Dante's Girl (The Paradise Diaries)

by Courtney Cole

  “But you…”

  “My sisters and I have each other to keep us in check. You have no one. But your Aegis.”

  Realization settled upon me like a cloud. So, Ahmose wasn’t just there to assist me… he was there to keep me firmly in place.

  “So, now you know.” She stared at me. “For now. You’ll forget it again soon enough.”

  That thought was not comforting.

  “Charmian?”

  I looked up at her.

  “Yes?”

  “Be good.”

  And she was gone.

  I took a shaking breath and sank into my bed, allowing the softness to comfort me momentarily. I wasn’t sure what to think. She had just confirmed that at least some of the things that Annen had told me were true… but since she openly admitted them, didn’t that mean that the Order had nothing to hide? I was at a loss.

  My hand brushed against a rolled up papyrus on my bed. Staring at it suspiciously, I picked it up. How had she left it? I hadn’t seen her with it at all.

  As I unrolled it, the yellow butterfly that I had just seen Lachesis eat flew from the confines of the paper and out my window. I watched it fly away in shock, alive and well, before I turned my attention to the paper in my hands. Delicate, feminine writing flowed across the page in English.

  There are things you were never meant to understand.

  You will have to trust me.

  Before I even had a chance to ponder its meaning, the cryptic message burst into flame and I dropped it to the stone floor, watching it burn on the stone. Within a minute, it had disappeared completely… as though it had never existed.

  * * *

  To read more, you can find Every Last Kiss on Amazon, here .

  The Bloodstone Saga is also available as a four book complete collection, exclusively on Kindle here. The Complete Collection includes a bonus novella (The House of Thebes) and three additional short stories as free gifts.

  About the Author:

  Courtney Cole is a novelist who lives near Lake Michigan with her domestic zoo (aka family), pet iPad and favorite cashmere socks.

  Dante’s Girl is her first light-hearted contemporary romance. She plans to continue The Paradise Diaries next year with book two, which will follow Mia and Quinn.

  Courtney’s previous works are paranormal romance and suspense.

  The Bloodstone Saga:

  Every Last Kiss

  Fated

  With My Last Breath

  My Tattered Bonds

  House of Thebes

  The Moonstone Saga:

  Soul Kissed

  Soul Bound

  Princess of the Night (Coming Soon)

  The American Princess series:

  Princess

  Glass Castles

  Stand alone novels:

  Guardian

  To learn more about Courtney, please visit www.courtneycolewrites.com

  You can friend her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

  Acknowledgements

  I have to thank my husband and kids first. Because they put up with me when I lose myself in the worlds that I create. They are very, very patient with me. And thankfully, they don’t mind having take-out for dinner.

  I also have to thank Tiffany King and M. Leighton. They are my Ink Sisters, my Writerly-BFF’s and I don’t know what I would do without them. They keep my sane and offer me so much advice. I love you both. Because you’re awesome.

  Ash, the Bookish Brunette. Thank you for reminding me that Kansas chicks are awesome and feisty. I should know, since I am one too. Haha. Thank you for being my muse for Reece.

  Dani Snell. Thank you SO FREAKING MUCH for the amazing and awesome and incredible cover. It’s everything that I didn’t even know I wanted—and more. It’s amazing. You’re incredible.

  And thank you to my readers. THANK YOU. You are so kind and wonderful and I love you all. Thank you for reading my books. Thank you for loving my books. You’re the best readers ever.