Realm of the Goddess (24 page)
Read Realm of the Goddess Online
Authors: Sabina Khan
The king sat
on his throne. A servant stood at his side, ready for his next command. He trembled slightly for fear that the king’s wrath would rain down upon him as it had on countless other servants who had earned his displeasure.
“Master,” a voice came from the entrance to the hall. “I have brought him.” As the servant watched, two men came to stand in front of the king. The one who spoke was tall, bespectacled and wore a suit. The other man was gaunt, his face covered in bruises.
The king spoke. His voice was raspy and weak, yet the servant knew that it belied the king’s powers.
“Have you done as I asked?”
The gaunt man spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper.
“It is not easy, Master. She is becoming more powerful every day.”
The king was not pleased. Rage contorted his face.
“Have you forgotten what I have done for you, ingrate?” His shout echoed through the hall, making the servant tremble once again.
The gaunt man bowed his head.
“I have not forgotten, Master. But I have to be careful not to arouse suspicion. Otherwise it is all over.”
The king grunted. He appeared to be lost in his thoughts.
Finally he looked up.
“What is it you call yourself these days…Paul?”
The gaunt man nodded.
“Well Paul…, my patience is not endless. If you do not return soon with better news… I do not have to remind you of the consequences do I?”
“No Master.” The tall one grabbed the gaunt man by the elbow and took him away. As they passed the servant, he overheard them.
“You know I’ll be watching her. Tread carefully, Paul.” The gaunt man said nothing as he was led away.
The servant waited with trepidation. The last time the King had been displeased, he had incinerated two of his servants just by a flick of his fingers. Now he seemed to have forgotten that he was not alone. The servant held his breath, wondering if it might be his last and waited. Then the king stood up. He was not a large man and of late he had been weak. The servant watched in horror as the skin melted away from the king’s bones. Then the bones began to break and reform until an enormous creature stood where the king had been. It had the head of a bull and the torso of a man. An involuntary gasp escaped the servant’s mouth just as the transformation was finishing. The demon turned its piercing gaze upon him and the last thing the servant saw was fire shooting out of its eyes.
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Please visit
realmofthegoddess.wordpress.com
if you want to:
- Find out more about Callie, Shiv and the other Rakshakari
- Learn about the Hindu gods and goddesses
- Get the recipes for Callie’s favorite food.
You can also follow me on:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RealmGoddess
It takes a village to write a book. There
are many people I would like to thank: Ed Griffin, whose constant encouragement, patience and willingness to read those first awful chapters made me believe that someone other than my family would actually like to read this; my friends whose excitement and support kept me going even when I wanted to give up and last, but not least, the beta readers who gave me incredibly insightful feedback. But most of all I would like to thank my husband Ron, my most ardent supporter and maker of the best mango salsa. He stood by me through the tantrums and the triumphs and I am so grateful to have him in my corner.
About the Author
Sabina Khan is the author of Realm of the Goddess, the first in a series of YA Paranormal Fantasy books based on the gods and goddesses of India. She is an educational consultant and a karaoke enthusiast.
After living in Germany, Bangladesh, Macao, Illinois and Texas, she has finally settled down in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, with her husband and three daughters, one of whom is a fur baby.
She is passionate about the empowerment of girls and women, hoping to inspire them with the strong female characters in her novel.
Follow her on:
Twitter: @Sabina_Writer
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RealmGoddess
Find out more at
http://realmofthegoddess.wordpress.com/
