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Authors: Shelley Munro
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long time, Keira.”
Not long enough as far as she was concerned.
“What do you want?”
“Invite me in, Keira.”
“No.” Grata! Did she look stupid? If she obeyed him, he’d step into her sitting room. “You are not welcome in my home. You are not welcome on this planet. You are not welcome in my life.”
His dark caramel-colored features tightened, his displeasure clear even with the flicker of the magical flames licking across his skin. “I will have you, Keira.”
“No! That’s sick. We share blood.”
“I never forget a slight, my lovely Keira. You will pay, and I will have you.”
In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Hortese and gestured her to stay.
“Who’s there?” Razvan demanded.
“No one,” Keira said quickly. Too quickly.
“No matter. You won’t escape me a second time.”
Cristo , he meant that. Her heart ventricles thudded extra hard against the wall of her chest. Fear made her want to run to the kitchen for water to douse the flames and her half-brother’s mocking face.
Razvan Cronan was the oldest son of Xavier Cronan, the man who was head of the House of Cawdor and also her father. Not that she’d ever had much to do with either while growing up. When Xavier visited her mother, Keira had always been under the charge of her nurse and instructed to keep away.
She hadn’t even known she had half-brothers until she reached eighteen cycles and had attended a celebration ball in Cawdor Square. She gritted her teeth, thrust back in memories and none of them good.
“Our father is dead.”
“What?”
“I am in charge of the House now.” A mocking smile curled across his lips before his face blinked out and the flames reduced to their normal state of pink and purple. Outside, the storm ceased as rapidly as it had started.
It took long moments before she could force her legs to move. Her knees quivered so much they buckled, and she slumped onto the gel-couch.
“Who was that?” Hortese demanded.
“Razvan, my half-brother.”
Hortese hissed and her entire body vibrated. Her pink eyes glowed and her hair tendrils bristled. “Despoiler.”
He was all that and more and very, very dangerous.
“Yes. We must take care. Use every precaution. I will speak to Hilda and Melvyn. No matter what requests, what orders or pleas he uses we must refuse his requests to enter this house.”
“We’re lucky he didn’t appear while the prince was present,” Hortese said.
A chill sped over her skin, leaving a series of green bumps pebbled on her limbs. Fear left her lightheaded. The idea of Razvan learning of Jarlath’s visit and hurting the prince. If he’d witnessed their kiss…
“Can we purchase a spell to keep him away?” Hortese asked.
“Yes, we’ll need protection and repulsion spells. The strongest we can buy. I’m sure he’s spying on us.”
Something else to worry about. If Razvan was able to spy on her, she was in big trouble. Panic unfurled in her belly, spreading with each rapid beat of her heart ventricles. She could leave—no! He would not drive her from her home as he had done in the past.
Hortese touched Keira’s arm to gain her attention. “What do you want to do?”
“Now that the storm has passed, we could take the flymo and attend the night market. We might be able to find the spell or at least order the spell from one of the market stalls dealing with magical charms.”
“All right, and meantime, we should all wear a sprig of evil-eye herb on our person. Razvan’s magic is strong to travel between the planets,” Hortese said.
Keira sighed, Hortese’s unease a palpable thing, which ran parallel with her own fears. “It’s worth a try. Please com Melvyn and ask if he wants to accompany us. He might like to have a drink at the Cat’s Arms with his friends.”
“We should take Hilda too,” Hortese said. “She likes to visit her sister. We don’t know if the despot might try to return.”
Keira heaved a hard sigh. Razvan was a
Not long enough as far as she was concerned.
“What do you want?”
“Invite me in, Keira.”
“No.” Grata! Did she look stupid? If she obeyed him, he’d step into her sitting room. “You are not welcome in my home. You are not welcome on this planet. You are not welcome in my life.”
His dark caramel-colored features tightened, his displeasure clear even with the flicker of the magical flames licking across his skin. “I will have you, Keira.”
“No! That’s sick. We share blood.”
“I never forget a slight, my lovely Keira. You will pay, and I will have you.”
In her peripheral vision, she caught sight of Hortese and gestured her to stay.
“Who’s there?” Razvan demanded.
“No one,” Keira said quickly. Too quickly.
“No matter. You won’t escape me a second time.”
Cristo , he meant that. Her heart ventricles thudded extra hard against the wall of her chest. Fear made her want to run to the kitchen for water to douse the flames and her half-brother’s mocking face.
Razvan Cronan was the oldest son of Xavier Cronan, the man who was head of the House of Cawdor and also her father. Not that she’d ever had much to do with either while growing up. When Xavier visited her mother, Keira had always been under the charge of her nurse and instructed to keep away.
She hadn’t even known she had half-brothers until she reached eighteen cycles and had attended a celebration ball in Cawdor Square. She gritted her teeth, thrust back in memories and none of them good.
“Our father is dead.”
“What?”
“I am in charge of the House now.” A mocking smile curled across his lips before his face blinked out and the flames reduced to their normal state of pink and purple. Outside, the storm ceased as rapidly as it had started.
It took long moments before she could force her legs to move. Her knees quivered so much they buckled, and she slumped onto the gel-couch.
“Who was that?” Hortese demanded.
“Razvan, my half-brother.”
Hortese hissed and her entire body vibrated. Her pink eyes glowed and her hair tendrils bristled. “Despoiler.”
He was all that and more and very, very dangerous.
“Yes. We must take care. Use every precaution. I will speak to Hilda and Melvyn. No matter what requests, what orders or pleas he uses we must refuse his requests to enter this house.”
“We’re lucky he didn’t appear while the prince was present,” Hortese said.
A chill sped over her skin, leaving a series of green bumps pebbled on her limbs. Fear left her lightheaded. The idea of Razvan learning of Jarlath’s visit and hurting the prince. If he’d witnessed their kiss…
“Can we purchase a spell to keep him away?” Hortese asked.
“Yes, we’ll need protection and repulsion spells. The strongest we can buy. I’m sure he’s spying on us.”
Something else to worry about. If Razvan was able to spy on her, she was in big trouble. Panic unfurled in her belly, spreading with each rapid beat of her heart ventricles. She could leave—no! He would not drive her from her home as he had done in the past.
Hortese touched Keira’s arm to gain her attention. “What do you want to do?”
“Now that the storm has passed, we could take the flymo and attend the night market. We might be able to find the spell or at least order the spell from one of the market stalls dealing with magical charms.”
“All right, and meantime, we should all wear a sprig of evil-eye herb on our person. Razvan’s magic is strong to travel between the planets,” Hortese said.
Keira sighed, Hortese’s unease a palpable thing, which ran parallel with her own fears. “It’s worth a try. Please com Melvyn and ask if he wants to accompany us. He might like to have a drink at the Cat’s Arms with his friends.”
“We should take Hilda too,” Hortese said. “She likes to visit her sister. We don’t know if the despot might try to return.”
Keira heaved a hard sigh. Razvan was a
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