Dance with the Enemy
Dance with the Enemy, is a full-length novel inspired by the short story of the same name.
Dance With The Enemy, is set in a long ago time when kings ruled and wise Masters controlled the strength of future generations. A simple injection – a serum containing a vial of blood and other unrevealed components – is used to mark the women, assuring desire in the man for whom she was chosen. Every year, a Dremis gathering of the maidens is held when the moon is just right. These young women, marked as children and who have now come of age, are sent to the Centrehead – the home territory of the King. When the King’s warriors are released into the midst of the maidens, they are forced to find the woman chosen for them through her scent (or rather his scent mixed with hers through the mingling of their blood), resulting in a half-mad frenzy that heightens already aroused animalistic needs in order to protect the strength of the royal bloodlines.
Elenya, a stunning young woman with honeyed-cinnamon hair and eyes the color of a perfect emerald, is also the answer to a prophecy that releases her family Drille from exile. Just past her eighteenth year, she finds herself among the Dremis maidens and quickly realizes something is amiss in the terrifying ordeal that is nothing like she’d imagined. There were warriors, and they were handsome, just as she’d dreamed, but they were not there to gingerly sweep her off her feet.
It only took a moment for her to realize what the warrior searching for her did not – that she was marked with the blood of her family’s centuries old enemy. Logic failed her as the leader of the King’s elite forces made his way toward her. She darted past the man with the night black hair, ignoring the pull of the marking as she raced outside … into his territory. She would make a run for the house of the Masters’ where she hoped to find the answer to her dilemma. There had to be a mistake. Surely fate would not force her to dance for a lifetime in the arms of her enemy. And if it did, would his blood flowing through her veins be enough to unite their hearts and fulfill the dreams of young love?
The cover for Dance with the Enemy has undergone a transformation, so those of you with a different cover ... you now have a limited edition cover!
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Genre: Alternate Historical Fantasy Romance
Available: Available in kindle format and in paperback via Amazon.com
Keywords: Kings, Warriors, Arranged Marriages, Shared Blood, Marking, Exile, Enemy, Family Feud, Castle
Available: Available in kindle format and in paperback via Amazon.com
Keywords: Kings, Warriors, Arranged Marriages, Shared Blood, Marking, Exile, Enemy, Family Feud, Castle
This book series takes a lot of facts from the Medieval time period, though they are set in a make believe land that doesn't exist. They also have an element of fantasy running through them with the blood marking, which we see in Dance With The Enemy and will see in a lot more detail in an upcoming novelette.
Excerpt from
Dance with the Enemy
Dance With The Enemy
By Linda Boulanger
©2013 Linda Boulanger
All rights reserved.
By Linda Boulanger
©2013 Linda Boulanger
All rights reserved.
From the Land of Riandus Series
Elenya stood with her hand covering the flesh exposed by the cut of her dress. She waited, her heart beating so strongly she was sure everyone around her could see it. With deep, steady breaths, she worked to slow her breathing for fear of hyperventilation. Shouldn’t she be excited for this moment, not fighting off waves of fear and nausea? Her whole life had been about this one moment when she would meet the man she’d belonged to since she was three, the man whose blood flowed through her veins.
With the arrival of the King’s warriors, her angst grew. She found herself nearing all-out panic when they were released into the midst of the maidens and the madness began. Those whose Marked had arrived were forced to find the woman chosen for them. Elenya watched. She’d been schooled to know her warrior would know her through her scent, or rather his scent mixed with hers through the mingling of their blood. Only the resulting frenzy that seemed to heighten already aroused animalistic needs terrified her, especially when she realized what the warrior searching for her did not – that she’d been marked with the blood of her family’s enemy.
As the leader of the King’s elite forces made his way toward her, she ignored the pull of the marking and darted away from him, making her way out into the night … into his territory. One thought rose above all others -- somehow she had to get to the Masters so they could right this wrong. There was no doubt in her mind a mistake had been made. Surely fate would not force her into a lifetime shared with her enemy.
Tears threatened for the first few steps into the wooded area that lay between her and the house of the Masters. With a mental shake, she pushed them away, knowing the acknowledgment of any weakness would hamper her success, and that was something she couldn’t afford.
Scanning the landscape before her, Elenya kept one ear tuned toward the sound of the body crashing through the shrubs and vines behind her. He was much too close for her to ease her pace, forcing her to move even faster. She did her best to ignore the tearing of her dress and the lashes to her flesh that stung worse with each successive contact. If she didn’t make it, none of this would matter though, she felt sure.
No, she refused to let herself think like that. She had to make it. She just had to.
As she broke through the clearing that separated her from the house of the Masters, Elenya urged herself to move faster. She knew the warrior was close, and would now be unheeded, just as she was. With his speed, if she didn’t continue to push herself, he’d be upon her before she could reach her destination. A surge of elation coursed through her when she saw a figure step out of the house. Unsure her voice would cooperate, knowing it must, she screamed, garnering the attention of other men within the field that she hadn’t realized were there. As they converged on her, Elenya propelled herself forward with a final burst of energy and threw herself at the feet of the only man who might help her. She looked up into his face, praying he would not let fate foist this faux pas upon her.
With a pull that she could not deny, Elenya glanced around from behind his legs where she’d scooted, and winced at the ferocity of the look on the warrior’s face. Even from several steps away, she could feel the anger burning inside him. Her heart plummeted, knowing there’d been no mistake. Was there any hope that, someday, the blood flowing through her veins might be enough to unite their hearts? She doubted it, even as the heart attempting to beat its way out of her chest was gripped with a yearning far beyond anything she’d ever felt in her life. Not discounting the fact that she was young and inexperienced, she still felt the flutters and knew what they were. Within her belly, a quivering bundle burst into a million fiery fingers that moved outward, making it even harder to keep from moving toward him.
Cursed marking, she thought as the Master lifted her to stand before him, forcing her to look at him, to answer his questions. Several moments passed, the conversation coming to a close and Elenya finding herself trudging along behind the warrior, her hands encircled by his firm grasp. It was then the tears began to fall, the haze of disbelief still engulfing her along with a grief that was surpassed only by the foreign urges awakening within her.
Stumbling for what had to be the fourth or fifth time, Elenya was swept up into the warrior’s arms, cradled against his chest, her ear nestled against his beating heart. A few more steps found her drifting into oblivion, a sweet sigh escaping her parched lips. For the first time since she’d arrived in the Centrehead, Elenya felt a sense of belonging. Too bad it couldn’t last, she thought as the comforting darkness engulfed her.
With the arrival of the King’s warriors, her angst grew. She found herself nearing all-out panic when they were released into the midst of the maidens and the madness began. Those whose Marked had arrived were forced to find the woman chosen for them. Elenya watched. She’d been schooled to know her warrior would know her through her scent, or rather his scent mixed with hers through the mingling of their blood. Only the resulting frenzy that seemed to heighten already aroused animalistic needs terrified her, especially when she realized what the warrior searching for her did not – that she’d been marked with the blood of her family’s enemy.
As the leader of the King’s elite forces made his way toward her, she ignored the pull of the marking and darted away from him, making her way out into the night … into his territory. One thought rose above all others -- somehow she had to get to the Masters so they could right this wrong. There was no doubt in her mind a mistake had been made. Surely fate would not force her into a lifetime shared with her enemy.
Tears threatened for the first few steps into the wooded area that lay between her and the house of the Masters. With a mental shake, she pushed them away, knowing the acknowledgment of any weakness would hamper her success, and that was something she couldn’t afford.
Scanning the landscape before her, Elenya kept one ear tuned toward the sound of the body crashing through the shrubs and vines behind her. He was much too close for her to ease her pace, forcing her to move even faster. She did her best to ignore the tearing of her dress and the lashes to her flesh that stung worse with each successive contact. If she didn’t make it, none of this would matter though, she felt sure.
No, she refused to let herself think like that. She had to make it. She just had to.
As she broke through the clearing that separated her from the house of the Masters, Elenya urged herself to move faster. She knew the warrior was close, and would now be unheeded, just as she was. With his speed, if she didn’t continue to push herself, he’d be upon her before she could reach her destination. A surge of elation coursed through her when she saw a figure step out of the house. Unsure her voice would cooperate, knowing it must, she screamed, garnering the attention of other men within the field that she hadn’t realized were there. As they converged on her, Elenya propelled herself forward with a final burst of energy and threw herself at the feet of the only man who might help her. She looked up into his face, praying he would not let fate foist this faux pas upon her.
With a pull that she could not deny, Elenya glanced around from behind his legs where she’d scooted, and winced at the ferocity of the look on the warrior’s face. Even from several steps away, she could feel the anger burning inside him. Her heart plummeted, knowing there’d been no mistake. Was there any hope that, someday, the blood flowing through her veins might be enough to unite their hearts? She doubted it, even as the heart attempting to beat its way out of her chest was gripped with a yearning far beyond anything she’d ever felt in her life. Not discounting the fact that she was young and inexperienced, she still felt the flutters and knew what they were. Within her belly, a quivering bundle burst into a million fiery fingers that moved outward, making it even harder to keep from moving toward him.
Cursed marking, she thought as the Master lifted her to stand before him, forcing her to look at him, to answer his questions. Several moments passed, the conversation coming to a close and Elenya finding herself trudging along behind the warrior, her hands encircled by his firm grasp. It was then the tears began to fall, the haze of disbelief still engulfing her along with a grief that was surpassed only by the foreign urges awakening within her.
Stumbling for what had to be the fourth or fifth time, Elenya was swept up into the warrior’s arms, cradled against his chest, her ear nestled against his beating heart. A few more steps found her drifting into oblivion, a sweet sigh escaping her parched lips. For the first time since she’d arrived in the Centrehead, Elenya felt a sense of belonging. Too bad it couldn’t last, she thought as the comforting darkness engulfed her.
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Available... Book 2 Beyond the Shadows and Still in progress... Book 3, Temptation's Whisper is about 2/3rd done. |
Questions or comments... use the form below or drop me an email at LindaBoulangerBooks@gmail.com
