Grace was holding a bejeweled, golden goblet when the servant behind their chairs leaped to obey. Rather than refuse it, she clung to it. However, drinking the wine was out of the question. She needed all of her wits. She planned to give her a care gift tonight if the opportunity arose. Poison? A stab wound? Whatever way she chose, she would have to use caution. She was powerless against the mistress's magical skills. Particularly considering she had no idea what the girl was capable of, especially with the mother sorcerer watching in the corner. "Now," the mother sorcerer said softly. "Enjoy." The men danced for over an hour while the mother sorcerer ate and drank. Grace stood there, staring at her like a lab rat. The mistress soon began giggling and throwing grapes at the males. She grew aroused after the chuckles stopped. She placed her hand beneath her robe and massaged herself between her legs, unapologetically. "Touch his chest, Leticia," the mistress huskily said. "That's ri
Sweet 84Grace was engulfed in James's arms, and he returned her passion in equal measure. He'd nearly fallen to his knees the instant he saw her, perched beside his adversary, in danger but yet alive. Yes, he'd had that sensation of relief. Fury, as well. The mother sorceress was within his grasp, his to slay.However, fear accompanied the rage. He'd felt the magical charm protecting the mother sorceress from physical harm and returning whatever damage was meted out to the attacker.If he'd gone for her throat, Grace would have. They would have been killed.That didn't happen. Grace was now safe.The mother sorceress had to have known James was on his way to her, or she would not have cast the enchantment. A spell that most witches feared casting. True, no one could hurt her, but no one could help her either. If she inadvertently hurt herself, the spell would turn on her, viewing her as a threat. She would suffer not only from her injuries but also from the magic hundredfold.Grace
He drew her to the ground. He couldn't help but notice her heated, red nipples. He made a circle with his tongue, flicked it till she moaned, and then moved on to the other. His fangs grew long and painful. However, now was not the moment to wallow in the ecstasy that was her blood. He'd eaten before approaching her, expecting to satisfy his hunger for her. No other blood had ever had the same effect on him as Grace's. So powerful, so devouring. And, as much as he desired his entire memory back now, he would rather not disappear without notice again and have to chase down his woman's position, putting her at risk. He laces his fingers through Grace, squeezing. "I get it. We both made mistakes, and I regret ever keeping you from knowing what really happened. If only I had the memory, I would have risked my life all over again. But I'm selfish; I wanted you so much. Thank you for sticking by my side even though I was pushing you away. For not turning your back on me." James murmured.
Thousands of years ago, in a land of ancient vampires and sorcerers, there was an evil leader. A man with great power, the Master of vampire hunters, desired the only power that forbade him: the privilege to rule the Kingdom of Nork. The Master knew that it was important, when killing a pure-blood vampire, to ensure that they brought an army of sufficient size. For the king and the queen, he brought five hundred hunters, equipped with enchanted, potent poisonous swords to kill the undead royals and their people. From the front of the castle they saw both the northern snow and the southern, but the finer view was out across the plains and over the narrow territories. At some point in an achingly long history, a powerful vampire, now lost to knowledge, had built one thousand pillars out on the plateau: onyx giants thicker than a thousand-year oak, taller than a long pine. A forest of dark stone without order or pattern, covering the level ground from flank to flank. The hunters beg
*Present time*Grace Lim was naked. That was the first thing that hit her as she slowly opened her eyes: that she was bare, her body ached from everywhere, particularly the lower region. She was in bed. But it wasn't her bed.She squinted hard, and then unexpectedly, the next thing hit her, and it hit her like a ton of bricks to the head. It was fruition that she had been so intoxicated last night that she ended up giving herself to some hot stranger. She cringed, the pain piercing through her temples and her belly twirling with queasiness.This was not happening. No! This could not be happening.Why?How?Alright, so this was a hangover. She whined, scraping her eyes shut and seeing stars explode across her brain. Oh, this was surely a hangover alright. Her first one. Unhurriedly, Grace opened her eyes to thin slits, peeking around the room. Okay, not her small bed. Absolutely not her bed. Not her room either. No, this one was massive, remarkable, and... strangely familiar as her bra
With a flutter, Grace heaved her thick tangle of lashes, revealing the big brown eyes that were still clouded by sleep, confusion, or maybe it was anger."Oh God," she grumbled under her breath. Like it was the end of the world.James Grayson didn’t answer her right away. He just leaned back, one hand behind his head and the other lazily and very distractingly wonderful to look at over his muscled abs. Grace bit her lip as she imagined how those beautiful hands had pleased her in the right places.Last night, after the ritual, James brought her here to his own suite. At the time, he’d told himself it was for her safety because he'd promised to take care of her. He had made a promise to find her father’s killer, and by the gods, that’s what he would do.But no matter how he attempted to twist his reasoning, he knew it wasn’t just a sheer need to protect Louie’s daughter that led him to tenderly nestle her in his arms or to awaken well before sunset just so he could study her pale, poli
Grace Lim, where the hell are you?Answer the bloody phone, Grace!The report needs revision. Asap!Three messages were waiting for her when she checked her phone on the way out of the hotel suite of the billionaire James Grayson. What the hell happened back there was beyond embarrassing and insane. It would be amazing if she could remember what happened.After all, he had had a hold on her since the first time she held her gaze at the beautiful man. He sucked her in with his elegant stylist's good looks and little-handsome grin. That gorgeous grin, all crooked and dimpled and full of the otherworldly promise of earth-shattering sex.Grace mentally shook her head. She was just happy that the billionaire had left her alone as she enjoyed a lovely, luxurious bath and when she was through. Grayson was nowhere to be found, so she grabbed her dress and dashed out the door. Yes, she was being cowardly, but what else could a woman like her do but flee?However, her phone had been pinging th
Grace halted in her tracks, a jolt of panic spiraling through her. She was not afraid of her boss, at least not in the physical sense. She knew he would never lay a hand on her or fly into a manic rage. But she was afraid of his ability to sweet-talk her. The old man surely knew how to guilt-talk her. He was so good at it. All he had to do was call her the best secretary on earth and flash that adorable grandfather sort of smile, and she was a goner.Anger, dread, and annoyance warred for her attention as she reread his messages. He was bluffing. He would not fire her. He wouldn’t come over to her little apartment uninvited, would he? "Fuck it," she thought.With shaky fingers, she pulled up Honey’s number. Two rings later, and her best friend’s reassuring voice echoes on the line. "Hey, what’s up? You okay?"Grace could hear soft chatter in the background. A female voice says goodbye—Honey’s mother. That means that she and her boyfriend, Gerald, have already left for their weekend i
He drew her to the ground. He couldn't help but notice her heated, red nipples. He made a circle with his tongue, flicked it till she moaned, and then moved on to the other. His fangs grew long and painful. However, now was not the moment to wallow in the ecstasy that was her blood. He'd eaten before approaching her, expecting to satisfy his hunger for her. No other blood had ever had the same effect on him as Grace's. So powerful, so devouring. And, as much as he desired his entire memory back now, he would rather not disappear without notice again and have to chase down his woman's position, putting her at risk. He laces his fingers through Grace, squeezing. "I get it. We both made mistakes, and I regret ever keeping you from knowing what really happened. If only I had the memory, I would have risked my life all over again. But I'm selfish; I wanted you so much. Thank you for sticking by my side even though I was pushing you away. For not turning your back on me." James murmured.
Sweet 84Grace was engulfed in James's arms, and he returned her passion in equal measure. He'd nearly fallen to his knees the instant he saw her, perched beside his adversary, in danger but yet alive. Yes, he'd had that sensation of relief. Fury, as well. The mother sorceress was within his grasp, his to slay.However, fear accompanied the rage. He'd felt the magical charm protecting the mother sorceress from physical harm and returning whatever damage was meted out to the attacker.If he'd gone for her throat, Grace would have. They would have been killed.That didn't happen. Grace was now safe.The mother sorceress had to have known James was on his way to her, or she would not have cast the enchantment. A spell that most witches feared casting. True, no one could hurt her, but no one could help her either. If she inadvertently hurt herself, the spell would turn on her, viewing her as a threat. She would suffer not only from her injuries but also from the magic hundredfold.Grace
Grace was holding a bejeweled, golden goblet when the servant behind their chairs leaped to obey. Rather than refuse it, she clung to it. However, drinking the wine was out of the question. She needed all of her wits. She planned to give her a care gift tonight if the opportunity arose. Poison? A stab wound? Whatever way she chose, she would have to use caution. She was powerless against the mistress's magical skills. Particularly considering she had no idea what the girl was capable of, especially with the mother sorcerer watching in the corner. "Now," the mother sorcerer said softly. "Enjoy." The men danced for over an hour while the mother sorcerer ate and drank. Grace stood there, staring at her like a lab rat. The mistress soon began giggling and throwing grapes at the males. She grew aroused after the chuckles stopped. She placed her hand beneath her robe and massaged herself between her legs, unapologetically. "Touch his chest, Leticia," the mistress huskily said. "That's ri
Even though Grace was carried on a plush golden carriage with the mother sorcerer and the princess, the sun was blocked by a canopy of dark netting. She much preferred traveling with James. She knew she was buying time, and soon enough the magical cloaks that made her look like Leticia were deemed to fade at any moment. She just prayed that James wasn't too far away from her, and where was he anyway? She knew he was close by, Close, she thought. Grace could almost smell him—a hint of magic, a pinch of seductive ocean, sandalwood, and spice. She prayed he’d opted not to follow her.The mother sorcerer thought he was dead. So, in a way, he was finally free of the bitch. He could travel to Nork and do what needed doing. And Grace could deliver his vengeance—a special care package of lethal—for him.The mother sorcerer and Levy had killed an innocent old witch for no damn reason. No wonder the people in the village were afraid of Leticia. The royal family and the people associated with th
Kingdom of NorkDizziness rolled through Grace, and she couldn’t contain her gasp of excitement. Next time she opened her eyes, she would be there. Back in Nork. And if she retained this ability, she would never have to worry about losing James to magic again. She could stay with him always. If she didn’t retain it automatically, she could drink from him every day to ensure that she did.“Well, well,” a female voice said. “There you are, using your magic to become invisible again. Who were you spying on this time, sister Leticia, dear?”Dread replaced Grace’s excitement as she opened her eyes. She was in the little room, all right, but that room was now overflowing with Levy and her soldiers. Two of them held a teary-eyed woman. The very woman who had brought Grace here, who had fed her, clothed her.Levy stood at the edge of the bed, peering down at her. There was no sign of James.Slowly Grace sat up. Careful. “Yes, I was using my invisibility again.” As far as lies went, that was
There were no smells here either, not even the smell of her own skin—a scent we become so used to that we aren’t even aware of it. It becomes lost in a sea of other scents minutes after we leave the shower. She searched for that lost smell now, but it was gone as if she were gone, like she no longer had a body to emit a scent.There were no sounds. She couldn’t even hear her own heartbeat. It was strange how she’d spent the majority of her life ignoring or tuning out that sound, but even when she wasn’t paying attention to it, it was still there, thumping reassuringly, telling her in the most basic way that she was alive. The absence of that rhythm scared her more than anything ever had.She tried to shout, but it was eaten by the void. She couldn’t even scream in her mind. She felt like she was disappearing, or had already disappeared, and all that was left was some small, broken shred of herself, futilely resisting the darkness, struggling to not be eaten and become nothing herself.
Stay calm. I’m dreaming. The void will go away. It always does.Just as she thought that, the emptiness disappeared, bit by bit. Sensation came back first, then memories, and finally awareness of the space around her. Usually, the blank cut right to hazy images of sand, cheering, and fighting, but this time felt different.This doesn’t feel like a dream.Grace sucked in a stuttering breath, trying to inflate lungs that felt like they’d never been used. Her chest burned, and her thoughts were sluggish and cloudy. Prying her eyelids open only earned her a stab in the brain from the bright, white light around her. It took blinking repeatedly for the room to come into focus.When it did, adrenaline flooded her in a rush, sending her heart pounding so hard that her chest ached. Shock scattered her thoughts, but her training kicked in almost instantly.Mindlessly taking a slow, silent breath, she forced herself to calm down. Something vaguely resembling composure came slowly, in increments,
James gave chase.Grace heard the voices before she spotted the town, and she nearly toppled over with relief. She increased her speed, and finally, blessedly, she reached civilization. The sun was steadily rising in the sky, casting a violet haze on the people just now starting their day. Warming Grace, and even burning her. Her skin itched, prickling as if little bugs were crawling through her veins.She did not want to contemplate the possible reasons for such an occurrence. People—humans?—strode along cobbled streets, some carrying wicker baskets piled high with clothing, some carrying bags of—she sniffed, moaned—bread and meat. Her stomach grumbled as her mouth watered. She was lightheaded; her blood supply was a little low. She needed to replenish.Grace paused beside a tree, watching, thinking. She had two choices. Continue to move, remaining on her own, and risk being discovered by mistress Levy. Or enter the town, eat, and risk being found by Levy. At least the second option
James dragged Grace through the forest, branches slapping at him. She was limping again, and he wanted to carry her, but Levy’s guards must have caught his scent, because the echo of their footsteps increased, and the sense of magic intensified in the night air.They were closing in.He could have moved from one location to another with only a thought. Back to the withered, perverted kingdom of Nork from here. His heart clenched in his chest, and he gritted his teeth. Now was not the time to think of his home. Or the condition of his home. Or his parents and the sorcerer he would soon destroy.What if he disappeared, but Grace did not go with him? She would be left on her own in an inhospitable environment, the enemy all around.Damn this. He had to try something. He’d managed to beat the flood of memories back, but they were knocking at his mind, demanding release. If they overtook him again...James focused on what was most important. He and Grace shared a past he’d barely touched o