Blessed of the Gods
Author: Charlene A. Wilson
Book Description:
Aumelan – book one
From the award-winning author of the Cornerstone Deep saga, comes a story of love, devotion and courage.
Chad Aumelan is in love, but his world isn’t right. Not when he’s forbidden to have Dae just because she’s his slave.
When Salana Goffin meets Chad, she’s faced with the unbelievable: a man who must take energy from a host to survive. He wants to find a cure to free the woman he loves. How can Salana turn away such a noble cause?
Together, they search for answers, but fate has another plan.
Praise
“Aumelan is much more than a love story. Ms. Wilson has crafted a masterpiece in which she closely examines the human condition: How far will we go as a society to survive? How far will we go as individuals for compassion? The literary genus is covertly wrapped in a delicious genre romance where readers are submerged in the lives of her characters and the fantastic sci-fi backdrop of their imperfect world. Make no mistake, Aumelan may easily become a classic to transcend time. A definite recommended read!” ~ J.D. Brown, author of Dark Heirloom series.
Excerpt
The tunnel incline
steepened, and Chad adjusted his pack to accommodate the climb. Narrow tracks
scarred the smooth rock in the floor from centuries of trade wagon commute, this
being the direct route to the outlying farming caverns. He veered from the byway
to avoid the chance of a stumble and then glanced at the band of crystalline in
the trail’s high arch. Their faint glow confirmed the lighting services of the
capital city were coming to an end.
Illumination from his
crystal-lit torch brightened as he lowered the lever on the handle and the large
quartz rose from the braided rod to fill the cap. White beams poured over the
sediment, bleaching it the color of bones, and shadows hugging the furrows in
the walls thinned, leaving the appearance of sloppy patchwork.
He looked behind him,
past Dae, to see the catacomb. The main passage served his people since they
settled below the planet’s crust and stretched farther than he could see. How
many times had he and Dae walked this road?
Too many to
count.
Dae blocked his view as
she sidestepped.
Bypassing a crevice in
the ground, he turned to see her better. Her knees tapped at her skirt, causing
the hem to brush her shins as she walked. He cocked a grin as he recalled his
decision concerning her attire. While he had allowed the brown smock-like dress
as long as she wore the thick leggings, he had insisted she wear the hiking
boots—no matter how much it set the other Keepers at odds with him. The
servants’ thin slippers, while justifiable within the walls of their cavern
homes, would never serve well on their excursions. Scrunches and clumping
accompanied each step of her heavy footwear. The hefty boots broke her
simplistic style, being the only clothing she hadn’t handmade.
He lifted his brow.
Somehow, the montage looked charming on her. Long brown hair brushed at her arms
as she bowed her head and watched her steps along the trail. Her mouth moved
with silent words, her lower lip dipped into a natural pout. Shadow overtook
half her heart-shaped face, and her hand twitched at the same time she raised
her brows.
Reciting instructions
again, Dae? He grinned, knowing
her habit. Since their youth, she’d recited, memorized every command given to
her, even the rules to the games they played as children. He had tried hard to
lose, just to see the excitement in her eyes when she won. If only he’d known
his father called for her penitence when she bested him—he would never have
lost.
But she wasn’t the same
girl.
Slowing his pace, he
allowed her the chance to walk beside him. She shuffled to a stop, and her brown
eyes peered at him with a hint of question. He gazed into them, hoping she would
ignore the rules of their placement and hold his gaze. She flushed and looked
away.
He pressed his lips
into an understanding smile. It wasn’t a fair act on his part, he knew, but the
nerves danced in his stomach. It would only take a word, or with his telepathic
ability, a directed thought, and she’d be as close as he
wanted.
But would it be what
she wants too, or a response to my command?
If only her eyes
glimmered with the iridescent sheen his did. If only pride held her posture
erect with sureness in each step. If only she held the blood of his
people.
With a tempered sigh,
he scrubbed at the back of his neck and stepped into a turn. His short hair
stood on end and itched at his scalp as they gradually broke from the sweaty
hold. He swiped at it again, plastering it to his head, and then wiped his hand
down his gray vest. Traces of mud clung to the pockets. Black muck and blond
hair. Nice, Chad.
He wrinkled his nose
with a grimace and peeked over his shoulder to see if Dae had noticed. Evidently
not. Her gaze followed the ground. Relief eased his worry, but why bother? A
master shouldn’t seek his servant’s approval anyway, right?
Twin columns stood at
the center of the forked byway, in stark contrast to the rouged environment, and
marked the end of the capital city’s services. Chad veered left before they
reached the pillars. Dipping into a narrow tunnel, he dimmed his torch to
accommodate the smaller space.
Are her people really
so different than mine? The answer came with a
resounding yes. Okay, he reasoned, mine can’t produce sustaining
vitality and hers can. But beyond that…
Hefting himself up a
boulder, he sat on top and swung his long legs over. He jumped down, gravel
crunching beneath his feet as he landed. Dae followed suit.
We were separate
nations above. My ancestors survived on the surface fine before they came below,
didn’t they? How is it the Chamber people kept the gift of vitality without the
sun but the Tsosey didn’t?
He swayed into a half
turn to look at Dae but caught only a glimpse as his pack hit the sidewall.
Leveling his load, he continued his stride. Maybe we’re not true children of
the sun, but the Chambers are…like those above are now. Why else would the sun
grant them energy to sustain their lives…and ours? Warmth spread within his
chest. Dae, a Child of the Sun.
He shook his thoughts
into logic. That just can’t be. What did happen to the Tsosey?
No explanation came to mind as he filtered through the memory of his
studies.
A giggle chimed from
behind him, and he faced Dae. She quickly cupped her hand over her midriff and
then slowly closed it into a fist. Holding it out, she unfurled her fingers. A
cave cricket sprung into the air, and Chad ducked to keep it from landing in his
hair. He barely suppressed the smile tugging at his lips.
She shared his love of
excursions through the Hollow Hand—of that, he was sure. Hiding his grin, he
resumed his walk and repeated the reasons in his mind he would never know if she
cared for him as he did for her.
Difference. Placement.
Laws.
Keeper and
server. It will have to be
enough. His thoughts paused as he attempted to put the subject out of his
mind.
Light reached deep into
the pass and highlighted the jutted walls like vertical horizons. Water
trickled, its faint echo playing alongside their scuffled steps. The mundane
view and monotonous pace left too much room for his mind to wander.
His thumb thumped his
thigh as agitation bubbled in his gut. But…hearts are the same. Desires are
the same.
With each footfall, his
heart beat out possibilities. Would she want him if it were allowed? If the only
thing separating them was the empty space between them? Images of holding her
warmed his blood, and he took a breath to relish the sensation further. His palm
tingled.
No worry of a master’s
rebuke would exist; no walls of status would stand in the way. She’d meet his
gaze without hesitation—and hold it. Her cheek would lean into his palm as he
brushed back her dark hair. Those pouty lips would welcome his in a soft kiss.
Her body would melt into his, arms around him, and…
Sparks flashed in
Chad’s head as it rammed into solid rock. He rolled back on his heel and then
landed a firm foot behind him to brace his stand. Scrubbing at his brow, he
opened his eyes to the jagged ledge he’d blindly walked into.
Reality rushed back to
him, and he looked at his servant in time to see her gaze dart
downward.
Despite his
embarrassment, the corners of his lips curled. He tilted his head to peer at
her. She couldn’t hide the sparkle in her eyes behind those wispy lashes no
matter how much she might try. His voice held a touch of mirth. “You may say
it.”
Wide chocolate eyes
looked at him. Her head jerked to the side as if she caught her show of refusal
mid-shake.
He upped his scratched
brow. “Dae, speak truthfully to me.”
She bit into a timid
comment. “I can walk through there easily, but I am five feet five inches tall.
You are six feet three inches tall. That is too tall to fit through there
without bending over.”
He tempered a chuckle
and it blew past his nostrils. “Yes.” Running his hand along the
amber-and-toffee-colored formations, he mumbled to dispel the lingering
humiliation, “I forgot this passage jutted down like this.”
Pulling his map from
his vest pocket, he cleared his throat and smoothed the paper against the wall.
Light from Dae’s crystal joined his to pour over the drawings as she held it
closer. He jotted a note. Low cave bacon. Stashing the map, he dipped
into the short pass. “I really can’t help myself. My mind was
elsewhere.”
A thick halo surrounded
the light from his crystal torch as a fine mist enveloped them. Water gurgled
from the side of the narrow trail and seeped into the cracks at their feet. Chad
inhaled the mineral-scented air and flexed his fingers. He peered down the
tunnel and listened carefully. Either the slight swirl of the mist played with
his mind, or a low howl sounded in the distance. This wasn’t here the last
time, was it?
“Do you recall falls
along this path, Dae?”
Her words came out slow
as her gaze traveled the haze. “We have traveled it only once. But, no. I do not
recall this.”
Confident and steady,
be the anchor for your keep. The lesson he learned
as a child flashed in his mind, and every instinct lined him up to do just that.
But, if his years with Dae had taught him anything, it was she who anchored him
when it came to placement. He nodded and continued the trek as if the
abnormalities didn’t worry him.
“Styne has wanted to
accompany me to the World of the Sun for years,” he said, careful to keep his
tone light. “His parents couldn’t have given him a better coronation gift. Uncle
Tyro will be sorry he missed it.”
“You described it to
them perfectly. It does have endless horizons and the scents of a billion
creations.”
“How else could I
describe it? That cave above the sea is my greatest discovery yet.” He threw a
cheery gaze over his shoulder. “How many of our people get the opportunity to
witness such things? They’re going to remember this outing for the rest of their
lives.”
About the Author
Charlene A. Wilson is an author of tales that take you to other dimensions. She weaves magic, lasting love, and intrigue to immerse you into the lives of her characters.
She began writing in her early teens when her vivid dreams stayed with her long after she had them. The characters and worlds were so amazing she brought them to life through her books.
Charlene resides in a small community in Arkansas, USA, with her two beautiful daughters, husband, a cuddly Pekingese, and a very chatty cockatiel named Todder.
Author Links:
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