Published: April 18th, 2014
The year 2102--the world as it was no longer exists. Ravaged by nuclear war and polluted almost to the point of no return, Earth was dying. When the faeries came and brought their healing magic, humanity was grateful at first. Centuries of damage repaired in just five years, and during the course of that rehabilitation, they invaded. Quietly overthrown, the human race is now enslaved. The majority doesn’t even realize they have no free will. Branded, herded and kept only to further the agendas of the Fae Courts, humanity could be facing extinction.
But a resistance is coming…
Fianna Dolan has spent her entire young life preparing herself for an uprising against the Fae. One scorching summer night Fi's parents leave and never return. Thrust into a position of power she never expected, Fi struggles with her new position and the responsibility it entails. When a secretive fae man known only as Flint breaches the city’s defenses claiming he can help, Fi begins to doubt everything she's ever considered truth. As betrayals and deception come to light, will Fi want the answers she’s been seeking, or will trusting Flint lead to her destruction?
Patrick and Maeve Dolan left the safety of their New York human settlement on a sultry summer night and never returned. Ambushed by the Winter Court guards during their search for information on how to free humanity from faery rule, they are now ensnared in the Winter King Landric’s web, and he has some questions of his own.
The Winter King is curious about the way the Dolans run their city. In a surprising turn of events, he’s determined to learn all about their 16-year-old son, Eirnin. Landric separates the couple, threatens and tortures to the best of his ability, but the Dolans won’t give up the information he’s after.
Murphy, one of King Landric’s guards has been a ward of the Winter Court for as long as he can remember. Trained from childhood to be as quiet and obedient as possible, he’s always been the perfect servant. At least, until Princess Lumi strolled into his life and made him question everything he believes in.
When the princess vanishes without a trace in the middle of the night, Landric is determined Patrick’s people had something to do with it. Without the only connection to kindness and humanity they had, Murphy and Patrick both find themselves falling into very different kinds of insanity.
Will Murphy follow his heart just this once, choose his own side and find Lumi? Will Patrick’s hope dwindle before he can escape and save his family? Or will their unyielding resistance be the death of them all?
All the muscles in his back go stiff, and very slowly he turns around to look at me again. If he looked angry before, he looks absolutely murderous now. His jaw is tight, his fists are clenched at his sides and his face is even darker than it was before. Khan doesn’t even try to stop him when he takes a step toward me and I brace for the hit I know is coming. But before he can get close enough, I feel two small hands grab my forearm. When I look down I see an arm wrapped in gauze and suddenly, a little blonde head is in between Hugh’s fists and my face.
“Hey,” Lumi says to the room at large. Once she’s sure she’s gotten Hugh’s attention, she steps beside me, still holding my arm, and flashes him a big, innocent smile. “I hate to interrupt you Hugh, but would you mind terribly if I stole Murphy from you?” Her voice is sickeningly sweet as she turns her puppy dog eyes on me, and I can’t help but think she’s full of it. “I need some help in the kitchen, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Hugh seems to be forcing himself to look civil. He bows his head to her and says, “Of course, Princess. Whatever you need.” I let out a breath, relieved he’s not going to tell her no. But before he leaves, he jabs his finger against my chest. “I suggest you do as you’re told from now on,” he snarls, then turns back to Khan and starts walking away.
Khan chuckles and says to me, “If you have a from now on after this little show.” He smirks and then scampers off after Hugh; the two of them disappearing around a corner.
My adrenaline seems to rush out of me in a single breath once they’re gone and my knees give out; causing me to stumble back and lean against the wall. “Thank you, Princess,” I manage, and cringe at the way my voice trembles. What have I done? When the King gets word of this, I’ll be killed. There’s no question about it. God only knows how it will happen, but there is absolutely no way I’m going to survive the punishment that will come from this latest stunt of mine.
“Don’t mention it,” Lumi replies, sounding unsure. She’s quiet for a moment, watching me struggle to breathe, and then she adds, “I, uh, I don’t really need help in the kitchen, by the way. I just didn’t want Hugh to knock out your teeth.” She tries to smile at me and pops me in the shoulder with her little fist. “Nice backbone, by the way. I’m impressed.”
“I’m sorry,” I say immediately; so shocked I forgot her request – even if it was fake – that I miss her compliment. “I-I forgot you even needed me.”
“No, I don’t,” she says quickly and then flushes. “I was just kidding. I mean, not that I don’t need you, that sounds mean, but just…not right now.”
My panic attack is getting her flustered. That’s just not fair. “Why would you do that?” I ask; trying to get both our minds off this tongue twisting encounter. “Why would you put yourself between me and Hugh? You must have heard what I said. If he were to hit me, clearly I would have deserved it.”
“No one deserves to be hit,” Lumi tells me sternly. She doesn’t say anything more, just stares at me, making sure I understand what she just said. I feel myself blushing under her scrutiny and quickly look at my feet. I’m getting really sick of not recognizing these emotions she instills in me. I am determined there is a bat in my stomach, set into a panic over that damn dress, which only makes her navy blue glare all the more intense.
EXCERPT
All the muscles in his back go stiff, and very slowly he turns around to look at me again. If he looked angry before, he looks absolutely murderous now. His jaw is tight, his fists are clenched at his sides and his face is even darker than it was before. Khan doesn’t even try to stop him when he takes a step toward me and I brace for the hit I know is coming. But before he can get close enough, I feel two small hands grab my forearm. When I look down I see an arm wrapped in gauze and suddenly, a little blonde head is in between Hugh’s fists and my face.
“Hey,” Lumi says to the room at large. Once she’s sure she’s gotten Hugh’s attention, she steps beside me, still holding my arm, and flashes him a big, innocent smile. “I hate to interrupt you Hugh, but would you mind terribly if I stole Murphy from you?” Her voice is sickeningly sweet as she turns her puppy dog eyes on me, and I can’t help but think she’s full of it. “I need some help in the kitchen, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Hugh seems to be forcing himself to look civil. He bows his head to her and says, “Of course, Princess. Whatever you need.” I let out a breath, relieved he’s not going to tell her no. But before he leaves, he jabs his finger against my chest. “I suggest you do as you’re told from now on,” he snarls, then turns back to Khan and starts walking away.
Khan chuckles and says to me, “If you have a from now on after this little show.” He smirks and then scampers off after Hugh; the two of them disappearing around a corner.
My adrenaline seems to rush out of me in a single breath once they’re gone and my knees give out; causing me to stumble back and lean against the wall. “Thank you, Princess,” I manage, and cringe at the way my voice trembles. What have I done? When the King gets word of this, I’ll be killed. There’s no question about it. God only knows how it will happen, but there is absolutely no way I’m going to survive the punishment that will come from this latest stunt of mine.
“Don’t mention it,” Lumi replies, sounding unsure. She’s quiet for a moment, watching me struggle to breathe, and then she adds, “I, uh, I don’t really need help in the kitchen, by the way. I just didn’t want Hugh to knock out your teeth.” She tries to smile at me and pops me in the shoulder with her little fist. “Nice backbone, by the way. I’m impressed.”
“I’m sorry,” I say immediately; so shocked I forgot her request – even if it was fake – that I miss her compliment. “I-I forgot you even needed me.”
“No, I don’t,” she says quickly and then flushes. “I was just kidding. I mean, not that I don’t need you, that sounds mean, but just…not right now.”
My panic attack is getting her flustered. That’s just not fair. “Why would you do that?” I ask; trying to get both our minds off this tongue twisting encounter. “Why would you put yourself between me and Hugh? You must have heard what I said. If he were to hit me, clearly I would have deserved it.”
“No one deserves to be hit,” Lumi tells me sternly. She doesn’t say anything more, just stares at me, making sure I understand what she just said. I feel myself blushing under her scrutiny and quickly look at my feet. I’m getting really sick of not recognizing these emotions she instills in me. I am determined there is a bat in my stomach, set into a panic over that damn dress, which only makes her navy blue glare all the more intense.
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About the authors:
Allana Kephart has been making things up and bending people to her will from a very young age. She loves animals and reading and spends a large amount of time thinking up ways to torment her characters. She shares a brain, a love of coffee and the color purple with her alter ego/best friend/co-author, Melissa Simmons.
Melissa Simmons is an avid reader who married her soul mate and is the proud mother of a spoiled cat. She spends her days helping promote independent authors and doing what the voices in her head tell her to. She shares a brain, a love of coffee and the color purple with her alter ego/best friend/co-author, Allana Kephart.
I would choose Fire because even when contained it can still be a little wild.
ReplyDeleteI'd choose Air so I could fly and sometimes disappear if needed :)
ReplyDeleteEarth. The earth supports growing things, it is the foundation on which we stand and build, but it can also be destructive if need be (earthquakes, sinkholes, for e.g.)
ReplyDelete