Storm On The Horizon, a paranormal Regency romance novella (Vallen) by Meredith Bond Page A

brown hair, and faded her sparkling black eyes to muddy brown. She thinned her face and lips, and made herself look nearly as angular as a scarecrow. Her perfectly-fitted, vibrant blue dress now hung limply on her frame.
    “Oh, no! Tatiana, what are you doing?” Trina exclaimed, horrified.
    “Much better,” Tatiana looked in the mirror and nodded approvingly.
    “No! Tatiana, really!”
    “Yes, really! It is important that you look your best,” Tatiana said, admiring her handiwork. “And just as important that I don’t. This way, no one will look twice at me, but focus all of their attention on you. Just as they should.”
    “But your beauty…” Trina objected.
    “Is inside, just as yours always is. Only now yours is showing outwardly for all of those superficial men to see—and mine is hidden away.” Tatiana nodded again. “This is the way it should be.”
    Trina looked more closely at herself in the mirror. A small smile trembled on to her lips and tears shone in her eyes yet again. “You are too good to me,” she whispered.
    “No. I love you. But if you cry, I’m going to be extremely annoyed. I don’t want to have to overlay even more magic on you to keep everyone from seeing red, puffy eyes and blotchy cheeks.”
    A giggle burst out of Trina and she blinked away the tears. “No. I won’t do that to you. I promise.” She sighed and turned herself from side to side to admire her new splendor. “It is a shame, though.”
    “What, that you have to marry? I’m sure you’ll find a wonderful man, Trina. You’ve got the entire season to do so.”
    “Yes. But you won’t be here the entire season. And that’s not what I was referring to. It’s a shame that you won’t get to choose your own husband.”
    Tatiana’s heart constricted at that thought. It was not only a shame, it was downright painful —and terrifying. She took a deep breath. “Yes, well. I have to pay for this gift that was given to me.”
    “You pay for it every single day,” Trina agreed. “You pay for it in all the training you have to undergo, and now you’re going to have to pay for it by marrying only God-knows who.”
    “Whosoever Mama chooses.” Tatiana looked down at the floor, so that Trina couldn’t see the tears burning in her own eyes. She hated that she would have no choice in whom she married. But again, her parents were right. Her husband would hold too important a role to be chosen lightly. She honestly didn’t envy her parents the job of finding just the right man for the position.
    Tatiana took a deep breath. She was the direct descendent of Morgan le Fey, she reminded herself. She had the strength and the power to do this. She lifted her chin and looked directly at her sister. “I will do my duty, and I do it willingly.”
    “You’ve always taken your position seriously. You’ve always done just what you should…” Trina’s voice trailed off, as if she was about to say more.
    Tatiana nodded a little hesitantly, not sure what her sister was implying.
    Trina flashed her a sly smile. “So, why don’t you put your looks back the way they should be and have some fun? You’re only here for two weeks. What harm could come of it?”
    Tatiana opened her mouth to reply, but Trina cut her off. “You deserve to have fun, too! Why can’t you forget your destiny—just for one night? Just throw caution to the wind and dance with any and every available gentleman—just for the one glorious night?”
    The thought was more than appealing. It was downright tempting. But she couldn’t. Her mother had ingrained into her her position, her duty, and her heritage . It was a part of her. She couldn’t just set it aside.
    But she also didn’t want to make her sister feel bad, so she smiled, even gave a little laugh. “I promise to do my best.”
    “Good!”
    “But I won’t put my looks back, because honestly, I don’t want to detract from your chances.”
    “But…”
    “No. That is the condition. I will