What is To Wield the Wind?

Here’s a teaser for the fantasy novella >

On a mission for the Wizard Enclave, Orielle ventures into the dangerous Wilding, a strange frontier filled with magical creatures. There she encounters sprites and wraiths, gobbers and wyre.

All view her as prey.

Get the story here.

Here are some touches from the novella:

The Wyre

• After peering around, Orielle lifted a hand. Golden magic limned her fingers, both warning and threat. “Come out and play.”
• He stood on his toes. Yellow claws extended from his fingers. Wyre. Partially shifted. Real trouble, for wizardry had little defense against a fully shifted wyre.
• The two wyre jumped. Even fearing them, Orielle admired their grace. They splashed into the water, knees bending to land lightly.
• Two gobbers tumbled to a stop as the tall figure straightened. He wore hide breeches but no shirt. Golden hair straggled over his bare shoulders. A golden pelt covered his broad chest. Long claws revealed his partial shift. Wyre.

Gobbers, Wraiths and other Terrors

• Shifting fog caught her eyes. She gasped as the fog lifted from the ground. Misty tendrils rose, a cloudy mass that shaped into a head and thin shoulders, a torso with separating arms, wisps of hands and elongated fingers. Wraith.
• The silvery glow left the gobber’s round eyes. It yowled. Stubby claws jerked at her skirt. The shifting weight destroyed her balance. Orielle stumbled to her knees.
• She tugged hard. The icy-fanged wind ripped at her exposed skin. Gritting her teeth, Orielle hauled back with her whole weight. “Let him go!” she flung at the fanged wind.

Dark Fae known as the Kyrgy

• Bone-white horses threaded through the trees. Snow-white riders wore cloaks of ice blue and storm purple. In their frozen marble faces, black eyes spoke for them. ‘Who? From where? From when? Why?’
• “Kyrgy deal in bargains, my offer matched to yours. Remember that. You have much to learn of the Wilding,” Lady Bone warned. “I hope you survive to complete our bargain.”

• The rider swung her sword again, cleaving downward. Volk’s blow shattered Saircuista’s sword.

Her only Ally ~

• The Rhoghieri had more weapons than the sword he hadn’t used. Knives, including a long belt knife as thin as a poniard. He looked like a man heading for trouble, not just happening upon it.
• “That’s three questions,” Grim protested. “You could let me answer one question, Orielle, before you jump to the next.”