Welcome to the Blog Tour for Solis by Kat Ross thanks to Xpresso Book Tours! I absolutely adore Kat Ross and her books and am stoked to be able to join Nazafareen and Darius again in this second series featuring them.
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In the second volume of
the Fourth Talisman series, Nazafareen’s path takes a twist, setting her
on a journey into the heart of the maelstrom…
It’s been a
thousand years since the Avas Vatras tried to burn the world to ashes. A
thousand years since they were imprisoned in the brutal wasteland
called the Kiln. But revenge is a dish best served cold—even,
apparently, by the children of fire.
In Delphi, Nazafareen joins
forces with the followers of Dionysius to rescue her friends from the
Oracle’s dungeons and seek out the three talismans whose extraordinary
powers stopped the Vatras before. With her own breaking magic growing
stronger by the day, she must walk a razor’s edge to control her
volatile temper. And if the Vatras find the talismans first, their last
hope will die.
In the frozen wastes of the Valkirin range, Victor
strikes an uneasy bargain with bitter enemies to keep his tenuous grip
on the Maiden Keep. The other holdfasts are coming for him. But it’s a
traitor within Val Moraine’s walls that may prove to be his downfall.
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From Solis....
Thena pulled a clean woolen shift over her head and gazed down at the
rooftops below. The city of Delphi was a hodgepodge of mansions and
hovels, teeming markets and grand edifices such as the Akademia, the
Great Library and the Philosophers’ Guild, with the Temple of Apollo
perched atop the Acropolis like a crowning jewel. She always felt
important looking down from this high vantage point, like a queen
surveying her domain.
Foolish creature, she chided herself. You
may have come a long way for a farmer’s daughter, but you’re still a
humble initiate. Don’t tempt the gods with pride and vanity.
Thena
burned a handful of bay laurel leaves and silently asked for Apollo’s
blessing in the day’s endeavors. She hoped the fugitive girl had been
caught. The Pythia was in quite a temper about it. But finding her was
the Polemarch’s task. Thena had a different one.
The Oracle favors me above the others because I am steadfast in my devotion. May the light of truth shine upon us all.
Thena
left her rooms and climbed the worn stone stairs to one of the formerly
empty chambers. She drew a deep breath and opened the door.
“Good morning,” she said brightly. “I trust you had a good rest.”
Its
new occupant stared at her. Iron manacles pinned his arms above his
head. She sensed stiffness in his shoulders but nothing else. Not a
shred of emotion. Thena felt confident this would soon change. Apollo
had arranged for this witch to cross her path. He was a gift from the
god.
“I know you’re Danai.” She smiled. “You have the look.”
The
witch looked no older than twenty, though that meant nothing. The
Pythia said they aged much more slowly than mortals and lived for
hundreds of years. This one had short, wavy brown hair and blue eyes.
They regarded her coldly.
“As I told you yesterday, your new name
will be Andros.” She bustled over to the shutters, throwing them wide.
He winced as the sunlight hit his face. “And we shall get to know each
other very well in the coming weeks. Better than you’ve ever known
anyone in your life. But first you shall tell me your old name. I need
it for the records, you see.”
She studied him. He wasn’t as
handsome as the exotic Valkirin witches, with their silver hair and
golden skin, but he had a stern face some might find attractive. Thena
cared little about such things. She was betrothed to the sun god. He
even spoke to her directly sometimes, though she kept this secret. The
Oracle might think Thena was lying—or worse, challenging her authority as the voice of the god on earth.
“I’m waiting,” she prompted, showing her dimples. “Tell me your name and I’ll get you a nice cool drink of water.”
“What’s yours?” he asked hoarsely.
“Mistress.”
He laughed.
Thena
nodded serenely. She’d played this game before. They were still in the
opening moves. The very beginning. If he’d known what was in store for
him, he wouldn’t be so cavalier. But they never did. The witches all
thought they were hard until Thena taught them differently.
“Do
you know how many daēvas I’ve broken?” she asked calmly. “Five so far.
I’m the best at it. Everyone says so.” She fingered the thin gold
bracelets around her wrist.
“And yet you have doubts,” he said.
Her brow furrowed. “What?”
“I sense it in your heart.” The sun caught his eyes, turning them a blazing sapphire. “You’re scared.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she snapped.
“Is it? The bond cuts both ways, you know.”
“It’s not a bond, it’s a leash. And I’ve had enough of your impudence. First lesson: Mind your manners.”
She
gave him the sensation of fire on the soles of his feet. His eyes
widened, but that’s all. Absolutely nothing came through the bracelet.
She held it for a count of ten, then released the flow.
“What’s your old name, Andros?”
A long moment passed before he replied. When it came, his voice was tinged with mild curiosity.
“Are
you afraid of the Oracle? That she’ll punish you if you fail? I suppose
I don’t blame you. Five’s not bad, but it sounds like you’re still new
at this. If I were you—”
Thena stepped forward and wrapped a
leather strap around his mouth. She struggled for composure, only
speaking when she was certain she matched his calm.
Remember your rules.
“I’m sorry we’re getting off on such a bad foot,” she said. “Truly, I wish it were otherwise, mainly
for your sake. All I needed to know today was your name, but since
that’s apparently too much to ask, I’m forced to give you a proper
demonstration of what your collar can do.” She paused. Her pulse thudded
in her ears. “I want you to remember, you brought this about. This is
your doing.”
No fear from him. No anger. Not even quiet defiance.
Nothing.
Her mouth set.
“Someday,
we’ll be very good friends,” she said, reaching into the bracelet where
his spirit lived. “But for now…Well, I’m sorry, Andros.”
And she was. More than he would ever know.
Want more? Get your copy of Solis today!
Kat Ross worked as a journalist at the United Nations for ten years before happily falling back into what she likes best: making stuff up. She’s the author of the dystopian thriller Some Fine Day, the Fourth Element fantasy trilogy (The Midnight Sea, Blood of the Prophet, Queen of Chaos), and a new gaslamp mystery series that opens with The Daemoniac and continues with The Thirteenth Gate. She loves myths, monsters and doomsday scenarios. For more information about Kat’s books, come visit her at
katrossbooks.com
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