by Meg Anne
Lucas closed the distance and pressed his lips to hers. Her left arm snaked around his neck, burying itself in his hair as it pulled him closer.
He kissed her, and it comforted him in a way no words would ever be able to. Their mouths were a soft caress against each other, not hurried passion, but rather a soft melding of—something else. Something that bordered on an emotion he just wasn’t ready to visit yet.
Strands of her dark hair, still wet from a shower, fell through his fingers as he stroked her back, pulling her tightly against his chest.
Skye broke the kiss and rested her forehead against his. Their breaths were coming out in shallow pants, and Lucas breathed her in as if she were the only thing keeping him alive.
Maybe she was.
Chapter 42
Skye
Skye wiped the sleep from her eyes as she stepped into the living room. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled her lungs, and she made her way over to the kitchen to pour herself a cup. James and Lizzie were already seated at the table.
“Morning,” Lizzie greeted her softly, but Skye noted the tense line of her jaw, and the way her mouth was pulled into a tight line.
“Morning,” Skye replied, taking a seat after pouring some coffee into a I Love Lucy mug. Had last night’s events not still been bothering her, she might have laughed at the joke. Apparently he’d heard it even before she’d said something that first night in his apartment. “How are you?” Skye asked Lizzie, reaching over to gently touch her hand.
The other woman tried to smile, but her bottom lip quivered, and James wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Still coming to terms with everything,” he answered for her while Lizzie leaned against his shoulder.
“Where’s Lucas?” Skye asked, looking around.
“He stepped out about thirty minutes ago. Said he had to do something really quick. Took Lucy too.”
“Maybe out for a walk.”
“Maybe.” James studied her. “How are you?”
Skye shrugged. “Alive, and enjoying the company of my friends. So, I could be a hell of a lot worse.”
“True.” James smiled slightly before turning to press a kiss to Lizzie’s brow.
“We have to figure out what our next step is,” Skye said before taking another drink from her mug.
“Agreed, and sooner rather than later,” James replied.
The door opened, and Lucas stepped in with a box of donuts but no dog.
“Where’s Lucy?” Skye asked.
“With the chief.”
“Why?” James asked, turning to face Lucas as he carried in the box and set it on the table.
“Because, I have a plan.” His eyes were a bright blue, and in them, Skye saw fierce determination shining back at her.
“What plan?” she asked.
“We leave,” Lucas said, as he opened the box to reveal a dozen glazed donuts that smelled absolutely amazing.
“Excuse me?” Skye asked, trying to ignore the way the sweet glaze was calling to her. How the hell was he going to drop a bomb like that and then expect them to devour donuts?
“We leave,” he repeated.
“Where the hell are we supposed to go?” James asked.
“Scotland.”
“Scotland?” Lizzie’s eyes widened, and her face showed more life since it had before the fire last night. “What the hell are we going to do in Scotland? Play with the hairy coos and hope no one finds us?”
“Hairy what?” James asked, his brow raised.
“It’s what they call their cows. They have bangs. It’s super cute,” Lizzie explained, giving him a quick smile before turning her attention back to her brother.
“That’s where Professor Zane said he studied, right? Which means there is probably something there.”
“He studied with the Druid, Lucas.” Skye snorted. “I hardly doubt he is going to offer us any kind of helpful information.”
“We don’t need him to; there has to be something there. Someone who can help us. We can stay at our grandfather’s house. It’s been a long damn time since we’ve seen him, and he has more than enough space for all of us at his farm.”
“And if we don’t find anything once we get there?” Skye asked.
“Then at least we’re far enough away that the Druid can’t complete his plan. He needs us here, right? He needs to kill us in those ley spots the professor marked on the spiral in order to finish the ritual.”
“And if we aren’t here, he can’t kill us.” James massaged his chin, his gaze narrowing. “We might be able to buy ourselves more time.”
“Exactly,” Lucas said with a smile, the first real one he’d had in far too long. “And what better way to stick it to the asshole than to remove ourselves from his prime real estate?”
Skye folded her arms and bit down on her cheek. “It may not work. He could still get us back here if he wanted.”
“He’d have to find us first,” James pointed out.
“You don’t think he can find a way to track us?” Skye asked.
“I think it’s worth a try,” Lucas responded, even as memories of the Druid’s vanishing act replayed in his mind. The guy certainly had a way to get around, but he had to know where they were to find them, right? And there was no way he’d think to start his search in Scotland.
Skye searched Lucas’ face for any hint of doubt or hesitation—but she found none. He was damn sure this was the way to go, and she’d follow him even if it meant risking everything.
“Fine, when do we leave?” she asked.
“As soon as possible. I’ll go online and grab the tickets. Everyone have their passports?”
The group nodded, their energy reinvigorated now that they had a plan.
“Great, get me the info, and we’ll be on the next flight out of here. Lucy has been taken care of, and I let the chief know we were both taking some personal time.” That last part was addressed to James, who nodded thankfully.
“Well then, let’s do this.” James got to his feet. “I’ve always wanted to visit Scotland.”
Skye and Lucas’ journey continues in Visions of Vengeance, available now!
There’s one rule she can’t break.
Skye’s visions have always felt like a curse, but never more so than now. Plagued by nightmares of deaths she cannot prevent, Skye must do the impossible: stop fate in its tracks.
While hiding out from an evil Druid bent on their destruction, Skye and Lucas race against the clock to find a way to defeat him before he obtains ultimate power.
Scotland was supposed to be their safe haven, their chance to even the playing field, but when Skye’s hit with a vision foretelling a future she’s unwilling to accept, there’s no denying the truth. Safety was only an illusion.
And illusions are easily shattered.
Continue Reading!
From the authors
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XOXO
Meg’s Acknowledgments
Writing can be an incredibly lonely process. Sure, you have your characters to talk with, but usually it’s just you and your computer working through the various tangles of your story on your own. Being able to share the ups and downs of the process with one of your best friends has been such an incredible experience. One that I will never take for granted. Most days bringing this story to life was more like being at a sleep over than anything remotely resembling work (seriously you guys should see our chat history… so many memes.)
Thank you Jess, for being such an amazing partner. I could not have picked someone better to share this journey with. Your endless passion and excitement kept me on track when I wanted to sit on the couch and binge watch
Netflix. Which, let’s be honest, is most days. :D I can’t wait to finish Skye and Lucas’ story with you and see what jokes we come up with next. *snickers*
As always, I would be remiss not to send love and adoration to my tribe. Mom, Gabe, Fran, Laura thank you for all the support, whether its just cheering me on from the sidelines or staying up late to talk me through a crisis of nerves. I could not chase this dream without you.
Jessa, Lori, Dominique thank you for helping us put the final touches on our baby. Your contributions make our stories shine.
And for the readers… you sure do know how to make a girl feel special. Thank you for taking a chance on this book and then sticking with it! Ha <3
Here’s to finding our own superheroes and better means of self-defense than a tampon…
Until next time,
XOXO Meg
Jessica’s Acknowledgments
When Meg and I first decided to write together I knew it was going to be a lot of fun, but I didn’t realize how incredibly amazing the entire process was going to be.
Getting to share a story from start to finish with such an awesome person has been such an incredible journey!
To my book bestie, author twin, shenanigan partner, and one of my favorite humans ever! Meg, I am so freaking happy that we met (even if it hasn't been in person yet!) and that we decided to write this book together. I couldn’t imagine a more awesome writing partner, and I cannot wait to continue working on Skye and Lucas’s story together!
To my amazingly supportive husband, Nathan, I seriously could not do life without you. Thank you for all the endless support and encouragement when I feel like curling into a ball and doing nothing but watching Scrubs. For my kiddos who won’t read this (or any of my books) until they are much older, you make my life so interestingly wonderful, and I hope you always follow your dreams.
To all my awesome family and friends who understand my introvert nature and still deal with me anyway :)
Jessa, Lori, and Dominique, you ladies really made our book baby shine! Thank you so much! Thank you to the beta readers who took the time to read our roughest draft and offered invaluable feedback.
And of course, a giant thank you to YOU, the reader, for making my dreams come true each and every time you turn the page <3
Love you all!
Jessica
About Meg Anne
Meg Anne has always had stories running on a loop in her head. They started off as daydreams about how the evil queen (aka Mom) had her slaving away doing chores; and more recently shifted into creating backgrounds about the people stuck beside her during rush hour. The stories have always been there; they were just waiting for her to tell them.
Like any true SoCal native, Meg enjoys staying inside curled up with a good book and her cat Henry... or maybe that's just her; sunburns hurt! You can convince Meg to buy just about anything if it's covered in glitter or rhinestones, or make her laugh by sharing your favorite bad joke. She also accepts bribes in the form of baked goods and Mexican food.
Meg loves to write about sassy heroines and the men that love them. She is best known for her fantasy romance series The Chosen.
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Also By Meg Anne
The Chosen Series: The Complete Series
Mother Of Shadows
Reign Of Ash
Crown Of Embers
Queen Of Light
The Gypsy’s Curse: The Complete Trilogy
Visions of Death
Visions of Vengeance
Visions of Triumph
The Keepers: The Complete Series
The Dreamer (A Keeper’s Prequel)
The Keepers Legacy
The Keepers Retribution
The Keepers Vow
The Grimm Brotherhood: The Complete Trilogy
Reaper’s Blood
Reaping Havoc
Reaper Reborn
Monster Ball Year 2: Contains Shade of Danger (Undercover magic prequel)
Undercover magic
Hint Of Danger
Face Of Danger
World Of Danger
About Jessica Wayne
Photo Credit Mandi Rose Photography
Jessica Wayne is the author of over fifteen fantasy and contemporary romance novels. The latter of which she writes as J.W. Ashley. During the day, she slays laundry and dishes as a homeschooling stay at home mom of three, and at night her worlds come to life on paper.
She runs on coffee and wine (as well as the occasional whiskey!) and if you ever catch her wearing matching socks, it’s probably because she grabbed them in the dark.
She is a believer of dragons, unicorns, and the power of love, so each of her stories contain one of those elements (and in some cases all three).
Jessica lives in Texas with her husband, kids, their two German Shepherds who think they’re both cats, and a fluffy orange cat named Leo who thinks he’s a dog.
You can usually find her in her Facebook group, The Wayne-O’s, or keep in touch by subscribing to her newsletter where she shares updates as well as shenanigans she finds herself in.
Stay Updated:
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/JWayneNLSubscribe
Website: https://www.jessicawayne.com
Readers Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/JessicasWayneos
Also By Jessica Wayne
The Tethered Saga: The Complete Series
Tethered Souls
Collateral Damage
The Prophecy Series: The Complete Series
Phoenix
Fighter
Sorceress
The Gypsy’s Curse: The Complete Trilogy
Visions of Death
Visions of Vengeance
Visions of Triumph
Cambrexian Realm : The Complete Series
The Last Ward: Free read
Warrior Of Magick
Guardian Of Magick
Shades Of Magick
Romance by J.W. Ashley
the corrupted series: The complete Trilogy
Rescuing Norah
Shielding Jemma
Targeting Celeste
Standalones
Olive You
The Lumberjack Effect
Long Road Home
The Whiskey Effect: Read for Free: https://bit.ly/ReadWhiskeyEffectFree