The Wizard's Ward
Chapter One
Her time has come.
Maura Woodbury only glimpsed those words before she'd been summoned to tend an injured child.
Whose time? Time for what? Those questions plagued her every step of the way into Windleford, a small village in
northern Umbria. Unless she had misread the message or the haunted look in Langbard's eyes, she feared she would not
like the answers.
Now, as she examined the little boy's hand, she struggled to keep her mind on her task.
"I have something here that should make it feel better." She pitched her voice loud enough to carry over the boy's
exhausted sobs, yet soft enough to soothe and reassure him.
Lifting a small earthenware crock from her basket, she pried off the lid, scooped out a generous dollop of green salve,
then smeared it on the child's blistered skin. The wholesome tang of freshly bruised merthorn and marshwort infused the
air, making Maura's nose tingle.
The boy's mother hovered close watching every move, all the while wringing her hands and looking anxious. Was it on
account of her son's injury, Maura wondered, or because she had the ... read full excerpt from: The Wizard's Ward ebook
