by RJ Blain
I waved off his help with a hand and got to my feet. “Go help Cleo. It’s just a cold. It won’t kill me.”
“Well, it’s more like four colds, a couple of respiratory infections, and malnutrition, but that’s a different matter.”
“Point stands.”
“So it does. Cleo’s at the house, Dad?”
“He is.”
“Then I’ll leave Jesse to you.” Unlike every other shifter I’d met, when Adrian shifted, his clothes went with him.
I’d always thought unicorns were white, but Adrian was a strawberry roan with a golden mane, and instead of a horse’s tail, his was more like a lion’s, although striped red and gold. Instead of a tuft of fur at the tip, pure white feathers fanned out.
Glittering blue crystal spiraled from between his blue eyes, which sparkled with the same faceted beauty of the Hope Diamond. Adrian shook out his coat, and when he moved, his hooves tinkled like wind chimes caught in a faint breeze.
His nose brushed my cheek, velvet soft and warm. Then he turned, eased out of the stall, and left.
Todd turned to me and gave my shoulder a pat. “So, what are you naming her, anyway? If my colt says she’ll live, she’ll live, and he said she’ll live, so you have to give her a name. I can’t just run around asking about Jesse’s horse. It’s embarrassing.”
I didn’t think about it very long. Only one name seemed fitting after what we had survived together. I gave my mare’s nose a kiss and rose to my feet. She stretched out her neck and gave a shake before settling down to sleep.
Without her, I didn’t know if I would have been able to find the courage or strength to keep fighting after I’d been ready to quit. My failures and uncertainties remained, but I could carry the burden. She had shared their weight every painful step of the way.
We hadn’t won anything, but we hadn’t lost, either. Maybe I’d never find out who had worked with my uncles, and maybe I’d never recover Steel Heart and see it returned to the Blade Clan, but because of my mare, I had survived. We had survived, together, which was a miracle in its own right.
I forced a smile, though my throat tightened and my eyes burned. “Miracle. Her name’s Miracle.”
Afterword
As I’ve been getting this question a lot, I thought I’d answer it in an afterword:
Will there be another Jesse Alexander novel?
Short answer: yes.
Steel Heart is the second book, I’ve already done a lot of groundwork on its plot, and I’m also planning a series of shorter stories that will take place after Steel Heart.
Will Steel Heart be the end of the series?
Probably not—I hope not. I really enjoy writing about Jesse and her friends.
But, I am making no promises on when Steel Heart will be ready. Like Water Viper, it will be an exceptionally long book, and those take time.
Thank you for reading!
About the Author
RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.
RJ also writes as Susan Copperfield and Trillian Anderson.
If you want to know when my next title releases, there are two ways to find out.
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RJBlain.com
Magical Romantic Comedies (with a body count)
Playing with Fire
Hoofin’ It (2017)
Hearth, Home, and Havoc (Novella, Dec 2017)
Whatever for Hire (Dec 2017)
Serial Killer Princess (Jan 2018)
From Witch & Wolf World
Series: Witch & Wolf
Inquisitor
Winter Wolf
Blood Diamond
Silver Bullet (December 2017)
* * *
Series: Wolf Hunt
Wolf Hunt (2018)
* * *
Series: Nature of the Beast
Pack Justice
Dual Nature (TBD)
* * *
Series: Balancing the Scales
Karma
License to Kill (TBD)
* * *
Standalones
Beneath a Blood Moon
Shadowed Flame
* * *
Tales of the Winter Wolf
(Short Story/Novella Collections)
Omnibus - Volumes One-Five
Volume Six (Aftermath to Winter Wolf.)
Other Stories by RJ Blain
Jesse Alexander Novels
Water Viper
Steel Heart (TBD)
* * *
Requiem for the Rift King (Epic Fantasy)
Storm Without End
Storm Surge
The Tides of War (TBD)
Witch & Wolf World Reading Order
The Witch & Wolf world is all over the place. I’m sorry about that—really. I’m worse than a gnat sometimes, flitting from project to project, excited to write my next story. Here’s my preferred reading order of these books. While I wrote Inquisitor first, it actually happens after Winter Wolf.
Note: You can jump in on any series with the exception of Blood Diamond, Silver Bullet, and later volumes—they are dependent on events that happen prior in the series.
Winter Wolf (W&W #2)
Tales of the Winter Wolf Vol. 6
Tales of the Winter Wolf Vol. 1-5
Inquisitor (W&W #1)
Beneath a Blood Moon (Standalone)
Blood Diamond (W&W #3)
Silver Bullet (W&W #4)
Wolf Hunt (WH #1, W&W #5)
* * *
The following books can be read at any time:
Nature of the Beast
Pack Justice
Dual Nature (TBD)
Balancing the Scales
Karma
License to Kill (TBD)
Standalone
Shadowed Flame