Elemental Trials by Ronelle Antoinette Book Tour and Giveaway :)
Errant Spark
Elemental
Trials Book 1
by
Ronelle Antoinette
Genre:
Fantasy Romance
How
can you afford to risk it all for love when your life is not your
own?
They
say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but In
Egalion’s Imperial court, you can't tell one from the
other...especially when they change at the flip of a coin. Behind the
luxury and splendor lies a realm of treachery where cloak-and-dagger
political maneuvering threatens to destroy the peace of two thousand
years.
Twenty-five-year-old
Battlemage Jex Xander has a mouth that frequently gets him into
trouble, while in contrast, Enari Namelum speaks not at all. When Jex
becomes the target of a faceless curse-slinger, Enari, the girl he
has protected since the day they met, must now protect him. A string
of ritual human sacrifices coupled with Jex’s growing inability to
keep his feelings (and hands) to himself only serve to complicate
matters. Amidst the mounting chaos, passion and romance should be the
last thing on their minds, but life and the Goddess seem to have
other ideas.
In
a world as enticing as it is perilous, love, danger, and magic will
collide, leaving lives irrevocably changed. The events of a single
summer stand to change the course of more than just the kingdom of
Egalion and the ones dismissed as pawns may yet prove to be the most
important players.
“Errant
Spark” is the hush before the storm, the last deep breath before
the plunge. The flint has been struck and it’s possible the whole
world might go up in flames…because love in the Imperial court is
as dangerous a thing as backroom politics and jealousy can be as much
a driving force as silver and gold.
***
Fantasy?
Action? Romance? Yes! This romantic fantasy novel by Ronelle
Antoinette is a broad, epic, sweeping fantasy with more twists and
turns and ups and downs than a wild roller-coaster! The first
installment of the Elemental Trials series is one of those books that
really is so much more than what the blurb can convey. Described as
“surprisingly complex and visionary” by one reviewer, “Errant
Spark” will leave you mesmerized from the first page to the
last.
Hailed
by Amazing Stories Magazine’s Ricky L Brown as “a simple story
about interesting characters with just enough romance and magic to
make it work. […] Errant Spark is as complex as George RR Martin,
with a world that is well-suited for conniving and cavorting. Rest
assured, there is plenty of sex and violence, but not as raw and
stabby as the aforementioned works. It’s more like a big kid’s
version of a fairy tale.
Recommended
for:
•Mature
teens and up
•Fans
of epic fantasy and romance
•Those
looking for characters they want to eat…or take home and
enjoy
•Readers
who can appreciate a gorgeous tapestry of magic, myth, and
mayhem
•Connoisseurs
of fine love stories that complement the plot and that ‘slow
burn’
•Lovers
of surprises, twists-and-turns, and well-placed, necessary
supernatural elements
•Anyone
looking for sex, magic, love, fantasy, and a story that will sweep
you away
•Those
who don’t mind staying up all night so they can turn that final
page
Update:
As of 11/21/16, a series glossary has been included at the end of
this novel (in ebook and print form only).
Amazon
* Audible
* Apple
* Smashwords
* B&N
True night had fallen on Tor’s Alley,
with only a few pale squares of light cast by nearby windows to
illuminate the way ahead. The far end of the street was utterly dark,
a patient maw waiting to swallow them whole. A dog barked in the
distance and they heard the hiss and yowl of fighting tomcats
somewhere much closer. Tipping her head back, Enari gazed at the
stars that were clearly visible in this poorly lit part of the great
city.
“We shouldn’t dawdle,” Jex said
in a low voice. He moved down the steps, putting them on a level when
he faced her, and bent to pull a dagger from the top of his boot. She
hadn’t even noticed it before and wondered what else he had hidden
on his person. Holding it up, he took her hand and
curled her fingers around the leather-wrapped hilt. “Do you know how to use this?” he
asked seriously. When she shook her head, he closed his
eyes in dismay and exhaled heavily. She watched the faint glint of
starlight trace the razor edge as she tilted it slowly. He shook her
once, snapping her attention back to him. “Eyes, throat, belly, groin.” He
touched each body part on himself as he spoke. “They’re soft and
the blade won’t stick. Any part of a man will do, but those will
drop him fast.” Placing his hand over hers, he showed her a simple
thrust-and-twist motion. “Put it in your belt, like this.
Good. Now let me see you draw it. Watch you don’t cut your
fingers.” Enari did as instructed and once he was
satisfied she could draw the weapon without catching on anything, he
took her hand again. They started down the dark street at a brisk
pace and Enari observed a change in the way he walked. His stride was
still confident, but there was a new alertness in his posture, a
deadly grace that proclaimed he was not someone to be trifled with. “What did she give you?” he asked
more casually than she would have expected. Reluctantly, she fished the amulet out
of her bodice and held it up so he could see. He coughed and glanced
away, but not before she saw the color rising in his cheeks. Even in
the dim light, the blush was visible.
“I’m sorry. That was rather, um,
forward of her. Have to give her credit for perceptiveness, though.
I’m not sure I’d have thought of that until it was too late, and
then where would we be? Well, where would you be? As soon as
Vasi found out, I’d be dead for certain. I know I don’t have to
tell you to keep it out of sight unless you want people to talk. Not
that I’d be ashamed, but, well, that brings us back ‘round to the
me dying thing.” Throughout the entire rambling monologue, his eyes
swept their surroundings and he kept a firm grip on her hand. They’d nearly reached the market
square where the encounter with the Dust addict had occurred that
afternoon when a figure stepped into the alley, blocking their path. “Thought you two would be along,”
drawled a male voice, “Made us wait long enough to be sure.” Jex stopped dead as three more
man-shaped shadows joined the first. Slowly, attention never leaving
the menacing strangers, he drew Enari behind him so that his body
shielded her from view. As the pack moved to the center of the alley,
moonlight dimly illuminated their features. Three of the ruffians
were hulking, heavily muscled men, flat faced and heavy browed, while
the fourth, apparently their leader, was whipcord thin. All four were
dressed in dark clothing and armed to the teeth. “We don’t want any trouble,
friends,” Jex said, polite and cautions, “Let us pass.” The men laughed. The sound was ugly and
filled with the promise of impending violence. The leader shook his head, long hair
falling into his eyes. “Oh no. The Lady doesn’t take kindly to a
dandy like you roughing up her people. Yeema may be a slimy, Dust-mad
little worm, but he’s still Brotherhood.” “The Lady Shadow should warn her men
against accosting mages and young kvinnas in a public market, then.
Your fellow was sloppy and I only gave the maggot what he deserved,”
Jex shot back. “You have no quarrel with us.” “Be that as it may, we can hardly let
such actions go unaddressed. You nobles might start getting uppity.” “Perhaps we can work somefing out,”
one of the big men suggested. “The lassie there is nice-looking
enough. Let her be the payment.”
“You’ll touch her over my dead
body!” Jex snapped. His tone was no longer friendly. He spun his
staff in one hand and planted the end solidly into the dirt at his
feet. Its runes began to glow scarlet and a sphere of crackling fire
sprang to life in the air above his cupped palm. Two of the men took
a hasty step back. “That can certainly be arranged,”
the thin man said with a snigger, “or you can stand aside,
mageling. Let us have our fun and we can all go on as if none of this
unpleasantness ever happened. We promise we’ll be quick and the
Lady need never hear of it.” The man behind him made a vulgar
gesture and elbowed his closest associate. “You might be quick, but
I plan to take my time. She looks fresh.” “Take one step from where you stand
and before the Consorts I swear you’ll die before you can take
another,” the mage warned him. The orb of flames grew a little
bigger as his anger built. Then, speaking softly so his voice did
not carry beyond her hearing, he addressed Enari, “Nani, do you see
the doorway to your left?” He felt her nod against his back. “I
want you to walk over there, slowly now, and put your back to it.
I’ll veil you until you get there, then stay down and out of the
way. If one of them gets past me, you run as fast as you can and head
for a lighted street. Look for a guardsman.”
Walking backwards to keep the men in
view, Enari crossed the narrow space until she felt her back bump
against uneven stone. She sidestepped into the dim recess and held
her breath, pressing as close to the door as she could manage. “Hiding your toys isn’t very
polite, you know,” sighed the leader, although he really didn’t
sound that disappointed. A dagger appeared in his hand as if by magic
and he grinned. “Never mind. I haven’t had a decent fight or a
good fuck in ages.” He jerked his head towards Jex. “Get ‘im,
lads. She’ll reappear once he’s dead.” The two largest thugs rushed forward
together.
Crying out a challenge, Jex swept his
arm forward, palm down in a slashing motion, and the ball of fire
turned into a line as it left him. It streaked towards the onrushing
men, who dodged aside with snarls of anger. Jex crooked his fingers and the flames
reversed direction in midair, doubling back to impact one thug
between his first and second steps. It exploded with a roar and the
man was immediately engulfed in snapping red and orange flame. He
dropped into the dust and tried frantically to smother his burning
clothes but to no avail. The mage-fire burned hot and fast and within
seconds the man was a living torch. His partner had faltered, but only
briefly. As the choked screams began to die out,
he reached Jex and brought a sword whistling down on the other’s
head. Jex raised his staff in time to catch the blow across its
length, stopping the steel inches from his face. The blade stuck and
with a twist of his shoulders and arms, Jex sent the weapon spinning
away. Lightning quick, he kicked out and caught the tough squarely
between the legs. The man dropped with a winded curse, but dodged
aside from the follow up strike aimed at his head. Unfortunately for him, he wasn’t fast
enough to avoid the lance of fire the mage flung down on him. He,
too, was alight in an instant. Smoke and the smell of charred meat
filled the night air. The fourth assailant, the one who’d
hung back from the initial charge when the order was given, had
managed to sidle around the mage in the moment it had taken him to
dispatch his attackers. Spotting Enari, he advanced on her with a
leer.
“Come here, little dove,” he
crooned, holding out a hand. “I won’t hurt you, I swear. An’ if
you cooperate, we might be inclined to not kill your lover. Maybe
just rough ‘im up a bit.” She backed away slowly, eyes darting
between the huge thug and the skirmish behind him. Two lay sprawled
in smoking, unmoving heaps, but the wiry one had closed with Jex and
he tossed his staff aside as the other hit him. They tumbled and
rolled, each seeking to gain the upper hand. Steel flashed and dark
splashes stained the ground in their wake, but in the gloom it was
impossible to tell whose blood was being spilled.
Taking advantage of her distraction,
the man lunged for her and caught her wrist before she could flee
more than a few steps. Laughing, he jerked her against him. “I’m going to enjoy this. These
mages, see, sure they can burn you or freeze you or whatever, but
they’re all one-trick in the end. Get past the magic and they’re
naught but a whimper. You should pick better company if you’re
gonna be out in the dark.” Enari turned her face aside as he tried
to kiss her and his rough beard scraped her cheek, the gesture more
chaste than he’d intended. “Oh come now, don’t be that way,”
the man chided and grabbed her chin. “This’ll be easier if you
settle down.” She wriggled frantically, kicking at
his shins. A sharp blow stung her face. “Stop squirming!” he growled, angry
now. He reached down with one meaty hand and tore open her dress from
neckline to knee, snapping her belt like fine thread in the process
and revealing the dainty chemise beneath. With one tug, it too was in
tatters. He shoved her roughly against the wall and her head struck
the stone hard enough to make her vision swim. The alley revolved
drunkenly and blackness began to close in on her, but she fought it,
knowing what would happen if she lost consciousness. She reached for
the power she’d felt that day with the Greater, only to encounter
the same wall she’d run up against the other times she’d tried.
The magic was there, but she just couldn’t get to it, no matter how
desperately she needed it now. Holding her by the throat, he pressed a
hand between her thighs and tried to force her legs apart. Enari
clawed at his eyes and it earned her another slap, this one bloodying
her nose. Panting now, her attacker threw her to the ground and
descended upon her, using his knees to spread her legs as he pawed at
her breasts. She managed to eel out from under him and roll to her
hands and knees, scrambling away only to be caught by one ankle and
yanked backwards. She winced as skin was peeled off her knees and the
palm of one hand. She’d known she wouldn’t be able to
escape him, but the attempt had given her just enough time. Enari flipped onto her back and as her
would-be rapist dropped onto her, she brought her dagger up between
their bodies. His weight drove the blade into his vitals at an upward
angle and she twisted it as Jex had shown her. The man let out an
agonized howl and she felt a flood of sticky warmth coat her hands
and stomach. He toppled away from her and flopped in a spreading pool
of dark blood for a moment before going still. A foul stench filled
the air and she gagged. A short, high pitched shriek of pain
resounded from further down the passage, but it cut off abruptly and
was replaced by heavy silence. Enari hardly noticed, unable to tear
her eyes from the hilt protruding from the dead man’s belly.
Hurried footsteps approached her and she turned her head woodenly. Jex’s anxious face stared down at
her, blood running from his nose and a cut above one eye. He dropped
to his knees, blocking out the grisly scene, and pulled her to a
sitting position. “Are you hurt?” Hands ran over her,
checking for injuries. Finding no obvious wounds, he embraced her
tightly, pressing his face to her hair and letting out a whisper of
thanks to the Consorts. She just stared at the blood staining her
hands, so dark in the night that it looked black. Dimly, she heard
him order her to stay where she was, that he’d be right back. His
footsteps retreated. Jex knelt and examined the limp form of
his final adversary, watching the narrow chest rise and fall for a
moment before reaching down to rip the dagger free of the man’s
shoulder. He slapped the other’s face harshly until his eyes
fluttered open on a moan. They went wide in terror as he saw the mage
hovering over him. He sucked in a sharp breath and tried to scamper
away, but fire blossomed around Jex’s fingertips and the thug
squealed and threw up an arm to protect himself. “You gambled and lost, friend,” Jex
stated calmly “We were only protecting one of
ours,” the man whimpered, “Please don’t kill me!” “The only reason you aren’t dead
already is because I need someone to run a message.” The smile that
crossed the mage’s face was as pointed as the blade in his hand. “I, I, yes, anything you want!” He
licked his lips, nervously eyeing the dancing flames. “Tell Moravelle that Jex Xander will
be paying her a visit and that he is not pleased.” “Xander? Diu, I didn’t recognize
you. We didn’t know—” “Shut up” with a snap of his
fingers, the fire vanished, “and get out of here before a guard
comes along or I reconsider your usefulness.” The man scrambled to his feet and fled,
stumbling and nearly falling once as he ran. In a flash, he
disappeared around the nearest corner and his pounding footsteps
faded. Jex stared after him for a moment, eyes glacial, before
returning to where Enari sat. She seemed to be coming out of her
shock, and was scrubbing her palms against her torn skirt in an
attempt to remove the residue that clung to them. He was relieved and
more than a little impressed to see that her eyes were clear and dry,
no hint of panic or hysteria in evidence. He retrieved the loaned
dagger and when he beckoned, she climbed to her feet and came to him,
leaning into his side and putting her face against his chest. He slid
an arm around her shoulders and they began to walk. Not far from their fateful alley, they
came upon an unconscious nobleman propped up against a wall with an
empty bottle beside one slack hand. Jex relieved him of his cape,
leaving a gold coin in the drunk’s lap as payment. “He’ll wake up without it, and a
good deal more besides, but that’s not my fault,” he said,
draping the light garment over Enari’s shoulders. It fell to below
her knees and when she clutched the edges together, it covered her
torn clothing almost entirely.
A fountain in the middle of a tree
lined courtyard was their next stop. Using a handkerchief Jex found
in one of his pockets, they cleaned the blood and grime from their
hands and faces. It was then that Enari saw the long slash in his
right forearm. The cut ran from wrist to just short of his elbow and
the blade had missed opening the vein by half the breadth of her
little finger. “It’ll need stitches to close, I
imagine,” he grumbled, examining the injury. Even now, blood
continued to ooze from it, sliding down to drip from his palm to the
cobbles beneath his feet. Enari bent and tore a strip of linen from
the hem of her ruined chemise, then pushed at Jex until he sat on the
edge of the fountain. She was more in her element here and he watched
her with a faint smile as she rinsed and then bound the wound
securely, tucking the ends of the makeshift bandage in neatly when
she’d finished. That had been more than an hour ago and
they’d been walking ever since, avoiding the busier areas of the
city in favor of quiet residential avenues. She was tiring rapidly. Feeling the tug on his hand as she
began to lag behind, Jex stopped, bent, and lifted her into his arms.
Enari gratefully rested her face against the side of his neck and
closed her eyes. In seconds, she was asleep.
Flash Point
Elemental Trials Book 2
A
2017 Book Excellence Award finalist in fantasy
Scandal
will shake foundations.
A
night of careless passion leaves Battlemage Jex Xander and Adept
Enari Alycon in a precarious position. Long-time lovers they might
be, but the Imperial ambassador and the daughter of Egalion’s High
Mage have rather public roles in the court—whether they wish it or
not—and scandal couldn’t come at a worse time.
Treachery
will tip balances.
When
a hostile kingdom reluctantly agrees to parley, the fate of
two-thousand years of peace is on the line. In the midst of
negotiations, Enari becomes the target of one of the Greater
Maelstrom. She and Jex must race against time to save her life and
that of her unborn child. What happens when an earth-shattering
secret, a demon bent on destruction, and a kingdom teetering on the
brink of war collide is anyone’s guess.
Choices
will have consequences.
The
decisions of a few will determine the fate of many, and who or what
will remain standing in the end is still uncertain. Hearts and lives
are on the cusp of irrevocable change…and not necessarily for the
better.
And
secrets? Those will change everything.
“Little mageling, I would have
discourse with thee before your end.” Enari opened her eyes but saw
nothing. All was cold, dark and empty. Her chest burned and her
throat ached. A caress brushed her cheek and she
flinched away in revulsion. The touch was alien and malignant,
leaving a stab of needle-sharp pain in its wake. “Who are you?” she cried out,
turning in a circle, seeking the source of the voice. There was a thoughtful pause before
it spoke to her again, the words slithering into her mind. “I am.” “What does that mean? What are
you?” “I am,” it repeated, “I am
your fear, your despair, your destruction. The Devourer of Souls, the
Quencher of Hope, the Thief of Reason. I am either the door to your
Ascension or the well of your downfall. I am The Dweller.” A whiff of carrion and decay
accompanied the pronouncement and she could sense an unidentifiable
something moving around her. It lashed out, snake quick and Enari
staggered under the sharp brutality of the blow. When she raised her hand to her
swollen lips it came away wet and the salty tang of blood coated her
tongue. “What do you want with me?” she
demanded, defiant in spite of her terror and pain. The Dweller cackled, “What I have
wanted from the beginning, what so many of your kind have given me.”
“And what is that?” “Your life. And your power,” it
sighed. “They send fewer and fewer of you as the ages pass, and I
am often hungry. But you, mortal daughter, you are strong and your
essence would sustain me well. Surrender yourself and I shall make
your end a quick one…though perhaps not painless.” “My power and my life are my own!” Enari sensed the next blow coming
and managed to dance aside. Something whistled past her face. “Defiant, arrogant, foolish!”
came the hissing reply. “You would choose anguish over submission?
So be it. You will taste all the sweeter for the struggle.” The voice sounded angry now and
that frightened her more than the initial lazy contempt. She felt a sudden tingling itch on
her left palm and rubbed it against her thigh, trying to ignore the
discomfort. Any distraction now could kill her. Too late, she became aware of the
entity behind her. Pure and agonizing cold wrapped
around her throat, searing, burning, crushing. Enari struggled but it
was useless. There was a snapping of links and
the weight of the dragon pendant was gone. She snatched at it but
missed and it fell away. Within seconds, she began to lose
consciousness again, and this time, she knew it would be for good. Her hands flew up and clawed for the
thing, feeling the cut on her palm tear open on a jagged edge. A sizzling howl rent the air and The
Dweller shrieked and recoiled. Dirty flames, dull blue and sullen
red, flickered in the dark but illuminated nothing.
Fire? But her gift wasn’t — And then she understood. Jex had shared his blood, and with
it, some of his power. A lot of his power, actually, and this thing,
whatever it was, couldn’t abide the touch of his magic. A fierce
hope rose in her at the thought that she might yet survive this. “What are you?” the ugly voice
demanded and Enari thought she heard a touch of curiosity and…alarm? “You’ve already named me,
remember?” she taunted, “Mortal I may be, but I am an adept of
the Tower with fire at my command.”
“You are no child of man,” it
grumbled. She sensed it moving again, trying
to flank her. But it was wary now. “No? What then?” “Something new, something nasty.” “So release me!” It hissed again and it took her a
breath to realize the thing was laughing at her. She dug a nail into
the wound, bringing forth more blood and the sound ceased, “I can hurt you and we both know
it. I could destroy you.” “That is beyond even your power.
You will taste so sweet, little whatever-you-are.” “Dweller.” The new voice was quiet, steady,
familiar, and its presence blazed in the void, a power that filled
the space with almost painful intensity. A crackle like lightning
filled the space around her. “This affair is none of yours,
Gatekeeper. Be gone! She is mine by rights,” it sulked, “It was
agreed in the long ago, when this world was new.” “Dweller.” “Those sent here belong to me
unless they can fight to be freed. This one is—” The other interrupted, “You are
the door to her Ascension. That too was agreed in the long ago.” Silence, but only for a moment.
“Take it and be gone. I tire of
your intrusions and meddling. There will always be others.” A cool hand touched her cheek and
the stinging pain ceased. That blazing presence enfolded her and
there was comfort in the ethereal embrace. “Close your eyes,” the voice
whispered, “close your eyes and go back. They wait for you, my
daughter.”
Ronelle Antoinette lives in western Colorado with her husband, two cats, and one dog-who-believes-he's-a-person. While she is a mother of none, she’s an auntie to what should qualify as a small army. She is an admitted caffeine addict, chocoholic, and hopeless romantic who has carried on a passionate affair with the genre of fantasy since she was old enough to read 'chapter books'.
Ronelle
dabbled in creative writing for many years before making it a career.
(She even considered it as a major in college, though she ended up
getting a Bachelor's degree in Counseling Psychology.) She published
her first novel, Errant Spark, in July of 2016.
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