by J. D. Brown
“When Ema gets back, she’s going to have something that belongs to my father.”
Her brows pinched. Or at least I thought they did. “What do you mean?”
“She’s going to have my father’s philosopher’s stone. I need you to find it and bring it to me.”
“How… how could you know this? We haven’t even heard from them yet.”
I turned away and grimaced. Think of something. “If it was you… wouldn’t you take it? To make sure no one else could use it?”
“But… I thought Helldora got rid of it.”
“I know my father, Sara. It’s the first thing he would have gone after. It’s no coincidence that Helldora is dead.”
She was silent. Probably contemplating. I wet my lips and then lifted a hand and felt through the empty space while slowly stepping forward. I hated acting this pathetic. I could see the bars, but she didn’t know that. For all she knew, I couldn’t see squat, and the theatrics would make her sympathetic. My fingertips brushed the rusted iron and I wrapped my fist around the bar.
“Please,” I begged. “It’s all I have left of my father. Ema has a lot of enemies. The incubus might even try to steal it. I need to dispose of the stone properly, before anyone else gets their hands on it. Please, Sara. It’s safer with me.”
She stilled, but I couldn’t make out her expression. I wet my lips and then took a chance, reaching for her cheek. The chains at my wrist stopped me. I knew they would, but I pretended to have forgotten, frowning sadly.
Sara took a step forward and then laced her fingers with mine. Her hands were so small and delicate, I had to remind myself she was a vampyre.
“I’ll look for it,” she said. “When Ema and the troops get back.”
“The moment they get back,” I urged, hoping she understood how important this was. “Who’s to say that pesky incubus isn’t still spying on the whole castle.”
Her pulse quickened and she nodded. “I’ll be back with supper.”
I let go of her hand and backed away. “Thank you.”
Her blurry form ebbed and then the light went out. A sly grin twisted the corners of my lips. Hopefully, Sara would come through and I could use the ring to escape, as well as speed up the healing process. Then I would get that dumb rat, and her baby, too.
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Turn the page for an exclusive sneak peek of Dark Ascension, Book Four in the Ema Marx Series!
Defeating her nemesis is just the beginning for Ema Marx. Enemies abound in the aftermath of war. Past, present, and future collide as Ema struggles to juggle family and politics, all while seeking the answer to an age-old question: Can humans and vampyres live under one roof without driving her crazy?
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Also by J.D. Brown
Athena’s Oracle
(An Ema Marx Novel 0.5)
Dark Heirloom
(An Ema Marx Novel 1)
Dark Liaison
(An Ema Marx Novel 2)
Dark Becoming
(An Ema Marx Novel 3)
Acknowledgments:
The number of collogues and friends I have made over the course of this journey has been remarkable. I could not have done this without each and every one of you. Seriously, I get emotional just thinking about it. Big thanks to my editors, CarrieRO and Val Haley, to my beta readers and best friends for life, Charlene, Anastasia, and Kay Dee. Huge thanks to all the ladies on my street team, and to all the fans, present and future. Your belief in these books makes the work worth every moment. And, as always, all my love to my mother for supporting my dreams and showing up to every signing. It can’t be easy raising a girl like me. I’m truly blessed.
About The Author
J.D. Brown knows that vampires exist because she’s dating one, and no, he doesn’t sparkle. Unfortunately, he’s not immortal either. A magnet for subcultures and weirdness, J.D. was that socially awkward girl with more fictional friends than real ones. As a child battling a hearing loss and Muckle-Wells Syndrome, J.D. found comfort in books where strong women always saved the day and got the guy. An obsession with Charmed, Sabrina the Teen-age Witch, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer led J.D. to believe that her mutated chromosome made her something more, not something less. Thus her stubborn flare to persevere was born. A lover of fine cuisine, coffee, and shoes, J.D. never understood why shoe stores don’t serve Starbucks and soufflé. She resides in Wisconsin where she writes urban fantasy—aka vampires for adults—and has political debates with her dogs.
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