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Title: LOOKING FOR DEI
Author: David A. Willson
Pub. Date: March 22, 2018
Publisher: Seeker Press
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 346
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Fifteen-year-old Nara Dall
has never liked secrets. Yet it seems that her life has been filled with them,
from the ugly scar on her back to the strange powers she possesses. Her
mysterious father refuses to say anything about her origins, and soon, she and
her best friend must attend the announcement ceremony, in which youths are
tested for a magical gift.
A gifted youth has not been announced in the poor village of Dimmitt for
decades. When Nara uncovers the reason, she uses her own powers to make things
right. The decision sets her on a path of danger, discovery, and a search for
the divine. In the process, she learns the truth about herself and uncovers the
biggest secret of all: the power of broken people.
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Veniti Monastery
West of Fairmont
642 P.B.
Bylo had been sleeping in his cot
when Phelan woke him with excited chattering.
"They have it wrong,"
Phelan said. "They misunderstand!" His unkempt white hair, deeply
wrinkled skin, and body odor gave witness to both his age and recent lack of
hygiene.
"I was trying to sleep,"
Bylo said as he struggled to rise. "What are you talking about?" he
asked, eager for the reason he had been so rudely awakened.
"The runes have meaning, Bylo.
Phyili. The twins." Phelan spoke quickly, his eyes sparkling with
enthusiasm. "There is no longer any doubt."
Bylo scratched his own head,
further mussing his tousled, greying hair. The sounds of boots in the hallway
outside the room announced another patrol of soldiers. The queen's men had
swarmed the monastery in recent days, with no explanation given by the abbot.
"Say something!" Phelan
pleaded.
Bylo took a moment to focus on the
frantic words, rubbing his eyes. "Hold on a minute," he said,
climbing out of his cot. "The twins have power?"
"The twins aren't the twin
peaks; they are actual human twins! Phyili is used in several places, and in
the scriptures of First Light, it refers to the gods Dei and Kai as
brothers."
Bylo nodded, following along.
"As you know, the runes in the
margin modify the meaning of the nouns in the scripture text. In most of the
scriptures, when we see the word phyili, we see the god rune in the margin,
making it clear that the writer refers to the twin gods. But in Cataclysmos,
where we read of the separation, we see another rune in the margin. It is not
the god rune but instead the human one!"
"Phelan, the human rune in
Cataclysmos is off. Higher in the margin. One would more likely associate it
with a phrase above," Bylo said.
"That's what we always
thought," Phelan said. "But if so, why no god rune near this passage,
or even on this page, like all the others? If referring to a mountain, as many
scholars guess, why no earth rune? Phyili is always accompanied by a god rune,
but it is not here!"
"How do you account for
it?"
"An error," said Phelan.
"You should know. As a scribe, you've been trained to illustrate, like an
artist. Embellishment, not replication."
"We couldn't anyway, Phelan.
We aren't allowed access to the original manuscripts, so we couldn't be
accurate if we wanted to."
"Exactly." A powerful
pause built, and an impish grin crept across Phelan's face. "So, I stole
one.”
"You're crazy!" Bylo
said. "From the abbot?" Concern for both his comrade's safety and
sanity washed over him. "They'll whip you—if you're lucky!"
"Probably," Phelan said,
but the grin remained on his face. "After the abbot left on his latest
trip, I made an excuse to return a codex to his quarters. Brother Alen fell for
the ruse and allowed me access. I searched the abbot's room. There, I found the
oldest manuscript I have ever seen, tucked away in a sealed compartment under
his bed. I had no key, so I used a log poker to force the compartment
open."
Bylo was horrified. Lying to get
into the abbot's room and then destroying his furniture? Not to mention the
theft!
"I waited until after you fell
asleep before I took my first glance." Phelan continued, leaning in and
resting a hand on Bylo's shoulder in a gesture of affection. "If I
couldn't confirm my suspicions, I wanted no witnesses to my crime. Not even
you."
Bylo was having difficulty with the
implications of his friend's offense. "Where is it now?"
The remnants of a prideful smile
still on his face, Phelan reached behind to grab something that rested at the
foot of the cot. A musty odor tickled Bylo's nose, and his heart skipped a beat
at the sight of the treasure. Scratches in the leather and yellowed pages gave
witness to both its authenticity and fragility.
Phelan spoke in a slow-moving,
reverent tone. "This manuscript contains the book of Cataclysmos in the
original Breshi script, but the second half of the book is translated to
Landian. Every reference to phyili has the god rune in the margin, centered to
the right."
"Except one?"
Their eyes locked for a moment, and
Phelan turned to one of the final pages. "Yes, except one. The last one,
right here, in chapter eighteen of the Landian section. The human rune rests in
the margin, not the god rune. Perfectly centered. There can be no
mistake."
The implications were
earth-shattering.
"Our understanding of
Cataclysmos is wrong," Phelan said. "Phyili doesn't mean the twin
peaks—we should be looking for an actual human being!”
"A person will become two,
Bylo. Somewhere, a woman will give birth to a special child. This child will
somehow become separated, like Dei and Kai. Twins, perhaps."
"So how would a child be
separated into two?" Bylo asked. "It would die. That doesn't make any
sense."
"I don't understand it either,
but if we don't find this person, or these twins, someone else will. No good
will come from allowing them to fall into wicked hands. Remember the scripture.
'Conflict, pain, and death to many.' Bylo, this child may bring the end of all
things. Or perhaps a new beginning."
"You are brilliant, my friend,
but there are other scholars in this world. Perhaps employed by the queen and
the archbishop. They may have come to the same conclusion. Maybe that is why
the soldiers are here, seeking this manuscript and those like it."
"I know," Phelan said.
A hard knock on the closed door
sent a shiver down Bylo's spine.
Phelan re-wrapped the text, setting
it under the cot. Bylo reached the door, opening it to reveal a man standing
outside. Captain insignias were visible on his epaulets as he imposed himself
into the room.
"I'm here for Phelan."
A heartbeat later, Phelan stepped
forward.
"Come with me," the
soldier said, his fingers playing upon the pommel of his sword.
"I'll see you later,"
Phelan said, then turned to put a hand on Bylo's shoulder.
Barely a whisper in his ear, Bylo
heard the last word Phelan would ever say to him.
"Run."
Then Phelan exited the room with
the soldier.
Bylo stood still, contemplating the
peril he now faced. His heart pounded against his rib cage, fear battling a
rising sense of urgency. After a moment, the urgency won and he resolved to
act. He snatched the book and dashed out of the room. If he could make it to
the back of the building unseen, he might escape.
A well-timed scurry through several
corridors brought him near the exit. As he walked down the final hallway, he
heard the first of several bells ring from far within the structure, driving
him to burst out of the monastery into the darkness beyond.
In the fields south of the
building, he turned to deliver a final gaze at the place he had called home for
nearly ten years. The place he thought he would always call home. An ache grew
within his breast as he wondered what would become of his friend. Then he
turned and ran. He had a special child to find but did not know where to look.
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About David:
David A. Willson has worked
as a restauranteur, peace officer, and now, author. Taught by his mother to
read at a young age, he spent his childhood exploring magic, spaceships, and
other dimensions. In his writing, he strives to bring those worlds to his
readers.
Much of his material is
inspired by the "Great Land" of Alaska, which he has called home for
over 30 years. He lives there with his wife, five children, and 2 dogs. He is
passionate about technology, faith, and fiction--not necessarily in that order.
Looking for Dei is Willson's
debut novel, set in a land where many more adventures will take place. Stay up
to date with his ongoing efforts through the Looking for Dei Facebook page or
visiting the website at davidawillson.com.
Giveaway Details:
One lucky winner will
receive a one hoodie and one mug from the Looking for Dei Facebook shop., US Only.
Tour
Schedule:
Week One:
Week Two:
Week Three:
Week Four:
