Welcome Veronica to The Mystique!!!! I am currently reading your book and must say *sigh* am loving it so dearly!!!
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Priestess of the Nile
By Veronica Scott
Blurb:
Drawn to his abandoned temple
on the banks of the Nile by an enchanting song, Sobek the Crocodile God is even
more captivated by the sight of the singer herself. Appearing to her as a man,
he learns she is Merys, a descendant of his last priestess. Though filled with
lust, Sobek believes Merys deserves to be more than just his mistress. But the
rules that govern the Egyptian pantheon forbid anything beyond a physical
joining of a Great One and a human.
Merys is attracted to the
handsome stranger, who arouses passions in her that no man ever has. But with
no dowry and no hope of ever leaving her village, she dares not dream of the
future—or love.
Sobek takes every opportunity
to visit Merys, taxing his resolve to leave her pure. When he saves her life,
their mutual desire must be sated. But can a love between a human and an
immortal survive the ultimate test of the gods?
_____
Priestess of the Nile excerpt:
Chapter One
The old abandoned temple
remained one of his favorite spots along the Nile, overlooking the river from a
small bluff, with a deserted beach below. Bek stood gazing across the sparkling
water at bronze- and black-spotted crocodiles sunbathing in the final rays of
the setting sun. A breathtaking mix of colors stained the sky as the Goddess
Nuit spread her cloak across the heavens, sprinkling the black velvet with
stars.
A beautiful soprano voice rose
from the beach below the bluff. Bek recognized the words of a familiar old
song, given new meaning by the hypnotizing, alluring voice. I must see this
songbird. She’s cast some kind of spell over me.
He strolled along the path from
the ruins toward the beach. Taking the last turn on the trail, he walked out on
the sand and found the woman. She waded in the water, casting a small fishing
net and retrieving it, every once in a while picking out a wriggling silver
fish and throwing it into a waiting basket on the beach.
Her ample breasts flashed into
view when she leaned over. She had kilted her skirt to her thighs, revealing
shapely legs. Long ebony hair was caught behind her ears with combs in the
shape of seashells.
Wouldn’t I like to take those
combs out and see her hair tumble down—she’s as beautiful as her voice. He must
have made some sound. She stopped singing and wheeled, taking an involuntary
step deeper into the river at the sight of him, a stranger. Her face paled
under her tan and her eyes opened wide as she staggered, caught by an eddy of
the current.
“Don’t be frightened, please. I
mean you no harm.” He held his hands up, palms out, and smiled. “I heard your
singing and it drew me here. I only wanted to give my thanks for the concert.”
She laid one hand on her
graceful throat, toying with an amulet on a thong. “You startled me.” Poised to
bolt, the girl appeared wary, probably planning an attempt to run past him.
“I apologize.” He kicked off
his sandals and waded into the water at an angle from her. The net drifted
lazily in a whirlpool; he reached out and caught it, lifting the tangled
strands from the river.
“Oh, don’t! You’ll ruin your
fine kilt, sir.” She came to him hastily and took the net from his hands. “The
river runs muddy at this time of the year. Your servants will labor in vain to
get the stains out.”
He glanced at his waist. Oh
yes, I did choose to wear the pleated white kilt of a nobleman. He followed her
to the shore as she splashed through tiny waves with her net. “Fortunately, I
have no servants to worry with such things.”
While putting his sandals on,
Bek frowned at the Nile crocodiles lying deceptively immobile on the opposite
bank, then glanced at her. “You take great risks, walking into the river with
those beasts nearby.”
One of the animals twitched.
Bek glared at it. The creature met his eyes for a second, then settled onto the
sand.
“Oh, I’m not afraid. I’m
protected.” She was busy folding the net and packing it into a compartment in
the lid of her fish creel. She didn’t even spare a moment to consider the
predators across the water.
He coughed to cover his instinctive
laugh. “Protected? And exactly how are you warded against attack?”
She stood briskly, raised her
chin and tugged an amulet free of her dress to show him. It was a small green
stone crocodile hanging on a frayed black leather thong. “My great-grandmother
was the last priestess of the temple on the bluff above.”
He indicated the amulet. “May I
see it?”
The girl unlooped the cord from
her neck and handed the necklace over. “Great-Grandmother told me the amulet
was blessed by the Crocodile God himself and would protect me from his
creatures.” Bek chuckled, holding the tiny figurine in his large meaty hand.
“Mighty protection indeed.” He momentarily closed the pendant in his fist, then
tossed it to her with a slight bow.
“Nonetheless, you shouldn’t
take such chances. Crocodiles are crafty and fierce.”
When she refastened the amulet
the stone pendant fell between her shapely breasts. She unkilted her skirts and
the simple dress fell to her ankles. As she bent to lift her basket of fish Bek
put his hand atop hers on the handle. She gave him a wide-eyed glance but
stepped aside to let him lift her burden.
“Thank you, sir. I’m going to
sit in the shade and eat my dinner now.” She pointed at the nearby grove of
palms. “Would you care to join me?”
“I’m not hungry, but I’ll sit
if you don’t object. An hour of good conversation is a pleasant way to end the
day.”
She peeked sideways at him
while she walked. Eventually she smiled shyly. “I’m grateful for the company.
My name is Merys.” She stood nearly as tall as him, unusual in a woman, but he
found it distinctly attractive. Her face was lovely, oval and browned by the
sun, which set off her sparkling black eyes. She was all lush curves and smooth
skin—his cock stirred with lust but he restrained his arousal.
She seems to be an innocent maiden,
of good family by her educated speech, not a woman to be lightly trifled with
for an afternoon. He realized he was standing rooted to one spot, lost in
admiration of her beauty. Shaking his head, he started walking again. “Call me
Bek.”
“A propitious name for this
place, if your naming was in tribute to the Crocodile God.” Merys slanted a
look at him sideways and chuckled. “Are you a merchant? Is your ship anchored
somewhere nearby?” Not waiting for an answer, she sank bonelessly under the
tallest palm. Lifting a shawl that lay draped there across some wicker hampers,
she pulled out a hard roll filled with dried meat.
Bek set the stinking fish creel
on the sand well away from where he planned to sit, but safely in the shade. He
lowered himself into a cross-legged position and leaned against the tree, hands
clasped behind his neck. “I travel along the Nile quite often, yes.”
She blinked and raised her
eyebrows. He hadn’t precisely answered either of her questions but she didn’t
press the matter. “Did you come to see the temple ruins?”
He nodded. The truth, as far as
it goes.
_______
About Veronica Scott:
Veronica Scott grew up in a
house with a library full of books as its heart, and when she ran out of things
to read, she started writing her own stories. Married young to her high school
sweetheart then widowed, Veronica has two grown daughters, one young grandson
and cats.
Veronica's life has taken many
twists and turns, but she always makes time to keep reading and writing.
Everything is good source material for the next novel or the one after that
anyway, right? She's been through earthquakes, tornadoes and near death
experiences, although nothing is as stressful as meeting a book deadline.
Always more stories to tell, new adventures to experience--Veronica's personal
motto is, "Never boring."
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2 comments:
Thank you so much for having me as a guest! My pleasure, glad you're enjoying the book...
It is my pleasure having you here. Would love for you to come back. I absolutely love Egyptian tales. Now if I can WRITE one would be great. :)
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