Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Coming on Friday: An Eternity of Shadows


I wanted to everyone a sneek peek of my book that will be coming out on Friday. It's called An Eternity of Shadows.
Blurb:
For five thousand years, Caleb has been bound to Raven form. Now he wants out. In order to free himself of servitude, he has one final assignment. Watch over Keeleigh.

Keeleigh always felt like she never belonged. Her pointed ears and magickal gifts separate her from others.

Caleb desires eternal rest. Keeleigh craves to learn more about her Elvin heritage. But a new threat is rising from the shadows targeting any magickal or psychic mortals.

Will Caleb make his peace before seeking Death? Will Keeleigh uncover her magickal past? Or will she find she’s next on the list?

Excerpt:

As Caleb took form, he realized he was a man again and not a bird. Morrigain had always allowed them to be human in the astral realm, but in the mortal world, they were confined to their feathers and only were allowed to be human in the astral if Betha summoned them or there was an emergency. Caleb smiled as he flexed his fingers and enjoyed the weight of his flesh rather than feathers. When his shape solidified, Betha looked over at him. Her azure green eyes captured him. They were completely human as if he’d never lost her to death. Chocolate brown hair hung in waves to her waist. The dress she donned was emerald green and enhanced the paleness of her flesh. His breath caught in his lungs. She was a jewel and for a moment he was taken back to the days when they’d frolic in the sea like children proclaiming their love for one another. He had tried so hard hold onto that love, but somehow it was escaping him.

“Caleb!” Her voice was a breathless whisper. There was so much emotion in it was almost like she was drowning.

He remained perfectly still as he took in the scene before him. Betha was crying. His love was completely human with no taint of the Banshee him her. What had happened to cause her to revert? Are you finally being returned to me after all these years, my love? Since he did not approach her, Betha threw herself from the remnants of her throne into his arms. The Raven Warrior was stunned. This was the first time she had done this. Caleb held Betha loosely not sure what he should do. Hesitation and shock still held him in their sway. Since they did, the queen clutched him harder as if she were trying to see if he was real. The Banshee Queen trembled when she looked up at him. Caleb saw there were tears in her eyes like small jewels balancing on her eyelids.

“Betha, what’s wrong?” he asked, keeping his voice even and low. He didn’t want to spook her. He wanted to keep her just the way she was. Anything could trigger her turning back into the Banshee.

“Caleb, where am I? Where is this place? What are all these strange creatures who keep haunting me? Where have you been? I thought they took you away from me.”

He lifted his hand and stroked her hair. It was as soft as he remembered. He hadn’t held her like this in over five thousand years. Even in the few lucid moments she had as a human, she had never come into his arms. Betha came up to his chin and was petite. Her fingers sought his and wound together. A hard lump of emotion formed in his throat. Inhaling, he noticed that she still smelled like decay, but he didn’t care. She was in his arms once again. She was his again. He was stupefied as all of this was happening. Caleb thought Betha was lost to him forever.
“Everything’s okay. There’s no need to worry. I’m here to watch over you like I always have been.”

She pulled away from his embrace and stared at him. Caleb lost herself in the depths of her eyes like he was drowning the sea. Her eyes were almost the same color of the ocean that had swallowed Atlantis. Surprise changed Betha’s features when she reached up and touched his hair lightly. Her fingertips ran over his cheek as she noticed his eyes. Caleb shivered at her gentle touch. “What happened to you?”

It all came together at that precise moment for Caleb. This was truly the woman he had fallen in love with. This was the woman he had promised himself to forever. Before him was his heartmate. All the love he thought was slipping away from his soul, washed over him and he felt ashamed that he had ever doubted the goddess. Ever since Maili, her daughter, had died Betha’s human memories, her persona was resurfacing. She’d been having more and more lucid moments. Sometimes she’d remember everything that had happened. Others she would be as she was now. The woman he loved naïve to the ways of the world and completely unaware that Atlantis was no more and she had died. Before something seemed to lurk in her eyes, but when he stared into their depths now they were clear. He chuckled as her shock turned to puzzlement as she waited for an answer.

“It’s a long story, my love. What matters is that you’re here with me.” He drew closer to him, trying to engulf her like a hurricane does a small island and pressed his lips to hers. Betha melted as she always had. Heat swept through him, the joy of being able to hold her once again. Wonderment that the action he had been cursed for was finally paying off. His beloved was coming back to him. He felt wetness in his eyes from tears running down his cheeks. Betha wrapped her arms around his neck. They used to make such wonderful music together. They would stay up all night and talk. Their souls were matched. She was his heartmate. That was the reason he had risked his own life and sacrificed his soul to Morrigain so Betha would be able to live again and one day they could be together. It seemed today was that day. After five thousand years everything he had hoped for was coming to fruition.

She pulled away from him and gave him the sweetest smile. Her lips were the red of a ripening apple. Her nimble fingers ran over his cheek again. Caleb savored the smooth touch as he traced his thumb over her luscious lips. Thank you, Morrigain. Thank you for lifting my curse and giving her back to me. Thank you. I’ll never doubt you again. Never! Caleb didn’t know if the goddess heard his words, but he prayed that she did. Caleb returned his beloved’s smile and then picked her up and swung her around. A burst of joyous laughter bubbled over her lips as he joined in, not remembering when he had felt this happy.

“Stop, silly. I’m getting dizzy.”
Caleb put her down reluctantly. She rested her head against his chest as she was as out of breath as him. The Warrior’s heart pumped like a war drum in his ears. He swallowed and felt her hands running over his dick as he had started to be aroused by just seeing her. When she looked up at him, there was a playful gleam in her eye. He knew what she wanted and so did he. Betha leaned up on tip toe and brought her mouth to his once more. Her tongue ran the line of his lips until he met hers and locked himself to her.

But just when she was returning his kiss and deepening it, a sharp pain rode up his spine like he’d been hit with a barbed whip. Caleb broke away from Betha shoving her away from him. He screamed. The bones in his back cracked and started realigning. Horror shot through him. He stared down at his arms. Silver feathers were sprouting on his flesh like newly frosted snow. This was not happening to him. Not when he had just gotten Betha back. His nose grew longer connecting with his mouth. He was shrinking painfully as all the bones in his body reshaped to that of a bird. The Raven Warrior reached out and tried to hold onto his love, but what escaped his throat was a loud croak. Betha screamed. Her beauty melted away. Her pearlescent skin grayed and flaked off turning to ash as it hit the floor. Her hair fell away and what was left on her balding heard were white whips. Betha’s eyes shrank like raisins into her sockets and disappeared altogether. The shapely form under her dress went flaccid as she lost her legs and they became tendrils of smoke. Her fingernails grew long and deadly. Her teeth became pointed and yellowed. Where her nose had been was nothing but a dark hole. Everything about the woman he loved disappeared, just as his humanity had. The Banshee Queen opened her mouth and screamed. This shouldn’t have happened. Betha was his heartmate. Only with his heartmate could he be human.

Caleb hopped forward willing himself to regain mortal form, but his power wasn’t working. Betha stared down at him and snickered. “Tsk. Tsk, Caleb. Everything you ever wanted. Poof. Gone at the drop of a feather. Fly away birdie before I decide to eat you for dinner.”
Hope you all like it. I am so excited for this to come out. I've been looking forward to it for awhile now.

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