There is no escaping a Reaper. I am an elite assassin, part of a brotherhood that only answers to Death. And when Death says your time is up, I am coming for you...
I answer to no one but Death. I am impenetrable, impervious, immortal. I exist to do Death's bidding and no one--not Reaper nor human nor Fae--can stand in my way. Except for the bewitching half-Fae, Catriona. She swears the magic in her family passed her by, but I know better. This woman is strong. This woman is powerful. And when her abilities surge forth, no one will be able to stop the Dark Fae from coming for her. Except for me. I want to keep her close. I want to keep her safe. I want lose myself to her, again and again...

Buy Links:
Excerpt
Chapter
One
Galway,
Ireland
January
Nothing
was ever as it seemed.
There
were more than humans walking this earth. The things seen out of the corner of
your eye were real, even if your mind refused to recognize—or accept—them.
But
Catriona Hayes knew of their existence, even if she wished she didn’t. They
were Fae. Magical creatures that were so beautiful they seemed
otherworldly—because they were.
The
Fae had come to this world, seamlessly integrating themselves into the lives of
mortals. But then again, when it came to beings with magic, they could do such
things.
Cat
blew out a breath and put the day’s earnings in the pouch before placing it
inside the safe and shutting the door. She straightened and looked through the
windows of the café and across the street to the pub alight with merriment.
There
was a bit of wistfulness within her when she spotted three women walking into
the bar with bright smiles. She’d never been that carefree.
From
the first moment she could remember, her family had kept her apart from others.
It wasn’t until she was older that she realized what made her so different—she
was a Halfling.
Part
human, part Fae.
Some
might rejoice at the news, but she wasn’t most people.
The
first time her grandfather had told her of her heritage, she’d laughed,
thinking it was a jest. But as they’d walked down the streets of Galway, he
began pointing out the Fae.
That
was the day her life changed. At eight years old, she’d felt the weight of the
world drop upon her shoulders. The burden had nearly brought her to her knees.
And it had lingered, growing heavier with each passing year.
Yet
she remained standing beneath it all. Only because of her grandfather. The man
who smiled in the midst of the many storms life threw his way. He was what kept
her composed and mindful of the dangers of living near Fae.
While
she had been fearful of her grandfather’s revelation, her older siblings had
embraced it as a gift.
Cat
looked down at the counter and the top that covered it. Beneath the thick
glass, next to the register, was a picture of her with her brother and sister
twenty years ago.
Whatever gift having Fae blood had given her siblings had been
taken away in a cruel twist of Fate several months ago when they were savagely
killed.
Her
brother had been murdered in a crowded pub, while her sister had had her life
snuffed out on a train to London. No one had seen either attack. One moment,
her siblings had been alive. The next, they were dead. It was how Cat knew the
Fae were responsible.
Only
beings with magic and the ability to veil themselves could have committed such
crimes without a single person catching something on their mobile phones.
Ever
since her family’s deaths, she’d been waiting for the Fae to come for her.
What
was taking them so long? She and her grandfather—who she kept locked safely
away in his cottage where no Fae could enter—were the only ones left.
A
flash of lightning pulled her from her thoughts and reminded her that she
needed to get home. She started toward the front, turning off the lights as she
went. Flipping the sign in the café window to CLOSED, she walked out
the door and locked it.
When
she faced the street once more, she gripped the handle of her purse and looked
around at the people. She knew the Fae could use glamour to disguise
themselves, though most preferred to remain beautiful. That made it easier to
pick them out, but it did nothing to lessen Cat’s dread.
She
remained in the doorway as a couple walked past her. The man said something to
make the woman laugh. Cat’s heart caught because she couldn’t remember the last
time she’d giggled like that—never mind actually being on a date.
Cat
squared her shoulders and turned to the left. Her cottage was toward the
outskirts of Galway. She couldn’t wait to get home where she could relax.
“Relax,”
she snorted.
There
was no such thing for her. While others brushed their cares away with a pint of
ale and loud music, she would eat alone at her house and sleep with one eye
open.
Being
half-Fae had done nothing but make her life miserable. She’d gotten nothing
else from it. Her sister, Nora, had been able to move objects with her mind.
Her brother, Domhnall, could grow plants.
For
some strange reason, magic had passed her over altogether. No matter how hard
she tried, there didn’t seem to be a smidgen of magic within her.
Countless
times, she’d asked her grandfather what she’d done to not have magic. He’d
never quite answered her. In his usual way, he would tell a story about all the
Halflings who lived without magic.
But
she always suspected that he was keeping something from her.
No
amount of conniving or posing the question different ways ever gave her another
answer, though. With every year that passed, she was more and more sure that
her grandfather was hiding something.
Cat
tensed when she walked past a Fae talking to a mortal female. His silver eyes,
black hair, and sex appeal were the biggest clues to what he was—Light Fae. At
least, it wasn’t a Dark.
The
Dark scared her the most with their red eyes. She shuddered just thinking about
them.
She
turned the corner and quickened her pace. Thunder rumbled the same time
lightning zigzagged across the sky. More rain was on the way, but if she were
lucky, she’d make it back to her cottage before it came.
Suddenly,
she stopped. She didn’t know what had caught her attention, but something told
her to go no farther. Her gaze roamed down the street as people milled about.
There
was something in the air that draped over everything like a wet blanket. It
took her a moment to realize what it was—fear. She looked at the humans and saw
that none of them appeared to be affected.
Then
she heard the footsteps coming, quickly. She saw the man running toward her and
looking back over his shoulder. He passed beneath a streetlamp, and she saw his
eyes—red.
But
it was the terror on his face that surprised her. She hadn’t thought there was
anything a Dark feared, but whatever was after this particular Fae must be
frightening.
Her
head told her to run, but her body refused to move. She remained where she was,
even as a man appeared out of thin air in front of the Dark.
The
Fae slid to a halt, his eyes wide. The man before him had long, white hair that
was pulled away from his face by three small braids on each side of his head.
She
had little time to process that before she saw the light glint off a blade. The
sword sliced through the air and cut down the Dark, turning him to dust in an
instant.
Shock
reverberated through her as she involuntarily took a step back. What kind of
weapon did he have that could kill a Fae?
Because
she wanted one.
He
took two steps away before he suddenly halted, his body stiffening. Then he
gradually turned his head to look right at her. She couldn’t make out his face
because of the shadows, but she knew he’d seen her.
And
then, he disappeared.
She
took another step back and hastily looked around, but there was no other sign
of the white-haired man. Yet she knew she wasn’t alone.
He
was there. She was sure of it. Just as she was sure the Fae would come for her
soon.
Somehow,
she managed to stand her ground. If she were going to die, she would do it with
courage. Even if she was shaking. She wasn’t going to run, no matter how much she
wanted to.
She
felt something behind her a moment before the sound of footsteps reached her.
Cat whirled around, ready to face the unknown stranger. But it was a Dark Fae
who walked toward her.
“Shite,”
she murmured and turned back around.
“Hiya,
darlin’,” the Dark called. “What’s your hurry?”
She
walked faster and said over her shoulder, “Long day.”
“Let
me buy you a drink.”
“No,
thanks.”
She
waited for him to say more, and when he didn’t, she gave a sigh of relief. It
wasn’t until she was in her cottage that she slumped against the door.
Another
day gone.
Copyright © 2017
by Donna Grant and reprinted by permission of Swerve.
Meet the Author...
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories. She’s the author of more than thirty novels spanning multiple genres of romance including the bestselling Dark King stories. The acclaimed series features a thrilling combination of dragons, the Fae, and Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her two children, a dog, and four cats in Texas.
Social Links:
Facebook: @AuthorDonnaGrant
Twitter: @Donna_Grant
GoodReads
No comments
Post a Comment
I just love hearing what you have to say. Drop me a few lines. 8-D