‘They’re too young!’ Ambrose protested, lurching forward, but Ava grabbed him and dragged him back.
‘Leave. Them. Alone,’ she growled, making Ambrose sulk.
That was when my darling wife decided to publicly embarrass me. ‘Thorne! Get your gorgeous behind over here!’
I slumped over to her side amidst the laughter – apparently both peoples found it hysterical to see the berserker prince having his behind brought to attention by a small mischievous woman.
‘I dare you to race your cousins.’
Ella and Sadie screamed their excitement and I shot Finn a glare. ‘I’m far too mature to be baited by a dare.’
Finn stared at me, waiting.
I sighed. ‘You’ll pay for this.’
She smiled sweetly. ‘Hurry up, big guy.’
‘Just a second,’ I forestalled, leaning in to give her a long, slow kiss. The crowd cheered, and when I pulled away Finn was the one blushing. She shoved me towards the course.
Sidling over to the girls, I climbed up beside them on the platform. Glancing down at the ground, my head swum with unease. Despite everything, I still really, really hated heights.
Ella and Sadie both took one of my hands. ‘You can do it,’ they encouraged, and I couldn’t help but smile.
‘Whose kindness did you inherit?’ I muttered rhetorically.
‘Da’s,’ they replied promptly and I burst into laughter.
We set off. As I swung hand over hand along the ropes, being indisputably annihilated by my much quicker cousins, I glanced to the side and saw him standing there in the trees.
My da. He smiled, looking amused.
‘You’d better pick up the pace, my boy,’ he grinned. ‘No son of mine gets left behind.’
And then, more softly, my father said, ‘You were born to lead the way, my son, even when the world is at its darkest.’
They settled upon me, those words, and for the first time in my life I believed them to be true.
Here ends Book 2 of The Chronicles of Kaya
Coming soon …
Isadora
Book 3 of The Chronicles of Kaya
About the Author
Charlotte grew up with her nose in a book. At fourteen she decided to write a novel, and thus began her foray into epic fantasy, with sweeping romances, heroic adventures, and as much juicy drama as she could possibly squeeze in.
Her first novel, Arrival, was published at age seventeen, followed by Descent when she was twenty, launching The Strangers of Paragor series, which is adventure fantasy for teenagers.
Soon she started her first adult fantasy novel, Avery, the prologue of which came to her in a very vivid dream. This was followed by Thorne, the second book in The Chronicles of Kaya series, and Fury, the first in a dystopian science-fiction trilogy called The Cure.
Charlotte has a Masters in Screenwriting, which allows her to explore different aspects of her writing and indulge in her passion for film and television. She lives in Sydney and will, however, always be a novelist at heart, still unable to get her nose out of the books.
See the whole collection! Visit http://www.randomhouse.com.au/randomromance/
Avery
by Charlotte McConaghy
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?
Avery is a sweeping, romantic fantasy novel about loss and identity, and finding the courage to love against all odds.
Available now!
Losing Patients
by Virginia Taylor
It’s Bree Branson’s first day at Pemberton Private Hospital and the last thing she needs is a patient dying in suspicious circumstances on her watch. The only person who can help her clear her name is the one person she was hoping to avoid, the devastatingly handsome Sam Vincent … the doctor she stood up three years ago.
Forced to work together to find a killer, will Bree and Sam be able to leave their past behind to find a future together?
A scintillating romantic suspense novel with a twist of intrigue and a lot of flirtation. Can true love be found in the hunt for a killer?
Available now!
Down Outback Roads
by Alissa Callen
Kree Garrett’s younger brother Seth is all the family she has left, so when he goes missing in the Australian outback, she doesn’t think twice about leaving her American home to find him. When Seth is rescued Kree vows to find a way to thank the small town of Glenalla. It isn’t long before she falls in love with the tight-knit rural community. But is it really the town she’s falling for?
Ewan Mackenzie has given up everything for his brother’s family, but he can never give enough to assuage his guilt at what happened one dark night, years ago … Ewan knows he doesn’t deserve a second chance at happiness, but when beautiful, open-hearted Kree stays to fight to save his home town, he finds it hard to keep his distance.
Can Kree and Ewan leave their pasts behind for long enough to find a future together?
An enthralling rural love story. Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to fall in love.
Available now!
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted by any person or entity, including internet search engines or retailers, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including printing, photocopying (except under the statutory exceptions provisions of the Australian Copyright Act 1968), recording, scanning or by any information storage and retrieval system without the prior written permission of Random House Australia. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
Version 1.0
Thorne
Published by Random Romance in 2014
Copyright © Charlotte McConaghy, 2014
The moral right of the author has been asserted.
A Random Romance book
Published by Random House Australia Pty Ltd
Level 3, 100 Pacific Highway, North Sydney NSW, 2060 www.randomhouse.com.au
Addresses for companies within the Random House Group can be found at http://www.randomhouse.com.au/about/contacts.aspx
First published by Random Romance in 2012
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
McConaghy, Charlotte, author.
Avery/Charlotte McConaghy.
ISBN 9780857985996 (ebook)
Fantasy fiction
A823.4
Cover Image © Aleshyn_Andrei/Shutterstock
Cover design by Isabel Keeley-Reid
Map by Jon MacDonald, Xou Creative
Ebook by First Source
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Thorne (Random Romance) Page 35