To save the Faery world and her mother’s life, Lorelei sacrificed everything, and the dangerous bargain she made in Nevermore had lasting repercussions. Now safely back in her own world, Lorelei seems the same to her highschool friends and her supernatural boyfriend.
Release Date: March 24th, 2015
To save the Faery world and her mother’s life, Lorelei sacrificed everything, and the dangerous bargain she made in Nevermore had lasting repercussions. Now safely back in her own world, Lorelei seems the same to her highschool friends and her supernatural boyfriend.
Yet love across dimensions is complicated, especially when an invisible Veil between the two worlds—the only bridge that links the pair, is sealing, threatening to separate Lorelei and Adrius forever.
Determined to find a solution, Lorelei resorts to using her new found powers.
But when her friends succumb to the same mysterious illness that nearly took her mother’s life, Lorelei can’t help but wonder if her own dark magic is responsible.
Still, the nightmares from Nevermore continue their icy hold. Someone from Adrius’s past arrives, determined to destroy Lorelei’s world starting with those closest to her, and Lorelei is forced to choose between her family and friends and a love that was ill-fated from the start.
Adventure wasn’t something Lorelei Alundra was interested in. Gifted with two otherworldly talents for singing and healing, she’s always shied away from her gifts and the spotlight, preferring quiet anonymity, over attention and fame. But when she meets the enigmatic Adrius, with his dark and dangerous mystique and eyes that peer into her soul, her uneventful life becomes irrevocably altered.
Adrius turns up in every one of her classes and knows more about her than any newcomer should. Including the condition of her mother who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Accepting his offer to help leads her into a terrifying and thrilling world, where Elves are even hotter than Legolas, and Faeries.... are nothing like Tinkerbell. Lose the butterfly wings and add a tattoo. The two magical beings are fire and ice opposites. One Lorelei can’t help falling for, and the other she's compelled to be with.
Now she’s trapped in their world, expected to prevent a war between witches and faeries, or forfeit her mother’s life. Nothing is what it seems. Not her family. Not the Fey. Not even Adrius, whose feelings for her balance precariously between danger and desire.
As secrets unravel and unsettling truths are revealed, Lorelei must fight to save much more than her mother’s life. One mistake could put the fate of his world— and her soul, in jeopardy.
But hey, no pressure… right.
“Stay. Just…. Stay.” The second I said it I felt awful. What was I asking? I knew he couldn’t stay, that he needed to return to his world to stay alive in mind.
Since the night of the dance we’d carefully stayed away from discussing our little predicament. We were still at a standoff. He couldn’t live in my world without magical aids to keep him alive, because of the toxic nature of our polluted air, and I couldn’t go back to his world, because of a bunch of angry beings trying to kill me. That left us here. He would have to return to his world and refuel, to come back to mine. How long the potions lasted depended upon how much stress he was under. Physical exertion, extreme emotions all used up the reserve more quickly. Then there was the issue of his still being tied to Venus, the daughter of the ice witch I killed. A curse had caused his forced fealty to her. Killing the witch was not only supposed to save Mythlandria from her destructive wrath, it was also supposed to free Adrius of the curse that bound him to the ice witch’s commands. Who knew there was a daughter who would take over the bonds, and that she was also his ex-girlfriend.
Now she wants me dead in payment for killing her mother, and as a bonus, I’d be out of the way so she could get Adrius back in her life. That he could come here at all means the curse is weakening. I want his freedom, but at which price? Was I willing to kill for it? I’d have to end her life as well if I was going to destroy the bonds. And I wasn’t a killer. Even Octăhvia’s death was more of an accident than intended. I had no idea what awakening the magic would do, or how to wield it. This arrangement seemed like our only option, for now. And while I hated to see him leave, there was something comforting in being able to pretend that my life was normal again. As normal as it ever was. I could enjoy being back home with friends and back at school which surprisingly enough, I’d missed. It’s amazing how coming to the edge of your life multiple times will make even the most mundane routines a welcomed change.
“Think about what you’re asking me,” he said. “You know why I have to leave.”
He watched me suck in a breath of regret, as I wished I could take back my self-serving plea.
Pain creased his eyes. “Sleep soundly, Lorelei,” was all he said. He kissed the top of my head and turned to go.
The tense set of his jaw revealed the effort it took to leave. I watched him walk away, biting down on my lower lip until he reached the driveway.
“How am I supposed to sleep?” My voice was almost too quiet to be heard over the howling wind. But his hearing surpassed most mortal’s.
“Warm milk with honey works well,” he answered my whisper, his back still facing me. “It helps with the night terrors too,” he added.
“You know that’s not what I meant.” I moved closer, descending one step at a time until my bare feet hit the cold of the pavement.
Adrius froze. Electric pulses crackled between us.
“I was talking about sleeping without you. Here.”
“You’ve managed to do it before,” he said cautiously, the strain of his resolve vibrating in his voice.
“I know. But—“
This was wrong. It was selfish. How could I ask him to stay, when I know that leaving is what would keep him alive to return to me?
“I’m sorry. I’m being silly. It’s just I can’t—“
With whipcrack intensity, his resolve burned away and he rushed toward me and pulled me into his arms. His touch burned though my shirt as his hands splayed against my back, pressing us closer. He kissed me, hungrily at first, then it quickly deepened to ravenous. Matching his fervor, I tangled my fingers in his hair. Every inch of me was on fire. He gasped, his lips slowing against mine. By the time we separated, we were both breathless. He leaned his forehead against mine for a few rapid heartbeats, then pulled back. Our eyes remained locked in a palpitating stretch of silence that spoke volumes. My head swirled, and all I wanted was more of where we’d left off.
But he read my intentions. The corners of his lips quirked and he shook his head. Warm hands slid down my arms with one last caress, before he disappeared. Gone so quickly I didn’t actually see him leave. Swallowed by the darkness of the night and the forest that held the secret doorway into Mythlandria.
**********
“One kiss and now you believe you love this creature? Preposterous. I will not have it. She has you hexed. Bewitched from your right mind. That is the only reasonable explanation to account for such impudence. Such lusting can only be derived from dark magic. It seeps from her pores, can you not feel it?” Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness surveyed me with cold disdain before refocusing her wrath on her son.
“I would never do that,” I blurted. “I’d never use magic to force someone into loving me.” Venus and I were very different that way.
Mab snarled. “Do not address me unless I have given you permission to do so,” she said. “I am the queen of this court. And you are nothing more than a whelp on the verge of losing her life.” Her cutting glare flicked back to her son. “I cannot allow this. You traipsing across lands following this…” she waved her hand in my direction. “It is madness. I prayed that after you'd taken a taste you would have been satisfied, satiated of such empty hollow carnal delights and moved on to saner tasks. Like serving your mother.”
“You removed me from your court, Mother. I no longer serve you,” Zanthiel replied evenly.
Mab’s voice lowered, and grew sickly sweet. “My darling, it was but to show you your love for me. Your loyalty lies within you still. It merely needed a subtle reminder.”
“By way of banning me from my home, and resigning me to live among thieves, shadows and the dead. It is an odd way of demonstrating motherly love.”
“There are many expectations of you. You cannot fulfill your duty with your mind blinded by your heart. This unhealthy obsession has you transfixed, Zanthiel. Can you not see? She has you immobilized.” Her voice grew louder and the rafters latterly shook. “And to what end?”
She looked at me, but I wasn’t certain she wanted me to answer, so I remained silent. I studied the chains enclosing Zanthiel’s hands and ankles. Could I break them open, dissolve them? What if something went wrong, and I hurt him instead? No, it wasn’t the right time. I glanced over at her statuesque guards, their skin blue from decades of cold. Two of them were studying me with a vile mix of curiosity and hunger. One caught my eye and he ran a bloated tongue across his chaffed lips. My stomach turned over.
“I am hers for as long as she requires my assistance. It has always been that way. Fated by prophecy. You know this to be true, Mother.”
He was having trouble speaking and yet his expression held that same icy glare. By looking at him you’d never know what pain he was in. But I knew him on a deeper level. I was beginning to see through his façade, like a smokescreen of glamour, I saw behind the mask. The fear and loathing and the inexplicable suffering as the iron ate into his flesh like acid.
The queen’s eyes narrowed and grew impossibly colder. “Why have you come? Surely you did not expect a grand and hospitable welcome. What purpose drew you into my court to face imminent death? Do speak now, whelp,” she said with sudden impatience. “And know that if you are caught lying I will cut out your tongue and feed it to the trolls.”
I shuddered, having no doubt she actually would. “We have a… request.”
I glanced at Zanthiel, blood seeping from the iron chains binding his wrists and ankles. I couldn’t let him continue to suffer. The poison would eventually seep into his bloodstream and kill him. Then she'd direct her wrath at me.
I took a tentative step forward, not fully convinced I wouldn’t be cut down where I stood, for being so bold.
But she leaned back against her throne and tapped a broken fingernail impatiently. “You have my full attention. Come out with it. What is this request of which you speak?”
EXCERPT
“Stay. Just…. Stay.” The second I said it I felt awful. What was I asking? I knew he couldn’t stay, that he needed to return to his world to stay alive in mind.
Since the night of the dance we’d carefully stayed away from discussing our little predicament. We were still at a standoff. He couldn’t live in my world without magical aids to keep him alive, because of the toxic nature of our polluted air, and I couldn’t go back to his world, because of a bunch of angry beings trying to kill me. That left us here. He would have to return to his world and refuel, to come back to mine. How long the potions lasted depended upon how much stress he was under. Physical exertion, extreme emotions all used up the reserve more quickly. Then there was the issue of his still being tied to Venus, the daughter of the ice witch I killed. A curse had caused his forced fealty to her. Killing the witch was not only supposed to save Mythlandria from her destructive wrath, it was also supposed to free Adrius of the curse that bound him to the ice witch’s commands. Who knew there was a daughter who would take over the bonds, and that she was also his ex-girlfriend.
Now she wants me dead in payment for killing her mother, and as a bonus, I’d be out of the way so she could get Adrius back in her life. That he could come here at all means the curse is weakening. I want his freedom, but at which price? Was I willing to kill for it? I’d have to end her life as well if I was going to destroy the bonds. And I wasn’t a killer. Even Octăhvia’s death was more of an accident than intended. I had no idea what awakening the magic would do, or how to wield it. This arrangement seemed like our only option, for now. And while I hated to see him leave, there was something comforting in being able to pretend that my life was normal again. As normal as it ever was. I could enjoy being back home with friends and back at school which surprisingly enough, I’d missed. It’s amazing how coming to the edge of your life multiple times will make even the most mundane routines a welcomed change.
“Think about what you’re asking me,” he said. “You know why I have to leave.”
He watched me suck in a breath of regret, as I wished I could take back my self-serving plea.
Pain creased his eyes. “Sleep soundly, Lorelei,” was all he said. He kissed the top of my head and turned to go.
The tense set of his jaw revealed the effort it took to leave. I watched him walk away, biting down on my lower lip until he reached the driveway.
“How am I supposed to sleep?” My voice was almost too quiet to be heard over the howling wind. But his hearing surpassed most mortal’s.
“Warm milk with honey works well,” he answered my whisper, his back still facing me. “It helps with the night terrors too,” he added.
“You know that’s not what I meant.” I moved closer, descending one step at a time until my bare feet hit the cold of the pavement.
Adrius froze. Electric pulses crackled between us.
“I was talking about sleeping without you. Here.”
“You’ve managed to do it before,” he said cautiously, the strain of his resolve vibrating in his voice.
“I know. But—“
This was wrong. It was selfish. How could I ask him to stay, when I know that leaving is what would keep him alive to return to me?
“I’m sorry. I’m being silly. It’s just I can’t—“
With whipcrack intensity, his resolve burned away and he rushed toward me and pulled me into his arms. His touch burned though my shirt as his hands splayed against my back, pressing us closer. He kissed me, hungrily at first, then it quickly deepened to ravenous. Matching his fervor, I tangled my fingers in his hair. Every inch of me was on fire. He gasped, his lips slowing against mine. By the time we separated, we were both breathless. He leaned his forehead against mine for a few rapid heartbeats, then pulled back. Our eyes remained locked in a palpitating stretch of silence that spoke volumes. My head swirled, and all I wanted was more of where we’d left off.
But he read my intentions. The corners of his lips quirked and he shook his head. Warm hands slid down my arms with one last caress, before he disappeared. Gone so quickly I didn’t actually see him leave. Swallowed by the darkness of the night and the forest that held the secret doorway into Mythlandria.
**********
“One kiss and now you believe you love this creature? Preposterous. I will not have it. She has you hexed. Bewitched from your right mind. That is the only reasonable explanation to account for such impudence. Such lusting can only be derived from dark magic. It seeps from her pores, can you not feel it?” Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness surveyed me with cold disdain before refocusing her wrath on her son.
“I would never do that,” I blurted. “I’d never use magic to force someone into loving me.” Venus and I were very different that way.
Mab snarled. “Do not address me unless I have given you permission to do so,” she said. “I am the queen of this court. And you are nothing more than a whelp on the verge of losing her life.” Her cutting glare flicked back to her son. “I cannot allow this. You traipsing across lands following this…” she waved her hand in my direction. “It is madness. I prayed that after you'd taken a taste you would have been satisfied, satiated of such empty hollow carnal delights and moved on to saner tasks. Like serving your mother.”
“You removed me from your court, Mother. I no longer serve you,” Zanthiel replied evenly.
Mab’s voice lowered, and grew sickly sweet. “My darling, it was but to show you your love for me. Your loyalty lies within you still. It merely needed a subtle reminder.”
“By way of banning me from my home, and resigning me to live among thieves, shadows and the dead. It is an odd way of demonstrating motherly love.”
“There are many expectations of you. You cannot fulfill your duty with your mind blinded by your heart. This unhealthy obsession has you transfixed, Zanthiel. Can you not see? She has you immobilized.” Her voice grew louder and the rafters latterly shook. “And to what end?”
She looked at me, but I wasn’t certain she wanted me to answer, so I remained silent. I studied the chains enclosing Zanthiel’s hands and ankles. Could I break them open, dissolve them? What if something went wrong, and I hurt him instead? No, it wasn’t the right time. I glanced over at her statuesque guards, their skin blue from decades of cold. Two of them were studying me with a vile mix of curiosity and hunger. One caught my eye and he ran a bloated tongue across his chaffed lips. My stomach turned over.
“I am hers for as long as she requires my assistance. It has always been that way. Fated by prophecy. You know this to be true, Mother.”
He was having trouble speaking and yet his expression held that same icy glare. By looking at him you’d never know what pain he was in. But I knew him on a deeper level. I was beginning to see through his façade, like a smokescreen of glamour, I saw behind the mask. The fear and loathing and the inexplicable suffering as the iron ate into his flesh like acid.
The queen’s eyes narrowed and grew impossibly colder. “Why have you come? Surely you did not expect a grand and hospitable welcome. What purpose drew you into my court to face imminent death? Do speak now, whelp,” she said with sudden impatience. “And know that if you are caught lying I will cut out your tongue and feed it to the trolls.”
I shuddered, having no doubt she actually would. “We have a… request.”
I glanced at Zanthiel, blood seeping from the iron chains binding his wrists and ankles. I couldn’t let him continue to suffer. The poison would eventually seep into his bloodstream and kill him. Then she'd direct her wrath at me.
I took a tentative step forward, not fully convinced I wouldn’t be cut down where I stood, for being so bold.
But she leaned back against her throne and tapped a broken fingernail impatiently. “You have my full attention. Come out with it. What is this request of which you speak?”
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About the author:
A dreamer at heart, Michele Barrow-Belisle has always lived with one foot in this reality and one foot in another, one of her own imagining. So it follows that she would grow up to write about and sculpt the characters from those enchanting worlds she knows and loves so well. As a fan of everything romantic, her young adult novels are populated with witches and vampires and faeries. Michele resides in southern Canada with her hubby and son who indulge her passions for writing, reading, lattes, and most of all chocolate.
She also loves shoes.
Did we mention the chocolate?
4 comments:
This really looks like a very good read, and I know I would enjoy reading it. I also find the cover catches my attention.
Love the covers. Sounds like a great series. I love Faeries and paranormal romance! Great excerpt. Thanks for sharing :)
thx u for hosting :)
The excerpt was very intriguing. This sounds like a great novel.
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