She was not Rom.
She refused to be Rom.
And that was that.
D’Artagnan started cleaning himself – always fastidious – and even the sight of his little darting tongue made Lilith fidget.
She had definitely been alone too long.
What was keeping Sebastian?
Lilith picked up her deck of tarot cards, shuffled and considered the riddle of what to do. She fanned the cards across the table and plucked one from their midst, her heart skipping a beat when she turned it over.
The Magician.
A card about making things happen. A card for the creative and the powerful. A card hinting that it was time things got done.
By her.
It was a card that demanded immediate action.
Lilith considered it. Why was she just waiting for Sebastian? In every other area of her life, she was the one to take the initiative and make a difference. She had to admit that it would be a lot more romantic if Sebastian just swept into her life again on his own.
He had promised, after all.
Was his promise a lie?
No. She wouldn’t think along those lines. She stood up and went to the mirror. One more time she looked deeply into her own eyes and one more time, she caught no glimpse of Sebastian. Obviously, her Gift didn’t extend to herself. Magick was like that.
But maybe some of the things she had learned over the centuries could help.
The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than Lilith was on the way to her kitchen. She checked the calendar and discovered that both sun and moon were right for a love spell.
That had to be a sign that she was on the right track.
Whether her actions provoked a response or not, it was good just to be doing something. Lilith turned on the radio and tuned into the oldies station. The first song made Lilith smile and turn up the volume.
Love Potion Number Nine.
A potion it would be.
Lilith danced as she conjured, a reckless glee making her feel decidedly younger than her many years. Her cauldron was on the stove and the strongest love potion of all time was rapidly being assembled.
If Sebastian was anywhere within the galaxy, he’d get this message. When he showed up, Lilith had several hundred years of creative thinking to put to good use.
Lilith felt her desire heat to a fever pitch with every pinch of this and two petals of that cast into the brew. Anticipation hummed beneath her skin and every passing second added to her conviction that this spell would work. The mixture began to boil and its earthy perfume filled the house.
The yearning was enough to make her knees go weak.
Lilith changed softly before the simmering brew.
“Lover true, come to me,
Through the air or across the sea.
Once we loved all night with style
Come back NOW…”
Lilith chuckled under her breath as she thought of the perfect rhyme.
“I’ll make it worth your while.”
She ladled the bubbling green brew into her coffee cup. The last chorus of the song bounced off the kitchen walls. D’Artagnan lashed his tail as he watched from the doorway, his eyes bright. The potion smelled vile.
Lilith held her nose. She closed her eyes. She held her breath.
She took a sip.
* * *
Love Potion #9
Available now in both digital and print editions.
About the Author
Deborah Cooke sold her first book in 1992, a medieval romance called THE ROMANCE OF THE ROSE published under her pseudonym Claire Delacroix. Since then, she has published over fifty novels in a wide variety of sub-genres, including historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, fantasy romance, time travel romance, women’s fiction, paranormal young adult and fantasy with romantic elements. She has published under the names Claire Delacroix, Claire Cross and Deborah Cooke. THE BEAUTY, part of her successful Bride Quest series of historical romances, was her first title to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books. Her books routinely appear on other bestseller lists and have won numerous awards. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time the library has hosted a residency focused on the romance genre. In 2012, she was honored to receive the Romance Writers of America’s Mentor of the Year Award.
Currently, she writes the Dragonfire series of paranormal romances featuring dragon shapeshifter heroes under the name Deborah Cooke. She also is writing the True Love Brides series of medieval romances as Claire Delacroix, which continues the story of the family introduced in her popular title THE BEAUTY BRIDE. Deborah lives in Canada with her husband and family, as well as far too many unfinished knitting projects.
Connect Online!
Deborah’s Website
Claire’s Website
Deborah on Facebook
Claire on Facebook
Deborah’s Blog
Deborah’s Monthly Newsletter
Books by Deborah Cooke
Paranormal Romances
- The Dragonfire Series -
Kiss of Fire
Kiss of Fury
Kiss of Fate
Harmonia’s Kiss
Winter Kiss
Whisper Kiss
Darkfire Kiss
Flashfire
Ember’s Kiss
Kiss of Danger
Kiss of Darkness
Paranormal Young Adult
- The Dragon Diaries -
Flying Blind
Winging It
Blazing the Trail
Contemporary Romance
- The Coxwells -
Third Time Lucky
Double Trouble
One More Time
All or Nothing
Short Stories
* * *
Books by Claire Delacroix
Time Travel Romances
Once Upon a Kiss
The Last Highlander
The Moonstone
Love Potion #9
Historical Romances
The Romance of the Rose
Honeyed Lies
Unicorn Bride
The Sorceress
Roarke’s Folly
Pearl Beyond Price
The Magician’s Quest
Unicorn Vengeance
My Lady’s Champion
Enchanted
My Lady’s Desire
- The Bride Quest -
The Princess
TheDamsel
The Heiress
The Countess
The Beauty
The Temptress
- The Rogues of Ravensmuir -
The Rogue
The Scoundrel
The Warrior
- The Jewels of Kinfairlie -
The Beauty Bride
The Rose Red Bride
The Snow White Bride
The Ballad of Rosamunde
- The True Love Brides -
The Renegade’s Heart
Urban Fantasy Romance
- The Prometheus Project -
Fallen
Guardian
Rebel
Short Stories and Novellas
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Excerpt from Kiss of Destiny
Excerpt from Love Potion #9
About the Author
Connect Online
More Books by the Author
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