Scent of Magic by Maria V Snyder - Chapter Sampler

7/30/2019 Scent of Magic by Maria V Snyder - Chapter Sampler

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Praise for New York Times bestselling author

Filled with Snyders trademark sarcastic humor, fast-paced action andcreepy villainy, Touch of Power is a spellbinding romantic adventure

that will leave readers salivating for the next book in the series. USA TODAY

The descriptions are vivid and draw youinto the rugged journey across the mountains.

Youll want to follow their voyage into the next book.RT Book Reviewson Touch of Power

This is one of those rare booksthat will keep readers dreaming long after theyve read it.

Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Poison Study

Snyder delivers another excellent adventure.Publishers Weeklyon Fire Study

A compelling new fantasy series.

SFX magazine on Sea Glass

Maria V. Snyder


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Scent of Magic

Maria V. Snyder


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DID YOU PURCHASE THIS BOOK WITHOUT A COVER?If you did, you should be aware it is stolen property as it was

reported unsold and destroyed by a retailer.Neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment

for this book.

First Published 2013First Australian Paperback Edition 2013ISBN 978 174356240 6

SCENT OF MAGIC 2013 by Maria V. SnyderPhilippine Copyright 2013

Australian Copyright 2013

New Zealand Copyright 2013Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilisation of this work in wholeor in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now knownor hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or inany information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the permission ofthe publisher, Harlequin Enterprises, Locked Bag 7002, Chatswood D.C. N.S.W.,

Australia 2067.

This book is sold subject to the condition that shall not, by way of trade orotherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the prior

consent of the publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which itis published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposedon the subsequent purchaser.

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in anyform. This edition is published in arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A..

;OPZ PZ H ^VYR VM J[PVU 5HTLZ JOHYHJ[LYZ WSHJLZ HUK PUJPKLU[Z HYL LP[OWYVK\J[ VM [OL H\[OVYZ PTHNPUH[PVU VY HYL \ZLK J[P[PV\ZS` HUK HU` YLZLTISHto actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales isentirely coincidental.

Published byHarlequin TEEN

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For Mom. You started me on this path long agoby reading me books every night, by taking me to movies

and to the theater. Thanks for always supporting my dreams.I may be a gypsy, Mom, but its all your fault!


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R o n e l S e a

E n d l e s s S e a

N o r t h e r n W i l d l a n d s

E n d l e s s S e a

S o u t h e r n D e s e r t

G U B K I N

A L G A

I V D E L

V Y G

B A V L Y

Z A I N S K S E

C T V E N

T O B O R Y

O Z E R O

K A Z A N

R Y A Z A N

C A S I S

S O G R A

P O M Y T

L Y A D Y

N I N E

M O U N T A I N S D

i n a

F a r e n

V i x L

e k a s

T v e e r y

Q u a i a M a r e

C h i n s k a

M a r e

B a i a

M a r e

N e w p

H e a l e r s G u i l d

Z a b i n G r

z e b i e n

M e n g e l s

J a x t o n

A u c e

R a t s e v e

W o l a

K o o

L o s i

N e g r i t o

T r e n s e n

R y n e s C a s t l e

K r a k o w a

G o l a

R o e t i

Z a g r o O p

o l e

O r e l

V i p e

T o h o n s C a s t l e

P e t i

G a l e e

P a s s

K a i s m a

Y i p a t a

W i e n

N i r z a

S v i r

M e e k s i

O x e n t


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Im dead, I said to Kerrick.He kept his flat expression, and I knew Id get more co-

operation from the caves stone walls. Too bad for him that Ididnt need his approval. But it would be nice if we workedout an agreement at least.

No one knows I survived. Its the perfect opportunity for me to go undercover, and

No. Its not safe, he said.Why not? No one will be looking for me. I could slip

inWhat about Danny and Zila? Theyre going to need you to

teach them how to be healers. Kerrick added another branchto our small f ire.We had stopped to rest in a narrow cave. Kerrick and Id

been traveling at night and sleeping during the day to keep alow profile since we still remained in Tohon Sogras realm.We were close to what had been the Realm of Vygs westernborder. After the plague had killed two-thirds of our popu-

lation nearly six years ago, many of the Fifteen Realms re-sembled broken toys, with tiny pieces of their populationsscattered far and wide.

Unfortunately Tohon had decided to sweep up those pieces


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Maria V. Snyder

to form one realm, or rather one kingdom. A good idea until you realized Tohon, the powerful life magician, was also a

deluded megalomaniac whose army included a battalion of dead soldiers. Yes, dead. Tohon had discovered how to re-animate the dead.

Danny and Zila dont need me yet. Theyre too young,I said. Danny probably wont develop healing powers untilhes closer to f ifteen, which wont be for another year or two.Zila has six or seven more years.

Still, it makes the most sense to rendezvous with Ryne inIvdel as planned. Well need to gather his men and then joinforces with Estrid so we can stop Tohons army from advanc-ing into Pomyt.

For you, I agreed. Not me. Before he could argue, Iadded, Besides, I gave my word to Estrid

Which was voided when you died, Avry. He sat nextto me and pulled me in close, wrapping an arm around myshoulder.

I leaned against him, breathing in his scent of spring sun-shine and clean earth. Every time we talked about my death,hed sought my touch as if he still couldnt believe Id sur-vived. Considering the plague had a hundred-percent fatal-ity rate and it had indeed killed me a week ago, his actionswere understandable.

However, a giant Peace Lily had brought me back to life.The ramif ications of that action werehuge. Which was whyI needed to figure out exactly what happened and what itmeant for the rest of the Fifteen Realms. Or what was left

of them.I dropped the topic. For now. Kerrick and I had just ad-

mitted our feelings for each other. We had seven more daysuntil we reached Peti, and I didnt want to spend that time

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SCENT OF M AGIC

arguing with him. So much better to doother, more in-timate activities while we rested.

We approached the outer edge of Peti near dawn. Stoppingin a thick copse of trees, Kerrick reached out with his for-est magic to search for ambushers, marauders or mercs. Hismagic was a gift from the forest, and through that connection,he sensed other people. Or rather, he felt the irritations andannoyances that the forest considered intruders to its home.

When I held Kerricks hand, I also connected and expe-rienced the unique bond he shared with the forest. I won-dered if my eye color changed from sea-green to a darker green when his magic zipped through my body. Kerricks eyecolor changed to match the forest. Since it was the middle of spring, the surrounding greenery was thick and lush, an em-

erald carpet.When I had first met him, his eyes were russet with f lecks

of gold, orange and maroon. The warm colors belied his per-sonality at the time. He had been as cold and distant as thesnow-capped peaks of the Nine Mountains.

But not anymore.He caught me staring and smiled. It transformed his face

from unreadable tohappy. Which still surprised me. I hadbeen used to him gazing at me with annoyance, anger or ex-asperation, and these pleasant looks threw me.

He waited.I shook my head and returned to studying the town. It

was near the foothills of the Nine Mountains. Even from this

distance, it appeared that most of the buildings had burneddown. No signs of life.

Do you think the marauders got to Peti? I asked. Sinceit was the closest town to the main pass through the moun-

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tains, it had been a popular place to stop before making thetreacherous crossing.

Even after the plague, Peti had managed to survive. Butwithout law enforcement, large groups of marauders hadformed in the foothills. They would attack populated areaswhen they ran out of food and supplies. Theyd killed, lootedand burned without mercy.

Probably before Tohon got to them, he said.Tohon had swept through the foothills and killed all the

marauders, leaving their bodies for us to trip over. He hadclaimed he was cleaning out the undesirables that had infectedhis kingdom. I considered Tohons abominationshis deadsoldiers. Why wouldnt he turn those marauders into moremindless, obedient troops? I asked Kerrick.

He wanted us to find them. So we would rush to the passand right into his ambush.

I shuddered. The memory of the dead carrying me awaystill haunted my sleep along with Tohons voice beckoningme. The forest didnt consider those things intruders becausethey werent alive. According to Kerrick, the living green ig-nored the damage they inflicted since it couldnt sense anylife nearby. Which meant the dead could sneak up on Ker-

rick. An unpleasant thought.Lets check out Peti before we find a place to rest, Ker-rick said.

As expected, no one lived among the burned ruins. A lightbreeze swirled the ash. Our boots crunched on broken glass.Peti was bigger than I had thought. As we drew closer to thecenter, we encountered a few brick factories and businesses

that had survived the fire. The f lames had missed the heartof the town. With the marauders gone, people could returnand build anew.

Except Peti was in the Realm of Vyg. Even though it was

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near the eastern border, this area was technically occupied byTohons army. Kerrick and I had dodged a number of his pa-

trols on our way here.Kerrick found another small cave for us to hide in untilnightfall. I understood the need to be hidden from sight andprotected from an attack. However, I would have liked tocamp under the sky for our last day together.

We set up our bedrolls and lit a small fire to drive off the chill and cook a simple meal. Sitting on opposite sides, I

broached the subject of my future plans.No, Kerrick said without considering anything Id just

said.Im not asking. I need to talk to my sister. To explainNo. Its too dangerous.Im not asking, I repeated because he tended to think he

was in charge. Besides, I was on the run for three years. Iknow how to get around without encountering trouble. AndI can defend myself. I pulled one of my throwing knives andpointed it at Kerrick. And I know how to walk through thewoods without making noise, so Ill stick to the forest. Plusmy healing powers can be used

I know, he growled.

I suppressed a smile, remembering blasting him with pain.Hed deserved it. Id been trying to escape from him and hiscompanions, but he wouldnt let go. And he called me stub-born. He was the most obstinate person I knew. Worry f lared.Would he drag me to Ivdel with him?

No one knows Im alive, I said again. No one is lookingfor me. No more bounty hunters, no mercenaries or Tohons

dead. And best of all, no Tohon. The man whod threatenedto claim me, and I knew, if push came to shove, he could withone touch. I hugged my arms close to my body.

But what about the patrols? And Estrids holy army? Or

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Jael? She killed Flea and tried to kill us. If she sees youFear cracked his stony expression for a moment.

She wont. Ill wear a disguise.But your sister is Jaels page. If you get close to Noelle,shell know.

Then Ill make sure Noelles alone.But what if she still hates you? Shell tell Jael youre alive.He had me there.I thought fast. Then I wont approach Noelle until after

you and Ryne arrive with his army. Hopefully in time tohelp Estrid defeat Tohon. Without Ryne, there was more thana good chance Tohon would overrun her defenses and add allof us to his ranks of dead. Ill do reconnaissance and fact-gathering. I promise. I sensed a softening. Tohon told mehe has spies in Estrids camp. I might be able to f ind them.

No. You lie low, blend in and dont call attention to your-self. Learn what you can from watching and listening. Dontask questions. Even though he was clearly unhappy, he con-tinued. Youll need a good disguise. Go to Moms in Men-gels, shell

But shes days out of the way, and I dont want anyone toknow Im alive.

If you dont follow my suggestions,then Ill just follow you.And he would.I kept my expression neutral. Why Moms?Before the plague she helped women who had run away

from their abusive husbands. Her inn was known as a safehouse for these women, and she would give them a new look,a new name and f ind them a safe place to live. He held a hand

up. Shell keep all your secrets. You can trust her. Thats whyeveryone calls her Mom.

All right. Any other suggestions?Dont work in the infirmary. I know itll be tempting, but

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find a job that lets you be invisible. Like a maid or a kitchenservant.

Okay. Anything else?Stay away from anyone you recognize or know. Belensstill there. Kerricks face paled. You should tell Belen. Hecan help.

No, he cant. Come on, Kerrick, you know hes a rot-ten liar.

Easy for you to say. Hes not going to rip your arms off.

He hugged his arms to his chest.Hes not going to hurt you, I said. Or would he? Belen

was the Poppa Bear of our group, and we had become closefriends. The thought of him mourning my death almostchanged my mind.

Have Prince Ryne tell him. I sacrificed my life for his,so he owes me one. Ryne had had the plague and Id healedhim by assuming the sickness.

Unfortunately for the six million people who had died, theplague killed healers as well, so wed stopped healing plaguevictims until we could determine another way. But once thepopulation panicked and rumors spread that we refused to helppeopleit had turned ugly fast. Long story short, I was the last

healer alive until Danny and Zilas powers woke. If they did.How long are you going to play dead? Kerrick asked.As long as I can. Its a good strategy.For you. Im the one thats going to have to deal with

Belen, Quain and Loren.Im sure Rynes keeping them busy with his genius mili-

tary tactics that will stop Tohon. Which was the reason Id

given up my life for him.Kerrick relaxed his arms and moved to sit next to me. He

pulled me close. At least I wont have to act like Im sad andmissing you.

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You mean youll go from moody, sullen and distant, tomoody, sullen, distant and sad? The guys wont suspect a thing,

I teased.Dont start. He tangled his f ingers in my hair. You werethe reason for all those

Temper tantrums? Grumpiness? Irritability?He tilted my head until I gazed up at him. A dangerous

glint shone in his eyes. You didnt make it easy.True, but neither did you.

True. A hint of a smile. I guess were meant to be to-gether.

Surprisingly, I agreed.Not to Belen. Once he forgives me for lying to him, hes

going to gloat.Belen had been his loyal friend, bodyguard and all but his

older brother ever since Kerrick was born. It made sense thathe could read Kerrick better than anyone.

When did he figure it out? I asked.Well before I did. Kerrick gazed at the f ire. I think he

made a comment after you escaped and I saved you from themercs.

An odd time. Kerrick had been furious at me. And when

did youagree with him?My feelings started changing after you healed Belen andwe were at Moms. He returned his focus to me. Cuppingmy face with his other hand, he said, You had me tied inknots. You saved Belens life, and I wanted to kill you andthank you at the same time. And during those nights whenwe didnt know if youd live or die, I went from being angry

to worried to frustrated to scared all within a single heartbeat.If you had died, I would have killed you.

You know that doesnt make sense, right?Nothing about that time made sense.

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You kept me from dying. Did you know that?He tilted his head in surprise. No. How?

You gave me the energy to heal myself. If you hadntstayed with me and held my hand, I would have gone intothe afterlife.

And here I thought it was Moms tonics.Good thing the Lamp Post Inn is on the edge of the forest.Thats why I like it. I can still access my power there. That

and her desserts are the best in the Fifteen Realms.

Ill make sure I try some when Im there.All humor fled his face. But I wont be there to watch

your back.Then Ill have to be extra careful.Promise?Yes. I leaned forward and kissed him. He was right. What

I planned to do was dangerous, but these were dangeroustimes. And I needed to become Noelles older sister again be-fore I resumed being Avry the healer. Plus my decision allowedme the freedom to just be a regular person. Someone unno-ticeable, who blended in and didnt attract Tohons attention.

When we reached the border road between Vyg and Pomyt

that night, Kerrick had a few last-minute instructions. Stay inthe forest on the east side of the border. Better to go throughPomyt Realm than to get caught in the middle of any skir-mishes in Vyg. Youll be safer traveling in the daylight.

I nodded, even though I knew to stay out of Vyg and toavoid Zabin until I was disguised. He needed to tell me. Plusif he didnt lecture me, Id worry he was following me as he

had when Id surrendered to Tohon. His forest magic hadcamouflaged him, and Id never seen him until he appearedwithout warning in the garden.

Kerrick had been livid since hed seen me kissing Tohon.

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Under the influence of Tohons life magic, I hadnt had achoice. His powers had filled me with an unnatural desire

and smashed my willpower to dust. After Tohon had left,and still reeling from Tohons display of dominance, Id beengrabbed by Kerrick who had then confessed hed be upset if Tohon lured me away.

Avry, are you listening to me?Yes. Vyg bad. Pomyt good.Avry. His aggravation was clear.I smiled. He was rather handsome when he was annoyed.

Before he could launch into another lecture, I handed himFleas juggling stones for Belen, the letter and necklace for Noelle and the pouch full of Quain and Lorens favorite herbsfor them.

But

Itll help with the ruse that Id died.How do I explain the extra time it took for me to catch

up to them?Youre supposed to be grieving, so it should be obvious

even to Quain why. But if anyone asks, just give them thatstony stare and theyll back right off. I met his gaze. Yes,that one.

Im not happy about this, he said, but he handed me apouchful of coins. There should be enough in here for acouple months.

He wrapped me into a f iercely protective hug before kiss-ing me. His magic shot through me. If I were a plant, Id havegrown roots.

I pulled back before I changed my mind and stayed withhim. Ill see you in Zabin.

You better.Squeezing his hand, I said goodbye and headed southeast.

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When I glanced back, he remained where I had left him,watching me. I shooed. He hefted his pack and turned north.

Although we were apart, the woods vibrated with his magic.A tingle zipped along my skin whenever I touched a leaf or brushed against a bush. Kerrick was keeping track of me.When I rested the next day, I kept my hand on the ground.That evening, his magic disappeared abruptly. Which, I hoped,meant he had reached the pass through the Nine Mountainsand didnt mean hed encountered trouble.

A sharp ache of loneliness consumed me along with a hor-rible feeling that Id never see him again.

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Scent of Magic by Maria V Snyder - Chapter Sampler

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