I'm combining my celebration of publication #100 in the Lesbian Historic Motif Project and the upcoming publication of The Mystic Marriage with an e-book give-away! Details at this link. [*]
We're coming down to the wire. Next Tuesday I'll post the teaser from the final chapter and the Tuesday after that,
The Mystic Marriage will already be released! (If you're one of the lucky folk coming to this weekend's
Lone Star LesFic festival in Austin TX, there will be early copies available there.)
[*] Let me tell you a secret. Promotions like this are a way of gauging reader interest and engagement. If relatively few people show interest in a chance at getting something free, it can make an author very sad. Sad authors don't write as much as happy authors.
* * *
The accusations against Antuniet had a trail that led back to her housekeeper, Mefro Feldin. Feldin had disappeared from Rotenek, but Barbara's blood was up and a hunt was just the thing to feed her fury.
* * *
“But you didn’t take those pretty trinkets just to hang about your neck, did you?” Barbara said, giving just the slightest emphasis to the words
hang and
neck. “Someone else was very interested in those stones.” It was a fraction better than a stab in the dark but Barbara knew she must tread carefully not to give her ignorance away.
A shadow of guilt crossed Feldin’s eyes and Barbara probed again. “Someone came to you in secret asking questions.” Again the flinch. “You felt no special loyalty to Maisetra Chazillen. Why should you? She didn’t even pay your wages. And it was quite a come-down having to work for an alchemist. You were owed something extra for that, weren’t you?”
She probed step by step, watching Feldin’s reactions. “Just some samples of the work, they said. Isn’t that right? And you knew which ones wouldn’t be missed immediately.” She knew she was inching closer to the truth. “You might have guessed what plans they had for those stones, but it was nothing to do with you.”
Feldin nodded eagerly as if seeing a clear path out. “Who am I to question my betters? He said they’d be grateful. Important people, he said. They’d see I got what I was due.”
“But they aren’t here, and I am.” Barbara pulled the woman closer until their faces were mere inches apart. Feldin’s breath stank of garlic and fear. “Do you know who I am?”
“B…B…Baroness Saveze,” she stuttered as she turned pale.
“No,” Barbara said softly. “I’m Lumbeirt’s duelist. I’ve killed two men with my own hands and sent a third to the executioner’s sword. Those who hurt people under my protection have a habit of disappearing. I tracked you down and I can promise you, there is no place on earth that I cannot find you if I choose.”