Conjuring Darkness
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Authors: Melanie James
Conjuring Darkness
Melanie James
Table of Contents
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“It was one of the cutest and hottest novellas I've ever read. It's rare to have such a great mix of cute and hot, but this author does it perfectly!” ~ Willow Star Serenity Reviews
“This is one of the best short stories I have read in a long time!” ~ HeadTripping Books
“This little love story is capable of getting your juices going and turning a dull afternoon into a page turning glorious day.” ~ Aubree Lane, Author of Sierra Mist & Early One Morning”
“Her stories are fantastic with incredible fall in love with characters!” ~ Kelly Cozzone, Author of Tropical Dreams
“Kuddos to Melanie James for throwing a good romance our way. I want more!” ~ Jennifer Theriot, Author, Out Of the Box Series
Melanie James Titles
Stand Alone Titles
A Valentine’s Surprise
A Deadly Obession
Literal Leigh Romance Diaries
Accidental Leigh
Serious Leigh
Hopeful Leigh
Haunting Leigh
Joyful Leigh
Éveiller
Ava & Will
Kara & Dave
Laura & Alan
Jamie & Brad
Ashley & Jeff
Valerie & Greg
Edition
License Notes
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is coincidental.
The book contains content that is not suitable for young readers 17 and under.
Copyright
Conjuring Darkness
2
nd
Edition
By Melanie James
Copyright © by Melanie James
Editing: Black Paw Publishing
Copy Editing: Black Paw Publishing
Cover Artist: Deadpixels, LLC
ISBN-13: 978-1499232509
ISBN-10: 1499232500
All rights reserved
Published in the United States of America
To my amazing readers, thank you so much for believing in me.
I’d like to thank my Monkeys for all of the help you have given me along the way! You all are amazing and thank you so much for all you do!
CLA – Ladies you all have given me so much. I am truly blessed to belong to such a wonderful community of amazing ladies and wonderful authors. #PTTP!!
This book is for my wonderful husband. Thank you for all the love and support you give to me every day! I am the luckiest woman in the world with you standing beside me.
Gilgamesh, why are you wandering? Life which you look for, you will never find. For when the Gods created man they let death be his share and life they withheld in their own hands. Gilgamesh, fill your belly. Day and night make merry. Let days be full of joy, dance and make music day and night. And wear fresh clothes. And wash your head and bathe. Look at the child that is holding your hand, and let your wife delight in your embrace. These things alone are the concern of men. The Epic of Gilgamesh, Akkadian Tablets 1900 BCE
Prologue to Conjuring Darkness
Akkadian Empire 2300 BCE (The territory of present day Kurdistan)
The sun rose high in the pale, blue sky over the flourishing rows of green that were carefully arranged to sip from the nourishing streams that ran through the valley of Belash, The Farmer. A father and his daughter waded through the tall stalks that waved with their hefty treasure. “Annah! Annah!” The high pitched voice yelled. Annah smiled at the sound of her mother’s voice. Her outstretched arms tapped against the tall grain as she ran to the house. Belash smiled as well. His youngest daughter was nearing her sixteenth year, and he thought about how much she reminded him of her mother, with the same black hair and contagious laughter.
Annah could see her mother standing in front of the small mud-brick house as she neared it, but her pace slowed to a stop. Belash caught up to her and quietly took the lead because his wife was not alone. Four men dressed in the uniform of the temple guards stood in front of the house. When Belash asked if there was a problem, the guards told him the purpose of their visit. “Annah has been picked to join the priestesses at the temple of Inana. She will be assisting in the preparations of the rituals and the offerings.” Belash nodded to the guards before turning his attention to Annah. “Daughter, the Gods have blessed you with a great opportunity.”
Annah’s smiling face had been replaced with one of shock. “No! Father! I don’t want to leave here. Remember, I will be marrying the shepherd boy in the next planting season. Please! Tell them!”
Belash was firm with his response. “No daughter, you cannot refuse.” The farmer’s tough bearded face softened as he put his arm on her shoulder and comforted her. “Besides, it is only for three harvests. Then you will return and marry the shepherd boy. In that time you will learn to make the sacred writings on the tablets. You will learn the incantations so the Gods and spirits will be at your assistance. And of course, you will bring a great honor to our house.”
“Yes, what your father says is true! There is no need to worry. You are only going as a servant to the priestesses, after all. Do not act like you are a sacrifice. They have assured me that we may visit with you on the temple days as well.”
Annah looked down at the ground and silently wiped away her tears. The men took her by the hand and led her away down the trail. Before they left the valley Annah turned back and looked at the little house so far away. She saw her parents one last time as they waved their farewell.
The seasons came and went, and as they did, the days the people gathered at the temple came and went as well. Each temple day brought a visit from Annah’s parents as well as the shepherd boy that Annah had come to love and dream about. Annah found out that her duties to the priestesses were more domestic than she had expected. Still there were many opportunities to learn, and a quick learner she was. Annah managed to learn much of the code they used when writing down magic spells and incantations. She also accidently came upon a secret about the head priestess that she was afraid could threaten the entire kingdom.
While preparing for one of the ceremonies Annah came across the head priestess reciting an incantation. It was an incantation that Annah had never expected to hear. The priestess was secretly dedicating her sacrificial offering not to Inana, but to a powerful and forbidden demon. She spied on all seven of the priestesses for months and found out much more. She planned to warn the shepherd boy on his next visit.
On the next gathering at the temple Annah quickly sought the boy out. It was easy for her to spot him in the gathering crowd. The year of his seventeenth harvest season had been good to him, and he towered above the others. She had noticed how his lanky frame had transformed. His shoulders had broadened and his arms were strong. When she ran to him she wanted to call his name, but it was forbidden for her to say the name of her betrothed until they married. It was believed that if she were to say his name out loud, a vengeful spirit may find the name on the Tablet of Destiny and remove it. She led the boy behind a large stone pillar at the front of the temple and pulled him close.
She looked at his long black hair hanging over his strong bronzed shoulders, and she longed for the days when she could do more than just gaze into his deep dark eyes. “I have to tell you something. The priestesses are not performing the rituals to Inana! They are witches! Witches that allow themselves to be possessed by forbidden ancient demons. In time they will have conjured all seven of the demons, and they will have brought them into their bodies. They will restore the demon’s old temple in the northern wilderness. If they succeed, they will become a powerful force that will destroy the empire and that will be the downfall for our Goddess of the Moon, Inana.”
The boy was shocked. “How can they be stopped? Shouldn’t we tell somebody?”
“The only ones that will be able to stop them are the priests from the city of Mari. I think the priestesses suspect I have been watching them. I am asking you to tell my father. He will go with you to the priests and the leaders. I must stay here or I will be hunted down.”
The boy opened his dark blue cloak and took a pendant that hung around his neck and placed it on Annah. “Here, this will protect you from the evil magic and from demons. I will go to your father. We will have these hags tied down in the desert and burned by the Sun God.”
Annah waited for many anxiety filled days until one afternoon, she found herself surrounded by seven priestesses completely covered in their hooded black cloaks. They bound her and dragged her from the temple. She saw them take a small piece of wool from a clay jar and when they placed it over her face, there was nothing but darkness. She opened her eyes and found herself in a different temple.
To her horror she saw, tied to the circle of giant stone columns, her beloved shepherd boy barely alive. On either side of him were the dead bodies of her parents. Using every ounce of energy she could muster, Annah screamed and called out a frenzied curse. The curse was filled with every bit of dark magic she had learned. She ripped the pendant from her neck and threw it down, into the dirt. Before the priestesses thrust their knives into her, she called on a forbidden demon of her own. She shouted for revenge and then as she faded into the darkness, she tasted a bitterness so strong that it seeped through her soul.
