Prologue
The full moon rose as they entered the stone circle, bathing them in silver light so different from the crimson glow of their home world of Arroway. The night was warm, but Shayla shivered. Doubt gnawed at her mind and dread clawed at her insides.
Did her mother still live? Maybe she was already dead. If so, was Shayla risking Tallon’s life for nothing? If they failed and Tallon died, was she strong enough to go on? To not give in to despair as Casterix had? Or would she bring destruction down upon them all? She could feel the raw power inside her, but had no clue how to use it or even control it, and the thought filled her with terror.
As if sensing her fears, Tallon took her hand and a measure of calm flowed through her, but she still couldn’t rid herself of the misgivings that besieged her mind.
She loved him.
She’d chosen him.
But how could she completely forget that only days ago he’d been hunting her? That he was responsible for delivering her mother to the dungeons of the Keep? All his life he’d belonged to the Order and believed in their lies. Could a lifetime of indoctrination be discarded in a matter of hours? After all, they had only ended up here because Tallon had tried to kill her. She had countered with a spell so strong that it ripped them from their own world and set them down on Earth.
Tallon grasped her shoulders. As his gaze swept over her, his dark eyes softened, and then filled with an emotion that made her tremble. He tugged her toward him, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. Shayla was overwhelmed by a sense of rightness, and she gave herself up to the sensations sweeping through her, a tidal wave of desire that washed away the doubts.
Tallon stepped back, and slowly stripped the clothes from her body. When she was naked, her body gilded in silver moonlight, he lowered her to the soft grass. She lay and watched as he removed his own clothes and came down over her. He held his powerful body poised above her, and she reached up and stroked his face.
“Tallon, I choose you.” He smiled. “Good, because it’s too late for anything else.” He leaned toward her and kissed her. “I love you,” he murmured against her mouth, and the last of her fear vanished into the night.
She knew there was a struggle ahead, but it was a struggle she would make with Tallon. And they would not fail. Together they were far stronger than apart. She opened to him, gasped as his body pierced her own, and for a short while, she forgot everything in the savage beauty of his lovemaking.
“Are you sure?” he asked afterward as they dressed hurriedly. “We can go back. You can spend time with Casterix, learn how to control your magic, how to use it.” She cast him a look of disbelief. “While my mother is being held in the dungeons of the Order? Alone, maybe tortured?”
“You have to prepare yourself that she might already be dead.”
“No! I won’t believe that. I’d know if she was gone.” But would she? They were on a different world, far from home. She shook her head. It didn’t matter. “I have to try and save her.” He nodded once and guilt flickered across his face.
Shayla reached her hand out and stroked her palm against the roughness of his cheek. “I don’t blame you. You did your duty.” He twisted his head and kissed her palm, then drew back. “I should have known.” Actually, she agreed, but there was no point in hashing over the past. All they could do was attempt to put right the wrongs.
“Let’s do this.” He nodded, and slid his palm into hers. Side by side, they stood at the center of the stone circle. Tallon’s hand gripped hers as he raised his staff and started the spell that would take them home together.
Chapter One
Callum sat cross-legged in the perpetual twilight of his world between worlds. When he’d arrived over a thousand years ago, there had been nothing. Now his magic had conjured up the vague outline of familiar objects. Shadowy
The full moon rose as they entered the stone circle, bathing them in silver light so different from the crimson glow of their home world of Arroway. The night was warm, but Shayla shivered. Doubt gnawed at her mind and dread clawed at her insides.
Did her mother still live? Maybe she was already dead. If so, was Shayla risking Tallon’s life for nothing? If they failed and Tallon died, was she strong enough to go on? To not give in to despair as Casterix had? Or would she bring destruction down upon them all? She could feel the raw power inside her, but had no clue how to use it or even control it, and the thought filled her with terror.
As if sensing her fears, Tallon took her hand and a measure of calm flowed through her, but she still couldn’t rid herself of the misgivings that besieged her mind.
She loved him.
She’d chosen him.
But how could she completely forget that only days ago he’d been hunting her? That he was responsible for delivering her mother to the dungeons of the Keep? All his life he’d belonged to the Order and believed in their lies. Could a lifetime of indoctrination be discarded in a matter of hours? After all, they had only ended up here because Tallon had tried to kill her. She had countered with a spell so strong that it ripped them from their own world and set them down on Earth.
Tallon grasped her shoulders. As his gaze swept over her, his dark eyes softened, and then filled with an emotion that made her tremble. He tugged her toward him, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. Shayla was overwhelmed by a sense of rightness, and she gave herself up to the sensations sweeping through her, a tidal wave of desire that washed away the doubts.
Tallon stepped back, and slowly stripped the clothes from her body. When she was naked, her body gilded in silver moonlight, he lowered her to the soft grass. She lay and watched as he removed his own clothes and came down over her. He held his powerful body poised above her, and she reached up and stroked his face.
“Tallon, I choose you.” He smiled. “Good, because it’s too late for anything else.” He leaned toward her and kissed her. “I love you,” he murmured against her mouth, and the last of her fear vanished into the night.
She knew there was a struggle ahead, but it was a struggle she would make with Tallon. And they would not fail. Together they were far stronger than apart. She opened to him, gasped as his body pierced her own, and for a short while, she forgot everything in the savage beauty of his lovemaking.
“Are you sure?” he asked afterward as they dressed hurriedly. “We can go back. You can spend time with Casterix, learn how to control your magic, how to use it.” She cast him a look of disbelief. “While my mother is being held in the dungeons of the Order? Alone, maybe tortured?”
“You have to prepare yourself that she might already be dead.”
“No! I won’t believe that. I’d know if she was gone.” But would she? They were on a different world, far from home. She shook her head. It didn’t matter. “I have to try and save her.” He nodded once and guilt flickered across his face.
Shayla reached her hand out and stroked her palm against the roughness of his cheek. “I don’t blame you. You did your duty.” He twisted his head and kissed her palm, then drew back. “I should have known.” Actually, she agreed, but there was no point in hashing over the past. All they could do was attempt to put right the wrongs.
“Let’s do this.” He nodded, and slid his palm into hers. Side by side, they stood at the center of the stone circle. Tallon’s hand gripped hers as he raised his staff and started the spell that would take them home together.
Chapter One
Callum sat cross-legged in the perpetual twilight of his world between worlds. When he’d arrived over a thousand years ago, there had been nothing. Now his magic had conjured up the vague outline of familiar objects. Shadowy
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