Ember (The Ember Series)

by Carol Oates

  “Candra?” Draven called, bringing her attention back to him.

  Candra smiled and took his offered hand, allowing him to lead her to the center of the floor just in time for the piano music to begin again. It was beautiful and mellow, with almost a dreamlike quality to it. Very soon several other couples joined them in dancing, and soon after, several more. Candra moved easily with Draven, perhaps because she didn’t have to think, just allow him to lead. Of course that had its drawbacks too, because she wasn’t paying complete attention to him, and every time he twirled her round, she searched for Sebastian in the crowd. He was still taking animatedly to Lofi.

  “I owe you an apology again,” Draven admitted, shifting his hand at her back. Strangely, although she was still attracted to him, she didn’t feel any of the need to be closer to him or the raw sexual energy that had once existed between them.

  “You never stopped, did you? Your parlor tricks and messing with my head?” Candra said reproachfully.

  He grimaced and ducked his head, looking at her through his thick black eyelashes. “A gentle push, nothing more. The attraction was there. Forgive me?”

  Candra’s stomach curled in a little from the whirlwind of emotions spinning through her. “I honestly don’t know if I can. How can I trust you after all of this? You tricked me, and you made me choose between Sebastian and the many Watchers in this room.”

  “That may be my biggest regret in all of this,” he lamented, bringing his hand from her back up to tenderly brush a strand of hair from her face. “There is a bigger picture here, Candra. I saw an opportunity to bring everyone together again, finally, and I took it. I knew Sebastian was following you from the time he first saw you, and I knew I could use that as leverage, but Sebastian is stubborn.” He raised his eyebrow and grinned. “He had to be pushed to his limits.”

  “You mean you used me. You pushed us together by placing yourself as a challenge to him, and both of you danced around each other like peacocks shaking your tail feathers and puffing out your chests.” Candra pouted, looking down.

  She felt his finger under her chin lifting her face to look at him again. Draven was smiling, but he was sad too. His jaw clenched when he frowned. “I admit that was my initial plan as soon as I confirmed for myself you carried Payne’s blood, but it quickly changed. I developed feelings I didn’t expect, and tonight I found myself in the unfamiliar position of being unsure. I didn’t want to let you go.”

  He turned her again, and she saw a flash of Sebastian standing with his back to the wall, observing them with interest. His arms were crossed over his chest, his eyebrows pulled down, and his eyes tightened as if he was contemplating something.

  “But you did let me go,” Candra corrected him. Part of her still needed confirmation.

  “What use is a caged bird?” He smirked. “However, if you were to choose to stay with me of your own free will…?” He cocked an eyebrow in question, and Candra swallowed nervously, reminding herself she was no longer under obligation.

  She had grown used to the idea of being with Draven, even resigned to it. He had his good points and his bad ones. He was complex and charming, and if she had met him under any other circumstances, she probably would have considered him. But this wasn’t other circumstances, and the truth of it was her heart wasn’t in her possession anymore. It wasn’t hers to give away. Candra sighed deeply and smiled up at Draven, deciding to leave his question unanswered. She was sure he knew the answer before he asked it.

  “I don’t think I can be compared to a bird. I don’t have wings.”

  Draven chuckled and shook his head. “No, you don’t. You have something infinitely more impressive and a lot easier on your wardrobe,” he joked.

  “What is it, that thing that happened before?” Candra asked curiously.

  He pursed his lips for a moment, thinking, and then shrugged. “I have no idea. I wish I did. I know you are special, Candra, but I don’t know why or how yet. I think we shall all simply have to wait and see.”

  Wait and see was hardly an explanation, but she didn’t have time to question him further because Sebastian appeared by his side, tapping his shoulder. It was all very refined and dignified, yet she noticed a couple of the people around them waiting with bated breath for Draven’s reaction. Candra was sure it was to their relief, because it was to hers, when Draven released her with a quick nod and a smile, backing away and gesturing with a wave of his hand for Sebastian to take his place. The entire exchanged happened without a single word spoken, and then Sebastian swept Candra into his arms and twirled her across the floor like they were the stars of an old black and white movie, making her giggle.

  He slowed them down, beaming a full, toothy white grin. “You have no idea how good it feels to make you laugh again.”

  Candra darted her eyes away, feeling the blush rise in her cheeks.

  “What is it?” Sebastian asked, pulling her closer to him.

  The butterflies in her stomach danced with joy, and her heart picked up pace just being close to him, and the very idea that it would be over soon made her eyes sting. Candra decided to man up and be straight with him.

  “I’m still not sure what just happened here, and I’m sort of worried about your intentions toward me. You never came to say goodbye.”

  Sebastian forced out a breath through pursed lips, which blew across her face. The warm smell of salt and spices enveloped her—the scent of home. Suddenly she was a little dizzy. It was a good thing Sebastian was holding her so tightly.

  “I didn’t know Draven was going to do that, but he was right, as much as I hate to admit it.” His lips turned down into such an adorable little boy frown that Candra couldn’t help smiling. “The reason I didn’t come to say goodbye was because I came here to plead with Draven, beg him if I had to, to let you go. Truthfully, I didn’t think he would.” He stopped for a moment, and gold reflected in his concerned eyes. “There are things we should discuss. The future won’t be easy. We’ve been fighting for so long…” He trailed off sadly.

  “I’ll help you,” Candra offered and then added. “That’s what friends do, right?” She was secretly hoping he would tell her they were more than friends, but instead he smirked.

  “It hasn’t always been easy being your friend.”

  “You’re no picnic yourself,” Candra retorted, disappointed at being placed in the friend box.

  Sebastian sighed again, running his hand up her back, under her hair until it met bare skin and then scraped lightly across it with his nails, a very sexy, un-friend-like look in his eyes. He sucked the corner of his bottom lip between his teeth. Electrical charges pulsed over Candra’s flesh, leaving goose bumps where he touched her.

  “Really, right now all I want to do is cling onto you like the creepy stalker you know me to be, lie out on the roof of the townhouse, just you and me, and maybe even ask you out on a proper date,” he teased, twirling her again.

  Candra hadn’t noticed he had guided them over to a secluded corner of the room. “And as for my intentions, I can assure you they are entirely dishonorable.”

  “Really?” Candra grinned like a fool, knotting her fingers up into his shirt under his jacket. How did she not notice before now how good he looked in a suit, despite his hair still being a golden disarrayed mess?

  “Yes, really.” He smiled, keeping one hand at her waist and trailing the other over her shoulder and across her collarbone. She closed her eyes as he stepped closer until their bodies were pressed together in a way that was entirely dishonorable in public.

  “I love you,” Candra said against his lips, purely because she never wanted to waste another opportunity to let him know.

  His lips spread into a smile that she felt against hers. “You know men have died for less.”

  “Men have lived for less too,” Candra said back, smiling.

  Sebastian’s hand curved around Candra’s neck, under her ear, and his thumb brushed across her cheek before his mouth came down on hers
in a soft, passion-filled kiss.

  Epilogue

  The night sky over the desert was wild and raged like fierce living creatures battling for dominance. Heavy black clouds whirled and crashed against each other viciously with thunderous roars. Forks of lightening hit the arid ground, cracking it apart and sending dust and sand swirling into the air. The ground shook as if terrified, and animals fled, seeking safe haven from the onslaught.

  With another mighty lightning strike, the ground exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the landscape. It was followed by another and then another and another…until the holes were scattered across a wide expanse and the first droplet of moisture fell from the sky. Soon it was pouring; icy sheets of rain lashed the desert as if the heavens were calling out in protest, and a dirty hand emerged, gripping onto the edge of the first and largest hole.

  About the Author

  Carol Oates has never been one to remain still for long. After her parents’ mad dash to the hospital through the empty city streets of Dublin, Ireland, Carol made her debut into the world in the early hours of Christmas morning. Since then her pace has not slowed down in the least.

  Carol was introduced to the world of supernatural books when, as a child, her family moved to a coastal suburb on the northern border of Dublin known as Clontarf, famous as the birthplace of Bram Stoker, the prolific author responsible for breathing life into the legendary story Dracula. This stirred in Carol an early passion for reading about all things supernatural. Combine that passion with a deep interest in the history and folklore of Ireland, as well as an active and vivid imagination, and Carol Oates the author was born. She loves to write about anything not entirely “human”— -a love that emerges in her debut novel, Shade of Atlantis, as well as in her second novel, Ember.

  Carol still lives in Dublin, but spends a great deal of time traveling though the counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland with her partner and son. When not traveling through the countryside, Carol spends her days at the office and her evenings immersed in the world of Legends and Mythical Creatures.

  www.CarolOates.com

  Acknowledgments

  This is another book that wouldn’t exist without the support of my family and friends.

  I owe a debt of gratitude to all my dad, brothers, and sisters who are unwavering in their love regardless of what life throws at us. I would like to thank my mum for giving me the strength to always keep going, even when the going gets tough.

  I want to say a special thank you to David for being one of the smartest people I know, to Rodney because he copes with my craziness, and to Eric who is the light of my life.

  I also want to thank Elizabeth and Omnific Publishing, Meredith for walking me through the process of editing this book, Emma, Katherine, Micha, and Coreen for their contribution, and the other Omnific authors who are always there for moral support.

  Finally, thank you to my readers, the reviewers, and bloggers who have so tirelessly promoted me in past and continue to help me make my dream of being an author a reality.

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  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Information

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

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