Fierce Enchantment
A Dante’s Circle Novel
By
Carrie Ann Ryan
Fierce Enchantment
A Dante’s Circle Novel
By: Carrie Ann Ryan
Published by Fated Desires Publishing, LLC.
© 2015 Carrie Ann Ryan
ISBN: 978-1-62322-112-6
Cover Art by Charity Hendry
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the publisher at [email protected].
All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
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Author Highlights
Praise for Carrie Ann Ryan….
“Carrie Ann Ryan knows how to pull your heartstrings and make your pulse pound! Her wonderful Redwood Pack series will draw you in and keep you reading long into the night. I can’t wait to see what comes next with the new generation, the Talons. Keep them coming, Carrie Ann!” –Lara Adrian, New York Times bestselling author of CRAVE THE NIGHT
“Carrie Ann Ryan never fails to draw readers in with passion, raw sensuality, and characters that pop off the page. Any book by Carrie Ann is an absolute treat.” – New York Times Bestselling Author J. Kenner
"With snarky humor, sizzling love scenes, and brilliant, imaginative worldbuilding, The Dante's Circle series reads as if Carrie Ann Ryan peeked at my personal wish list!" – NYT Bestselling Author, Larissa Ione
"Carrie Ann Ryan writes sexy shifters in a world full of passionate happily-ever-afters." – New York Times Bestselling Author Vivian Arend
“Carrie Ann’s books are sexy with characters you can’t help but love from page one. They are heat and heart blended to perfection.” New York Times Bestselling Author Jayne Rylon
Carrie Ann Ryan's books are wickedly funny and deliciously hot, with plenty of twists to keep you guessing. They'll keep you up all night!” USA Today Bestselling Author Cari Quinn
"Once again, Carrie Ann Ryan knocks the Dante's Circle series out of the park. The queen of hot, sexy, enthralling paranormal romance, Carrie Ann is an author not to miss!" New York Times bestselling Author Marie Harte
Praise for the Redwood Pack Series…
“You will not be disappointed in the Redwood Pack.” Books-n-Kisses
“I was so completely immersed in this story that I felt what the characters felt. BLOWN AWAY.” Delphina’s Book Reviews.
“I love all the wolves in the Redwood Pack and eagerly anticipate all the brothers’ stories.” The Book Vixen
“Shifter romances are a dime a dozen, but good ones aren’t as plentiful as one would think. This is one of the goods one.” Book Binge
“With the hints of things to come for the Redwoods, I can’t wait to read the next book!” Scorching Book Reviews
“Ryan outdid herself on this book.” The Romance Reviews
Praise for the Dante’s Circle Series…
“This author better write the next books quickly or I will Occupy Her Lawn until she releases more! Pure romance enjoyment here. Now go put this on your TBR pile—shoo!” The Book Vixen
“I, for one, will definitely be following the series to see what happens to the seven.” Cocktails & Books
“The world of Dante’s Circle series is enthralling and with each book gets deeper and deeper as does Carrie Ann’s writing.” Literal Addiction
Praise for the Montgomery Ink Series…
“Shea and Shep are so cute together and really offset each other in a brilliant way. “ Literal Addiction
“This was a very quick and spicy read. I really enjoyed reading about Sassy, Rafe & Ian. I really hope there will be more of these three in the future.” Books n Kisses
Praise for the Holiday, Montana Series…
“Charmed Spirits was a solid first book in this new series and I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes.” RR@H Novel Thoughts & Book Thoughts
“If you’re looking for a light book full of magic, love and hot little scenes on various objects, then this book is for you! You’ll soon find that tables are no longer for eating meals of the food variety … Bon appétit!” Under the Covers
“The book was well written and had the perfect setting the steamy bits where really really hot and the story one of sweet romance. Well done Carrie” Bitten by Love Reviews
Dedication
To those who lost so much. To those who believe in second chances.
Acknowledgements
First off, I want to thank you all for reading Faith and Levi’s story! I know there is always a long wait between Dante’s Circle books, but the fact that you’re here now reading means everything. So thank you readers for being here now and for being there before. Thank you even more for being there in the future. To my rocks, Charity, Dr Hubby, Liz, Jillian, Saya, and Devin. Thank you for listening, helping, and keeping my sanity. I know I can’t do it on my own. Thank you Kennedy, Shayla, Carly, Stacy, Jenna, Lexi, and the rest of the writing crew. I couldn’t sprint without you! Thank you for keeping me on track.
Fierce Enchantment
Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?
Faith Sanders sacrificed her life to save her best friend—only to find herself trapped in an endless sleep. When she awakens, a year has past and everything has changed. Her friends have not only moved on with their lives, but now she’s forever bound to a man she’s never met.
When Levi Hughes created a mating bond with the raven-haired, fiery woman, he knew he’d have to face the consequences. Not only does the woman in question bring with her a new battle he might not be ready for, but his past has finally caught up with him. It will take more than the strength of their bond to not only survive their new worlds…but each other.
Warning: Contains a drop-dead sexy wizard with more than simple magic tricks up his sleeve, a lightning-struck, fierce woman who finds her paranormal half more shocking than she’d dreamed, an ex-wife who wants nothing but pain and death, and a mating bond so combustible that the world will be speaking of their seduction for an eternity.
Chapter One
Death wasn’t supposed to be easy. It was supposed to drown the senses until there weren’t any senses left. Yet Faith Sanders could feel. She couldn’t feel everything, but she could feel…something. What it was, she didn’t know, but it was there.
And it wasn’t making this being dead thing work for her.
Death was but a memory. A memory of pain, fire, and loss. So odd that Faith would feel the loss of something she never knew she had, but that ache, that longing, was there. Why she’d have that particular feeling, she couldn’t figure out, but whatever pulled at her had to be close to her. It was the only thing that burned when the fragment of memory faded away below the murky waters of her mind.
Nothing made sense in this new world of hers. She wasn’t quite awake; no, she wasn’t sure she’d ever wake up again. That didn’t sit well with her, but it wasn’t as if she knew what she was doing.
However, she also wasn’t asleep. She floated in a sort of in-between stage where she pulled at herself, trying not to drown in the myriad of dulled emotions and fading dreams.
Faith wasn’t a weak woman. In fact, most people thought she was a bitch.
Or at least she had been.
She honestly didn’t know what to think now that she was dead.
And because she was dead, she knew it was okay to be a little afraid. Fear would help her get through whatever the hell was going on because that was an emotion she could taste, bitter as it was. If she had enough of that, then she didn’t feel quite as dead.
She didn’t want to be dead.
Faith’s mind followed this loop over and over, her brain going fuzzy and then clearing up, only to see the bright pain that had been her life before she fell on the battlefield.
The cavernous labyrinth that was her mind tugged at her again, and she fell into another memory of a time she’d rather forget. Whenever she fell into a fragment of who she’d once been, it was as if she was truly there again in the flesh. Things were slightly blurred at the ends, frayed memories that would never truly be hers again. But whenever she was in the dream, it was always the same. She felt every cut, every blade of steel against her palm as she fought. It was as if she was alive again, only she couldn’t control the outcome.
Because death always won.
Always.
Instead of being a casual observer of the war and her subsequent death, whatever held control over her thrust her mind into her body, and she fought just as she had on that dark day. She could feel every brush of wind, every cut and scrape when she fell.
She could feel everything—just not the emotions other than the pain and fear that came with knowing she was dead.
Even if it all dulled a bit after awhile, she could at least feel the pain to know something was there. She opened her eyes, knowing what she’d find.
The battle raged on, and a dragon flew over her. From the dark blue and black of his scales, Faith knew he was her friend…Dante. Yes, his name was Dante, and he had mated her best friend Nadie. The two of them had another mate, a bear shifter named Jace. She wanted to feel happy at that, wanted to remember the joy, and even the envy, at her shyest friend finding her future. Yet Faith couldn’t feel that—only pain of knowing what would happen next.
A sharp pain lashed her temple, and her dream self clutched at her head. She pushed thoughts of what could have been and what she wanted to feel away. The harder she fought these dreams, the harder it would be when she fell.
Instead, she looked away from the dragon overhead and stood by Nadie. Only the Nadie she knew before wasn’t there anymore. This Nadie was in her new, true succubus form, her hair whipping around her head in the wind, her curves sexy and dangerous as hell. Since Nadie was now mated and had these new powers, she wasn’t as weak as Faith was.
And there was nothing Faith hated more than being weak.
Nadie lashed out at a demon that came toward them, fangs and knives bared. Her friend’s power shocked them like the lightning that had brought Faith and the others to this new world in the first place. The demon in front of them—so unlike her friend Balin who was also a demon—screamed, frozen in place from Nadie’s power. That was when it was Faith’s turn to do what she did best.
She was her father’s daughter after all.
At least she had been.
She shook her aching head, focusing on the scene at hand, not what was going on in her brain. She stepped forward, her blades spinning as she sank them into the demon’s flesh. The demon screamed yet again as she took its life, her skill with a blade unlike most on the battlefield—human or not.
It didn’t hurt her to take a life. It should have, but when that life was threatening those she loved, she made the only choice she could.
Another creature that Faith couldn’t recognize came at them, and she turned, only to be pulled back behind Nadie. It grated that she had to wait for Nadie to protect her because she was only a mere human. It wasn’t her fault she hadn’t found her true half, her mate in all ways that mattered, so she could unlock the paranormal within her.
Faith was just a human.
Just a friend who shouldn’t have been on the battlefield of heaven and hell.
Out of place and on the path to death.
The image shifted, and she found herself fighting alongside Balin, one of Jamie’s mates. Her friend Jamie had two mates, just like Nadie, yet Faith had none. An odd kernel of jealousy bloomed, and she pushed it away. It wasn’t as though she ever wanted a mate. In fact, she knew she was perfectly fine being on her own for the rest of her life. She couldn’t trust a man with her heart, her life, or her soul. While it would be nice to be able to fight alongside her friends and actually feel equal, it wouldn’t be worth tying her life to a man she could never trust. She sighed, knowing all that angst was for nothing. She was dead anyway.
Balin, unlike the others, seemed to think she could be of use. She gave him a feral smile over her shoulder as the two of them cut through the enemy. He was stronger by far and more skilled with a sword and small blade than she was. Of course, he’d had many more years of practice than she since he was a demon, but she held her own.
It felt…good.
She threw her head back and laughed, her brain going a little crazy as she fought. Balin rolled on the ground, cutting the ankles of the creature in front of her. She sliced through the enemy warrior and watched him fall, holding her hand out to Balin.
He smiled at her, a glint in his eye that spoke of war and battle.
Then she screamed.
Torrent, a bear shifter on their side, brother to Jace, one of Nadie’s mates, went up in flames as a battle dragon scorched the earth.
Balin wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back. She didn’t realize she’d been trying to run to the flames, as if she could save the bear shifter with the big smile and innocent face who had been a friend.
Tears spilled down her cheeks, mixing with the grime and whatever else she didn’t want to think about that covered her face. She quickly wiped them away and pushed at Balin.
“I need to get to Nadie!” she shouted. “She’s alone…and I…” Her voice broke. “I need to get to Nadie. Don’t fuck with me, Balin. I’m not your mate. Don’t baby me.”
“Balin!” Ambrose, his mate, called to him, and Balin looked over his shoulder then back at Faith.
“Go. Be safe,” the demon growled.
He released her then ran toward his mate who fought four soldiers at once. Ambrose might be a warrior angel, but everyone needed help once in awhile. Not that she’d ever admit that about herself.
She ran toward Nadie, who was sobbing but still fighting. Faith’s other friends were slowly coming closer, grieving over their lost brother, son, friend, but still fighting. Her throat grew tight, but she swallowed hard and ignored any pain. She didn’t even know Torrent. She shouldn’t be reacting like this.
She was stronger than this.
With a growl, she turned around and started fighting a creature that had been trying to sneak up on her. The others kept fighting, knowing they needed to pick it up if they wanted to win.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a man fighting for their side. His chestnut hair was cut short in the back and on the sides but had length on top. His face was covered in soot—probably from a dragon who got too close—and his vivid blue eyes turned to flames of fire as he held his hands out in front of him, a ball of light or magic, or whatever it was flowing out of him as he fought. A blue aura surrounded him as he worked, intent on whoever was in front of him. She had no idea who he was, but for some reason, even in the heat of battle, she wanted to know him.
For fuck’s sake, had she hit her head and not realized it?
He met her gaze for a moment, and a shock went through her.
No. Just fuck no. She didn’t know what was going on with her, but this wasn’t the time to moon over a man. In fact, there was
never a time to moon over a man.
She pulled her attention away and continued to fight by Nadie’s side. She pushed all thoughts of men and sexy blue eyes out of her mind.
They fought harder, her strength depleting, even as the others around her looked as though they could continue to do this for hours. They weren’t human, and she was the only one here who was. She knew she should have stayed away like Dante had told her to, but she couldn’t. These were her friends, and this was her battle. She was a part of this, even if she didn’t feel like it. Only right then, all she could feel was pain and exhaustion.
Everything went into slow motion after that.
She turned toward Nadie and screamed at the vision in front of her. Her friend’s eyes widened and Nadie’s mates yelled her name. Dante’s mother, a bitch of a dragon, came at them, her claw outstretched, ready to kill the symbol of Dante’s love and future.
Faith did the first thing that came to mind…the only thing she could have done in this situation.
She threw herself in front of Nadie, taking the blow herself.
The claw sliced into her chest, the fiery burn taking its sweet time to engulf her in agony. Something snapped inside her, and her heart beat loudly in her ear once.
Then one more time.
Then stopped.
A trickle of something warm slid down her chest and her chin, and she figured that had to be blood.
Her blood.
Oh. So this was how she was going to die.
Her body felt as though it was on fire, and she gasped for breath, only she wasn’t breathing, she wasn’t moving. Hands were on her body, doing something with her chest, but she couldn’t truly feel it.
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