In this thrilling sequel to A Band of Roses, the discovery of offshore gas ensnares Irish Crown Princess Talty Boru and her Royal Consort Neil in a web of blackmail and murder. When the locals object to plans to run pipelines over their pristine bogs, an arsonist tries to change their minds. One of his fires sends newlyweds Talty and Neil to an ancient world at the mercy of a waking volcano. While they struggle to outwit a tyrant with a shocking secret, King Brian locks horns with ruthless oilmen trying to bully their way over the bogs. The resulting conflict proves fatal for the Boru clan, whose members again close ranks to thwart the latest threat to the kingdom they are sworn to protect.

EXCERPT

Pine trees dominated the forest, their tangy fragrance invigorating, their fallen needles a silent cushion beneath his feet. An occasional oak and some other trees Neil didn’t recognize loomed above him. The worry-free warbling of flitting birds imparted a sense of security, though he knew better.

Vigilant as he was, the six men who emerged from a stand of shrubbery startled him. They wore leather boots, belts, and wristlets. Small pouches dangled pendant-like from their necks; multicolored wool shirts hung over gray leggings. Neil’s rapid fire assessment of their weapons"spears and bows"suggested they were hunters rather than warriors. One man, however, struggled to hold onto braided leashes attached to two snarling dogs nearly as big as Irish wolfhounds. Neil pulled Talty behind him.

She shoved her way back. “Don’t ever do that again!” she spat with a vehemence that jolted him.

He had no time to sort out his bewildered feelings. A tawny-skinned man in the autumn of his youth handed his spear to his nearest companion and stepped forward, holding his hands palms up. A large bronze disc set between two animal tusks adorned his chest. The leather band around his forehead kept his short, dark hair from his sable eyes. He stood taller than the wide-eyed men behind him, though no taller than Neil or Nick.

Richard and Nick waited in neutral silence while the man approached. So did Talty, though Neil sensed they were all poised to strike if necessary. Feeling like the new kid in town, he followed their example and remained still, yet alert to the slightest threat.

The man’s dark eyes breezed over them and focused on Talty. Her charred appearance seemed to transfix him. He spoke in a voice filled with reverence, though his words made no sense. After a moment, his garbled speech grew clear, as if an invisible hand had adjusted a radio dial: “Are you the goddess Pele?”