“I’m not sure what I want to do. Part of that will depend on Eilidh.”
Getty stood. “I’d best leave you two to discuss it then.” He said goodbye and promised to visit Munro again soon.
Eilidh looked toward the door. “I do not think he believes us still.”
Munro chuckled. “I think he’s trying. I’m not in a straightjacket, so that’s a start.” He smiled at Eilidh. Because of the bond, he could sense her emotions. She was relieved and even relaxed, but he also detected apprehension. “What else is bothering you?”
“I have a difficult journey to make. After Cridhe’s death, I received word from the conclave. They observed what happened in the woods. They said because I fought against the blood faerie and defended Saor and his companions, they would welcome me again into the Halls of Mist.”
Munro expected such news would make her happy, but Eilidh seemed distinctly sad. He waited for her to continue.
“Saor would have been so pleased. It was all he would have wanted. I could have returned, and we could have been together.”
The thought of Eilidh with Saor sent a stab of pain through Munro, but then he realised what she’d said. “Saor didn’t make it?”
“None of them survived. Only you and I remain. If it had not been for our bond, we would not have lived.”
“Then we have a lot to be grateful for. So you loved him?”
“Once, yes. Things changed, and I think he even had grown to hate me. It breaks my heart that the last words we spoke were angry ones. Still, I should attend his death rite, now that I’m permitted to. I hope I can convince the conclave to change their minds about the azuri fae. Since they see that my astral magic and our bond saved them from many losses, if not a total collapse of the kingdom, perhaps they will realise how unjust they have been. It would be nice to be able to tell Beniss’ family they could rejoin the kingdom.” She looked down. “I will have to spend some time considering the proper words to tell them of her bravery in death.”
“I’d like to come with you to Saor’s funeral.” Munro didn’t know if it would be appropriate, but he felt he should offer.
Eilidh smiled. “Thank you. I have to do this alone.”
Munro wanted to say he understood, but he stayed silent. At least with the bond, he knew Eilidh sensed what he felt.
“I do hope you will come to the Isle of Skye with me. I may be there for some time. I have a lot to learn. Once I have learned more about the Path of the Azure, it will be time for us to work together to refine my understanding of the Ways of Earth. If, that is, you do not regret what we have done.”
“We did the only thing we could do. But no, I do not regret it. Eilidh, I love you.”
He could feel the uncertainty in her thoughts, but they melted away as she smiled. “My people are not as hasty as yours. For us, love is not a word we often use. My father said once that we are shallow and vain people.” She touched his hand. “I feel for you something I have never felt before, Quinton. We have a lifetime to discover what words to use.” She leaned over and softly touched his lips with hers.
After a moment of silence she said, “I’ll return after Saor’s death ritual, and we can travel to the Isle of Skye together.”
Munro nodded and grinned. “I’m afraid we’ll have to drive. I can’t run as long or as fast as you can.”
Eilidh groaned and leaned over, resting her forehead on Munro’s shoulder. “We’re going to have to work on that. You may grow stronger and faster over time.”
He kissed her hair. “A lot of changes are coming our way.” Part of him felt a loss, not just for the death of his cousin, Saor, Beniss, and the others, but for the old life he feared he couldn’t go back to. Yet even though he had been satisfied with his life, he had been alone. Now he would never be alone again.
Eilidh didn’t answer, but she didn’t have to. Beyond her tiredness, her grief, and concerns for the future, he also felt the underlying contentment in her heart. Amidst the pain, they’d found each other, and that was something worth holding on to.
~*~
A Note from the Author
Thank you so much for reading Blood Faerie. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review at your favourite online retailer.
I welcome contact from readers. At my website http://www.indiadrummond.com you can contact me, sign up for my newsletter to be notified of new releases, read my blog, and find me on social networking.
Find all my books on Amazon.
—India Drummond
Azuri Fae
(An excerpt of Azuri Fae, Book 2 of the Caledonia Fae Series by India Drummond) http://amzn.com/B006AQPTEU
Sarah McBride dug her elbow into her husband’s side. “There’s someone outside, Hamish.”
“It’s just a cat. Go back to sleep.” He started snoring again almost immediately.
“That wasn’t a cat I heard. Go see who it is.” She lay still in bed, hands shaking, afraid to breathe. Someone prowling around outside, and that great oaf of a husband was sleeping through it. Probably a pack of teenagers come to steal their telly for drug money. They might even come in and tie them both up.
Sarah swallowed and squeezed her eyes tight together. Hamish might not care, but she wasn’t about to lie there and let a roving band of hooded teens catch her unawares. They’d probably try to do unspeakable things to her. It had been twenty years since she’d been attacked in a pub in Dundee, and she had been young and stupid then, out drinking…alone. She wasn’t some vulnerable girl now. This time she would fight back.
“Hamish!” she hissed one last time with a sharp jab to his middle.
He sat up in the darkness, his tone barely civil. “It was just a dream. Now leave me to sleep. I have to get up in the morning.” Hamish rolled over, heaving his bulk onto his side, bouncing the mattress. “You’ll be the death of me, woman,” he mumbled into his pillow.
“Fine. I’ll do it.” Sarah got up and wrapped her dressing gown around her, tying it at the front. A crash in the side yard halted her progress. She glanced toward the front room, where the house phone sat in its charger. She wanted to call 999, get the police out to look. But if they came, they’d wake Hamish. If it did turn out to be nothing, she’d never hear the end of it. Best to make sure, then call.
She crept down the hall in the pitch black. Her heart pounded so loudly she almost couldn’t hear the intruders. She cursed her fear. She’d never wanted to feel this way again. Hamish couldn’t understand that. He was a hulking man who’d never felt intimidated by someone else’s size. Pausing in the hallway to collect herself, she caught sight of the gun cabinet in the spare room. It tempted her, but she decided against getting out one of Hamish’s shotguns. Until, that is, she heard the rattle of the side gate, followed by footsteps on the path. Sarah rushed to the drawer where Hamish kept the cabinet keys. So what if his shotgun certificate was expired? If it saved their lives, she didn’t care. Anyway, she only wanted to scare them. After she retrieved the gun, she slipped a couple of shells into her dressing gown pocket. Just in case.
It took all her courage to tiptoe down the hall, the open shotgun folded over her left arm, ready to receive the shells. How Hamish could sleep through this, she didn’t know, but anger burned inside her.
By the time she made it to the kitchen window and peeled back the blinds, her fear and anger had combined into a pulsing rush of adrenaline. Nobody would hurt her again.
A faint blue light came from the back garden, and shadowy figures stole around in the darkness. With trembling hands, Sarah slipped two shells into the back of the double barrel and snapped the gun closed. She knew better than to rush out with a gun that wasn’t ready to go. They’d only take it away and turn it on her.
She noticed her mobile on the kitchen counter. The phone went into her pocket. Again, just in case. She turned the deadbolt, unlocked the back door, and walked onto the steps. The cold winter air made her shiver. “I…” Sarah cleared her throat and spoke louder. “I kn
ow you’re out there. Clear off, you lot.” She heard her voice as though it was someone else’s.
The motion at the back of the garden stopped. “Come out where I can see you,” she shouted, “Before I start shooting.”
She held the stock of the gun in her left hand and with her right, reached into her pocket to get her mobile. Three figures slowly emerged. It was hard to make out their faces, but one might have been a girl. They looked young, but Sarah knew teenagers were the worst. She’d heard about an old man that was killed by a gang of them, just because he’d complained about their loud music. They’d kicked him to death on his own doorstep.
Sarah tapped the nine button on her mobile three times, hands shaking from the cold and adrenaline.
“Emergency Services. Which service do you require? Police, Fire, Ambulance?”
“I’ve got burglars,” Sarah said. “Three of ‘em.”
She heard a brief pause, then another voice came on the line. The smooth voice of a young woman. “Tayside Police. This is Alison. What’s your address?”
Sarah had to think. Why could she suddenly not think? “Eighty-two…”
Suddenly, a man rushed her from the side. She hadn’t realised there were more. She spun and pointed the shotgun at him, dropping her mobile. Fumbling to put her finger on the trigger, she looked at her hand for just a moment.
The man moved fast, like a neon blur in the night. Her vision went funny, and she had difficulty focusing her eyes. How many were there? She couldn’t tell anymore. Four? Even more? Blood rushed through her veins.
“What in the name of hell is going on out here?” Hamish shouted from the doorway, startling her. “Sarah?” He sounded shocked, then serious. “Sarah, come into the house. Just step back to me, love.”
A distant and monotonously calm voice came from the phone, which had nestled in the Barberry bush. “What is your location, madam?”
Sarah didn’t turn to look at her husband. It was cold and wet, and fear kept her frozen to the spot. She kept her eye on the man who stood mere feet from her now. She couldn’t look away. He had the strangest eyes. They shone in the dark.
She tensed and her hands started to shake. Yet, despite the strange commotion around her, the young man held her attention. She felt peculiar, as though moving in slow motion.
Sarah stepped back toward Hamish, but her husband didn’t speak nor move. She glanced around wildly, realising everything had stopped dead. Everything but her and this man. Her breaths sounded loud in the stillness. She could see the other faces in the garden clearly now, as well as a bright glow that had suddenly appeared.
“You,” she said, doing her best to steady the shotgun as she raised it to point at his chest. “You get on out of here and take your friends with you. Hurry now. I don’t want to shoot you.” Her voice raised to a hysterical pitch. “Eighty-two Fordyce Way,” she yelled at the Barberry bush. “See?” she said. “The police are on their way. Just go. I don’t want trouble. You’ve got time to get out.” She couldn’t shake the strange feeling. The other burglars had frozen in place, and Hamish stood unnaturally still in the doorway.
“Time?” he said with a sad laugh. His accent sounded so strange. Probably some immigrant. “That’s all I’ve got.”
With a pop, a blue flash blinded her, and the last thing she felt was her finger squeezing the trigger.
Azuri Fae is available now on Amazon.com and other outlets worldwide - http://amzn.com/B006AQPTEU
The Caledonia Fae series by India Drummond
Book 1: Blood Faerie
Unjustly sentenced to death, Eilidh ran—away from faerie lands, to the streets of Perth, Scotland. Just as she has grown accustomed to exile, local police discover a mutilated body outside the abandoned church where she lives. Recognising the murder as the work of one of her own kind, Eilidh must choose: flee, or learn to tap into the forbidden magic that cost her everything.
Book 2: Azuri Fae
A faerie prince disappears in the borderlands, and his father enlists the help of outcast Eilidh and her bonded druid, Quinton Munro. Tantalised with hints of a lost and ancient magic, they learn that time is working against them every step of the way. Is the prince’s disappearance related to the vanishing of an entire Scottish village?
Faced with deception, assassination attempts, and a mad queen who would sacrifice her own child to keep a dreaded secret, Eilidh struggles with an impossible situation. Her people demand she commit treason and betray the man she loves. Will she do what duty requires, or throw away the chance to reunite the kingdom in exchange for the life she hadn’t dared hope for?
Book 3: Enemy of the Fae
With a young, inexperienced monarch on the Caledonian throne and traitorous plots implicating those nearest Queen Eilidh, unrest is rife in the kingdom. She must sift through the intrigues and lies to survive, all while trying to discover which of her trusted companions hates her enough to commit mass murder.
Pressures threaten to overcome the young ruler, and to protect Quinton Munro, her bonded druid, she must send him away. His journey becomes a mission when he stumbles on an ancient truth that will shake the foundations of the entire faerie realm. Confronted by infinite danger and the promise of limitless power, Munro faces the most difficult choices of his life. Will he hide the truth to preserve stability in the faerie kingdoms or embrace the promise of his true druid heritage?
One friend will die because of that truth, one friend’s betrayal will cause irreparable scars, and the once tightly-knit band of druids will learn that not all magic is benevolent.
Book 4: Druid Lords
The druids of Caledonia have taken their place in the Halls of Mist, only to learn that their path is fraught with many dangers. When their newest member, Huck Webster, finds a woman of magical talents in Amsterdam, their troubles multiply. Lying between them and a peaceful existence are a dead prince, a furious queen, and a druid accused of murder. Each druid must search his soul and discover where his talents, and his loyalties, lie.
HOOD & FAE
Hood & Fae
(A Daughters of Red Riding Hood Urban Fantasy)
by Tara Maya
Length - Novella
26,000 words (about 100 pages)
Tagline
Roxy’s mom left her a magical red leather jacket, and the fairy legacy that goes with it…
Blurb
Roxy Hood is just trying to make ends meet, to pay her mom’s medical bills. Sure, Roxy takes on some jobs of, ahem, dubious integrity, like pretending that she can speak to the dead. But hey, that’s harmless. It's not like a malevolent ghoul is going to attack her. Or a sexy billionaire will show up trying to buy her red jacket. Or a werewolf will attack Granny Rose. Because that would be whacked.
Contact
Want to read the next Roxy Hood novel for free? Send in for a free review copy! Email me: [email protected]
Want to know when the next Roxy Hood novel will be available? Email me: [email protected]
You might also be interested in my Young Adult Epic Fantasy series, The Unfinished Song.
bestfantasynovel.com
[email protected]
WARNING: This novel is only appropriate for older teens and adults, because it contains #$%*&@ words. Spelled out for real, though. Even that one that starts with “F.” Yeah, it’s in there, in a couple places. Also, “dumbkof,” but that’s in another language, so it won’t bother you.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – The Fine Line Between Baking and Arson
Chapter 2 – Warning: Contents May Be Sexy
Chapter 3 – What Not To Bring On A Picnic
Chapter 4 – This is Exactly What Gives Necromancy a Bad Rap
Chapter 5 – I See Green People
Chapter 6 – Granny, What A Big Pension You Have
Chapter 7 – (Spoiler Alert) The Wolf Eats Her
Chapter 8 – Gratuitous Nudity To Boost Ratings
Chapter 9 – Welcome To My Heck
Of The Woods
Chapter 10 – Road Cage
Chapter 11 – How To Pay Your Dragon
Chapter 12 – A Painted Door Has A Thousand Keys
Chapter 1. The Fine Line Between Baking and Arson
When the doorbell rang the first time, I didn’t answer it because I was on the phone with a client I knew only as hairybeast1855.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to complete your job,” I said.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to accept that that,” a gravelly voice said over the phone.
“I’ll refund your down-payment.”
“You’ve missed the point, my dear.”
“Look, I’m sorry but I won’t be able to do it.”
“If you screw me, you will regret it, I promise you,” the stranger on the phone snarled.
“Are you threatening me?” I asked incredulously. “Look, if you’re worried that I might go to the police because the job you hired me for seems suspiciously like it might involve insurance fraud, elder abuse, and possibly arson, you don’t have to worry, because that thought never even crossed my mind!”
A pause. Then he said in a voice at once smooth and venomous: “Can your mother really afford for you to throw away this much money, Miss Hood?”
Shit. How did hairybeast1855 know my real name?
“What the hell do you know about my mother?” I demanded through clenched teeth.
“The insurance company will be calling you today,” he said. “I suggest you finish the job as agreed.”
The phone clicked.
I didn’t have time to fume. I had someone else on the other line. On this call, I was going with an Australian accent.
“So sorry for the interruption!” I said brightly. “Now, how can I help you, mate?”
Faery Realms: Ten Magical Titles: Multi-Author Bundle of Novels & Novellas Page 71