Tease Me Thursday Week 13 - To Touch the Sky

Welcome to week 13 of Tease Me Thursday! When it's not quite Friday, and you're feeling like some fun from your favorite authors and authors you haven't met yet. Come on in, have a seat, and most of all... have fun! For this hop you post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. It can be from a WIP or something published.

For this week, I thought I’d do something my WIP To Touch the Sky. This is book 2 in the Leap of Faith series. Shadows in the Night is book 1.

On a star-filled night, the full moon shone brightly over the untamed land. Predators, nothing but shadows in the dark, moved through the forest hunting for unsuspecting prey. A symphony of sound echoed all around. Tree frogs sang, crickets chirped, and a raccoon prowled in search of something to fill his empty belly. A barred owl hooted, his call reverberating into the night. Bats silently dipped and spun, hunting for food on the warm air currents as danger lurked.

A wolf howled, his cry crossing the land, then fading. A mysterious shadow moved through the forest, tracking the docile prey not far beyond the safety of the trees. Out on the moon-draped landscape, the plains reached for miles. The buffalo stood silently as the night held the land tight in its grip.

In this wild land there was only one creature who walked upright, stalking the flat plains and rolling hills on two legs. The Great Spirit, called Wha-tay, had created Mother Earth. Then her children, The People, inhabited the land and settled at The Tree of Life—the soul of Mother Earth. Each child born to The People was bound with a spirit—could be a land spirit, a water spirit, a plant spirit, or an animal spirit. Once bound, they had the ability to use the gifts the spirit had. Children of Wha-tay lived in harmony with the creatures around them. The land provided what they needed to survive, and they gave thanks for the sacrifices made to support them.

“It’s too damn bright, Mapiya. Do something.”

“Would you give me a second, Chetan? It’s not like I can just pull a cloudy night out of my ass.”

Mapiya’s totem had the ability to control the weather. Mapiya cleared her thoughts, letting the words that would bring her powers fill her mind. Closing her eyes, she gave her body over to her totem spirit and called to the Spirits that ruled the air. Taking a deep breath, she began to chant.

A cool, gentle breeze wrapped around her body. The clear nighttime sky slowly filled with rolling clouds that blocked the moonbeams. The silvery light faded as the night darkened. Mapiya’s long hair whipped above her head as the breeze strengthened. Opening her eyes, she cast the land in shadows. Her eyes were a milky white and glowed with power.