“That seems harsh on the families,” Kam said. She linked her arm through Seth’s as they strolled along the riverfront. Trystan had met them at The Wharf for a drink and afterward they’d sought relief in the evening breeze from New Orleans’ August heat.
Trystan shrugged. “The clan is always held responsible. On the slim chance the men are still alive, it’s a warning not to harbor or give comfort during the banishment.”
“What about your brother?”
“A royal prince cannot be tried in absentia,” he said stiffly. “No official mention was made of Prince Tadeous.”
Kam lifted a brow. How Cyrilian tongues must be wagging behind closed doors. Without the facts, people often assumed the worst. Of course, what could be worse than plotting against your brother?
Both Elvenrude and Cyrilia remained on alert for the missing men, but despite widespread rumors they might have survived the explosion, there was nothing to support the belief. Days, then weeks went by with no sightings, no further attacks, no unexplained activity in the New Orleans underground, and to everyone’s relief, no further attempts to breach the portals of Elvenrude or Cyrilia. Gradually both societies turned their attention to other activities.
Trystan became a frequent visitor in Elvenrude, and a treaty was written and signed between the two monarchies. When Trystan finally admitted to Seliwyn that poor planning and fading magic were destroying his home world, the king and his advisors offered assistance. Members of the Cyrilian assembly came to Elvenrude to study their crops and mining operations. Their mystics put their heads together to figure out how to make Cyrilia life supporting with the magic still available.
Appeals were eventually made to Elvenrude’s working classes—guildsmen, farmers, and miners—for volunteers to take their skills to Cyrilia for a year or two, or even permanently. They were offered shelter and wages. If Cyrilia became self-sustaining, workers would be offered small parcels of land. The Cyrilians seemed to be blending customs from their own world with those of both human and Elvenrude societies. With a healthy competition surfacing between the two elven worlds, Elvenrude might need to do some evolving of its own.
Kam wasn’t surprised when Bria decided to return home and help with the changes in Cyrilia. With portal access increasing between the two worlds so Cyrilians could purchase goods until they were self-supporting, she’d be able to visit as often as she liked.
The night before Bria was leaving, a good-bye dinner was held at Kam’s parents’ home. Kam sipped on her after-dinner wine and studied the faces around the table. Strange how cheerful everyone was. She’d expected tears at least from her mother and Esty.
Caleb pushed back his chair and stood. Kam waited for the usual farewell toast. Instead, he asked, “Kam, would you join me for a walk?”
What? Without Bria? What was this about? She tried to catch her mother’s gaze, but she looked away. Kam rose, almost apprehensive now, and followed him outside. They walked in silence for a couple of minutes. “Well, are you going to tell me or not?” she finally asked.
“I was thinking how many times we’ve walked like this, how often I’ve shared secrets with you.” He stopped and looked at her. “This is the biggest. I’m leaving Elvenrude. I’ve asked Bria to be my wife, and we’re going to Cyrilia together.”
After one moment of surprise, Kam threw her arms around his neck in an enthusiastic hug. “I’m so happy for both of you.” She stepped back. “But are you sure about living in Cyrilia? You’ve never wanted to stay Cityside for long or be away from Elvenrude.”
“I’m sure. I love her, Kam. I want to be wherever she is.”
“Spoken like the truly smitten. Well, it isn’t like you’ll be more than seconds away,” she said linking her arm through his. She tilted her chin to look up at him. “Why the private chat? Were you worried I’d cause a fuss?”
He cracked a smile. “No. I was certain you’d be happy for us. But you’re special to me. I wanted to do everything just right. No snags.”
She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “You’ve chosen the perfect wife. I rather love her myself.”
Bria’s departure was delayed three days so she and Caleb could arrive in Cyrilia as man and wife. The small, traditional wedding was held in a forest glen and witnessed by the Ryndel family, Caleb’s parents, Seth, Rhyden, and Trystan. At the end of the ceremony when the couple walked into the forest hand in hand, Kam waved good-bye and wiped the corner of her eye.
“Are you crying?” Seth asked, as they turned toward Brierwood. “I didn’t know you were sentimental about weddings.”
“It isn’t that. But I’ll miss seeing them all the time. I’d just gotten used to having a second sister, and now she’s gone.”
“Only seconds away.”
“I know.” She sighed. “I guess I am a little sentimental. It won’t be the same.”
“It can be hard when friends change, especially those we grew up with. I thought Trystan looked a little pensive.”
“Pensive? I don’t think so.” Kam flashed him a sudden grin. “I hear he’s getting along quite well with Princess Theanne.”
“Listening to palace gossip?” Seth furrowed his brow. “She’s a child.”
“She’s almost twenty-two. One year younger than Esty…and Rhyden doesn’t seem to consider her a child.”
He chuckled. “OK. I concede the point.”
They walked in companionable silence for a few minutes. “Do you think they’ll be happy?” she asked.
“Theanne and Trystan?”
She shook her head. “No, but that’s something to think about too.”
He stopped and frowned at her. “Not Rhyden and Esty? Do you think they’re that serious?”
She finally laughed. “Of course not. Well, not yet. I meant Caleb and Bria.”
“Oh. Well, then, yes.” Seth took her hand and resumed walking. “I think they’ll have a good life together. They love each other. Marriage was the next logical step.”
“Why logical? We’re in love, and we’re not married.”
He shot her an assessing glance. “Perhaps we should do something about that.”
“Why, Seth Lormarc.” She looked up at him. “Are you proposing?”
“And if I were?” His lips parted in a slow smile.
So very tempting.
He caught her face in both hands, holding her gaze until she met his kiss. A delicious shiver shot across her neck, and she pressed closer, twining her arms around him.
Kam finally lifted her head enough to brush soft kisses across his cheek and nibble on his ear. “I guess I’d have to give it some very serious thought,” she whispered.
A chuckle rumbled in his chest. He captured her lips again and deepened the kiss.
END
~ About the Author ~
Ally Shields grew up near the Mississippi River and remains fascinated with the rich cultures which sprang up along its banks.
After a career in law and juvenile justice, she turned to full time writing in 2009, and her first published books, the Guardian Witch series, were set on the cliffs of the upper Mississippi. In her second series, the Elvenrude Trilogy, she has taken her stories south to New Orleans where the Mississippi River empties into the ocean.
When not writing, she loves to travel in the US and abroad. She enjoys talking with readers and can be contacted through her website or social media.
Discover more about Ally Shields here
http://allyshields.com
http://allyshields.com/blog.html
http://facebook.com/AllyShieldsAuthor
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527209.Ally_Shields
http://twitter.com/ShieldsAlly
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100652807699295011703/posts
Coming Soon
Cross Keys: Unity (Book Three)
~ Also by Ally Shields ~
Cross Keys
An Elvenrude Novel
Ally Shields
Conspiracy, murde
r, and magic…and the death of all they hold dear.
When the first wanderer—a common elf who isn’t authorized to use the portal—is spotted on the streets of New Orleans, the king assigns Kameo Ryndel to assist in the elf’s capture. But before she can intervene, humans with guns shoot the wanderer and steal his body. When Seth Lormarc, an Elite elf from a rival guild, appears at the scene, Kam suspects he is involved.
Seth Lormarc is in New Orleans to find out who was behind the portal breach, and his best lead is the intriguing Kam Ryndel. When he stakes out her apartment and finds her sneaking out in the middle of the night, dressed in black and leaping to the top of the nearest building, he knows there’s something unique about the beautiful elf. That kind of feat requires magic. Ancient magic.
As their paths cross during their investigations, they develop an irresistible attraction, although there’s little time for romance. The portal breach is tied to an illegal smuggling operation that has come to the attention of the human CIA. But the stakes are raised when Kam and Seth discover a band of conspirators and a rebellion deep in Elvenrude that promises nothing except destruction of their world.
The Guardian Witch series
Awakening the Fire
Guardian Witch Book One
Ally Shields
Arianna Calin has sworn to keep the peace in Riverdale. Most of the Otherworlders prefer to haunt the Olde Town district--partying at vampire strip clubs, dining in elegant supper clubs, and inhabiting the cliffside caverns along the Mississippi. Being a cop is a tough job, but someone's gotta do it, and Ari's got her derringer, a sharp stiletto, and a few handy charms against things that hunt in the night. She's also a fire witch--a pedigree that comes in handy, since her partner's only human.
When a virtual reality drug hits the streets, people start to die, and an elusive pack of werewolves threatens the status quo. Ari and Ryan are drawn into a web of murder and evil that will lead sworn enemies to a confrontation. While the city simmers around them, Ari struggles to prevent an all-out supernatural war…
Fire Within
Guardian Witch Book Two
Ally Shields
A hidden evil stalks the city…
Ari Calin refuses to believe her human friend Eddie murdered a vampire—in spite of his confession. Her human partner Ryan thinks the case is a slam dunk, even though there’s no weapon and no witnesses, but Ari’s not about to let her friend take the rap without finding out more.
When Ari attends a charity event on the arm of a handsome werewolf, she finds someone she never expected to see again—Andreas De Luca, the charismatic vampire she used to date. When their eyes meet across the room, memories come rushing back. His kiss, his touch, a savage death…and a terrifying magical bond. A reconnection is the last thing she wants. Only by staying away and forgetting Andreas can she hope to avoid the Legend of Ramora.
But when vampires keep dying, one thing becomes clear: Riverdale has a serial killer on its hands, and Andreas could be next. Ari begins to fear there’s more to it, though. Something truly evil is stalking the city, waiting to take control…
Burning Both Ends
Guardian Witch Book Three
Ally Shields
Friend or lover. Life or death…
Supernatural cop Ari Calin arrives at the hostile Toronto vampire court with an ultimatum from the Riverdale vampires: Sebastian, Toronto’s vampire prince, must stop his unprovoked attacks—or else. Ari wasn’t expecting a fight—the “or else” was typical vampire grandstanding. But even with vampire Andreas De Luca by her side for a show of strength, things get ugly fast. Toronto’s vampire world is in crisis, and surrounded by enemies, Ari and Andreas find themselves under attack.
That’s when Ari gets the call from the Magic Council ordering her home. Steffan, a good friend and leader of Riverdale's werewolves, has gone missing during top secret negotiations with the US government, and is believed to have been kidnapped—or killed.
Andreas can't abandon the Toronto vampires, and Ari can’t leave him to face impossible odds alone. But neither can she disobey her orders from the Council, or leave her friend Steffan to be tortured and killed. Ari's loyalties pull her in two directions—the closest thing to love she’s ever known on one side, and friendship and duty on the other. If she can stay alive long enough for the choice to matter…
Blood and Fire
Guardian Witch Book Four
Ally Shields
A dead body, black magic, and a vampire enforcer...
Ari thought her biggest problem was deciding if she should move in with her vampire boyfriend, Andreas. That was before they found the dead body at the bottom of the Riverdale cliffs. And before she realized he'd been cursed by black magic.
Just as she begins the murder investigation, the vampire rulers in Europe send an enforcer to make inquiries into the recent defeat of the Toronto vampire prince. While Andreas has taken responsibility for the brutal dictator’s death, there is much about the incident that he and Ari must keep to themselves—secrets the vampire elders would stop at nothing to learn.
With threats of retaliation hanging over their heads, Ari moves into Andreas’s Victorian mansion—for safety’s sake—while the enforcer begins a campaign of terror. Ari is caught between competing dangers and challenges: black magic, a ghost, a missing Native American artifact…not to mention a new roommate…all while trying to stay alive…
Fire Storm
Guardian Witch Book Five
Ally Shields
Sometimes you just need to stay alive to fight another day.
Six months ago Ari moved in with the vampire prince Andreas. They defied the vampire elders in Europe, killed their enforcer, and have waited for retaliation that never came.
Until now.
On a trip to Italy, Andreas is captured by the vampire rulers, the notorious O-Seven, and taken in chains to their stronghold in Germany. Ari goes after him, even though it’s against the orders of her Magic Council. She is fired for her actions, losing her special Guardian powers at a time she needs them most.
But the vampire rulers are not through with her or with those who attempt to help her. They launch attacks in Europe and at home in Riverdale. Ari is forced to fight them on several fronts, and victory grows increasingly uncertain.
Her last chance to rescue Andreas is a daring plan that places her in the hands of the O-Seven and relies on untested witch magic, the final hope for their survival.
Wild Fire
Guardian Witch Book Six
Ally Shields
A vision. A lost talisman. A dangerous journey through time...
A month after their bonding, Ari and Andreas are still adjusting to married life when they learn the hard way that the O-Seven, the terrifying and brutal vampire elders, still have them in their sights. A three million dollar bounty hangs over each of their heads, and there’s no lack of assassins eager to collect.
When the local seer has a terrifying vision of the destruction of Riverdale, it’s up to Ari—as usual—to keep everyone safe. Only this time, an enemy from the past has bound her fire powers, and the city’s string of arsons seems connected.
Daron, the vampire prince in Toronto, has information that two of the vampire elders are on their way to Riverdale. Which can’t be good. Only a risky and unprecedented journey through time can provide the help they need. But that will leave Andreas to face the O-Seven alone...
Eternal Fires
Guardian Witch Book Seven
Ally Shields
It started with the murder of a stranger. Then the crows appeared…
Ari and Andreas know the O-Seven will never leave them alone. Ari is carrying Andreas's mortal child, but the vampire elders are convinced the child will be the first vampire baby and are out to posses it. Or kill it. Either way, Ari and Andreas will do anything to keep their unborn child safe, even if it means Ari has to go into hiding and leave Andreas exposed to the O-Seven alone.
But then the O-Seven
call on the Mahmo magic that can turn an elder into a winged killer, and each time Ari runs, they find her again. The only way to protect their child's future is to defeat the O-Seven, once and for all. And to do that, Ari will have to face the elders head-on in their castle stronghold deep in Germany's Black Forest…
Valentines Heat I
Ally Shields, Nessie Strange, Keith Melton, CL Bledsoe
"Heart's Pride" by Ally Shields
Author of The Guardian Witch Series
When their wedding is ruined by a werepanther attack, Katrina is left hospitalized and Blane is just...gone. But when he finally finds his way back to Riverdale, he learns he's not the only one who's been tracking Katrina...
"Lost Soul, Lost Love" by Nessie Strange
The Living Dead World Series
It's Jen MacLellan's first trip back to earth as a new reaper, and Mardi Gras is in full swing. When she happens upon Chip, a partier stuck in a perpetual 1983, Jen decides to help him find the woman he loves so he can move on. Assuming all goes well when he finds her...
"Red Dogs" by Keith Melton
The Zero Dog Mission Series
Mercenary pyromancer Andrea Walker has just saved the world from bloodthirsty hagworms and is late for her Valentine's date with Jake. Until she hears that Jake has already left her house...with her...