Book 4 Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek of Book 4

In book 1, Kia is abducted by Karak. Here is that same scene, appearing at the beginning of book 4, from Kia's perspective.

    Kia sat on the couch, her legs drawn up and her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. All around her, people went on about life as if the world wasn’t caving in around them. Unfortunately, Kia was unable to pretend that all was well.
    Her long sleep had been full of strange and terrifying dreams. Tori had been in most of them, playing the role of savior over and over again, but Tori couldn’t save her now. Kia was awake, but she still felt asleep… drifting through a world she didn’t understand, surrounded by strangers who knew too much about her, and caught up in some drama that was somehow all her fault.
    And everywhere she looked, they were drinking and laughing, completely unaware that life would never be the same. Her parents were long gone, and her home… who knew where that even was? All that she’d known was gone… fading away like the remnants of all those dreams.
    Kia closed her eyes and tried to block out the noise around her, but it kept cramming itself back into her brain. Too much. It was all too much for one girl to bear.
    And really, that’s all she was. Despite her ridiculously old age, she was still barely beyond a child, knowing nothing of the world outside of her small village. She’d only ever kissed one boy, and he was long dead now. Her hopes and dreams of a life with that boy, of mothering his children and tending his home, had been stolen from her by a thousand year sleep.
    Why her?
    Kia hadn’t asked to be here in this chaotic place with these intense people. She wanted to be safe in her mother’s arms. She just wanted to be home, but that wasn’t going to happen, because she didn’t have a home anymore.
    The tears welled up and spilled from her eyes, so she wiped them with the back of her hand. There was no stopping them, however, and soon they were pouring down her face faster than she could wipe them away. Her chest seized with grief as she sobbed, ignoring those that were gathering around her. She fell to her side, curling up on the couch. She tried to become as small as possible, wanting nothing to do with any of them.
    Vivie crouched over her, rubbing her head softly as she mumbled words of comfort. Kia didn’t want to be comforted. She only wished to be left alone to mourn the loss of her world.
    Tori’s voice joined those nearby. “What's going on?”
    Vivie let go of Kia to answer Tori. “She's just very upset. With your injuries last night and now Mae's...” There was a pause, as if Vivie didn’t quite know what to say. “I think it's all just too much for her. Too much drama, too much violence. Too much of everything, maybe.”
    She was right. It was just too much of everything. Since she’d woken up, Kia had been on the run from some unseen menace. She’d witnessed carnage unlike she had ever imagined, and even caused some of it herself. What she had done to that monster… the very idea that she held that kind of power scared Kia to death.
    Tori appeared at her side, caressing her head gently. Though the touch was awkward, it was kind, but did no good to ease Kia’s pain. After a moment, she retracted her hand.
    “Kia,” Tori said softly, “I'm sorry this is so hard for you.”
    Kia sat up, tucking her legs back under her again. She wrapped her arms tightly across her chest and closed her eyes, breathing deeply to gain some kind of control. “I want to go home,” she said quietly.
    “Sweetie,” Tori said, clearly uncomfortable, “I know this isn’t easy for you-”
    “No, it's not!” Kia yelled, her eyes snapping open. “I don't understand this world and I hate it.”
She bound to her feet, practically knocking Tori over in the process. Tori got up and followed her across the room.
    “I don’t know what to say here, Kia,” Tori said, sounding just as miserable as Kia felt. “Once this is all over-”
    “Over for whom?” Kia asked, throwing her hands up in the air. “You will go back to your life as before, but where do I go, Tori? I’ve no life anymore, do I? Never had one really, as it was all lies. I don't know who I am or where I came from, and beyond a single word that means nothing to me, I’ve no idea what I even am. Everything I knew was false and everyone I’ve known is long dead and rotted in the ground. I have nothing!”
    Kia began shaking as the tears started again. She threw back her head and screamed, “I just want to go home!”
    The entire room wobbled for a moment, and then everything went dark. Panic rose quickly, taking precedent over the tears. Just when she thought she’d scream again, she was blinded by the sun.
Completely confused, she looked around. The fancy room she’d just been standing in was now an open field of green grass. Beside her were the crumbled remains of an old stone well. She recognized it from her childhood, but that was impossible.
    All of this was impossible, wasn’t it? How had she gotten here? Would she be able to get back?
    Kia wandered tentatively around the well, examining every detail. It might be in ruins now, but it was definitely the well of her youth, which meant she was home. She surveyed the landscape, but couldn’t see anything recognizable. Her village was most definitely gone.
    “I don’t understand,” she mumbled to herself.
    She went to her knees, resting her head on a large chunk of the well.
    “Where are we?” a voice called out to her.
    Kia turned to see Tori standing not too far away. Had she brought her here somehow, or had Tori found her on her own?
    “I live here,” Kia answered, knowing that it was no longer the truth. “I lived here,” she corrected herself. “Everything is gone.”
    “Kia, I need to take you back. We can't stay here.”
    “Of course. I’ve no idea how I’m here in the first place. Until you came, I thought I was stuck.”
    “So you didn't bring me here?” Tori asked, even more confused than Kia was.
    Kia stood to full height and shook her head. “How would I do that? I… I don't know how to do that.” She could feel the tears welling up again.
    Tori started to answer, but someone appeared suddenly at Kia’s back, making her jump. The look of horror on Tori’s face told her that it wasn’t someone who was welcomed.
    She turned around to see Brannon standing there, which only added to her confusion. He’d changed with time, though he hadn’t aged at all. His hair was much longer, and his once bare face now sported a beard. His skin was also much darker than it used to be, but it was definitely her Brannon. How in the world did he get here? It had been a thousand years, shouldn’t he be in the ground somewhere?
    “Kia,” was all he said. His voice was much deeper than she remembered, and he sounded wounded, as if it hurt him to speak her name.
    Kia pushed back her shoulders and spoke, the accusation in her voice unmistakable. “I will not call you Brannon. Who are you, truly?”
    His brows shot up in surprise just before his eyes narrowed to hard slits. A guttural sound rumbled in his throat.
    He reached out and yanked Kia against him, holding her tight in his arms.
    “Karak!” Tori cried as she ran toward them, pulling her sword from its sheath on her back.
    Kia’s eyes went wide in realization. “Karak,” she whispered. Brannon was the monster that they’d been running from. Her Brannon. Before Tori could reach them, Karak squeezed her even harder, then the world went dark again.

A Sneak Peek at Book 3...

I thought I'd share this new scene as a gift to those die-hard Tori and Ryn fans. Please keep in mind that it's raw and unedited!

SPOILER ALERT!!! If you haven't read Faetal Distraction, I suggest you skip this post, hop on over to Amazon, B&N or Kobo and get reading!

excerpt from Faetal Surrender

available soon!

“Viva La Love Wedding Chapel,” Jaroz read from the menu board. “Really?”

“It’s Vegas, man,” Dre said with a smile. The two men joined the others on the front pew.

A really bad Elvis impersonator ignored the men as he continued to argue his point. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but without proper identification, I can’t issue a license.” He adjusted his wig and pushed his sunglasses up his nose. “Without a license, you aren’t legally married.”

Lea touched the man’s arm as she spoke, trying to persuade him to see things their way. “Papers don’t matter to us,” she said soothingly. “It’s only the words that count.”

Fake Elvis shook his head, obviously perplexed. “I don’t understand.”

“Look,” Tori cut in, completely out of patience. “We don’t give a shit about legal, okay, sparky? We need to do this in front of a King.” She looked the man over, shaking her head at what they were willing to stoop to. “You’re going to have to do.”

Ryn chimed in, thrusting a fist full of bills in the impersonator’s direction. “We don’t have documents, but we have a lot of cash.”

Fake Elvis wasted no time relieving Ryn of the money. As he shoved the cash in his waistband, he barked at the elderly lady seated at the organ, “Hit it, Martha.”

Martha began playing the traditional wedding march. The longer the song went on, the more Tori’s eye twitched. “Can she play something else?” Tori asked the impersonator.

“Do you have a request?” the man replied.

Before she could answer, Dre called out, “How about some Jay-Z?”

“Noooo,” Vivie said, shaking her head adamantly. “You know any Spice Girls?”

“Spice Girls, Ilyah?” Jaroz said, shaking his head. “Really?”

“What?” Vivie answered him. “Got something against girl power?”

Tori rolled her eyes and counted to ten, reminding herself that she loved these people and wanted them to share in this special occasion.

A very confused Martha stared out at nothing for a few moments, then launched back into the wedding march. Tori sighed audibly.

As Tori fished through her pockets for the speech that was to be used, Caiden and Jaroz got up and wandered up to the altar. Completely oblivious to the fact that there was a wedding going on, they examined the floor and mumbled to themselves.

“What,” Tori all but growled, “are you doing?”

Caiden didn’t look up, answering absently, “Trying to figure out where to stab the daggers.”

“Yeah,” Jaroz agreed, “the floor is concrete.”

Fake Elvis looked horrified. “You aren’t stabbing anything! You can’t have weapons in here.” He turned to Tori, and she was pretty sure he was wondering if taking their cash had been a good idea. As if he’d read her mind, Ryn pulled out another wad of bills and handed it over to the man.

“There will be no stabbing,” Tori barked. “Save it for after.”

Caiden and Jaroz sat back down, grumbling their disappointment.

Ignoring everyone but Fake Elvis, Tori handed the man a paper containing the precious words that would forever tie her to Ryn. Of course, they were already bound for eternity, but something about saying it out loud seemed very real and permanent to Tori. It simultaneously thrilled her and freaked her the fuck out.

The not-quite king looked over the paper, his fat little nose all scrunched up as he tried to figure out how what he was reading.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “but what are your names? And what is this, Dandyfern?”

Tori resisted the urge to smack herself in the forehead, reminding herself once more that she wanted this wedding. “Dun-dah-foon,” she pronounced slowly.

The music stopped and Martha asked, “Are you foreigners?”

Jaroz fell into a fit of laughter, eventually taking Caiden and Dre with him.

“Something like that,” Ryn answered. “Just do your best with the words.” He twirled his hand in a plea to get on with things.

Fake Elvis cleared his throat and began to read. “I am the King, my word is law. These children of… Da-new?” Tori nodded at the man. He cleared his throat again. “These children of Da-new, Tow-ree-saw of Dan-dee-foon and Ex-an-der-run of Owl-ber-ron…”

Ryn interrupted, saying, “It’s Zan-der-ryn, with a z. Like xylophone.”

“I used to play the xylophone in school,” Martha said wistfully.

“Did you?” Lea asked, engaging the woman further. Tori stared daggers at her sister, who ignored Tori completely.

“Oh yes,” Martha continued, lost in some memory. “I was quite good.”

Tori continued to stare as Martha and Lea got better acquainted- in the middle of her wedding- until Dain spoke behind her.

“Why don’t you go by Xan?” he asked Ryn.

Ryn shrugged. “Don’t know, brother. I’ve always just gone by Ryn.”

“Xan the man,” Dain said with a chuckle. “That’s catchy.”

As Ryn and Dain discussed nicknames and Lea and Martha discussed band practice, Tori squeezed the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. She considered beating them all to death with her bouquet.

When Dre, Mae, and Abel began a conversation on where to go and eat after the ceremony- the ceremony that was still going on- Tori could take no more.

“Pipe the fuck down!” she screamed, silencing the entire room. Turning to Fake Elvis, she smiled sheepishly in apology and said, “Forget the titles. Tori and Ryn. Tori and Ryn will do fine.”

Before the ceremony could start again, the entire chapel swayed. Ryn was instantly at Tori’s side, a big hand on her back to steady her. Okay, maybe it wasn’t the chapel that had swayed at all. Maybe she was still feeling the effects of magickal kick-back.

“Baby,” Ryn said, concern thick in his voice. “I thought you were all better.”

Fake Elvis was suddenly concerned too. “Is she sick? I’m prone to bacterial infections.”

Mae snorted. “You’re The King,” she said. “I thought you were prone to painkillers and peanut butter and banana sandwiches.”

The entire room broke out in laughter… all except Tori and Elvis. While Elvis looked a little sick to his stomach, Tori looked around for someone to kick.

“Can we just move things along?” she asked, hoping the lethal look on her face conveyed just how over this whole thing she was.

Fake Elvis cleared his throat and started over. “I am the King, my word is law. These children of Da-new, Tori and Ryn, stand before me in petition of marriage. In accordance with my authority as King, and as the bridge between flesh and Seed…”

Tori raised her eyebrow, daring the impersonator to ask what the Seed was. To his credit, the man went back to reading.

“I hereby grant their wish, and bind them as one.”

“Wait!” Tori cried, then took off toward the chapel door.

“I knew it,” Ryn said, stomping his foot. “I knew you wouldn’t go through with it.”

Ignoring him, Tori kept going right out the door, retrieving a box from the car. As she entered the chapel again, she scowled at Ryn.

“No, Captain Asshat, I have something for you.” Tori dropped the box on the front pew, digging out her gift… not that Ryn deserved it after his little tantrum.

Tori turned and handed Ryn the captain’s hat she’d stolen from him long ago. It was still in pristine condition, as she’d kept it locked away safely for over 200 years.

Ryn’s eyes widened as he gingerly took the hat from Tori. He held it for several moments, staring at it as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

Oh, hell no. “Don’t do it, Ryn,” she warned.

“Do what?” he asked, genuinely confused. The tears shimmered in his eyes as he stared at her, all of his emotions on his sleeve.

Tori poked a finger at his chest. “Do not ruin our wedding with your feelings.”

As the chuckles echoed around them, Ryn blinked at her several times, then broke into a smile. “Continue,” he instructed the impersonator.

Fake Elvis inclined his head and went on, “Please repeat after me.”

“Who?” Vivie interrupted. “Tori or Ryn?”

“Excuse me?” Elvis said, looking confused.

“Who is supposed to repeat after you?” Vivie said loudly, as if the man were hard of hearing.

“Ahh…” Elvis searched his notes frantically. “It doesn’t say, really.”

Tori waived her bouquet in the air around her, scattering petals as she yelled, “We both repeat!” She took a deep breath and held it until she was satisfied that she wouldn’t throttle anyone. “Please,” she pleaded, “just get a move on.”

Elvis tried to smile, but looked more like he was about to run from the room. After clearing his throat yet again, he continued. “Okay, repeat after me. Oh, and please grasp hands and look into each other’s eyes.”

Ryn slapped the captain’s hat on his head, bringing a genuine smile to Tori’s lips. “You look ridiculous,” she teased.

He grinned at her. “And you look absolutely edible.”

Fake Elvis choked on a gasp. After a moment of silence, he seemed to find his composure, taking charge with a vigor Tori didn’t know he possessed.

“Alright, people. Let’s get serious. Grasp hands and repeat the words.”

Ryn took Tori’s hands in his own as they locked gazes.

“You are blood of my blood and bone of my bone,” Elvis read solemnly.

Tori and Ryn spoke in unison as they repeated the words.

“I give you my body, that we two might be one.”

As they spoke as one, Tori ignored the tingle in the corners of her eyes, refusing to cry in front of a crowd.

“As the sun follows it’s course, may you follow me.”

“Oh, that’s lovely,” Martha said softly.

Tori and Ryn once again echoed the vows.

“I give you my spirit, ‘til our life shall be done.”

As they spoke the final words, Tori noticed the sniffles behind her. She swore to the gods that if her sisters were crying, she’d string them up from the chapel rafters.

“Now it says here,” Elvis said, looking over his paper, “that you’d each like to say a little something to the other.”

Dre snorted. “Oh, this should be good.”

Tori turned and glared at the man, willing him to stop laughing. The bastard just winked at her.

Ryn let go of Tori’s hands, pulling the hat from his head and holding it to his chest. Tori wanted to laugh, but managed to keep a straight face.

“I’m not big on speeches,” Ryn said, his voice cracking just a little. “As I’ve said before, you didn’t just steal my ship, you stole my heart. Do with it what you will, but I hope that you keep it always.”

There was a round of oohs and ahhs behind them.

“Very nice, Smokey,” Tori said, smiling. After a beat, she sighed. “You are my anam-cara, Ryn. What else is there to say? Except thank the gods I didn’t lose my soul.” Ignoring the laughter at her back, she kept talking. “Oh, and thank you for the super-cool powers.”

Fake Elvis raised his brows at that, obviously writing off Tori as unstable in his head. He looked like he wanted to do a little probing, but instead he said, “Is that it, then?”

Tori nodded, keeping her eyes on Ryn.

“Okay,” Elvis said, a little too brightly, “then let’s move on. Tori and Ryn, do you vow, in front of these witnesses and the Seed itself, to share in each other’s pain and seek to alleviate it?”

Tori and Ryn answered in unison, “Yes.”

“To share in burdens and dreams, so that you each may grow in spirit?”

“Yes,” they confirmed again.

“To take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this union?”

“Yes,” they answered. Tori was worried that her own emotions were going to come spilling out of her eyes at any moment.

“And to honor each other as equals, standing side by side as long as you both have breath?”

“Yes.”

Fake Elvis smiled brightly. “Then seal your bond with a kiss, and let all of creation bear witness.”

Ryn slapped the captain’s hat back on his head, took Tori in his arms, and bent her over backwards. She wrapped her arms around his neck as their lips connected. The kiss set Tori on fire instantly, and she had to remind herself that they were in public, where getting naked would be frowned upon.

The chapel shook with applause as Ryn righted Tori.

Elvis looked at his notes again. “Commit yourselves to each other in blood… Wait a minute. Blood? That sounds very barbaric.”

“Don’t worry,” Ryn assured the man as he pulled a knife from his pocket. “It’s just a little bit.”

Elvis watched in horror as Ryn sliced open his palm, then repeated the action with Tori. The two grasped hands, bloody palms together, and waited.

When nothing happened, Tori sighed heavily again and barked at Fake Elvis, “Finish this!”

The man jumped and studied his notes again, clearing his throat a few times. Finally, he looked up and said, “A thousand welcomes to you in your union. May you be healthy all your days. May you be blessed with long life and peace. May you grow old with goodness and with riches. You are now one. So shall it is declared, so shall it be done.”

The entire room exploded into chaos as everyone cheered and gathered around the couple to congratulate them. Despite the activity around her, all Tori could see was the extremely pleased face of her husband.

Several minutes later, Tori and Ryn waited patiently on the lawn while the wedding party thrust their knives into the ground in honor of the newlyweds. Despite her wanting to get the hell on with her day, Tori stopped and waited once more as her sisters threw rose petals all over her and Ryn.

In a fit of giggles, Mae mumbled something incoherent. Tori had no idea what her sister had said, but she knew it was smart-ass, and warranted an ass-kicking.

Totally fed up, Tori threw her bouquet at Mae, hitting her sister in the face. Mae screeched and lunged at Tori. Lea’s futile attempt to break up the fight ended up making her a participant, and all three sisters rolled around the chapel lawn throwing punches and slinging curses at each other.

From the sidelines, Jaroz shook his head, saying, “This is the best wedding I’ve ever attended.”

Dre managed to mumble his agreement through his laughter.

Vivie nodded her head. “Right?” She bounced on her heels and clapped as she called out to the girls, “Hit her! Wait! Not in the face…”

Tori would have kicked all of their asses too, if she wasn’t already occupied. After a couple of minutes, the girls lost their momentum, laying on the lawn panting as they continued to glare at each other.

As Tori panted and tried not to pass out, she heard Caiden mumble to himself, “I am never getting married.”

Book 3 Begins... the Prologue

Here is the Prologue for Faetal Surrender. Keep in mind it's raw and unedited!

~*~*~*~*~

The crowd was surprisingly quiet for being so large. Of all the auctions they’d attended, the ones on Glausse always drew the biggest crowds. Of course, they were in the city of Decadence, where the selling of slaves had become a national pastime.

Dain kept himself perfectly still, swallowing the bitterness and hate as drunken citizens ogled him as if he were a prized heifer. The girl to his left, who couldn’t be two decades old yet, cried silently as she was inspected and assessed over and over again. He tried to send her what strength he had left, willing her to calm down before she made things so much worse for herself.

This wasn’t Dain’s first auction, wasn’t even his hundredth. Over the last six hundred years, he’d become well versed in the buying and selling of flesh, as well as the many ways to take advantage of such situations. His captors would never actually sell him- he was much more valuable to them than any amount of coins- but they managed to make a fortune pretending to sell him at every opportunity, slipping out with their prize before the transfer could be made.

Between auctions, well… Dain didn’t like to think about that. The long and humiliating hours spent in Mistress Regina’s bedchamber were shoved to the back of his mind each morning, as if they never happened. Of course, it all returned to him in dreams, but there was nothing he could do about that.

A group of spectators to his right caught his eye. Two large, blond men escorted a tall, caramel skinned woman into the showroom. She was stunningly beautiful, though she didn’t spark any kind of physical reaction from Dain. That didn’t surprise him, though… after the horrors he’d been party to, he was sure that his libido had shut down permanently.

The three spoke quietly among themselves, but the woman’s eyes returned to him again and again. Poor woman, he thought to himself. She had no idea that she was about to be swindled for a small fortune. If her bid won out, Dain would be long gone before she realized something was amiss.

He wondered if his captors would present him as an ordinary house slave this time, or if they’d demonstrate his powers in order to raise his worth. He hated that most of all, and wished he could somehow harness his own energies and aim them at his captors in his few moments of freedom. Unfortunately, he had no idea what he was even capable of, let alone how to use it. He was as helpless without the restrictive arm bands on as he was with them. Helpless. That word easily summed up his entire existence.

The woman ventured near the auction block, casually looking over the other offerings before stopping right in front of Dain. Her eyes were a vibrant orchid, mesmerizing and strangely familiar. He knew he’d never seen her before, but something deep inside of him reacted to her presence, as if she were an old friend come back to him after an extended absence. Strange. The longer she stared at him, the more he wanted to throw himself into her arms and weep.

He mentally shook himself, banishing the foreign sentiment and steeling himself for what was to come.

The gavel cracked against the wooden block, echoing loudly throughout the showroom and silencing the crowd. Dain took a deep breath and waited.

“Citizens of Glausse,” a loud voice carried across the throng, “welcome to the fair city of Decadence. A city well named, for our offerings can be considered no less than decadent. Today’s bidding begins with the lower ranks, but take heart… we have quite a treat for you this morning.”

With those words, Dain knew his role in today’s events. His power would be demonstrated, driving the bids for his ownership through the roof. What would they have him do this time? Dissolve the walls, call the rains, paralyze the entire crowd? After all of these centuries, he still had no idea as to the full extent of his power. The demonstrations so far had been minimal- enough magick to draw interest, but nothing so extravagant as to cause fear- but he knew that he could do so much more.

He’d been used as a weapon more than once… for the right price, of course.

All throughout the initial sales, the woman watched him with keen interest. Her eyes reminded Dain of his own, though hers were more pink than the deep violet of his. He wondered briefly if they were from the same tribe. As she studied the symbols etched on his bare scalp- proclamations of his magickal capabilities- he knew she would bid on him. Dain was overwhelmed with the urge to warn her not to waste her time and money. For just a moment, he allowed himself to imagine her taking him with her… but that was only foolish fantasy, so he dismissed the thought immediately.

A hard shove at his back brought him out of his reverie and into the present moment. It was his turn to stand at the center of attention, and it was his turn to show them what he was made of. Once again, he fantasied about turning the power on his captors and ending his imprisonment once and for all. He’d kill them all… he’d have to… the only way to escape the Fury was by death- his or theirs.

Dain closed his eyes as Gregor- his current owner and wielder of his powers- stood behind him to release the arm bands that kept his magick locked down. As his arms were freed, he felt the power thrum through him. Gods, he would give anything to be able to harness that power, control it and aim it at will. Instead, he stayed still, knowing that if he even attempted to use it, he’d be killed or worse… most likely worse.

Gregor’s voice held the crowd captive, the melodic cadence pulling them in, revving up their anticipation levels. “What we have here is no ordinary slave. This one holds magick beyond your wildest imagination.”

With a large hand locked on each of Dain’s wrists, Gregor aimed Dain’s hands out toward the crowd. The entire room gasped collectively and took a step back.

“Behold the power of sorcery!” Gregor cried out, then leaned forward, speaking where only Dain could hear him. “Make the walls quiver, slave.”

On that order, Dain focused on the walls, seeing them shake and shimmy in his mind. The crowd grew more and more restless as their surroundings grew less solid. The walls rippled all around, soliciting more gasps and cries from the onlookers. Gregor raised Dain’s hands toward the ceiling, instructing him to summon the heavenly rains from the stone tiles above them.

As the water began to fall on and around them, the crowd grew silent, completely caught up in the display before them. “How much,” Gregor called out, “is a wizard worth to you?”

The auctioneer stepped forward to open the bidding and control the frenzied masses. Dain watched with heightened interest as the mysterious woman matched every bid, and was eventually named as Dain’s new owner. He sighed, knowing that he would not be going with her, regardless of what the woman thought she’d accomplished there today.

As the auctioneer barked instructions and payment options, Dain scanned the thinning crowd for his mysterious owner. Her head was cocked to the side as she listened to whatever one of her bodyguards was whispering in her ear, but her eyes remained on Dain the entire time. He was overcome with the urge to stop her from giving over her coins, to shout as loud as he could that she was about to be taken for a small fortune. By the looks of her, the loss probably wouldn’t affect her much, but for some reason Dain couldn’t begin to understand, he wanted to save her from the outrage and humiliation that she was bound to experience.

He stared at the stranger, trying with all his might to warn her with his eyes, until large hands on his arms turned him and ushered him off the auction block and toward the holding cells at the back of the building. Moments from now, he’d be on his way to the next realm, but Dain had a feeling that it would be a long time before he forgot about those strangely familiar eyes…

Once out of the public eye, he was covered in a nondescript cloak, the hood hiding his face completely. With a guard at each arm, Dain was hurried toward the rear entrance. He was jerked to a halt as loud, angry voices rose above the noise around him. Something was going on behind him, but he couldn’t make any sense of the shrieks and curses that seemed to suddenly come from everywhere all at once.

As the chaos increased in volume, Dain was once again seized by the arms and shoved forward. He tried to keep up with his captors, but they were in even more of a hurry to escape than before, making him wish he could see what was going on behind him. A change in light beneath his hood told him they were outside now, but instead of turning right toward the portal they’d come through earlier, Dain was shoved to the left, which he knew would lead them right into the middle of a crowded avenue. How would they possibly escape if they were surrounded by curious onlookers?

The gasps and murmurs surrounded him as they pressed onward through the crowd, heading to… where? This had never happened before, and Dain was beyond curious now. What had happened back at the auction to put them on the run like this?

Finally they stopped, but instead of the hood being removed from his head, incredibly strong arms snaked around his waist and he was hoisted into the air and over a very muscled shoulder. Panic began to set in, as it was becoming clear that something had gone terribly wrong. Suddenly the air condensed around Dain, a sure sign that they had entered the void. The silence was all consuming before light and noise exploded around him once again.

The voices were unfamiliar, and as Dain concentrated on deciphering the words spoken in a language he’d never heard, he was all but dropped to the ground as the hood was ripped from his head. Light temporarily blinded him, causing him to squeeze his eyes tight for protection. After a moment, he opened them, blinking rapidly at the sight before him.

The woman from the auction stood facing him, her bodyguards on either side, and they were all smiling broadly at him. He stared back in confusion until one of the bodyguards stepped forward, circling behind Dain as he spoke.

“I’m going to untie your wrists.”

Once his arms were free, Dain rubbed his wrists as he studied the familiar stranger. She met his stare, and he felt that she was looking straight into his very soul. After what seemed an eternity, he found his courage along with his voice.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

The corners of her mouth curved up in just the faintest hint of a smile as she answered, “Ah, Dain. I knew you would not remember. Too many years have passed us by, and you were very young when last we saw one another.”

Resisting the urge to reach out and shake the truth out of the woman, Dain stood stone still, silently willing her to continue.

Her lips curved higher, displaying her obvious elation. She raised her long, slender arms as her hands opened toward him. With a step in his direction, she wrapped those arms around Dain, pulling him close as she hugged him against her. The emotion she was feeling was evident in her voice as she managed to choke out, “I’m your sister, and I’ve finally found you.”

Book 3 Has Begun...

The crowd was surprisingly quiet for being so large. Of all the auctions they’d attended, the ones on Glausse always drew the biggest crowds. Of course, they were in the city of Decadence, where the selling of slaves had become a national pastime.

Dain kept himself perfectly still, swallowing the bitterness and hate as drunken citizens ogled him as if he were a prized heifer. The girl to his left, who couldn't be two decades old yet, cried silently as she was inspected and assessed over and over again. He tried to send her what strength he had left, willing her to calm down before she made things so much worse for herself.

This wasn't Dain’s first auction, wasn't even his hundredth. Over the last six hundred years, he’d become well versed in the buying and selling of flesh, as well as the many ways to take advantage of such situations. His captors would never actually sell him- he was much more valuable to them than any amount of coins- but they managed to make a fortune pretending to sell him at every opportunity, slipping out with their prize before the transfer could be made.

Between auctions, well… Dain didn't like to think about that. The long and humiliating hours spent in Mistress Leigh’s bedchamber were shoved to the back of his mind each morning, as if they never happened. Of course, it all returned to him in dreams, but there was nothing he could do about that........

Book 1 on sale & book 2 release date & a sneak peek

Ok, so yes... I am running behind. But hey, it's not all my fault, my editor is slacking too. By slacking, I mean managing her real life (since I don't pay her to edit... yet). Working full time while trying to write, rewrite and edit kind of sucks, but hey... one day, right?

So... tentative release date for book 2... I'm going to say Oct. 20, but I hope that it will be more like the 15th. Excited? I hope so, because this story just keeps getting crazier!

AND... book 1 is now 99 cents everywhere, and will most likely stay that way for a while. Spread the word, get it cheap, and please, please, please, PLEASE leave a review somewhere!!!

Finally, for those who miss Tori & Ryn, here's a lil' some-something from book 2 for you!

WARNING: contains naughty bits!

~*~

 

 

         “You know,” Tori barked, “I am quite capable of sitting in a chair, Smoky.”

Ryn only smiled, pissing her off even more. “Yeah, but why would you want to when you have this?” He held his hands out, offering himself to her, then reached out and yanked her onto his lap.

Tori sighed and snuggled against him. “Kind of hard to pack like this, babe.” Despite her protests, her hands traveled up Ryn’s chest, over his shoulders, up his neck and into his hair.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said, “about your riding back home.”

“I told you; I’m not riding bitch on my own bike. Hell, no.”

“I get that, baby,” he said, the endearment sending a tiny shudder through her, “but I still want to go with you. I’m thinking I should buy a bike.”

Tori pictured Ryn in leather, straddling a steel beast. That, she thought, was a most excellent idea. She told him so, then emphasized the point by kissing him senseless.

He flipped her around so that she was straddling him, then took control of the kiss, tangling his hands in her hair. Fuck packing, she thought, breaking the kiss long enough to yank her shirt over her head. Ryn groaned, burying his face in her chest. She could feel his smile against her skin.

“Something funny?” she panted.

“I’m just damn happy that you’re so cooperative now. Not that these aren’t worth working for,” he mumbled before clamping his mouth down on her nipple. Tori grabbed his head and held him against her.

“That’s really nice of you to say,” she said on a sigh, “but Ryn?”

“Yeah?” he answered around her flesh.

“Shut up,” she said, pushing harder on his head.

 

 

~*~  Faetal Illusion - Oct. 20  ~*~



Tiny Snippet and News

Book 2 is done! I'm currently in rewrite mode, then will move on to "the land of a thousand edits" and then.... drumroll... publication on September 30th!

Also, I'm coming up on the end of my Amazon-only deal, so book 1 will be available on Barnes & Noble and All Romance the first week of September. If I manage to properly format the manuscript, it will be available on Smashwords as well (we shall see).

And now, your tiny snippet... Don't get too excited, it's just a teaser lol

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

 

    “Find that phone,” Mae barked, “and destroy it!”

Abel flung himself across her as he searched frantically for the ringing phone. Hard abs pressed against soft stomach. Good morning.

As he reached for the ground where the phone had apparently fallen, he slipped, crashing to the floor on his head.

“Gods, are you hurt?” she cried, sitting up on her knees to check on him. He sat up, rubbing his head and grinning at her, then handed her the phone.

 

 

 

Faetal Illusion - Sept. 30, 2013

Random Snippet: Abel is Tested

Out of the blue, the bedroom door flew open as Tori burst into the room.

“Jesus!” Abel cried out, gasping for air and looking over to make sure he didn't wake up Mae.

“Come on,” Tori barked at him. What was happening? He didn't think he'd done anything wrong.

Abel took off down the hall, all but running to keep up with Tori as she stomped up the stairs and out the back door. She marched up to a pile of swords laying in the grass and stopped, spinning to face him. Her hands landed on her hips and she nodded toward the pile.

“Choose one,” she said sharply.

Good God, she intended to kill him.

“I can't fight you,” he said, staring at the pile warily. “Did I offend you somehow?”

“What?” She looked confused, then snorted. “We're not going to duel. I can slap you with a glove if you'd like, though.” She grinned, looking so much like Mae in that moment. “I've always wanted to do that.”

“Possibly some other time.”

“Then choose,” she waved at the pile. “We're just going to test your skills a bit, see what you got.”

“See if I have magick...” he said quietly.

“Yes,” she said, smiling as she appraised him again, “that's right. Although, we know you have something. It's fucking amazing, by the way. Congratulations on that shit.”

“Thanks,” he chuckled, relaxing enough to study the swords.

“And the whole rescue-by-mural thing? Bravo. That was brilliant. Really...” The purest of emotions flashed through her eyes for just a second. “Thank you, Abel. You saved my sister.”

He wasn't used to Tori showing any kind of vulnerability, and it choked him up.

“Abel?” she said, cocking her head.

“Yeah?”

“I dig you, I really do, but if you cry, this sparring match will become a real fight. Got it?”

“Got it,” he said, his eyes wide. He might have actually gulped. He hoped not.

Then she smiled- yes, it was a bit sinister, but still a smile- and whispered, “Choose.”

 

 

Faetal Illusion - Late 2013

Random Snippet: Fear of Heights

    “What happened to you?” Tori asked.

“Stratosphere,” Mae whispered.

Tori laughed loudly. “How can you possibly live on the thirty-sixth floor and have an issue with heights?”

“Because I’m Fae. Buildings are different. I can be up high if it’s enclosed and solid. My balcony is fine because my witchy-bitches made sure that nobody is going to go careening over the edge. The Stratosphere, however, has no such guarantee. And it fucking sways.”

“Don’t give her shit,” Ryn chided, poking Tori in the side. “You hate heights too. How many times have you demanded that we move to the bat cave, as you put it? And you hate flying.”

“Damn right, I hate flying,” Tori barked.

“All Fae do,” Mae added. “If I were meant to fly, I’d be an Angel or a pelican, or if I were super-old, a pterodactyl. I would not be a giant metal cigar with unflappable wings. Because, I promise you, if shit goes wrong, this bitch will be flapping.”

 

 

Faetal Illusion (late 2013)

Poor Lea (a random snippet)

   “Why are you trying to enthrall me?” she asked quietly.

His eyes widened in surprise. “I’m not,” he assured her, “but I find it very satisfying that you’re enthralled by me.” He was sliding under her bedspread, turning down her side. “Now, come to bed.”

Once again, her traitorous body inserted itself right beside him. They were all cozy and warm. Son of a bitch.

“No cuddling,” she warned him, hoping he didn’t hear the quiver in her voice.

Dain touched the lamp to turn it off, then chuckled quietly in the dark. “For now,” he said gruffly.

Though Dain fell asleep right away, it was a long time before Lea could get comfortable. Obviously, he had some kind of agenda, but she didn’t have a clue as to what it might be. Unless it was to drive her crazy, in which case he was doing a stupendous job so far.

Sleep finally rescued Lea from the awkwardness of being so close to Dain. Unfortunately, he was right there waiting for her in her dreams.

 

 

Faetal Illusion
Late 2013

And now, for a bit of tension....

Sneak Peek! Please keep in mind that this is a VERY rough draft!

~*~*~*~

 

 

 

Hiding her shock, she watched as Abel’s finger moved from his own knee to hers, still making slow circles. What the…?

“So, you can slip from place to place or realm to realm?” His finger never quit moving. She couldn’t look away.

“Yeah,” she breathed. “You gotta be careful where you go, though.” Was he really going to pretend he wasn’t touching her like that? “Tribes can be territorial and scrappy. Think of them as gangs, and their realms as their turf.”

“That makes sense,” he said, running his fingers back and forth over her knee. Why was… why… “I get what you’re saying.”

What was she saying? Mae couldn’t think much beyond the soft caress of his hand and her heart, which was about to explode. His hand left her knee and wandered up her leg. Not far, but enough to make her want to scream and jump him.

“You said mortals were like cattle. What did you mean by that?”

“I…” All her breath was gone, and she wasn’t sure it was ever coming back. Her gaze was locked to his hand, mesmerized by the back and forth motion across her thigh.

“Mae?” She snapped her head up, meeting his gaze. His eyes were dark, his lips slightly parted, and his fingers just kept rubbing her leg. Rubbing and rubbing…

“Mortals,” she managed, her voice too low and breathy. What had happened here? She’d lost control of the situation, and she wasn’t even sure how it had come to this. Actually, nothing much was happening, but inside of her, all hell was breaking loose.

“Mortals?” he prodded, the smile on his face saying he knew exactly how he was affecting her. But, why was he doing it?

“Mortals aren’t cattle,” she finally forced out, “but a lot of Fae see them as that, like I said. They don’t eat them or anything, but they’re kind of like food in an abstract way. We feed off of them, whether it’s their blood, their fear, their lust, their luck, their hate… It’s all energy.”

“You’re like psychic cannibals.” He spoke to her leg, where he watched his skin make contact with hers.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “Abel?”

“Yeah?” he said, sounding distracted.

“What are you doing?”

His movements slowed, but didn’t stop. “I honestly don’t know.”

“I see,” she mumbled, staring with him.

After a long stretch of silence, Abel looked up at her. “Sometimes, I really want to kiss you.”

Mae’s brows reached for the sky, and she knew the shock showed on her face. “Abel, I… you…”

His fingers left her leg as he threw his hands in the air. “I know, I know. I have a girlfriend and I’m your student and I really don’t even know why I said that. Just forget I said that. Please.”

How in the hell could she forget he said that?

“No. Yeah, I mean, no… It’s cool. It’s fine. It’s… Yeah, okay.”

Abel jumped to his feet and all but ran for the door. “I should go.”

Mae was still stuck on how to forget that he wanted to kiss her. Kiss her. With his mouth.

 

 

 

Faetal Ilusion - Late 2013

Sneak preview from book 2

A little something from the current book... my sister Laura and I chose this passage to share, because it's a rare glimpse at an emotional Mae. :)

~*~*~*~*~*~

 

 

The most important achievement of humans, in Mae’s opinion, was coffee. Well, that and the disco ball. And french-fries.

Mae closed her eyes as her latte warmed her throat and tickled her taste buds. “Liquid ambrosia,” she muttered happily.

 

“Excuse me, Miss,” a soft, frail voice said from behind her.

 

Mae turned around to face an elderly, human male with hardly any hair, a million wrinkles, and kind eyes. Familiar eyes.

 

“Yes?” she said, searching those eyes in hopes of sparking some kind of recognition. It was there, at the edge of her mind, but she just couldn’t figure out where she knew him from.

 

“This may sound strange, but are you related to… that is,” he shuffled nervously as he tried to find the right words. Clearing his throat, he started again. “My name is Marcus Allerby.”

 

His wrinkled hand reached out and she took it, shaking it gently. His skin was so soft. As memories of her beloved Marcus rushed back to her, emotion caught in her throat, and Mae had to blink hard to keep the tears away.

 

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Allerby,” she managed. “I’m Mae.”

 

Marcus smiled, and for an instant, it was her Marcus that stood before her. “Mae,” he said softly, “that was her name. You look just like her.” His voice was wistful. “Just like her.”

 

“My grandmother’s name was Mae,” she lied. “They say I look just like she did at my age.”

 

He accepted that, as well as the bits and pieces of her grandmother’s history that she gave him. It was enough to convince Marcus that he had the right granddaughter, and they spent the next hour chatting about the past.

 

She’d met Marcus just after WWII had ended, on his first night home, in fact. He was handsome and charming and the sweetest boy Mae had met in a very long time. The romance had been brief but intense. She’d loved him. With all of her heart. But…

 

He was human, and he wasn’t her anam-cara… but mostly, he was human, so she couldn’t hold on to him. Marcus would eventually grow old and Mae wouldn’t, and unfortunately, only Mae understood that. So, in typical Mae fashion, she’d disappeared.

 

Never had she thought, even in the middle of a Reckoning, that she’d see this man again. But here he was, telling Mae her own memories and shattering her heart with his quiet words and his twinkling eyes. Marcus wasn’t bitter about the past. He didn’t understand Mae’s disappearance, but had decided, as the years went by, to let go of wondering and just hang on to the memories they’d shared.

He'd married a beautiful woman that he truly loved, and had five grown children and a gaggle of grandchildren. As he proudly showed off the pictures of his family, Mae choked down the overwhelming urge to explain everything. Suddenly, it was very important to her that Marcus understand what had happened, though she knew it was impossible to tell him the truth.

He'd had a good life and he had wonderful memories of a lost love. Mae had to leave things as they were, not only for his sake, but for her own.

 

As they said good-bye, Marcus took her hand and kissed it sweetly, wishing her well and thanking her for her time. It was bittersweet for Mae, and a good reminder of why she did not get involved with humans anymore. By the time she reached her apartment door, the tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and she was helpless to stop the memories rolling through her head.

 

Thankfully, the apartment was empty. Mae flopped down on the couch and blew across her palm, allowing the memories to play themselves out. The crying ended as the exhaustion took over, and her heavy eyelids slid closed as Mae and a very young, very handsome Lieutenant Allerby danced the night away in her hand.

 

 

 

Faetal Illusion (late 2013)

Book Cover is Finished

And now... the book cover...

Prologue

PROLOGUE

 

 

 

There was blood everywhere. It pooled between the gravel in the driveway and stained the ominous stone steps. Ruddy footsteps seemed to lead in all directions and a crimson hand print smeared its way down the white front door. Bits and pieces of who-knows-what were scattered among the body parts littering the ground.

A severed head lay six inches from his feet. Cohn took an instinctive step back and sighed heavily, keeping his breaths shallow to ward off the acrid smell of death that surrounded him. This had been a hell of a fight.

As he registered the sound of labored breathing beside him, he turned to face his head of security. At least that's who he thought it was- hard to tell who exactly was underneath all the gore. “Our men?"

"All alive. These guys weren't so lucky." Ryn swept his bloody sword over the carnage.

"Their luck ran out the minute they stepped foot on my property. Apparently we've just run out of time. It's moving day... again."

"This wasn't a planned attack. I'm pretty sure it was a scouting mission gone awry. If it had been Daniel patrolling instead of Jaroz, we may never have known they were here. Jaroz smelled them, attacked them first."

"Doesn't matter. We can't risk keeping her here any longer- when these bastards don't return, he'll know he’s hit the mark. She has to be gone before he comes for her. And he will come for her, I assure you of that."

Ryn raised his brows. "You have someplace in mind?"

Cohn shook his head gravely. "Not yet, but I’ll work that out. How long do you need to recover and prepare?"

"Three days, tops."

Cohn squatted to sit on one of the steps then, remembering the blood, jolted to his feet. "I won't be attending this move. I've become too easy to track."

The first few raids had been hundreds of years apart, but the gaps had closed in over time. The last assault had been only eleven years ago. "I'm calling in someone to go with you. I need the rest of the men here for round two."

Ryn exhaled and said tentatively, "Do you think it's wise to only send two, especially now that he's upping his game? No offense, but have you thought this through?"

Cohn squinted his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ryn, for a thousand years, I've done nothing but think this through. Every soldier you take with you increases your chance for discovery, as well as slows you down. And we need defense here. You're an assassin, the best I'd dare say, and this woman is the most ruthless mercenary I've ever known."

Shocked, Ryn spat out, "Woman?"

"Yes, Ryn, a woman. A soldier who has taken the heads of gods, escaped from countless prisons and dungeons, and decimated an army of mortals by herself. Do not underestimate her simply because she wears a bra."

Ryn looked incredulous, but only nodded. "Three days, then. I'll be ready."

"Marchand!" Cohn bellowed into the house from over his shoulder. "Bring me a phone!"

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

Faetal Distraction

Released May, 2013