Excerpt Day: Freedom to Fly by Winnie Jerome

[reviews_and_ramblings]

Spikenard: Freedom to Fly by Winnie Jerome
Release Date: June 16, 2009
Publisher: Torquere Books
ISBN: 978-1-60370-739-8
1-60370-739-5
Publisher Link: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2023

Blurb: Zhong Shi is a young dragon in the early days of China, known for being headstrong and a little vain. His lover, Chen Jing, keeps him out of trouble, and keeps him happy, at least until he and Chen Jing are assigned to meddle in the affairs of humans. When a terrible accident befalls Chen Jing, though, Zhong Shi worries he'll never be happy again. In modern America, Sebastian has boyfriend problems when he meets David. He's definitely attracted, but trying to be true to Luke, who spends more time fighting with Sebastian than loving him. When things start to go horribly wrong, Sebastian finds himself turning to David, looking for the kind of understanding only a soul mate can give. The stories of the two couples begin to intertwine in the way of myth and magic, but will Sebastian and David be able to make things right in time?

Excerpt:

Zhong Shi glanced over at the enormous stack of dishes piled next to the sink and wondered if he would be able to finish cleaning without drying out his hands. The skin in any of his forms was tougher than average, but even his flesh had a limit.

His nose picked up a particular scent and he tried to filter it through the other smells of the kitchen. He signaled Chen Jing over and said, "There's a large amount of uneaten shark fin soup. Who has the King been entertaining?"

Chen Jing replied in a voice so quiet that only Zhong Shi's dragon ears could pick up his words.

"He has been celebrating his latest victory with General Lao Yu."

"And how is this odd?"

"To be celebrating so often and lavishly with a general is uncommon. Rumor has it that the King is so pleased with Lao Yu's performance that he is giving Tsiu Tsing to him."

"Really?" Tsiu Tsing was a great beauty and one of the King's favorite concubines. Lao Yu must have excelled on the battlefield to be granted such an honor.

"And there's something else that is unusual..."

"What?"

"Lao Yu wants all servants dismissed from his presence. We are not allowed to go in until after he leaves his chambers."

"We should question him." Anything was better than washing dishes.

"No, Little One. I don't have more than a suspicion. I will try to gain access to his quarters in the Eastern Hall while he is dining tomorrow night."

After Chen Jing left to finish his tasks, Zhong Shi started to formulate a plan. Gossip was prevalent in the palace, and it would only be a matter of time before rumors about the new, over-curious kitchen servants reached Lao Yu. He needed to act now, while the opportunity was still fresh.

Zhong Shi sighed in relief when he placed the last of the dishes on the stack. Now that he had completed his task, he could leave this stuffy kitchen. He took a moment to enjoy the fresh air before he checked for the presence of guards with his keen eyes. When he saw that the way was clear, he leaped into the air and landed without a sound on the roof of the kitchen.

The palace grounds consisted of a number of separated halls built over a large open area, but the distance between the structures was not a concern to Zhong Shi. From his new vantage point, it was easy for him to leap from building to building to travel to the Eastern Hall without being detected. He found the General's room with ease -- the windows had been left open, which allowed him to peer inside.

The General's chambers were lavishly appointed. They were decorated with the finest silk tapestries; small objects carved in jade; and lacquered cabinets painted with twisting, elaborate designs. Zhong Shi grinned when he saw that dragons were composed the majority of the images, and he couldn't resist the urge to see if any of the illustrations bore a resemblance to him. A zither rested in front of a low table, but the room otherwise appeared to be empty.

Zhong Shi vaulted into the room and the first thing he noticed was the overwhelming scent of incense that stung his nose. He shook his head -- the richer humans always burned too much, and he hated it because the aroma overwhelmed his sense of smell.

A whistling sound caught his attention and he dodged to the side. An arrow missed his head by a whisker's length; and the flint tip thudded into the wall behind him. Zhong Shi pivoted around so that he could see who his attacker was, and he was bewildered to see that General Lao Yu was standing at the other end of the room. Lao Yu was armed with a bow, and his stern face was contorted in fury.

Zhong Shi was confused -- how had he missed Lao Yu's presence? He didn't see anything unusual before he came in. The only way Lao Yu could have escaped detection was through magical means, but none of the humans had that kind of power. His draconic vision would have shown him if another supernatural being was masquerading as a human.

He concluded that Lao Yu must have obtained some sort of mystic artifact. Fortunately, the other man did not give any indication that he recognized Zhong Shi as anything other than an intruding human.

He decided to keep pressing his advantage. He fell to the ground in a kowtow and said, "A thousand pardons, master! Please do not kill me! My betrothed cleans your chambers, but her parents have forbidden her to marry me. I was trying to find her so that we could elope."

"You are fortunate that I am feeling merciful -- leave and I will forget about punishing you." Lao Yu didn't even spare a glance at Zhong Shi before he turned on his heel and started walking away.

That was the opening Zhong Shi was waiting for. He let out a full-throated roar and hurled a chi blast at Lao Yu. Lao Yu cried out in pain and slumped to the ground.

Zhong Shi grinned at his quick thinking -- now he could examine this human at his leisure. When Zhong Shi touched the unconscious form, Lao Yu's eyes suddenly flicked open and his jaw gaped wide as if he was about to scream. Multi-colored cords of black, red, blue-green, white, and yellow silk exploded out from his mouth; the thick strands arced into the air before they twined together and wrapped around Zhong Shi's exposed throat.

"No!" Zhong Shi screamed before the silk brushed against his skin. He hissed in pain and the smell of his burning flesh permeated the air. The cords extended down to wrap over his wrists and ankles, searing him again.