The Chosen Soul by Heather Killough-Walden Page A

to
    accept her differences.
    “I would ask the same of you, Marrianne. My sister and I have never consumed
    animal flesh. I’m not sure it would sit well in our stomachs.” Loki grinned at the plump
    woman, who blinked yet again.
    And then, as if realizing that her manners had momentarily slipped, Marrianne
    returned the smile and nodded. “Not a problem, honey. It will be out shortly.” She spun
    on her heal, her long curly red locks bouncing merrily behind her as she flounced her way
    to the back of the tavern and disappeared through a swinging door.
    Summer turned a baffled expression upon her two companions. “You have never
    eaten meat?”
    Raven shrugged. “Perhaps when we were too young to request otherwise. But for as
    long as I can remember, no. For some reason, I have never felt it… appropriate. And
    Loki, being the brother that he is,” she smiled at Loki, who quickly looked away, his
    cheeks reddening, “has always backed my decision. He didn’t want me to be alone in my
    choice, so he joined me. Our parents were very understanding.” At this, Raven’s
    expression changed, and she looked away from Summer to stare into the distance, her
    gaze far away.
    She was thinking of her parents, wondering whether she would ever see them again,
    when she gradually noticed that no one in the tavern was talking any longer.
    She glanced up. Everyone was looking at her.
    -

    76 -
    The Chosen Soul
    And then her brother nudged her gently. She glanced over at him. His expression was
    a complex mixture of wariness and trepidation. He locked eyes with her and then
    gestured, with a very subtle nod of his head, toward the tavern doors.
    She turned around to look.
    There in the entryway stood five tall men. Four were dressed in decorated leather
    armor, brilliantly embroidered insignias on their chests, swords at their hips, and bows
    strung across their backs. The fifth man stood slightly apart and ahead of the others. His
    strong physique was clothed in rich, royal garb, a midnight-blue cape draped from his
    broad shoulders. Long, shiny, silvery-blonde hair cascaded down his back, and he had the
    bluest eyes Raven had ever seen.
    Those same eyes met and held Raven’s gaze, and she was instantly overwhelmed by
    the sensation of falling, topsy-turvy, into an endless sky, a bottomless ocean, drowning in the charm of the most handsome man she had ever beheld. He watched her for a few
    moments more, the entire tavern echoing the silent tension between them. His face was a
    gorgeous but unreadable mask, his expression inscrutable, save for some hint of an alien
    emotion in the quiet depth of his impossibly blue eyes.
    And then the man slowly smiled, his perfect lips curving upwards in cruel invitation.
    Some kind of warning intuition began to resound deep within Raven. But she ignored
    it. She was too lost in that crystal blue gaze.
    He came forward, his strides long and purposeful. Raven’s heart leapt up into her
    throat and then proceeded to beat a thousand times per second. She stopped breathing.
    The tall man reached the table and stood before her, peering down at her with abject
    admiration.
    - 77 -

    Heather Killough-Walden
    “I was convinced that the thief had been exaggerating,” he began, and his voice was
    mesmerizing, deep and perfect. “Clearly, I was wrong. If anything, his acclamation of
    your great beauty was an understatement.”
    Raven simply stared up at him. He spoke to her as if she were the only one in the
    room. His words, his tone, his eyes were for her alone. Her mouth opened, as she
    struggled to say something, but when she could think of nothing to say, she closed it
    again and blinked. Then, with great effort, she pulled her gaze away from his and glanced
    over at her brother.
    When she did so, the room broke into very soft chatter. Loki’s worried expression
    did not help to ease Raven’s nerves. She looked over at Summer, who was staring at her
    in wide-eyed astonishment. Raven’s brow