by J. C. Lucas
I sighed as I stared at it, sitting there so obscure amid all the great works that it sat beside. I wished Hunter could have been here to see what he helped accomplish, because there was no way I could have gotten this key without him or the rest of my group. I was still raw with emotion when it came to thinking about him. I wasn’t ready to give up and let myself believe that he was dead. Not until Celeste’s friends confirmed it would I give up hope. I know he wouldn’t have given up easily on me.
As if reading my mind, Teagan squeezed my hand, and I was grateful for his strength and friendship. We still had three more Keys to find, and each new journey would be more treacherous than the one before.
Late that night, I sat on the end of Killian’s bed as he asked a lot of questions about my childhood. Celeste had prepared one of her extra rooms for him since he had nowhere else to go. He was in awe of the television and ceiling fan, and when he had sat on the bed, his eyes rolled back in pleasure.
The village he had been born in and lived his entire life was nothing like what I had experienced growing up. He might as well have been living in medieval times. The bed he had slept on was a pallet of straw wrapped in fabric, and he had never experienced running water. It blew my mind and made me happy that he was able to experience such small things that gave him pleasure now.
We talked until we were both yawning. The clock showed that it was two in the morning. As I said goodnight and turned to walk out of his room, Celeste burst in, her long white nightgown swirling around her feet in her hurry. Her face was severe, and my throat closed with dread. I knew that whatever the news was, it wasn’t good.
“They found him.”
-To Be Continued in Book Two
Acknowledgements
There are so many people to thank for their help with seeing this book come to fruition. Thank you to the very patient and talented Maria Spada for designing a beautiful cover that was exactly what I envisioned and more. To my editor, Lindsay York. Her patience and beautiful editing know no bounds.
To my husband and sons, for their patience when I was deep into the writing process, and their encouragement and love when I was uncertain.
About the Author
J.C. Lucas lives in North Texas with her husband and three sons, and spending time with her sweet grandson. She loves to read, garden, and watch the hummingbirds when she is not writing about worlds of fantasy and intrigue.