Dragon's Prize (Book 2) EXCERPT! about 1/2 of the book

Prologue - The Witch and Her Daughter

“Are you paying attention Delilah?“

Her mother’s voice snapped Delilah out of her daydreaming. “Yes mother!” Delilah sat up straighter at her desk and tried to focus her eyes on her mother and away from her doodles and drawings.

No one would have ever guessed that the woman in front of her was her mother. Firstly, she looked young. Very young. She appeared to be 25 years of age but Delilah knew that her mother was much, much older than that. Older than anyone she had ever met. Which wasn’t much really. Secondly, at first glance, when a person compared them, they looked nothing alike. Her mother had very curly long black hair, stern hazel eyes and a tall willowy figure. She was a beautiful woman. Delilah on the other hand, had straight light brown hair and chocolate brown, warm eyes, her figure was smaller and curvy. She was just another pretty girl, at the age of 17 not yet a woman. As you looked closer, their similar facial features could be noticed, and when her mother smiled, it was the same smile that graced her own face.

“As I said, two small spoons of lizard blood and not big ones… we don’t want a repeat of last time.” Those stern hazel eyes glared at Delilah pointedly. “Write it down!”

“Yes mother.” Delilah obliged once again as she turned over a page in her notebook, away from her doodles and to a white empty page. “Two small spoons of lizard blood,” she repeated as she wrote the words down.

Her mother gave her one last glare and turned back to the cauldron bubbling with liquids for her next potion, on the fireplace.

They lived in a small wooden cabin in the Witch’s forest, named after Delilah’s mother. The forest used to be named differently a long time ago, but since her mother had first settled here, everyone around started calling it the Witch’s forest. It was more of a warning.

The cabin wasn’t big, just enough for the two of them. It had a vast kitchen, which was mostly used for brewing potions, connected to the living room area. There was also a library downstairs and upstairs were two bedrooms.

The house was surrounded by a garden filled with different herbs, vegetables, plants and flowers. Two sheds were leaning against each other as well as an outhouse. One shed held the usual gardening tools. The other was, even though spelled to be silent, the one that Delilah hated and dreaded. Because once she stepped inside the shrieks, whimpers and cries for release from all the animals would come upon her as the weight of the world. She loved animals but she feared her mother’s wrath more.

Her mother was a mighty witch, probably the most powerful one in the whole Kingdom of Illirya. Even King Magnar himself had sought out her services a few times and never held a grudge when she didn’t comply with some of his requests. People knew to fear her, as well as the animals. Even though their cabin looked sweet and the garden was beautiful in the spring, the silence surrounding it gave it a very unsettling feeling. No animals dared come near, so when Delilah wanted to enjoy the nature’s beauty to its fullest, she had to walk for a while to reach the peaceful little pond she usually snuck out to, bringing a book filled with fairytales and brave knights. She would daydream there. Dreaming of a life she would never have. A simple life with her charming knight, a wonderful home filled with children’s laughter and…

“Delilah, you’re daydreaming again!” Lilith snapped at her daughter as she brought her palm down sharply on the table where Delilah sat, making the younger woman jump up in her seat. “I swear… If I didn’t know any better…” Lilith grumbled as she walked back to her cauldron. “You better pay attention now, because I don’t plan to waste my time repeating myself.” The mighty witch threw one last glare at her offspring, her eyes flashing black.

Delilah gulped, she knew what that look meant so she forced herself to pay attention.

“Good.” Lilith nodded approvingly as she turned to stir the contents in the cauldron. “As I was saying, since fertility potions seem to be in demand, you need to learn how to make one properly. I already mentioned that you have to use…” she looked over her shoulder at Delilah and raised her eyebrow questioningly.