For my flash fiction I get to use one of Jeffe Kennedy’s marvelous covers …but it was hard because I associate them so strongly with her stories. So I’ve sort of compromised, keeping the fantasy feeling but offering a vignette from a different time and place of my own.
“You will tell my story.” Her voice was low and beautiful. He wished he
could see her more clearly in the swirling lavender and green mists. She
extended the glowing book to him, saying, “It’s all here, all the spells, all
the details.”
could see her more clearly in the swirling lavender and green mists. She
extended the glowing book to him, saying, “It’s all here, all the spells, all
the details.”
“Where are you going?
Why can’t I come with you? After all the adventures we’ve shared, why must we
separate now?” He clenched his hand on the pommel of his sword.
Why can’t I come with you? After all the adventures we’ve shared, why must we
separate now?” He clenched his hand on the pommel of his sword.
“Our destinies lie
along different paths and I’m summoned home to my own place and time. Yet if
you tell the story true, we may meet again. Take the book, I beg you.”
along different paths and I’m summoned home to my own place and time. Yet if
you tell the story true, we may meet again. Take the book, I beg you.”
Ignoring her
outstretched hand, he shook his head. “I’m no scribe, no bard. I can’t do
justice to your tale. I can’t even read – you set me an impossible task.”
outstretched hand, he shook his head. “I’m no scribe, no bard. I can’t do
justice to your tale. I can’t even read – you set me an impossible task.”
The book drifted
in the evening breeze, floating from her hand and moving like an oversize
butterfly, coming closer to him. Unwillingly he plucked the glowing tome from
the air and tucked it under his arm.
in the evening breeze, floating from her hand and moving like an oversize
butterfly, coming closer to him. Unwillingly he plucked the glowing tome from
the air and tucked it under his arm.
“You should seek help,”
she said, retreating a step. “That’s allowed. Go to the city and visit the book
seller in the corner of the market square. His daughter will be able to read
the runes, can tell you what you must do next.”
she said, retreating a step. “That’s allowed. Go to the city and visit the book
seller in the corner of the market square. His daughter will be able to read
the runes, can tell you what you must do next.”
Taking her by
surprise as he’d hoped, he leaped forward, capturing one slender wrist. “Swear
to me we’ll find each other if I do this.”
surprise as he’d hoped, he leaped forward, capturing one slender wrist. “Swear
to me we’ll find each other if I do this.”
He realized he
held nothing but cold mist, as she continued to back away, deeper into the
forest shadows. “I did love you,” she said.
held nothing but cold mist, as she continued to back away, deeper into the
forest shadows. “I did love you,” she said.
This article was originally posted on SFF Seven
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Another archive post! This is still one of my all time favorite novels from Jeffe Kennedy (and to be clear she authorized me to write that little piece of flash fiction for the group blog we’re on). She won the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for PAGES OF THE MIND, and has gone on to write quite a few more novels in the series. Her latest book, THE ORCHID THRONE, has just come out (September 24, 2019) and is the beginning of a new fantasy series!