Ashes (The Divided Kingdom)

by Sophie H. Morgan

  Cade.

  The crowd stirred, uneasy at her continued silence.

  He began to stalk through them as she stood helplessly glued to the spot, watching him prowl toward her. He didn’t blink as he maneuvered around the nobles, jostling some, sliding past others. His stare burned. The flames inside roared with enthusiasm, shrieking with glee as both fury and love combined into swirling columns of fire.

  Cade stilled into frozen readiness when he reached her dais. Sebby was having conniptions, as he’d call them, with enough pointed eye-rolling for him to be possessed.

  Ana let out a short breath, squaring her shoulders. Okay, he’d shown his face. After thirty days. So she was going to lie down in a puddle of goo at his feet in gratitude?

  I don’t think so.

  Ignoring eyes that latched on to her face and gripped like claws, Ana used the calm fae ambassador as her lifeline. “What I personally wish to add,” she repeated, her voice unsteady, “is my sincerest wish that we remember why we gather at these events, why we persevere in our pursuit of alliances and agreements: peace, so our children do not suffer what we have suffered. A toast.” She accepted the glass a server offered and raised the flute so the champagne sparkled in the candlelight. “Let peace reign always.”

  The nobles and aristocrats echoed her words, lifting their glasses. Smiles of approval snaked around the room from some of the stuffier of her race. Sebby fluttered with relief, joining in the applause with enthusiastic glee.

  “Now, please, enjoy yourselves.” Ana swallowed against the nerves that crashed like tsunami waves against her throat and forced a smile to her lips. “And let’s celebrate another night of peace.”

  Over the clapping of the rich, Ana gestured for the musicians to begin squalling. Their noise couldn’t match the rushing of blood in her head as she made her way off the dais and strode toward Cade. Velvet rubbed across her legs like an amorous pet.

  She stopped in front of him, so close the scent of spearmint gum swirled around her head, dizzying her.

  Come on, girl, where’s your spine?

  Every inch the queen, Ana inclined her head. “Cade.”

  “Your Divineness.” His voice was a rumble that abraded her skin like a cat’s tongue. She cursed herself for the weakness that wanted to throw herself at him, in front of every prying eye here.

  “Come for the banquet?” Heavy irony weighted her voice. “I’m afraid you weren’t invited.”

  “I was once.” He watched her with predator intenseness, every shift she made observed by his animal.

  It was difficult to breathe, thanks to the corset they’d roped her into. That’s what she was blaming. “Well, you declined, didn’t you.”

  “I was a fool.”

  She sank her teeth into her bottom lip as shards of pain pierced her heart. Hope bled into her with a keenness that rivaled a knife edge. Recalling where they were with a jolt, Ana cleared her throat. Cards on the table. “What do you want, Cade?”

  He stepped closer. One step, and already heat strangled her. He lowered his voice. “You.”

  She had to bite her tongue to keep from screaming at him. “Tough. I don’t associate with cowards. And, if you haven’t noticed, I’m kind of busy.”

  His hands balled by his sides, the single movement he made. “It’s been easy for me to shy from relationships because I knew I’d mess it up. I always have. My brothers, my father, you, your parents.” He broke off, mouth forming a silent curse. “When you asked me to come back here with you, I—” A breath burst from him. “I was a fucking coward, okay?”

  Gasps from the mouths of those closest exploded into the atmosphere. Clearly they had an audience.

  Still Ana’s lips twitched. “Language,” she chided. Her heart stammered and skipped.

  His eyes lightened to charcoal. He stepped even closer. “As soon as you walked away, I knew I’d made the biggest mistake of my life.”

  “The High Lands are a long way from the south, but I don’t think the journey takes a month.” So, okay, maybe she was still pissed.

  “True,” Cade allowed. He showed no awareness of the ears listening in, all his concentration focused in an intense line toward her. Embers smoked as she trembled. Cade cocked his head. “I needed to prove to myself that I could be strong enough to rule at your side.”

  Ana pressed her lips together and waved a hand. She tried to hide the hurt making it a struggle to breathe. “Are you done?”

  “Don’t you want to know what I did?”

  Murmurs were waving over the crowd, those at the back craning their necks to see who the intruder was. The musicians fought like troopers, but they couldn’t compete with the spectacle the queen was making of herself.

  Ana felt a flush of hot embarrassment color her face. “This is not the time.” She made a shooing motion. “Go away.”

  He took another few steps. His head shook in a slow negative. “Afraid you’re stuck with me, now, Alana. I’m your Kindred, remember?”

  “A Kindred.” Ana curled her toes in her heels.

  His mouth was stubborn. “Uh-uh. This Kindred only works for you. I’m all yours, whether you like it or not. Besides, I made a nuisance of myself with the Treaty by exposing their ignorance of Gabriel’s mother’s death and the missing children.”

  Her breath whooshed out of her. “Cade.”

  “I’ve stayed away for a month, because that’s how long it’s taken me to prove to the Treaty that the Blade division is riddled with oblivious officials. They’ve created a new sector of the organization, one solely to protect kids. I never want another agent or child to suffer at their hands.” His grin flashed. “Our children need to be born into a better world.”

  Seriously. Hard. To. Breathe.

  One final step had him flush with her body, his hands close enough they brushed the front of her dress. A universe of pain and longing, twins of the emotions that had haunted her, swirled in his eyes. “In front of everyone who could raise the biggest opposition to our being together, I come before you to ask you to be with me. To live with me, to laugh with me. To argue and fight. To love.” He dropped to his knees, a proud man humbled before her. “Marry me, Ana.”

  Gasps blasted into full-grown shouts of astonishment and refusal. Sebby’s eyes were as round as serving dishes, mouth hanging open.

  All Ana could hear was the rush of love that broke the locks she’d placed on it and sizzled through her veins. Her fire flooded her from the inside, blazing with half as much heat as Cade’s love.

  She grabbed hold of his shirt, hauling him upward and launching herself at him. Their mouths met in a tangle of heat and love and joy, electricity flaring through them. His hands landed on her face, gripping her close as he fed her kiss after kiss. His jackal growled approval through Cade’s throat, pouring through her and awakening places she’d thought barren and dead.

  When they drew apart, both were trembling.

  “Is that a yes?” His voice dipped, teasing.

  Ana scrunched up her nose. “I love you, you huge ash-heap. Don’t you ever say you’re not good enough.”

  Before he could comment, she pulled back and punched him in the nose.

  Laughter and shock swirled around the ballroom as Cade howled in pain. Blood dribbled out of one nostril.

  He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I love you too, you foul-mouthed, violent pain in the ass.” His words held a thread of ironic amusement.

  “See here,” called one of the nobles from the middle of the room. “Who is this?”

  “What’s he doing here?”

  “Why’s he kissing the queen?”

  Ana stifled a laugh at Cade’s disgusted expression. “Ready for the circus?”

  “As long as it’s with you.”

  Hands joined, they turned to face the world head-on.

  About the Author<
br />
  Sophie H. Morgan is a paranormal romance author with a love for hot guys, sassy heroines and HEAs that seem impossible. Currently residing in England, Sophie divides her time between her two crazy spaniels and plotting how best to drive her characters into each other’s arms. Ashes is her first book.

  You can find her online at Twitter (@SophieHMorgan) and at her blog (walkinginawriterswonderland.blogspot.co.uk).

  She also loves to hear from readers: sophmorg@hotmail.co.uk

  Everyone has a breaking point.

  Fading Light

  © 2014 Angela Dennis

  Shadow Born, Book 2

  Her hundred-year penance lifted, Shadow Bearer Brenna Baudouin returns to the Earthly plane with her partner, Gray Warlow, to keep the peace between humans and supernatural creatures—and to prevent another apocalyptic war from happening.

  The attraction between them is nearing a critical point, but their checkered history has left Brenna unable to trust either her heart or her instincts.

  It’s chaotic business as usual until humans begin turning to statues of dust. There is no explanation, no sign of magical foul play or a biological toxin. The humans are convinced it’s the work of a deviant supernatural faction, twisting the knife in the already tense relationship between their species. Brenna and Gray agree—the deaths have a former comrade-turned-rogue stamped all over them.

  In a race against time, they enlist the help of both friend and foe to save the human race and stop the impending civil war. Along the way, they are forced to come to terms with their past and decide, once and for all, whether they will come together or fall apart.

  Warning: Contains a heroine who knows her weapons but not her own heart, an outbreak of supernatural proportions, copious bloodletting, and a race to save an endangered species—humans. All tied up in a tight bow of sexual tension.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Fading Light:

  Darkness embraced Brenna like a thick wool blanket. It wrapped around her, blocking the dim lamplight as she walked toward the seedy bar. Glass residue from the riots crunched beneath her leather boots. Mixed with snow, the bits of broken beer bottles and smashed windows glittered like an army of broken icicles. She breathed deeply, inhaling the cool night air. It smelled of sour beer and clove cigarettes and left a bitter taste on her tongue.

  Shadows embraced the sides of the stone structure that housed the Dirty Ruby, one of the few multi-species bars in Denver proper. They stalked across the snow and mixed with the night to merge into a black mass. From its midst stepped a man. Well over six feet, he moved with grace in contrast to his size. The moonlight played across his face, highlighting his chiseled features.

  Brenna’s pulse quickened and she took an involuntary step forward. Self-conscious, she ran a hand through her copper curls, freeing them from the careless bun. The thick strands streamed down her back like fire as she moved, her breath coming in quick harsh bursts. She slipped off her black leather duster and draped it across her arm. Without it the tight black corset left her taut belly and back exposed, but she didn’t feel the cold. She never did around Gray.

  “Four demons. Thirty humans. Keep the casualties to a minimum.” Brenna brushed past him, tossing him her coat. “I’ll bring them out. You send them back to hell.”

  “Hell?” Gray grinned. His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. “You speak human now?”

  She shrugged. “When in Rome.”

  Her back to him, she turned toward the freshly white-washed door. But before she could move, he had her shoulder in a vise grip. His fingers twined in the hair at the base of her skull. His breath hot against her cheek. “I know your other partners let you boss them around.” He turned her to face him. “I’m not them.”

  He stepped forward, forcing her back. They moved in an awkward dance until her ass hit the stone wall. Trapped, she stared at him, wary. A shadow fell across his face hiding all but his piercing violet eyes.

  “We enter together. Once they’re dead, we leave.” He stepped back, loosening his hold.

  “The humans—”

  “Won’t remember a thing.” He crushed his lips to hers even as he slid the duster across her shoulders. “And I’m not your coat rack.” Releasing her, he stepped back.

  Brenna rubbed the back of her hand against her bruised lips. Gray would be the death of her.

  If she didn’t kill him first.

  She leaned against the wall to regain her bearings as he stepped into the light. He moved like a jungle cat. Ropes of strong muscles slid beneath his bronzed skin as his wild untapped power stirred beneath the surface. Akin to a force of nature, he would never go unnoticed. Even incognito, only a fool wouldn’t recognize Gray was dangerous. He was a beautiful, powerful thing to behold. And he was hers.

  If she wanted him.

  His black hair shimmered in the pale lamplight. It was tied with the usual brown leather strap, but a few pieces had slipped free. They curled around his face, softening his features. The sight of him stirred memories of what they had been to each other. Memories she had struggled for nearly a hundred years to repress. But she still wanted him with a fervor that was both frightening and exhilarating.

  A sigh slipped from her lips as she pushed off the wall to follow him into the bar. Wooden planks creaked beneath their feet as they stepped inside. The room was crammed wall-to-wall with sweaty bodies. Humans surged on the dance floor, moving in chaotic abandon. Brenna stripped off her duster. The heat from the wood stoves was overpowering. Sweat beaded on her forehead. It dribbled down her face, sliding across her bare skin to pool between her breasts.

  She threw the duster on the seat of a red plastic booth then slid in beside it. Her leather pants moved across the slick fabric like silk as she took a quick inventory of the room. Humans clanked beer bottles together, their shouts drowning out the death metal band screeching in the far corner. She closed her eyes to focus and searched for her prey. It took several minutes, but she found what she was looking for. The stench of rotten flesh and brimstone. It was subtle, but unmistakable. The demon was here, but he wasn’t alone.

  Her seat shifted as Gray slid into the booth beside her. “This is new. They don’t usually hunt together.” He tossed a muscular arm across her shoulders.

  Brenna leaned into his body. Her head against his chest, she breathed him in. He smelled of sage and wood smoke. “I doubt they’re aware of each other. Demons are territorial. They don’t play nice, and they’re not that bright.”

  Gray shrugged. “There’s a first time for everything.”

  “True.”

  He brushed a stray curl from her face. Unable to resist, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the simple touch.

  “You take the males. I’ve got the females.” His breath was hot against her skin.

  Her body tightened. She pulled back, a false smile playing on her lips. Beneath it she cursed her inability to keep him at a distance, even on a job. With a quick nod, she tossed back the shot of whiskey he shoved across the table. She leaned into him, her hands pressed against his chest. “We’ll meet at the van.”

  “Agreed.” Gray kissed her lips. “Sam knows the drill.”

  She could still taste him as he walked away, and that treacherous part inside her yearned for more. The best way to blend in was to act like a couple, but they needed another option. She was already sexually frustrated, and the night had barely begun. But there was nothing more cathartic than a good hunt.

  Brenna glanced at the demon. It lounged on a barstool, deep inside a human man around thirty. With a bored look, he watched as a young woman, her shirt in tatters on the dirty floor, straddled him. Her skirt hiked to her crotch, her body trembled as he drained her life force. A second woman stood behind him. Clad in tiny purple panties and a lace bra, she swayed to the music. Glassy eyed, breasts heaving, she waited her turn. It was disgusting.

  It
had been a human war that had ripped through the Veil between the planes of reality, and the humans had paid the price. Supernatural creatures, the humans now called deviants, had poured onto the Earthly plane, only to be trapped once the Veil had healed. The humans had managed to survive the onslaught by allying themselves with sympathetic deviants, but they had gotten too comfortable. And the demons were taking full advantage.

  Brenna slammed the shot glass on the table. Time to play human.

  eBooks are not transferable.

  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B

  Cincinnati OH 45249

  Ashes

  Copyright © 2015 by Sophie H. Morgan

  ISBN: 978-1-61922-575-6

  Edited by Jessica Corra

  Cover by Kanaxa

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: April 2015

  www.samhainpublishing.com