by Jill Myles
Really, everything was perfect.
Epilogue
Everyone said the winter that first year wasn’t a terrible one. Oh, sure, it was bitterly cold and the snow stayed knee-high until spring, but the Snow Queen and her King worked hard to ensure that everyone in the valley was happy and well-fed despite the weather. And really, after such a long run of summertime snow, no one minded a few inches more when there was a winter storm.
For the most part, though, life in the valley went back to normal. The Snow King and Queen stayed in the mountains in their ice castle, well above the frost line, and their glittering frozen domain was a wonder tucked high amongst the clouds. The village sent family and friends to visit, heavily laden with furs, and were always welcomed by the frosty little family.
Winters in the valley, though, were a thing of joy. The royal family came down from the keep, the Snow Queen cradling their youngest baby at her breast and the King swinging his toddling son over his shoulders. The children’s powers were not quite as strong as their parents, but no one commented on such things. It was impolite, and the little family was so happy, who cared how much magic anyone had?
Once the royal family came down from the mountain, the winter festivals truly began. For weeks on end, children woke up to the sight of new and exciting snow sculptures littering the valley every day. There were mazes to solve, icicle throwing games to play, and delicious snowy treats to devour (though everyone avoided the yellow snow). King Kai was well-loved by his people, and they adored seeing him so happy with his wife and children. And if his wife spoke oddly or wasn’t familiar with customs, well that was all right, too. It was clear she loved her husband and children, and equally clear that she used her ice magic only to benefit those around her.
Within a few years, no one remembered the whole ‘evil’ thing in front of the snow queen’s name. They only remembered good Queen Charlotte, who doted on her babies and snuck kisses with her husband.
Clearly the whole ‘evil queen’ thing was just a fairy tale.
THE END
From the Author
Thank you for reading this book! Seriously – thank you. Somewhere out there, a unicorn just farted a rainbow out of sheer happiness. And your hair sure is pretty today! Have you lost weight? No? Well, keep doing what you’re doing, because you look fabulous.
Anyhow…
If you are the type that likes to review what you’ve read, I’d love for you to leave me a review – let me know what you thought. Feedback is super important to people like me that juggle three or more series at once. We love feedback like chocolate loves peanut butter. And the more feedback I get, the more it tells me what I need to work on next. So if you want more Time Travel books, let me know!
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Once Upon Another Time
The Beast’s Bride
The Mermaid’s Knight
The Snow Queen’s Captive
Want to try a bit of Once Upon Another Time? Read on for the first chapter…
Once Upon Another Time
Four sexy stories of love across time…
Mirrorlight: When Cora Grames is abandoned in England at a haunted castle, she feels sorry for herself…until she sees the sexy man in the mirror that only appears to her. And when she finds out that she can touch him, he suddenly becomes more than a fantasy. But how can she fight for a man that doesn’t exist in her time?
This novella includes a man that might be a ghost, a neighbor that might be a fairy godmother in disguise, and sex involving a mirror.
Shimmerlight: Chloe Sorenson’s just started a brand new job at Ms. Muffet’s art gallery. However, no one told her that the latest auction piece – a sculpture of a handsome Roman soldier – comes to life. Think it’s hard to explain to your boss why you’re fondling a statue? Try explaining to the statue why you’re holding his, uh, fig leaf.
Chloe never thought that touching the statue would turn him into a sexy, aroused man, but she’s not saying no to this delicious Roman soldier. The curse requires that she touch him at all times? Such a hardship…
But there’s a problem in their lust-fueled relationship; she’s falling dangerously in love with a guy that cursed to be hard as a rock – literally – unless she can somehow free him. And the statue of Titus just went up for auction. If she doesn’t do something, he’s going to be out of her life and trapped for all eternity…
Sunlight: Born with a bad heart, Hope Smith never thought she’d have any kind of life. Then again, she never imagined waking up in a medieval tower with her fairy godmother hovering over her.
Hope’s been given a new lease on life – if she can figure out the curse on the maiden Rapunzel, she’s free to live out the rest of her days in Scotland in her new body.
There’s a few problems, of course. For one, her hair is enchanted to grow at the slightest hint of sunlight. And her handsome prince? Not so handsome. But he’s accompanied by a big, burly Scotsman who makes Hope’s new heart flutter wildly. And with Callum’s help, she just might lick this curse thing.
Once she stops licking Callum’s muscles, of course…
Darklight: When Rose Hawthorne accepts the task that her fairy godmother sets upon her, it seems straightforward enough: steal a flower from the underworld. Not such a hard task for someone that’s acting as a stand-in for the Goddess of Spring. There’s just one tiny problem – fate seems destined to hurl her through the legend of Persephone.
Now, she’s been kidnapped by an all-too seductive dark god who wants to teach her all the exquisite ways of passion…and Rose wants more than anything to be his willing pupil. But to stay in this world with Hades, she must complete the fairy godmother’s task. And completing it will force her to betray the man she desperately wants to belong to.
Chapter One
Cora wasn’t sure if Stonewood Abbey reminded her more of a museum or a church.
She fumbled with the lights in the hallway, the hair on her arms prickling with nervous fear until she flicked a light on and warm, bright light filled the entranceway. And she gasped at the sight of it.
Marble flooring in a checkered black-and-white pattern stretched out in the expanse before her. A massive wooden staircase crept up the center of the floor, split, and curled around both sides of the room. Shields of several different coats of arms lined the foyer walls. On the far side of the main lobby, she could see a small area designated to be a tour shop, lined with books and postcards and a stand of shirts. Across from the staircase, on the far side of the room, were a few lamps, a footed chair or two, and a large portrait sitting atop the enormous fireplace mantel.
“Holy cow,” she breathed aloud. Silence responded, reminding her that she was here at this looming castle by herself for the next three weeks. Her spirits rose slightly as she stepped inside, charmed by the loveliness of the place.
All her life, she’d dreamt of visiting a castle—and here she had the run of one for three weeks. All to herself! Cora gave a happy sigh.
First thing’s first, she told herself, realizing how tired and dirty she was. The flight to London from Kansas had been a fifteen-hour nightmare, and all she wanted to do now was sleep. It was almost midnight in England, and she’d been up for entirely too long. Yawning, Cora lifted her bags and crept up the stairs, looking for the guest rooms.
After several minutes of exploring and turning on lights as she went, she found a hall with a row of doors—what she assumed were the guest rooms of the immense house. A note was tacked to the first door in the hall, and she pulled it off and unfolded it.
Cora darling,
Thank you so much for looking after the Abbey while your uncle and I vacation in Spain. There’s extra food in the kitchen, and the neighbor will be around every afternoon to check on the place. I’ve posted notes on the doors that the Abbey is closed t
o tourists for a few weeks, but I want you there just in case any of them happen by. We’ve assigned the Mirror Room to you. The house needs a good dusting from top to bottom, and I’ve counted the silver.
Love and Kisses,
Aunt Martha
Lovely. It didn’t sound like Aunt Martha trusted her with the place, even though it had been her aunt’s suggestion that Cora fly to London and play house sitter. She supposed her mother had imposed on Martha, and that was how Cora had landed the gig. After all, she’d only met Aunt Martha once, and she certainly had no experience house-sitting, much less castle-sitting.
Cora pushed the door open and glanced inside the room, then closed the door again. While she did have the entire estate to herself, she felt like she should stay in the room designated for her. So she opened doors, looking for one that would be designated as the ‘Mirror Room.’
She found it at the back of the long hall. The room was the smallest and least ornate of the lot, but there was no question that it was the ‘Mirror Room’ mentioned. A large eight-foot-tall mirror dominated the wall on the far side of the room, the only decor on the otherwise dark, wood-paneled walls. Cora set her bags down inside the room and flipped on one of the small lamps on a nearby dresser, gazing around the small chamber that would be her home for the next three weeks.
It wasn’t much. Bigger than a hotel room, but obviously not one of the fancier guest quarters. The bed was a decent size, lumpy but clean and boasting a pretty, carved headboard. A Louis XIV chair perched in the corner of the room with a yellow pillow tossed on the seat. Cora wandered over to the mirror, admiring it. There was tarnish around the edges that suggested that it was very old indeed, and the frame of the mirror was some sort of heavy silver-ish metal decorated in old symbols. It looked positively ancient—the glass slightly wavy and dark as she examined her reflection. One hand went to her cheek. “I look like hell,” she said aloud.
The silence was deafening, but at the same time, the hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she glanced over her shoulder. No one stood in the doorway.
Cora smiled to herself at that and turned away from the mirror. She hadn’t been in the house longer than a few minutes and she’d already scared herself. It’s just an old house, she reprimanded herself. And it will be such fun to live here for the next few weeks… you’ve always wanted to stay in a castle, remember?
She’d just never really thought that she’d have to stay by herself. Then again, she was free to explore to her heart’s content and not have to worry about a single other person. Cheered by that, Cora began to whistle as she headed off to find a shower.
~~ * * * ~~
Something woke Cora in the middle of an exhausted sleep. She blinked awake at once, staring into the dark, unfamiliar room. Had she heard a thump? Something from outside the small window in the corner of her room? She sat up in bed, rubbing a hand across her face. Perhaps a bad dream? She’d been having a sexy one, actually—one that she hadn’t wanted to wake up from. A dream about a man who had dark eyes and wild, thick hair and great shoulders. Definitely not anyone she knew.
Her sleep-blurred eyes could not find anything out of ordinary in the room, and whatever the sound was, it did not repeat. With a yawn, Cora turned over in bed and pulled the covers close to her chest, her eyes sliding shut.
Just before they did, she noticed that the mirror shimmered. She opened her eyes and squinted at it, wondering where the illumination was coming from. The mirror’s light disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, and she saw the figure of a large man standing in the full-sized glass.
Her entire body froze in fear. It’s a shadow, she told herself. A trick of the light. But then the shadow moved, ever so slightly, and she could make out a figure. A hand raised, as if skimming the surface of the mirror.
Trying to reach through the mirror…
With a scream choking in her throat, Cora jerked her blankets around her body and shot out of the room.
About the Author
Jessica Clare is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author who writes under three different names. As Jill Myles, she writes a little bit of everything, from sexy, comedic urban fantasy to zombie fairy tales. As Jessica Clare, she writes erotic contemporary romance.
She also has a third pen name (because why stop at two?). As Jessica Sims, she writes fun, sexy shifter paranormals. She lives in Texas with her husband, cats, and too many dust-bunnies. Jill spends her time writing, reading, writing, playing video games, and doing even more writing.
Other Titles by Jill Myles
Once Upon a Time Travel
Once Upon Another Time
The Beast’s Bride
The Mermaid’s Knight
The Snow Queen’s Captive
Stand-Alone Books
The Scarecrow King
Betrothed
Seven Days
Island Heat
Zombie Fairy Tales
Table of Contents
The Snow Queen’s Captive
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
From the Author
Once Upon Another Time
About the Author
Other Titles by Jill Myles