With his words comes a lovely truth; he keeps setting me free, again and again, to see these truths. No magic is as powerful as forgiveness. There is nothing Falco can do to me, or I to him, that we can’t heal from. And this is because no magic, no hatred, no cage can ever be as immense as real love, chosen freely.
‘All I need to know is if you love me in return,’ he says, ‘because if you don’t … or if you need to be alone now, I understand. I’ll give you whatever you need, Iz.’
I realise I have never told him, never spoken a single word of affection in all our time together. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. I am lost for words, empty of them. His eyes are so gentle as he waits.
In my heart I feel the truth. Whatever is left of me loves whatever is left of you. And when we become more, I will love you more. And more. And more again. Because you are my choice, my only choice.
But if there was ever a soul born without the gift of a smooth tongue, it was I. Nothing comes from my mouth; I’m unequal to the task of giving him what he deserves. I nod, trying to let him see it in my eyes, just trying to give him something, anything …
And Falco smiles like he can feel it all the way through his body, like he knows. Like the single nod is enough.
I close my eyes and turn my face up, feeling the warmth of the sun upon it. Slow, dreamlike sweetness fills my heart. ‘I don’t know dreaming from waking anymore,’ I whisper.
I hear his footsteps on the wood and feel his nearness.
‘Am I dreaming still? I must be.’
Falco’s lips brush mine. ‘Then don’t wake up.’
Acknowledgments
I’d like to thank everyone on the team at Random House Australia for believing in this series, and for their incredible part in getting it to readers. A special thank you to Beverley Cousins, my publisher, and Lex Hirst, my wonderful editor. This has been an amazing journey, from start to finish, and you’ve made it a real pleasure.
A big thank you to my first agent Sophie Hamley, for your patience, persistence and kindness.
Thank you to my family for being so endlessly supportive, for believing in me and putting up with me in the throes of creative angst. Thank you especially to my mum, for reading every single draft and always being generous, excited and insightful.
And last, thank you to the readers, for being so passionate. The Chronicles of Kaya was an enormous undertaking, a true labour of love, and though I’m sad to say goodbye to it, I’m so excited to be handing this world and its characters over to you.
Avery
The people of Kaya die in pairs. When one lover dies, the other does too. So it has been for thousands of years – until Ava.
For although her bondmate, Avery, has been murdered and Ava’s soul has been torn in two, she is the only one who has ever been strong enough to cling to life. Vowing revenge upon the barbarian queen of Pirenti, Ava’s plan is interrupted when she is captured by the deadly prince of her enemies.
Prince Ambrose has been brought up to kill and hate. But when he takes charge of a strangely captivating Kayan prisoner and is forced to survive with her on a dangerous island, he must reconsider all he holds true …
In a violent country like Pirenti, where emotion is scorned as a weakness, can he find the strength to fight for the person he loves … even when she’s his vengeful enemy?
The first book in the Chronicles of Kaya, Avery is a sweeping, romantic fantasy novel about loss and identity, and finding the courage to love against all odds.
Available in print and ebook now!
Thorne
Lovers in Kaya have always died together, bonded in death as in life. But rumours of a cure are rife. A team of young Kayans will be sent on a quest to find the answer - for the very nature of love is at stake.
The beautiful but reckless Finn has never shied away from danger, and ending the bond means more to her than anyone knows. This adventure sounds thrilling, but Finn has always been willing to risk too much, and for the first time she has something – or someone – to lose.
Crown Prince Thorne, in the neighbouring land of Pirenti, has grown up rejecting the legacy of his father’s blood, keeping caged the beast that lies dormant within. But the moment he sets eyes on the wild girl from the Kayan cliffs, his usual caution is thrown to the wind.
As the world crumbles around them, can Finn and Thorne cast off the shadows to find a love stronger than either imagined? Or is their true challenge to embrace the darkness within?
Continuing the epic series that began with Avery, Thorne is a story of courage, sacrifice and forbidden love.
Available in print and ebook now!
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Version 1.0
Isadora
ePub ISBN – 9780143780380
First published by Random Romance in 2016
Copyright © Charlotte McConaghy, 2016
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
A Random Romance book
Published by Penguin Random House Australia Pty Ltd
Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW 2060
www.penguin.com.au
Addresses for the Penguin Random House group of companies can be found at global.penguinrandomhouse.com/offices.
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
McConaghy, Charlotte, author
Isadora/Charlotte McConaghy
ISBN 978 0 14378 038 0 (ebook)
Series: McConaghy, Charlotte. Chronicles of Kaya; 3
Love stories
Fantasy fiction
Man–woman relationships – Fiction
A823.4
Cover image © Aleshyn_Andrei/Shutterstock Images
Cover design by Isabel Keeley-Reid
Map by Xou Creative
Ebook by Firstsource
Isadora Page 50