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Amazon
Books2 Read
Category:
Fantasy
Publisher: KDP
ISBN-10: 1986974138
Type: Fiction
Pages: 190
Copyright: 2014
ISBN-13: 9781986974134
Price: $2.99 (eBook)
After the battle at the Black Castle, the survivors have returned and peace has once again settled on the village of Lia Fail. Follow the changes that have transpired in Alia Stark, as well as her family and friends, in this omnibus of tales.
From The Gathering to The Bridging is a collection of short stories from the Lia Fail Chronicles covering the gap of almost two years from the end of The Gathering and taking the reader into the next novel, The Bridging. A Wish, A Touch, A Kiss, A Birthday (Bonus Story) and A Storm contain vital information in the continuation of The Lia Fail Chronicles. Meet the newest members of the Fail, explore new love, adventures and magic, as we travel From The Gathering to The Bridging.
The Journey has a new cover and new name - It was previously, From the Gathering to the Bridging.
After the battle at the Black Castle, the survivors have returned home and peace has once again settled on the village of Lia Fail, but the adventure is only just beginning.
The Journey, From The Gathering to The Bridging, Book 1.5 of the Lia Fail Chronicles is a collection of short covering the gap of almost two years from the end of The Gathering and taking the reader into the next novel, The Bridging. A Wish, A Touch, A Kiss, A Birthday and A Storm contain vital information in the continuation of The Lia Fail Chronicles.
A Wish ~ It has been just over a year since the Gathering was last hosted at Lia Fail and peace has once again returned to the little village, but the scars of the past are affecting everyone in the Stark family. It’s the Christmas/Yule season and Alia Stark is desperate to bring joy back into her house. So as she watches the stars flickering in the velvet night sky, she sees several shoot across the void and it’s then she makes… A Wish.
A Touch ~ It is February in Lia Fail. The chilly winter air is making ready for spring, and more changes are in store for the Stark family, when a wagon train from Old Idaho arrives. As a relationship dissolves, one is born, and another is rediscovered. The magic of the new world is making itself more prevalent in the form of the tiny pixies, while the untapped powers of those who have invoked the goddess are beginning to surface. Darkness once again walks the edge of the tiny village and it all begins with… A Touch.
A Kiss ~ Winter has given way to Spring in the hamlet of Lia Fail, and with the season comes rebirth and new love. We continue to learn more about the Fahey and Mercer families as well as how the magic of the New World is growing. In addition, Molly Creegan has always been a dedicated soldier, but now new feelings are awakening inside her. Her courage on the field of battle has never been in question, but is she brave enough to offer up her heart with… A Kiss.
A Birthday ~ The Stark family comes together to celebrate someone who has become very important and special to each one of them for different reasons. The joyous occasion brings hope and closure for many members of the family in… The Birthday.
A Storm ~ Summer in Lia Fail is normally hot and dry, but there is something amiss. When the grey clouds of a typical June gloom day grow darker and darker and the winds pick up speed, Alia and her people must figure out where the tempest is coming from and what it means. With the help of the unicorns, as well as the people of Lia Fail, will their strength and love be enough to protect them all from the power of… The Storm.
Excerpt
The cold December mist fell softly against Alia’s skin as she leaned on the frosty limestone of the balcony looking out over the darkened valley. The castle lay quiet in the early morning hours. The only sounds she heard were the wind in the trees, the occasional nocturnal call of the wild and the light snoring coming from the man in her bed. The Oak Moon was bright and nearly full, this year it would be a Christmas moon.
Paul and Alia had long ago merged the traditions of Christmas and Yule in one grand Stark holiday. Even those of different faiths reveled in the celebration. Lia Fail was covered in garland and lights, with Christmas trees in all the common areas. Anyone who wished could decorate the common trees. The eclectic ornaments, as well as the variety of tinsel and swag, reflected the dreams and wishes of everyone in the village. With each trimming that was hung, a prayer was sent to the gods in hope of being answered.
Yule had begun a few days before, so the tree was burning in the great fire pit, very slowly… it had been very green. Amongst the Christmas decorations were the offerings of Yule. From the walkways and parapets hung boughs of pine, holly and mistletoe and at several alters around the village were laid out the gifts of cakes, ale, cinnamon sticks, apples, oranges, lemons, pinecones, cider, nutmeg~ all lending to the wonder of the season.
Alia closed her eyes and inhaled the cold air deeply into her body. The twins had only been moved into the nursery a few days before and she was feeling separation anxiety. The soft noises that had lulled her to sleep over the last three months were now silent as the babies lay in the room next to hers. She still woke up every few hours to check on them, despite the fact they were sleeping through the night.
As she exhaled, she looked at the heavens. The clear winter sky was littered with stars, bright and shining like thousands of rhinestones on charcoal velvet. Her mouth curled upward as she gazed at the stunning portrait nature had painted. In her revelry, she noticed two celestial bodies flashing across the ether in tandem, as if they were glittering hummingbirds racing towards the coveted nectar of a flower. Memories of her childhood flooded her psyche; Thanksgiving with her brother, sisters and cousins at her grandmother’s home in Long Beach, her father and her uncle watching football as her mother and her aunts chatted in the kitchen, birthdays at Farrell’s Ice Cream parlor, and Christmas in the mountains. She remembered watching the stars with her siblings and her grandfather, and when they saw a shooting star, they made a wish. Make a wish.
As the stars trailed out of sight, Alia shut her eyes tightly and made a wish. Her lips moving silently as she held her breath, the act somehow implying the sheer concentration of will that it would come true. Her skin prickled as she exhaled and opened her eyes. The cosmic gems now gone from her sight, she felt tears begin to pool and just as she was about to give herself over to melancholy, she felt Sean’s arms wrap around her.
“None of that, Baby.”
She turned her head and allowed her forehead to rest against his cheek, his stubble scratching her skin as his warm breath cascaded against her face.
“I thought I was the one with the powers,” she said.
He chuckled softly.
“I think I know you better than I know myself, Al.”
“I think you do.”
“Miss those little noises, huh?” he asked.
“I do, but they need to be in their own room. It was time, but I think I’m sad… I think they’re the last ones I’ll have. I feel like I should be relieved, but I’m not. I feel like I’ve been pregnant for half of my life.”
“Al, you have been pregnant for half of your life.”
Alia laughed and turned to face her man, wrapping her arms around his waist as he cupped her face in his hands.
“I’m so glad we got to have Grace and Michael… I needed to have a child with you,” she said.
“Me too, but, Al, it doesn’t mean we can’t stop trying.”
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