“Thank you, halfling. You truly are a mighty queen of Faerie. Blessed in so many ways.”
Shade nodded, elated that he had his powers back. “You’re welcome, Corb.”
“If you need me, just call to me. I will heed your call.”
Shade smiled, glad to have an ally in this tumultuous world.
Another roar of wind enveloped Corb, and he disappeared from the room in the blink of an eye, leaving Shade all alone once more.
Shade made her way toward the balcony. She looked across her kingdom and smiled as the sun peeked out between the clouds once more. She toyed with the green vines wrapped around the bannister, growing thick and lush. Her curiosity got the best of her, and she called the Ice magic that was once hers to see if she still had some left.
The vine crystalized, ice shards grew and froze the vine into a cold, icy rope.
She still had Corb’s magic, even though he was freed of their bond. But how?
Swallowing the sudden fear in her chest, she took solace in the warmth of the sun as it slowly retreated from the horizon, bringing the shroud of night with it. She’d assimilated every being’s magic who’d touched her with theirs. It was cold comfort to know she was capable of such things.
Maybe the Siphon Lord wasn’t so wrong in what he did. Maybe everyone took little pieces of each other along the way, no matter how separated they became. There was still so much to do, but she was glad things were slowly returning to normal.
Well, in the Land of Faerie, nothing was ever normal, and nothing was ever as it seemed.
Epilogue
Teleen Ties
(The Wedding)
SWAT, SWAT!
“Ow!” Anna rubbed her reddened hand and glared at Shade. “I’m just tightening the ties. It has to be snug.”
“No, it’s already too tight!” Shade huffed. The pearly white corset top of her wedding dress was already stifling, and she was sure to faint from the squeeze it was performing on her lungs. Even her heart felt squashed. “I’m going to go hypoxic and pass out already. Leave it!” She pushed a loose curl back and stared at the stranger’s reflection in the mirror across from them. It was her, but she didn’t look like Shade.
Braelynn had done her hair into a mass of fancy curls that trailed down her back, half pinned up, and the other half over her shoulders. A diamond tiara sat pinned into the mass of curls atop her head. Anna had done her make-up, making the glistening brown of her eyes stand out even more. Her lips were a deep dusty pink, and her cheeks stood out with a pleasant flush. No, she didn’t look like herself one bit.
“Okay, I think I got every tie secured.” Anna smiled and stepped back, but not without fluffing up the long skirt of the wedding gown. “You look like an angel, Sis.”
“Thanks, Anna. I’m so glad you’re here with me. I don’t know how I’d make it standing up through it all if you weren’t here.”
Anna beamed. “What are little sisters for?” They laughed and came in for a tight hug. “Oh… be careful you don’t ruin your makeup!” Anna backed away, handing Shade a handkerchief to dab her eyes with.
“Thanks. I don’t want to go through another makeup session again. Not that it was bad, I just don’t like makeup, and you know that.”
“I know. You look stunning.” Anna clapped her hands together and flicked her eyes to Ilarial, who’d just joined them.
“Ready?” Ilarial placed a braided emerald green vine in Shade’s hands, looping it around so it wouldn’t drag on the floor when she carried it to the altar. Shade thanked her softly and turned to face the path to the location of the wedding. It would be held in the Scren Palace gardens, a walled area filled with every kind of flower, patches of flowing grass and great spreading trees.
Instead of bouquets, faery women held a twisted vine with flowers and jewels woven into it. It would be used to bind the marrying couple’s wrists together as they took their vows of eternal marriage before the Land of Faerie. It was always done outside, in a clearing nearest the forests, or if that wasn’t possible, a place that was open and as near to nature as possible. A circle built of flowers, grasses and mushrooms or a stone circle was created beforehand for them to go to and link their entities of power. Their rings would fuse to their skin as a show of eternal love, and they would forever be linked.
It was an unbreakable vow and only vanished when one of them died. Only then could a faery remarry. Most times, the one left behind withered from grief before they chose another. Sometimes not, but the bond was that strong.
Shade nodded and let Ilarial drape a thin veil over her face. It was made of gossamer threads and felt incredibly light, as though it wasn’t even there. It was nearly see-through but opaque enough to cover Shade’s features. Ilarial took her hand and led her to where she would continue to the circle alter alone, where Dylan awaited her.
She wished her mother was there to send her off, and the thought made tears prickle behind her eyes. She held them back and sighed in relief as Lana spoke inside her head, calming her nerves. Lana assured her Jade was in the spirit world, bound to Shade and watching her even now. Shade hoped she was proud of her, which Lana quickly confirmed with a warm nudge. Even thoughts of Verenis floated across her thoughts, knowing he was probably watching her somehow. Spirits of her ancestors notoriously never left her alone.
It was enough to get her moving. Ilarial’s hand slipped away from hers, and she waved her forward, down a small path toward the circle.
The rest of her family and many of her friends stood just outside it, including Corb, Jack, Evangeline, Ursad, Camulus, and even Sary. Even the long hiding Raven Queen Aluse was in attendance with some of her soldiers and stood at the front, beaming as they watched the celebration. They were all smiling and whispered happily to each other as they watched the bride approach. Everyone she’d befriended was there, old and new friends.
Even Rowan stood toward the rear of the group, twitching her fingers nervously as she watched the procession. Her eyes kept darting about as though she was watching out for snipers. No one would ever understand why she was that way, but most dismissed the crazed Ancient with nothing but flitting glances and hushed gossip.
If she wasn’t nervous before, she was nervous now, especially when she spotted Dylan standing just outside the circle, waiting for her. He wore traditional Teleen clothing with soft leather armor strapped to the outside of the tunic. His hair was down past his shoulders with small braids throughout, weaved with thistle and tiny blue topaz and sapphire jewels. They brought out the sparkle of gunmetal in his eyes, and his smile was so wide, she was sure his facial muscles would be hurting later.
Still, it made hers grow even wider.
Reaching the circle, she turned to face him.
“Ready?” He held out a hand, which she accepted. They stepped into the faery circle and felt the world close off from them. The circle filled them with the pure magic of every element. It was euphoric and reminded her of the Santiran Fountains, her first mission in Faerie. She’d been there with Dylan and had known from that point on that his disarming charm would never let her go.
They moved to the center and turned to face each other. The vines came to life, snaking around both their wrists and up their arms as they laced their fingers together and watched the vines encircle them tightly.
Once they were done, Dylan began his vows to Shade.
“Shade, from the moment I met you, I knew you were going to change everything I knew about the world. I fought it at first, yet you broke through my barriers, like no one else ever could. Every day I look forward to living each breath with yours, in harmony and as one. Today I make my vow of love to be your life partner for all eternity, before the Land of Faerie. May it bind me to my words and serve to guide our love, even in the darkest of times. Whether good or bad, we are forever bound in magic and in love.”
It was more than enough to start the tears flowing, and Shade was barely able to speak her own vows to Dylan.
“Dylan. I?
??ve been told how much I’ve been blessed and when I look at you and feel your love, I know that it’s true. No one holds my heart more securely than you do, warming it with your inner fire and keeping it safe from all harm. Your magic is all I crave and need. Today, I make the vow of love to you, my life partner for all eternity, before the sacred Land of Faerie. As it binds my words to our love, I know it will keep us safe in the darkest of hours. In magic, in blood, and in love, we are forever bound.”
The moment she finished, the vines whipped to life once more, snaking along to encircle around them, glowing with powerful faery magic, fusing their vows to them and to the land before they disappeared in a flutter of sparks. Their link to each other was now forever emblazoned onto their souls.
The crowd cheered, sending sprays of flower petals over them. It was a flurry of petals, filling the sky with a heavenly scent. They made their way back toward their friends and family, beaming with the magic surging through them.
Then…it was over, just like that. It was but a brief moment in time for them, but they were forever changed. Shade didn’t want to let go of her beloved and flourished in his warm aura. There was no place she’d rather be than there, with Dylan and her family and friends surrounding her with the best magic in the world… love and faith.
The End
Read on for an excerpt of the next book in A Dark Faerie Tale series….
History of Fire
(A Dark Faerie Tale Series Spin-Off Novel #1)
Blurb:
No one knows the secrets he keeps.
No one knows of the worlds that exist right alongside ours.
Benton is human, but he walks the line between two worlds: the mundane and the supernatural; the commonplace and the extraordinary. As a rare Fire Elemental Warlock, he finds himself in trouble more often than he cares to admit. It doesn’t help that his sister is a faery queen of the Summer Seelie Court.
This is Benton’s story as he makes his way between the mortal world and a world where magic reigns. Do you dare follow? Do you dare see what lurks just beyond the edge of perception?
Excerpt:
“What kind of a name is Benton?”
I wrinkled my nose and pushed my shades back into place, glaring at the girl as I pondered what to do next. “What kind of a name is Zena?”
“My mom, she’s into that new age stuff, you know? She’s weird like that.”
“Yeah, well, we all got our family quirks.”
Peeking over my shoulder, I could feel her eyes growing wider as she watched me mutter a few words over the dead faery’s corpse, holding out my empyrean blade in case it decided to reanimate before I was done. A blast of wind and the body exploded into a pile of ash, dissipating into the wind in flurry of flakes.
“What did you do?”
“It’s funeral.”
“But… how? Did you use… magic?”
My patience was gone, and I stood up to meet her eye to eye. She was a cute little redhead, but her bold blue eyes were filled with terror, edged in a more dangerous curiosity.
“How do you know about magic?” Shaking my head, I realized this had already gone too far. “Doesn’t matter. Go home, Zena.” A thank you would’ve sufficed for saving her butt. How could she even fathom that the fallen faery had been this close to chomping on her waif-like body with its razor sharp teeth for lunch? Darn mutated pixies.
“No! I won’t go until you tell me what happened and that… that thing! What is it? One minute it attacked me, the next you’re pulverizing it into a pile of specks! What the hell is going on?”
She was shaking so hard, I thought I might have to catch her before she passed out right there in front of me.
Reaching out, I touched her forehead with one finger. “Calm down,” I hissed.
Instantly, her body stilled, and her widened eyes drooped into a dreamy gaze. “Where am I?” she asked. Her entire demeanor seemed nonchalant, as if standing in a garbage-filled alleyway next to a warlock was commonplace.
“You’re nowhere. Don’t come back here, you hear? It’s time to go home.” I slapped her fallen purse into her arms and turned, marching away in disgust for having had to make such a ruckus and involve an innocent human girl in the mess. I was going to have to be more vigilant while hunting down the rogue Unseelie faeries, which were now mucking up the streets of Portland since the breach of the Faerie wards. I’d already had to mind wipe at least three non-magics, and it hadn’t been any fun. I was all about fun, and killing unauthorized Unseelies in the mortal world kept me quite busy.
Release Date: TBD 2014
Acknowledgements
Thank you first always to God for being the one almighty and pulls me from the situations I find myself in. Thank you for everything!
Special Thanks to the following people who without their help, I wouldn’t be here writing my 7th novel! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Xoxo:
Amy Conley, Ella James, Michael K. Rose, Emily Walker, J.T. Lewis, Melissa Pearl, Anna Dase, Stacy Szczepanski, Jacquie Talento, Juana Andrade, Shelley Custer, Emily Walker, Kendra Gaither, Raven Williams, Amber Riddell, Michelle McQueen, Beth Shelby, Michelle Bost.
To everyone in my Street team, I love you! I’ve never met so many awesome people in one place, you guys are super heroes!
A very super special thanks to my girls in Indie Inked. There really isn’t anyone else like you guys and I’m privileged to get to hang with you guys! You rock!
About the Author
Alexia currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada—Sin City! She loves to spend every free moment writing or playing with her four rambunctious kids. Writing has always been her dream, and she has been writing ever since she can remember. She loves writing paranormal fantasy and poetry and devours books daily. Alexia also enjoys watching movies, dancing, singing loudly in the car and eating Italian food.
Connect with Alexia Purdy
Alexia Purdy’s Blog
Twitter
@AlexiaPurdy
Goodreads Author page
Alexia Purdy’s Facebook Fan Page
Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale) Facebook Fan page
Reign of Blood Series Facebook Fan Page
Novels:
Reign of Blood
Disarming (Reign of Blood #2)
Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1)
Ever Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #2)
Ever Winter (A Dark Faerie Tale #3)
Short Stories:
Evangeline (A Dark Faerie Tale #0.5)
The Cursed (A Dark Faerie Tale #3.5
The Faery Hunt
Never Say Such Things
Poetic Collections:
Whispers of Dreams
Five Fathoms
Anthology:
Beyond the Never
Soul Games
Faery Worlds
AVAILABLE via Amazon.com
ALSO CHECK OUT THESE
EXTRAORDINARY AUTHORS & BOOKS:
Alivia Anders ~ Illumine
Cambria Hebert ~ Recalled
Angela Orlowski Peart ~ Forged by Greed
Julia Crane ~ Freak of Nature
J. A. Huss ~ Clutch
Cameo Renae ~ Hidden Wings
Alexia Purdy ~ Reign of Blood
Brina Courtney ~ Reveal
Tabatha Vargo ~ On the Plus Side
Tiffany King ~ Meant to Be
Kiss of Fire ~ Rebecca Ethington
Beth Balmanno ~ Set in Stone
Lizzy Ford ~ Dark Summer (Witchling Saga #1)
Ella James ~ Stained
Tara West ~ Visions of the Witch
Heidi McLaughlin ~ Forever Your Girl
Melissa Andrea ~ Flutter
Fire ~ T.G. Ayer
Komal Kant ~ Falling for Hadie
Melissa Pearl ~ Golden Blood
L.P. Dover ~ Forever Fae
Cornerstone ~ Kelly Walker
Sarah M. Ross ~ Awaken
Sneak Peek:
GOLDEN BLOOD
Time Spirit Trilogy
Book 1
Melissa Pearl
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches on the soul
And sings the tune without words
And never stops
At all
Emily Dickinson
They were an enigma. Throughout the ages there had only ever been rumors of these mysterious people who appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly, whispers of swirling gold dust, unexplained piles of abandoned clothing left in dark alleys. Only a select few had glimpsed the reality and they chose not to speak of it. They knew the truth needed guarding. These people were special…chosen. Created for the sole purpose of changing history.
Chapter One
St. Augustine, Florida - 2011 AD
Gemma Hart pulled on her jeans and zipped the fly. Grabbing her shirt off the toilet seat, she threw it on and struggled to do it up. Her hands were shaking and still rippling with pins and needles. She bunched them into fists and shook them out before attempting her buttons again. Her fingernails shone gold, but that would only take another moment to fade.
She straightened her shirt, pulled on her black hoodie, and quickly assembled her long hair into a ponytail. Smoothing back any lumps, she fisted her hands for the last time. Flexing her fingers, she held them steady in front of her and examined the red knuckles on her right hand. They were still swollen, but the grazing was already healing. She ran a light finger over them, still feeling the man’s jaw crunch beneath her fist.