by Nadia Heaton
“Sorry, I was distracted. What is it?”
“We’re worried about you.” Fleur’s eyes flicked from the road to the rearview mirror, where their eyes met. Lisette turned in the passenger seat to face Tristan.
“It’s been a week since Teo died, but you don’t seem to be struggling any less. What can we do?”
Lisette was right, Tristan wasn’t struggling less. It felt like she was struggling more every day. She felt her magic inside her like a poisonous snare, waiting to entangle some innocent. Though she hadn’t participated in the battle, Tristan had participated in the events beforehand. She’d spied on the vampires and passed information back to her sisters. She had contributed to the situation that had in the end led to the battle that killed Teo.
The words on the tip of her tongue felt like they were about to burst free. She didn’t want to be a witch anymore. But she couldn’t tell them that. They wouldn’t understand. Lisette and Fleur both thought that magic was the solution, not the problem.
“I’m fine,” Tristan lied. She knew that they could see she wasn’t being honest, but thankfully, neither of them pushed the matter.
Sooner or later, they would. Tristan knew she probably needed an intervention, but at the same time, she dreaded it. It couldn’t come soon enough, but she wanted it to wait forever.
Maybe she’d get better after the funeral. Everyone said that funerals provided closure. Perhaps that was all she needed. The hopeful spark had a brief life before flickering out. A funeral wouldn’t change anything. Teo would still be dead, his family would still be grieving. Tristan would still be… whatever she was now. Damaged. Sad. Guilty. A witch. Always, a witch.
They arrived too soon for Tristan’s liking. There were already a number of people milling around. She was at least glad she didn’t have to talk to them. Tristan went straight to the piano and sat down. She had the piece she wanted to play memorized. She did a basic warm up, checking that all of the keys were in tune.
The same thing could have been accomplished with magic, but Tristan hadn’t used magic since seeing the battle. She had been appalled by the violence produced by both sides. After seeing magic used to maim and kill, she wasn’t keen to use it again.
Fleur hadn’t noticed yet, but she would. As coven leader, she would talk to Tristan about it, try to help her get over her block. Tristan didn’t want to get over it. What she wanted was to go back in time and change things, but not even the most powerful magic could accomplish that.
Now, there was nothing to do but wait for her time to play. Tristan had been given instruction that she should start playing when the coffin was brought outside. Her eyes were drawn to Luca. He looked pale and drawn. He was lingering around the edges of the small crowd, not talking to anyone.
At some signal Tristan didn’t see, everyone started taking their seats. There were speeches, but she didn’t really hear them. Her mind flashed with images of Teo’s death, overlaid with Luca’s face as he sat in his chair, tears slowly dripping down his cheeks. He didn’t make a speech. Tristan ached to comfort him, but what comfort could she possibly offer?
Maybe coming here was a mistake. It was only making her feel worse. It was too late to back out now, though. She’s volunteered to play the music, and there was no way Tristan was going to let Teo’s family down. She hadn’t been able to save him; this was the least she could do. She’d pay her respects, then leave.
Tristan took several deep breaths, fighting back tears.
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About the Flames of the Sea Series
This intense paranormal romance series is set under the sea near a submerged volcano whose supernatural magma is a power source for fire witches. There’s also plenty of action in a cave where an eternal ice stalactite is a power source for sea vampires.
These two groups hate each other immediately. Clashes and battles keep them apart - unless love can sneak in and show them how they can work together or at least co-exist.
If you missed Book One, Destined to Drown, you can find out how it all began.
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One night could change her life forever…
All she wanted was a night with a vampire and she'd searched high and low for a chance to meet him. When Marianne met Cedric she knew he was the one. Her life was about to change, but would Cedric be willing to give her what she wanted?
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About Nadia Heaton
Nadia Heaton is a romantic at heart. When a hero has a soft spot for a child, an animal, or his woman her heart melts. Always a lover of fantasy, Nadia got hooked on paranormal romance after reading one by an Indie author only a few years ago. Since then, she’s wanted nothing more than to write some of the fun stories she had streaking through her brain.
Now able to do what she loves, Nadia is at peace. She writes in her home in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia where southern folklore fuels her love of the paranormal. A fluffy cat and an indulgent husband enjoy their perfect spot in the city along with her.
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http://nadiaheaton.com
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