by Missy Jane
She looked at him. “Do you think my father’s angry with me?”
“No, of course not. Why would he be?”
“For attacking that woman.”
He frowned. “She more than deserved it. I’m just glad I didn’t give you a weapon before we went in there.”
That earned him a small smile that eased the ache in his chest. He wiped away the last of her tears, relieved to see them ending.
“I still could have hurt them with my magic.”
“That might not have been a good idea since you’ve never been trained to control it. You might have hurt yourself or someone else in the room.”
She sighed. “You’re right.”
“One of the wizards can teach you. I’m sure your father won’t mind.”
“My father wants to spend more time with me.”
“We can stay here as long as you wish, even if the King decides the threat has ended.”
Surprise lit her face. “Albain is still out there.”
“Yes, but he is powerless. The wizards ensured that upon his banishment.”
She frowned but said nothing else about it.
“Do you wish to stay and spend more time with your father?”
“Yes. A bit. I’m not certain how busy he is.”
“He has the Pastelle ambassador here, but I don’t know for how much longer. Other than that, I don’t know of any reason he can’t at least dine with you each day.”
She smiled again before leaning forward to kiss him. He growled and held her close when she tried to pull back.
She laughed. “Kephas. We can’t, not right now.”
“I want you, always.”
“And I you, but we need to find out what my father will do with the Kevan. I can’t rest until I know.”
He sighed and released her, but she didn’t leave his side.
“After I’ve spent a couple of weeks getting to know my father better, I would like to return to your castle.”
Warmth filled him at her confession. “Truly? You will stay with me there?”
“Yes. For as long as you’ll have me.”
He pulled her onto his lap and held her head in one palm so he could look her in the eyes. “Always, Theda. I never want to be without you.” He kissed her lightly. “I want you to be my wife, and have my children, if it’s possible. Even if it isn’t, I never want to sleep without you beside me.”
His hopes fell as her eyes welled up, but he just kissed her until she pulled away.
“Do you love me, Kephas?”
“Yes, of course. That’s what I’ve been saying.”
She threw her arms around his neck. “I love you too. And I want to be your wife and have your children.” She pulled back to look at him. “If it’s possible.”
“The wizards don’t know why Astrid and Phaidra became pregnant when no other woman before them did, but all we can do is try.”
“Then let’s try.”
He started kissing her more vigorously and she laughed. “Not now, Kephas. Not now.”
* * * * *
Albain sat far enough from the living wall that surrounded Halstrid to keep it from alerting the gargoyles to his presence, but close enough to still see it. He remembered the magic that fueled it now, along with other tricks he had learned over the years. It was all coming back to him, slowly. Such as the ability to scry.
He looked into the copper bowl of water on his lap and watched Wynn and the pink-haired woman talking over dinner. They discussed her brother and his brother and the trouble they had found in the woods.
The banished wizard laughed as he listened to them discuss Steinn and his lover. Oh what a scene that must have been! If the idiot gargoyle had indeed offended the Varish they would be vigilant in their reckoning. Now Albain might have a new ally. All he had to do was find them.
He tossed out the water and dried the bowl before shoving it into Theda’s old pack. He couldn’t remember why he had decided to keep the old, worn thing, but it seemed a waste to throw it out now. Maybe he would put her father’s head in it and give it back to her as a wedding present.
About the Author
Missy Jane is the alter ego of a married mother of four who was born and raised in Texas. She spends most of her time lost in worlds of her own making, alternately loving and hating such creatures as vampires, shape-shifters, sexy archangels, and gargoyles (to name a few). When not writing, she spends her time reading, taking photos of her beautiful daughters and training her husband to believe she’s always right.
Excerpts from Missy’s paranormal and erotic tales can be found at www.authormissyjane.com and msmissyjane.blogspot.com.
Look for these titles by Missy Jane
Now Available:
They Call Me Death
Day Shift
Gargoyle Masters
Born of Stone
Don’t miss the other titles in Missy Jane’s Series!
Within a body strong as stone beats a heart ready for love.
Gargoyle Masters, Book 1
For seventy years, Orestes and his eleven gargoyle brothers have done their duty to protect King Kadmos’s realm. There’s only one annoyance in his life—humans.
He’s content to leave them to their idol worship. Until he notices a small, frail woman serving at his table, doing her best to remain invisible. Something about her calls to him like no human before.
Astrid is terrified. Not only of the powerful magical creature with inhuman strength, but of the staff overseer’s lash for calling attention to herself. Instead she is whisked away to paradise, bathed, fed, and made love to by Orestes as if she is his reason to live. But she isn’t naïve enough to believe she is anything more than a temporary diversion.
When Orestes is called away to search for a missing brother, Astrid is kidnapped by a traitor intent on using her to bend Orestes to his will. Little do the lovers know that the connection between them is no weakness, but a strength their enemies would be fools to underestimate…
Warning: This book contains paranormal fighting, steamy sex scenes, strong-willed females, and men made of stone who prove to be soft as butter in the right woman’s hands.
The sun’s not the only thing that’s too hot to handle.
President Vardin isn’t the first vampire politician to make empty promises. Humans can work at night, he says. Humans will be safe on the streets, he says. It’s all bull. I’m still stuck on day shift at Langley’s Round The Clock Emporium, trying to earn enough to live from night to night.
If I thought the sun’s harsh rays had turned society upside down, watch what happens when I witness a murder in the alley. The police keep bombarding me with questions until a detective with a bad attitude walks in and takes over. He’s unbelievably hot, way out of my league, and way, way out of my comfort zone. Because he’s the one thing I fear most. A vampire.
Then I learn why the police seem so interested in me. My ex-husband is drawing a series of murders in his new comics. I’m in every one of them, and it looks like I’m supposed to be the last victim. The detective’s interest in my past—and his protective instincts—are bordering on unprofessional, but I can’t seem to bring myself to care.
Because the last place I should want to be is the safest place on earth…a vampire’s embrace.
Warning: If you like your vampires sparkly and emotional, don’t read this book. It contains an overworked, underpaid, bloodsucking hero who might break your heart.
eBooks are not transferable.
They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or
dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Born of Magic
Copyright © 2016 by Missy Jane
ISBN: 978-1-61923-462-8
Edited by Noah Chinn
Cover by Kanaxa
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: July 2016
www.samhainpublishing.com