by EJ Everette
“Ah good, I see you are all here. We need to talk. Now.” He turns his back to us heading back into the living room space. I turn to face the guys, but they are all just as confused and worried as I am. Reid takes Gray by the hand and we all follow my uncle though Gray and Reid stay in the back just in case.
“Word has gotten out about your little escapade into Gash. Really, boys, have I not taught you better? The Gash have declared war on the realms, openly. Dagnoroth has submitted the decree. You are all to report to the council as soon as possible. And bring the girl.” He looks past me to stare at Gray. My blood begins to boil as I see the look of both curiosity and slight disgust in my uncle’s face. I love him, and he has been my only family for most of my life. He raised me, hell even raised some of the guys. Still, no one else matters besides Gray and the guys anymore and if the rage from my beast inside is any indication, he agrees completely.
“What? No. She is not ready.” Chance speaks, but my uncle dismisses him with a wave of his hand.
“Nonsense. You all disobeyed a direct order. Like it or not, she will be presented to the council immediately. And they are a little more than anxious to meet the destined princess. You have until morning to prepare. Pack for an extended stay, there is a war to prepare for.”
He walks right back out the door, leaving all of us stunned in silence at what all of this means. Gray is going to be presented to the council. They will want to test her, interrogate her. We will undoubtedly be separated for periods of time while we are there. And then we are going to war, with or without her.
“I don’t understand. What does this all mean?” Gray’s soft voice reaches my ears from her place beside Reid.
“It means, princess, that we are going to Moriah to meet your grandfather in the morning.” Rip tries to sugar coat it but his twin, ever the one to prefer bluntness, says exactly what I am thinking.
“And, it means we are all royally fucked.”
But Wait…
Rip
Dammit, dammit, dammit! This can not be fucking happening. If the council gets to Gray, if they find out…
My internal rantings are interrupted when Chance steps into the music room where I escaped to try to think for just one fucking second but I have been unable to come up with one single option to prevent this from happening.
“We need to talk,” he states dryly, though his face says so much more. He is scared. “Gray never got to the part about manipulating fire, but you and I both know what that means. If they find out…”
“I know this, dammit! Don’t you think I fucking know?! That if they discover she is a manipulator they will lock her up and keep her as their own private weapon? We have always been told Gash was our enemy, but our own people would enslave her for their own gain if it gave them an edge. Shit, Reid is the perfect example of how they will do almost anything for a strong power. She is more than we ever thought she would be. Her power is beyond anything I have ever read about or even imagined.”
“I know. You should have seen her, Rupert. She lit up so fucking bright and then she just took the small flame from the torch in her hands and created an inferno like I have never seen. It was both amazing and terrifying to watch.”
“What about the demons you were fighting? The ones who saw what she did? Did any of them survive?” Shit, if even one of them is still alive, they will spread the word around and every faction alive will come for her.
“I am not sure about them or even what they saw. But Rip, Dagnoroth was there. He saw her and if he is the one issuing the war decree, it is because he knows what she can do and he will stop at absolutely nothing to get her. I saw the glee in his eyes the second the flames grew.
“Then we have to prepare for more than just a war against the Gash. Once knowledge of what she is capable of reaches the realms, we will have far more to worry about. When she goes to say goodbye to Charlie, we will tell the others. I doubt anyone will walk away, but if they are going to break the bonds and leave, now will be the time. Tomorrow… tomorrow everything will change as we know it.”
Not to mention if we do not complete the bonding with Gray we are epically screwed, but there is not much we can do about that right now.
“You ignited,” I state matter of factly. “Are you gifted with the sight now?”
Chance is hesitant to say anything but we need to fucking know what he is capable of before we go into the coming battles together. He wars with himself but I see the moment his logical side wins, knowing our team is made up of many layers but there is no room for secrets.
“I am not a seer like my... family.” He chokes on the last word, looking as if it pains him deeply to say this, though we both know what that means for him when we return home.
“Well then, what is your ability?”
His blue eyes darken to a deep black as his body begins to morph before me. Holy shit! How in the...
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I want to thank my family for putting up with me and all my crazy talk about make believe worlds, weird romance couplings (try explaining RH to your teens the first time), and long hours locked away from the world and, therefore, neglecting things like laundry, cooking, and sometimes showering. (Ooof. TMI! Am I right?!)
For my readers. Wow, I really can’t believe there is another one done and out there. I have no idea what made you decide to pick up this book and read it, but I am sure glad you did. I know how crazy and intense this part of Gray’s story has been, but know that there is a HEA coming for her and her guardians… we just have to have some fun along the way. Thank you so much for having faith in my first book and getting back here to this page!
My friends who acted as beta readers over the years as this first book took form - you are my rocks! You gave me harsh criticism (out of love), amazing input, and fueled my desire to produce the best debut piece I could manage. Thank you for all you have done for me Brittany, Amanda, Sandromeda, and Mom! And to my newbs, Nicole, Tabby, and Meghan, your support and input have been beyond helpful. I love you and wouldn’t be here without all of your support.
Ashley, you came into my life at the perfect time, and I am beyond excited to get to know you more, work to get as many of these pieces of art out into the world together as we can, and write scenes for your guys to get you all excited! Thanks for being a kick-butt PA and having my back! Franscesca, you too have helped me thrive by producing the most AMAZING covers a gal could ask for. I am beyond excited to see what comes next and a HUGE fan of your art!
It is no small feat to write a book, edit it, publish it, market it, and be successful. While I have only completed the first 4 steps, not a single one of them has been on my own. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.
About the Author
EJ Everette is the pen name for this crazy, ambitious, often uncouth writer. She lives in her home of Tennessee with a large family, house full of animals, and nowhere near enough hours in the day to write and read. When EJ isn’t putting thought to paper, she enjoys singing karaoke, cooking, fishing, kayaking, and taking epically awesome naps, though the last one happens far less than she would like. Always up for an adventure, EJ tries to include some of the hilarious antics her own family bring to the table into her writing, so who knows… maybe something you read in here came from her angsty teen or sarcastic husband!
Don’t forget to follow yours truly on social media to stay up-to-date on all things EJ!
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And keep an eye out for my website, coming soon!
Ta-Ta for Now!
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