In the next instant, he flicked a crystal, the size of teardrop, toward the water. Then, feet planted against the skateboard, Jack whirled away from the fountain that filled rapidly with soap bubbles.
“You!” A gruff voice called.
Jack glanced up to see a security man on horseback frowning down at the sudsy mess. A secret smile tugged at the man’s lips.
He means me. Jack smirked.
Crouching low, he spun around the corner to where the trees danced with white and orange lights. The pungent scent of pumpkin pie spice tickled his nose as he rolled by a store front. Behind the plate-glass window, fairy dolls dangled from wire branches of makeshift trees as if the nymphs floated on the autumn air.
He wasn’t supposed to be here. But being naughty was what Jack loved best.
His mask slipped the smallest bit and Jack yanked it back in place, making sure his wild hair covered the tiny peaks of his ears. If the humans saw what he really was, they would absolutely freak…
***
Francesca felt worn out and sad as she hurried by a sign posted at the side of the street. It read: NO SKATE BOARDS ALLOWED!
The air was muggy at best. Not the crisp chill most would affix to Halloween twilight. To escape her bad mood and the strangely warm evening, she ducked inside a corner boutique where sultry dresses hung behind the plate-glass window front. A jingle of chimes at the door made it seem like she stepped inside another world. The artificially generated air wove a current, cool and inviting around jewelry that sparkled from wire stands.
Behind the sales counter there stood a diminutive fairy. When she turned, her silvery hair cascaded like ripples from a waterfall to caress her tiny waist.
Francesca noticed a flash of someone passing by the window, followed by a sparkle of golden light that lingered in the air. Something like magic drew her outside toward the children splashing in the fountain.
She stopped at water’s edge, longing to kick off her shoes and dip her toes into the water. At that precise moment, someone took her by the hand, hauling her sideways.
Her breath caught in her chest as she glanced up to see a young man on a skateboarder. His longish red hair jagged up like lightning from his head. A twinkle of mischief lit his wild green eyes.
Was it her imagination or did she see small peaks at the top of his ears? Like an elf!
Before Francesca could think another thought or even catch her breath, she found herself running beside him. Much to her surprise, she kicked off her shoes and jumped on the back of his skateboard.
For some strange reason, she would never fully understand, it seemed like the natural thing to do. So, she gave her whole self to the coming adventure. Whatever lay ahead now had to be better than the hellish day she’d had at work…
Continued…
Copyright 2007 by Ledia Runnels
Enjoy!
Synopsis:
Fantasy Action Adventure set in feudal Japan.
During a time of civil war, Karasu Hinata is born the son of a powerful warlord. When he is still a child, his family castle is taken by a rival clan. His father and mother are murdered right before his eyes.
Barely escaping with his life, he is spirited away by the king of the tengu. The shape-shifting raven leads him to the hidden mountain retreat of a sect of mystic warriors. Mountain priests who practice the magic of Shugendo.
Ten years have passed. The time has come for Karasu to leave the mystic’s protective lair and face his demons in the world beyond. But the fiend that haunts his nightmares is also the one that shattered his life. More than a bad dream, it wants him dead.
In Legend of the Tengu Prince, nothing is as it seems. Shape-shifting creatures, both good and evil, populate the magical world of feudal Japan. And a young man will pay the ultimate price for a deadly rival spawned in the mists time. This riveting first volume of a epic fantasy adventure will leave you stunned and begging for more.
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