Stolen Secret

by Emily Kimelman Gilvey

  “She does,” Emmanuel said, keeping his voice low.

  “Where is your ring then?”

  “It was stolen,” I said. Emmanuel’s lips pressed tight as if I’d said the wrong thing.

  “Stolen?” All Mighty asked, amusement lacing his voice.

  I cleared my throat. How do I explain this?

  Should I call Slater? It would be nice to have him here, but I had a feeling that All Mighty could probably kill us all. The name kind of said it all… puns intended. All of them.

  “Tell me, child, how did you lose the ring? How did you dismiss your promise to my son?”

  “It’s complicated.” There, that should get him off my back.

  All Mighty laughed. His voice boomed around the canyon, shaking rocks loose. Fancy trick, that.

  “I love your son,” I said. “And I love another.”

  “Perhaps you will come to love a third?”

  “Please,” Emmanuel said. His father turned to him, and he dropped his gaze.

  “You want me to leave her alone?” Emmanuel nodded. “You, who are useless to me now, ask favors?”

  “He’s not useless,” I said, taking a step forward.

  All Mighty turned back to me. “No? What purpose does he serve?”

  “What purpose do you serve?”

  Emmanuel sucked in a breath. What? Calling a guy who names himself “All Mighty” useless is a bad idea?

  All Mighty shook his head. “I give purpose.”

  “Then give Emmanuel another one. He used to save the undead. Now maybe he can save the living. Or something…” My voice faded under the harsh gaze of All Mighty. Talk about your heavy stares. Geez.

  He straightened, his eyes softening. “I invite you to my realm, child. Please, visit me soon.” And with that he disappeared.

  Emmanuel closed the distance between us and folded me into his arms. I pressed my face against his chest. We just held each other, breathing.

  “I’m free,” he whispered against my hair. “And you have been imprisoned.”

  Huh?

  “What are you talking about?” I pulled away from him. He looked down at me, the purple in his eyes sparkling in the brown. “He wants you to join him. He is—” Emmanuel’s lips firmed. “—taking an interest in you. This is not good.”

  “It’s not?”

  Emmanuel shook his head. “No, it’s not.”

  “What can I do?”

  “We will have to go visit him. Hopefully, he will lose interest.” Emmanuel bit his bottom lip.

  “Okay, how do we get there?”

  Emmanuel took in a deep breath. “It will be a trial.”

  A trial. Awesomesauce. From a quest to a trial. What’s next, an Odyssey?

  To be continued…

  * * *

  Turn the page for a sneak peek of Buried Secret, The Kiss Chronicles Book 4, coming 2020.

  Sneak Peek

  Buried Secret, The Kiss Chronicles Book 4

  Chapter 1

  “Breaker of Curses, Queen of Dragons, Beater of Hearts, Daughter of Love, Player of Music, Destroyer of Seventh Force, Taker of Seed.” That last one is just gross. "Darling Price." The page, wearing puffed shorts and a bowl haircut, raised a trumpet to his lips and released two short notes. One hell of a way to make an entrance.

  I curtsied low, holding the edge of my skirt gently. When I was a kid, my foster sister and best friend, Megan, and I used to pretend we were princesses—never thought I’d use my curtsy skills again. That's not the only prediction I got wrong about my future.

  I glanced over at where Megan stood now, just behind the guards—Angels with honest-to-god white feathered wings, tan leather loincloths, and boots laced to mid-calf. Their skin shimmered gold, the light in here ethereal. As in the official dictionary definition: of or relating to the regions beyond the earth. We're not on Earth anymore, Toto.

  Megan’s mismatched eyes watched the proceedings with narrowed suspicion. She wore all black, as did Dimitri and Issa—my other vampire guards. That’s how we’d “registered” them but Megan, Dimitri, and Issa were friends more than guards. What with me being basically impossible to kill…

  Getting invited to the realm of All Mighty sounds like a super nice invitation, but it is known to lead to things a lot worse than death. Invitation is a nice way of putting it—if you can’t say no then it’s more like an order, if you ask me. Which, by the way, no one did.

  I rose from my curtsy and started down the steps. An aisle lined with deities and other royal and magical creatures lead to a platform where a throne stood. All Mighty sat on the throne, his navel-length grey beard braided with glittering jewels.

  My two suitors, Emmanuel, the son of All Mighty, and Slater, the King of Dragons, stood at the bottom of the dais, their hands clasped in front of them. Slater wore pants spun from his own power with green, blue, and gold scales that slicked to him like a second skin and matched my gown.

  He wore no shirt, so the tattoo on his washboard abs was exposed. Even at the grand ball of the most powerful beings in all the realms Slater went bare chested. The guy slayed me. Get it, a dragon who slays me?

  Emmanuel dressed in the style of the court—a toga spun from the essence of existence. The pure white draped over one shoulder, leaving the other tanned, muscled arm exposed. A crown inlaid with amethyst quartz sat on his dark curls, bringing out the purple sparkles in his eyes.

  They were both gorgeous, powerful, and in love with me. And totally unwilling to share… yet.

  A murmur ran through the crowd as I walked down the aisle. Magic slipped over my skin—they were feeling me out. Rude. I resisted the urge to smack them away, Emmanuel's warnings coming back to me.

  "There will be a presentation," Emmanuel explained, his gaze on his drink. We sat in his living room in Telescopo—the clock on the mantel ticking above a sputtering fire. The damage from his fight with Cyrus the Tarragon cat shifter cleaned up: the wall and windows repaired, the rug and couch replaced.

  I shifted on the new leather and touched his knee. Emmanuel met my eyes. "You're scared for me," I said, reading his aura, a dark haze of fear drifted over the usual shimmering translucent rainbow of emotions.

  The skin around his eyes tightened, and he bit on his lip. "Yes."

  "Why?"

  Emmanuel sighed, his gaze drifting to the fire as his free hand came to rest on top of mine—sandwiched now between the warmth of his denim clad knee and the gentle weight of his palm.

  "You're still so young," he brought his eye to mine. The sparkles of purple within the cognac irises a reminder that Emmanuel wasn't human. "The intricacies of the royal deities is… complex. And to your modern sensibilities will seem antiquated." He chewed on his lip for a second before a subtle smile broke free. "You'll think it's all so dumb."

  I coughed a laugh, and Emmanuel's expression grew serious again. He leaned forward, pulling my hand up to his mouth and kissing my knuckles. His curls fell forward as he bowed over my fingers. "The thing is, Darling," his breath whispered across my skin sending goosebumps up my arm. "There are worse things than death." He raised his eyes to mine, his curls framing his face so that it felt like I was looking at a portrait of a man rather than a living being. His beauty didn't seem real. "And if you refuse to follow the traditions… there will be punishments."

  "Punishments?" Fear made my voice come out more choked than I expected.

  He nodded. "Yes, punishments."

  “Welcome,” All Mighty said when I reached the base of his platform. The god’s voice was like still water lapping gently at cave walls—deceptively deep and slick with dangerous.

  “Thank you for your hospitality,” I responded, pulling out that curtsy again. “Nice place you’ve got here.”

  I heard a snort behind me. Megan, Dimitri, and Issa had followed me down the long aisle, silent and subtle as house cats prowling for mice.

  A spectacular vaulted ceiling arched high above us—light poured in through windows, bathing the
space in that ethereal light I mentioned—it wasn't the sun, or my vampires would be on fire. Behind All Mighty gold curtains shifted in a eucalyptus scented breeze. The throne was inlaid with precious stones… or… no. I squinted. Yup. They were planets. The throne had planets slowly spinning in it. Of course it did. Ostentatious much?

  "You come when called, that is good." All Mighty bared his teeth—stark white against his dark skin—in a smile that could easily be mistaken for a threat.

  I bristled at his words. Come when called… expletive, expletive.

  "You will prove yourself in the pits this night."

  What now?

  Emmanuel stiffened, and Slater stepped forward to speak but shut his mouth when All Mighty shifted his gaze to the dragon. Slowly, the powerful deity, creator of humans, vampires… and me… swung his eyes back to mine. Deep set and timeless, they held such vast knowledge that meeting his gaze sent a shudder over my body. I dropped my eyes to the long skirts of my dress.

  "If you survive the tournament, then we shall see about marrying my son."

  Tournament?

  "She is my mate," Slater said it low, but his voice resonated, drawing my eyes. He stood with his head bowed, eyes on the hem of All Mighty's toga which whispered over the floor, obscuring the gods feet.

  "You will be given the opportunity to fight for her… if she survives."

  Megan cleared her throat behind me but didn't speak. All Mighty glanced at her. She whimpered, and I turned to look. Megan's head was bent forward, her long red hair falling to cover her face. A spatter of crimson blood hit the cream-colored carpeting at her feet. I swung back to All Mighty. "What are you doing to her?"

  His eyes landed on me, and it felt like a blow. I stumbled, my knees weak, vision suddenly spotting. A great wind blew through my mind, destroying my ability to think, to fight, to love. I cared for nothing and no one. Hope drained from me like rain surges down a mountain—uncontrolled and wild under the power of gravity.

  The wind settled as quickly as it blustered, and a quiet voice spoke inside my mind. "Never question me child, or I shall destroy you."

  "I can't just let you hurt my friends," I said, my voice coming out stronger than I expected… in that it made it out of my head and into the air.

  All Mighty laughed, the sound booming through the great throne room. "You don't 'let' me do anything. If you survive the fights ahead of you then I will allow Slater, King of Dragons and Ruler of the Human-less Realm, fight my son, Emmanuel, Forgiver of Sins, Savior of the Undead, Creator of Halflings, for your hand."

  Wait, back up. Fight for my hand? And what's this Creator of Halflings moniker? I pressed my lips together to keep questions from popping out. Emmanuel never mentioned a connection to the "halflings", the vampires who maintained some of the humanity, like Megan. He also didn't mention them fighting for my hand. The warning about antiquated ideas floated through my mind. Patriarchal much?

  All Mighty waved his hand in dismissal. I didn't move for a moment, and the powerful deity raised one white brow. Turn and walk away. My teeth bit into my lower lip. A smile played across All Mighty's mouth, practically begging me to say something stupid… which at this point would be anything except, nice to meet you. And that may even be out of line.

  Megan's fingers brushed my elbow, a plea that we get the eff out of Dodge now.

  I caught Emmanuel's gaze as I turned. His expression was blank and unreadable. Slater's eyes burned with anger when they met mine—but he offered me a half smile, as if to say, we're going to be okay, babe.

  I lifted my chin to say yes, we will, before turning fully to my "guards". Megan's ivory skin seemed translucent, her eyes burned with hunger. It wafted off her in waves, awakening my own.

  "She will need to feed," A voice in the crowd said. I glanced into the throng and spotted a willowy woman with pale yellow-green eyes. Long blonde hair streaked with purple hung over narrow shoulders to her waist. A green vine tied at her waist cinched the formless toga giving her a feminine form.

  She met my gaze without fear. I let my hunger rise into my eyes. The goddess stumbled forward, a surprised, amused smile breaking over her face, filling the room with a new light—her light.

  My hunger roared to life, desperate to taste the power inside of her. I took a step in her direction, but Dimitri's hand on my bicep pulled me back to myself. "I will have her," the goddess strode forward, turning and bowing to All Mighty when she reached the center aisle. The white essence of her robe pooled on the floor like a cloud hovers above water.

  "You wish to enter the fight for her as well, Velcor?" All Mighty asked, his voice so deep I felt it in bones.

  "Yes," Velcor answered, staying in a low crouch, her gaze on the floor, long hair swaying around her face.

  Wait just a hot second here. I opened my mouth, but Dimitri's grip bit into me.

  All Mighty settled deeper into his throne, his focus on Velcor. "It shall be. If she survives the tournament you may vie for her." He looked out at the assembled crowd. "Whoever wishes to fight for her may join." He grinned. "We shall have a second tournament.

  The crowd clapped, a few people cheered.

  I looked at Emmanuel, his face remained a blank mask, and he refused to meet my gaze. Slater's eyes waited for me—the anger replaced by a grim determination.

  He'd told me that dragons never doubt themselves, and promised our mating would give me the same confidence. I took a deep breath, searching for the utter confidence inside of me I saw reflected in his eyes.

  The red diamond center of me, the seat of my power—the thing that made me me, made me mine—thrummed. It hungered and yet vibrated with power.

  Connection gives me strength. I'm very human in that way.

  I wet my lips and sank into the sensation of my own power before turning my gaze to All Mighty. His eyes shone with delight—he enjoyed a good show, wanted to watch us all try to kill each other. What did a tournament between immortal beings look like?

  Guess I'll find out.

  I smiled at him and All Mighty's eyes narrowed. His influence entered me—not the stiff wind ripping me apart, a summer breeze, searching for flower petals to caress. He wanted to know what I was thinking.

  But a creation does not have to reveal all its secret to its maker. Like a good song, or story, I got to hold onto myself even in the face of my maker.

  Come at me, buddy. We will see who stands at the end. Probably not me. But at least I'll go down as me. Mine. No one will be offered my hand unless I'm the one offering.

  Buried Secret, The Kiss Chronicles Book 4, releases 2020: emilykimelman.com/BSwb

  A Note From Emily

  Thanks so much for reading Stolen Secret! I’m grateful you liked it enough to make it all the way to my note.

  It would be awesome if you would leave a review on Amazon, Bookbub, and/or Goodreads. It’s super helpful to other readers who wonder if this book is for them. We don’t want someone who thinks zombies are gross and sex should be hidden to read Stolen Secret—they wouldn’t enjoy it. But someone who loves fast-paced urban fantasy with strong romance themes—this book is for them!

  Also, every time I get a review it makes me super happy. It’s proof that I’m not a crazy lady muttering stories to herself. There are actual real people (like you) who read my books and enjoy them enough to tell other people about them. That is huge to me.

  * * *

  Thank you, Emily

  * * *

  P.S. Turn the page to learn more about the mystery and thriller books I release under my other name, Emily Kimelman.

  About the Author

  Emily Reed is the pen name of Emily Kimelman. That’s me! I write romances full of adventure as Emily Reed and mystery-thrillers with grit as Emily Kimelman.

  * * *

  I’m married to a wonderful man and have two awesome kids. My husband and I both have serious cases of wanderlust and while children have slowed our roll, we still manage to hit the open road regularly. I get my best
story ideas while traveling but do my best writing while alone—there is dancing involved that no one wants to see, and occasionally I’ll even do the worm in-between writing sprints. ;-)

  * * *

  Want to try one of my mystery thrillers? Get a free copy of Unleashed, the first book in my Sydney Rye series for free when you join my email list: emilykimelman.com/newsletter.

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  Want to stay in touch about my romances and urban fantasies and always know when I have a new Emily Reed release: emilykimelman.com/ERNews.

  Emily’s Bookshelf

  Visit www.emilyreedbooks.com for a complete list.

  EMILY REED

  ROMANCES

  The Kiss Chronicles

  Lost Secret

  Dark Secret

  Stolen Secret

  Buried Secret

  (Coming 2020)

  * * *

  The Scorch Series

  co-written with Toby Jane

  Scorch Road

  Cinder Road

  Smoke Road

  Burnt Road

  Flame Road

  Smolder Road

  * * *

  EMILY KIMELMAN

  MYSTERIES & THRILLERS

  Sydney Rye Mysteries

  Unleashed

  Death in the Dark

  Insatiable

  Strings of Glass

  The Devil’s Breath

  Inviting Fire

  Shadow Harvest

  The Girl with the Gun

  In Sheep’s Clothing

  Flock of Wolves

  Betray the Lie