by A. J. Locke
“What?” There went my jaw again, dropping open.
“You can never tell what will keep a ghost around, right?” he said. “And I don’t need any help to figure out what my unfinished business is. I want you, and don’t think I’m going to let the fact that I’m a ghost stop me.”
“But if you get me, you’ll fade,” I said. “So I think you’re in a pickle, Andrew.”
“No,” he whispered. “You called me here, my beautiful Selene. You were the light I saw that drew me into this world. Even now, you shine so brightly I can hardly look away. I will stay by your side no matter what. Nothing in this world or the next can move me. I can feel it.”
A sick and shocking realization dawned on me.
“If a ghost rises while I’m around, it will be drawn to me and I will anchor it here,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. That was what Micah had told me from what he’d read in Ilyse’s book. I had seen Andrew’s body not long after he’d been killed, and now here he was, looking at me like I was the most precious thing in the world to him.
“The world is still mine,” Andrew said, smiling. “So I think I’ll go reclaim it, starting with Affairs of the Dead. But I’ll be seeing you soon, Selene.” He walked away, shoving his hands into his pockets and whistling like he was out for a leisurely stroll.
I closed the door, then stared at it for a few moments before I turned to Ethan, who had witnessed the entire exchange. His face seemed to have the same expression mine did. I took a few wooden steps forward, stopped, gathered myself, and walked over to the sofa, dropping myself onto it. I was in utter and complete shock. Andrew was a ghost, he wanted me, and since his ghost had risen around me, I wouldn’t be able to necromancer circle him away. Ethan tentatively sat down next to me, eyes fixed on me as though he was waiting for my reaction to know how he should react.
“How…how are you going to deal with that?” Ethan asked.
I said nothing, just spent a few moments staring at the paused game on the screen. I spied a second controller hooked up, so I picked it up, then pressed the button to un-pause it.
“Show me how to play this,” I said. “Yelling and cursing at it seems to have helped you these last few days. I want in.”
~ About the Author ~
A.J. Locke is originally from Trinidad & Tobago but has resided in New York City for over ten years. She knew early on that she wanted to be a writer, penned her first novel at fourteen, and hasn’t stopped since. Creating is her passion, and other than writing she enjoys drawing, painting, graphic design, and any other creative whim that may take her.
Discover more about A.J. Locke here
Blog: http://iqurae.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @maqueripe
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4969315-a-j-locke
~ More Fantasy from Etopia Press ~
Blood of Isis
by Elizabeth Otto
Passion isn’t the only thing that burns…
When a designer drug rocks the small town of New Brighton and makes junkies spontaneously combust, Paramedic Jayda Swenson suspects the worst. The super-methamphetamine her husband created before his death has resurfaced. She’s worked hard to create a safe, tidy life and put her meth-ravaged past—and her secrets—behind her. But when tourists start disappearing and charred body remains crop up, Jayda learns the hard way that this drug doesn’t just fry people’s minds—it also fuels demons.
Sexy new medic Ben Tierney is a demon-hunter in disguise, but his demon-busting powers don’t work so well anymore…until he realizes Jayda’s touch can refuel the energy he’s lost—a touch she’s not so willing to dish out. Now Jayda finds herself wedged between an ancient demon that knows her past and her secret, and Ben, who has plenty of secrets of his own. He’s willing to help—for a price—but Jayda’s not sure if it’s a price she’s willing to pay…
Buy Blood of Isis here
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-of-Isis-ebook/dp/B00C7CB7GA/
Awakening the Fire
Guardian Witch Book One
by Ally Shields
Arianna Calin has sworn to keep the peace in Riverdale. Most of the Otherworlders prefer to haunt the Olde Town district--partying at vampire strip clubs, dining in elegant supper clubs, and inhabiting the cliffside caverns along the Mississippi. Being a cop is a tough job, but someone's gotta do it, and Ari's got her derringer, a sharp stiletto, and a few handy charms against things that hunt in the night. She's also a fire witch--a pedigree that comes in handy, since her partner's only human.
When a virtual reality drug hits the streets, people start to die, and an elusive pack of werewolves threatens the status quo. Ari and Ryan are drawn into a web of murder and evil that will lead sworn enemies to a confrontation. While the city simmers around them, Ari struggles to prevent an all-out supernatural war...
Buy Awakening the Fire here
http://www.amazon.com/Awakening-Fire-Guardian-Witch-ebook/dp/B0099ZDHO8/
Fire Within
Guardian Witch Book Two
by Ally Shields
A hidden evil stalks the city…
Ari Calin refuses to believe her human friend Eddie murdered a vampire—in spite of his confession. Her human partner Ryan thinks the case is a slam dunk, even though there’s no weapon and no witnesses, but Ari’s not about to let her friend take the rap without finding out more.
When Ari attends a charity event on the arm of a handsome werewolf, she finds someone she never expected to see again—Andreas De Luca, the charismatic vampire she used to date. When their eyes meet across the room, memories come rushing back. His kiss, his touch, a savage death…and a terrifying magical bond. A reconnection is the last thing she wants. Only by staying away and forgetting Andreas can she hope to avoid the Legend of Ramora.
But when vampires keep dying, one thing becomes clear: Riverdale has a serial killer on its hands, and Andreas could be next. Ari begins to fear there’s more to it, though. Something truly evil is stalking the city, waiting to take control…
Buy Fire Within here
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Within-Guardian-Witch-ebook/dp/B00BQN1YUU/
When the Moon is Gibbous and Waxing
by Angela Parson Myers
Unspeakable evil rises with the moon…
Graduate student Natalie Beres can’t remember who attacked her that autumn night under the full moon. She can’t remember anything between leaving her lab in a secluded building at the south end of campus and arriving at her apartment in the wee hours of the morning. Covered in blood. Not her own. Other than the loss of memory, she’s completely unharmed.
She can’t say the same for the men who attacked her. The grisly campus murders force Natalie to dig deeper into what happened that night, to force herself to remember. But what she learns about herself is horrifying. When the police officer investigating the murders tries to get close, Natalie is caught between her attraction to him and her fear of discovery. But worse, can she avoid being found by the young man with a similar problem who’s on his way from the West coast to find her…leaving a trail of shredded corpses along the way…?
Buy When the Moon is Gibbous and Waxing here
http://www.amazon.com/When-Moon-Gibbous-Waxing-ebook/dp/B0083WCO7Y/
The Taste of Magic
by K.C. Shaw
Magic’s in her blood. Unfortunately, that just makes it taste better...
Analefa Miradwen has spent the last ten years avoiding vampires. She knows her blood is a delicacy, but she doesn’t want to share. Not after the last time, which nearly left her dead.
When the vampire mage Magnus begins stalking her, Ana turns to the King’s Enforcer for help. Vincent Ondarr has the manpower and the magic-power to keep her safe. According to him, Ana’s blood doesn’t just taste good, it enhances a mage’s magic.
The trouble is, Vincent’s a vampire mage too. If Ana wants to keep her blood to herself, she’ll have to figure out which one of them she can trust. And what exactly Magnus wants from her...
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Buy The Taste of Magic here
http://www.amazon.com/The-Taste-of-Magic-ebook/dp/B005D847XU/
Blood and Ashes
by K.C. Shaw
The Gryphons have a secret. And someone thinks Ana knows it.
Back in May, things were heating up between healer Ana Miradwen and the King's Enforcer, Vincent Ondarr. Then Vincent stopped seeing Ana abruptly, only to resurface in July--with a fiancée. Ana's hurt, but she's angry too. When Vincent summons her to his office, she plans to tell him off.
But Vincent has a proposition for her, and not one she expects. A half-breed rights group called the Gryphons is fighting for change--but it may be a front for something darker. Vincent needs Ana to join the Gryphons and investigate.
Ana's happy to help, especially since it means spending time with a couple of gorgeous elf men. Never mind that Vincent thinks they're smugglers. But when someone tries to kill Ana, she realizes that she's in way over her head. Only it's too late to back out.
Buy Blood and Ashes here
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-and-Ashes-ebook/dp/B0068T43GY/
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two