Dark Secrets
Authors: Shona Husk
Dark Secrets
By Shona Husk
Six years ago, Haidyn Mast left his home and his betrothed Anisa to follow his magical calling. Too weak to join the Arcane Guild and too ashamed to return home, he has made a life as a prostitute—to all outward appearances. In truth, he sells his mind but not his body, using magic to let his clients experience their most secret fantasies while his hands stay clean. Even the Lawman, the arbiter of justice in Reseda, is one of his clients, but Haidyn would rather not know the extent of that man’s depravity.
Though successful, Haidyn is shunned as a whore and his lack of formal training is causing his power to grow out of control. He’s ready to retire and leave the city, but when he sees his Anisa standing at the Lawman’s side, he knows he must rescue her from the abusive enforcer. Risking his life and his sanity, he devises a plan, knowing that failure will mean death for him, and a lifetime of torment for her…
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35,000 words
Dear Reader,
This February, we decided that we would do something a little different for the month that usually celebrates Valentine’s Day. Not everything always needs to be hearts and roses—sometimes it can be swords, mayhem and spaceships as well—so we’re using this month to not only debut new science fiction and fantasy authors and series, but also to reintroduce some returning authors in these genres. And, of course, since we’re a publisher of variety, we have even more genres on offer this month.
Debut author Steve Vera brings us
Drynn
, book one in his Last of the Shardyn urban fantasy trilogy. The heroes of two worlds reluctantly join forces to fight the Lord of the Underworld. Joining Steve in the urban fantasy category is David Bridger, returning with his sequel to
Quarter
Square
.
Golden
Triangle
is the story of a golden man, werewolf bikers and two nemeses.
How
Beauty
Saved
the
Beast
is the second book in Jax Garren’s continuing science fiction romance trilogy, and the sexual tension is ramping up! A burlesque dancer and a scarred soldier defend a colony of anarchists as friends and fellow agents, but when a new weapon threatens to rip them apart, sparks fly as the dancer must take the lead in a fight for the soldier’s life. Don’t miss the trilogy’s conclusion in May.
Returning authors Stacy Gail, Inez Kelley, Shona Husk and Christopher Beats all deliver their respective book twos this month, all in four different genres. Don’t miss paranormal romance
Savage
Angel
, fantasy romance
Time
Dancer
, Western fantasy romance
Dark
Secrets
and steampunk mystery
Vacant
Graves
.
Also in February, author Shawna Thomas launches her newest fantasy series with
Journey
of
Awakening
. Trained from birth for one purpose, Sara must reunite three ancient stones to restore balance to the land, but one of the stone keepers has other plans.
Longing for a heroine who’s not your typical heroine? Have an interest in a unique fairy tale retelling? Tia Nevitt delivers both in her latest Accidental Enchantments offering,
The
Magic
Mirror
and
the
Seventh
Dwarf
, a
Snow
White
retelling where the seventh dwarf is a young woman who walks into adventure with a runaway princess, a prince cursed by a magic mirror, and a romance of her own.
Last, but definitely not least, are our February offerings for those of you who want to read outside of science fiction, fantasy and paranormal. Mystery author Monique Domovitch joins Carina Press with
Getting
Skinny
, the first in her Chef Landry Mystery series. Charlie Cochrane delivers another heart-wrenching tale of love in male/male historical
Promises
Made
Under
Fire
. And cool Southern belle Althea Grant’s subdued life as an art gallery owner burns out of control when a seductive bad-boy metal sculptor pushes her to explore her deepest, most thrilling desires in
Platinum
, Jeffe Kennedy’s newest BDSM erotic romance book.
We’re pleased to introduce debut author Darcy Daniel with her contemporary romance
Playing
the
Part
. Famous actress Anthea Cane meets her match when she encounters an enigmatic blind farmer…but has she also met the man of her dreams?
And despite my claim that not everything has to be hearts and roses, I’m still a die-hard romantic, so I hope all of you discover an amazing happily ever after this Valentine’s Day, whether between the pages of a Carina Press book or channel surfing on the couch next to you.
We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to
[email protected]
. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.
Happy reading!
~Angela James
Executive Editor, Carina Press
www.carinapress.com
www.twitter.com/carinapress
www.facebook.com/carinapress
Contents
The Decihall
Service is its own reward.
Mistakes are the decisions that seemed like a good idea at the time. But years later they come back to haunt like a breath that never reached the afterland. Which is how I was destined to end up when I died—wandering aimlessly, forever denied the Lords’ grace because I didn’t have a trade.
Whores don’t get trade papers from any of the ten Lords. No Union wants us. It doesn’t bother me most days. The Arcane Lord I was born to serve refused me entrance to His Union, so now I use my magic to serve myself; or rather, whoever is throwing down the coin. It’s better than thieving and I have a comfortable life, if not an honest or entirely pleasant one.
I buttoned up my dark purple coat, which I’d bought with my tongue firmly in cheek since it was almost black, the color of the Arcane Lord. Around the cuff and collar was a pale pink band that gradually faded into the purple. It had been fashionable two years ago. Still, it didn’t seem right to wear my favorite red silk coat to the Decihall before noon. Usually I didn’t bother going; I’m not allowed in because of my occupation.
If I’d been a thief I’d have been in the same situation—no trade, no Lord, no entrance to the Decihall. Between the two choices, whoring had seemed like the better option; a little magic and they thought they were getting a good time while I pocketed their coin.
I combed my hair and tied it back—it was too long to be fashionable for a man but I didn’t care—then ran my hand along my jaw. There was a day’s worth of stubble. I might shave tonight before the clients arrived, as most preferred a smoother cheek. After a final glance at my reflection I put on my hat and went downstairs, looking like any dapper gentleman with too much coin to spend.
“You can’t stay away, can you, Haidyn?” Korene looked up from the books that tallied our takings and spendings. She had a mind for numbers, and the truth, that we kept quiet from the Arcane Union. We kept each other’s secrets well.
A smile curved my lips. “He can’t stay away from me either. I just want a peek at his new bride.” And to offer a prayer for her, even though the Lords wouldn’t listen to the likes of me.
“Let’s hope she’s luckier than the last one,” she said with a knowing nod.
Revulsion slithered over my skin like greasy pot water. I knew too well what went on in the Lawman’s mind. I saw the places he thought well hidden, and they were not pretty.
I was used to seeing people’s fantasies and fetishes. Generally folk fall within a range, but a few tip the scales into places I’d rather not venture. Brixen Saw, the Lawman, was one of them and unfortunately he came to see me once a ten-night. If he’d been anyone else I’d have barred him from visiting, but refusing the Lawman would be like knotting my own noose.
I poured myself a half glass of golden bizum and downed it in one swallow. I didn’t dare take a wander through town without dampening my magic first. Korene watched without saying anything. She understood my battle, but not even she knew how bad it was. While I didn’t know what I was going to do yet, I had to do something, as I couldn’t live like this anymore. These days it was hard to tell where my thoughts ended and someone else’s began. I needed peace and a sleep undisturbed by other people’s desires. To be loved for who I was, not what I could do, but I’d thrown it away six years ago because of foolish, prideful youth.
I tossed Korene a smile, pulled my dark red gloves out of my pocket and tugged them on. Finely stitched kid leather, but even they didn’t protect me anymore. Without training, my power had grown to the point where I could make the whole of Reseda smile with a thought—not that I’d tried, but I was sure I could. As an afterthought I had a second shot of bizum. I’d rather be a little drunk than swamped by others’ thoughts.
There weren’t too many people on the street when I left the Red Lust House. They’d all be at the Decihall doing exactly what I was about to try and do. People looked at me, but their gaze slid away without catching. It was amazing how many people knew me, or of me, yet how few would look me in the eye and smile. But I wasn’t bothered by the usual snubs, and if they stayed away I wouldn’t risk an accidental touch that would give me more of an insight into their being than I needed. While I could sense their emotions from a distance, touch deepened the connection and my hold on their mind.
Today the liquor warmed my blood and dulled the edges. Even still I felt the pressure of other folks’ thoughts as if they were trying to push their way in. I took a breath and focused on my thoughts, then moved forward off the spoke road and onto the ring road around the Decihall. Every town had one. Decihalls were the center of life for naming days, marriages, funerals and where people would come and give public thanks to their Lord.
There were ten sides on the building, one for each Lord. And the Decihall at the center of Reseda was beautiful. Stained glass windows adorned each side. At night it was illuminated by ten lightning boxes. A show of wealth and power. Reseda had more lightning boxes than most towns because the Arcane Union was putting on a show. The Free Arcane Association didn’t care; they operated under the Union’s nose.
Last spring a Union Bounty Hunter had taken out several key FAA Rogues before being killed. Shot, something the Union had tried to keep quiet because the Arcane were supposed to be immune to bullets, but everyone knew. The FAA made sure of that. Since then Reseda had been smoking like oil waiting to catch alight. Summer had brought riots and autumn tension that was waiting to break. Something had to snap soon. Hopefully not my mind.
I kept to the edge of the crowd while my gaze skimmed over the people; it was a habit I’d formed during my few months of living on the streets. It paid to know who was around you and what they were up to. Amongst the bright coats were a few black ones. Black, or the absence of color, was only worn by the Arcane or Arcane sympathizers. They looked like dots of mold. Members of the FAA blended in with everyone else. I knew some of them because they came to my lust house too. Ah, the people I saw with their pants down. And the secrets I knew. People’s minds were like an open book if one stopped to read—the difference was I could change the writing and make them believe all manner of things.
