Banished From Grace (Banished from Grace,#1) by Aria Williams + Giveaway

Banished from Grace (Banished from Grace,#1)by Aria Williams

Summary from Goodreads:

Nardia is a very special nurse, one with a unique gift. With the touch of her bare hands, she can heal any physical ailment. With the help of her angel guide, Benilde, Nardia has healed her way through countless centuries.

Life should be easy for this attractive (not to mention, immortal) woman, but throw in two handsome men, a coffee addiction and memory loss that dates back to the medieval ages, and you’ve got a life that’s more than complicated.

When she meets AJ at her favorite coffee shop, she can’t help but feel an immediate attraction to him. At the same time, she knows there’s more to his story than what he’s letting on. And then there’s the handsome Doctor Regan, who she feels a connection with, but is she trying to make it more than is really there in order to spare her the heartbreak of being with AJ?

Only adding to her problems is the new resident, Dr. Jeffries, who seems out to get her from day one, and a murder case she can’t help solve without revealing her own secrets.

Can Nardia uncover the secrets of her own past while still moving forward and saving those in need of her help in the present?

 

Available from:

 

About the Author

I am an author with Limitless Publishing who loves to write YA and paranormal romance.
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Manic by J.A. Huss – Cover Reveal + Giveaway

Manic by J.A. Huss
Series: Rook and Ronin #2
Publication date: August 1st 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary

Synopsis:

It’s three months of body art modeling! That means three months of Spencer Shrike’s paintbrush all over her body, three months in front of Antoine’s camera, and three months of twenty-four hour filming for Spencer’s Biker Channel reality show.

Wait a minute…what reality show? Maybe she should’ve read that STURGIS contract a little closer? 😉

Sure, Rook’s bank account is almost overflowing, but Ronin is angry, Clare is trying to escape rehab, Antoine is a worried mess, and Elise is just trying to hold everyone together. Her new family is about to fall apart before she even gets the chance to enjoy them.

Add in a mysterious man from her past, a road trip to the famous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and a final show in front of the entire world where all her good are on display, and you’ve Manic—a new adult contemporary romance that will definitely make your summer sizzle!

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17857998-manic

Book trailer :

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AUTHOR BIO
J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author Links:
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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***Excerpt***

 

“What’s your rank, baby blue eyes?” the guy asks, pushing off his cot and stalking toward the prince.

Everything in me screams to act, but I don’t want to declare alliances this early on. Not without understanding the dynamic of placements and bonds already formed among these people. But I’ll not let this hulk of a man harm the prince. I brace my heel against the wall, ready to push off and lunge.

Prince Caben rises to his feet, slowly turning to face him. He straightens his spine, squaring his shoulders. “I don’t have one. And my name is Payne. Not ‘baby blue eyes’, meathead.”

Big guy laughs, his husky voice bounces off the rock walls. “I’m Crew”—he beats his chest hard once, like a barbarian—“and I’ve won three fights. I’ll win the next two and be the one awarded the freedom ring.” He leans down toward Prince Caben, leveling their faces. “So don’t even think about you or your princess over there walking out of here. I’m ranked as a Colossal. The strongest Colossal in Bax’s league.”

Princess? I nearly scoff. Then I realize what the problem with Crew is: he feels threatened by Prince Caben. That revelation almost makes me laugh out right. What does a big stack of muscles like Crew have to fear from the prince?

The other prisons slowly circle around the stand-off in the center of the cell. Tension thickens the musty air. It coils around my spine, tightening my muscles. If I allow the fight to continue without interruption, will the guards stop it? They’d want their fighters in pristine shape, wouldn’t they?

Prince Caben doesn’t back away from Crew. Instead, he moves into his space. I roll my eyes. Stupid, conceited man.

“Freedom ring?” the prince questions. “As in, there’s a chance to leave?” He rubs his chin, and I notice the dark shadow of facial hair that has darkened his features overnight. “Is there a season that has to be won, or can someone gain five wins during their entire imprisonment?”

Crew’s eyebrows pinch together. He’s clearly despondent that he hasn’t succeeded in intimidating the prince. “We’re in a season right now, you weakling. If you don’t win—you’re dead. Which by the looks of you, will happen in your first match.”

Prince Caben nods, as if he’s simply piecing together a jigsaw puzzle and not being told of his demise. “What is the cuff for?” He points to the iron clamp around Crew’s wrist.

“It’s our biometric monitor.” Crew shoves the cuff up close to the prince’s face. “See those three blue lights? Those are my wins. When the fifth lights up, I’m outta’ here.”

“Has anyone ever won the freedom ring before?” Prince Caben asks.

Crew’s massive arms tremble. “No,” he grinds out. “But I will.” He cocks his cuffed hand back, then sends a blow to Prince Caben’s chin.

Hell.

I’m up and racing across the cell before the prince hits the ground. Crew spots me from his peripheral. He turns and swipes the air. I duck, roll, and come up behind him. I jump on the cot and leap onto his back.

“You squirrely little …” he mumbles, trying to reach over his shoulders to get a hold on me.

Tightening my arms around his thick neck, I squeeze. He gasps for air, and rams my back into the wall. I wheeze as the air whooshes from my lungs, pain splintering through my already bruised chest. But I hold tight, bearing down harder, and cut off his supply of oxygen.

Finally, I feel Crew weaken beneath my hold. He drops to his knees, and I only release him once I’m sure he’s knocked out.

Stepping around the now limp Crew, I glance at all the wide eyes studying me, and meet the prince’s. Fury ignites his stormy blue irises. He picks himself off the floor and heads toward one of the side chambers, throwing the tattered material aside as he stalks inside.

I follow after him. When I step inside the tiny, dank room, my eyes trail Prince Caben as he paces. He reaches each side of the small chamber with three quick strides. Back and forth.

On his third round, I open my mouth and get out a single syllable before he holds up a hand, halting me. He drives his hand through his dark hair. “Thank you for making me look like a spineless jerk.” He shakes his head and faces me.

Taken aback, I say, “This is my duty to protect—”

“No. In your country it was your duty to guard me. In my world and here”—he opens his arms wide—“a man fights his own battles. He does not depend on a woman to fight them for him. You just disgraced me.”

Fire simmers in my core. “I’m still assigned as your protector no matter what realm we inhabit, Your High—” I stop myself before addressing him by title out of habit. “Your pride is polluting your reasoning.”

He laughs. “Yes, well. Thanks to your show out there, I no longer have my pride to worry about.”

 

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(Fara Titlu)

-Hai…hai,te rog, ajuta-ma sa gasesc rochia perfecta!

-A., eu…

-Ce,tu? Hai, hai ca nu mai sunt decat 20 de minute! 20 de minute ne mai despart!

-Cauta…cauta acolo. Poate cea albastra- se asorteaza cu ochii tai, sau cea verde inchis- perfecta pentru o zi de primavara!

-Stai, nu …a, nu gasesc… a, uite! cum imi vine?

Nu puteam sa ma privesc, stiam ca ceva nu e normal. Ezitarea prietenelei mele, disperarea de pe fata mea, si…si…si… si felul in care ma uitam la haine… sute de idei imi treceau prin cap, sute de intrebari, dar numai una nu a fost prezenta. Ma uitam la noi, la fetele alea doua, dar nu le recunosteam. Atata tristete…

-O clipa, suna mama…

-A., nu… incercarea ei de a ma face sa nu raspund esuase. De unde stiu? Durerea a fost insuportabia, stiu ca o femeie rezista la o durere echivalenta cu  20 de oase rupte simultan, dar ceea ce a simtit fata pe care o priveam… era ca si cand tu esti un strugure, vestea un zdrobitor, iar cel ce da vestea este cel care pune zdrobitorul in functiune aruncandu-te in el.Tot sufletul, zdrobit, torturat si omorat, iar zeama atat alba cat si rosie, sangele si lacrimile. Ma uitam la ea, ma uitam la mine, dar ce sa inteleg? Eram una si aceeasi persoana, dar n-am auzit nimic, ma trezasc plangand, cu sufletul distrus. Ce s-a intamplat?

-Hai, hai sa mergem!

-N-n-nu! Da-mi negru, ceva negru!!!

-Ia paltonul, taci, calmeaza-te!

-N-n-n-n…nu! Vreau negru!

-Hai sa iesim.

De ce nu recunosteam locul? Unde eram? Si cu cine vorbeam? Nu o cunosc, dar stiu ca e o buna prietena.Am iesit toate trei. Afara, strazi ciudate, necunoscute, pustii, se vedeau de la usa  casei pe care tocmai o paraseam. Ceva frumos imi trezeste la viata  „amintiri”. Ciresii, ciresii mi-au amintit de… de plimbarea noastra-lor?- pe strazile ciudate. Iubeam-iubea?- ochii lui… E ciudat, doua persoane identice din punct de vedere fizic indentic din punct de vedere psihic; o vedeam, ea nu ma vedea, simteam tot ce simte dar nu stiam de ce ;ma  uitam la mine, dar nu ma recunosteam. De ce? Rotirea capului cu 40* directia S-V, mi-a raspus la toate intrebarile cu un singur cuvant: „Moarte.”

De ce visam? De ce avem asemenea vise? Oboseala?Stres? Am cauta de multe ori raspunsul, am citit zeci de aricole bazate pe aceaste intrebari, dar tot nu sunt satisfacuta. O sa aleg oboseala, pentru ca asa am fost in ultima perioada, motivul pentru care nu am mai postat de pe  22 februarie. Sunt plictisita, obosita, invinsa – visul spune mai multe. Mai jos sunt cateva inormatii despre vise…

„Este binecunoscut faptul că somnul îmbunătăţeşte memoria de toate tipurile. Pe lângă acest lucru, creierul foloseşte perioada de somn pentru a reprocesa amintirile proaspete, aşezându-le într-un context mental nou, transformându-le în amintiri permanente şi totodată extrăgând un înţeles mai profund al acestora. Visele, cred oamenii de ştiinţă, reprezintă un simptom al faptului că acest proces se află în desfăşurare.

Cercetătorii de la Universitatea Berkeley au descoperit că somnul REM, asociat viselor, duce la oprirea mecanismelor din creier responsabile de stres. „Faza de visare a somnului, prin compoziţia sa neurochimică unică, ne oferă o formă de terapie peste noapte, având un efect liniştitor care elimină aspectele extreme ale experienţelor emoţionale din ziua abia încheiată”, a explicat Matthew Walker, profesor de psihologie şi neuroştiinţe la Universitatea Berkeley.

„În timpul somnului REM, amintirile sunt reactivate, puse în perspectivă şi integrate, dar totul are loc într-o stare în care neurochimicalele responsabile cu stresul sunt dezactivate”, a adăugat Els van der Helm, doctorand în psihologie la UC Berkeley.” (Sursa)

The Art of Disappearing by Elena Perez

Read a free sample of The Art of Disappearing by Elena Perez

The Art of Disappearing by Elena Perez

Ce se întâmplă când perfecţiunea nu este de ajuns?

FRUMOŞII, cartea a doua din seria URÂŢII de Scott Westerfeld
În curând în colecţia CORINTEENS a Editurii CORINT JUNIOR!

 

• BESTSELLER NEW YORK TIMES
• NOMINALIZAT DE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION LA TITLUL DE CEL MAI BUN ROMAN PENTRU ADOLESCENŢI ÎN 2006

TOTUL ESTE PERFECT! PERFECT… GREŞIT!

În sfârşit, Tally este frumoasă. Şi are tot ceea ce şi-a dorit vreodată! Arată perfect, are haine splendide, iubitul ei este teribil de sexy, iar în noua lume din care face parte acum, ea a devenit un personaj cât se poate de popular.

Dar, dincolo de distracţie – petreceri non-stop, libertate totală –, are sentimentul confuz şi sâcâitor că totuşi ceva nu este în regulă. Ceva important! La un moment dat, din trecutul ei de urâtă, soseşte o scrisoare. Citind-o, îşi aduce aminte ce este greşit în viaţa frumoşilor şi, brusc, pentru ea distracţia se termină.

Din acea clipă, Tally se confruntă cu o alegere dificilă: să facă efortul de a uita tot ce a aflat sau să lupte pentru propria-i viaţă – pentru că autorităţile nu au de gând să-i ierte pe cei care deţin anumite informaţii…

„Tinerii vor fi entuziasmaţi să-şi pună întrebări provocatoare despre tehnologia invazivă şi societatea obsedată de imagine, precum şi despre impasul etic al unui informator devenit aliat… Ingenios!“ – Booklist

„Westerfeld a creat cu măiestrie o civilizaţie vie şi complexă.“ – School Library Journal

DRAGOSTEA ESTE UN CÂMP DE LUPTĂ

GELOZIE, volumul 3 din seria ALTFEL DE ÎNGERI de Lili St. Crow

DRU ANDERSON
Întunecată, periculoasă şi sexy

Rating: 4.19

În sfârşit, Dru Anderson ar trebui să fie în siguranţă, căci a reuşit să scape de colţii vampirilor şi a ajuns la Schola Prima, principala şcoală unde îşi are cartierul general Ordinul. Aici începe să se pregătească şi să înveţe ce înseamnă de fapt să fii o svetocha ─ o creatură pe jumătate vampir, pe jumătate om, şi dotată cu puteri nebănuite ─ în Lumea Reală a băieţilor djamphiri. Dar o pânză de păianjen de minciuni şi trădări continuă să se strângă în jurul ei. Christophe lipseşte, Graves se poartă ciudat, iar gărzile de corp pe care le-a primit par să ştie mai mult decât ar trebui. Şi tot aici o regăseşte şi pe capricioasa Anna, cealaltă svetocha cu puteri asemănătoare cu ale ei, dar care nu vrea să împartă cu ea luminile reflectoarelor. Dru trebuie să găsească o modalitate de a-i face faţă Annei, să afle mai multe secrete din propriul ei trecut, să ţină piept atacurilor vampirilor şi în acelaşi timp să-şi lămurească sentimentele pe care le nutreşte pentru Graves şi Christophe.
Există un trădător în Ordin care o vrea pe Dru moartă ─ dar mai întâi trebuie să afle ce îşi mai aminteşte ea din noaptea în care a murit mama ei. Dru a blocat această amintire, dar se pare că va trebui totuşi să şi-o elibereze, mai ales atunci când Christophe se întoarce şi urmează să fie judecat în faţa Consiliului. Iar singura care îi poate salva viaţa este chiar Dru.

Fanii lui Dru nu vor fi dezamăgiţi nici în acest antrenant volum al seriei. Romanul se citeşte dintr-o suflare, şi mulţi dintre cititori se vor identifica din nou cu acest personaj fascinant – puternic, dar şi vulnerabil, cu aură de djamphir, dar adesea cu un comportament amintind de cel al unei adolescente obişnuite…

__

Dru Anderson might finally be safe. She’s at the largest Schola on the continent, and beginning to learn what it means to be svetocha—half vampire, half human, and all deadly. If she survives her training, she will be able to take her place in the Order, holding back the vampires and protecting the oblivious normal people.
But a web of lies and betrayals is still closing around her, just when she thinks she can relax a little. Her mentor Christophe is missing, her almost-boyfriend is acting weird, and the bodyguards she’s been assigned seem to know much more than they should. And then there’s the vampire attacks, the strange nightly visits, and the looks everyone keeps giving her. As if she should know something.Or as if she’s in danger.
Someone high up in the Order is a traitor. They want Dru dead—but first, they want to know what she remembers of the night her mother died. Dru doesn’t want to remember, but it looks like she might have to—especially since once Christophe returns, he’ll be on trial for his life, and the only person who can save him is Dru.
The problem is, once she remembers everything, she may not want to…

__

Din volumele anterioare…

Tradari (Altfel de ingeri, vol. 2)

Traducere din limba engleză de: Alexandra Muşat
Nr pagini: 352
Format: 13 x 20 cm
Aparitie: 2011
Pret: 39.90 lei

DRU ANDERSON

Departe de a fi vreun înger .Gata! Până aici cu fetiţa drăguţă!

Lumea Reală e un loc înspăimântător. Întrebaţi-o despre asta pe Dru Anderson, o fată dură care a pus la pământ un număr destul de mare de tipi răi. E înarmată, periculoasă, şi gata să lupte mai întâi şi abia pe urmă să stea la discuţii. Aşa că o să dureze ceva timp până să-şi dea seama în cine se poate încrede.Sărmana Dru… Părinţii ei au dispărut cu multă vreme în urmă. Graves, prietenul ei cel mai bun (şi singurul!), a fost muşcat de un vârcolac. Şi tocmai a aflat că sângele care îi circulă şi ei prin vene nu este în totalitate uman. Christophe, misteriosul şi chipeşul ei salvator, o ţine ascunsă la o şcoală secretă pentru djamphiri şi vârcolaci adolescenţi. O problemă ar fi că Dru este singura fată de acolo. Vestea proastă: instinctul ucigaş îi spune că unul dintre colegi vrea să o vadă moartă.

Cu toţi ochii aţintiţi asupra ta, să descoperi un trădător în Ordin nu e tocmai un lucru care poate rămâne fără urmări…

Altfel de ingeri

Traducere: Alexandra Muşat
Nr pagini: 352
Format: 13 x 20 cm
Aparitie: 2011
Pret: 34.90 lei

DRU ANDERSON NU SE TEME DE ÎNTUNERIC, DEŞI AR TREBUI.

Lumea Reală e un loc înspăimântător. Întrebaţi-o despre asta pe Dru Anderson, o fată dură care a pus la pământ un număr destul de mare de tipi răi. E înarmată, periculoasă, şi gata să lupte mai întâi şi abia pe urmă să stea la discuţii. Aşa că o să dureze ceva timp până să-şi dea seama în cine se poate încrede. Dru Anderson a fost dintotdeauna o „ciudată”, călătorind dintr-un oraş în altul împreună cu tatăl ei pentru a vâna lucrurile care mişună şi te atacă în noapte. E o viaţă stranie, dar plăcută – totul însă se schimbă într-un oraş prăpădit şi îngropat în zăpadă din Dakota, când un zombi flămând dă buzna în casă spărgând uşa de la bucătărie. Singură, îngrozită şi simţindu-se ca prinsă în cursă, Dru va trebui să-şi pună mintea la contribuţie şi să se folosească de toată pregătirea ei pentru a rămâne în viaţă. Monştrii s-au hotărât să plece şi ei la vânătoare — şi de data asta, Dru e pe meniul lor. Şansele de supravieţuire? Aproape nule. Dacă Dru nu poate rezista până la ivirea zorilor, atunci jocul e pierdut…

Sursa

DEAD Awake free on Amazon!

Author Lizzie T. Leaf’s, DEAD Awake, first book in the DEAD series, „FREE” for Kindle readers on Saturday, Sept. 15th

Rating: 5.00

 

Waking up to discover you’re dead isn’t a gal’s idea of fun.

Deb Stein loved to party until she took the hunk dressed as a vampire to her bed. Now she’s one of the living dead and pissed about it. Plus, she has to find a new identity and WORK!

 

 

5/5!

Ancient Legends by Jayde Scott

3.67

In a world of love bonds, rituals, dark magic, ancient enemies and immortals, nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted.

Seventeen-year-old Amber enters the paranormal world by chance when her brother, Dallas, sets her up with a summer job in Scotland. Dallas has spied something in the woods he thinks could make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. But instead of finding riches, Amber unknowingly enters a paranormal race—and promptly wins the first prize—a prize for which many would kill. Soon, she discovers her new boss, Aidan, didn’t employ her for her astounding housekeeping skills and he isn’t who he claims to be either.

As the dark forces slowly conspire against Amber, her naivety and love for Aidan catapults her into a calamitous series of otherworldly events. With every immortal creature hunting for her, whom can she trust with her life?

 

4.01

Enter a paranormal world of dark magic, rituals, love bonds and legends…

Fallen angel Cassandra wasn’t supposed to fall in love with Dallas. It should’ve been just a bit of fun she couldn’t resist. The bond they share could save her from her curse before she’s forever bound to Hell. Trouble is, she’s Lucifer’s daughter and Dallas is mortal, and mortals don’t survive in Cass’s world. When strange things are starting to happen in Hell, Cass knows she must protect Dallas at all costs because where Cass comes from, losing one’s twin flame is a fate worse than death…

Will chaos-loving Cassandra find a way to sway her immortal family in time with a revengeful killer wracking havoc in Hell in her quest to get the one thing half the paranormal world desires?

 

 

 

4.31

Aspiring rock star, Sofia, had her whole future figured out. Or so she thought until her sister’s sacrificed in a horrific ritual. Now Sofia’s haunted by dreadful nightmares and terrifying visions from a past she never knew existed.

On a trip to Brazil, something awakens inside Sofia – her legacy, a blessing and a curse, drawing to her every paranormal creature out there: vampires, demons and reapers, ghosts and Shadows, and something much darker that’s been twisting its way into her heart and soul. With the help of Thrain, a striking demon of the highest order, she sets out to uncover the truth about herself and the ones she loves.

In a world of love and betrayal, of reincarnation and ancient bonds, to solve the mystery of her sister’s murder, Sofia must embrace her own century-old legacy. But do do so, she must also let evil into her soul.

 

 

4.35

Amber Reed is a dead girl walking.

Having just been turned by her gorgeous vampire boyfriend, eighteen-year-old Amber Reed is bestowed with the ability to see ghosts. Between trying to figure out how to control her bloodlust and solving the mysterious disappearance of a friend, Amber realizes someone wants to step into her shoes so badly, they’ll do anything to take her place.

When one secret after another pops up, the only person who believes her is her enemy, Devon. Amber can’t figure out if he’s here to help or save his own immortal race from losing the ancient war against the vampires. What she does know, however, is that she can’t resist his good looks just as much as she can’t help becoming someone else…

In a world of dark magic and ancient enemies, three powerful courts fight for supremacy, and Amber might just be the pawn in winning this war forever. But how’s a girl to survive when everyone wants her dead?

 

 

 

4.36

Hidden from mortal eyes and divided into three factions are the creatures of darkness that coexist with mortals.

In the witches’ town Morganefaire, an ancient legend tells the story of a mirror that was once shattered into four fragments, each able to entrap a powerful soul.

Eighteen-year-old Amber is a struggling necromancer on a mission: help vampire Aidan stop the Prophecy of Morganefaire and protect the innocents from the inevitable fate that will befall them should the wrong faction win. When bodies begin to pile up, Amber realizes she has no choice than to work together with the fashion-savvy yet irritating ghost of a young witch to solve the mystery and protect the one she loves.

In a world of forbidden love, of ancient enemies and bonds spun by fate, nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted. Amber’s life will never be the same again unless she finds out who the murderer is, and quick, before everything she ever loved is taken from her forever…

 

 

Next: Shadow Blood (Ancient Legends #6)

(Expected publication: October 1st 2012)

Urmeaza: Shadow Blood (Ancient Legends #6) din 1 Octombrie 2012

5/5 din partea mea ! E super seria! ❤

 

1 thing You Probably Didn’t Know

1 thing You Probably Didn’t Know

Deleted scene of Donia and Keenan set after the events of Wicked Lovely

Donia glanced away from the window when he walked in. „You aren’t to be here.”
„Actually, I am.”  Keenan smiled, wicked and lovely and beautiful. „This is exactly where I’m to be, Don.”
„No. I need time. I’m still angry with–„
„So tell me to go.” He looked happier than he had in forever, rainbows bounced around her room illuminating shadows with bands of vibrating colors as he leaned against the wall watching her. „Your guards told me to go. Your fey tried to turn me away at the door. Again.”
For weeks, she watched him walk to her door, only to be denied entrance.  He looked up at the window then, laughed and shook his head.  It had been several months since she’d seen him, since she’d told him to stay away, since she’d told him she loved him.
„They are supposed to deny you.” She forced herself not to look at him, not to give in. „It was my order.”
„And I’ve walked away each time they told me to go, like some denied suitor. Is that what you wanted? To make me wait?”
She didn’t answer. Lying wasn’t a choice, and truth wouldn’t help her case.
„I’m growing tired of waiting, Don.”
„I’ve been tired of waiting for years, Keenan.”
„So stop. Dine with me tonight? Walk with me under the stars?” He moved closer with each word, and she had no where to run.
Why run? She’d been waiting for this for more years than she cared to admit. But having him so near, so willing to try to have a relationship terrified her. What if we fail?
She looked at him then, and admitted, „I want to.”
„So do I. So what’s stopping us?” Keenan sat beside her, not touching.
„I don’t trust you.” She’d thought about it a great deal in the past months. She’d dated once, before him, but since then she’d been alone. It had been years–years in which Keenan dated girl after girl, years in which those girls were in his arms and between his sheets.
He raised his hand to touch her cheek. „Let me try to court you. This is what you said you wanted. Remember?”
She nodded. „But I need to go slow this time.”
„If that’s what you want.”
It wasn’t what she wanted, but it was what she needed: her fears had grown fierce as she’d considered–truly considered–what it would mean if they failed at this. To spend eternity required to deal with each other, but aching at the inability to be together.  Is it better to have a dream untried and keep it or to take the risk at destroying it by trying to make it real?
„I don’t want us to fail this time,” was all she said.
„So we don’t fail.” He pulled her closer, holding her as tenderly as he did in her dreams, cradling her in his arms as he had when she was mortal so long ago.
„Promise?”
„Promise,” he agreed.
And it didn’t taste at all like a lie.

„Rule #1:  Don’t ever attract their attention.

Rule #2:  Don’t speak to invisible faeries.

Rule #3:  Don’t stare at invisible faeries.„