Shattered Magic Read online

  Shattered Magic

  By Rebecca York

  Desperate to escape an arranged marriage to an evil magician, Rowan flees her village—and runs right into the path of a handsome stranger. When Grant comes to her aid, she takes comfort in his arms…and sees a solution to her problem. Her betrothal will be called off if she loses her virginity—and her virile protector is the perfect man to do the honor.

  Determined to seduce him, Rowan traps them together in a cave, where she and Grant soon give in to their undeniable desires. But despite their growing bond, she cannot reveal her telekinetic powers or risk being persecuted as a witch.

  Grant has a secret of his own—he is Prince Grantland, reluctant heir to the throne of Arandal. He’s thrilled to find a woman who’s interested in him, not his crown. But he and Rowan cannot hide themselves—and the truth—forever. Will their love survive once Grant discovers she’s everything he’s been raised to hate and fear?

  23,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  August has a special feel for me. Not only is it my birthday month (and I’m firmly in the camp of celebrating a birthday month—one day just isn’t enough) but since I’m in North America, August is also the last hurrah of summer. It’s the time before my daughter goes back to school and lazy weekends at the beach start drawing to a close. In my professional life, August is also the one month of the year I try to take a break from the crazy travel schedule.

  So with all those things combined, you know what that means, right? I become self-indulgent and get in as much reading as possible. That’s why I’m thrilled we’re kicking off the month of August with the first book in the fun and flirty new contemporary romance trilogy, Aisle Bound. Planning for Love by Christi Barth releases the first of August, and I hope you love it as much as I do. It’s got all of the elements I adore in a contemporary romance: humor, passion, likable characters and, best of all, a happy ending. Christi is a wonderful, fresh new voice in contemporary romance. This book was so much fun to edit, and if you love contemporary romance, please check it out!

  Not only do we have Planning for Love releasing in August, we also have quite the lineup of debut, new-to-Carina and returning authors in a variety of genres. This month, I’m excited to introduce debut authors Bronwyn Stuart, Ruth Diaz and Jacqueline M. Battisti, each writing three very different genres, but each bringing us three amazing stories. Bronwyn presents us with a passionate historical romance, Scandal’s Mistress, while Jacqueline blazes onto the writing scene with her first romantic urban fantasy, The Guardian of Bastet. Ruth’s book, The Superheroes Union: Dynama, is exactly what you might imagine it to be from that title: a fast-paced superhero female/female romance.

  Also offering up urban-fantasy fare this month in the GLBT category are authors Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane, with their co-authored male/male urban fantasy The Druid Stone. And if the male/male genre is what you enjoy, make sure you also check out L.B. Gregg’s August re-release of Men of Smithfield: Mark and Tony, a spicy contemporary male/male romance with a lighter edge.

  If you’re a fan of romantic suspense, we have two to help you indulge your cravings. Tina Beckett offers up In His Sights, while fans of Adrienne Giordano’s Private Protectors series will be pleased to see her back with another action-packed installment in Relentless Pursuit. If you’ve never read Adrienne’s books, Relentless Pursuit is an excellent place to get attached to her sexy heroes and strong-willed heroines. Or, if you want to start with something shorter, check out Adrienne’s novella, Negotiating Point in the Editor’s Choice Volume I collection.

  New Carina Press author Kaily Hart kicks off her paranormal romance series Fabric of Fate with Rise of Hope. Will fate alone determine their future or can they carve out their own destiny?

  Rounding out our August releases are three returning Carina Press authors. Joely Sue Burkhart’s The Bloodgate Warrior is an erotic fantasy romance sure to knock your socks off! Robert Appleton returns with another science-fiction offering in Cyber Sparks. And bestselling author Rebecca York brings us the sequel to Dark Magic with the novella Shattered Magic.

  I think you’ll find something in this month’s collection to help you indulge. And, hey, since it’s my birthday month, celebrate with me by indulging in more than one. I won’t tell!

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  It wasn’t too late. If she went back now, nobody would know she’d ever been missing. She could put the boy’s leggings and loose shirt back in her brother’s room and pretend she wasn’t dying inside.

  Rowan shifted the strap of her carry bag on her shoulder and turned to look down at Valleyhold, the secret village where she had lived all her life.

  From her vantage point at the top of a low mountain, she couldn’t see the thatched roofs of the comfortable houses, the hidden garden plots, the herds of sheep, or even the meeting hall or the market square. They were all hidden by trees planted to conceal the existence of her people from anyone who might wander into these mountains.

  And the wards that guarded the valley would prevent anyone from coming closer.

  Facing away from the village again, she pressed her palm against the transparent wall that shielded her people. It was like the skin of a soap bubble, yet much stronger—strong enough to hold back the enemies who would destroy everyone she knew if their existence was discovered.

  Along with the invisible wall came another protection. A soundless warning. A buzzing in Rowan’s head.

  Danger. Go back. Danger.

  It was only an echo on this side of the barrier. She knew that on the other side, its power was magnified a thousand times.

  The villagers kept the protections in place by the strength of their mental powers. It was taxing work, but everyone took on the duty for a few hours once a fortnight.

  Rowan’s chest tightened painfully. She should be lying on one of the narrow cots at the guardhouse two days hence. But she would be gone, and someone would have to fill her place.

  Unless she changed her mind.

  She stroked her hand against the transparent shield, feeling a slight vibration. She had only been here a few times. The elders took groups of young children up the mountain to the barrier and recounted the solemn tale of the great massacre when her people had been hunted down and killed by soldiers from Arandal.

  The survivors had come here. For more than a century, they had lived and prospered here. Rowan had been happy in Valleyhold until everything changed.

  It hadn’t happened all in a flash. But she knew when the destructive seeds had been planted—two years ago, when Telman had come to the village. A man who had ignored the warnings of danger, walked through the barrier, and lived. Proof positive of his strong mental powers.

  The village elders had been awed, and he’d wormed his way in among them, making himself useful with his talents and suggestions. He’d acted as though he was only looking out for the best interests of the village, but Rowan knew he had ambitions.
And one of them was to have her for his wife. When he had begun to court her six months ago, his touch made her insides curdle.

  “Telman.” She whispered his name aloud to give herself the courage she needed to take the final step.

  He was evil, although it seemed few others could sense it. Did no one else see his ugly snake tattoo as a symbol of his true nature?

  Not even her parents heeded the warning. They had left her alone with him more than once as a sign of their regard.

  But she knew better. In the garden when they were alone, he had stroked aside her blond hair and whispered in her ear.

  “You are so beautiful. With powers of the mind few possess. I will take your virginity and teach you to please me in every way a woman can serve a man. You will attend to my needs, and you will have the honor of bearing my children—sons who will form a dynasty to rule the valley and beyond.”

  She could hardly believe his audacity in making his intentions so plain. In fact, she had tried to say some of it to her mother and had been met with shocked disbelief.

  She glanced back toward the village, seeing nothing besides his leering face.

  That was enough to make her press her hand more firmly against the barrier.

  Although no ordinary person could walk through it, she was far from ordinary. Even as a child, she had shown great talent in the mental disciplines. Her special power was manipulating the physical world, and although the barrier was generated by mental powers, it had physical properties.

  “Forgive me,” she said aloud as she bent to her purpose, knowing she could die in the next few moments.

  Gathering her will, she made the vibrations within the shield speed up. Outwardly, nothing changed, but she felt a shift in the quality of the barrier.

  Holding her focus, she stepped quickly forward, sensing resistance as the shield tried to wall her in. A terrible pain in her head made her feel as if her skull might split in two. She gasped, caught in the barrier, knowing the only way out was forward.

  Teeth gritted, she pressed onward, then stumbled as she broke through.

  She dragged in a great gasp of air, but it wasn’t over. The warning was all around her now, transmuted to a silent shriek, making it hard to think or even breathe.

  Danger. Go back. Danger.

  She sank to her knees, pressing her hands over her ears, but it didn’t block the screaming in her brain. Or the agony.

  Barely able to breathe, she wanted to curl into a ball and wrap her arms around her head to stop the invisible knives piercing her skull.

  Instead she forced herself to her hands and knees and started crawling, pain still stabbing at her.

  Almost deaf and blind, she finally crawled past the beacon. The silence was like a blessing from the gods.

  Rolling to her back, she stared up at the sky, knowing she had barely escaped death.

  When she felt strong enough, she picked herself up and began to walk on shaky legs away from the only home she had ever known.

  As her strength returned, she began to notice her surroundings. The vegetation here was much like that in the mountains above Valleyhold, but the air smelled different, although she couldn’t say exactly what was changed.

  Pressing into the unknown, she fought a terrible sadness, even when she knew there was nothing left for her at home.

  She must be like the brave and cunning men who left the village from time to time to go out into the world, trade for goods that the community needed and bring back news from the outside world.

  But who would believe a woman had dared to leave the safety of the valley?

  The only one who would wonder if Rowan had run away was her sister. She hadn’t revealed her plans, but Willow knew how much she dreaded Telman’s attentions.

  Would he switch his sexual attentions to Willow? Rowan thought not since her sister’s talents were more subtle, and she was dark, while Rowan was fair. Not Telman’s type, she prayed. Let him find a wife who couldn’t sense the evil in him.

  As she hurried onward, she vowed two things. She would never go back, and she would never tell anyone about Valleyhold, lest she bring the wrath of Arandal down on her people.

  Trying not to think of her family or anyone else she was leaving behind, Rowan trudged on.

  She had told her mother she would be on the upper slopes of the mountain, gathering herbs. Which gave her an excuse to carry the bag slung over her shoulder. She hoped she wouldn’t be missed until well into the afternoon.

  It was strange to be so far from home. She knew so little of the outside world. Only what news the men brought back, and the old stories that had been passed down through the generations. But from the reports of the travelers, she dared to hope that life on this side of the barrier was enough like life in Valleyhold that she could make her way, using her skill with herbs and healing.

  Tired and thirsty, she stopped at a stream to drink, then sat down on a boulder and peered ahead of her where a vast forest loomed dark and foreboding. Was she far enough away from Valleyhold to make camp?

  She hoped so, because the sun had already set, and her feet and legs ached.

  Low in the sky, she saw the two moons rising. Carabine, the larger one, and Meladine, her smaller sister.

  As a girl, when she’d been sent out with the other children to guard the sheep, she’d camped out under those moons and a velvet sky full of stars. But this was different. Back then, she’d been safe inside the shield. Out here, anything could happen.

  As if to confirm that thought, movement flickered at the corner of her vision.

  Her breath caught as she looked up and saw a great winged creature in the darkening sky.

  Much too big for a bird.

  A dragon!

  She had seen one over the village, breathing fire down onto the shield. Once it had broken through, but the villagers had all worked together, repairing the burned spot and repelling the dragon.

  It wheeled above her in the sky as though searching for something, and she ducked low, praying that it hadn’t seen her.

  Her prayers were in vain. The beast dived, a scream rising in its throat as it hurtled toward her.

  Chapter Two

  A scream rose in Rowan’s throat as she ran for shelter in the rocks. If she could find a cave, mayhap she could duck inside.

  Above her the great wings beat, and she felt a searing heat at her back.

  Fire! It was shooting fire.

  A shout of anger rose. Not her shout, or the dragon’s. Someone else.

  Ducking behind a rock, she peered out to see a dark-haired man racing toward her, brandishing a sword. He was dressed much as she was, in simple leggings, boots and a loose shirt. But he had something she didn’t possess. A weapon.

  “Fight me, you bloody bastard,” he shouted, waving the sword aloft.

  The beast circled around, immediately switching its attention to the man as though it had been after him all along and only been using her as bait.

  When it wheeled back to attack, the man stood his ground, sword raised in both hands.

  Could he pierce the monster’s tough scales? Perhaps if he struck at the neck or under the chin.

  As the monster landed, Rowan snatched up a rock that fit her palm. At the same time, she reached for the mental powers she possessed, summoning them to her aid. Hurling the rock, she gave it force beyond her physical strength. With the energy of her mind behind the throw, the missile picked up speed, hurtling toward the beast’s back.

  It hit with a jarring force, making the dragon roar in pain. Before the beast could swing toward her, the man struck with his sword, aiming for the neck.

  But the dragon moved, and the sword clattered against the scales of its shoulder. Still, the blow was enough to give it pause.

  She waited with her heart pounding before the dragon rose in the air, then she whispered a prayer to the gods. “Please let it leave.”

  Instead it circled in the air, sending down a rain of fire.

  The man ru
shed toward Rowan.

  “Hurry.” Grabbing her hand, he led her farther into the boulders, and she saw where he was going. Ahead of them was the wide mouth of a cave.

  As the dragon’s fiery breath shot toward them, the man ducked inside the cave, pulling Rowan in back of him as he turned to face the beast.

  It roared in anger as it lay down a barrage of flames, blackened the rocks and sent some of them hurtling to the ground.

  As the man leaped out of the way, Rowan turned her attention to the cave’s mouth. It was wide and high, but the falling chunks of stone were already changing the shape. All she had to do was loosen more to build up a barrier, leaving an opening too narrow for the monster to cross.

  With all the force she possessed, she centered her mind’s eye upon a section of the ceiling, just inside the doorway. To her frustration, her power wasn’t enough to break it loose. But the dragon unwittingly helped her. As a stream of fire hit it, she redoubled her efforts, working with the monster instead of against him.

  A grinding noise reverberated through the cave as the roof near the entrance gave way.

  Reaching for the man’s shoulders, she pulled him away from the falling rocks.

  His dark eyes went wide as he turned, then dropped his sword, which clattered beside him.

  Taking Rowan in his arms, he pushed her to the cave floor and covered her body with his while chunks of rock rained down around them.

  Rowan squeezed her eyes shut and held on to him, pressing her face against his shoulder as the cave seemed to dissolve around them.

  The ground shook. The dragon roared. Her heart pounded.

  Finally, after an eternity, all was quiet, aside from the blood pounding in her ears.

  When she opened her eyes, everything was deathly silent and dark. But she was aware of the man’s body pressing along the length of hers as though they were lovers in a bed.

  Her heart still pounding, she held perfectly still. The man above her was well muscled and fit. And brave. He had turned to fight the dragon, then shielded her with his own flesh.