title: A Bond Of Venom And Magic (The Guardians of The Goddess) (Volume 1)
author:  Karen Tomlinson 
description: Karen Tomlinson is the author of The Goddess and the Guardians series of Young Adult fantasy books. Karen has always been an avid reader. Her taste in books is eclectic but she likes nothing better than an exciting fantasy, set in a new and magical world. She lives in Derbyshire, England, with her husband, twin girls and her dalmatian, Poppy. Karen trained as a nurse and currently works as a resuscitation and clinical skills trainer, this involves training a wide variety of health care professionals and medical students in acute patient care. In addition to writing, and reading whenever she can, Karen likes to keep active. She has been training at Shotokan karate since being thirteen, likes walking, mountain biking and (for something completely different) cake decorating. She is currently working on book two in The Goddess and the Guardians series. About me! As soon as I could read I spent hours getting lost in the new worlds books could give me. Spending my pocket money had to be done (obviously) but not on sweets, well, not manyI spent my money on books. Back then it was Enid Blytons Famous Five which sparked my young mind. I didnt rest until I had the whole set, then I migrated to the secret seven(there was no Harry Potter then) As a teenager I would trawl through all my mum and dads discarded books. It was probably highly inappropriate for a thirteen year old to be reading swoony Mills and Boon romances followed by Ian Flemming, Alistair Maclean and Wilbur Smith! Because I read anything and everything I could get my hands on back then, I now have an eclectic taste in books. I will read anything that catches my eye and absolutely love illustrated book covers! In my late teens I discovered fantasy and that genre has stayed my firm favourite. I am and will always remain a complete sucker for a fantasy with kick ass characters and worlds steeped in magic and romance!
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Venom
  
  
  By Heather Atkinson
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright Heather Atkinson September 2018
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
  CHAPTER 1
  
  
  
  
  
  The room was silent except for the soft murmur of a single voice, the walls
  flickering with the orange glow of candlelight. The man addressing the room in
  Latin wore white robes with a large red cross on the front and he wielded a
  gleaming sword, the golden hilt reflecting the candle flames.
  
  
  Four men in similar robes were gathered before him in a semi circle, repeating
  the ancient words of their leader while a fifth man knelt in the centre of
  them all, blindfolded. A chicken was tied to a small altar before him. It had
  ceased its frantic squawking when it realised no one was paying any attention
  and it stared up at the man speaking.
  
  
  As the leader reached the grand finale of his long speech, his voice rising
  into a crescendo that filled the room, he raised the sword above his head, the
  chanting of the four men in the semi-circle gaining in intensity and fervou