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    Not Magic Enough
    Not Magic Enough
    Not Magic Enough
    Ebook122 pages3 hours

    Not Magic Enough

    By Valerie Douglas

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    About this ebook

    For Delae, a lonely landholder on the edge of the Kingdoms, a frantic knock at the door on a stormy winter's night brings more than a cry for help.
    After centuries of war Elves have little contact with the race of men, but Dorovan can't bring himself to ride past those so obviously in need.
    One small act, with enormous consequences. Not Magic Enough is a tale of love and honor, duty and determination, that sets in motion a chain of events that will change their world forever.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherValerie Douglas
    Release dateFeb 25, 2011
    ISBN9781458047601
    Not Magic Enough
    Author

    Valerie Douglas

    Valerie Douglas is a prolific writer and a genre-crosser, much to the delight of her fans. A fan of authors from almost every genre, she writes classic fantasy, romance, suspense, horror, and, as V.J. Devereaux, erotic romance. Happily married, she's companion to two dogs, three cats and an African clawed frog named Hopper who delights in tormenting the cats from his tank.

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      Great short story! Looking forward to reading more

    Book preview

    Not Magic Enough - Valerie Douglas

    Not Magic Enough

    (The Coming Storm series)

    By

    Valerie Douglas

    Published by the author as a member of the

    Alexandria Publishing Group

    SmashWords Edition

    Not Magic Enough Copyright © 2010 Valerie Douglas

    Cover art by Melissa C. Krauss, Made by Mel http://www.thedvdream.com/

    Cover created by V. J. Douglas

    With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from author.

    Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/). Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted material. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

    This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

    License Notes

    This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

    Discover other titles by Valerie Douglas

    Fantasy

    The Coming Storm

    A Convocation of Kings

    Setting Boundaries

    Heart of the Gods

    Servant of the Gods

    Song of the Fairy Queen

    Romance

    Dirty Politics

    Directors Cut

    Irish Fling

    Two Up

    The Last Resort

    Nike’s Wings

    Shades

    Chapter One

    The pounding on the heavy wood of the doors of the homestead sounded loudly above the shriek and howl of the storm raging outside. Pulling on her threadbare robe - only half-awake - Delae ran across the cold stone floors in her bare feet to answer it, rubbing her eyes wearily. Doubtless, her aged cook and houseman had been roused, too, by the pounding, and were on their way from their quarters at the back of the homestead - but she was the closer of them. She hated to ask Petra or Hallis to sit by the door of a night, as many landowners did - any more than she set a guard by the gates as many others did. They weren’t so far from the seat of the lesser Kingdom of Riverford that they had much to fear behind stout walls.

    Who would be mad enough to be out in such a storm as this? She wondered. It was early in the night, true, but it was still insanity to be caught so far from shelter.

    Lifting the bar, she set it aside and released the latch.

    The door opened on a blast of wet snow and wind that struck her like a blow - to reveal a stranger standing there, looking windblown, frozen, battered and desperate. She caught him as he almost fell in the door - a young, plain-looking man - a farmer or tradesman, a traveler of some sort not used to the vagaries of the weather at the edges of the Kingdoms. His ragged brown hair was drenched, his clothing soaked, his skin white and his lips nearly blue from the cold.

    Help, he whispered as he staggered into the relative warmth of the great room.

    The fire in the fireplace that dominated the whole of one wall was banked to coals but it still heated the room beyond the chill of the weather outside.

    He was clearly injured, with blood covering one side of his face.

    My family, he croaked, weakly, the wagon, it overturned. We were on our way home from the birthing…

    Hush, hush, Delae said, gently, reassuringly, as she took his weight on her shoulders and guided him to the padded bench by the fire. What’s your name?

    Marlan. Lady, you have to help them…!

    Of course I do, she said, kindly, although it was no more than her duty as landowner, but also because people needed aid. We’ll help them, I promised. What happened, Marlan? Where are they?

    We were coming from Raven’s Nest, heading south for the Heartlands. My sister Jessa had her baby, we were coming home, Marlan said. His next words were bitter and angry. Pa thought we could make it to Riverford before the storm hit. I kept telling him no, we should stop at the last village but you can’t tell him anything. So we pressed on.

    As he spoke, Petra and Hallis rushed in. With a shake of her head, Delae indicated they shouldn’t speak.

    There was no need, at the young man’s words both turned to rush back down the hall to do what was needed, Petra to get the kitchens going and Hallis to gather up blankets.

    I told him we needed to stop, hunker down to wait out the storm but he wouldn’t, Marlan said. From the way he spoke, it had the sound of an old complaint, much voiced and now tragically vindicated. The wagon overturned.

    Where? Delae asked. On the road?

    Yes, Mistress, he said, respectfully, as Hallis returned to drape a blanket over his shoulders.

    Petra is making soup, my lady, there will be food soon, Hallis said, his heart aching for his poor mistress as he bent stiffly to stir up the fire, wrestling another log into place. Tall and spare - his gray hair sparse - Hallis’s hands were knotted with age, bent and twisted.

    Hallis looked at his mistress kneeling by the young man. She was such a pretty young woman with a kind, gentle face and a good heart, as graceful as the dancer she’d been in her youth. Tightly curled hair glowed red and gold in the light of the coals, her dark blue eyes were focused only on the young man.

    In truth, most landowners would already have put him and Petra to work as drudges in the kitchens or as lesser house staff by now and there were a good many that would’ve put them out to beg on the streets. Neither of them could move fast any more.

    Not Delae though. For kindness mostly but also for good reason as there simply was no money to hire better - her good for nothing husband took every penny she couldn’t hide. Still, she never ordered, instead always asked and never complained of her lot in life. It wasn’t in her to do it.

    A sharp petulant voice came from the door to the west wing of the house startling everyone.

    What’s going on, what’s all that racket? Can’t a body get some sleep of a night? Bad enough with this storm but then folk banging around…

    Closing her eyes, Delae willed patience as she had a thousand times before.

    It’s nothing, Cana. Travelers have broken down in the storm, she said to her husband’s mother. I’ll take care of it.

    Then you must send aid, the woman said, sharply - as if Delae were witless.

    This I know, Delae said. And I will. Go back to bed, Cana, I’ll take care of it.

    Despair and frustration weighed on her, battered at her soul. It was at rare times such as this that Delae wished she had a husband in truth, instead of only in name. This would’ve been his duty had he been there, although she would have gone with him to brave the storm and give aid. Instead it fell to her. All of it.

    She took a breath - willed strength and patience. These folk needed her. There was no one else and there was something - some satisfaction - to be found in the knowledge that she could help.

    Hmmmph, Cana said and slammed the door shut behind her.

    At least Kolan, her husband’s father, hadn’t come, too, Delae thought, which was one blessing - his joints bothered him too much on these days.

    Letting out the breath she’d taken, with a wince at the door slam, Delae turned to Hallis.

    Go fetch Dan, Morlis and Tad for me would you please, Hallis? Tell Morlis we’ll need our hay cart, two of the draft horses and Besra. Then you and Petra get the rooms in the east wing ready.

    Those rooms were usually reserved for rare visitors to the homestead - or for travelers such as these caught out in the storm. In this isolated part of the Kingdoms the smallholders used them most when they came in during the harsh days of winter,

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