Unborn

by Natusch, Amber Lynn

  I wanted to see my father.

  I wanted to go home.

  I wanted answers.

  But with those intense desires rose a fear far greater; doubt plagued me, giving me pause. To accomplish the task of returning to the Underworld required me to make a deal with the devil, a phrase I had learned from Kierson. I did not doubt for a moment that my deal would come at a high price. With Oz, there always was.

  And what of Oz? His motives for returning me were surely inscrutable—his purpose far from noble. The Dark Ones, from all I had ever known, were little more than mercenaries. For him to come for me at all implied a bounty had been paid. His casual compliance with my demand only made me further question his motivations. However, I could not shake the words he had spoken that night when he pressed against the window, their echo forever plaguing my thoughts. You will know no other . . . That sentiment laid claim to me in a way that threatened to override my skepticism. He wanted me for his own.

  To what end, I could not be sure.

  And yet, he was not the only one who sought to own me. Deimos was a threat that had neither been eliminated nor deterred, his fixation on me surely amplified in the face of his temporary defeat. Sean had succeeded in banishing Deimos’ earthly form back to the Underworld—back to the very place I was destined for—but there would be consequences for that action. The wrath that would certainly await me could not be ignored. Whether or not it could be stopped remained to be seen.

  Deimos would not easily be denied.

  The shining light in all that darkness was Hades. He was surely to be my salvation on more levels than I had initially anticipated. He could not only shield me from Deimos, should he sense the danger, but I hoped he could also shed light on the shadows of my past, providing he knew precisely what they were. My plan weighed heavily on his ability to do so.

  After meeting my brothers and hearing of Ares, I had no doubt that my mother’s choice to abandon me had been for my safety. What I needed Hades to do was fill in the cracks and fissures that remained in her story—my story—filling it out until whole. That demand sounded benign when I repeated the questions that required explanation over and over again in my mind. However, I was not so certain that, onc

  e they were answered, I would think them so harmless. Some secrets were meant to persist.

  Perhaps hers were.

  With a heavy breath, I steadied myself, preparing for the harsh journey home. I glanced beside me, taking in Oz’s formidable silhouette, his obsidian wings stretched ominously around us. It was by a Dark One that I had returned to Earth, and it would be by a Dark One that I would return home. Stepping in front of him, I allowed him to snake his arm around my waist, pulling me against his naked chest. Adrenaline surged within me at the contact, but I stifled it immediately. Oz no longer held the promise that he once had, which only reminded me of the final reason I was going back to the Underworld and the uncertain circumstances it promised. I needed to find out if what had been created could be unmade. Right or wrong, I was going to find a solution to his dark predicament, even if it killed me.

  And, if the fates were against me, my journey might prove to do just that.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I want to keep this simple and brief, so here it goes . . .

  I would not be able to accomplish all that I do without my amazing team of authors, bloggers, editors, and friends. Shannon Morton, Amy Bartol, Jennifer Ryan, Kristy Bronner, Virginia Nicholas, Cristina Suarez-Muñoz, Jena Gregoire, and Denise Grover-Swank, you guys kick ass. My husband, who might just be the most patient man alive, is a saint for running interference with children, helping me with my computer that eats things, and making dinner while I tune the world out so that I can write about the craziness going on in my head. I would be lost without you, Bry. Lastly, I want to thank my 47North family, both authors and staff. Getting this novel published has been a wild ride. I’m glad I found a group of equally wild people to accompany me on the journey.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Photo © 2014 Dannielle Damm

  Amber Lynn Natusch is the author of the bestselling Caged, as well as the Light and Shadow series with Shannon Morton. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, and speaks sarcasm fluently because of her Canadian roots. She loves to dance and sing in her kitchen—much to the detriment of those near her—but spends most of her time running a practice with her husband, raising two small children, and attempting to write when she can lock herself in the bathroom for ten minutes of peace and quiet. She has many hidden talents, most of which should not be mentioned but include putting her foot in her mouth, acting inappropriately when nervous, swearing like a sailor when provoked, and not listening when she should. She’s obsessed with home renovation shows, should never be caffeinated, and loves snow. Amber has a deep-seated fear of clowns and deep water . . . especially clowns swimming in deep water.