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    Gods Above and Below
    Gods Above and Below
    Gods Above and Below
    Ebook232 pages3 hours

    Gods Above and Below

    By Meyari McFarland

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Gods dwell in everything. The sky, the earth, roses, frogs, everywhere. Above, below and between, the Gods imbue everything with life.

    And death.

    When Dorji Kita goes mad and kidnaps Prince Cyrille and his soulbond, the warrior Akuchi, it falls to gardener Xun Rosario and her newly formed team to save them.

    No matter the cost to Dorji Kita.

    Or to them.

    Includes:

    The Heat of the Thorn
    Door in the Wind
    Rising Sword of the Blue Flames
    Silent Voyages of the Last Winter
    Thief of the Moon
    The Ice's Voyagers
    First Snake of the Dwindling Ships
    Kiss of the High King's Illusion
    The Roses of the Slaves
    Red Lords and the Darkest Hunter

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMDR Publishing
    Release dateJul 14, 2017
    ISBN9781370810833
    Gods Above and Below
    Author

    Meyari McFarland

    Meyari McFarland has been telling stories since she was a small child. Her stories range from SF and Fantasy adventures to Romances but they always feature strong characters who do what they think is right no matter what gets in their way. Her series range from Space Opera Romance in the Drath series to Epic Fantasy in the Mages of Tindiere world. Other series include Matriarchies of Muirin, the Clockwork Rift Steampunk mysteries, and the Tales of Unification urban fantasy stories, plus many more. You can find all of her work on MDR Publishing's website at www.MDR-Publishing.com.

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      Book preview

      Gods Above and Below - Meyari McFarland

      Gods Above and Below

      By Meyari McFarland

      Other Books by Meyari McFarland:

      Transplant of War

      Running From The Immortals

      Hearts of Magic

      Triumph of the Artificer Mages

      Artifacts of Awareness

      City of the Dead

      Repair and Rebuild

      Storm Over Archaelaos

      Coming Together

      Facing the Storm

      Following the Beacon

      The Solace of Her Clan

      Running Before The Storm

      You can find these and many other books at www.MDR_Publishing.com.

      Copyright ©2017 by Mary Raichle

      Cover image

      © Orson | Dreamstime.com - Tear Paper - Abstract Back Photo

      © Dusan Kostic | ID 23335383 - General leading his army in war

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

      Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be emailed to publisher@mdr-publishing.com.

      This book is also available in TPB format from all major retailers.

      Dedication:

      This story is dedicated to my husband, always, to Fritz Leiber and to my mother for her support.

      Table of Contents

      Foreword

      The Heat of the Thorn

      Door in the Wind

      Rising Sword of the Blue Flames

      Silent Voyages of the Last Winter

      Thief of the Moon

      The Ice's Voyagers

      First Snake of the Dwindling Ships

      Living Beginning of the Storm

      The Roses of the Slaves

      Red Lords and the Darkest Hunter

      Excerpt: Waves of the Falling Moon

      Afterword

      Foreword

      Every so often I work on new writing techniques. Better description, a different genre, openings, closing, all things I've worked on in the past. This last March, I decided to work on writing teams.

      Teams are hugely central to all my favorite books. The interplay of characters working together to solve a problem is always fascinating. I've certainly written teams before, but I hadn't done so deliberately. With intent.

      So I took a class on writing teams and then sat down to write something brand new that focused on a team. I thought it would be one short story, enough to test out the techniques that I'd learned. Maybe two, at most. Because I have a huge number of series that I'm working on all the time and creating a whole new series in a brand new world was not something that I really wanted to do.

      Until I started writing The Heat of the Thorn.

      Xun was fascinating. She had all the characteristics I love best in a main character: bright, determined, unstoppable, pragmatic and prepared. Her personality bloomed on the page within the first couple of paragraphs and I just grinned. I loved her right away.

      Then there was Keanu, so cheerful and blithe about everything. And Garnett with his ill temper and powerful tattoos. Both of them sucked me right in. I've always had a soft spot for the unrepentantly good, cheerful characters. And another one for the characters who hide their hearts of gold behind grumbles, glares and a cold shoulder.

      So yes, a team that I love right from the start.

      Then there was the world, full of magic and gods so ancient that they'd outlived their followers. Mad gods mixed with baby demigods, gardening as a tool for destruction; it was lovely. Then I threw in a pair of soul-bonded lovers over whom a 4-day war had been fought and I knew I wasn't leaving this series anytime soon.

      I haven't.

      There are twenty short stories so far, one novella, and I know I'll keep writing these. Maybe more novellas. Certainly more short stories. I can see myself doing novels too.

      So.

      Welcome to the Gods Above and Below series. Watch for gods hidden in the corners. Be careful what you touch. The stories are organized chronologically so you can watch Xun and her team grow and mature together. Enjoy.

      Meyari McFarland

      July, 2017

      The Heat of the Thorn

      Xun stopped, panting. Her legs ached. So did her back. Sweat dripped down her spine, beaded on her forehead and then slowly rolled down the arch of her nose to tremble at the tip like a fly that just wouldn't go away. She stank so badly of sweat that she wanted to gag, only she didn't have enough breath to do so.

      No flies up here at least. Small grace. Xun would take flies and stink over the too-thin air and trail that went ever upwards until her legs wanted to give way. With her tongue as dry as the soles of her shoes, Xun's mouth tasted as sour as her sweat smelled.

      Keanu Marchetti stood a few yards ahead and nearly ten feet higher than Xun, eyes wide as he gazed out over the valley below. His backpack sat easy on his back. Damn him. Didn't look like he'd even gotten winded so far despite climbing all day to get this far. And even further to go before they reached the top.

      Valley of the Thorns.

      Not what Xun would ever have wanted to do, visit the Valley of the Thorns. Especially in the summertime when the vines would be strong and awake, flexing as they blindly searched for prey. But Mama Rosario had ordered and thus Xun had to follow through. She could have picked someone else, someone bigger and stronger and better able to climb a mountain and then scramble through predatory vines to save the world.

      The view is amazing! Keanu exclaimed. Look, you can see all the way to the bay. I never thought I'd see the ocean.

      This, Garnett growled from behind Xun, is not seeing the ocean. Are we done standing around? I'd like to get this done with as soon as possible.

      His growl was probably for Xun but Keanu still bowed a florid little apology his way, fingertips swirling through the air and sending off bright shimmers of magic. Showy. Far too showy. There were ground voles that would gladly attack anything with the slightest hint of magic off in the gravel scree on either side of the trail. Not that Keanu seemed to care.

      No, he bounced up the trail, humming happily while Xun glared at his back and stubbornly put one foot in front of the other as she made her way after him.

      Damn Mama Rosario anyway. Six other children, all of them taller and stronger than Xun, and she had stare right into Xun's eyes as she announced the choice had already been made. No arguments would be heard. It was Xun and no one else.

      By the time the three of them made it to the top of the trail Xun was completely certain that this was Mama Rosario's way of ensuring that Xun never came back. Ever. She'd die reaching the valley, not crossing it.

      Are you quite all right? Keanu asked as Xun wheezed, her butt firmly planted on a big rock.

      No, Xun huffed at him.

      Leave her alone, Garnett snapped at Keanu. She was carrying her own body weight up the trail, unlike us. You could have asked for help.

      Xun shook her head. No, she couldn't. They might have food and clothes and, who knew? Keanu probably had frilly little handkerchiefs with lace on the edges and embroidered initials. She didn't.

      She had family pruning tools and magical salves that might, maybe, save her life when the thorns attacked. All of it was warded so that no one else could touch it. And all the food she'd brought was dried, carefully wrapped and spelled to stasis so that the vines wouldn't sense it either.

      Did… Xun took a deep breath, relieved that the stabbing pain under her ribs was fading. Did you stasis spell your food? The vines will sense it, seek it out.

      Garnett nodded. Of course. My father gave me a set of charms that should hide our body heat and the vibrations of our feet from the vines, as well.

      Oh. Keanu stared at them both, eyes far too wide. Is that necessary?

      Xun stared back at him. Then turned to stare at Garnett whose lip had curled up like he wanted to punch Keanu and send him tumbling back down the trail towards the base of the mountain where the voles would eat him alive. She sighed.

      Yes, it is, Xun said. What do you think we're facing?

      We're to go into the Valley of Thorns and retrieve Prince Cyrille and his lover Akuchi Nylund from the Priests of Dorji Kita, Keanu said as if that was the simplest thing in the world to accomplish.

      And what do you know of the Valley of Thorns? Xun asked.

      Not much, Keanu said with such a bright smile that she was tempted to stab him and then throw him down the slope herself. Apparently, it's rather dangerous but no one said why or how. Ah, do we need to worry about those darling little mice creeping up the gravel towards you?

      Ground voles, Xun said. She held a hand out to Garnett who shook his head as he helped haul her back to her feet. They attack in swarms and eat living meat. Like us. We're food to them.

      But they're so cute! Keanu exclaimed, hands crossed over his chest. The red eyes are quite darling. Though I suppose the red teeth are a bit disturbing.

      Garnett snarled at him while backing away only to freeze as Xun reached into the side pocket of her backpack and pulled out a small bundle of carefully preserved meat. She unwrapped it, broke the stasis spell and tossed it down the slope. Voles erupted out the gravel in a wave of snarling grey fur and snapping red teeth. When the meat was gone, they turned on each other, tearing into their neighbors' flesh with just as much enthusiasm.

      A present from my gardening instructor, Xun said. She smiled, amused at the horror in both Keanu and Garnett's eyes. It was coated with a spelled oil that makes them go into a feeding frenzy. We should move on before they get over it and come after us. I've only got three packages of it and we do still need to get back down the mountain.

      +++

      The Valley of Thorns was really the Valley of Vines. Long sinuous vines with red-green stalks decorated with thorns both long and short. Some were as delicate as the hair on a baby's arm. Others were as long as Xun's thumb. Every single thorn glistened with oils that would burn their skin unmercifully if they brushed against it.

      Sweet, cloying sap dripped off the longer thorns, staining the ground and filling the air with the smell of rotting fruit. The smell was so heady that it made Xun's head spin when she breathed too deep. Damn near like that time the hounds had gotten into the winery and broken bottles of cherry wine all over the floor.

      Keanu shivered behind her. He'd been stupid enough to touch one of the leaves and now his hand was purple and swollen despite the salve Xun had used. They'd had to tie his arm to his chest, restraining him from swinging it around while yelping his pain, or he would have brought the vines after them for sure.

      At least his ridiculously cheerful attitude was gone.

      Someone wanted him dead. It was the only thing that made sense. To send a man like that into a place like this was a death sentence.

      Xun couldn't in good conscience let him die. Mama Rosario would be very upset if she did. And it would make it hard for Xun to sleep well, too. An innocent, ridiculously inexperienced person like that couldn't just be thrown to the vines to die in agony.

      Unfortunately.

      Both of the men had been quite surprised that Xun had spelled pruning gear in her backpack. She'd taken the lead, clipping the ends of vines that got too close with her big pruning shears, the ones that were half as long as she was tall. Her little hand ax did a great job chopping down branches that had extended across the trail. So far.

      The whole Valley of Thorns was an overgrown mess. Her gardening instructor would have taken one look and promptly started making plans for burning back some of the vines, rooting up others, and generally cleaning the place up. At one time it was supposed to have been the most beautiful garden in the world. Not anymore.

      Instead of tending the place, the priests of Dorji Kita had let the vines take over, all the better to shield them from those who would seek to stop their unnatural rites.

      The closer they got to the Temple of Dorji Kita, the higher the vines reached. Pretty soon she'd have to enlist Garnett to trim the vines drooping down like arches overhead. She just wasn't tall enough to reach those. And those were the ones that would kill them, snaking down to wrap around their necks, cutting their throats and draining their blood.

      Several skeletons half hidden in cocoons of vines proved that.

      I… have a spell that might help, Garnett offered in a low murmur that carried less than an unvoiced whisper. It will push the vines up and away, back towards their roots.

      Xun stared at him and then nodded. Hard. Please. Just ahead of us, though. Don't use too much strength. How long can you hold it?

      It should hold for a full day, Garnett said but he didn't look confident of that, not with that bitten lip and the way his eyes shifted to the left so that he couldn't meet Xun's eyes.

      He stepped past Keanu, then past Xun. She didn't see if he pulled out a spelled parchment or book or anything. His hands were tucked very close to his chest so maybe it was another of his lovely little charms, like the one that hung around Xun's neck.

      Either way, magic swept outwards from Garnett. Soft, gentle, like Mama Rosario picking Xun's littlest niece up and cuddling her close. The vines quivered and then relaxed as they were slowly draped up and up and up, over until their tips pointed back towards the walls of the valley instead of over the trail.

      There, Garnett whispered. It's done. We need to hurry. They resisted more than I expected.

      Good job, Xun said.

      Garnett stared over his shoulder at her as if he'd never gotten praise before in his life. His cheeks went red. He smiled, shy and sweet, strange on a man so gruff. And when Xun pushed past him to take the lead with her pruning tools, Garnett bowed as if she was the High Queen herself.

      Let's go, Xun said. Faster we're in the better off we'll be.

      +++

      The Temple of Dorji Kita was a squat thing, only a story tall. The roof was peaked. Probably. Hard to tell as the vines had grown over the top of it in a mass that hid its true dimensions. Looked from the doorway that it was made of the same grey slate as the scree outside the valley but there was no way that Xun would cut back the vines to make sure.

      Here the smell of the sap was more like the smell of rotting blood.

      Or maybe it was actual rotting blood. Hard to tell. Either way, the Temple doorway hung open like the gaping mouth of a corpse gone past rigor mortis and into full-on rot. Xun shuddered as she tucked her pruning shears away. The ax stayed in her hand.

      It worked on flesh as well as on vines.

      This is the Temple? Keanu whispered.

      Yep, Xun said. Right. Well. They have to know we're here. Might as well head in. Watch for traps. Be ready to defend yourselves. Um.

      She looked at Keanu with a frown that made his cheeks go beet-red.

      I can defend myself, Keanu protested, bottom lip pouted out.

      With that hand? Garnett asked. He'd pulled a pair of matched daggers made of obsidian that gleamed along the razor-sharp edges with magic.

      I don't defend myself with weapons, Keanu said. He straightened and suddenly the area looked much more peaceful, so much more welcoming. Or with magic, for that matter. Let's go meet our new best friends.

      He swept past Xun with that same gregarious smile that she'd learned to loathe climbing the mountain. Her heart flipped at him walking away. Xun swallowed, whispered a little prayer against Charm and then followed after him.

      So he does have a purpose on this trip, Xun said to Garnett. I'm surprised.

      As am I, Garnett agreed. Let's keep close to him. Charm only goes so far.

      They exchanged determined looks and then followed after Keanu. Inside, the Temple of Dorji Kita reminded Xun of a corpse even more strongly. The beautiful murals were flaking off the walls, scattered bits of plaster lying on the floor like shed scales. Tiles that had once been beautiful gold-shot marble lay cracked under their feet. Most were heaved up to trip their toes, exposing the bare grey stone underneath.

      It was the smell that really bothered her. Rotting flesh and sweet sap mixed together in a stinking cloud that had her pulling out her spelled carrying cloth. Once wrapped around her face the stink was much more manageable. Garnett took her spare but Keanu shook his head no even though he'd taken on the green cast of a man about to throw up everything he'd ever eaten.

      Simple design to the Temple, at least. A long narrow hallway led to a perpendicular hallway. That had small rooms to either side. The priests' quarters. Skeletons lay in every doorway. The priests were long gone. Their hallway continued onwards to another huge double door, this one closed.

      The heart of the Temple of Dorji Kita, Keanu murmured as they stood in front of it. The Inner Sanctum. I've heard that it was the most beautiful shrine outside of the Holy City of the Mother Goddess.

      I've got it, Garnett said, pushing Keanu aside so that he could test the door latches and then shove the doors open.

      They moved smoothly, quickly, banging against the walls and shuddering like muted gongs. Inside, the Inner Sanctum lay dark and cold. No candles, no lanterns, no light at all except what Garnett created when he cast a

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