Fifth Season--Teaser

I'm a little late posting today since I was too tired last night to decide on a topic, let alone write the post. I did manage to approve the physical proof of Fifth Season, so that should be appearing in online bookstores soon. I plan to send out the newsletter announcement once it appears. In the meantime, here's a teaser from the first chapter:


Pouncer yowled. For a heartbeat, Ysabel thought he was agreeing with Gwen, but he had enough intelligence to send the group a simple "yes." There was a deeper concern under his feral cry.

Pouncer, what is it?

He hesitated for several heartbeats before replying, Not know. Strange beasts.

Ysabel deepened her link with her cat so she could share his senses. Even that didn't tell her much. The disturbance was far south of here, right where Challen and Selath met at the Salt Waters. Although anilinks could sense Chaos Season anywhere it occurred in Challen, she was still surprised Pouncer's range extended so far. Perhaps the distance explained why the creatures felt so strange. There were at least two of them, but she couldn't identify what they were. They bore feathers, but they were too big to fly, especially with their stumpy wings. They ran quickly despite the darkness, as if night was their preferred time. If so, perhaps their large eyes helped them see. Moonlight glinted off of them in a way that made Ysabel shiver. Pouncer found the creatures again as they ran into the forest, then they vanished from his senses.

Ysabel broke her links with Pouncer and her sister Avatars. "By All Four Gods and Goddesses, what were those things?"

Gwen rubbed her temples as if the secondhand visions had given her a headache. "You're the animal expert, Ysabel. If you don't recognize them, we certainly won't."