#Excerpt: WITCH'S CURSE #fantasy @dlmartin6

“They’re starving,” Kala said, in a voice so low it barely carried to her sister. “I’m trying to reach out to them like Nana did with the frightened horses.”

Kara doubted the wolves would be calmed or soothed as the nervous horses had been. Those horses had been domesticated, but these were wild, savage beasts. She did the only thing she could.

“Hiiiiiiyyyyyyaaaaaaaa!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping to momentarily distract them. She yelled and waved her arms as she rushed forward. “Hey, you big ugly things, stay away from her.”

She thought her ruse worked. One of the wolves turned its attention to her and launched itself without hesitation. As the wolf jumped, Kara flung her first knife, boosting the speed with a blast of elemental air. She would only get one chance at the beast and threw with all the accuracy and power she could muster. She ducked her head and raised her arms to protect herself in the event she missed the mark. Hearing a yelp and a loud thud in front of her, she looked up. The wolf lay dead at her feet with her knife protruding from its eye. The throw had been perfect.

They were not out of danger yet.

Hearing the cry of their brother, the other two wolves hesitated, seeming to assess this new threat. Kala had been easy prey and had made no threatening moves towards the wolves, but Kara was a deadly enemy. As if by silent command, the wolves moved as one towards her.

Kara tried to side-step her way towards her sister, but the wolves cut her off. She didn’t want to use her knife until she could be sure of a kill. Her knife was their last lifeline. When the larger wolf got too close, she threw an elemental blast at it, sending it tumbling. It was thrown halfway across the clearing, but regained its balance and began stalking her again. She didn’t have too many of those left in her, but if she reached Kala, they could join their powers and she would be able to hit them with another powerful blast.

“Kala, we must join or I won’t have enough power to kill them both. Try to move towards me.”

The girls continued to inch toward one another. The wolf nearest to Kala caught her movement and leapt at her. The young girl jumped back to avoid the snapping jaws, but not far enough. The wolf’s claws sliced through her jacket and left deep scratches on her arm. She cried out and tumbled backwards from the force of the blow.

The blood scent drove the wolves into a frenzy. Kara jumped between the wolf and her sister. She sliced at the beast’s nose with her knife. As fast as Kara was, the animal was faster. The blade missed its tender nose and was repelled by the thick fur of its neck. As she moved back towards her sister, the wolf lunged again. This time it didn’t miss.

Kara screamed and her eyes widened in horror. Her vision was filled with sharp fangs and teeth. She knew they were dead when she saw the other wolf charge her sister. 

**** 

Early Reviewer Comments:

5 stars: 
"The story takes the reader through twists and turns worthy of epic fantasy while managing to keep the reins of tension taut and the characters true. We get to see through the eyes of evil-doers and heroes alike, and that feature brings a freshness to the plot that I enjoyed."

5 stars: 
"The writing is superb, the descriptions detailed without going overboard. Every city, every dimly lit tavern, and every snowy mountain pass was vivid in my mind."

5 stars:
"Loaded with drama, action, and plenty of twists and turns--not to mention a villain worthy to follow in the footsteps of Mave--this book kept me glued from the first page to the last!"

Amazon buy links:

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Curse-Witch-Stone-Prophecy-ebook/dp/B00LRI47FS BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-witchs-curse-paul-martin/1108022567 KoboBooks: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/witch-s-curse-book-2-the-witch-stone-prophecy iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/witchs-curse/id898636922?mt=11 - See more at: http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/p/witch-stone-titles.html#sthash.rl98fVGN.dpuf

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Curse-Witch-Stone-Prophecy-ebook/dp/B00LRI47FS BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-witchs-curse-paul-martin/1108022567 KoboBooks: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/witch-s-curse-book-2-the-witch-stone-prophecy iBookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/witchs-curse/id898636922?mt=11 - See more at: http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/p/witch-stone-titles.html#sthash.rl98fVGN.dpuf