A Book Excerpt to Celebrate Two Weeks Until Launch!
That’s right! We’re only two weeks away from the launch of The Prophecy of the Codex, book 2 in the Codex series.
So to celebrate, I thought I’d give you a really fun excerpt. It’s a bit lengthy, but it’s about Holun (who you met in book 1, The Secret of the Codex) and Yatzil (who we meet in book 2). And it’s SO FUN. I love these two so much.
Enjoy!
Holun turned to Yatzil not long after Shani left. “Are you okay?”
Yatzil struggled a bit against the ropes around her wrists then sighed. “Yes, I am okay.”
Holun frowned, his heart breaking. “I am so sorry, Yatzil. I am sorry I got you into this.”
“Holun, stop.” She turned to him awkwardly, her hands still tied in her lap. “Do not listen to Shani. This is not your fault. I chose to come here. To save you.” She made a face, and Holun laughed.
She laughed with him, and Holun thought even the sound of her strained laugh was still the best sound on earth.
“So now what do we do?” Holun glanced at the cave’s only exit and sighed.
“Well, at least we are together.” Yatzil grinned over at him.
Holun grinned back. “Very true.”
“And she left the lantern and the food.”
Holun glanced over at the light sitting several feet away, the food beside it. “Thankfully.”
Then she paused, and Holun wondered why. “Um, Holun?”
“Yes?”
She took a deep breath. “Can I ask you something?”
Holun’s mind was reeling. “Of course.”
“Was what Shani said true?”
Holun drew in a quick breath. He suspected he knew what she was referring to but decided to play dumb. “Which part?”
Yatzil shot him a sideways glance. “I think you know.”
He was discovering he could never get anything past her. He nodded slowly. “Yes.”
“All of it?”
She was relentless, wasn’t she? It was one of the things he loved about her, just not so much when it was directed at him. “Yes, Yatzil, Shani was right. I . . . feel something for you.”
Holun heard her inhale sharply, and he suddenly felt his stomach drop. Had he read her incorrectly? Did she not feel the same way?
Then she spoke, but it wasn’t at all what he expected to hear. “Okay.”
“Okay?” He couldn’t help himself.
Yatzil nodded, adjusting her position in the sand. “Yes. What else should I say?”
Holun turned his body fully toward her, ignoring the slicing pain in his back as he twisted. “What else should you say? How about telling me how you feel? I just laid my heart out there, bared my soul, and you—”
Suddenly, Yatzil’s lips pressed into his, and his breath left his body, effectively cutting off his words. In an instant, everything he’d felt for her over the past week flew to the surface, and the rush of feelings made his head swim. He kissed her back as gently as he could figure out how to do—he’d never kissed someone before—and he hoped he was doing it right.
Though he sensed she’d never kissed someone before, either, they both seemed to instinctively know what to do. His lips softly brushed hers before she pressed tighter to his mouth, deepening the kiss. He let his body lead as he savored the feel of her soft lips massaging his.
He couldn’t think of what he’d ever done to deserve this amazing woman. He couldn’t have deserved her if he’d lived a thousand lifetimes. At the first touch of her lips, he was lost. Gone. Yatzil had him forever.
Finally, she pulled away. “Does that answer your questions?”
Holun was just staring at her, his eyes wide. He couldn’t seem to manage anything else.
Yatzil laughed, a twinkling symphony of wind chimes and butterflies, at least that’s the closest thing Holun could think of to compare it to. And in that moment, Holun didn’t care what happened to him as long as Yatzil was safe, as long as she cared about him. He would take a thousand more cuts and bruises for her, if that’s what it took to keep her safe. Her kiss made him feel like he could conquer the world.
I’d love to know what you think! Are you excited to see where these two go? Let me know in the comments! 👇🏻
<3 Melissa
P.S. Don’t forget — you can preorder the ebook for The Prophecy of the Codex here!
P.P.S. Want more Prophecy? Check out more blog posts below!
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