Book Excerpt
Sunlight
filtered through the leafy canopy.
Several birds flew low across the stream and through the trees. Seconds later two yellow butterflies glided
to the edge of the far bank and landed.
A larger butterfly caught his attention.
At first glance he thought it was a giant swallowtail, but instead, it
turned out to be an oversized tiger swallowtail.
Ben’s
fingers tightened around the net handle.
He pushed himself to his feet. He
stepped lightly and headed toward the stream to get a better look at the
butterflies. Near the bank, a blur of
metallic bluish-green streaked past him.
“Damn!”
he said, watching the zipping wings catch the breeze and glide.
With
incredible speed, it darted up, down, left to right, and along the stream’s
edge. Perhaps the sweltering heat or
near dehydration was playing tricks on him, but he was almost certain glittery
dust trailed behind it.
Ben
hurried after the butterfly, a prize unlike any other in his collection.
Few
butterflies in this part of Kentucky had such metallic colorings. One he thought of immediately was the White M
Hairstreak, but this one was too large and flew much swifter. Another butterfly with similar colors was the
long-tailed skipper, but the sheen sparkling off the butterfly following the
stream was too bright. Its flight was
also more erratic. The skipper stayed
near gardens, and he doubted any strayed this far into the woods since the
larvae food plant was the leaf of various beanstalks.
Ben
realized he had just discovered something new.
Excitement shot
through him.
He
hurried along the stream and jumped over a fallen tree. His sudden pursuit had not gone
unnoticed. The iridescent creature
darted downward and swept through the tiny branches of a shrub. But Ben moved faster.
As
the beautifully winged specimen shot through the other side of the bush, Ben
arced the net sharply and captured his prize.
The end of the net pulled and stretched while his captive struggled to
fight free.
Quickly,
Ben clamped his fingers near the end of the net, but by the time he did, the
struggling ceased.
He
opened the net and looked inside. His
eyes widened.
“What
the hell?” he asked.
At
the bottom of the net lay a gorgeous creature, but not what he had expected to
capture. Her wings were tattered,
frayed. Unconscious, he hoped, but he
feared she might be dying or already dead.
Broken scales and wing fragments covered her nearly nude body.
His
excitement of the chase suddenly turned to regret and dread.
A
faery?
Ben
dropped to his knees and gently set down the net.
“God,”
he whispered. “I hope I didn’t kill
you.”
Sunlight
filtered through the leafy canopy.
Several birds flew low across the stream and through the trees. Seconds later two yellow butterflies glided
to the edge of the far bank and landed.
A larger butterfly caught his attention.
At first glance he thought it was a giant swallowtail, but instead, it
turned out to be an oversized tiger swallowtail.
Ben’s
fingers tightened around the net handle.
He pushed himself to his feet. He
stepped lightly and headed toward the stream to get a better look at the
butterflies. Near the bank, a blur of
metallic bluish-green streaked past him.
“Damn!”
he said, watching the zipping wings catch the breeze and glide.
With
incredible speed, it darted up, down, left to right, and along the stream’s
edge. Perhaps the sweltering heat or
near dehydration was playing tricks on him, but he was almost certain glittery
dust trailed behind it.
Ben
hurried after the butterfly, a prize unlike any other in his collection.
Few
butterflies in this part of Kentucky had such metallic colorings. One he thought of immediately was the White M
Hairstreak, but this one was too large and flew much swifter. Another butterfly with similar colors was the
long-tailed skipper, but the sheen sparkling off the butterfly following the
stream was too bright. Its flight was
also more erratic. The skipper stayed
near gardens, and he doubted any strayed this far into the woods since the
larvae food plant was the leaf of various beanstalks.
Ben
realized he had just discovered something new.
Excitement shot
through him.
He
hurried along the stream and jumped over a fallen tree. His sudden pursuit had not gone
unnoticed. The iridescent creature
darted downward and swept through the tiny branches of a shrub. But Ben moved faster.
As
the beautifully winged specimen shot through the other side of the bush, Ben
arced the net sharply and captured his prize.
The end of the net pulled and stretched while his captive struggled to
fight free.
Quickly,
Ben clamped his fingers near the end of the net, but by the time he did, the
struggling ceased.
He
opened the net and looked inside. His
eyes widened.
“What
the hell?” he asked.
At
the bottom of the net lay a gorgeous creature, but not what he had expected to
capture. Her wings were tattered,
frayed. Unconscious, he hoped, but he
feared she might be dying or already dead.
Broken scales and wing fragments covered her nearly nude body.
His
excitement of the chase suddenly turned to regret and dread.
A
faery?
Ben
dropped to his knees and gently set down the net.
“God,”
he whispered. “I hope I didn’t kill
you.”
About Shawndirea
Author: Leonard D. Hilley II
Genre: Fantasy
Often the smallest unexpected surprises
garner the most demanding dilemmas, which proves to be the ordeal that
entomologist Ben Whytten faces. While netting butterflies to add to his
vast collection, he mistakenly sweeps what he thinks is the most
spectacular butterfly he has ever seen into his net. Upon examining his
catch, Ben is horrified to discover he has captured a faery and shredded
her delicate wings into useless ribbons.
Devastated, Ben vows to take Shawndirea
back to her realm, Aetheaon; but he discovers that doing so places their
lives into immediate danger. To get to Aetheaon, they must pass through
a portal rift deep inside the haunted cavern, Devils Den.
Once they cross the rift, Ben enters a
world where mysteries, magic, betrayal, and power struggles await. He
must adapt quickly or die because Aetheaon is filled with enchanted
creatures and numerous races where chaos often dominates order. And
since Shawndirea’s destined for the throne of Elvendale, opposing dark
forces plot to prevent her from ever reaching her kingdom again. The
faery’s magic isn’t enough to fully protect them, so he must trust other
adventurers to aid them during their journey.
Author Bio
Leonard
D. Hilley II currently lives in the mountains of Kentucky with his
wife, Christal, and their two children. He is the author of The
Darkness Series–Predators of Darkness: Aftermath, Beyond the Darkness,
The Game of Pawns, and Death’s Valley.
Links
Blog link: http://deimosweb-hilley.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @Deimosweb
Facebook Author Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leonard-D-Hilley-IIauthor-page/157289854329916?ref=hl
Shawndirea is available via Kindle Unlimited as well.
0 reacties:
Een reactie posten