Welcome back for another #WeWriWar snippet from Curse of the Healer, available now for pre-order.
This story takes place in Éire, 1095. With a hierarchical system as sophisticated as any you'll find in Game of Thrones, here's a quick run through. The rí is king over the túath. The túath encompasses both the land and the people from a single territory. This king is called the rí túaithe, plural ríg túaithe. Next would be the overking, or rí túath, who had several túath. Followed by a king over a huge territory, the rí rúireach. And lastly the high king, or árd rí. Aka Brian Boru.
“Rub yer face clean, too.”
Several clans had arranged to meet in the nearby village. It was a beehive of activity as the visiting ríg túaithe continued to arrive. It was Sean, Aednat’s own overking and cousin, who had proposed this meeting of the northern and western clans and the only reason they’d traveled so far from home. The great Diarmuid’s agreement to attend the meeting had increased the likelihood of all attending. The warrior had been making quite a name for himself, enough so to even find his way into the children’s tales. He was due to join them any day now.
Such a gathering offered many opportunities for an unwatched, curious lad to get into trouble. That was the reason she’d brought Lorccán out here with her, supposedly to collect herbs, rather than leaving him underfoot in the village. He was a good boy but always getting himself into scrapes.
After the death of Brian Boru in 1014, a legend arose of a healer so great she could raise a man from the dead, with a power so strong it could make any warrior the next high king of Éire...and to steal it away from her, he need only possess her.
Fated to be a healer…
Aednat has spent her entire life training to be the great healer, knowing she must remain alone. When she meets Diarmuid, the intense attraction she feels toward him shakes her resolve to believe in such a legend. If she gives in to the passion he ignites in her, can she settle for being less?
Destined to be his…
Diarmuid of Clonascra is renowned for his bravery in battle. Only one thing daunts him: the prospect of taking a wife. The safest course would be to keep his distance from Aednat, the bold, headstrong healer who's far too tempting for his peace of mind. But his overking orders him to protect her from a group of craven warriors intent on kidnapping her to steal her power.
What starts as duty for Diarmuid quickly transforms into something more. Aednat's power might be at risk, but so is his closed-off heart.
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