The Silver Tower, page 21
part #2 of Rise of the King Series
“She’s amazing, of course. She teaches me so much! One day maybe I’ll know half of what she does.” Beansprout leaned back with a sigh. And then she added, as offhand as Tom had been, “And how’s Woodsmoke?”
“Woodsmoke’s … you know, like Woodsmoke. All Zen, except when Arthur goes a bit control-ish.” He frowned. “Did you travel on your own?”
“No! Granddad and Fahey are here too. You’ve got a terrible memory, Tom.”
“Oh, yeah,” Tom said, as comprehension slowly dawned. “So they made it to Dragon’s Hollow, then?”
“And loved it! They loved Nimue too.” She smirked. “I think it’s because she just let them get on with things. Unlike Fahey’s sister …”
Tom looked puzzled. “Fahey’s sister? Who’s that?”
“Driselda. Apparently she’s been living with another sister for years, but they had an argument and she arrived just after you left with Woodsmoke, with her two daughters and three sons. I think. If I’m honest, I lost track,” she said, looking sheepish. “In the space of one week she succeeded in turning their routine upside down.” She giggled. “It sounds quite funny really.”
Tom laughed. “I bet they didn’t think so. So they’ve moved out?”
“Sort of. It coincided with their trip, but I think they’re going to see how much they like living here.”
Tom looked surprised. “Here? Jack and Fahey might move in?”
“Why, will they cramp your style, Tom?” Beansprout asked with silky sarcasm.
“No! Yes, maybe.” At least the castle had lots of room. As much as he loved his grandfather, he wasn’t sure he wanted to live with him all the time.
“Arthur wouldn’t mind, surely. He has to put up with you,” she said, grinning.
“Funny.” And then he had a thought. “I presume you didn’t encounter any dragons on the way?”
“No! Nimue has things well under control. You should come and visit – I’ll be heading straight back after the tournament.”
“Maybe, but I feel like I’ve only just got here.” He was enjoying living in the Other and didn’t want to go home, but every now and again he wondered what on earth he was doing, and now he just wanted to stay at Arthur’s for a while.
“Anyway, Tom, I’m starving and you stink, remember? Get in that bath or no-one will speak to you all night.”
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Author’s Note
I really enjoyed writing this book. I wanted to explore more characters from the Arthurian myths, and who could be more interesting than Merlin and Nimue! In the myths, Nimue and Vivian are sometimes interchangeable as one character with different names, or sometimes they are two separate characters. For the purposes of my re-interpretation, I decided to have them as two characters.
If you’d like to read more about the Arthurian characters, head to my website, thgreen.nz, where you can read a few posts about the tales.
Thanks again to my lovely supportive friends and family for the valuable feedback on the first drafts. Thanks also to Sue Copsey for her invaluable editing skills, to Fiona Jadye Media for the cover design, and to Missed Period Editing who edited the second version of this book.
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Note: This book was originally released called Twice Born in the Tom’s Arthurian Legacy series. I changed the names to better suit the genre, and changed the beginning of the book because I changed the end to Call of the King. If you’ve read the series before, I hope you like the changes. I feel the stories are better because of them.
About the Author
I write books about magic, mystery, myths and legends, and they're action packed!
My YA series, Rise of the King, is about a teen called Tom and his discovery that he is a descendant of King Arthur. It's a fun-filled clean read with a new twist on the Arthurian tales. You can have a look at them here.
My new series is adult urban fantasy and is called White Haven Witches. There’s magic, action, and a little bit of romance. You can read about them here.
I've got loads of ideas for future books in both series, including spin-offs, novellas and short-stories, so if you'd like to be kept up to date, subscribe to my newsletter. You'll get free short stories, free character sheets, and other fun stuff. Interested? Subscribe here.
I was born in England, in the Black Country, but moved to New Zealand 10 years ago. England's great, but I'm over the traffic! I now live near Wellington with my partner Jase and my cats Sacha and Leia. When I'm not busy writing I read lots, indulge in gardening and shopping, and I love yoga.
Confession time! I'm a Star Trek geek - old and new - and love urban fantasy and detective shows. Secret passion - Columbo! Favourite Star Trek film is the Wrath of Khan, the original! Other top films - Predator, the original, and Aliens.
In a previous life I've been a singer in a band, and used to do some acting with a theatre company. On occasions me and a few friends make short films, which begs the question, where are the book trailers? I'm thinking on it ...
For more on me, check out a couple of my blog posts. I'm an old grunge queen, so you can read about my love of that here. For more random news, read this.
Why magic and mystery? I've always loved the weird, the wonderful and the inexplicable. Favourite stories are those of magic and mystery, set on the edges of the known, particularly tales of folklore, faerie and legend - all the narratives that try to explain our reality.
The King Arthur stories are fascinating because they sit between reality and myth. They encompass real life concerns, but also cross boundaries with the world of faerie - or the Other as I call it. There are green knights, witches, wizards, and dragons, and that's what I find particularly fascinating. They're stories that have intrigued people for generations, and like many others I'm adding my own interpretation.
And I love witches and magic, hence my second series set in beautiful Cornwall. There are witches, missing grimoires, supernatural threats, and ghosts, and as the series progresses more weird stuff happens.
Have a poke around in my blog posts and you'll find all sorts of posts about my series and my characters, and quite a few book reviews.
If you'd like to follow me on social media, you'll find me here -
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, BookBub.
Other Books by TJ Green
White Haven Witches Series
Witches, secrets, myth and folklore, set on the Cornish coast!
Buried Magic #1
Love witchy fiction? Welcome to White Haven – where secrets are deadly.
Avery, a witch who lives on the Cornish coast, finds her past holds more secrets than she ever imagined in this spellbinding mystery.
For years witches have lived in quirky White Haven, all with an age-old connection to the town’s magical roots, but Avery has been reluctant to join a coven, preferring to work alone.
However, when she inherits a rune covered box and an intriguing letter, Avery learns that their history is darker than she realised. And when the handsome Alex Bonneville tells her he’s been having ominous premonitions, they know that trouble’s coming.
Magic Unbound #2
Avery and the other witches are now being hunted, and they know someone is betraying them.
The question is, who?
One thing is certain.
They have to find their missing grimoires before their attackers do, and they have to strike back.
If you love urban fantasy, filled with magic and a twist of romance, you'll love Magic Unbound.
Magic Unleashed #3
Old magic, new enemies. The danger never stops in White Haven.
Avery and the White Haven witches have finally found their grimoires and defeated the Favershams, but their troubles are only just beginning.
Something escaped from the spirit world when they battled beneath All Souls Church, and now it wants to stay, unleashing violence across Cornwall.
On top of that, the power they released when they reclaimed their magic is attracting powerful creatures from the deep, creatures that need men to survive.
All Hallows’ Magic #4
When Samhain arrives, worlds collide.
A Shifter family arrives in White Haven, one of them close to death. Avery offers them sanctuary, only to find their pursuers are close behind, intent on retribution. In an effort to help them, Avery and Alex are dragged into a fight they didn’t want but must see through.
As if that weren't enough trouble, strange signs begin to appear at Old Haven Church. Avery realises that an unknown witch has wicked plans for Samhain, and is determined to breach the veils between worlds.
Avery and her friends scramble to discover who the mysterious newcomer is, all while being attacked one by one.
Undying Magic #5
Winter grips White Haven, bringing death in its wake.
It’s close to the winter solstice when Newton reports that dead bodies have been found drained of their blood.
Then people start disappearing, and Genevieve calls a coven meeting. What they hear chills their blood.
This has happened before, and it’s going to get worse. The witches have to face their toughest challenge yet – vampires.
Crossroads Magic #6
When Myths become real, danger stalks White Haven.
The Crossroads Circus has a reputation for bringing myths to life, but it also seems that where the circus goes, death follows. When the circus sets up on the castle grounds, Newton asks Avery and the witches to investigate.
This proves trickier than they expected when an unexpected encounter finds Avery bound to a power she can’t control.
Strange magic is making the myths a little too real.
Crown of Magic #7
Passions run deep at Beltane - too deep.
With the Beltane Festival approaching, the preparations in White Haven are in full swing, but when emotions soar out of control, the witches suspect more than just high spirits.
As part of the celebrations, a local theatre group is rehearsing Tristan and Isolde, but it seems Beltane magic is affecting the cast, and all sorts of old myths are brought to the surface.
The May Queen brings desire, fertility, and the promise of renewal, but love can also be dark and dangerous.
White Haven Hunters
The fun-filled spin-off to the White Haven Witches series! Fey, Nephilim, and the hunt for the occult.
Spirit of the Fallen #1
Kill the ghost, save the host.
Shadow is an over-confident fey stranded in White Haven after the Wild Hunt is defeated on Samhain.
Gabe is a Nephilim, newly arrived from the spirit world along with six of his companions. He has a violent history that haunts him, and a father he wants answers from - if he ever finds him.
When they set up in business together with the Orphic Guild, they’re expecting adventure, intrigue and money.
But their first job is more complicated than they expected.
When they break fey magic that seals an old tomb, they find it contains more than they bargained for. Now they’re hunting for a rogue spirit, and he always seems one step ahead.
The fight leads them in a direction they never expected.
Gabe could leave his past behind, or he could delve into the darkest secrets of mankind. Shadow has no intention of being left out.
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T. J. Green, The Silver Tower
