by Amy Sumida
“Evidently your heart can be down-right dumb,” he grimaced.
“Hey now,” I growled. “I did see you kissing Oonagh.”
“Stones, I hate that woman.” Torin groaned, and hung his head back in agony.
“Me too,” I huffed.
“Our hearts are caged together, even without the relic's spell.” Torin laid his palm over my chest. “Fly away, and you'll only take me with you. You're mine, remember?”
“And you're mine,” I nodded.
“I love you, Elaria.” Torin lifted his palm to my cheek.
“I love you too.” I covered his hand with my own. “But if I ever catch you with another woman, I'll sing you both one last lullaby.”
“Agreed.” He smiled brilliantly. “And speaking of other lovers”-his grin turned into a grimace-“let's go down and have a few words with yours.”
“We aren't lovers.” I rolled my eyes.
“That's not what it looked like when I saw you on the balcony.” Torin's eyes narrowed.
“Okay, yes,” I huffed. “I brought him up here to have sex with him. I needed to try and get over you,” I added when Torin started to growl. “But I got a damn headache every time we attempted to take it beyond kissing.”
“The spell,” he smirked. “You weren't able to go further?”
“No,” I admitted, “and that's why I broke the enchantment. I assumed that you sent Oonagh away because you were frustrated over the spell.”
“Hardly,” he grumbled. “It was never pushed far enough for me to know it would have that kind of effect.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, 'oh.'” Torin glowered at me. “How many times did you kiss Declan?”
“A couple,” I shrugged.
Torin glowered more.
“Maybe three?”
“You're asking me?
“No, I'm just not sure.”
“So they weren't very memorable then?” Torin mused.
“No, they were good.” I flinched when his hands clenched around me. “I mean, no, I can hardly recall them now.”
“Sweet stones.” Torin shook his head. “I'm going to have to murder the Alexandrite king in Venice. Maybe I can dump his body into the canal.”
“Leave Declan alone,” I sighed as I followed Torin out of the room. “He's been a total gentleman.”
“Yes, he looked like a gentleman, standing on your balcony in his shiny sex clothes.”
“Shiny . . .” I gaped at him. “You mean his silk boxers? Those are what human men wear. Maybe not always in silk, but it's not an unheard of choice.”
“They look like women's clothing.”
“They do not,” I said. “I think they're kind of sexy.”
“See?” Torin pointed his finger at me. “Sex clothes.”
“You're impossible.” I rolled my eyes. “Just don't be mean to Declan.”
“I will be firm, but not mean.” Torin lifted his chin. “I have won the fair maiden after all. I can afford to be gracious.”
“You're such an ass,” I muttered.
“What's that?” Torin lifted a brow.
“I said your ass would look good in silk boxers,” I replied with a straight face.
“You like those shiny men's undergarments?” Torin lifted a brow.
“Yeah.”
“All right.” He sighed dramatically. “We shall purchase some before we leave Earth.”
“What kind of underwear do you have on now?” I asked, suddenly curious. Torin was dressed in a fashion similar to Declan: slacks, buttoned shirt, and dress shoes. All human-made.
“What I always wear,” he smirked.
“So, nothing then?” I smirked back, and slid my hand over his rear. Yep, just one layer of fabric between us.
“That's right.” Torin sucked in his breath as my hand roamed. “I believe we'll need to make this conversation with Declan a quick one.”
“That sounds like a wise decision, Your Majesty.” I winked at him, and slipped ahead to find Declan.
Torin hurried after me.
Poor Declan, he was about to be very disappointed. But at least I had saved him from being murdered and thrown into a canal.
Chapter Fifty-Two
We didn't go back to Tír na nÓg right away. Instead, Torin and I headed to Hawaii and had the vacation I'd been planning to have in Venice. During the day, we lay out in the sun and swam together in the sea. Then we made love in the hot Hawaiian nights. The scent of coconut oil and sun-warmed man would forever bring back those memories for me.
Banning called, and I was put in the awkward position of telling him what had happened with Torin. He was upset of course, but gave me the same line he had in Tír na nÓg. He would always be there if I changed my mind. Declan's response had been similar, but much more succinct. With a regal air, he'd informed me that I knew where to find him. Immortality gave a man the option of being patient, I suppose.
Cerberus was the hardest to deal with. He just couldn't get over the fact that Torin hadn't done anything wrong. Once Cerberus has scented blood, he hates giving up the hunt. It took me weeks to convince him that Torin wasn't to blame. He did finally come around, though it took several shots of Tequila for him to grasp the concept of Torin's innocence.
I finally told my parents about Torin, and they came to Hawaii to meet him. Torin's witch blood eased him into my father's good graces nearly immediately, but my mother took a little longer to win over. She lasted through the appetizers before she succumbed to his Shining One charm. At which point she declared that she didn't care if he was a pervert; he was a lovely man. The look on Torin's face was one I'll cherish forever.
So now we're back in Tír na nÓg, building a tremulous plan to live our lives together. Torin can't stay away from his kingdom for long stretches, but he promised he'd visit Earth with me as often as he could. The remainder of our free time would be spent together in Tír na nÓg. But the key word there is “free.” He had kingly duties, and I still wanted to take the occasional job to keep my reputation solid and my magic in tip-top shape. There would be spaces of time we'd have to spend apart. But I think that's good for a relationship. How can you miss someone who never leaves?
Besides, our hearts were caged together. When I flew away, I took him with me.
Keep reading for a sneak peek into the next book in the Spellsinger Series:
A Symphony of Sirens
Chapter One
“El?” Cerberus rapped on my picture window, startling me enough to spill my coffee. He chuckled.
“Gods damn it, Cer.” I swiped at the mess with a napkin. “Can't you come to the front door like a normal person?”
“It's much more fun this way.” He came in the back door and started rooting around my kitchen. “You got anymore of that.”
“You mean, so you can replace what you made me spill?
“Yeah sure.” He got himself a mug and filled it, then brought the pot over to me. “I've had some unsettling news.”
“No.” I shook my head adamantly. “I just finished that crazy job for the nagas. I'm tired and I intend on heading back to Tír na nÓg as soon as I finish this coffee.”
“Still with Torin, eh?” Cerberus took the seat across from me.
“Yes, I'm still with Torin,” I huffed. “Things are going really well actually.”
“Things are going really well actually,” Cerberus mocked me.
“I don't sound like that,” I grimaced.
“It's not a job.” He ignored me. “It's straight up news. Siren news.”
“If it's siren news, why hasn't my mother called?”
“She may not want to bring you into it.” Cerberus sighed. “It's bad.”
“The last time you used those words, I had to kill an entire army of blooders.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Sweet stones, Cerberus, just tell me.”
“Since when have you started using their expressions?” Cerberus scowled.
By “their” he meant
the Shining Ones, of which my boyfriend happened to be a king. I'd been spending most of my time in fairy central, aka Tír na nÓg. It was possible that Cerberus, who was not only the ex-Hound of Hades but also my best friend, was jealous. It looked as if I needed to make some more time for him.
“You know you can always come for a visit,” I offered. “I'll get you a traveling stone.”
“Torin already gave me one,” he admitted.
“What? Then why don't you come to see us in Tír na nÓg?”
“I don't know,” he sighed. “Do you want to hear about the sirens or not?”
“Go on then.”
“They're disappearing.”
“Disappearing how?”
Cerberus gave me a look that clearly said I was an idiot.
“There are several ways a supernatural of the Beneath could disappear,” I chided him. “They could fade out of existence, they could go invisible from a spell, they”
“Someone is abducting sirens,” Cerberus growled.
“Oh,” I blinked. “I'd better call my mother.”
“Yeah, you might want to do that.” He rolled his eyes.
I left the dining table in search of my cell. My mother answered on the second ring.
“Praise Persephone,” my mother exclaimed. “I need you, Elaria.”
“I've just heard about the disappearances,” I told her. “Why didn't you call me?”
“I've just heard as well.” Her voice dipped into an angry mutter. “Cerberus is evidently more informed than I. And about my own people no less.”
“Well, he makes it his business to know everyone else's,” I said. “Do I need to get on a plane?”
“Yes,” she said immediately. “Come home, honey.”
“How many have gone missing, Mom?”
“Eight, including your Aunt Aoide.”
“Aunty Aoide is gone?” I felt my knees go weak.
She was my favorite. Aunty Aoide had often come to visit me when I was a child. Being raised on an island with only my parents for company made me appreciative of consistent visitors.
“Yes.” Mom's voice quivered. “Your father is upset. He's already started five fires by accident.”
“I'm on my way.” I hung up the phone and looked at Cerberus. “You coming along?”
“To siren central?” Cerberus smirked. “I wouldn't miss it for all the worlds.”
About the Author
Amy Sumida is the Internationally Acclaimed author of the Award-Winning Godhunter Series, the fantasy paranormal Twilight Court Series, the Beyond the Godhunter Series, the music-oriented paranormal Spellsinger Series, and several short stories. Her books have been translated into several languages, have made it to the top seller's list on Amazon numerous times, and the first book in her Spellsinger Series won a publishing contract with Kindle Press.
She was born and raised in Hawaii and brings her unique island perspective to all of her books. She doesn't believe in using pen names, saving the fiction for her stories. She's known for her kick-ass heroines who always have a witty comeback ready, and her strong, supporting male characters who manage to be sensitive and alpha all at once.
All she's ever wanted to do since she was a little girl, was to write novels. To be able to do so for a living is a blessing which she wakes up thankful for every day. Beyond her books, she enjoys collecting toys, to keep herself young, and cats, to keep herself loved.
For information on new releases, detailed character descriptions, and an in-depth look into the worlds of Godhunter and the Twilight Court, check out Amy's website;
http://www.amysumida.com/
You can also find her on facebook at:
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On Twitter under @Ashstarte
On Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7200339.Amy_Sumida
On Tumblr: http://vervainlavine.tumblr.com/
And you can find her entire collection of books, along with some personal recommendations, on her Amazon store:
https://sites.google.com/site/authoramysumida/home?pli=1
