VERITAS
Finding The Goddess

Frances Galleymore

'Thank you so much for the inspiring talk and beautiful passages read from your book ... It is so important people know that this is not the set design of how to live and your book is a fine example of some different ways to live. Quite wonderful! I trust it will reach a lot of people.'   Anna Mackenzie

'sure to delight...a fantastical read'
   Vanya Silverton

One fateful night Jona Jones is kidnapped from her idyllic island home, and held for re-education by the authorities. When she escapes, her community has been destroyed and she can only save her mother’s life by a dangerous journey… through the otherworld of Veritas. Here devas, shaman and warrior woman teach Jona healing, magic and defence against dark adversaries, until the earth goddess provides a gift for all humans – if Jona can return with it...
 
Enchanting and suspenseful, VERITAS Finding the Goddess is in the same area as Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter books, and in the tradition of Coelho’s international bestseller The Alchemist.

From reviews of the author’s previous novels:

‘immensely enjoyable‘    The Independent

‘impressive‘     The Guardian
‘haunting and memorable‘     New Woman

PROLOGUE

The wind was keening and curling as the moon’s eye sped from between the clouds, seeking through air and ocean, its silvery spinning tugging at her. She’d opened the door and the wind had sucked the handle from her grasp.

She and the pup stepped into a world that was unravelling. They took a path to the shore: something was out there. In the air, or in the water?

The sea held a secret that was waiting. Tossed and hurled and dragged about, it longed to land. And if any place of safety existed, it was in these islands. The archaic terrain of smugglers and wizards, to the north stood Antiscelt with mountainous country and dangerous shores. But here to the south, the isle of Iscelt concealed a perfect harbour, a sand crescent guarded by rocks of ancient strata like the scales and velvet hides of sleeping monsters, while the hills beyond surrendered to sheltered plains where gentle crofters farmed.

At the harbourside the waves were breaking long as towers and flooding the fields. When cloud thumbed across the light there was nothing but a blind roaring until the moon flew out.
She felt electric. The young sheepdog crept to her side, his hackles a brush. What could he sense? Who was out there? Between the waves she heard something like a giant breathing…
And she saw it. An enormous fish belonging to the ocean deeps? A baby whale? It swept closer. She stared.

The dolphin was alive and in distress, but it wasn’t made of flesh and blood. It was translucent and what she glimpsed inside made her heart contract.

She stumbled nearer but the glass cradle was snatched away. Was she dreaming? Could she believe her eyes? Surely it would smash to pieces!

She’d run for help. They’d launch the boat. But it would be too late.

Crouched on a rock she fixed her eyes on the thing. The sea hurled it away from her. Brought it nearer… On the roll of a giant breaker it was borne close. She leaned down, slipped and tumbled into the torrents. Dragged by the water’s weight she scraped over rocks, lungs searing. Her mouth and nose and throat had filled. She hit the rushing stones.

Something had hold of a sleeve and was trying to drag her: the puppy was waging his small might against the ocean. Tugged about she floundered for a handhold. Inched up the tumbling shore. Gasping, forced her eyes to open. The glittering coffin was being carried off dancing under the moon.
Like driftwood the next wave washed her up. She never knew how long she lay there, before the young dog started to cry.

She saw the crystal vessel was lying nearby, it had been swept close and lay beached. Crawling to the thing she cradled it in her arms, her body pinning it safe to the shore. Waves came and went.
The tide was retreating now. The wind still sang along the harbour as the sea fell back. Dawn had stolen out to flood the sullen sky.

She knelt. Through the wind-torn red dawn light she gazed into it.