He drew in a shaky breath and memorized every curve, every angle, every line and plane of her gorgeous face so he could call it up whenever he needed. For the rest of his life. No matter how long that may be.
“I love you, thea. Only you.”
Two tears spilled over her sooty lashes to slide down her creamy skin.
“Zander,” the king announced in a hard tone from above, breaking their bittersweet moment, “this binding ceremony will go on as scheduled. You cannot stop it. My daughter will be bound today. Acacia,” he barked at his side.
“What?” Casey said next to him, irritation coating her words as well.
“Find something more appropriate for Callia to wear. Even though I can’t see her, I know how she dresses. She can’t have her binding ceremony in commoner’s clothing.”
Callia’s eyes grew wide. And hope, just the tiniest shred, slivered its way into Zander’s chest. They both looked up at the king.
“Contrary to what you all think,” the king said with a scowl, “I’m not a heartless bastard. I still believe sacrifice is necessary, but not at the expense of one daughter over another.”
Lucian stepped up next to the king then, peering over the banister with a less-than-thrilled expression on his face.
“After much debate,” the king went on, “Lord Lucian has finally agreed to recognize Maximus as a legitimate heir to the throne, until such time as Isadora produces her own heir. Acacia, go tell your sister she was just granted a reprieve. At least until I figure out what in Hades to do with her.”
A wide grin swept across Casey’s face. She shot a look at Theron, who was also smiling, before she darted off toward Isadora’s rooms.
Zander whipped back to Callia. And though excitement flared in his veins, he tamped it down because there was still one matter left unaddressed.
“Oh, my gods,” Callia whispered.
“Thea.” He gripped her arms. “You don’t have to do what he commands. I won’t let him dictate your life the way he does Isadora’s. It has to be your choice. If you don’t want—”
She threw her arms around his neck and pressed her mouth to his. And when she eased back, her smile beamed. “I want you. I’ve always only ever wanted you. Zander, bind yourself to me. To us,” she corrected, glancing at Max, still standing with Titus, smiling himself. “Today. Right now. We’ll figure everything else out later.”
His chest filled to bursting. Only this time, it was happiness, not rage, that consumed him. And he knew it always would be. “Ah, thea,” he said softly, closing his arms around her and drawing her tight against him. “I don’t need a ceremony to tell me what I already know. Our lives have been entwined from the very start. Do you think I could ever choose anyone but you?”
Her victory smile widened. “No, thank the Fates, you can’t.” She leaned in to kiss him. “And I won’t ever let you. You’re mine, Guardian. Forever.”
He smiled himself as his lips met hers. “It’s about damn time.”
Eternal Guardians Lexicon
ándras; pl. ándres—Male Argolean.
agkelos—Term of endearment; angel.
Argolea—Realm established by Zeus for the blessed heroes and their descendants.
Argonauts—Eternal guardian warriors who protect Argolea. In every generation, one from the original seven bloodlines (Heracles, Achilles, Jason, Odysseus, Perseus, Theseus, and Bellerophon) is chosen to continue the guardian tradition.
Council of Elders—Twelve lords of Argolea who advise the king
daemons—Beasts who were once human, recruited from the Fields of Asphodel (purgatory) by Atalanta to join her army.
élencho—Mind-control technique Argonauts use on humans
Fields of Asphodel—Purgatory
gigia—Grandmother
gynaíka; pl. gynaíkes—Female Argolean
Horae—Three goddesses of balance controlling life and order
Isles of the Blessed—Heaven
ilithios—Idiot
matéras—Mother
meli—Term of endearment; beloved.
Medean witches—Covens in the mountains of Argolea that follow the teachings and traditions of Medea
Misos—Half-human/half-Argolean race that lives hidden among humans
ochi—No
oraios—Beautiful
Orb of Krónos—Four-chambered disk with the power to release the Titans from Tartarus
patéras pl. patéres—Father
rompa—Ancient red robe worn by members of the Argolean Council
skata—Swearword
syzygos—Wife
Tartarus—Realm of the Underworld similar to hell
thea—Term of endearment; goddess.
yios—Son
Rave Reviews for Elisabeth Naughton!
MARKED
“Gripping, dangerous, and sinfully sexy, Marked is a top-notch read! Elisabeth Naughton combines dynamic dialogue and sizzling romance with a wicked cool world. Do NOT miss this series!”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Larissa Ione
“The sensuality of Sherrilyn Kenyon and the intensity of Patricia Briggs. Naughton’s foray into paranormals is deep, dark and sexy as hell.”
—New York Times Bestselling Author Angie Fox
STOLEN SEDUCTION
“This third book in the Stolen series is full of intrigue, secrets and undeniable love with characters you can’t get enough of…An awesome read!”
—Fresh Fiction
“Stolen Seduction kept me entertained. It was a fast-paced suspense read that had me guessing.”
—All About Romance
“An adventurous story of twists and turns, this story will keep you guessing until the very end. And the chemistry between Hailey and Shane is sizzling hot. Naughton combines passion and danger in one fast-paced story.”
—News and Sentinel
STOLEN HEAT
“Stolen Heat is an awesome combination of deadly suspense, edgy action and a wonderful romance with characters that you’ll laugh, cry and yell with.”
—Night Owl Romance
“Ms. Naughton hooks you with characters way too human to be perfect, and plotlines that are delivered with laserlike precision.”
—Coffee Time Romance
“Ms. Naughton offers readers an intense read with nonstop action, suspense, and sizzling chemistry.”
—Darque Reviews
“This book has got it all: an adventure that keeps you turning the pages, an irresistible hero, and a smoking romance.”
—All About Romance
“Stolen Heat is a very well-written romantic suspense with excitement and intrigue on every page. I fell in love with the characters and their witty personalities. A great read!”
—Fresh Fiction
STOLEN FURY
“Wow, what a roller coaster ride! Naughton nails her debut with a hot hero, a sassy heroine and a plot with more twists than a pretzel! Well done!”
—Karin Tabke, author of Jaded
“A rock solid debut…Naughton’s intelligent adventure plot is intensified by the blazing heat that builds from Lisa and Rafe’s first erotic encounter.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Naughton deftly distills deadly intrigue, high adrenaline action, and scorchingly hot passion into a perfectly constructed novel of romantic suspense.”
—Chicago Tribune
“…Naughton creates an action-packed and satisfying story line. She also delivers one very charming and sexy hero—with a heart of gold.”
—RT Book Reviews
“This is an exciting romantic suspense thriller that starts off hot and…from there turns up the heat and the action.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Elisabeth Naughton can spin a tale to captivate the reader and take them for a ride.”
—Coffee Time Romance
Other Love Spell books by Elisabeth Naughton:
Eternal Guardians Series
MARKED
&
nbsp; Stolen Series
STOLEN FURY
STOLEN HEAT
STOLEN SEDUCTION
Copyright
LOVE SPELL®
August 2010
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2010 by Elisabeth Naughton
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E-ISBN: 978-1-4285-0915-3
The name “Love Spell” and its logo are trademarks of Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
Visit us online at www.dorchesterpub.com.
Elisabeth Naughton, Entwined
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