Maiden of the Woods Pre-Release Excerpt:

Somethingelse in the wood caught her attention, and she marched deeper into the treeswith conviction. Then he saw it, and again he smiled despite himself.

Cherries. She must have a sweettooth.

Suddenly,every sound in the woods fell away. Kiera must have noticed it as well, becauseshe stopped collecting her fruit and turned her head around, looking for thesource of the noise, then started back toward the glen. Right toward Cormac. Heducked behind a tree.

That’swhy he didn’t see the Romans when they first came upon her. It wasn’t until heheard the depraved words of one of the soldiers that he crept around the treeand gripped his spear.

One ofthe red-throated soldiers had his hand on Kiera’s arm. Irrational fury unlikeanything he had ever experienced surged in Cormac’s chest.

Thundercracked at his back as he took aim and released his spear, then charged throughthe brush. The fallen man’s sword laid near Kiera’s feet. In a smooth movement,he reached low as he ran and swept the sword up as he slid in front of Kiera.Then he bounded onto his feet in a low crouch, shielding Kiera with his body.

Thethird Roman had drawn his sword and was charging on them, his face a grotesquemask of anger. He brought his sword in a hard arc over Cormac’s head, butCormac twisted around on his heels and swept his blade against the Roman’sleather armor. With Cormac’s lowered angle, the blade’s edge slipped under theleather and sliced through the Roman’s belly with ease. The Roman gurgled bloodfrom between his lips, dropped his sword, and moved his hands to his stomach asif to hold his innards inside. Then he crumpled to his side.

Cormacfocused his attention on the remaining soldier as he rose upright. Thundercracked again and rain began to fall, striking the leaves in a heavy patterthat steadily grew louder. Cormac wiped his dripping hair off his face andleapt over the fallen soldier to the first Roman who had finally managed tostand.

Even athis full height, the Roman wasn’t as tall as a Cormac. Though he held his swordbefore him with a measure of confidence, the man’s eyes betrayed him. Alone,without his other soldiers, facing a wild Caledonii barbarian, and the doubt inhis eyes showed. Cormac grinned, the rain plastering his hair against hischeeks, and inhaled his chest to appear larger. He would make this Roman regretcoming to the Caledonii land, regret threatening a Caledonii woman.

“Show mewhat ye have, Roman snake,” Cormac taunted as he whirled his sword in arcingcircles with ease.

TheRoman roared and swung his sword in a cross strike.

Typical, Cormac thought as hedodged the swing. These Romans were nothing if not predictable in their battlemovements.

Cormacwaited until the Roman’s swing moved past him, then brought his sword around soit swept across the Roman’s red-scarfed neck.

Stupid Romans. Didthey not realize their scarves targeted the most susceptible area of their bodiesnot covered in armor? Fools.

Thesoldier’s head flopped on his neck as Cormac spun around. As a final insult,Cormac kicked the man’s back, and he toppled forward in a pool of his own bloodthat the rain washed into the dirt.

ThenCormac raised his eyes to Kiera.

Pre-order your copy here today!

 

Find my newsletter and all my socials here: https://linktr.ee/mddalrympleauthorJoin my Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/mddalrymple