I would have responded to her, had I been able to form words. The best I could manage was grinding my teeth to keep from making any sound, because if I spoke, I would scream and howl and moan and weep.
So I chose silence.
She ran a comforting hand down my arm, and whispered, “You’re burning up. I’ll go grab another ice pack . . .” Her voice trailed off as she stood up from the bed. Her footsteps were quiet as they padded down the hall. I tried to focus on them, on her.
On anything but the pain.
I couldn’t understand how a human could kill Aeshma. No matter how deadly or rageful or lucky. It simply shouldn’t have been possible.
But now . . . now I understood.
I must have drifted off again because when the door opened, it wasn’t Sienna or Sasha that spoke. In fact, it wasn’t anyone I recognized at all.
“Well, well, well, look what we have here.”
To be continued...
—If you loved this book, please consider reviewing on Amazon or Goodreads. I have a personal goal of trying to reach 250 reviews by Thanksgiving and it would mean so much to me if you’d drop a few lines about how you liked the book.—
Piper’s story continues in:
Haunted by Shadows
Magic Wars: Demons of New Chicago Book Two
Preorder Book 2 Here!!
Also by Kel Carpenter
Ongoing Series:
—Adult Urban Fantasy—
Demons of New Chicago:
Touched by Fire (Book One)
Haunted by Shadows (Book Two)
—Adult Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance—
A Demon’s Guide to the Afterlife:
Dark Horse (Book One)
Completed Series:
—Young Adult +/New Adult Urban Fantasy—
The Daizlei Academy Series:
Completed Series Boxset
—Adult Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy—
Queen of the Damned Series:
Complete Series Boxset
—New Adult Urban Fantasy—
The Grimm Brotherhood Series:
Reaper’s Blood (Book One)
Reaping Havoc (Book Two)
Reaper Reborn (Book Three)
—Adult Dark Fantasy—
The Dark Maji Series:
Fortune Favors the Cruel (Book One)
Blessed be the Wicked (Book Two)
Twisted is the Crown (Book Three)
For King and Corruption (Book Four)
Long Live the Soulless (Book Five)
About the Author
Kel Carpenter is a master of werdz. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s traveling the world, lovingly pestering her editor, and spending time with her husband and fur-babies. She is always on the search for good tacos and the best pizza. She resides in Bethesda, MD and desperately tries to avoid the traffic.
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Acknowledgments
This book is kind of special to me in a way that most of my series aren’t. It’s my first solo series after a long break in which I released eight co-authored books. It’s also a story, like Daizlei Academy—my first series—that I strictly wrote for me.
Touched by Fire is the book I wanted to read, with romance and action and magic and post-apocalyptic vibes, but also with some deeper emotions I’ve been working through as a person. It was a cathartic write, and these characters are probably some of my favorites that I’ve ever written. I’m so very, very excited to share this book with you, and I can’t wait to release more books in this world. Thank you to all of my readers that gave it a try. You guys are amazing.
Thank you to my team, for helping me perfect this manuscript and manage all the feels. You guys helped me more than you probably even know.
And lastly, thank you to my amazing husband, who has been my rock through this crazy publishing journey that we’ve been on. I wouldn’t be here without your cooking and never-ending support.
Touched by Fire: Magic Wars (Demons of New Chicago Book 1) Page 21