Lord and Lady, when had she gotten so sappy? She pulled onto the ferry, killed the engine, and slid out of her mittens to wrap her fingers over the worn prints on the steering wheel. Maybe her rituals and shrines for Kean were getting a little ridiculous. But the way she saw it, she wasn’t hurting anybody. She was making progress. At least she’d started wearing her own clothes again. She was fit to go out in public…just a little bit out of practice.
She’d spent every waking minute of the last four months studying the Zyne arts and researching Kean’s curse. After the events of her father’s death, at the turn of the New Year, the Synod had required her to take on a Zyne tutor. She met with Councilor Bellini every week, and after she listened to his lectures, he humored her with answers to her endless list of questions. Mostly about where she should be looking for an answer to the magical riddle that kept her lover encased in stone and his spirit trapped between worlds.
On every trip back to the Arcanum, she visited Kean’s tomb. She would lay down beside his stone figure and cover his clasped hands in hers, tracing the lines of his face with her fingertips. The enchanted roses that grew over him would coil around her wrists and whisper against her skin. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine it was Kean touching her back. She’d meditated in that hall with a notepad for hours, writing down every detail she could remember from those few moments that had since dominated her life.
She never ran into Lucas on any of her half-dozen visits, despite the fact that he was a bound (and collared) servant of the Synod. His scarcity gave the impression he was waiting for permission to approach her. But then he didn’t seem like the type to do anything without an agenda. He’d already held her hostage wanting a proclamation of love, and he’d stolen a kiss she never would have given freely. He was more likely just waiting for the opportune moment to pounce, and so she slinked through the maze of Arcanum hallways constantly on edge.
Thankfully, today she was far away from all of that. She came up on a patch the two-lane highway with no traffic and pushed the old truck to go faster. She rolled down her window and let the wind swirl around the cabin. She gulped in deep draughts of clear mountain air.
She thrust her hand out and savored the invigorating rush. Freedom. She’d been cloistered up all winter, in her house, in her tiny Vancouver recording studio, in the Arcanum library, or otherwise stuck on a small island full of too many memories. But now she was on the open road, driving fast, free and alive. Through the wild.
When she crested the hill, the truck bucked, coughed out a puff of black exhaust, and stalled.
“Shit.” Bri shifted to neutral and coasted down the hill. She had just enough momentum to drive the vehicle over the small embankment of the shoulder and park out of the way. “Shit-shit-shit.”
She pulled her purse into her lap and fished through it for her cell phone. Of course, today of all days, she’d left it sitting on the charger. “Dammit!”
There were no maps in Kean’s truck. No handy GPS. No phone. She didn’t even know where she was exactly — somewhere east of Hamilton? Which was a good ten miles back, at least.
Bri got out of the truck and slammed the door. She stared at the matching rows of pines stretching as far as she could see in either direction. She hadn’t packed for Woman vs. Wilderness. This never would have happened if she’d stuck to the Interstate. But no, Astrid had to have her wine from the Fitzgerald vineyard hand-delivered, and insisted it would be good for Bri to see Kean’s family. She hadn’t wanted to go. Maybe this was Fate’s backhanded answer to her prayers. “Be careful what you ask for.”
An engine hummed in the distance, and she spied a motorcycle coming down the highway like one of the hounds of hell. Definitely not AAA. She got back in the truck and tried to look like she was there on purpose. The black-clad biker flew right by. She breathed a sigh of relief, but then she saw his brake lights in her rearview mirror.
Fan-bloody-tastic.
The rider slowed, signaled, and turned around.
Bri locked her door and prepared to wave him off. She could wait for a nice, friendly-looking family in a Subaru, on their way to Okanogan for a Girl Scout retreat.
The rider stopped just behind her on the shoulder and dismounted. Briana watched in the side mirror, which really only gave her a view from the waist down. It was a nice view. Thick, well-muscled thighs in tight black jeans, an extremely squeezable ass.
She laughed abruptly. Kean’s predicament had done nothing to quell her libido, it had only built it into an embarrassing frenzy. She’d sunk as low as to check out a man who would probably rob her and leave her in the woods for bear food.
Gravel crunched under his heavy boots as he walked along the side of the truck. Bri leaned over and searched through the glove box, just to make it look like she wasn’t sitting there like a complete idiot waiting to get high-jacked.
He rapped on the window with gloved knuckles. Even though she’d been expecting it, she flinched.
“I’m okay, thanks. I called a tow truck. They should be here soon.” She turned around with a hunky-dory smile pasted on her face and had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming at the pure injustice of life.
Lucas Moncrieffe stood on the other side of her window, grinning like the wolf he was. “You seem to be in need of a rescue, my lady.”
Bri scowled and rolled down the window. Her would-be rescuer took that as an invitation to brace his forearms on the door and lean in. She stiffened but didn’t move away. So much for respecting her space. A hint of dark spice brushed her nostrils, and his stormy grey eyes, just inches away, were laughing at her. Her cheeks heated. “Are you following me?”
Lucas stepped back, lowered his sunglasses over his eyes, and nodded at his bike. “From the looks of it, we were going different directions, sweetheart. But if you want a ride, I’ll be sure to make it one you’ll never forget.”
Her lashes fluttered in annoyance, even as her cheeks flushed harder. Oh, damn her stupid cursed abstinence! She snatched her purse from the bench seat, rolled up the window, locked the door, and hopped out. Not in the mood to honor his comment with a response, she said, “How far west are you going?”
He tamed down the grin until it crossed in to smirk territory. “All the way.”
Bri nodded. She may as well go back to the island. Leaving anymore room in her day for Fate to intervene seemed like a bad move. She’d call the tow truck when she got home and have the truck back on island by tomorrow afternoon, then take it to Macky’s Auto. Astrid’s wine could wait. “Then, I would appreciate a ride home. Please.”
“It would be my pleasure, Briana.” Lucas lifted her hand and gently brushed his mouth against her knuckles, inhaling deeply. His lips were warm and soft. Something deep inside of her sighed with pleasure at the brief contact, but she stamped it down and yanked her hand away.
“Thanks.” She marched to his motorcycle with as much dignity as a hitchhiker is allowed. Lucas popped open a silver latch on one of the side compartments of his black leather and chrome steed. She slipped the purse off her shoulder and tucked it inside, then turned around to find her savior bursting her personal bubble again.
“The coat too,” he said gruffly. He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around to pull it off.
“What? Why?” Bri hugged her arms around herself as he folded it into a compact ball and tucked it in the storage bin.
“It’s too long. You can’t sit on the bike with it. Here,” he unsnapped his black leather jacket and shrugged it off.
“No. No.” She waved him back. “I’ll be fine.”
Warm, heavy leather, smelling of some exotic dark spice designed to ignite a fire in her bloodstream, settled over her shoulders. “I insist.”
Not wanting to prolong their off-road adventure any longer, Bri went mute. She even put on the helmet he handed her without comment. When she slid onto the contoured seat behind him and put her heels on the foot rests, their jean-clad thighs pressed tight together.
Bri held her breath, bracing for the next uncomfortable volley of innuendo. By some grace of the Gods, he spared her and started the bike instead. The engine rumbled on a frequency that made her toes tingle and her teeth vibrate in their sockets, but once they got up to speed, she couldn’t help enjoying herself. Despite being stuck in intimate proximity with a man — or, demon — she’d spent four months avoiding, and the whole broke-down truck fiasco, it was a gorgeous day.
The sky was like periwinkle crushed velvet, the pines swaying softly as if dancing in celebration of the return of the sun. The crisp air slowly peeled away the layers of stress and worry coating her like thick cobwebs, leaving her feeling polished and new. Invigorated. She wasn’t cold, with Lucas’s jacket at her back and the natural furnace of his body pressed to her front. Okay, so it was her pressing against him, but he was warm. And solid. And she had to hold on to something or she’d go flying off the back.
They made record time back to Anacortes, and since they were on a motorcycle, they got on the first boat without having to wait in line. Which also gave Bri a perfectly reasonable excuse to cut the pleasantries short. She shrugged off Lucas’s jacket and draped it over the seat as he shoved wooden wedges against both tires.
He glanced up, but said nothing when she popped open the storage bin to retrieve her things. By the time she shut it, he was standing there — back in his jacket, somehow — staring at her from behind his Bad Boy shades.
“Well, thanks,” Bri said. “I’ve got it from here.”
Though she was trying not to look at him too long, she thought she saw a minute flexing of the muscles around Lucas’s mouth. Like he was trying really hard not to smile. The ferry’s recorded announcement came over the intercom, and he still just stood there, as if waiting for her to do something.
“Okay. So…I guess I’ll just owe you for the gas.” Bri shuffled towards the stairs.
“Good.”
The deep rumble of his voice made her jump a little. She gripped the door handle and glanced over her shoulder.
“Buy me coffee, and we’ll call it even.”
Dear Reader
Thank you so much for reading Rain of Ash! I hope you enjoyed the beginning of Bri's journey to embrace her destiny as a Skydancer. This story, these characters, and this world have been near and dear to my heart for the past 8 years, and I'm so excited to share them with you. I invite you to visit the Zyne Legacy section of my website for more information on the series and universe as it expands (it will eventually include a reading list, glossary, character bios, and artwork, as well as free short stories and vignettes).
Lastly, independent authors like myself rely on reviews from readers to get the word out about our books. Please take a few moments to leave your thoughts on Amazon or Goodreads while the story is still fresh. I welcome all reviews and love to hear from readers!
You can also connect with me on Facebook or Twitter.
Coming Soon
Look for my next release September 21, 2015!
TO TAME A WILD HEART
A Zyne Legacy Romance
“When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.”
—Kahlil Gibran
Nomad and desperado Audrey Taylor has carved a living out of society’s fringe using her supernatural abilities and the wisdom of her truck-driver surrogate mother. Sleeping beneath the open skies and under the radar is all she’s ever needed. But when an ancient council of witches discovers her powers, Audrey is forced to submit to their control or end up stripped of her gifts and her memories. Audrey knows better than to rely on or trust anyone and she’s never worked well with others, so it’s just her luck to be assigned the withdrawn and irritable falconer as her mentor. Even more disturbing is her desire to penetrate his brooding façade and know the man underneath.
Corvin Wright has dedicated his life to the service of the Synod in the hopes of proving himself worthy of his family name. He values the solace of his duties and finds peace alone among the birds trusted to his keeping, but the Council no longer sees a use for his unique gifts. His sanctuary is in danger unless he can earn his place by babysitting one of the fledgling witches brought to train in the magical arts. The task is more daunting than expected when his assigned student turns out to be wilder and more broken than any creature he’s ever cared for. Her spitfire spirit and dangerous beauty challenge every ideal of the life he thought he wanted, and while Audrey wrestles against her captivity and the bonds of responsibility laid upon her, Corvin searches for a way to tame her wild heart before she breaks his.
About the Author
Gwen lives in Seattle with two spider plant clones (Rufus I and Rufus II) and an avocado plant named Alice. When not hiking to hidden waterfalls, perfecting her asanas, taking in a burlesque show, or otherwise cavorting through the Emerald City, she can be found in her favorite cozy chair sipping tequila and brewing tales of magic, murder, and romance. Visit her on the web at gwenmitchellficiton.com.
Copyright ©2015 Gwen Mitchell
Kindle Edition, Revision 1
ASIN: B0103KB6J0
Publication Date: June 21, 2015
Cover and Book Design by Gwen Mitchell. Cover Model Jessica Truscott (Faestock). Header images by Spiritsighs.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work is the property of the author and publisher and may not be reproduced in any form without express permission, with the exception of short excerpts for the purpose of reviews.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblence to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.
Table of Contents
The Zyne Legacy
Skydancer Book 1
Dedication & Gratitude
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Epilogue
More from Gwen Mitchell
Dear Reader
Coming Soon
About the Author
Copyright
Rain of Ash: Skydancer Book 1 (The Zyne Legacy) Page 32
