Please help me celebrate my latest new release. It's release week for Freed, a Shadowed Love novella. It's only 99 cents at Amazon and it's the story of how the Shadow Shifters discovered the Realm of Shadows. And it's also the love story of King Falon and Queen Ella, the royals who find a way to save the Well of Souls. Please check out this special excerpt below.
Thank you!
BLURB:
After mortal invaders slay a Shadow Shifter woman, Queen Ella knows there is more blood on the horizon. As the most powerful Sensitive in the village, Ella has always known she’s destined to save the kingdom. But her task seems impossible. She must move the Well of Souls to a new realm to save her people or risk failing the Ancestor gods.
The woman King Falon loves will never love him back, despite a binding marriage built on regal decorum. Falon’s first duty is to his people, and he only wants to provide the Shadow Shifters with a safe future. He must assert his power to gain the respect of the warriors.
Harder still, King Falon must accept the salvation of his people lies with his own Queen Ella, a woman who speaks madness... a woman he’s always loved, but hardly knows.
The woman King Falon loves will never love him back, despite a binding marriage built on regal decorum. Falon’s first duty is to his people, and he only wants to provide the Shadow Shifters with a safe future. He must assert his power to gain the respect of the warriors.
Harder still, King Falon must accept the salvation of his people lies with his own Queen Ella, a woman who speaks madness... a woman he’s always loved, but hardly knows.
EXCERPT
Chapter
One
The
Mortal Realm, 657
King
Falon looked up at the darkening sky, and a heavy burden settled inside his
chest. Where were their Ancestor gods?
From
his castle balcony, he stared over the hills of his homeland in Northern
Britain, the place the Shadow Shifters had always called home. Their history
and their hearts were embedded in these lands.
The
mortals had always been a danger, but his people had escaped their persecution.
That was no longer the case. The martyrs wanted to annihilate the Shadow
Shifters, a race who thrived in the darkness, who thrived in the shadows, who
thrived in the night.
Holy
believers were coming for them, without any understanding of what they
attempted to fight. The Shadow Shifter village had remained protected on these
hills, with their Ancestor gods watching over them. Now, their existence was
threatened.
“It
isn’t your fault.” The sound of Pavel’s voice came from behind him.
Falon
couldn’t bear to face his oldest friend and advisor. “Then whose is it?”
“We
knew we couldn’t stay hidden here forever.”
“Why
must they attack during my reign? Why must this fall to me?” He sighed. “For
centuries, peace existed for our people.”
New to the throne, newly wed, newly orphaned.
Too many firsts weighed on his shoulders. He didn’t know how to handle the
burden.
Pavel
seemed to read his mind. “The Ancestors would never give you this challenge if
they didn’t believe you capable of discovering a way to provide for our
people.”
His
friend had so much faith in bodiless apparitions. As the Spirit Teacher,
perhaps Pavel had to have faith. But Falon struggled. He’d always struggled.
“That
girl--” He couldn’t finish. Seeing the mutilated body of one of his people had
made bile rise to his throat. His people had looked to him for answers, and
he’d nearly crumbled in front of them.
“You
did your duty per our traditions and honored her family.”
Falon
had done his duty, but the young girl’s face. He’d never forget it.
“When
do you think they’ll come?”
Pavel
sighed. “After their savagery, it could be this night, it could be a fortnight.
I do not have the answers.”
“We
must prepare the Warriors.” To stop his people from being destroyed.
“Then
you’ll fight?”
“What
other choice do I have?” He glared at his friend, freeing his frustration.
“None
that you see.”
“I
don’t have time for riddles.”
Pavel
smiled. “You never did.”
“I’ll
do whatever’s necessary to protect our lands and the Well of Souls. We can’t
afford to allow the mortals access to our sacred power source.”
“I
trust you’ll do what you must.”
His
friend might have too much faith. Falon studied their lands for another long
moment, watching the sun fall into the lure of the mountains.
“Of
course I will.” But when he glanced back again, Pavel was gone. He had a way of
disappearing.
Falon
knew he couldn’t dwell on the events of the past week. A young girl was gone,
killed by bloodthirsty strangers, but the rest of his people remained. He could
not allow her tragic death to befall the whole.
He
strode through his private chambers to an adjoining room, deciding not to use
the shadows to shift so he could take a deep breath and collect himself. After
passing through the doorway, he came to an abrupt halt.
His
breath caught at the sight before him. A woman of supreme elegance stood in the
last flickers of light, staring out at the disappearing sun from her balcony.
Heavy,
thick robes lined her luscious form. Beautiful velvet in a rich blue color fit
snugly to her curves. A crown of entwined flowers sat proud atop her head. Her
delicate profile showed her true regal magnificence.
Light
hair curled down long and brushed against the fabric of her dress. She stood,
ethereal, like an Ancestor goddess in his midst. Perfect. Untouchable.
Supposedly his.
She
didn’t turn to look at him, although he knew she always knew when he entered
the room. This was a woman of ultimate power, the strongest Sensitive in the
kingdom. And one of only a few in the village who seemed to glow with magic.
So
soft. So kind. So distant.
She
was his wife. His queen.
And
so far out of reach. He wanted her with a desperation that made him ache. But
he often thought his wanting of her would be the death of him. He couldn’t
allow it to be the death of his kingdom.
“We’re
expected for the evening meal.” His tone was rigid.
Her
stance remained the same, as if she couldn’t hear him.
“Ella,”
he said.
She
didn’t move.
Ella
made him question himself in a way no one ever had. As a royal and now a king,
he wasn’t used to scrutiny. No one seemed able to read his shortcomings as
easily as his wife.
His
patience frayed. Defiance was not a battle he needed to wage this day.
Especially against the one woman who was supposed to stand by him always. Newly
married and he’d already learned. The wife he’d married for love would never
love him back. And she’d never be on his side.
***
War.
Ella’s blood boiled with the truth. The scent of blood drifted on the horizon.
As the sun faded behind the mountains, her people’s safety faded with it. She felt
this truth as surely as she felt her nails curling into her palms.
Loss.
The wind swirled with it. Inevitable sacrifices lingered in their future, but
she couldn’t define what they risked. Everything inside her yearned to place
the pieces into a discernible pattern, something she could give to the king to
use. But for the first time in her life, answers eluded her.
Were
the Ancestors punishing her? She stared into the angry gray clouds and
questioned. Something she’d rarely had to do. As a Sensitive, she’d always
known the truth. Not now. Everything was changing, evolving, yielding, one day
into the next, a whirlwind she couldn’t stop.
Despair.
She could feel the pain in the air, like a blade suspended in time, destined to
kill through the ages, destined to harm. A tear slid down her cheek. She was
supposed to save her people. She’d always known it. But how?
***
Thank you for reading the excerpt! If you'd like to read more, Freed is available on Amazon for 99 cents!
Congrats, Kinley. Good luck with the release!
ReplyDeleteThanks Dawn!
DeleteGreat excerpt! Congrats on the new release! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sarah!
Delete