Novels by Sophi Liddell

NadiaI scoff and roll my eyes. “Will you just tell me?”He laughs, looking down at the fire. “Listen, Nadia. I heard everything you said to me last night. Or at least, I tried to. And I’m very sorry. I’m going to try to be better.”My mouth falls open.He raises his gaze to my face.I snap my mouth shut, determined to let him eat his fill of crow.“I wasn’t fair to you and I wasn’t kind. I’m sorry that I didn’t trust you. I should have. I’ve arranged for –““I’m sorry too.” I bite my lip, looking down, pissed off at myself for giving in so quick. I mean, three seconds ago I was ready to indulge in a pleasant morning of sipping coffee and listening to the Prince grovel.Stupid conscience.Cole pauses.“I am,” I say, nodding solidly, not looking at him, my stupid

Nadia“Nadia.”A creaking little squeak rises in my throat as I turn my head toward the noise, a determined frown curving my lips.Something pats my mattress.“Seriously, Nadia.”My eyes fly open to take in the horrible sight of Cole Kincaid’s perfect fucking face eight inches from mine.I bolt up, starting to shriek, but - quick as a panther - he slips a hand over my mouth and muffles the sound.“Can you not!?” He hisses, glancing rapidly around at all of the other sleeping forms. “Everyone is asleep!”I start to say that I was likewise asleep and pleased to be so – but the words are all stifled against his palm, so I just seethe, already glaring – which is not an activity I enjoy before dawn when I haven’t had any coffee –“I come in peace, all right?” Co

Cole Slowly, General Amir smirks at me. “What?”I frown, shifting uncomfortably in my chair. “Other…young men?”He laughs, low, I think mildly entertained. “That’s a question for Nadia, Cole. Not me. But yes, you’re not without competition. And certainly there are some against whom she has less prejudice.”I groan, leaning back in my chair, covering my face with my hands and tilting my head back, trying to collect myself as my wolf races off into the darkness of my soul in a complete panic.Why? Why didn’t I ever even bother to ask if Nadia was seeing anyone!?But surely – surely Shayne would have told me –“Cole.”With an effort I collect myself, lifting my head back up and slipping my hands down so I can meet General Amir’s gaze.“She’s really putting you through your paces, isn’t she?”I sigh, nodding, dropping my hands into my lap. “She’s just…holding me to such a high standard, General Amir.”He raises his eyebrow at me as my wolf comes skulking back, no less panicked but wanti

ColeI look at General Amir evenly, holding his gaze. “I want Nadia to have full access to all the information I have. I want her in on meetings, debriefings, planning, all of it. She’ll have a vote in the proceedings of this operation – even just a minor one. I’m going to tell this to my father and I want you to support me on it.”General Amir raises an eyebrow. “Well, that’s a terrible idea.”I gape at him.“What?” he asks, smirking at me and lacing his fingers together as he leans further back in his chair. “My girl throws a temper tantrum and you reward her with unprecedented access?”I scoff. “I am not giving her rewards – and I’m not responding to her tempter tantrum like I’m her indulgent father or some-““Damn right you’re not.”General Amir’s tone surprises me. I sit taller in my rickety chair. “You’re being impulsive, Cole,” General Amir says, his voice low, words swift. “You’re eager to please her, which I understand, but she is a student nurse. She is clever as anything a

I take deep breaths, willing my mind to clear, my blood to stop rushing in my ears, but I still flinch when I feel Shayne’s hands on my shoulders, and then her arm wrapping around me as she trots to keep up.We walk together a few feet in silence, leaving the Prince behind.“Wow, you really let him have it,” she whispers, glancing back.I keep my eyes forward. “Was I too hard?”“Maybe a little bit, Na-na,” she whispers, giving me a squeeze. “But…I get it. It’s a subject that’s close to you. You care.”My head hangs lower, my guilt at war with…with everything in me that I hold dear. The ethics I inherited from my father, the big raw heart from my mother, the desperate desire to do anything I can to help. All mixed up in a big angry lump named Nadia.Tears come to my eyes again. Terribly confused, I slump against Shayne, who gives me a squeeze.&ldq

Nadia“I asked you,” I snap, not even bothering to try to keep my tone even anymore. “I asked you point blank if Rose was lying about the humans in the basement and you turned away –““Nadia,” Cole sighs, lifting his hands and wrapping them around my arms – not hard, but certainly firm.“Get off of me!” I shake myself and step back, wanting my freedom.He sighs and does as I demand, his jaw working in frustration. “I wasn’t trying to keep it from you – I just didn’t want you to get upset in front of –““Why not!” My voice carries now as I begin to lose myself. “Didn’t want me to get upset!? It’s fucking upsetting! I have a right to know –““You seriously can’t understand why I wouldn’t want you to b

“Everleigh!” Margot gasps, spinning toward me as I open the glass door to my roof garden and slip in. “You scared me – you said you’d be here –““I know, I’m sorry,” I say, stumbling over to her as Coco swoops into the room after me. Margot gasps, covering her head, but I just flap a hand in the air and point to my bed, instructing Coco to go settle down. He does as he’s told, flopping down onto my pillow and looking between Margot and I with a great deal of interest.Margot straightens and frowns at him. “Is that dragon…wearing diamonds?”“Yeah, it’s Vivi’s thing,” I say, grabbing Margot’s wrist and starting to tug her toward the bathroom. “She loves diamonds almost as much as you do.”“Will it bite?” Margot asks, looking over at Coco. “If I try to…borrow that fairly fantastic bracelet?&rdqu

“Come onnn,” Niall groans, looking very anxiously toward the suite’s door. “We have to gooo!”“You just want to see Aurora,” Vivi teases, wiggling in her father’s arms. Auden smiles as he puts her down and she runs to her brother. I press my lips together to keep from squealing at how cute my baby is with his adorable little boy crush.“Yes, I want to see Aurora!” Niall snaps, frowning at his sister. “Who is much nicer than you!”“Aurora cries all day –““She doesn’t!”“All right!” Auden cuts in, his voice loud and serious enough that both kids let their argument drop and turn to him. Auden lifts his chin toward the door. “Go and check your bags, make sure that you have your toothbrushes.”Vivi and Niall dart off to do as they’re bid and I turn to Auden, knowing that he sent them away to

“Everleigh,” she says, starting to shake her head. “Mahl is the one who made magic illegal –““You use magic on him every other night!”“And I am a professional,” she says, laying a demure hand on her breast and grinning at me. “You are a rank amateur!”“Oh, come on, Margot!” I beg, dashing for her and dropping to my knees in front of her stool. She blinks at me, surprised. “It will be easy! I did it before with Angeline and it worked so well! He’ll never notice!”She turns her head to the side a bit. “He’ll never notice…what?”I smile prettily at her again, hoping that my excited expression hides all of the anxiety boiling in me now, the desperate howl of my wolf as she panics, wanting any way to get out of this horrible situation –“He’ll never notice,” I whisper, still smiling desperately at my friend. “When you take my place tomorrow. As the Golden Doe Goddess.”Margot’s mouth drops cle

Mahl sighs and takes a step away from me, looking toward the window. “If you’re denying me today, I will expect the performance of a lifetime tomorrow, wife,” he snaps. “No half-hearted mewling and laying still on the mattress if you’re going to make me wait like this.”I slip off the table, not knowing what to say. I step forward and take Mahl’s hand, silently begging him to turn to me. He does and I look up at him with wide, worried eyes.Mahl softens, thank god, and steps toward me, giving me another of those long, lingering kisses. Then he smacks me hard on the ass, eliciting a little yelp, and gives me a gentle push toward the door. “Off with you, wife. Prepare yourself for tomorrow – I will send the Priestesses to anoint you with oil. And I will look forward to tomorrow evening.”“As will I,” I whisper, trembling a little with relief and letting him think it

“I’m sorry, little bride,” Mahl murmurs, all grumbly and low and heated. “That I have not had the time for you that I would have wished. This war is…consuming.”“That’s all right,” I say, my voice a little tense as Mahl’s fingers tighten possessively on my flesh. “I…understand. War is…hard?”Pathetic. Pathetic and panicked, that’s all I am.Mahl smirks at me and turns me toward the table, walking forward a step until my rump hits the edge. To my surprise he then lifts me so that I’m seated neatly on the table, my legs spread wide to accommodate the breadth of him between my knees.“My sweet little Queen,” Mahl murmurs, shaking my head like I’m adorable as he leans closer to me - so close I can feel his breath on my face. “Don’t you worry about this war – let daddy handle it –“My eyes do flare a

I push gently at the door to Mahl’s chambers when I hear his deep voice call for me to enter. Immediately my stomach tightens at the sight of him raising his eyes to me over the table spread with papers, maps, and little carvings that must represent his troops.A deep growl rumbles in his chest as his eyes rake over me. I exhale slowly as I step into the room, looking around at the five or so men who have gathered with him. My eyes flash wide and I go completely still when my gaze lands last on a very familiar face.Alpha Wood’s brows draw together. He glares at me from beneath them, a great deal of hate and ire gathering there.Yup. He has…not forgiven me for the disgrace I brought him in flatly refusing to marry him five years ago.“Leave us, men,” Mahl murmurs, low and rough. I snap my gaze back to him, gulping a little, wondering if he saw the look between Wood and I –But the serious way that he stares at me lets me know that

SabrinaMy wolf yips, trotting back and forth in my soul, encouraged by how well this is going. I like being Betty, she says, her tongue lolling, her head low as she keeps her eyes on our quarry. Betty is tricky Betty is fun. But I just give her a mental swat her rump and bid her to be quiet. I have to concentrate.“It’s so nice to meet you too, Max,” I say, smiling shyly at him.I jump a little – fake of course – when a new tray of food settles in front of me.“Enjoy!”My head whips up at the sound of that voice, my surprise genuine this time when my eyes meet my cousin’s blue gaze.Cosette gives me her most peaceful smile, folding her hands neatly in front of her flour-spotted apron. “Anything else I can do for you, Celestial?”I do my very best not to clench my jaw as my cousin’s eyes crinkle at the corner, just a little wicked.“No,” I say, breathy, shaking my head so hard my braids jump. “Thank you so much for bringing this – and I’m so sorry about the first tray.”“Oh, please d

SabrinaI come out of Cosy’s cramped little bathroom about forty minutes later, munching on my third chocolate croissant, my cousin’s fuzzy bathrobe wrapped warm around me. “These are delicious, Cos –““Oh, cut it, Sabrina,” Cosette mutters, scowling, lounging on her bed and flicking through some gossip site on her tablet. The tablet I sent her for Midwinter. But no need to rub that in now.“I mean it,” I say, taking another bit and then holding the flaky end of it out towards her. “You got really good – so crispy, yet so soft. This stupid school lucked out when it hired you as its pastry chef.”She ignores my very nice compliments, lifting her eyes to mine, her face stony. I smirk. Clearly, she’s used the last forty minutes to get super pissed off, all signs of my frantic sweetheart cousin tucked away. “What are you planning?”“Just some light espionage,” I say, plopping myself down on the edge of her bed. “A little mischief, only a smidge of murder –““No. Murder.” She sits straight

*Ten Hours Earlier*The rain pours down over me as I finally stare up at the ivied walls of Witloch Seminary. Thunder rumbles through the air and my teeth chatter, rain dripping down my back from the end of my ragged ponytail, my breath heaving in my lungs after sneaking through the woods for days, evading the many guards and detection systems set up to defend the students of this school.Protect them from people just like me.But I’m here now, aren’t I?A smile spreads slowly across my lips as my eyes sweep over the cheerfully lit upper floors of the school. My gaze drops to the barred windows of the basement, knowing that what I really seek is going to be hidden away somewhere down there.I take a deep breath, setting my shoulders and darting close to the wall, my feet squishing in my soaked boots. I crouch low, moving from window to window at the basement level, peering down into the rooms of the staff members who work here – most of them at rest at this late hour, watching TV, or

I step into the dining hall, my fingers fiddling with the red bow at the end of one of my braids. My toes turn in slightly as I take my first mousy steps toward the breakfast buffet, keeping my eyes on the floor as I go. I pick up a tray and fill it with a very scant amount of food, even as my stomach growls and my wolf grumbles, urging me to take more.But this is my first day at Witloch, meaning I’m far too anxious to eat.I turn with my tray in my hands, biting my lip as I look around for the right table, finally letting myself scan the room. The breakfast hall is about halfway full, but that doesn’t mean anything. Everyone is here.The rich don’t crowd, after all.My eyes skip over everyone, only lingering for a moment on the one gorgeous Alpha at the back, laughing with his two friends, the morning sun glinting off the blonde highlights in his chestnut hair.Wow, my wolf says, her toes tapping. Wow, he’s just as handsome as he is in the magazines -But I just clench my teeth and