I could still feel him on my lips now as the memory of it played over and over in my head. His scent, the look on his face when he went in for the kill and the way he’d eked it out, teasing me, all so he could say we’d had a proper first date. It yanked on an emotion in me I never even knew existed.
The foreign feeling had stemmed from the naivety of a first. A first kiss. A first love. Everything I had never experienced growing up. And something I’d bypassed as I’d jumped straight into ‘I’m an independent woman’ dating pool when I’d first hit twenty. Gone was the sweet outlook on life I could have experienced if my mom hadn’t stuck me in a psychiatric hospital. But I’d had a taste of it last night with Cole. He’d taken things slow, getting to know me on all kinds of levels as he’d promised. I couldn’t deny that it had caused my feelings to become seriously entangled with my hormones.
How all this would play out, I didn’t know. He had a mate picked out from birth, one he was yet to meet but he’d made no promises. And I hadn’t run screaming in the other direction. I guess we needed to keep on plundering forth to see what kind of mess we could create being together.
No one ever said that dating your boss was a great idea.
The Moors of Maorga were situated on the outskirts of the Crystal Quarter where I lived. The solace of them was exactly what I needed but I also needed to catch my breath and slow my pace before I passed out. Eventually, I came to a stop, placing my hands on my knees to catch my breath. Giggles from wood sprites echoed around me, but they were keeping themselves hidden. They made me smile regardless.
I waved toward the trees where the tiny fairies, who knew nothing of evil or darkness, lay hidden. They were pure joy and their innocence was refreshing.
Fear at the thought of the prisoners who’d escaped recently hit me. It counteracted the pleasure the wood sprites sent my way as I thought of what the prisoners were capable of. Would any of these little guys get hurt if one of those prisoners made it to the Moors? And what about the other citizens of Portiside?
They were out there now. Eleven of them. And they were all dangerous.
The Consilium had kept their escape quiet until recently and that precious time had given the prisoners the opportunity to go underground. They’d had the time to cover up any scents, and to come up with a plan to keep them from going back to prison. A plan we had no clue of yet.
We’d already captured one prisoner. But at what cost, I wasn’t quite sure. After I had gone undercover at Darkwood, Romeo Lovejoy was easy enough to arrest. But it had resulted in the death of a Head of House vampire, one who had died at my hands while he’d sucked like a babe at my neck.
Through luck and chance, I’d staked him into a pile of ash. And now Cole—my very attractive boss who had very kissable lips that should be outlawed on this side of the portal—was having to shovel up the political mess I’d left behind.
Inhaling deeply I sought to release some of my frustrations. There was nothing I could do about it. Fortunately for us, Parris Avar was guilty of trying to create a revolt among the vampires. He’d confessed most of his plan to me when he was attempting to use me for my so-called power. With that information as leverage, Cole could use it to apply some pressure against the vampires. Of course it also helped that the Darkwood vampires had been harboring an escaped criminal—unknowingly or otherwise.
Then there was that stupid thing that Marco Perduto had said to me on the night it had all happened. If the thought of Cole’s kiss had me tossing and turning during the night, so had that tidbit of information.
Marco had claimed he’d had someone from Immigration Control do some digging on me. During doing so, they’d discovered some of my papers were missing. He’d also claimed that my results during my immigration tests peaked the charts, and I appeared to be something more than a mere psychic.
Stupid claims from a manipulative vampire. That’s all they were. But after seeing what my gift was capable of lately, it felt there was more credence to it—more than my denial was willing to allow.
Pushing it all aside, I began jogging off at a slower pace. Birds chirped and, if I listened hard enough, I could hear the tinkling sounds of the flower fairies. Mystical. Beautiful. And magical. That was the Moors for you.
The trees were wily and grew with wild abandon, as if they found beauty or mischief in their own creation. Every rock, every branch, was the color of emerald as they bore the presence of new-born moss. Who knew there could be so many different shades of green as Reseda met Shamrock to create a united front with the bright color of Lemongrass.
Together they shielded the Moors’ inhabitants from the sky above, a natural ceiling encasing us in its world of treasures.
I felt so safe here. As if I could never become truly lost, even if I did lose my way. Each corner, each crevice, had something new, creating a backdrop that suited a fairy tale. The ethereal blessing it gave was soothing.
I promised myself a few more miles to revel in before I headed back out to reality once more. But a beep on my watch comms had different ideas.
Stopping yet again, I pushed my sleeve aside to see Kaleb’s number glaring back at me.
“What is it?” I snapped when I answered my agency partner. But I cringed a little when I recalled that he was still healing from his recent attack. I should be a bit more sympathetic.
“Whoa,” Kaleb’s voice vibrated through the small device on my wrist. “Whose bed did you get out of the wrong side this morning?”
“My own,” I growled, hating the fact I had to keep my night a secret from him. Cole was Kaleb’s older brother, and his boss seeing as we were partners. But Kaleb had also warned me that his brother meant only one thing for me: heartbreak. And I had slept in my own bed. Cole had kissed me until my toes curled when he’d left me at the border, but I’d still slept in my own bed. I needed a medal for that alone.
“Alright, keep your hair on. I was calling to say that Cole wants us to head out to a crime scene. A fresh one he wants us to deal with.”
“Damn it,” I said. “Is it linked to the prisoners?”
“Not sure, but he’s concerned by what’s at the scene and he wants us to take it over from the responding agents.”
“What was found at the crime scene?” I asked, walking toward the exit of the Moors, preparing to break into a jog once more.
Kaleb was quiet for a few moments and my heart began to race a little bit faster. “A black feather,” was all he said. And I knew then why Cole wanted us at the scene.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
COMING SOON!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Katie Epstein is an author of paranormal romance and fantasy novels. Living in the UK with a husband, two children and a wild imagination, Katie now dedicates her time to churning out stories in genres where the artistic license is limitless. You can read more about Katie and her projects or sign up for her newsletter at www.katieepstein.com.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
To Stacey. You’re first because of your belief. Your dedication. And your unwavering faith in me and my stories. Thank you.
To Kate. For reading. Believing. And keeping those pages turning. Thank you so much!
To my beta readers, Sarah, Michelle the two Ds, Diane and Laura. Thank you for your precious feedback. It means so much to understand things from a different perspective, and Michelle, your feedback has me in hysterics!
To my sister Tracy for plowing through even though it scares you. And to my editor Katie-Bree who makes this story what it is today. Katie-Bree, you don’t only edit, you dedicate yourself to the characters and the world I’ve created. You give ideas, poke and prod and take it to the next level. Thank you for your support!
Yocla Designs have come up with another amazing cover, and Terra Vane is forever born from your designs.
To my mom, family and friends who help me with the sanity check, and to Steph who provides all my advice and guidance on meditation and a spiritual viewpoint. Her posi
tive mindset can set me right within a second, and I will always be thankful for that.
Last of all to what we call our house family. My husband, Gavin, and my two crazy kids, Cameron and Serenity. These guys are the bomb. My life would not be what it is without them. They are my blessings and my sanity, all wrapped into one lovely package.
And last, last of all—but by no means least—to my amazing readers. Your dedication is mind blowing. Thank you for investing in Terra Vane. Thank you for being part of the journey. And thank you for being you!
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