Belega by Dianne Hartsock

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Belega

by Dianne Hartsock

  

The Karthagans have regained their ancient powers of manipulating nature, but at the price of madness. In their lust for control, they've destroyed their island and most of their race. They come now to Belega, where one of them, Camron, seeks domination over the known world. The Mage has come from the northern continent of Sennia to bring peace but finding his strength no match for the coming struggle, he passes his abilities on to Natan, who only desires a simple life.

 Now only Natan has the ability to stop Camron, but the personal cost is more than he imagines. It is only with the combined strength of his friends, his Karthagan lover, Kavi, and his deep desire to bring lasting peace to the earth, that he finds the courage to overcome Camron and restore balance to the world.

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Now for an Excerpt!

 A sudden smile lit his face. He felt alive! Power tingled through him. He held Kavi’s pale face in his dark hands and searched his features. Flawless olive skin washed almost white with pain, lids closed tight on almond eyes, his dark hair was matted with sweat, grime, and streaks of blood.

 Gregor closed his eyes once again to look deeper. The bones of Kavi’s face were fine and thin, and he trailed fingers along the thickness of his temple. He bent his will and could feel the structure of the bone, its smoothness beneath his touch. He walked his fingers gently over Kavi’s scalp, feather-light on the swelling at the back of his head. Skin gave way to blood and swollen tissue. There, the tiniest of fractures in the bone. And beyond that…

 His mind screamed at a pressure that would burst his skull. No, not his skull, Kavi’s, the swollen matter pushing against the bone and out the tiny crack that had bruised it. Gregor concentrated on that small fissure and then he was inside, his thoughts touching Kavi’s mind, healing the tiny wounds.

 All at once, the pressure that stopped Kavi’s ears and pounded in his temples eased. Gregor withdrew, his spirit crashing back into his own body in a rush. He blinked several times but couldn’t focus. With a deep sigh, he toppled beside Kavi as his strength gave out.

 He floated, weightless, for a long while, but awoke sometime in the night. Taking a deep breath, he let it out slowly, felt the hard earth beneath his body and a warm blanket over him. The soft breathing of the others floated on the air. He felt weary to his very bones, his thoughts sluggish. He couldn’t remember when he’d last experienced such utter exhaustion.

 Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. Kavi lay sleeping on his back close by, and he knew he should check on him to make sure he was healing properly. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it, not yet. He turned on his back and looked in misery at the tree branches and moonlit sky overhead. He didn’t know why circumstances had brought him to Belega in the middle of a war. Why wasn’t he allowed to go home?

 He closed his eyes and tears slipped down cheeks grown hollow in the last few weeks. He’d already given so much of himself, and he could feel the suffering of those nearby who needed more of him.

 He wondered if his mother still lit a candle in the small front window at home for him. Had Elsa forgiven him? What of his children? His heart twisted at the thought of his beautiful ones. But he’d been unable to stay in Sennia, even for them. The people like him, the ones with power, were being hunted. But all he longed to do was return home.

 He took a deep breath and willed himself back into forgetful sleep, knowing the pain of the world would still be there when he awoke.

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About the Author:

 Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of m/m romance, paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.

 She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.

 Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

 

Blog: https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/

 FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock

 FaceBook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsockbooks/?show_switched_toast=1&show_switched_tooltip=0&show_podcast_settings=0

 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannehartsock/

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