Ascent: Book 3 of the Scorched Trilogy

by Lizzy Prince

  He squeezed my side, pulling me closer to him. “All of this reminded me that life is too short and the people you love too important not to spend time on frivolous things. I want you to have those moments, and I want to have them with you. We’ve both had pretty messed up lives.”

  I snorted at the understatement, and then sighed when his fingers worked their way under my shirt, touching the skin of my back with that little spark of electricity that only belonged to us. I’d worried after Áine and Connall’s souls—magic, essence, whatever it had been—were released back into the elements, that we’d lose that connection. Munro had confirmed that Connall’s soul had followed Áine’s that day at the Hill of Tara. But I should have known better. Whatever it was that had captivated me from the first, that made my heart flutter and my stomach do flips, that spark that had been there since the beginning, that belonged only to us.

  “I decided we should have our own dance. A celebration of everything we’ve survived and all of the good things yet to come. Because I know there are good things to come.”

  I chuckled and tipped my head back finding a gleam in his eyes. “Oh yeah, good things headed this way?”

  “Most definitely,” Munro whispered against my lips before he closed the small space between us. His kiss was firm and patient, just like him. Until I parted my lips and traced his bottom lip with my tongue. It was all the permission he needed to lose control. With a groan, he gathered me closer, his hand snaking up my back to dive into my hair and angling my head to deepen the kiss.

  There was some aggressive throat clearing behind me, making me groan in annoyance. Munro pulled back from the kiss just enough that I could feel his smile against my lips.

  “Freaking Theo.”

  I bit my lip, trying to keep my laughter from escaping. With a shake of my head, I muttered, “Freaking Theo.”

  “That’s alright. The night is still young.” Munro dropped a quick kiss and stepped back enough that I saw a few more people had arrived. Meanwhile, Theo started to sing “The Night is Still Young” in a falsetto while trying to do a sexy dance around Lola. I choked on a laugh, but Lola looked practically smitten when she grabbed his face and planted a long, lingering kiss on his lips.

  Before long, half of our senior class was in Munro’s backyard, dancing and laughing with the rest of us. After our first dance, Munro took me inside to see Butch and Mari who’d come along with Lola and Theo. Mari and I talked at least once a week, so I knew that she and Butch were a thing and trying to figure out who was moving where. My money was on Mari moving down south. Especially since Theo was transferring down to LSU in the fall to be closer to Lola.

  Ryan was back in Ireland, and Munro swore he’d approved of the party before he’d left town. Ever since our trip there to save the world, he’d been talking to his ex, and it sounded like things weren’t so broken any more. All around, it just felt like life had balanced and settled into place the way it was meant to be.

  The party was loud and full of joy, but after a few hours of dancing and moving through the crowd, all I really wanted was to be alone with Munro. We’d somehow ended up on opposite ends of the party, and I couldn’t help but check him out in his fine-ass suit as he stood there talking to some friends. As if he could sense my attention, his eyes flickered up to find mine, giving me a look that was reserved solely for me. No one else got that smile or the glint in his eyes.

  I was in the middle of a group of people arguing about the legitimacy of a band I’d never heard of, when Munro made his way through the crowd toward me. The movement made me flash back to the first night I’d met him, before I’d even known who he was. The stranger at the Stoneman, who’d crossed the floor and brushed his hand against mine. How far we’d come since then. I waited while he spanned the space in long, assured strides. He easily put off people who wanted to stop him to chat, not at all interested in anything but me. He was coming for me.

  He didn’t speak when he got in front of me, just grabbed my hand and gently pulled me along with him. I had no idea if anyone noticed my departure, because I only had eyes for Munro. Hand in hand, we walked into the house, which felt so quiet even though I could still hear a muffled thump from the music playing outside. Munro turned so that he was walking backward, smiling at me as he continued to pull me along. But it didn’t take much effort, because I was going to follow wherever he went.

  He darted forward to quickly kiss me and tried to pull away, but I grabbed his face, keeping him from moving away from me and deepened the kiss. I needed to feel him, to be connected to him in every way possible.

  “Let’s go upstairs,” I whispered.

  Munro just looked at me for a moment before my words sunk in, then a huge grin spread over his face. “Anything you want.”

  I squealed when he bent and scooped me up, throwing me over his shoulder with his arm banded around my thighs.

  “That’s not what I meant.” I laughed, pressing my hands against his back to lift my head up, then swatting at his butt in protest.

  “Hey now. I’m only doing what you asked.”

  “Misinterpretation. It must be a language barrier issue.”

  Munro chuckled and put on an overly thick brogue as he responded, “There’s nothing wrong with my skills. Language skills, that is.”

  When Munro released me, he did it slowly so that my body brushed against his, inch by slow inch in a lazy and cruel torture. Although I’m not sure which one of us suffered more.

  “I think that backfired,” he groaned as he stared down at me, looking at me with such adoration that my heart felt full and complete as it beat rapidly in my chest.

  “I love you,” I blurted out, words busting out as though they were the appropriate response for what he’d just said. His hand cupped my cheek, his thumb brushing over my cheekbone.

  “I love you,” he replied gently before he kissed me.

  Like we’d uncorked a damn of emotions, everything intensified. I could feel the magic swirling around us, protecting and fueling us. I couldn’t see it though because my eyes were closed, focused only on the feel of Munro. His lips, his hands and the way they trailed over my neck and shoulders, down my back, grasping at me and pulling me in close.

  “I want you,” I gasped out when our lips parted.

  “I’m yours,” Munro responded, “always.”

  I don’t know how our clothing came off, if I took off his shirt or if he did, but it didn’t matter. It was a frenzy of need, a deep desperate desire to feel each other everywhere. His skin was hot to the touch, and I knew my own was burning up, or at least that was how it felt. Like I was engulfed in flames from the inside out.

  Instinct drove me, the need to be with him a craving like water to someone dying from thirst. The connection between us grew and pulsed as Munro stared down at me like he was awed by me. He traced a gentle finger over my brows, then brushed it over my lips before replacing it with his mouth.

  “You are my everything.”

  The world disappeared around us, fading into a barely remembered place that meant nothing. All that mattered was us, here in this time and place, together the way we were meant to be. And that was all I could focus on as the magic pressed in on us, then fractured into a million pieces of pleasure that left us both stunned and wrecked, but exactly where we belonged. In each other’s arms.

  As I lay in the circle of Munro’s arms, I took stock of the path life had led me down. Sometimes life kicked you in the ovaries when you were already down, but it also helped shape you into the person you were meant to be. Those trials blew, and they hurt, but sometimes they brought really incredible people into your life. I refused to say that everything happens for a reason, because I wouldn’t write off all the awful things in my life that easily. But they made me into the person I was supposed to be, and I couldn’t say that I had regrets about where I ended up. Not when I couldn’t imagine anywhere else I’d rather be.

  The end.

  Afterword

  W
riting has always been a part of my life, but it was a secret that I stashed away, uncertain about whether I would share it with others or not. Even if the characters are purely from the imagination there is always a little piece of yourself that goes into them and it makes writing a very vulnerable endeavor. That’s probably why I took so long to share my stories. With the release of Scorched and each book after, the support from friends, family, readers, and other indie authors has been so overwhelming and positive. I tend to wave it away with embarrassment, but the support really does mean the world to me.

  Annie and Munro’s story started with a small kernel of an idea and everything along the way has been an incredible learning experience. I am a sucker for magic, brooding men, and happily ever afters. And while Annie and Munro’s story might be finished, I think there is a lot of story still left to be told. I know there are a few unanswered questions, especially about Roark, and I hope to give him his very own story soon. I think he deserves a HEA after all the crap I’ve hinted at in his past.

  I have a few other stories in the works as well and hope to release those in the next few months. Check in on my Facebook and Instagram for sneak peeks on upcoming books!

  Acknowledgments

  I want to say thank you to all of the unexpected readers who have given me their support. People I would have never expected to read the book are picking it up and asking for the next one. I don’t know why it’s surprising, because isn’t that what you want from a reader? But it still makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something with these books. That I’ve created a story people want to read.

  Thank you to Kathryn Blade for being a huge cheerleader and for always trying to rally indie writers. To Katlyn Webb for her always excellent proofing. And to all of the other writers out there who have patiently answered my questions.

  Finally a huge thank you to my family. They have been so supportive and amazing. I love you all!

  About the Author

  Lizzy Prince lives in the Midwest with her lovely husband, her two beautiful and terrorizing kiddos, and two lap dogs that weigh 15 and 90 pounds. Her favorite things to do include reading. Sunny day-read outside, rainy day-read inside, snowy day-read inside under the blankets. She’s aspired to be a writer her entire life and couldn’t be more excited to share all the ideas swirling around in her head.

  To keep in touch and get updates on new releases follow me on the links below.

  Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/df27af314aee/lizzyprince

  Website: https://www.lizzyprince.com

  Don’t forget…

  If you enjoyed this book (or even felt meh about it) please leave a review! Reviews help these books get seen and let others know if it sounds like their cup of tea. Reviews are the easiest way to help out a new author. Thank you! Lizzy

  Also by Lizzy Prince

  The Scorched Trilogy

  Scorched (Book 1)

  Ash and Ember (Book 2)

  Ascent (Book 3)