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    Alancia's Dance
    Alancia's Dance
    Alancia's Dance
    Ebook37 pages30 minutes

    Alancia's Dance

    By H. L. Burke

    ()

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    About this ebook

    A Short Story

    Bull Dancer Alancia befriends the clever inventor of the Labyrinth. When their relationship catches the eye of the jealous king, a date with a Minotaur is in her future. 

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherH. L. Burke
    Release dateDec 15, 2017
    ISBN9781540179111
    Alancia's Dance

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      Book preview

      Alancia's Dance - H. L. Burke

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      Alancia’s Dance

      ALANCIA’S BARE FEET danced on the sunbaked earth of the ring. The smell of manure and sweat wafted about her. She wiped her palms on her linen loincloth.

      Run, leap, grasp, flip, over and done. Watch the horns. Watch the hooves. Watch yourself.

      Across the ring, the bull huffed, its iron-sharp hooves scraping the packed dirt. Its nostrils flared and sides heaved. The beast bellowed.

      Alancia bounced, testing her weight. Music from drums and pipes swelled to fill the arena. The crowd murmured as one. She shut them out—nothing existed in this world besides her and the bull. Nothing mattered but the dance.

      Drawing a deep breath, she ran at the bull.

      The bull’s eyes glinted. It matched her charge. Hooves thundered as it rushed her. Then, when it was so close the ground shook beneath Alancia’s feet, she leapt.

      Her powerful legs catapulted her into the air. She caught the horns. Before it could toss her, she somersaulted down the length of its hairy back. Hitting the ground, she threw her hands up and her chest out.

      The crowd cheered.

      Grinning, Alancia spun to greet another charge. Her braid flapped behind her, bouncing up and down against her neck. She knew the dance and how the bull would respond.

      By the time the temple herdsmen opened the gates and drove the bull away, Alancia’s arms and legs ached. Sweat soaked the thin strip of cloth binding her breasts. She swallowed to moisten her tongue, longing for a jug of water and a plate of lamb and chickpeas. She couldn’t go yet, not until the king departed and released the performers and crowd alike.

      On the platform above the arena, King Menos lounged on his marble throne, chin in hand. A gold band glinted in his dark curls. Alancia imagined he savored the crowd waiting on his signal to rise.

      Alancia was glad she was too far away for him to see her expression. Her scowl of contempt would’ve easily earned her a trip to the Labyrinth. Menos had ascended to the throne only a month

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