This excerpt of The Last Warrior is unedited and may differ from the final version, which releases on March 16, 2007 from Ellora’s Cave
An Excerpt From: The Last Warrior
Copyright © LA. DAY, 2007
Candy-kissed nail polish enhanced the toe nudging the almost naked man lying on her floor. Groaning, he rolled onto his back. Her dreams had not done justice to this face. Deathly pallor couldn’t detract from a face so rawly masculine. Long, sooty lashes bathed high, prominent cheekbones in shadows. A proud, slightly long, hawkish nose softened by sensual lips currently grimaced in pain. No, her dreams had not done justice to this man. Neither had they revealed the fact that he was of Native American descent and had a large, bleeding wound on his side. Tara Montgomery gasped at the agony so deeply embedded in the dark eyes she glimpsed fleetingly.
Dropping to a knee at his side, Tara brushed the long, black hair from his face before laying the back of her hand to his forehead. His flesh was feverishly hot and pale beneath her fingers. “What happened to you? You’ve obviously lost a lot of blood,” she muttered to herself. Lunging to her feet, she dashed to the bathroom to run cold water on a rag. Tara returned quickly to his side, she hadn't brought him here to allow him to die. Fever bright eyes fluttered once again and he muttered incoherently when the cold rag touched his skin. One hand reached up and grazed her arm, his eyes narrowed. With a strangled moan, his arm dropped and his head lulled to the side.
Her trembling fingers covered her lips. “What should I do now?” Examining his injury, she found it was red, irritated, coated with dried blood but the center still oozed fresh blood. Taking him to a hospital seemed a likely solution but therein lay a host of problems. She didn’t know his name, where he was from or any other pertinent personal info. Okay, the hospital was out, for now anyway.
“There’s no time to waste.” She wasn’t a woman that depended on anyone else. She could handle this. A healing spell seemed her best hope. Running quickly to her supply chest, she withdrew five anointed, virgin candles, a bloodstone and her healing incense. The incense she made herself with allspice, bittersweet, cowslip, elder and a few other ingredients.
Tara positioned the red candles on the floor in the form of a five-pointed star then used the incense to cast a circle around the candle pentagram. She lit the candles in a clockwise pattern, and then sat herself within the ring. Crossing her legs, she threw her head back as she focused on centering her energies. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes, silently saying a cleansing chant. The combination revelation and binding spells she had cast to transport him had weakened her powers. Grasping the pentagram medallion suspended from a chain around her neck for a moment, she took a calming breath, “Grandmother lend me your strength.” Then, began her chant.
“Ancient God, and Great Goddess,
I ask that this, my spell, you bless,
I seek to heal this man you see before me,
I ask your powers to heal the flesh,
to mend the soul.
In this spell, I place my trust,
when it is cast, he will be well.
With harm to none, and love to thee,
As I Will so it shall be!”
For more info: http://www.la-day.com
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