Read Online Darlings of Paranormal Romance (Anthology) by Chrissy Peebles - Free Book Online
Authors: Chrissy Peebles
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throughout the braids in her
long ebony hair. Magna was looking at her reflection in the large
shiny bronze disc that hung on the wall in front of her.
Crehon knew just how lucky he was to
have such a beautiful woman to call his.
“ I’m finished, your
highness. Is there anything else you require of me?” the young
woman asked.
“ No, I’m fine. Thank you.
You may go now,” Magna responded as she stood up to walk over to
her husband.
The
servant left the room, silently bowing her head at Crehon as she
walked by him, and then quickly closing the thickly carved wooden
door behind her as if she couldn’t get out of the room fast
enough. Odd, he
thought. It wasn’t her normal behavior.
Embracing him, Magna whispered in his
ear, “You were gone when I woke up this morning. Where did you go?
I was lonely.”
Having not quite worked up the courage
to tell her the truth, he answered. “I went to the beach to see the
sun rise across the ocean.” He looked away guiltily and steeled
himself.
“ Magna, there is something
I need to discuss—,”
“ Before you tell me what
you need to, there’s something I have to tell you as
well.
“ What is it?”
“ I’m worried about
Carnaxa,” she said as she released her hold on him and walked over
to sit down on one of the chaises.
“ Why is that?”
“ My sister has been acting
strange lately. Late last night while you were gone for your walk,
I saw her sneaking out of the temple. She was walking so fast I
couldn’t catch up to her to ask her where she was going at such an
ungodly hour. She wasn’t in her chamber this morning
either.”
Crehon had caught a quick glimpse of
Carnaxa spying on him from behind one of the columns in the
temple’s atrium during his meeting with Hektor. He hadn’t thought
much of it at the time.
She was a vibrant young lady, with no
suitors in her life, at least none that were serious. He just
assumed she was innocently ogling Hektor’s good looks.
Surely
Carnaxa had not been with Hektor? Though he was certainly blessed
by Aphrodite, he wouldn’t have had time to seduce her, would
he? Doubts swirled through his mind. He
would get to the bottom of Carnaxa’s disappearance at once. The
security of the Empire could be at stake.
“ Don’t worry about your
sister. I will have one of my men keep an eye on her and report her
whereabouts directly to me.”
“ Thank
you my amora, love . Now what did you want to tell me?” she reminded
him.
He closed his eyes briefly, inhaled
deeply and let out a long breath through his nostrils. The moment
he’d been dreading had finally arrived.
He walked over and sat next to her on
the chaise, taking her hands in his. He looked directly in her eyes
and saw her love reflected back at him.
“ I have something important
I need to tell you,” he said seriously.
“ You’re scaring me. What is
it? Is it my sister?”
“ No. No, it’s not your
sister,” he assured her. “What I have to discuss with you is far
greater than that.”
Her worried eyes searched his
face.
“ Last night when I left the
temple while you slept, it was because one of the guards sent a
messenger to notify me of an unannounced ship that had arrived in
our port.”
Magna’s eyes narrowed at the
realization of his lie. “Is this when you said you went for your
‘walk?’”
“ Yes. Not knowing what was
going on, I didn’t want to worry you.”
“ So you decided lying to me
was the better choice?”
“ Yes,” he repeated sternly.
“Please listen and let me explain. The ambassador from Cythera was
on the ship. He came here to deliver a message from Emperor
Ethos.”
He paused waiting to see her
reaction.
“ What— what was the
message?” He could hear her trying to restrain the panic in her
voice.
“ He has issued an
ultimatum. I must either allow Atlantis to join forces with him
under his rule or he will call us to war. The fleet carrying his
warriors has already set sail. If I agree to the
long ebony hair. Magna was looking at her reflection in the large
shiny bronze disc that hung on the wall in front of her.
Crehon knew just how lucky he was to
have such a beautiful woman to call his.
“ I’m finished, your
highness. Is there anything else you require of me?” the young
woman asked.
“ No, I’m fine. Thank you.
You may go now,” Magna responded as she stood up to walk over to
her husband.
The
servant left the room, silently bowing her head at Crehon as she
walked by him, and then quickly closing the thickly carved wooden
door behind her as if she couldn’t get out of the room fast
enough. Odd, he
thought. It wasn’t her normal behavior.
Embracing him, Magna whispered in his
ear, “You were gone when I woke up this morning. Where did you go?
I was lonely.”
Having not quite worked up the courage
to tell her the truth, he answered. “I went to the beach to see the
sun rise across the ocean.” He looked away guiltily and steeled
himself.
“ Magna, there is something
I need to discuss—,”
“ Before you tell me what
you need to, there’s something I have to tell you as
well.
“ What is it?”
“ I’m worried about
Carnaxa,” she said as she released her hold on him and walked over
to sit down on one of the chaises.
“ Why is that?”
“ My sister has been acting
strange lately. Late last night while you were gone for your walk,
I saw her sneaking out of the temple. She was walking so fast I
couldn’t catch up to her to ask her where she was going at such an
ungodly hour. She wasn’t in her chamber this morning
either.”
Crehon had caught a quick glimpse of
Carnaxa spying on him from behind one of the columns in the
temple’s atrium during his meeting with Hektor. He hadn’t thought
much of it at the time.
She was a vibrant young lady, with no
suitors in her life, at least none that were serious. He just
assumed she was innocently ogling Hektor’s good looks.
Surely
Carnaxa had not been with Hektor? Though he was certainly blessed
by Aphrodite, he wouldn’t have had time to seduce her, would
he? Doubts swirled through his mind. He
would get to the bottom of Carnaxa’s disappearance at once. The
security of the Empire could be at stake.
“ Don’t worry about your
sister. I will have one of my men keep an eye on her and report her
whereabouts directly to me.”
“ Thank
you my amora, love . Now what did you want to tell me?” she reminded
him.
He closed his eyes briefly, inhaled
deeply and let out a long breath through his nostrils. The moment
he’d been dreading had finally arrived.
He walked over and sat next to her on
the chaise, taking her hands in his. He looked directly in her eyes
and saw her love reflected back at him.
“ I have something important
I need to tell you,” he said seriously.
“ You’re scaring me. What is
it? Is it my sister?”
“ No. No, it’s not your
sister,” he assured her. “What I have to discuss with you is far
greater than that.”
Her worried eyes searched his
face.
“ Last night when I left the
temple while you slept, it was because one of the guards sent a
messenger to notify me of an unannounced ship that had arrived in
our port.”
Magna’s eyes narrowed at the
realization of his lie. “Is this when you said you went for your
‘walk?’”
“ Yes. Not knowing what was
going on, I didn’t want to worry you.”
“ So you decided lying to me
was the better choice?”
“ Yes,” he repeated sternly.
“Please listen and let me explain. The ambassador from Cythera was
on the ship. He came here to deliver a message from Emperor
Ethos.”
He paused waiting to see her
reaction.
“ What— what was the
message?” He could hear her trying to restrain the panic in her
voice.
“ He has issued an
ultimatum. I must either allow Atlantis to join forces with him
under his rule or he will call us to war. The fleet carrying his
warriors has already set sail. If I agree to the
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