Dyan Chick's Blog

I’m not sure how many of you are still following this or are keeping an eye on my books, but I finally have an update. I’ve been working on other projects for a while and am finally ready to return to Illaria. I’ll have more information on my other projects and information about the Illaria series updates and new book by early 2023. Hang on a little longer. I think you’re going to be pleased with what’s coming!

XOXO,

Dyan

This is an unedited draft of chapter 1 – it might change before publication after edits, but I wanted to share my work in progress with you. I hope you enjoy!

Caitlin

He snored like a werewolf, though I knew he was human. I scowled at the passed out man next to me. He wasn’t up to my usual standards. He was good looking, that was for sure. But he’d been so vanilla in the sack it almost didn’t make the night worth it. 

Add in the fact that I broke my own rule – never stay the night – and this was making for a lot of possible regret. As long as I could sneak out of here without waking the snoring oaf, I’d be fine. 

Carefully, I crept on my tiptoes, searching the floor for my panties. Fuck. Where had we thrown those last night? 

The bed squeaked and I held my breath as I glanced over to see if he was awake. Blowing out a slow breath, I ignored my racing heart. He was still asleep.

Too bad his looks didn’t live up to their promises. He was six foot three with washboard abs and a square jaw that sent my legs wobbling. His cocky demeanor and casual attitude had drawn me in to him like catnip. I thought for sure he was a man who knew his way around a woman’s body. Turned out, I was way off base with that one. 

I tugged my black slip dress over my shoulders and peeked around the room one more time for my underwear. Fuck it. Grabbing my shoes and my purse, I crept toward the door. He’d just have to explain the panties to some other girl when they eventually turned up. 

Suddenly, my phone rang. I froze, fumbling with the zipper on my purse to get it open so I could turn it off. Who the fuck was calling me at seven in the morning on a Sunday?

Fishing around my purse, I found the phone and hit the button to silence to call. 

“Hey, baby, where you going?” A sleepy voice asked. 

“Oh, I didn’t want to wake you.” It had been a long time since I’d had to deal with the morning after conversation. My other rule – no commitments, no relationships – usually helped me avoid ever feeling obligated to stay the night. 

I blamed his awful, boring sex. If he’d been more interesting or at least gave me even one orgasm, I wouldn’t have fallen asleep. 

“Stay, we’ll have breakfast,” he said. “And maybe another round.”

Um. No thank you. I’d have better luck with my vibrator. The phone rang again and I rolled my eyes. Someone was persistent. Though, it did give me a reason not to respond to him. “Sorry. I have to take this.”

I answered the phone. “Hello?”

My step mom screamed at me, “You better not be late!”

Fuck. Today was my step-sister’s dress fitting and I totally forgot. “On my way now.”

I hung up the phone and turned to my one night stand, whose name I’d forgotten. On purpose. “I’m so sorry. My sister is getting married and I have to be at a dress fitting. Maybe another time?”

“I’ll call you,” he said. 

No, you won’t. I never give them my real number. With that thought, I left the apartment before he could say anything else. 

***

I was ten minutes late when I arrived at the bridal shop, 2 cups of coffee in hand and a bagel in my teeth. Just because my step sister, June was off of carbs didn’t mean I had to be. But I did get her a skinny late to make up for being late, so there was that. 

“Cats, where the hell have you been?” My step-mother called the second the shop’s door jingled to announce my arrival. 

I set the coffee cups down on the nearest table. It was covered in bridal magazines showing smiling, Stepford-like brides who had no idea what they were in for. I mean, just look at my stepmom. Technically, she was my ex-stepmom but her daughter, June and me were fast friends during the few tumultuous years of our parents’ marriage. 

I tried to warn my dad. A warlock marrying a shifter was probably never a great idea. They were too hot headed. I give you exhibit A as proof, my red-faced wolf shifter ex-step mom who was currently staring at me with her hands on her hips. 

“I’m here,” I said. 

“You’re late,” she said. 

“Mom, she’s ten minutes late. In Caitlin time, that’s early,” June said as she walked out from behind a rack of fluffy dresses. “Oooo, is that coffee for me?”

I grabbed the cup and walked past Susan, the she-wolf who still thought of me as her cub. I had to admit, there was a part of me that loved her for never giving up on me despite her and my dad’s terrible chemistry. She was tough as nails and nothing I ever did was good enough for her. But I also know if someone tried to hurt me, they’d have her to contend with. And she was probably very good at hiding bodies. 

“None for me?” Susan said. 

I grabbed the second cup and passed it to her. “Double espresso, heavy cream, one packet of sugar.”

She lifted an eyebrow, clearly impressed. “None for you?”

I tugged an energy drink out of my back pocket and lifted it to show her. I wasn’t a coffee person. 

“You know, those things are going to kill you one of these days,” she said. 

“Love you too, Susan,” I said with a smirk. 

She spun on her heels. “Alright, we’re all here. Let’s get started. It’s a big day today.”

I popped the tab on the can and weaved my way through the racks of dresses, glancing at the tags on my way. Any one of these would cost more than I paid on rent in a month. Weddings were such a scam. Shaking my head, I found my way to the dressing rooms. 

A huge circular shaped room was lined with mirrored doors. In the middle of the room were several pink velvet couches and some baby blue chairs. June’s other bridesmaids were already waiting on the chairs, dewy-eyed and full of hope. 

Thank god June had the others to be excited for her. When she asked me to do this, I told her I would only because I wanted her to have a reliable getaway driver should she choose to bail. 

“You all remember my sister, Caitlin,” June said. 

“Hi Caitlin,” the others chimed in unison. 

I repressed a shudder. It was like being in a horror movie. 

A woman in a pantsuit came into the room. “Hello, everyone. My name is Maria and I’m here to guide you through this exciting day.”

The girls clapped and I finished chugging my energy drink. 

“Shall we start with bridesmaid’s dresses first and work our way to the grand finale?” Maria asked. 

More clapping. Kill me now. 

Somehow, I was stuffed into a pink, floral dress. The only good thing about it was that it had pockets. 

I turned from side to side, looking at myself in the mirror, wondering exactly how I got talked into this. Then I remembered, I might not believe in romantic love, but I loved June. Blood or not, she was my sister and I was going to give her the best wedding ever. Then, I’d be there to wipe her tears when the asshole eventually broke her heart. 

Squeals and excited chatter sounded from outside the fitting room. With a heavy sigh, I opened the door to join the others. 

One of the girls was literally clapping her hands and jumping up and down. Really. I can’t make this shit up. And of course, she knocked over June’s coffee. 

“Oh no!” The girl jumped out of the way. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’ll grab some towels, don’t even worry,” Maria said.

“It’s okay, Megan,” June comforted her friend. 

I saw my opportunity to leave the store. “I’ll go across the street and get you another one!”

“That’s not necessary,” June said. 

I ignored her and rushed through the store. With any luck, I could draw this out till the whole thing was over. 

It’s been a couple of weeks since I posted chapter 1 (again). I hope you’re ready for Etta’s return! If you haven’t read the first 3 books, this is your spoiler alert warning: Don’t start with this. Read the other 3 first. And with that out of the way, I give you Chapter 2.

Chapter 2

Etta

The pain in my leg was forgotten as I watched the egg in front of me shake, the cracks spreading. Celeste and I were frozen in place, afraid to move.

The egg jumped, then tipped over, landing on its side. A chunk of the shell fell to the bed. I glanced over at Celeste. Her eyes were wide and she smiled at me. We both leaned in, closer to the egg.

A beak-like snout poked its way out of the egg, followed by a slimy green body with wings, wrapped in a spiky tail. The creature had its eyes squeezed shut. Little clawed legs held each side of its head. Slowly, it began to uncurl, stretching out its legs and wings. The tail extended twice the length of the body. It tried to stand, then fell to its side. Eyelids flickered a few times, then opened. Large yellow eyes with cat-like pupils fixed their gaze on us.

The baby dragon looked from Celeste to me, then back again. It stretched out its arms and legs again, then curled its tail around its body, tucking its head into its chest. It blinked at us a few more times, then nuzzled its head lower, closing its eyes. Wings covered its face, blocking out the light. Soft snoring noises came from the tiny creature.

My heart was full. I wanted to pick the dragon up and hold it close to me. How could this perfect little being be anything like the monster that attacked us under Max’s direction?

“It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Celeste whispered.

“It really is.”

“You need to lie back down, and get some more rest,” she said.

The dragon was asleep next to me. I shifted back down and turned on my side so I could stare at the little green creature while it slept.

Celeste climbed onto the bed, careful to avoid the sleeping dragon between us. She turned toward me, eyes on the dragon.We both watched the rise and fall of the dragon’s back for a while in silence.

Nothing about this battle had turned out the way we planned. In a way, having a dragon hatch shouldn’t be a surprise. I was starting to feel like I couldn’t control anything.

“Celeste?” I whispered.

She looked up at me.

“Do you think Ashton and Saffron are safe?” The dragon’s hatching had given me a few minutes of respite from worrying about my friends but couldn’t keep it away long.

She sighed. “I don’t know, Etta.”

I squeezed my eyes shut, hot tears burning behind them. I felt so helpless. My leg wasn’t going to let me go anywhere anytime soon. “What are we going to do?” I opened my eyes and looked at my friend.

Her forehead creased in concern. “I don’t know.”

Voices sounded from outside my door and I pushed myself as close to sitting as I could. Celeste jumped from the bed. The dragon pulled its head from under its wing and quicker than I thought possible, moved to the edge of the bed, then glided down. It crawled under the bed where it stayed hidden out of sight. My heart raced. Who was it?

The door burst open and relief flooded through me. Charles, Madame Lyndsey, and two more members of my guard entered my room. They paused after crossing the threshold and bowed.

“It’s so good to see you,” I said. “Please, come in.”

Charles wore a dangerous expression on his face. His eyes were darker than usual and his lips were pressed together. He was the first to my bedside. Dropping to his knees, he rested his forehead against the edge of the bed. “I’m so sorry, your highness.” He lifted his head. “We let you down.”

“No.” I shook my head. “You didn’t let me down. We never stood a chance. We wouldn’t have gone in against a dragon. We were not prepared.”

His eyes traveled to my extended leg and I followed his gaze. It was still red and puffy. I’d be wearing the scars from this battle for the rest of my life.

“You should never have been hurt,” he said.

“Charles,” I reached a hand toward his shoulder. “I’m going to fight with my people. I’m going to get hurt. Please don’t worry about me.”

He nodded but didn’t relax his expression. Madame Lyndsay joined him by my bedside. She lowered her face to look at my leg. “It looks like it’s healing well.” She turned to Celeste. “Well done, Celeste.”

Celeste nodded.

“Your highness, I know we are still missing people, but I must insist that we reestablish the wards around the castle. We are in no position to protect ourselves if we are attacked.”

I bit down on the inside of my cheek. “Has anybody heard from Ashton or Saffron?”

She shook her head. “We can’t continue to wait for them.”

I knew she was right. If they were alive, they could be hiding somewhere, injured or biding their time. Who knew how long it would take them to find their way back here. If they weren’t alive… I didn’t even want to think of what that would mean.

My throat felt dry and it was difficult to get the words out. “Go ahead,” I said. “You can put up the wards.”

She bowed. “Celeste, I’ll need your help. There are only a few sorcerers here. We’ll need all of us to make the spell work.”

Celeste offered a weak smile then slid off the bed, following Madame Lyndsey toward the door.

“Wait,” I called after them.

Both women turned to look at me.

“We need to have a council meeting. I can’t move so can you gather everybody? We will meet in here.”

Charles walked out behind them, leaving me alone in the room. Pressing my palms against my temples, I tried to calm myself. Ashton and Saffron had to be safe. They were out there somewhere. What would I do without them? It was too much, I didn’t even want to consider the worst.

I slammed my fist against he bed, causing my leg to bounce. I winced at the pain. A small chirp from below me caused me to turn my head. The little dragon was out from under the bed, staring up at me, head tilted to one side.

“What are we going to call you?” I said. The dragon turned its head the opposite direction, locking its large yellow eyes on me. It took a few steps, dragging its long tail behind it. I smiled. “Maybe we should call you Oura. It means “tail”.” The dragon lifted its chin and continued to stare at me. “Do you like that name?”

With a giant leap and two flaps of its wings, it found its way back to the bed. Curling up on the pillow next to me, the little dragon resumed its sleeping position. Head under wing, it began to snore.

“Oura it is.”

Celeste returned to the room with a jar of salve and some fresh bandages. “Time to clean those up.”

The dragon lifted its head and let out a grunting, squeaking sound before setting back to sleep.

“What do you think of Oura for the dragon’s name?” I asked as Celeste sat next to me.

“That’s the ancient’s word for “tail”, right?” She used a bandage to apply salve to my wounds.

I winced and looked away from my leg.  “Yes.” The word came out through gritted teeth.

“I like it.” She looked over at the dragon. “What do you think? Little Oura?”

The dragon opened one eye, looked at us, then folded its wing over its face. We both laughed.

“Tired dragon,” I said. Then I realized I had no idea how a baby dragon was supposed to act. Or how we were supposed to feed it or care for it. I didn’t even know if Oura was a boy or girl. “Do you know anything about caring for a dragon?”

Celeste paused halfway through wrapping my wound with a bandage. “No, I don’t. I suppose we better find out so we can keep her safe.”

“Her?”

She shrugged. “Seems like a girl dragon to me.”

“Where can we find information about dragons?” I asked.

Celeste tucked an edge of the bandage to finish it off, then put the lid back on the jar of salve. She set the extra bandages and jar on the little table next to the bed. “I suppose it would be Gallia. The Sorcerer’s Guild in Gallia has the largest library in the known world. I’m sure they have books on dragon care.”

I nodded. That made sense. Our sorcery library had been burned down shortly after the king had taken control. I would guess the only works on sorcery that had been spared would be in his personal library.

“You’re going to have to go,” I said. “We have to take care of Oura and I’m not in any condition to travel. I can send a white raven to my uncle, see if we can get a portal.”

She shook her head. “No need. I can teleport to my parent’s house. From there I can walk to the palace. It’s nearby.”

Teleport to her parents house. What would that be like? To just go home to see your family? A twinge of envy registered in my mind. “It’s decided, then. You and Oura will go to Gallia so you can learn to care for her.”

Celeste’s brow furrowed. “What about you? I can’t leave you here alone.”

Alone. A lump rose in my throat. I’d been distracted by the baby dragon, giving me a few minutes to not worry about my missing friends. “Ashton and Saffron will find their way back. It might take a bit longer since they can’t teleport, but I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

“Etta.” Her look of concern deepened.

“I’ll send out a search party if they aren’t back in two days.” I was trying to be strong. Trying to hide how afraid I was that I’d never seen any of them again. I looked down at my inured leg. “Celeste, do this for me, please. I can’t do anything until I heal more. We’ve put a ward up and we aren’t going to be attacking anybody any time soon.”

“I’m not going anywhere tonight. I’ll leave tomorrow. And I’m not staying long. Just enough time to find out what I need to do to keep Oura safe.”

I nodded. “That sounds fair.”

A knock on the door sent Oura scrambling off the edge of the bed again. She glided down, transparent wings outstretched, then crawled under the bed.

Celeste walked to the door and opened it a crack. After a moment, she pulled it wide and Madame Lyndsey, Yancey, and Charles walked in. The three of them paused at the doorway.

Madame Lyndsey took a step forward. “We’re here for the council meeting.”

“Of course,” I said. “Please, pull up some chairs.”

Celeste claimed on the bed and sat next to me, the others carried over chairs from the siting area.

“Thank you for coming,” I said. “I know it’s untraditional for a queen to host her council in her bedroom, but we have never done things the traditional way, have we?”

The people seated around me smiled, but they looked forced. We’d been through too much in the last few days. “First, thank you all for staying with me. What we are doing…” I swallowed back a sudden lump that had risen in my throat, making my voice crack. “What we are doing is important. It may seem like hope is lost, but I’m asking you not to give up.”

“Your highness, you know we support you, but it’s going to be difficult to overcome this. Difficult to find anybody willing to help us fight. We lost most of the Gallic army,” Madame Lyndsey said.

“I know.” I looked down at my outstretched, bandaged leg. “I’m asking you to not give up on me. We have to come up with something different. Something new.”

“I don’t know if anything will work,” Madame Lyndsey said. “We don’t even know where all of our sorcerers are.”

I bit down on my lip and clasped my hands together. Ashton was out there somewhere.

“I’m sorry,” Madame Lyndsey said. “I know Ashton is still missing.”

“I know things seem like they won’t improve, but hope is not lost.” I nodded to Celeste.

Understanding my silent request, she climbed off the bed and ducked her head under it. The others in the room craned their necks in bewilderment trying to see what she was doing.

When Celeste stood, she held Oura in her arms, fingers stroking the back of the baby dragon. Oura was alert, bright yellow eyes darting from person to person.

Madame Lyndsey gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. My guards stiffened, then leaned in to get a closer look.

“Is that?” Yancey looked at me, jaw dropped.

“It’s a baby dragon,” I said. “Celeste is going to care for her, get her strong, and keep her safe.”

A hush fell over the room as everybody stared at the dragon. The tiny creature climbed up Celeste’s arm and perched on her shoulder, watching the assembled group.

“Are you going to train it to fight?” Madame Lyndsey asked.

Celeste put a protective hand over the dragon. “Only if she wants to fight. We don’t even know if she’ll want to stay with us. Dragons are wild animals and we know so little about them.”

“Celeste is going to Gallia, she’ll learn how to care for the dragon then return to us. The rest of us, we need to start thinking of some way to finish this war once and for all. Something that nobody will expect. Something that we can do with very limited resources. I’m done watching people die. We have to figure out how to end this our way.”

Chapter 1 – Unedited / Work in Progress …. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Ashton

Ashton sat up and squeezed his hands over his ears. Head throbbing, mouth dry, surrounded by darkness. Where am I? Pressing his palms to his eyes, he tried to clear his vision. It was still dark. From somewhere in the distance came the sound of dripping water. The ground was cold stone.

He tried to ignite his fire and the flames would not come. Since he’d learned to use his powers as a child, he’d never failed to call to fire. Panic rose up inside him. Without his magic, how would he get out of here? On hands and knees, he felt his way forward. An outstretched hand felt something smooth. A bar. He was in a cell somewhere. Gripping a bar in each hand, he pressed his face into the gap between them, trying to make out anything that might tell him where he was. Everything was black.

He slumped down, leaning against the wall next to the bars. Resting his elbows on his knees, he held his head with his hands. The last thing he remembered was running toward Saffron, then a cloud of black rising around him. Saffron. Was she here?

“Saffron?” he whispered.

Nothing.

“Saffron?” he spoke louder this time.

After a moment, he heard a small reply. “Ashton? Is that you?”

He turned and gripped the bars again, squinting into the black. “I’m in a cell.”

“Me too,” she said. “Are you hurt?”

He looked down but couldn’t even see his own hands in front of his face. “I don’t think so. But I don’t have my magic.”

There was a long pause. “Saffron?”

“I’m here, Ashton.”

Ashton tried again to call to his flames, hoping that the first failure had been a mistake. Again, nothing. He let out a frustrated cry and slammed his palm agains the bar. Pain shot through his hand to his wrist and through his arm. He shook his hand. That was stupid.

“You alright?” Saffron asked.

“Fine.” He rubbed his wrist. “Where are we?”

“I’m not sure. I woke up a few minutes ago.”

Footsteps sounded from somewhere beyond his cell. Ashton glanced into the darkness and saw the light of a torch headed his way. It illuminated a figure he didn’t recognize. As it drew closer, she came into view. He squeezed the bars in his hands. Nora.

A long black dress trailed across the ground as she walked. She stopped in front of Ashton and held up her torch to illuminate his face. She was inches from him. He stared at her. She looked so different from how she had looked on the battlefield. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a mess of ringlets. Her mouth was set in a line, eyes hard. How long had he been passed out here?

Her lips curled into a smile. “Hello Ashton, nice to see you again.”

Heat rose in his chest and he pressed his face further into the bars. “What am I doing here?”

“You’re here as my guest,” she said.

“Is this how you treat all of your guests?” Ashton asked.

“Until I know you can behave yourself, you’ll stay down here.”

“What do you want with us?” Ashton asked.

Nora glanced behind her then looked back at Ashton. “So she’s awake, too?” The smile faded from her lips. “You’re here because you were always Max’s favorite. I don’t think he’d be happy with me if I didn’t give you one last chance to join us.”

Ashton squeezed the bars harder. “Max is dead.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “If he were dead, I’d have no reason to keep you.”

That didn’t make any sense. Why would Max want Ashton around? Especially after he’d driven a sword through his chest. He couldn’t be alive, could he?

“Did you make your father raise him from the dead?” Ashton’s voice came out defiant. No matter what Max had done to him, nobody deserved to be made into a slave after death.

“I’m not my father,” she sneered.

“Where are we?” he asked. “And what did you do to me?”

“If you’re referring to your loss of magic, it’s because you’re in the dungeon at the Order of the Dragon. The cells were specially made to keep fire sorcerers from using their powers.” She raised her hand. “See? Even I can’t make any fire down here.” She lifted the torch. “Only reason any self-respecting fire sorcerer would be carrying one of these things.”

“Let Saffron go,” Ashton said. “There’s no reason for her to be here. Max wouldn’t want her locked up.”

The smile returned to her face. “That’s true. Max seems to have a soft spot for his first love. She’s not here for him. She’s here for me. I’m not sure how I’ll get rid of her yet, but you can bet it will be slow and painful.”

“What is wrong with you?” Ashton asked.

“Wrong question, Ashton.” Her eyes flashed and she bared her teeth. “The question you should be asking is: how long can a fire sorcerer stay down here before he loses his powers completely?”

Before Ashton could respond, she turned and walked away from the cell, boot heels clicking over the stone hallway as she left. The door slammed behind her and they were again immersed in darkness.

Ashton felt like the walls were closing in on him and his breathing was rapid. Pacing in a small circle, he ran his hands through his hair. She has to be bluffing. This cell can’t make me lose my powers forever. Can it?

Saffron’s voice drifted through the darkness. “Ashton?”

He swallowed his fear and felt his way to the front of the cell. “I’m here.”

“Was that the king’s daughter?” Her voice was strained. Ashton rarely heard her lose composure. Should he lie to her? Tell her something that would be more comforting? No, she’d want the truth.

“It was,” he said.

Ashton stood in the empty black cell, waiting for her to speak. The silence was suffocating. After several moments, he realized she wasn’t going to say anything. He should say something to her. How many times had Saffron been there for him? She’d patched up his skinned knees and battled against him with wooden swords.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “We’re going to get out of here. Somehow.”

“No,” she said. “We’re going to die in here.”

Ashton felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Saffron had never given up before. “Don’t say that,” he said. “I’m going to get us both out of here.”

“Ashton,” her voice was soft. “I’ve lost a lot of blood. I can’t tell if it’s stopped or not. Even if it has, infection is going to set in without proper care. I’m not going to be leaving this cell.”

“Don’t say things like that,” Ashton grabbed the bars and tried to shake them. “Don’t you dare give up on me. I’m getting us out of here.”

“Saffron,” Ashton yelled. “Do you hear me? Don’t you dare give up on me.”

Silence greeted Ashton. He lowered his voice. “You can’t leave me.”

After what felt like minutes, Saffron whispered her reply. “I’ll do my best, Ashton, but I can’t make any promises.”

He no longer felt tired. A rush of energy flowed through him and he began circling the cell, hands on the walls. He felt every inch, trying to find a weakness, anything. With a yell of frustration, he sunk back onto the floor. There wasn’t any way out of here. Without his magic, he felt useless. He’d been reliant on it for so long. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

It was a week before his tenth birthday and he was playing in the woods with some of the other kids from the Raven camp. One of the older boys had pushed him, knocking him down. When he stood, the older boy knocked him down again. Ashton tried to laugh it off, but the boy kept pushing him. He’d felt heat rising in his body but thought it was nothing more than frustration. Using the anger that was driven by the heat, he lunged at the other boy before he realized that his hands were on fire. The other boy nearly died from the burns.

After that incident, none of the other kids wanted to play with him anymore. A few days later, he decided he had to leave. The night he packed up a bag to run away, Max was standing outside his tent. From that night on, he’d been Ashton’s mentor. He was the only person that Ashton felt really understood him. How had things changed so much from that day? What had happened to the Max he knew? It was like he wasn’t even the same person anymore. Max had always been arrogant, but somewhere along the way, he’d turned into a monster.

Monster or no, Max had been there for Ashton and guilt pressed in on his chest making it difficult to breathe. How had Ashton put a sword through his teacher’s chest? Didn’t that make him just as bad as Max? Ashton tried to shake the memory of Max’s shocked expression. It was the look of betrayal. Maybe Ashton deserved to be in this cell. He ran his hands through his hair and tried to collect himself. He’d done it to save Etta. The Max he’d known as a child would never have tried to kill his own sister. The old Max was dead, one way or another.

Court of Memories is now available for Pre-Order on Amazon and releases on December 24th.

Description:

Magic comes with a price. If Cassia wants a happily ever after in the Fae realm, she’ll have to join a brutal fight for a crown she doesn’t even want.

Cassia is so close to the life she always wanted. A changeling who was always out of place in the human world, she is on her way to finding love, magic, and happiness with four Fae princes. The monster threat against her life has been contained. For now. But they are attracted to her power and her untrained magic, and it’s a race against time before they break through again.

And the monsters aren’t the only ones trying to kill Cassia. The Queen’s Trial is approaching, and her power makes her a target and a threat to the other noble houses vying to be queen.

With her enemies piling up and only Four Fae Princes on her side she’s running out of options. There’s only one rule in Queen’s Trial: Survive.

I’m so excited for this book! Less than a month to release day! Court of Secrets is a Reverse Harem Fantasy – it’s different from anything I’ve done before – but if you like fantasy, romance, political intrigue, and a story where the heroine doesn’t have to make a choice between the four sexy princes, this is the book for you! Keep reading to get a preview of the first two chapters of the book. 

CHAPTER ONE

Nani hummed as she twisted my long blonde hair around the flowers and jewels she’d gathered for the day. Occasionally, one of the other servants would say something to her and they’d chatter away, full of optimism for me, while clouds of dread floated around me, threatening to block all the light.

Knots twisted in my stomach, and I fought the urge to tell my maids to leave me alone so I could curl up in a little ball on my bed and cry for a while. If I thought I could get away with that in secret, I’d be tempted to try it. But as it was, half of the maids who were flitting in and out of my rooms were on loan to my family from my betrothed’s household. How would he feel if they took word back that his bride-to-be wasn’t thrilled to marry him today?

I stared at my reflection in the mirror mounted above my dressing table. Another gift from the wealthy Baron I was about to marry. Nani and the others were turning me into someone I hardly recognized. The jewels in my hair were worth more than my family made in a year and the whole thing seemed superfluous. It was all for show. They wanted me to look the part of a Baron’s wife, rather than the daughter of a simple Knight. I knew my pretty face was the only reason this wedding was happening and the thought made me squirm in my chair.

“Kaia.” Nani stopped working on my hair and rested her hands on my shoulders. “Today is a good day. You’ll have an easy life and be cared for.”

I managed a weak smile and set my hand on top of hers. How did I explain that I didn’t want an easy life? I wanted adventure and excitement. I wanted freedom and wind blowing through my hair. How much of that would I get as a Baron’s wife? I knew my future would be entertaining nobles and running a household that was too big. Then, when children came along, I’d have to manage their lives too. My days of riding my horse and climbing trees were over.

“You’ll get used to it,” Nani said, as if she could read my mind.

I sighed, knowing I couldn’t keep anything from her. Nani had been my personal maid since as long as I could remember. Apparently, my mother had hired her after my sister was born to help care for me. She raised me, spending more time with me than either of my parents. I was going to miss her the most when I left this house.

“I don’t want to get used to it,” I said. “Why can’t they marry Rose to the Baron? I’d be happy with a peasant.”

“Hush, Cassia,” Nani chided as she smoothed my curls with her gentle hands.

It was true, I didn’t have the same ambitions as my family. My father was over the moon when he secured this marriage for me. It was a big step up in the social politics of the kingdom of Parlis. I wondered if things were different in any of our neighboring kingdoms?

My family barely counted as nobility since my father had earned his title in the last war with Udena, our neighbor to the south. It cost my family more than we made to keep up the facade of wealth, but my father was willing to do almost anything to play the game of courts and politics. I wanted nothing to do with any of it.

With a heavy sigh, Nani went back to fixing the curls on my head. By the end of the day today, I would be a Baroness and my father would get everything he ever dreamed. My marriage was his ticket to continue to climb the social ladder, his mind set on gaining favor with the king himself. Though, how a Baron was going to grant him that, I didn’t know. Part of me wished my marriage was somewhere far away, in a different kingdom, where he would be less inclined to visit.

A gentle knock on the door broke me from my musings. The activity in the room halted at the sound and every pair of eyes turned to the door.

“Who is it?” I called.

“It’s Rose,” my sister called as she opened the door. She was wearing a grey dress that looked like it was made of liquid silver. The fabric pooled on the ground as she walked softly toward me. While my over the top expensive dress had been a gift from my future husband, I knew hers was paid for by our family. I didn’t want to know what my parents had promised to obtain a dress of such quality.

I scowled at her, feeling heat rise to my cheeks at her presence alone. She was my older sister, yet she was dodging this marriage for reasons that were never explained to me, no matter how many times I insisted that the oldest daughter should be married first.

She liked to tell us she was interested in serving as a priestess in the Moon Temple, but I knew that was never going to happen. She was far too shallow to live a life of simplicity in a remote mountain maiden community. Her rouged cheeks and painted eyes were sign enough for me that her vanity was too great for that role.

I could have used that excuse myself and volunteered to join the maidens, but we all knew I valued my freedom too much. Though, a cloistered life of servitude to a goddess was probably not much different than the requirements of being a Baron’s wife when it came to making my own choices. My best bet was that my husband would travel frequently, giving me the run of the home while he was away.

“What are you doing here, Rose?” I asked.

“Cassia,” Nani scolded.

Rose glided over to me and one of the maids in my room brought her a chair. She sat down so she was across from me and stared at me with her large blue eyes. “Can’t I come to wish my younger sister well before her wedding?”

The words came out as sweet as sugar, but I knew better. I wasn’t sure exactly why she treated me as a rival, I certainly never wanted the same things that she did, but that was all I remembered of our childhood. Rose constantly trying to outdo me, making me feel inferior. Fixing my best smile on my lips, I reached my hand out and set it on top of hers. My whole life, I’d dreamed of something greater than the manor we’d grown up in. So had Rose. Though I wanted adventure and new worlds, whereas she wanted riches and luxury. Despite the fact that we were so different, in the end, we both just wanted out. Away from our parents and on to better things. Who knew, I might even miss her when I was gone. “Thank you, dear sister.”

Her lips twitched, her smile faltering for a fraction of a second. She was thrown off by my sudden kindness, but only for a moment. Quickly, she composed herself and clasped my offered hand in between her own. “I can’t believe my little sister will be a woman today.”

She leaned in, eyes sparkling with excitement. Gold curls fell in front of her face, but she ignored them. Looking at her was better than looking in a mirror. Everyone said we could have been twins. I think that was part of why she disliked having me around. If I’d been ugly, maybe she could have loved me.

“Are you prepared for tonight?” she whispered, as if she wanted to offer me advice.

“Lady Rose,” Nani chided. “You shouldn’t speak of such things.”

Rose giggled, then let go of my hand. “I hear the first time hurts.”

“It does, Lady Cassia, but it will not hurt long,” Nani offered. “I’m all finished and you look like a queen.”

Rose’s lips twitched again and I smiled. Her discomfort was sign enough that Nani’s skilled fingers had excelled once again. I had no doubt that I would look beautiful today with Nani’s help.

“Here.” Nani held up a silver hand mirror for me and I took it from her.

My eyes widened at the sight. She’d woven my long blonde hair into a crown on top of my head. Tiny wildflowers added hints of bright yellow and green. Jewels the color of champagne and berries added sparkle wherever the light touched.

At my request, she’d kept my face as my own, no added color to my lips or charcoal under my eyes. But she’s dusted my cheeks with a fine powder that made my face shimmer in the light. “I look like a faerie.”

“Hush now,” Nani said, giving me a stern look.

I’d grown up on Nani’s story about the faeries that lived in the other realm. It had been so long since anyone had seen them, that many people, including my sister, Rose, thought they were just a myth or at least extinct.

Whether or not they were real, I enjoyed the stories so much that the world had stuck with me. Immortal beings of immeasurable beauty who could control the elements sounded like an ideal way to escape. Rose, on the other hand had always fixated on the darker parts of the faerie stories that Nani told us.

Our parents, didn’t like the stories at all. They wanted us to be educated only in the things that would help us gain husbands and encouraged us to keep our heads away from daydreams. And here I was, on my wedding day, making all of their dreams come true.

Two of my maids carried over the gown that had been an early bridal gift from the family I was about to marry into. The bodice was beaded and covered in jewels, probably making it the heaviest thing I’d ever worn. The skirts were made of shimmering iridescent gold fabric that reminded me of the fabric on Rose’s dress. I wondered if it was the same material, but I had never spent much time learning the names of fabrics.

As if reading my mind, Rose touched the bottom of my dress as my maids held it up for me. “This is excellent quality silk, Cassia.” She stood, and smoothed the wrinkles out of her own dress. “Like mine.”

Another girl might get angry with her own sister trying to upstage her on her wedding day. I wasn’t that kind of girl. The only thing that bothered me about Rose’s dress, was the amount of time it was going to take my family to pay for it.

I had a feeling the move was calculated, seen as an investment by our parents. I wondered how much of my own wedding was a trap set for unwed members of the Baron’s social circle. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if my marriage was a set up to help get a better husband for my sister. She was the oldest, after all, and would inherit our family’s estate. The second child wasn’t as important in the grand scheme of things. I tried to push these thoughts from my mind. I shouldn’t care what my parents were plotting. I was about to be running my own household. At least I’d get my wish of getting away from here. Even if it wasn’t exactly as I dreamed.

I carefully stepped into my wedding gown and my maids slid it up my body. The dress felt like water against my skin. It was so smooth and luxurious that even the extra weight of the fabric didn’t bother me. Practiced fingers worked through all the buttons that went up the back of the dress until I was sealed up in the gown that was to bind me to one man for the rest of my days. I tried to ignore the tightness in my chest. Wasn’t I supposed to be happy today? The Baron wasn’t an unattractive man. He seemed nice enough, but the closer we got, the more I felt like a wolf who’d been broken to act like a dog. In some ways, I wondered why I wasn’t more like Rose. I never quite fit in, which made it harder for me. Things would be easier if I just accepted it or got excited about it like a girl my age was supposed to do.

I turned, and the skirts of my gown moved with me in a whisper of swirling threads. I had to admit, it was stunning. I ran my fingers over the details in the bodice and down to the flowing fabric at my waist and took a deep breath. Wearing this made everything feel so real. This was actually happening. Perhaps I could convince myself that everything would be alright in the end.

Nani set her hands on my shoulder and pressed her cheek against mine. “You look beautiful, like the autumn sunrise. I’ve never been so proud of you in all my life.”

The words were sweet, but it hurt a little at how much everyone was getting worked up about today. My only jobs were to look pretty, smile, and say the words at the wedding ceremony. To me, I wasn’t doing anything grand or significant, unless you took into account the alliance and financial benefits this would bring to my family. I managed a weak smile, and nodded.

Nani gave me a small hug, clearly trying to avoid ruining my hair or wrinkling my dress. She backed away and stared lovingly at my face. I wondered if she was memorizing what I looked like. I was doing the same thing, wondering what life would be like without her telling me what to do and helping me with every aspect of my day. She would stay here, to remain in my parents’ household, while I was surrounded by strangers starting tomorrow. That was the one thing I had requested in all of this, to spend the wedding night in my own home.

It was tradition to have the wedding at the bride’s home, so some households allowed their daughter one more night in her childhood bed. Other families, insisted that the bride and groom be swept away to his home that very evening.

Since the Baron’s estate was nearly a full day’s ride by horseback, I was granted the evening to rest here in my home. I wasn’t sure if the Baron would feel comfortable coming into my room tonight. I hoped he wouldn’t, even though I knew once the ceremony was complete, it would be his right as my husband. The whole thing made my stomach twist into knots again. If only there were something I could do that didn’t involve living on a secluded mountaintop surrounded by other women for the rest of my existence.

Another knock on the door caused all the chatter in the room to cease. Blood thrummed in my ears and I held my breath for a moment as the doorknob turned. I knew it had to be time.

My mother stood framed by the door, her face solemn. She wore a dress of deep blue trimmed in ivory, our house colors. Her once golden hair, now streaked with gray, was intricately woven into a braid on top of her head. She looked stunning, an older version of my sister and myself.

She took a few steps into the room and stopped in front of me, clasping her hands at her waist. “You look beautiful, Cassia. You will make your family proud today.”

“Thank you, Mother.” My tongue felt dry, as if I’d swallowed sand.

She offered her arm and I took it, letting her lead me to the gathered crowd waiting in our gardens. By sunset, I would be a Baroness and I felt like a flame burning within me was being snuffed out.

CHAPTER TWO

“You could appear more cheerful,” my mother said as we walked from my room toward the grand staircase.

With one arm looped through my mom’s elbow, I held my dress up with the other to prevent stepping on it as we descended the stairway. I turned to my mother and smiled. My stomach was still too nervous to form any coherent words.

At the bottom of the stairs my father waited for us. He wore a velvet tunic and I could see the perspiration shining on his face. Medals were hung on his chest and he wore the red sash of the royal knights.

My family had come from a long line of merchants, some of the wealthiest in the land. The comfort provided by several generations of successful business wasn’t enough for my father. He had to have the status that went with it even if it cost him multiple generations of his family’s hard earned wealth to reach it.

“Darling,” my father offered his hand to me, palm up, and I set my fingers tentatively in his grasp. “You look beautiful.”

I curtsied, and moved forward, allowing him to lead me to the front door. “Thank you, Father.”

“I know this isn’t what you want to be doing. I know how much you value your freedom. And that’s my fault, I was too lenient as a father.”

“That’s not true,” I objected.

My father held up his hand indicating that he wanted me to stop talking. I clamped my mouth shut.

“Since I was away for most of your youth, you were given time to do things that most young ladies don’t. All of the time spent in the fields riding your horse without a chaperone present, all of that interacting with peasants and farmhands.”

“They were my friends,” I said. The wound was still fresh, even though it had been over a year since my father had forbade me from speaking with any of the people that were below us in his newly acquired rank. I had disobeyed a few times, but my father knew too well that if he punished me, I would only continue to disobey. Instead, he threatened those around us for violating his rule. After that, none of my childhood playmates were willing to risk spending any time with me.

“I know you think I’ve been tough on you, Cassia.” My father turned my chin so I was forced to look at him in the eye. “But I do care for you, in the best way I can. And that is why I have come to an arrangement with your soon-to-be husband.”

I straightened, the tiniest flicker of hope trying to break through the unease I felt. “What kind of arrangement?”

“You will be permitted to continue your riding,” my father said. “Without a chaperone once you have grown accustomed to your new home. It took some negotiation on my part, but I was able to convince him that if he wants a happy wife, allowing you a taste of freedom on occasion would be in his best interest.”

Coming from my father, this was the best gift he could ever give. I let go of his hand and gave him a hug. The kind of hug I hadn’t given him in years, not since I was a small child. He wasn’t used to physical affection, and at first he tensed at the touch. But then his shoulders relaxed and he reached one arm around me and patted me gently on the back. That was about as good as it got from him.

I let go of my father and stepped back, lifting my chin higher. If I could be given time alone, away from the confines of daily life, just a little taste of freedom every now and then, maybe I would be able to survive this marriage. I might even find my own peace there.

“He’s a good man,” my father added. “He won’t hurt you. Please, try to make him a little happy.”

My cheeks flushed and I hoped my father wasn’t referring to the same thing that my sister had referred to earlier today. But there was no way I was going to ask him for clarification. Instead, I took his hand again and took a deep breath.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said, feigning confidence.

My father nodded to the servants stationed on either side of the doors. The men stepped forward, and opened them wide so that both of us could pass through the doors together.

Soft late afternoon sunshine filtered past the doors, illuminating the entryway. In front of us, the entire world was covered in a warm, golden glow.

It was a spectacular late summer day and no bride could have hoped for a better evening to celebrate her wedding. I licked my lips in anticipation and ignored my racing heart as my father guided me out of our house onto our manicured lawn.

Rose petals lined our way, trimmed with boughs of pine tied with gold ribbons to form a walkway. The smell was intoxicating, filling the air with the last remains of summer intermingling with the first taste of autumn.

I didn’t plan a single detail for my wedding, but this is exactly what I would have chosen. A rush of gratitude surged through me as I considered the fact as much as I wanted to get away from them, and as I often disliked my sister, she and my mother had worked together to create something beautiful for me.

With each step, the gathered crowd drew nearer and I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. After three more heartbeats, heads started to turn toward us, as a low murmur sounded in the distance. Then the crowd stood in anticipation of our arrival.

The path of rose petals cut an aisle through the crowd that led to my fate. I let my body take over, allowing my mind to detach from the moment. If I over thought this, I might not make it through. But this was my future, this was for my family, and this was better than I could hope for as the youngest daughter. I should be grateful. I tried to be grateful.

As we walked between the waiting visitors, I felt like I wasn’t even there. Like I was watching a stranger walk to her waiting groom. Ahead, I saw an archway that had been erected for us. The wooden frame woven with pine and roses, matching the path I’d just taken. A man stood under the archway, waiting for me. He was a stranger and this was the first time I’d seen him up close. The day my father and he met to agree on my marriage, I’d watched from my bedroom window as he exited our home. He’d turned and looked at me for a second, giving me a chance to see his face, before climbing atop his steed.

I studied his face and realized he was younger than I’d originally thought. He was clean shaven, with a shadow of dark hair that was already trying to grow back over a strong jaw. His skin was tanned from the sun and he had deep brown eyes. Straight black hair was pulled into a tail at the base of his head. He was a handsome man, and likely less than ten years older than me. I should consider myself lucky. Perhaps, being married to him wasn’t going to be so bad.

We stopped in front of the waiting baron and the high priest who was here to bind us under the eyes of the gods. My father kissed my cheek before passing my hand to the stranger who would be my husband for eternity. There were no second chances on marriage. This was my one chance. My chest constricted again and I took shallow breaths as my betrothed guided me to my place under the archway.

“Breathe, Cassia,” he whispered as he flashed a smile. “I’m just as nervous as you. Just think of me as Aaron, ignore the titles, I’m no different than you.”

His words made me relax, just a little, and I managed an actual smile as I took my place next to him.

The priest lifted his hands, indicating the start of the ceremony and I heard the rustle of fabric and creaking of chairs as the guests took their seats.

The next several minutes flew by as a priest completed the ceremony by setting a pair of matching floral wreathes on our heads. We turned toward each other in preparation for saying the words of commitment. My mouth was dry, my palms were sweaty as the priest set my hands into those of the man who would be my husband as soon as we said our words.

The baron stared into my eyes and I realized he looked just as timid as I felt. This was new to him, too. We might be strangers, but perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

He opened his mouth to speak, but I couldn’t hear the words as a roar broke through the gardens. My ears rang, and I feared I was losing my mind. Then, I realized the sound wasn’t in my head. It wasn’t my own fear taking over.

The baron dropped my hands and turned away from me, I followed his gaze and froze in fear at the sight in front of us.

Behind me, I could hear screams from our guests and mass commotion of tipping chairs and running people competed against another roar from the creature standing in front of us. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the beast, it was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

Hovering above us, flapping large leathery wings, the monster most closely resembled an overgrown bat that gained the ability to walk upright. It had leathery skin with splotches of fur in places it didn’t belong. It had a snout that protruded from its face filled with large, pointed teeth. Drool dribbled down its jaw onto its hairy chest. Yellow eyes fixed on me and it tossed its head back before releasing another roar.

Next to me, the baron was the first to regain control of his functions. He took off running, followed by the priest. I stood alone, still frozen in terror as I stared down the creature in front of me. It spread wide, leathery wings in front of me. They were lined with veins and nearly transparent. Then, the creature dropped to the ground, landing on all fours, wings still spread wide as it scurried toward me.

“Cassia!”

I turned my head to see Rose calling for me. She was waving frantically trying to get my attention.

“Cassia, run!”

I glanced back at the approaching beast, to find that it was no longer focused on me. Instead, it had turned its gaze upon my sister. It lunged forward taking wide steps made longer by gliding on its massive wings. Snapping its jaws, the beast headed right for my sister.

Something inside me clawed at my skin, as if trying to get out. It was as if I had my own beast that wouldn’t stand for this. My sister might drive me crazy most of the time, but she was the only one I had. Fire roared to life within me and without thinking, I chased after the monster.

Somehow, I was able to reach my sister before the creature did and I shoved her out of the way, taking her place.

The beast reared when it approached me, rising up to its full height. Clawed forearms reached for me slashing through the air. I ducked away from them but not in time to prevent damage. The beast managed to grab my side, dragging its claws through my beautiful gown tearing a split right down the side. It was a wonder it didn’t break the skin.

I glanced over at my sister to see her crawling away from the creature. No one else was around, everyone had fled. None of the knights, none of the merchants, none of the brave hunters had stayed to face off against this creature. I was on my own.

[image error] It’s Release Week! Shades of Fae is Live!

I am so excited about this week’s launch of the Shades of Fae multi-author box set! There are 23 amazing full-length novels in the set and it’s only .99 this week!

Hunted, book one of a brand new series, is exclusively in this set for the next 3 months. Keep reading to get a peek at chapter one.

Make sure you download your copy of the Shades of Fae box set before the price goes up!

AMAZON: https://tinyurl.com/amazonfae

ITUNES: https://tinyurl.com/ishadesoffae

BN: https://tinyurl.com/BNshadesoffae

The bell on the door chimed and I set down the glass I was washing. “Kitchen’s closed if you’re looking for food. Last call for drinks in five minutes.”

The newcomer brushed the snow off of his dark coat, then lowered the hood.

For a moment, my eyes widened and my lips parted in surprise before I caught myself. Needing an excuse to turn away, I picked the glass back up and put it on the shelf behind me. My hands trembled and I tucked them in my apron pocket before I turned around to face him.

I was met by violet eyes staring at me. His long blonde hair hung loosely around his angular face. He was stunning. One of the most beautiful faces I’d ever seen. I blinked, breaking my eyes away from his, reminding myself he wasn’t human, and he was dangerous.

The Fae set something on the bar top, then sat down at a stool. I glanced down and saw that the object he’d set down was a long iron stake. My heart thundered in my chest. Not only was he Fae, he carried the tool of a hunter. Alarm bells were blaring in my head as I thought back to everything I’d done to cover my trail over the last seven years. I’d built a home here. Nobody knew I was here illegally. Nobody knew I was half dark fae, escaped from the Dark Realm.

“Never seen an iron stake before?”

My eyes were still locked on the object on the counter. I shook my head and looked up at the Fae. “No, not in real life.”

That was a lie, of course. In my father’s court in the Dark Realm, iron stakes were used to keep his subjects in a constant state of fear.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “They’re only deadly to those with Fae blood.”

“Like you?” The words left my mouth before I could think them through.

He smiled, then pulled off his gloves, setting them on top of the stake. “You’re astute for a human.”

“Mage.” I shrugged my shoulders, thankful that my mother had been a mage. It was a good excuse for covering up my occasional slip ups when I did something that humans shouldn’t be able to do. The magic I used to mask my dark fae heritage kept me from giving off any magical signature so I often let on that I was human. In this case, it was better if he knew I had some magic just in case I slipped.

He nodded, then leaned in closer to me.

I held my breath and the hair on my arms stood on end at his closeness.

“Any chance I can get something from the kitchen? Even a cold sandwich?” He winked.

I let out a nervous relief sound that resembled a laugh. He probably thought I was flirting with him, which was fine by me. Taking a deep breath, I smiled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Escaping to the kitchen was a relief after being so close to a hunter. It was the first time I’d seen a hunter alive. In my father’s court in the Dark Realm, captured hunters were decapitated, their heads left on spikes outside the palace walls.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to shake the memories of my prior life. When I left there, I wasn’t sure what I was doing. It had been the day after my older sister had been killed. She was three days away from her twenty-fifth birthday, the age when our father no longer owned us according to dark fae law.

My father had never had a single half-fae child that made it to that age and I never thought I’d live to see my twenty-fifth birthday. Now that I was six months away, the only thing I wanted was to stay hidden until I was old enough. I just needed to stay alive and out of the Dark Realm for six more months. A hunter in my place of work wasn’t a good sign. Right now, I just needed to keep him happy and get him to leave.

The kitchen was empty, the cook sent home two hours ago when we stopped food service. I walked past the line toward the walk-in cooler and stepped inside. There had to be something I could throw together so he would eat, and go away.

On the bottom shelf, I spotted a few boxes of cheesecake and pulled one of them out. I’d been working at Lou’s bar for five years, starting out as a server, which meant I’d made all the desserts any of my tables ordered. It was the only thing I knew how to make in the kitchen.

“Jess, is that you?” Lou called out from his office.

“Just me,” I said.

He came around the corner and stopped next to the counter. He wore a baseball cap over his dark hair which looked out of place with the slacks and the oxford shirt he was wearing. At least he’d taken off the tie.

Lou was only a few years older than me and had inherited this bar from his father, also named Lou. They were one of the few human families that moved to Realm’s Gate after the Dragon Queen’s Awakening which led to supernatural beings forced out into the open.

The chaos that followed in the wake of the battle with the Dragon Queen was also what allowed me to sneak out of the Dark Realm with few complications. It seemed like so much longer than seven years ago.

Despite being human, and despite being almost as new to Realm’s Gate as me, Lou never seemed out of place here. It was his home and this bar was the most important thing to him.

Lou looked at the cheesecake on the plate in front of me. “Your roommate back from her trip?”

I laughed. Lou had been flirting with my roommate for years but still couldn’t get up the confidence to ask her out. “No, she’s gone for a few more weeks.” I lowered my voice to a whisper. “Hunter, he asked for food.”

“You sure he’s a hunter?” Lou asked.

I nodded. “Iron stake and all.”

“Huh.” Lou walked past me to the kitchen doors, pushing them open.

I wasn’t sure why he wanted to go talk to the hunter, but maybe it meant that I’d be able to clock out and let Lou take over serving him. Even in Realm’s Gate, the largest city of magical beings in the country, hunters were rare.

After I put the cheesecake box back in the walk-in, I carried the slice I’d plated back to the bar.

Lou sat on a stool next to the hunter and the two of them were engaged in a conversation that looked like it had been going on for hours. Lou was just one of those people who everybody liked and he was good at striking up conversations, well, with the exception of my roommate, Paige. In fact, in the years of working for him, I’d nearly slipped and told him the truth once or twice. I’d made it a rule to never drink around him. You didn’t want to lower your inhibitions around Lou if you had something to hide. He didn’t do it on purpose, he was just a people-person. He’d talk to anyone.

“Hope you like cheesecake,” I said as I set the plate down in front of the hunter, careful to avoid the iron stake.

“Thanks, Jess,” the hunter said.

My skin prickled and I blinked at him a few times. “I never told you my name.”

The hunter slapped Lou on the back. “Lou was telling me all about your first week as a waitress.”

Lou and the hunter laughed as if sharing an inside joke. My first week had been miserable, I was lucky to still have a job after making the mistakes I had, but I didn’t understand how it became the topic of conversation.

“That’s nice. And your name is?” I didn’t have Lou’s people skills. Without taking my eyes off of him, I grabbed a roll of silverware from the stack under the bar and held it out.

The hunter smiled and took the silverware from me. “It’s Roan.”

“He’s an actual hunter,” Lou said the same way someone might revere a famous rock star.

I shifted my weight and crossed my arms over my chest. “Yeah, I figured that out.”

Hunters used to operate in the shadows, but a few years ago, they were given special permits to do their jobs within the confines of human law enforcement.

Humans didn’t like sending in their people against criminals who were immortal by their standards. So, in came the hunters. With the power of both the supernatural world and the human world in their hands. In my opinion, it was taking things too far and I didn’t trust any supernatural being who was willing to work enforcing the laws of humans.

“He’s after an illegal supernatural being.” Lou’s face lit up like a small child learning curse words for the first time.

My blood ran cold. Why was the hunter telling Lou that?

Before I could say anything, Lou started talking again, but I didn’t hear what he was saying. I was too worried that Roan was here for me.

Lou laughed at something he’d said and Roan joined in. I smiled at them, trying to pretend like I’d heard the joke.

“Thanks for the food,” Roan said, wiping his mouth on the napkin. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket.

“No need,” Lou said. “On the house. Stop by any time.”

“That’s very kind of you,” Roan said. He pulled a few bills out and set them on the counter in front of me, then winked. “Thanks, Jess.”

Words failed me as I watched him walk out the front door.

[image error]It’s been almost a year since the last Illaria book came out. I had to take a break from the series for a while, but now I’m ready to dive back in! To prepare, I’ll be re-reading all three of the Illaria books so I can get myself in the right head space for reuniting with these characters. I’m looking forward to going back to Illaria and completing Etta’s story.

Right now, I’m in the outlining and planning stage, but I’ll start writing it very soon. These books took me a lot longer to write than the urban fantasy books I’ve written. I’m not sure how much of that was experience and how much of that was the fact that I find the Illaria books a bit more complicated to write due to the varied plot lines and the way the characters interact.

As soon as I have a completed first draft, I’ll get the pre-order up on Amazon, so I can share an exact release date. In the meantime, I hope the cover (isn’t it amazing?!) and this preview of book four can help ease the wait.

Now, this is the place where you need to stop reading if you haven’t read the other books. I’m serious. I wrote the first few chapters of book four a week or so after publishing book three, so it picks up right where it left off. This is spoiler filled. Very spoiler-filled. If you have read the books and you’d prefer to wait until book four comes out, you won’t want to click either.

Last chance. Don’t keep reading if you don’t want to know what is going to happen.

Still with me?

Sure you want to read this?

Yes?

Okay, then!

Here is the current chapter one of book four. Please keep in mind, this hasn’t been edited, and it could change before the final draft is ready to publish.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I hope you enjoy the sneak peek!

Chapter 1: Ashton

Ashton sat up and squeezed his hands over his ears. Head throbbing, mouth dry, surrounded by darkness. Where am I? Pressing his palms to his eyes, he tried to clear his vision. It was still dark. From somewhere in the distance came the sound of dripping water. The ground was cold stone.

He tried to ignite his fire, and the flames would not come. Since he’d learned to use his powers as a child, he’d never failed to call to fire. Panic rose up inside him. Without his magic, how would he get out of here? On hands and knees, he felt his way forward. An outstretched hand felt something smooth. A bar. He was in a cell somewhere. Gripping a bar in each hand, he pressed his face into the gap between them, trying to make out anything that might tell him where he was. Everything was black.

He slumped down, leaning against the wall next to the bars. Resting his elbows on his knees, he held his head with his hands. The last thing he remembered was running toward Saffron, then a cloud of black rising around him. Saffron. Was she here?

“Saffron?” he whispered.

Nothing.

“Saffron?” he spoke louder this time.

After a moment, he heard a small reply. “Ashton? Is that you?”

He turned and gripped the bars again, squinting into the black. “I’m in a cell.”

“Me too,” she said. “Are you hurt?”

He looked down but couldn’t even see his own hands in front of his face. “I don’t think so. But I don’t have my magic.”

There was a long pause. “Saffron?”

“I’m here, Ashton.”

Ashton tried again to call to his flames, hoping that the first failure had been a mistake. Again, nothing. He let out a frustrated cry and slammed his palm against the bar. Pain shot through his hand to his wrist and through his arm. He shook his hand. That was stupid.

“You alright?” Saffron asked.

“Fine.” He rubbed his wrist. “Where are we?”

“I’m not sure. I woke up a few minutes ago.”

Footsteps sounded from somewhere beyond his cell. Ashton glanced into the darkness and saw the light of a torch headed his way. It illuminated a figure he didn’t recognize. As it drew closer, she came into view. He squeezed the bars in his hands. Nora.

A long black dress trailed across the ground as she walked. She stopped in front of Ashton and held up her torch to illuminate his face. She was inches from him. He stared at her. She looked so different from how she had looked on the battlefield. Her hair was piled on top of her head in a mess of ringlets. Her mouth was set in a line, eyes hard. How long had he been passed out here?

Her lips curled into a smile. “Hello, Ashton, nice to see you again.”

Heat rose in his chest, and he pressed his face further into the bars. “What am I doing here?”

“You’re here as my guest,” she said.

“Is this how you treat all of your guests?” Ashton asked.

“Until I know you can behave yourself, you’ll stay down here.”

“What do you want with us?” Ashton asked.

Nora glanced behind her then looked back at Ashton. “So she’s awake, too?” The smile faded from her lips. “You’re here because you were always Max’s favorite. I don’t think he’d be happy with me if I didn’t give you one last chance to join us.”

Ashton squeezed the bars harder. “Max is dead.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “If he were dead, I’d have no reason to keep you.”

That didn’t make any sense. Why would Max want Ashton around? Especially after he’d driven a sword through his chest. He couldn’t be alive, could he?

“Did you make your father raise him from the dead?” Ashton’s voice came out defiant. No matter what Max had done to him, nobody deserved to be made into a slave after death.

“I’m not my father,” she sneered.

“Where are we?” he asked. “And what did you do to me?”

“If you’re referring to your loss of magic, it’s because you’re in the dungeon at the Order of the Dragon. The cells were specially made to keep fire sorcerers from using their powers.” She raised her hand. “See? Even I can’t make any fire down here.” She lifted the torch. “Only reason any self-respecting fire sorcerer would be carrying one of these things.”

“Let Saffron go,” Ashton said. “There’s no reason for her to be here. Max wouldn’t want her locked up.”

The smile returned to her face. “That’s true. Max seems to have a soft spot for his first love. She’s not here for him. She’s here for me. I’m not sure how I’ll get rid of her yet, but you can bet it will be slow and painful.”

“What is wrong with you?” Ashton asked.

“Wrong question, Ashton.” Her eyes flashed, and she bared her teeth. “The question you should be asking is: how long can a fire sorcerer stay down here before he loses his powers completely?”

Before Ashton could respond, she turned and walked away from the cell, boot heels clicking over the stone hallway as she left. The door slammed behind her, and they were again immersed in darkness.

Ashton felt like the walls were closing in on him and his breathing was rapid. Pacing in a small circle, he ran his hands through his hair. She has to be bluffing. This cell can’t make me lose my powers forever. Can it?

Saffron’s voice drifted through the darkness. “Ashton?”

He swallowed his fear and felt his way to the front of the cell. “I’m here.”

“Was that the king’s daughter?” Her voice was strained. Ashton rarely heard her lose composure. Should he lie to her? Tell her something that would be more comforting? No, she’d want the truth.

“It was,” he said.

Ashton stood in the empty black cell, waiting for her to speak. The silence was suffocating. After several moments, he realized she wasn’t going to say anything. He should say something to her. How many times had Saffron been there for him? She’d patched up his skinned knees and battled against him with wooden swords.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “We’re going to get out of here. Somehow.”

“No,” she said. “We’re going to die in here.”

Ashton felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Saffron had never given up before. “Don’t say that,” he said. “I’m going to get us both out of here.”

“Ashton,” her voice was soft. “I’ve lost a lot of blood. I can’t tell if it’s stopped or not. Even if it has, infection is going to set in without proper care. I’m not going to be leaving this cell.”

“Don’t say things like that,” Ashton grabbed the bars and tried to shake them. “Don’t you dare give up on me. I’m getting us out of here.”

“Saffron,” Ashton yelled. “Do you hear me? Don’t you dare give up on me.”

Silence greeted Ashton. He lowered his voice. “You can’t leave me.”

After what felt like minutes, Saffron whispered her reply. “I’ll do my best, Ashton, but I can’t make any promises.”

He no longer felt tired. A rush of energy flowed through him, and he began circling the cell, hands on the walls. He felt every inch, trying to find a weakness, anything. With a yell of frustration, he sunk back onto the floor. There wasn’t any way out of here. Without his magic, he felt useless. He’d been reliant on it for so long. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyes. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

It was a week before his tenth birthday, and he was playing in the woods with some of the other kids from the Raven camp. One of the older boys had pushed him, knocking him down. When he stood, the older boy knocked him down again. Ashton tried to laugh it off, but the boy kept pushing him. He’d felt heat rising in his body but thought it was nothing more than frustration. Using the anger that was driven by the heat, he lunged at the other boy before he realized that his hands were on fire. The other boy nearly died from the burns.

After that incident, none of the other kids wanted to play with him anymore. A few days later, he decided he had to leave. The night he packed up a bag to run away, Max was standing outside his tent. From that night on, he’d been Ashton’s mentor. He was the only person that Ashton felt really understood him. How had things changed so much from that day? What had happened to the Max he knew? It was like he wasn’t even the same person anymore. Max had always been arrogant, but somewhere along the way, he’d turned into a monster.

Monster or no, Max had been there for Ashton and guilt pressed in on his chest making it difficult to breathe. How had Ashton put a sword through his teacher’s chest? Didn’t that make him just as bad as Max? Ashton tried to shake the memory of Max’s shocked expression. It was the look of betrayal. Maybe Ashton deserved to be in this cell. He ran his hands through his hair and tried to collect himself. He’d done it to save Etta. The Max he’d known as a child would never have tried to kill his own sister. The old Max was dead, one way or another.

I’m so excited about this new series that will launch in February. Book 1 is finished and out with my review team. Book 2 is coming together nicely, and I’m starting to think ahead to Book 3. It’s a fun new world that I’ll be writing in for a while. The super fun part is that it’s the same world where my book for the upcoming box set, Shades of Fae, is set. Stay tuned for updates on that and my other upcoming books!

Look for it on Amazon mid February!

Remember how I’ve said I tend to procrastinate a bit while editing? Well, thanks to that, here comes a new blog post!

I’m wrapping up round 2 of editing and will start on round 3 today – that’s the first round where I make changes to the draft on my computer. It’s a big step, and once I hit that phase, it isn’t long before I’m ready to publish.

However, I’m also going to be writing 3-4 new chapters for this book. I have a tendency to do a hard stop at the end of the climax and end the book. Then, after editing and getting some feedback from editors/critique partners, I add in the final resolution of the story. It’s almost like I need time to process what the ending should be after going through the emotional ups and downs of writing a climax in a book.

This book was a bit of a roller coaster to write. I think second books in a series are harder than the first in a series. I definitely went through all the emotions while writing this book. The climax was a blast to write. Probably one of my favorite things I’ve written so far. Which could be another factor as to why I stopped right when it ended and said “done.” Even though I knew I’d come back to it and write a few chapters after the fact.

The new chapters are a reward for me, though, something to look forward to doing after I finish round 3 of edits.

Now, if you’ve followed me on social media or read my other posts, you know how I feel about editing. I’m working on changing my mindset around this part of the process, so it feels less like work. I wonder if part of my stress around editing is the fact that it is similar to what I do for my day job as a teacher. How often am I giving notes on papers that students write? For me, writing is my creative outlet. Editing starts to feel similar to what I do for “work” whereas, writing doesn’t. It’s the fun part.

With that in mind, I’m working to shift my thinking around editing so I can start to view it as an integral part of the process and consider the benefit I get from editing.

When I edit, I get a larger view of the overall story. That’s a huge benefit since I don’t allow myself to edit as I write. I also get to see the places I can improve my work as a writer, and I get to see the progress I’ve made from one work to the next. Honestly, editing is a wonderful thing because it’s where the story starts to come together on its own. It’s how I take an idea and turn it into a living thing, giving it an identity. Without editing, it’s not fully formed. In the end, as much as I fight it, editing is pretty magical.

They say that when you do things you enjoy, you complete them faster. When I write, I typically get through 2,000 words in an hour. I love writing. It gives me energy and recharges me. When I edit, I move much slower. It seems to take forever. I’m working on getting to the point where I can appreciate and start to enjoy editing so I’m not spending a month on every project when I reach that stage. We’ll see how it goes on the next book since I’m going to work on my mindset from the very beginning of the process.

Okay, procrastination done. On to round 3 edits – the ones that start making the changes!