Lover Enslaved: Thieves of Aurion, Book 1 (40 page)

“I’ve given my word and destroyed the collar. Now hold up your end of the bargain.” Nalia’s voice snapped with authority.

Oh boy, what’ll happen when she finds out the rune won’t restore her magic?
Mara peered across at Dash. He must have intuited her concern because he sent her a silent warning.

Duh, like I’m gonna say anything
. She planned on being long gone from Rulach Palace before
that
set of firesparks erupted.

Dash nodded and the sprites let go of the rune. It plopped into Nalia’s outstretched hand.

“You goddamned conniving bitch,” Finian roared, barreling forward. “Give the Rhyann to me.”

Nalia snapped her fingers and Zith blocked Finian’s path. “I don’t think so. Not after everything you’ve done to me.” She stroked the rune lovingly. “This is my reward for allowing you to taint my body after bedding that human.”

“You know she meant nothing to me.” Irritation flared from Finian. “How much longer must I suffer your tedious jealousy?”

Their callous bickering over her mother made Mara’s stomach twist in a painful cramp.

“You dare speak to me of suffering?” Nalia’s outraged screech bounced off the marble walls. She stepped forward, her eyes glittering a never-ending blackness. “Because of you, I’ve done nothing but suffer. For that, my wish is for my torment to eat your soul.” She held the rune above her head and shook it. “Rhyann, grant my bidding!”

A low rumble shook the room as streams of light beamed from the Rhyann rune. Nalia staggered, her eyes growing huge. She screamed and a great, billowing black smoke erupted from her mouth. The rune thunked between her feet. The swirling smoke cloud shot across the room and funneled inside Finian’s ears, nose and gaping mouth. His whole body twisted with fierce convulsions.

Pulsations of light glowed from the rune. In a blinding flash, a white-hot glare suspended the room and everything inside it. Biting back a scream, Mara covered her eyes. The entire palace could be crumbling down around them and they couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it. Through the gaps in her fingers, she noticed the receding light. The glow reabsorbed into the rune, leaving an eerie stillness in its wake.

Dropping her hands, Mara stared at the two inert bodies sprawled on the floor. The smoke cloud was nowhere to be seen. “What the hell happened?”

“I think Nalia just got her wish.”

Mara turned and met Dash’s bemused expression. Her brain tracked back to the words Nalia uttered seconds before the rune did its light show. “He…ate her torment?”

“I’m guessing.”

Not quite believing it, Mara crept forward and leaned over Nalia and Finian. Their eyes stared lifelessly towards the ceiling. “I think they’re dead.”

“Figures,” Zith said with a grunt. “Damn bitch owed me two weeks pay.” He hocked up a glob of phlegm and lobbed it towards Nalia. Done paying his regards, he swiped several of the jewel-encrusted writing instruments from the desk and stalked from the room.

Dash’s footsteps sounded on the marble. A second later, his hand settled on Mara’s shoulder. “Seems he couldn’t live with her torment and she couldn’t live without it.”

She shook her head. “Nalia’s last words…it’s almost as if she knew what the rune is capable of.”

“I think she did.”

Mara tore her gaze from the bodies on the floor and moved it over his beautiful, beloved face. Unable to resist, she reached up and trailed her fingers over the stubble darkening his jaw. She’d come so close to losing him. “Remind me to kick your ass later for giving me the scare of my life.”

She smothered his grin with her lips, kissing him with all the emotion trapped inside her heart. Twining his hands in her hair, he returned it with equal fervor.

The distinct clearing of a throat broke them apart. Glancing over her shoulder, Mara met Gideon’s pointed stare. The passion swirling in her head ballooned into relief when she remembered they were free. Truly free. Releasing Dash, she rushed at her brother. He stepped back, his motions clumsy and wary.

For a horrible minute, she thought he was angry with her. And why wouldn’t he be? She was partly the reason he’d spent the past twelve years in prison.

“You might want to reconsider coming near me. I don’t exactly smell like spring flowers.” Gideon tried unsuccessfully to hide the shame lurking in his eyes.

The heaviness lifted from Mara’s shoulders. He didn’t despise her. “Do you honestly think I care about that?” Ignoring the worried look he sent her when she approached, she gently encircled him in her arms. A shudder passed through him, followed by a weary exhalation.

“I’m so sorry.” Her voice cracked. “For everything.”

“Why? What did you do?”

She drew her head back at Gideon’s gruff demand. “It’s my fault this all happened,” she said, frowning up at him. A thought occurred to her, renewing her fears. Maybe he had no memory of the past. “They didn’t torture you in some way that’s affected your brain, did they?”

“If that’s your way of suggesting I’m dull witted, I’m going to redden your backside. Once I get out of these manacles, that is.”

“No, no. I’m not suggesting that at—” Mara ceased her blathering when she spied the faint twinkle in her brother’s eye. “You always were a brat.”

“Hmm, I believe that’s what I always used to call you.” Gideon’s expression suddenly turned serious. “You’ve grown up on me, Mar.”

“You too.” She sniffed. Embarrassed by the possibility of sobbing in front of her big brother, she waved a hand towards Dash. “I want you to meet someone. He’s—”

“Her husband-to-be.”

Jaw dropping, she turned and stared at Dash as he stepped forward and shook Gideon’s hand. The gesture proved awkward, considering the presence of her brother’s manacles. “You are? When did that happen?”

“The minute I got roped into jetting across the planet with a sprite who’s terrified of flying.”

A snort sounded above their heads. Peering skyward, Mara noticed the four sprites swinging their legs over the bottom ledge of the chandelier.

“It’s my fault my best friend in the whole world ditched me in Mer’daca?”

Mara rolled her eyes at Piper. “When exactly did we become best friends?”

Piper’s smile turned sugary sweet. “The minute you decided to invite me to come live with you.”

A groan skipped from Mara. Did she really want to live with an obnoxious sprite, a bratty older brother, and a bad-boy, sexy fae thief?

Her mouth tugged into a smile.
Hell yeah.

About the Author

At the ripe age of seven, Jodi Redford penned her first epic, complete with stick-figure illustrations. Sadly, her drawing skills haven’t improved much, but her love of fantasy worlds never went away. These days she writes about fairies, ghosts and other supernatural creatures, only with considerably more heat.

She has won numerous contests, including The Golden Pen and Launching a Star.

When not writing or working the day job, she enjoys gardening and way too many reality-television shows.

Currently residing in Michigan with her husband and overgrown lapdog, she is a member of RWA national and Greater Detroit Romance Writers of America.

She loves to hear from readers. You can email her at
[email protected]
and visit her online at
www.jodiredford.com
.

Look for these titles by Jodi Redford

Now Available:

Taking Liberty

Light My Fire

Vanessa Unveiled

The Naughty List

Cat Scratch Fever

Breaking Bad

Checking it Twice

That Old Black Magic

That Voodoo You Do

The Seven Year Witch

Maximum Witch

Getting Familiar With Your Demon

Coming Soon:

Thieves of Aurion

Lover Enraptured

Wicked Shores

Three Ways to Wicked

Triple Knockout

No super deed goes unpunished…

Breaking Bad

© 2012 Jodi Redford

A
Midnight Justice
Story

It’s been twenty-five years since the last Light Guardian was wiped out. Or so it’s believed. Ruby Winston is about to blow the lid off that theory, even though it’ll bring every Shadow Czar minion down on her ass.

She’s always known she was different from the rest of the evil-dictators-in-training Winstons. Uncovering the secret half of her gene pool proves it. Now she’s out to bring down her late father’s mind-control soda empire—and break the Shadow Czars’ hold on Earth.

Problem is, becoming a superhero overnight isn’t as easy as it looks.

Teague Younger has his own secrets to keep: his heritage, and his fierce determination to exact revenge on his friend and mentor’s murderer. So far he’s kept his cover—until he’s forced to use his Light Guardian powers to save Ruby from a sticky situation.

Thrust together and on the run, Teague and Ruby form a wary alliance as they desperately fight their circuit-blowing attraction. With an army of Shadow Queen minions hot on their tails, they might have a hard time surviving the night, much less ignoring their hearts.

Warning: This book contains mind-controlling beverages, evil dictators and minions, excessive use of spandex, and enough electrifying sex to melt an ice train.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Breaking Bad:

Teague stalked toward a cluster of scrub pines in the distance. He halted a good thirty yards back from the trees and waved his arm. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

“But…we’re too far away.”

“You might not even get this close to the queen before she fries your ass.”

Her stomach clenched. Determined to prove to them both that she wasn’t entirely inept, Ruby lifted her shaking hands and directed a bolt toward the shrubs. The charge hit at least ten yards short, fizzling ineffectually into the parched dirt.

“Try it again.”

She repeated the maneuver, this time landing the strike even farther from the target. Embarrassment and defeat caved her chest.

“You’re not focusing.”

“I am. I’ve been aiming for that middle tree each try.”

“I’m not talking about outward focus.” He moved behind her. “It’s as much about the mental as physical. To properly handle your energy, you first need to understand it. Connect with it.” His warm, calloused palms glided along her arms, positioning them in a straight horizontal line. “This is the best way to ground yourself. The energy resides as much within your environment as it does inside you.” His fingertips grazed the sensitive undersides of her forearms, causing her to shiver in pleasure. “Do you feel the build-up starting?”

A sharp tingle shuttled through her clitoris. Oh yeah. She was definitely feeling
something
. Probably not what he’d been referring to though. “I—I’m not sure.”

Teague pressed into her, the firm, muscular planes of his chest and abdomen contouring to her back like the delicious, masculine version of memory foam. “How about now? Feeling anything?”

She gulped, not entirely certain he wasn’t referring to the thick bulge of his erection prodding the base of her spine. “Err…possibly.”

“Good.” His hands coasted along her upper arms and over her shoulders. He continued following the slope of her neck, his fingers a maddening butterfly dance along her overheated skin. She shook as he traced the shell of her ears before combing his fingers through her hair, sifting the strands over her shoulders. His deep inhalation stirred the fine hairs at her temple, and she closed her eyes on a shaky breath.

“Do you feel it, Ruby?” His hands retraced their path, this time moving beneath her arms. “Do you feel our energy weaving?”

Oh my God. She
did
. Teague’s power was a sensual caress along her synapses. It licked at her own energy, engaging it in an erotic tango that felt…like sex. She bit her lip to stifle a moan. Teague’s bold hands roved inward, and her eyes snapped open as they closed over her breasts. A blast of energy showered from her, acting as a turbo boost to the discharged bolt. It slammed into the center tree across from them, sheering it in half.

Unable to believe her own eyes, she released an excited whoop of joy. It took a moment to realize that Teague was no longer touching her. Disappointment smothered her brief happiness. Pivoting, she met his guarded expression. Painfully aware of the tight ache in her nipples, she hugged her torso. “You stopped.”

“It was the end of our first lesson.”

She frowned. “That was a lesson?”

“Our energy often brings with it a sexual charge for us. Tap into that essence, and it can trigger a power surge similar to a climax.”

Her cheeks heated. “I thought you were touching me because you wanted me.”