Excerpt from THE CRYSTAL OF MYNOS

This excerpt is from my FREE READ prequel to The Legends of Mynos, my fantasy romance series from Samhain Publishing.

To find this FREE READ, click here:

http://www.RebeccaGoings.com/TheCrystalOfMynos.pdf

Enjoy!

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Mynos flew out across the open ocean of the Silver Sea, a wide grin upon his ancient face. Gliding on the wind, the great dragon spread his wings wide, playing in the air currents and reveling in the feel of it. The sunlight glistened off of his golden scales, making them shimmer with their rainbow-like translucence as his massive body flew low over the water. Never before had Mynos felt such a delightful euphoria as he did at that moment. Malnan was waiting for him, waiting on the Isle of Dragons, the birthplace of all dragonkind. She was ready to lay her eggs, ready to start their family, ready to finally settle down.

Thinking of his mate, Mynos could almost smell her on the wind and urged his wings to beat faster. They had been through so much together, and now it was finally time to bring their offspring into the world. Mynos felt like a young wyrmling himself at the thought of becoming a father—of starting a family with Malnan. She was his life, she was his heart, and Mynos prayed to the Father of Dragons he would never be parted from her.

The golden dragon flew joyously over the open ocean when a magical shockwave struck him—hard. He faltered in the sky at the unexpectedness of it. Mynos couldn’t stop his downward spiral and splashed helplessly into the calm waters of the ocean below. A colossal plume of spray shot into the sky as Mynos sank beneath the waves. Instinctively, the dragon knew exactly what it was.

His Crystal was screaming.

Bursting out of the water with another cascade of spray, Mynos turned in the sky and headed back toward the cliffs of Lyndaria. Sending a mental apology to his mate, he growled and rose higher and higher, gaining altitude while using his magical ability to gain speed.
King Timothy, ruler of the four realms and leader of the Order of the Wolverine, relied on the power of his Crystal to sustain his long life. If it had been taken from Castle Templestone, the king would die if Mynos couldn’t find it in time.

The dragon’s face hardened into a mask of fury. Once again his own happiness had to wait. The king needed him; Lyndaria needed him. But did anyone care about what Mynos needed? He needed the comfort only Malnan could give him, yet the time spent with her was few and far between. Ever since Mynos had made his Crystal, it seemed as if he hadn’t a moment’s peace.

These thoughts plagued him as he raced back to the castle, and he wondered if his decision to make the Crystal centuries ago had been the wisest one. He admitted it now, that he had made his Crystal for selfish reasons. He couldn’t be parted from Estriel, and that was the only real reason. Consecrating her body after she’d died resulted in the formation of the Crystal, what happened to every dragon upon their consecration. Estriel had always said a dragon’s body should never be wasted.

Mynos remembered those words as he’d wept over her slain form, still bleeding from her mortal wound. He hadn’t thought it possible for a mortal to slay a dragon, yet Estriel’s lifeblood pouring on the ground was proof enough they could. With her final breath, his sister enchanted her own body, to ensure the gem borne of her would never be able to harm its creator. It was her last gift to Mynos as his golden tears fell from his eyes. The very moment Estriel was gone, the dragon consecrated his beloved sister’s body, and thus the Crystal of Mynos was born.

Mynos remembered her bright eyes. She always seemed to know what he was thinking. Estriel had been a beautiful silver dragon, her own scales glittering with the same translucence as her brother’s golden ones. Even now when the Crystal flared with its own inner light, it refracted the glow, making hundreds of rainbows dance on the walls. Mynos always smiled whenever he saw the twinkling Crystal, knowing a part of his sister lived on within its faceted depths.

Mynos had enchanted the Crystal with the power to enhance the user’s own magical ability in an effort to teach and enlighten those who wielded magic. It’s what Estriel would have wanted.

Thus, two centuries ago, Mynos had given his Crystal to King Timothy of Lyndaria, who prized peace and justice above all else. If anyone wanted to learn of magic, they journeyed to Castle Templestone to touch the fabled Crystal and study its secrets. Ever since the Crystal had known peace, its power had been sustaining King Timothy’s life. But Mynos knew the king was dying. If the Crystal was no longer at the castle, there would be nothing to stop his rapid aging and his eventual, inevitable death.

It was known far and wide King Timothy had no living heirs, nor any relatives to ascend to the throne once he was gone. No doubt there would be squabbles, fights, and bloodshed to seize the throne of Lyndaria.

Pushing his body beyond its limits, Mynos strained to return to the castle. He had to find his Crystal at any cost!
 
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http://www.RebeccaGoings.com/TheCrystalOfMynos.pdf

~~Becka
Sexy, Sensual, Seductive
http://www.RebeccaGoings.com