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In the Shadow of a Dream
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: Luc grumbled and turned back to look at the hedge once more, walking its length when he heard women’s voices—sweet and lilting—coming from inside. He stepped back, searching for the elusive entrance. “Remember when we were talking to Tarley the other day? About the man in the woods?” Aurielle—he knew her voice—replied. “So romantic…” the other said, her voice soft and whimsical. Which left only two possibilities: Luc’s woodland fairy or the other sister, the one with the dark, soulful eyes. “Why are we doing this again?” she asked. He wondered which one was with Aurielle and suppressed any hope it might be his singer. “Well, I’ve met someone.” Aurielle snapped the words, because the other one seemed to be antagonistic about being dragged out into the woods. He grinned at their bickering. Relatable. “I have so many questions! You’ve been behind the hedge since–” The sister’s voice cut off abruptly, then she shouted, “The Great Nap Escapade?” “So,” Aurielle said, drawing out the word, “you’re doing this for true love. And I promise, Brin, you won’t have to wait long.” […]There were words spoken Luc couldn’t discern, followed by Aurielle bursting from the hedge. She called out for Nix and disappeared across the road through the bramble. “What if someone comes?” Brinna called, then groaned. “Annoying.” He was going to talk to her! He swallowed as he thought about what to say. “Couldn’t agree more.” Luc couldn’t see her; she was still hidden within the hedge. She gasped. “Who’s there?” “The brother.” Her head—like a disembodied apparition—appeared from the hedge, turning to look for him. When she saw him, her eyes widened. It was the first time he realized her eyes were gray. “Whose brother?” He hummed but said, “Since we’re both on lookout duty, we could make it interesting.” “Who are you, exactly?” she asked, stepping from the hedge. Luc’s breath stopped up, caught up by both disbelief and utter excitement. […] “There you are,” Luc said, finally finding his voice. She demanded his name. “Lucian,” he said, turning slightly toward her, his shoulder leaning against the hedge—a terrible choice. He straightened and wiped the leaves from his shoulder. “And you’re not here to meet my sister?” “Stars, no,” he said, allowing himself to truly look at her as he shook his head, grateful, suddenly, that Nix asked him to be his unnecessary companion. “That would be my brother. Come closer.” He gave her a slight grin. “I don’t bite. Usually.” Her eyes narrowed. “I’m fine right here, thank you.” “You know my name, which gives you power. Will you not offer the same?” Though he already knew it, he wanted her to offer it freely. “Brinna,” she replied and disappeared back into the hedge. “Wait,” Luc called. “Where did you go?” The hedge didn’t have an entrance. “Where are you?” “Here,” she whispered, as if daring him to find her. Despite the low volume, her voice reached him, and he wondered, strangely, if it always would. He used his godlight to sneak through the magical threads of the hedge, and his arms passed through, allowing him to grasp Brinna. Using her as leverage, he pulled himself inside. She squealed—a cute little sound that seemed as if she was trying to be quiet about it—and stumbled into him, her palms pressed against his chest. Heat seared his skin underneath his clothes where her hands rested. “What are you doing?” she demanded. “Unhand me.” He did. Immediately. Swiping his hands over the place she’d touched to wipe away the sensation. He hated the added impulse of wanting to wrap her up in his arms. Ridiculous. He told himself he was curious about this hedge, given he’d never seen anything like it on his Roam. He walked deeper into an arched passageway that stretched out in front of him with no end in sight, as if it curled in on itself. Surprised by the muted light inside, Luc glanced over his shoulder, where Brinna now stood framed by an arched entrance. She followed him. “What is wrong with you?” His internal glow warmed the darkness inside the hedge so he could see her features, which pinched with her frown. He wanted to press his thumb against her mouth, run the pad of it across her lips, but he swallowed the urge instead and looked away. “If I keep walking, what will I find?” he asked, ignoring her question for one of his own. “The cottage. Where I live.” She paused, then said, “You truly couldn’t see me? That seems… unbelievable.” He hummed and looked around. “Perhaps if it wasn’t enchanted.” “Enchanted!” She scoffed, an unflattering kind of snort, but Luc found it… cute. “You must be mistaken.” He snorted back at her, incredulous. “I am not mistaken. Not about this.” “You don’t make mistakes?” She offered a sharp laugh. He’d begun to think this—trapping himself in proximity to her—was one. “Absolutely not,” he lied. The very large mistake in his immediate past had nearly cost him his brother, but she didn’t need to know about that. “I highly doubt that.” She crossed her arms, her dark eyebrows arching over her pretty eyes. “Now, why are you glowing?” “Why is this hedge enchanted?” he countered, realizing he should have doused his godlight so his father wouldn’t know, but he didn’t with her attention finally fixed on him. They stood facing one another, the hedge seeming to close in around them. He only needed to take a step, and he’d be close enough to draw her into his arms, lean forward, and kiss her. The shrinking hedge and his overpowering urge to touch her made him feel like he couldn’t take a deep enough breath. “How do you get out of here?” The shrinking hedge unnerved him, even if it was an illusion…Then he realized he couldn’t see the opening any longer. It had disappeared. He was trapped. “I need to go,” he gasped. 
GIVEAWAY! --
Shadows of the Past
-- EXCERPT: The man bent over, hands on knees, breathing in deep, ragged breaths until his heart rate slowed to a more normal level. He wasn’t as young as he used to be. Standing, he wiped his hands on his pants, brushed off the dirt and weeds clinging to the denim overalls, then gazed down at the body laid out in the field near the railroad tracks. He took a moment to look at, and admire, his handiwork, but only a moment, as he couldn’t afford to be spotted. Then he reluctantly slipped quietly through the night to his waiting car, parked not a dozen yards from where he’d dumped the mutilated corpse. There would be time later to savor his memories of the enjoyment the person’s last hours had provided. The dim whistle of a train sounded in the still evening air as he pulled open the driver’s-side door. The whistle sound was replaced by the crunching of dry weeds as he drove out of the field. 
GIVEAWAY! -- |
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