End of the Line

by Bianca D’Arc

  “Tell me,” he asked with an intent gaze, “do you take after your auntie? Even just a bit?”

  Dammit. He definitely knew. And the smile in his eyes told her Aunt Della had been talking out of turn about her as well. She tried her best to shrug it off.

  “Only a little.” At that moment, a wave of precognition broke over her, disorienting her.

  The bartender reached out to steady her as she momentarily lost her balance. The men on either side of her put out their hands, too. All three soldiers touched her in some way as a fierce flash overcame her with dizzying speed.

  It had never been like this before, though her abilities were getting progressively more powerful. That was the main reason she’d come all this way out near the rim to see Aunt Della. She needed advice on how to deal with this.

  Ghostly images clouded her mind, layered on top of each other. It was hard to see any one thing before it was replaced by another and the men touching her didn’t help. She started seeing them and flashes of their immediate future that shook her badly. Then just like that, it was over.

  Blinking rapidly, she came back to herself.

  “Are you okay?” David spoke from her left side.

  She nodded, looking up at his concerned face. He really was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, though the bartender was running a close second.

  “Fine,” she croaked. “I’m fine.” The way she swayed on the stool did little to convince them, she knew, but she tried to put a brave face on her distress. That vision had been potent. And scary.

  The bartender let go and returned a moment later with a small cup of powerful espresso.

  “Drink it down, honey. The caffeine will help. At least, that’s what Della says. I got the espresso maker just for her.”

  Adele drank the brew down like a shot, glad of the rush when the caffeine kicked in a moment later. All three men were staring at her, the men on either side in confusion and the bartender with concern.

  “What did you see?” Dammit. He definitely knew, and after her little display there was no way to hide it.

  “An attack,” she said, still not quite herself. “Here on the station. Soon.” She blinked to clear her thoughts and realized all the big men at the bar were watching her avidly now. Her eyes were drawn to the younger man on her right. “You’re Timothy, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am. That’s my name. How’d you know?”

  She shook her head. “Not important. You need to take the left hall when the time comes. Remember that, okay? The left hall. Not the right. Do you understand?”

  He shook his head. “No, I don't, but I’ll remember.”

  The bartender cleared his throat. “Better listen to her, Tim. Her aunt is the most gifted psychic I’ve ever met and she told me the gift runs in the family.”

  To read more of King of Stars, buy it now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and many other fine etailers.

  And don’t forget, there are three more stories in the series: King of Cups, King of Clubs, and King of Stars, and many more stories in the Jit’Suku Chronicles yet to come.

  If your taste in books runs to paranormal, why not check out Bianca D’Arc’s ongoing Tales of the Were and the related Brotherhood of Blood books? Here’s an excerpt from the most recent release in the Tales of the Were: Rocky.

  Tales of the Were: Rocky

  by

  Bianca D’Arc

  Copyright 2012 Bianca D'Arc. All Rights Reserved.

  Chatper One

  All Hallows Eve

  Maggie pulled into the gravel driveway, uncertain of her welcome. The sad truth was she had nowhere else to turn. The pains were getting sharper and closer together. She had to find him soon. After a few false leads, this had to be his place. It just had to be.

  She took a deep breath, pulling the car to a stop in front of a very large, rustic log cabin in the middle of the woods. Resting her forehead against the steering wheel as she was wracked by another pain, she tried not to scream.

  “Are you all right?”

  The deep voice was just as she remembered it. Finally, she had found him. Turning to look out the open driver’s side window, she offered him a shaky smile as the pain began to subside.

  “Thank heaven I found you. God, Rocky. It’s good to see you.”

  Rocco Garibaldi was stunned. The last person he’d expected to see pull up in his front drive was Maggie Hobson. She was as beautiful as ever, even with deep circles under her gorgeous eyes. She’d gained a bit of weight too, if he wasn’t mistaken, and it looked good on her.

  “Maggie? What in the world—”

  He broke off as her knuckles tightened on the steering wheel and a keening cry ripped from between her compressed lips. In a flash, he had her car door open and then stopped, struck speechless by her rounded, pulsating midsection. Maggie was heavily pregnant, and from all appearances was in the throes of labor.

  “I need your help,” she panted between puffing breaths.

  “No kidding.” He caught her when she tried to get out of the tall SUV on her own. Lifting her in his arms, he wasted no time. He took her into his house, went directly to his bedroom and placed her on the bed. “Stars, Maggie!Where’s Tony? Why aren’t you with him for this?”

  “Tony’s…” Her beautiful eyes filled with pain and she seemed unable to speak the next, final words. “He’s dead, Rock.”

  Agony settled in Rocky’s chest as he felt the truth of her words echo through his soul. His grief was reflected in her sad eyes. He’d lost a brother and he hadn’t even known it.

  “When? How?”

  “About eight months ago. He saw it coming. He had time to warn me about—” A new labor pain struck and Rocky reached for her hand, letting her hold on to him. He hated seeing her in such agony.

  “You need help,” he said as the pain eased. “Let me call Allie.”

  Maggie started to get up as he turned toward the phone on the small table beside the bed.

  “I knew I shouldn’t have come, but Tony made me promise to find you before I gave birth. I have nowhere else to turn.”

  Rocky soothed her, pushing her back down on the bed as he snagged the cord of the phone and pulled it toward him. “You’re not going anywhere until that baby is born.”

  “Babies. Plural.” She panted. “Twins.”

  “Sweet Mother in Heaven,” he whispered. “Maggie, did Tony tell you about us? About what we are?”

  She nodded once, her expression tinged with fear. “The week before he died, he showed me…” She gripped his hand as another contraction hit. “He warned me the birth wouldn’t be easy, and that I couldn’t go to a regular hospital. Damn, I’d give anything for an epidural right now!”

  Rocky dialed the phone with one hand while she clenched the other tightly. He was never more relieved than when the call was answered on the other end.

  “Rafe, I need help.”

  Maggie loved the rumble of Rocky’s voice. It reassured her in so many ways. Many girlhood hours had been spent dreaming about this man. She found it strange that fate would send her to his home in the middle of the woods, so many years later, about to give birth to his best friend’s babies.

  Make that cubs. She was about to birth grizzly shifters. If not for the fact she’d seen Tony shapeshift right before her eyes, she would never have believed it. Rocky ended the call as she watched him.

  “Tony said…” She waited to catch her breath, needing something to focus on other than the pain. “He said…you’re a grizzly too.”

  Rocky nodded solemnly. “I am.”

  “This is all so crazy.” She looked away, remembering. “Tony came home one day and told me. I almost laughed in his face—until he shifted to prove his point. I was never so frightened in my whole life.” She turned back to search his expression. “He only told me because he foresaw his own death, Rock. Something called Venifucus was on his trail, he said, and made me promise to tell you as soon as I found you.”

  “Venif
ucus? Are you certain?” His words were a low growl that sent shivers down her spine.

  “He was sure of it, and told me how to retrieve this after he was gone.” She tugged on the gold chain around her neck, pulling it out from under her clothing and showing it to Rocky. The pendant was a faintly glowing blood red stone wrapped in gold wire. It was a bear totem that shone brighter than any gem. With shaking hands, she held it up so Rocky could see it.

  His expression hardened and a single tear trailed down his face.

  “He really is dead.”

  She nodded, feeling his pain as her own. “I burned his body after he died, as he instructed, then sifted through the ashes for this. He called it—”

  “A heartstone.” Rocky’s expression was filled with an odd mix of wonder and sorrow. “If anyone could do it, Tony would have that kind of magic. But why? How did he die?”

  Another contraction halted her explanation for a few moments, and he held her hand throughout. The pulsing heartstone seemed to comfort her, as it had all along her ragtag journey over half the continent.

  “He was ambushed. He barely made it home before collapsing. He was beyond help by that point. It only took him moments to breathe his last, but he did it on his home territory, free and safe. He told me the magical protections he’d put on our land would fade after he died, but I would have time to fulfill his last wishes. I followed his instructions and lit out of there just hours later. I’ve been crisscrossing the country ever since, but I knew when my labor started, I’d have to stop running. I came to you, like I promised Tony I would. My babies will be too vulnerable while I’m recovering—if I survive their birth—and you’re the only person on earth I trust to keep them safe.” She clutched at his hand. “I don’t care what happens to me. Just promise you’ll take care of my babies.”

  Rocky surprised her by taking her in his arms and burying his face in her hair as she burrowed into his neck. It felt so good to be surrounded by his warmth, his strength. It had been so long since she’d been able to lean on someone, even for just a moment.

  “I’ll keep you safe. You’re not going anywhere, Maggie. I’ll watch over you all. I promise. Tony knew I would. It’s why he sent you to me. But why did you wait so long? You should’ve come to me straight away.”

  “I couldn’t.” Tears leaked from her eyes and seeped into his flannel shirt. He was so strong and she’d felt so weak for so long. It was such a relief to have someone to share her fears with. “I didn’t want to lead them to you. I’d just lost Tony and we hadn’t heard from you in a long time. I didn’t want to presume…”

  “You should have, sweetheart. You had to know I’d never turn you away in a million years.”

  She sniffled as he pulled back to place a kiss on the crown of her head. The gesture touched her deeply—so deeply—when she hadn’t dared hope he would welcome her. She’d spent the last eight months conflicted. She’d lost her husband, which was traumatic enough, but Tony had known how she’d always felt about Rocky. Tony had been a shaman. He’d known things, and he’d sent her straight to the only man who had ever been a rival for her affections.

  But Rocky had left so long ago. Right after the wedding, he had announced his move and she hadn’t seen him since. For all she knew, he was married with children of his own now, though judging by the sparseness of his house, he lived alone. The thought brought a lightness to her heart. Perhaps it wasn’t too late for them. Perhaps Tony had been right to send her here. Perhaps she did have that chance for happiness again—as Tony had promised—once this situation with the Venifucus was straightened out. If it could be straightened out.

  Another pain gripped her and she clung to Rocky, digging her fingers into his thick muscles, but he didn’t complain. He just held her, speaking soothing words in that rumbly voice and stroking her back with one hand while his other hand moved down to cover the protrusion of her stomach. His touch felt good. When his fingers settled over the beach ball of her abdomen, it was as if the squirming babies within sensed his presence and immediately quieted.

  Tony had warned her how difficult it could be for bear shifter cubs to be born. She was scared and she knew her fear was communicating itself to her babies. As she grew more agitated, so did they. It had been like that throughout her entire pregnancy. She tried to be calm, but the pains were intense and more than she could handle alone. Rocky’s steady presence was a gift. He calmed her and her babies with just his touch, his voice and his soothing strength.

  She didn’t fear much of anything with Rocky’s arms around her. He was her safe harbor in times of trouble and had been since they were kids. When bullies picked on her in grade school, it had been Rocky who had come to her rescue and scared off the other kids with his intimidating brawn, even back then. He’d been such a quiet boy, but she’d daydreamed about him from that moment on. He had been her knight in shining armor, her champion and savior.

  Tony, on the other hand, had been her Prince Charming. They’d all grown up together, and by the time the senior prom rolled around, Maggie had despaired of Rocky ever seeing her as a girl instead of a buddy. But Tony had. He’d asked her to the prom and suddenly her eyes had been opened. Here was a man who flattered her and charmed her. Tony had literally swept her off her feet. After that first date, he’d sought her out again and again. Before she knew it, she was head over heels in love with him and agreeing to his proposal of marriage.

  The only doubts had crept in when they’d broken the news to Rocky. He’d looked pained for one short moment before offering his congratulations. Still, she was in the bloom of young love and very little could dim the light that shone around Tony. He was such a charismatic, powerful presence in her life. She was grateful for his love, even now, after all the turmoil being with him had caused.

  Still, she was glad Tony had acknowledged Rocky once more before he died. Tony had given her careful instructions. He wanted her to go to Rocky. And after eight months of running, she finally had.

  To find out what happens to Maggie, her babies and their Rock, get your copy of Tales of the Were: Rocky today. And don’t miss the other book in the series: Lords of the Were, Inferno and The Purrfect Stranger. Or the related Brotherhood of Blood series: One & Only, Rare Vintage, Phantom Desires, Sweeter Than Wine, Forever Valentine, Wolf Hills and Wolf Quest.

  We hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from Bianca D’Arc’s first book in the critically acclaimed, EPPIE and CAPA award winning Dragon Knights series…

  Maiden Flight

  by

  Bianca D’Arc

  Copyright 2006 Bianca D'Arc. All Rights Reserved.

  Chatper One

  Belora tracked the stag through the forest. Carefully chosen for this hunt, the stag was older, past the prime of his life, and would feed her small family of two for more than a month if she and her mother used it wisely. On silent feet, she followed him down to the water, a small trickle of stream that fed into the huge lake beyond.

  Taking careful aim with her bow, Belora offered up a silent prayer of hope and thanks to the Mother of All and to the spirit of the stag that would give its life so that she and her mother could live. She loosed the arrow, watching it sail home to her target, embedding itself deep in the stag’s heart. Her aim was true.

  As expected, the stag ran off, pumping away the last of its life in a desperate attempt to escape. She followed, saddened by the poor creature’s flight but knowing it must be so. The old stag ran into a clearing, flailing wildly. He was nearing his end, she knew, and again she prayed to the Mother of All that it would be swift.

  The stag faltered in its running stride, a shadow seeming to pass over from above. A moment later, the stag was gone, clasped tightly in the talons of a magnificent dragon winging away toward the far end of the small clearing.

  Belora took off as fast as her tired feet would carry her, following the dragon who had stolen her prize.

  Coming out of his swooping dive, the dragon pinned the stag's quivering body between the long
talons of his right foreleg. He’d made a clean kill, stabbing the beast through the heart with his sharp-edged digit even before lifting it into the air. It struggled for a few moments more, then lay dead in his grasp. The dragon rejoiced in the skillful kill, chortling smoke into the air above him.

  He came to a neat landing at the far end of the small clearing and dropped the dead stag to the ground with satisfaction. That was when he noticed the little stick protruding from the other side of the beast. It was an arrow. Drat.

  "Oh no, you don't!"

  The irate, high pitched human voice made the dragon shift his gaze upward to look quizzically at the small female now facing him with her hands perched in tight fists on her hips. A longbow was slung over her shoulder.

  "I shot that stag well before you swooped down and picked him up. He's my kill. What's more, he will feed me and my mother for a month or more. For you, he's just a snack! You leave him be. He’s mine."

  She shook with indignant anger and it was truly a sight to behold. Luminous green eyes sparkled in her pretty, flushed face. She seemed to have no fear of him, mighty dragon that he was, with blood on his talons and fire in his belly. She clearly had courage, and it impressed him. Few humans, much less small females, dared to deal with dragons directly.

  He could feel her anger, and a rudimentary channel of thought opened between her mind and his. She was one of the rare humans then, who could communicate with his kind. This intrigued him even more, and one thought kept running through his mind—Gareth had to see this.