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

Chapter 5 - Delilah

“Don't be such a prude Delilah!” Lilith exclaimed when she saw her daughter sitting at the table, blushing profusely at the sight of a shirtless man following behind her mother. “It’s just sex.” The witch shrugged.

Delilah had spent the last half hour, sitting at the table of the small cabin, while her mother “entertained” the ranger in the other room. It was payment for their stay in his cabin, although Delilah suspected her mother hadn’t minded that sort of payment one bit. Lilith was usually able to persuade people to her cause quite quickly, with her charming ways or with the help of some magic, but the girl knew her mother was saving her magic, garnering it for something bigger. She wasn’t willing to waste it on someone as unimportant as this ranger.

“Maybe I can teach her a thing or two, have some fun eh?” the man winked at Delilah as he paused in buttoning up his shirt.

“No!” Lilith was fast to respond, saving Delilah the embarrassment of answering the lusting ranger. “I’m saving her for someone special, going to mix some royal blood into the family line. She is going to bear me a granddaughter someday, hopefully soon. She’ll be named Lucia.”

Delilah’s eyes almost bulged out. She had no idea her mother had made such plans for her. Even going as far as choosing the name of her future child. Naming it after her dead twin sister. Delilah was not ready for that. She was barely growing into her womanhood and the thoughts of bearing a child frightened her, and the conceiving part… Delilah shivered. She was also afraid she wouldn’t be a good mother, because of being raised by Lilith, not having a good example to follow

“Don’t give me that look daughter. We’ll talk about our plans later, now is not the time. Go on and get some sleep. We leave early in the morning.” Lilith shooed Delilah into the room she and the lonely ranger had just vacated.

When Delilah stepped inside with her belongings, the door was suddenly shut behind her. The sound made her jump in fright. She studied the room; it was as simple and as bare as the rest of the cabin. Looking at the bed as if it were the bearer of the plague, Delilah made her way towards the window, setting her backpack on the floor underneath it. Looking outside, she only saw darkness and her own reflection in the glass of the window. She looked tired, with dark circles surrounding her eyes. The whole trip was taking its toll on her. Diverting her attention from the window, she pulled the curtains closed, afraid of what might jump out from the darkness of this unfamiliar forest. It wasn’t the one she knew and grew up in, and she feared the unknown. It was all her mother’s fault.

Delilah turned around with a sigh, facing the bed. The room was illuminated by a lonely lamp, a bed against the right wall, the bed sheets still rumpled up. It was a disgusting thought, having to have to sleep on a bed where her mother had just… Delilah raised her hand, pointed at the sheets and they levitated slowly towards the fireplace which was on the wall directly in front of her, opposite the window. She checked the door, which were on her left and still shut. Good! Her mother wouldn’t see her practicing magic, even though levitating light objects was among the basic things she had learned from Lilith, and actually mastered. Next, she snapped her fingers and the sheets were aflame in the fireplace. Delilah then added a few logs and the fire burned steadily.

The young girl eyed the bed with distaste; she would not sleep on it tonight. Walking over to the closet which was next to the door, Delilah found some blankets inside, folded on the bottom shelf.

After she finished arranging her makeshift bed in front of the fireplace, Delilah settled in for the night. There was only one thing left to do. She listened carefully for the sounds from the other room and when she heard none, with her mother probably already asleep, she took out her lucky charm. At least that was what she told her mother it was. It was a piece of wood with an intricate sign etched into it; the sign had come to her in her sleep.

Grasping it in her hand she spoke, “Shanaya Tok.” The piece of wood disappeared and in its place, there was a beautifully crafted notebook, a journal and spell-book in one with the same sign protruding from the leather cover. If her mother were to know about it, Deliliah would be in a world of trouble.

Opening it gently, Delilah leafed through the words and her doodles. Those always made her smile. When she reached her last entry, from the night before, she read it first before writing about today.

My dearest book,

I finally found the time and privacy to write. Mother had us on a frantic pace. Let me backtrack…

After she felt the curse break, which saved me from another tongue lashing, she panicked and frantically started packing, ordering me to do the same. Of course I complied… as I always do. We left the cabin in a hurry. Under the pretense of leaving my other spell-book behind, I managed to quickly go back and let the poor animals out of the shed. Who knows when we might be coming back… or if we ever will. I just wish I had more time to heal some of the poor creatures. I hope they managed to get away alright.

I caught up with mother and luckily, she didn’t suspect a thing. She was too distracted by being mortal again, so she said. I don’t know why she would want to live forever. It might seem appealing at first… but when I think about it… If life was what it was, it was boring. And if it did by some miracle become more interesting one day, if I met my loving prince or a brave knight who would save me from mother… I wouldn’t want to live forever after he died… and what about my children? After learning everything there is to learn and everyone you love died… what would be the point?

Anyway, I digressed. Mother managed to find out that the Prince himself had left and gone after a dragon a few months back, so of course, we went straight for the Royal Palace. Only my mother could do that, march in like she owned the Palace. Everybody fears her, for a good reason.

We found out that the King was actually quite ill and that the regent had taken over temporarily, at least until the Prince comes back. They had sent a word after him. Mother left a potion for the King, a simple cough potion, I knew by the color of it… it was pinkish… kind of like… like… I cannot think of anything pink at the moment…so… It is pink, and it tastes rather nasty. I had to drink it once, so I would know to recognize it. It is sweet, but a sickly kind of sweet with a very burpy aftertaste. I had to nibble on mint leaves the whole day, it was that yucky.

Where was I… AH! The Prince Magnus. Yes.

We found out he was somewhere in the Western Province and mother had this feeling that he was involved in the breaking of the curse. So of course, our course was set to go west, hoping to meet with the Prince on his way back. Maybe he’s as beautiful as I heard… and as charming… maybe he’ll take me away from mother so I can finally live.

I have a confession to make… my magic is growing stronger, but not the one mother has been teaching me, with the written words, spell components, potions and brews… that’s too much for my concentration to handle… no… this is the one that feels like it’s coming from inside me, flowing through me… it’s scaring me… I don’t want to become like mother. I’ll just…

Her entry was finished there, having been almost found out by her mother.

Delilah wondered what was ahead of her. How her life would unfold, what challenges would be put in front of her. The biggest one obviously being her own mother. And what about this strange magic flowing through her. What did it mean?

She sighed and picked up her quill and wrote down today’s entry.

My mother is a whore.