by Liz Gavin
“It happened one time in pre-school.” Regina rolled her eyes to play along, but she was happy Sophia had bounced back quickly. Cindy Quinn’s brain tumor had taken her away from them swiftly, but not without pain. For the whole family. Luckily, Nana Veronica Connelly was around to lend a hand.
“That’s all it takes,” Sophia reached out her hand, palm up, and winked at Regina. “Hand it over, sis. You’re doing a lousy job of weaving the wicker with the leaves. Don’t you know anything about handicraft? Tsk, tsk, kids these days.”
Regina mouthed a thank-you to her sister, kissed her forehead and hugged her dad. “Goodnight, guys.”
Thomas tousled Regina’s already messy bun on the top of her head. “Don’t stay up too late, hon.”
“Will do my best. No promises.”
As she climbed the old black oak staircase, avoiding the loudest creaky steps not to wake up the youngest member of the family, Regina switched focus to the looming deadline she had to comply with. She paid no heed to the paintings covering the walls. They had always been part of her life, almost like a backdrop. Her father had painted them, a visual journal of their family life. The only artwork where Thomas Quinn used humans as subjects. The Northern California coast was in no shortage of dramatic scenery, so he had made a name for himself painting landscapes.
Reaching the end of the corridor, Regina opened the last door to the left and turned on the light so she wouldn’t stumble climbing the narrow stairs that led to the attic where she shared the ample space with her dad. Half of the studio was filled with sketch pads, easels, canvases, brushes and paints. She inhaled the smell of thinner and linseed oil as she crossed Thomas’ side to get to hers. She loved those scents, pregnant with memories.
During the day, sunlight flooded the room through the panoramic windows. At night, a bright lamp on top of her desk allowed Regina to assemble jewelry pieces or design new ones. She was working on a necklace, bracelet and earrings set for one of the coven’s elders. Betsy Daly had ordered them for the Beltane gathering and Regina had barely started work.
Regina spread herself thin between family, the ritualistic and personal jewelry store and the coven, but she wouldn’t change a thing. As High Priestess, she took on the mantle that her grandma and mom had carried, with honor and distinction; quite big shoes to fill. In the store, she combined her passion for design and her love of the lore, catering to locals and tourists searching for a connection with the cosmos, the spiritual world or positive energies, whatever name they were called. At home, she made sure her younger sisters didn’t get in trouble and her father remembered to eat. In both cases, a full-time job she carried out without grievance.
As she sifted through boxes of colorful beads, she cleared her mind to better listen to the universe. Drawing from years training under her grandmother, she used that connection with nature and its forces to guide the selection of materials when making her pieces of jewelry. It helped to harness the energies that surrounded all beings and impregnated all things into those pieces. Judging by her satisfied clientele, Regina was confident in her process.
That was why she got startled at the images that popped into her head. For the first time, she didn’t see the five elements: fire, water, earth, air and spirit represented in the multiple materials displayed in front of her on the working desk. She saw a young boy, not more than ten years of age, with curly dark hair and sad black eyes crouching on a corner, hugging his knees. She had seen him countless times before, always in her dreams, ever since she was a little girl. Lately, the dreams had become more frequent. In them, when she got close to the boy or tried to talk to him, he vanished into thin air or ran away.
Regina wasn’t sure what the connection between them was. She was sure there was one, though. It felt as if she knew him, maybe from past lives. As she grew older, she had expected the boy to appear older as well because she was convinced they would eventually meet in this life. Since the boy in her dreams never got older, she feared she wouldn’t be able to recognize him when they finally met. Then, she remembered her grandma’s teachings. Our souls lived multiple lives and had the ability to store information about each one of those periods. Our minds, connected to physical brains, wouldn’t be able to process that much information. The souls knew, so she should be able to recognize the boy or vice versa when they met. Her gut told her such moment was drawing nearer.
There is more to Regina & Brandon’s love story.
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Find out about the Carmel Coven Series HERE.
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About the Author
International bestselling author Liz Gavin’s books have made it to #1 in countries as diverse as Japan, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and her home country Brazil, collecting 4 and 5-star reviews. Nominated for a Summer Indie Book Award in 2016 and again in 2017, this RWA member constantly seeks new opportunities to improve her craft.
In late 2015, her thirst for knowledge propelled Liz to leave the comforts of family and friends in Brazil and move to California to pursue a Master’s degree. She lives in sunny SoCal, where she’s researching the writing process for her thesis, in the hopes to figure out why she creates in English instead of her native Portuguese.
Liz Gavin writes in contemporary, paranormal, and historical genres. In her sexy stories, one finds smart, independent women, who don’t need rescuing by knights in shining armor, but indulge in steamy action with swoony Alpha males with big hearts. She also writes about women discovering their sexuality and finding happiness in unconventional setups.
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Contact me
@LizGavin_author
lizgavinauthor
lizgavin.com
[email protected]
Also by Liz Gavin
Find links and more information about all her books here - Liz Gavin’s Website
Novels
Luck of the Irish
Upside Down
Celtic Fire
Knight’s Edge Series
Tristan – Book #1
Noah - Book #2
Aidan - Book #3
Duke - Book #4
Short Stories
Club Desire Stories
At Club Desire
Between the Ghost and the Dom
Her Favorite Ghost
Take me to the Domme
In the Lounge
Halloween at Club Desire
Her Discipline
Standalones
Powerless
Indecent Proposal
Flying High
Craving Her
Collections of Short Stories
Girls love Girls
Three’s a Charm
Welcome to the Club
Multi-author Boxed Sets with Exclusive Stories by Liz Gavin
Cimmerian Shade
Holidays Ever After
Legends & Lore
Rapid Pulse
Tropical Tryst
Coming in Hot 2: Rescue Me
Portuguese Editions:
Sem Força
Halloween no Club Desire
Desejo: Coletânea de Contos Eróticos
De Ponta Cabeça: Episódio 1
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