Another new excerpt, in which reality becomes a memory, then returns as a dream…

From The Celtic Knot: Suit of Cups

…Ian said a silent prayer of thanksgiving then joining her in deep, restful sleep began to dream…

* * * *

He was nervous. No. Truth be told, he was scared witless. He was tall and well formed, he knew, in spite of having seen a mere sixteen winters. The priests assured him that the Goddess would not fault him for his lack of experience. She would see only that he came to Her pure in both body and spirit. The sarcen stones loomed tall and proud against the horizon, and when the sun sank low and the fires of Beltane began to appear on the distant hills, his agitation grew. The windswept plain echoed with the tattoo of the ritual drumming, and surrounded by the hooded priests, he waited near the stones for his Goddess to arrive.

Lily sighed in her sleep, snuggling closer against Ian and she too dreamed…

In spite of the herbs she had been given to help her relax, she was still apprehensive. The priestesses had told her when the God came to her, there would be fleeting pain but afterward great pleasure. She had prepared for this role since birth–had often dreamt what it would be like, and hoped the offering of her body would please Him.

When the drumming began, the priestesses led her into the ring of standing stones and to the altar stone in the core of the inner ring. They removed her linen robe and laid her back against the unyielding stone, each touching her with a parting blessing. The flat stone was cool and smooth beneath her skin. She lay naked beneath the sky, her body painted with symbols and markings so ancient, they harkened back to the time before time was. She heard a soft movement and closed her eyes to steady her racing heartbeat.

Ian moaned softly and pulled Lily tighter against him…

Shannon MacLeod – Paranormal Romance with a Celtic Twist!

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