Eternally Yours Contest AND Pryderi the Precious Pt 2

What could you spend an eternity doing? What is your passion? Your hunger? Your deepest desire? Each day beginning February 5 and running through February 14 one of the ten authors will complete the line, "My darling I could spend eternity…" on either their blog or website. Collect all ten answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with Eternally Yours in the subject line to win some hot, romantic books. There will be three lucky Valentine winners.

The prizes –1st prize--5 books

2nd prize--3 books

3rd prize--2 books
Entries must be in by February 16 at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.

Sandra Cox Silverhills
Mona Risk To Love a Hero
Brynn Paulin Tribute For the Goddess
Bronwyn Green Mystic Circle
Cindy Spencer Pape Stone and Earth
N.J. Walters Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
Elyssa Edwards Mating Stone
Amarinda Jones Shades of Gray
Kelly Kirch Time for Love

Anny Cook Honeysuckle

Pennim the Great, Dragon Warrior for the King raced across the sky skimming past the lush valleys and river deltas, passing over the tower mountains and wide plains until he reached the glittering Forbidden Sea. Pryderi gasped and clung tighter to Taranis when she realized the huge dragon was heading out to sea.

"Fear not, Precious One. Pennim will deliver us to our destination safely!" Taranis shouted over his shoulder.

Pryderi trembled with fear, but she forced the words from her throat. "All will be well!"

He barely caught the words as the wind streamed past them, whipping her long hair in a silken tangle. Taranis grinned as he shook his head in amazement. He could feel her trembling, yet he admired her courageous words. Perhaps there was more to this little Precious than met the eye. Usually a Precious was protected and cosseted, but the little one wore a battle harness--a sturdy, well-made battle harness that had seen hard use. And the King was not known for his altruistic rescue of the odd Precious here and there. Generally, King Bachat had little use for the gentle souls of the Precious community.

Suddenly, over Taranis' shoulder, Pryderi glimpsed the most astonishing sight. An enormous towering white castle floated on the green sea with high pointed battlements piercing the dark golden evening sky. Thousands of lights twinkled from numberless windows and all around the castle hundreds of dragons in every color of the rainbow floated through the air and rested on the sea.

"Where are we going?" Pryderi shouted in Taranis' ear.

"To see the King, of course. He charged me with your rescue." He could feel the weight of her soft body against his back as she clung to him with her legs wrapped close to his thighs. He reached down and gently patted her knee. "I will keep you safe," he assured her as Pennim smoothly glided down to land next to the Castle steps.

Taranis slid from Pennim's back and reached up to lift Pryderi down. She regarded his beautiful masculine contenance for a few moments before commenting gravely, "Or perhaps it is I who will keep you safe. It is best not to make promises you might not be able to keep."

"Ho, little sprite! Aren't you a spirited darling! How would you propose to keep me safe?" Taranis demanded with a chuckle. "You barely reach my shoulder!"

"Ahhh," she said with a thoughtful nod. "That would explain it."

"What? Explain what?"

With a swift deft twist of her hip and ankle, she tumbled him to the landing platform, rolled him to his chest and captured his arms in a painful locking hold. Leaning over so that her soft lips brushed his ear, she whispered, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."

Taranis, torn between laughter and righteous anger, chose humor. There was definitely more to the little Precious--much, much more than he had imagined. "What must I do to redeem myself?" he inquired with a cheerful grin.

"I would have a vow of service, Sir Knight."

He inhaled sharply. A vow of service was no light thing to engage in. He was already vowed to the King. Without the King's release, he was not free to offer his vow to Pryderi the Precious.

Then a deep voice pronounced the formal words of ritual. "I release you, Taranis the Bold, that you might offer a vow of service to Pryderi the Precious," the King said solemnly. "Will you vow?"

After a few long moments, Taranis nodded. "I will vow."

"Then release him, Pryderi, that he might say the words."

Immediately she released him and stepped to the King's side. Taranis rolled to his feet, regarded her with serious eyes and then knelt before her. In a voice made husky by emotion and passion, he said, "My darling I could spend eternity holding you to my heart, protecting you with my sword, loving you with all my soul."

To be continued...

Anny

Don't forget to stop by Amarinda's Place at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com to check out the latest in Aussieland. Then pop over to Kelly's Blog to see if she's recovered from the neverending chat at www.kkirch.blogspot.com Blessings on your day!