled wrists.

The slave trader cast her a lewd grin, raking his kohl-lined gaze over her body. He stroked her bare thigh. “She is a bit clumsy, but this maiden is skilled in the arts of love and augury. Her skin is on the fair side, but she is worth the high price I ask for her. She comes from the mysterious island in the Aegean called Crete. Just look at how flawless her skin is, and her ripe breasts are like succulent apples.”

People had exclaimed awe when he’d mentioned she was from Crete. He tugged her tunic down, revealing one of her breasts to the mostly male audience.

His skin smelled foul like rotten fish. She pulled her chin up, recoiling from his dirty touch.

For her ears only, he whispered as he covered her exposed breast, “I have to sell you to the palace as your mistress wished. They only want the best.”

Wincing at his terrible breath, she stood still and allowed him to play his part. This was a new experience for her and already she despised slave traders and how they treated their merchandise. This one had been overpaid for his services, but it was important that she be sold into the palace. She gave him a hard look, certain the greedy Egyptian had raised the price for her to make himself even richer in silver shekels.

“Do not let her shyness fool you. Though her maidenhead is ruined, she has more important skills, and she is still young and nubile.” He leered at her, and she suppressed the urge to strike him. “She is truly a rare gem in the bedchamber, and she is an augur who can speak many languages. Her talents do not end there for she has the singing voice of a goddess, most enchanting. Thirty shekels and she is yours.”

The slave trader moved on to another of his prized slaves, a young Nubian man with skin as black as a moonless night. Selling his wares, the Egyptian continued addressing the crowd in the blistering heat.

Becuille turned her attention to a tall young man wearing a clean white, gold-trimmed tunic who watched her with intense blue eyes. His combed hair gleamed like shimmering wheat in the blazing sun. He wore a barbaric close-cropped beard and mustache, but his facial hair gave him a masculinity that strangely intrigued her. Royalty swirled around him like the brightly colored feathers of a cuckoo. He stood much taller than the men she was accustomed to on the island, and with his golden hair, muscular arms and thighs, he resembled an invincible sun god.

So, this is the land of the Hatti, brutal invaders of the lands of the Great Goddess. Hmm. This tall man did not seem brutal. She returned his penetrating stare, forgetting that a slave should always keep her gaze lowered in submission.

“Do my eyes deceive me or do I see a striking maiden with the untamed spirit of a spring mare?” He spoke in the strange Egyptian tongue. Grasping her chained hands, he forced her closer to him.

His sheathed sword brushed against her thigh, causing a curious quiver in her lower regions. If she could break her shackles, she would have pulled away from him. The feelings he roused frightened her. Were unbridled emotions always present inside mortals? She felt a sudden twinge of pity for them.

He continued to look intently at her, compressing his mouth, as if awaiting her response.

She realized he was testing her. “Your eyes do not deceive you. This spring mare will not be so easy to tame,” she whispered, answering him in the Egyptian tongue.

He stood so close to her she could smell his manly perfume of wood smoke, leather, and spices. She caught a whiff of sandalwood, which further aroused her. Biting her lower lip to quell her unwanted emotions, she reminded herself why she came here as a slave to this sweltering land.

His eyes burned into hers, glinting with arrogance. “Hmm, we shall see about that.”

“I am a freeborn woman, lord,” she said, unable to hide her sneer.

Her anger rose unchecked, and she forgot her place here as a humble slave. His insolent nature intensified her ire as well as her lust.

“These chains indicate otherwise.” He stepped back, his chin and shoulders lifted in a show of superiority. “I will take this one,” he said to the slave trader, speaking again in his own language and handing him a bulging, jingling bag.

The Egyptian untied the leather bag and inspected the silver shekels.

“After a long bath, she will be presentable to the House of Suppiluliuma,” the golden-haired man said.

Seething inside, Becuille tried to ignore his insolent comment, keeping her eyes lowered and away from his penetrating, and she was certain, mocking gaze. Was he still testing her? Did he want her to forget she was a slave and lash out at him? His peculiar behavior puzzled her. She kept her gaze lowered, hoping he would be her first connection to finding Celmis. So far the plan was working. She was on her way to the royal palace. A small triumph on this frustrating day.