Take it away, Katherine :-)
*****
Head Shy is a short story and it’s the
third book in the Cydonian Tales series which started in December 2011 with
Black Carnival. It is however a prequel to my debut novel, and can be read
before the other books, as a little glimpse in the world of Cydonia.
Head Shy is the story of Lune and Laz’law,
the two Sand Riders who appear already in Black Carnival. In that book we don’t
see much of Laz’law, but he was always my favourite character from story; he
tickled my narrative curiosity as no other and I wanted to write a story about
him, and the way Lune came to love him. This story was written very quickly, at
least for my standard, because the characters really wrote themselves. It
was also a world of fun. My editor commented, when working on Black Carnival, that
Lune could come across as a bit chilly and distant. It was fun to write a story
where he is completely tongue tied with love!
I hope you enjoy this brief teaser, and if
you leave a comment and a contact, you might win a free pdf copy of the book!
Blurb:
On the desert planet Cydonia,
Lune, a naturalist and explorer, is assigned a new trainee. The young Rider is
supposed to follow him everywhere to learn the skills of his trade.
Lune would gladly be spared the trouble, especially when informed that the boy has been formerly apprenticed to a vicious and abusive Rider, and likely to be difficult and traumatized. But when Laz’law, a stunningly beautiful, fiercely touchy creature enters his life, Lune has no choice other than to employ his horse-whisperer’s patience to earn his trust and win his love.
Lune would gladly be spared the trouble, especially when informed that the boy has been formerly apprenticed to a vicious and abusive Rider, and likely to be difficult and traumatized. But when Laz’law, a stunningly beautiful, fiercely touchy creature enters his life, Lune has no choice other than to employ his horse-whisperer’s patience to earn his trust and win his love.
Excerpt:
When Lune entered the small locker room by the stable
yard he was a bit disappointed to hear the water running in one of the showers.
He was tired, dusty and sweaty, and he really just wanted to scrub himself
clean and then go home. The thought of meeting somebody and having to chat and
be social made him feel vaguely sick.
He wondered who had stayed at the yard so long. It was a
holiday, after all. He unbuttoned his shirt quickly and stuffed it into his
locker, hoping to hide in a different shower before whoever it was came out,
but it was too late. The water stopped, and the shower door opened. He turned
to look and nearly keeled over senseless when Laz’law, of all people, stepped
out of it. He had a towel around his middle and was dripping wet. He had a
dark, combative look in his eyes, but he relaxed somewhat when he saw Lune.
“Oh,” he said, “it’s you. I had no idea you were even
around today.”
Lune sat down on a bench and with some effort said, “Came
to trim some horses. For a friend. Thought you were off with your pals.”
“Oh, no,” said Laz’law, “I didn’t go after all. Too busy.
I studied, and then I came to play with the mare for a while. Trustworthy, see?
And by now I can tell you anything you could possibly want me to know
about every bleeding plant, beast, and bug that lives between here and Arnia.
You’ll have to take me with you. I’m your living encyclopedia. You’ll need me.”
He flipped the towel off his waist and began rubbing his
head with it.
“Mh-h,” said Lune, out of general considerations that
this wasn’t a good moment to trust his voice. He watched Laz’law in something
like a stupor while the young man rubbed the towel on his head, face, and
throat. He was lean and sculpted like a racing thoroughbred, with not an inch
of softness about him, and every muscle bow-string-taut under the shiny, wet,
dark skin. His chest bulged out exactly enough, strong without heaviness; his
stomach was as neatly and squarely lined as a chocolate bar, and his cock …
Laz’law took the towel off his head and looked at him.
“Come on, man, ask me any question! Test time!”
“Uh …” said Lune, looking down. Don’t look into his
eye, he thought. Never let a shy horse know you are after him. Never
cross his path. Approach sideways, make for the shoulder. Keep your head down.
Don’t look into his eye. Don’t look into his eyes. Don’t look into those damned
eyes, Lune.
He swallowed. “I don’t know. Tell me about snakes, to
begin with.” He bit his lower lip. Snakes? he thought. Can’t you be a
bit more obvious, you demented old sucker? He crossed his legs tightly to
keep his fast-growing hard-on from showing.
Laz’law launched into a fast-paced description of every
living species of snake known on Cydonia, specifying size, coloring, habitat
and distinguishing features. He did sound like a living encyclopedia. Lune
wondered when he had done all this reading, but then, like so many other
rebellious youngsters he had known, he was scarily keen when he put his mind to
it.
“And these are the snakes you can eat,” Laz’law
said proudly, before rattling out the whole bleeding list of them. Lune bent
down to lean his elbows on his knees and his forehead on his palms, aiming for
an overall look of weary but concentrated attention and peering at him
sideways, from under his thumb. It would keep the bulge in his pants out of
view, but he was going to die of it. He made a mental note to wear somewhat
softer trousers next time he was around Laz’law.
Oh lord, he thought, shifting painfully, so this is the day I
get a sprained cock, yes?
Laz’law stood there talking, exhibiting his nakedness now
with the total forgetfulness of the true sportsman. He had toweled his breast
dry, and his skin was like matte bronze. But some water still clung in the
hollow of his throat, and one drop began a shiny descent along his torso,
outlining every perfect bulge and groove of his chest and belly. He had two
twin silver-derm tattoos on his chest, paw-prints of sorts, as if a
particularly loving and artistic panther had dipped its feet in silver paint
and then laid them on his breast, side by side. Lune swallowed again. Another
drop of water ran down Laz’law’s body. He toweled the inside of his legs and
his narrow, perfect hips. He passed the towel under his balls, and round his
cock, which fell back and bounced around, inviting…
Links:
Head
Shy @Evernight:
Head
Shy on Amazon:
Katherine Wyvern on Facebook:
Katherine's Blog:
Katherine Wyvern @ Evernight:
Katherine Wyvern on Amazon:
.jpg)
.jpg)
