P. C. Cast - Goddess of Spring

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Excerpt from Goddess of Light

Praise for

Goddess of the Sea

"Suspense, fantasy, time travel, all topped off with a very healthy dollop of romance The good news is that this is just the beginning in the Goddess Summoning series."

Romance Reviews Today

"Captivatingpoignant, funny, erotic! Lovely characters, wonderful romance, constant action and a truly whimsical fantasy make Ms. Cast's novel hard to put down delightful. A great read."

The Best Reviews

"A fun combination of myth, girl power and sweet romance [with] a bit of suspense. A must-read a romance that celebrates the magic of being a woman."

Affaire de Coeur

"[An] adult fairy tale the audience will cherish."

Midwest Book Review

"Without doubt, one of the most innovative fantasy romances I've read. From beginning to end, the surprises in P. C. Cast's new page-turner never stopped. Its poignancy resonates with both whimsy and fantasy, leaving the reader with a childlike believability in the impossible. I loved it!"

Sharon Sala, bestselling author of Out of the Dark

"Vivid and colorful splendid blend of fantasy, history, intrigue and passion outstanding. Watch out for this author, she's sure to rise to the top of the romantic fantasy genre."

Rendezvous

continued

Goddess By Mistake

"A witty retelling of The Beauty and the Beast myth with a dash of Celtic lore and a twist of 'You go, girlfriend!'"

bibliora.com

"A mythic world of humor and verve."

Publishers Weekly

"A high-spirited fantasy romp, wickedly funny and filled with action. P. C. Cast turns traditional fantasy elements inside out for a story you won't soon forget. Highly recommended!"

K. D. Wentworth, author of Stars Over Stars and This Fair Land

"I hated for it to end."

Romance Under the Rainbow

"A funny, sexy heroine the story is well written, rich with secondary characters, and peppered with humorous dialogue. In the battle of good against evil, modern conveniences against ancient culture and a bit of Beauty and the Beast tossed in, readers will enjoy being transported into this fantasy world."

Romance Reviews Today

"If you like your fantasy novels tongue-in-cheek, you will enjoy Goddess By Mistake, the debut novel by an Oklahoma high school teacher with a vivid imagination and a wicked sense of humor."

The Romance Reader

"Sassy big points for originality, style, humor and sheer exuberance of storytelling a wild ride and a rollicking good time all around."

All About Romance

"A fun read."

Christopher Moore, author of Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

GODDESS OF SPRING

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation edition / August 2004

Copyright 2004 by P. C. Cast.

Excerpt of Goddess of Light copyright 2004 by P. C. Cast.

Cover art by Lisa Desimini/Matt Mahurin.

Cover design by Lesley Worrell.

Interior text design by Kristin del Rosario.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions. For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 0-425-19749-2

BERKLEY SENSATION

Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

BERKLEY SENSATION and the "B" design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

10 987654321

To the other three parts of the Core Four

Kim, Robin and Teresa. I cherish the blessing of our friendship.

I am thankful for the continued magic of my editor, Christine Zika, and for the brilliance of my agent, Meredith Bernstein. What a fabulous team we make!

I am profoundly grateful to my friend, Lola Palazzo, for her expertise. Thank you for helping me to create a dream bakery, and for educating me about baking in general. Lolayou would be doing Tulsa (and your friends) a great service if you opened another restaurant!

Thank you, Sean Georges, for your research help. Once again, we work very well together.

I appreciate Pamela Chew for taking the time to answer my questions about the Italian language. Any inaccuracies in translation are my own.

"Even amidst the lovely Dryads your daughter shines, my Lady," Eirene said. She wasn't looking at me as she spoke. Instead she was smiling at Persephone in a proud, motherly fashion, and she did not notice that my lips tightened into a thin line at her words.

"She is Spring personified and even the beauty of the nymphs cannot begin to compete with her splendor."

At the sound of my words, Eirene's sharp gaze immediately shifted to my face. My faithful nursemaid had known me too long not to recognize my tone.

"The child troubles you, Demeter?" she asked gently.

"How could she not!" I snapped.

Only Eirene's silence betrayed her hurt. I shifted my golden scepter from my right hand to my left, and leaned forward so that I could touch her arm in a wordless apology. As usual, she stood near my throne, always ready to serve me. But she was, of course, much more to me than a simple nursemaid or servant. She was my confidant and one of my most loyal advisors. As such she deserved to be treated with respect, and my harsh tone toward her was a sign of how distracted I had become.

Her distinctive gray eyes softened with understanding at my touch.

"Would you like wine, Great Goddess?" she asked.

"For us both." I did not smile; it was not my way. But she understood me and my moods so completely that often only a look or a word was needed between us.

I studied my daughter as Eirene called for wine. The little Nysaian meadow had been the perfect choice in which to spend the unseasonably warm afternoon. Persephone and her wood nymph companions complemented the beauty that surrounded us. Though the day was pleasant, the trees that ringed the meadow were already beginning to shed their summer clothes. I watched Persephone twirl gracefully under one ancient oak, making a game of trying to catch the brilliantly colored falling leaves. The nymphs aided the young goddess by dancing on the limbs to assure a steady waterfall of orange and scarlet and rust.

As usual, Eirene was correct. The woodland Dryads were ethereal and delicate. Each of them was a breathing masterpiece. It was easy to understand why mortals found them irresistible. But when compared to Persephone, their beauty turned mundane. In her presence they became common house slaves.