Flickering Light (Return To Avalore Book 0)

Flickering Light

Copyright

Dedication

Flickering Light

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Flickering Light

Prequel to Book 1 in the Return to Avalore Series

By

Élianne Adams

Copyright
© 2014 by Élianne Adams

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

Cover Art by
Fantasia Frog Designs

ISBN
978-0-9939003-2-7 
(EPUB)

Dedication

There are few people in this world who will ever stand by you and support you quite like your parents. My dad was an avid reader. He’s the one who really made me love reading. Though romance would never have been choice of genre, he would have been the loudest one cheering me on in my writing journey. He introduced me to a life full of wonder, and from there my imagination took flight. I will always be grateful to him for that.

To my mom, my rock, thank you for always being there and encouraging me to follow my dreams. Whatever life throws at us, we will weather it together. Love you so much!

Flickering Light

Wailing, loud and incessant, ripped Barbara from her sleep. Somewhere close by, someone had lost the battle and succumbed to the darkness. When would it all end? The mournful sound tore at her heart, shredding it as hot tears trickled down her cheeks. She tried to block it out, to ignore the angry roars and shouts coming from the street below, but it blasted through her home, through her. It stabbed at her resolve, rendering it useless as the misery swooped in once more.

Just a few hours ago, she had been contemplating doing the exact same thing—leaving this life behind in the hope of finding peace in the next. She couldn’t think of facing another day, or week, or month without pain crushing her chest and stealing her breath. It would be so easy to let go, to escape to a place where the light of their people shone through and the pain engulfing her didn't exist, but she couldn’t, not yet. She’d given her word.

Stumbling to her window, Barbara peered across the street. Mrs. Erikson fell to her knees, sobbing in her front yard. They didn’t deserve this. None of them did. Mr. and Mrs. Erikson were good people. They worked hard to keep their home open and inviting. They hosted gatherings in the hopes of spreading joy to those who could no longer see light, yet the darkness had found its way into their home as well.

No one was immune to it. They would all surrender; each one of them would fall. Too many years without their queen’s light to balance the creatures within sent them spiraling into darkness. Very few, if any, would find their way back once the creatures themselves gave up the fight to go on.

Slamming her window shut, Barbara turned away. She couldn’t bear to think which of the Erikson’s three daughters had fallen prey to the encroaching evil, which of the young lives had been cut short by the senselessness of it all.

She couldn’t stay. Hearing the wails of the grieving and knowing there was little anyone could do to ease their suffering had her tumbling to the edge of her will. And she was already far too close. Grabbing her wrap, Barbara headed out the door. She didn’t bother to dress, or even put shoes on her feet. None of that mattered. Acceptance would be hers if she knocked on Clay’s door, regardless of the time of night, or her state of undress. He would take her in and keep the madness from swallowing her whole.

Gathering energy beneath her, she rose from the ground and turned from the people across the way, hoping to find a measure of comfort from the one person left in this world who still cared, even a little, about her. Maybe
he
could coax her dragon from the deepest recesses of her soul, for Goddess knew, she no longer could.

Usually, by the time she made her way from her home to the city’s edge, she managed to get her emotions under control, but the vise squeezing the air from her lungs tightened. A weight she had no hope of lifting crushed her soul. She should fight, shove the pain and darkness away with all her might, but part of her wanted to cede to the whispered promise of rest. Perhaps it was already too late. If Clay couldn’t help her, she doubted she would see the dawn.

No light shone from his windows. No sound greeted her. It was as though the commotion across the city had drawn all of Avalore, leaving the other homes empty and cold. Her heart thudded in her chest. What if he wasn’t home? Worse yet, what if he wasn’t alone?

A growl rumbled in her chest. She would know if he was involved with anyone, wouldn’t she? She hadn’t seen him in a few days, but things didn’t happen that fast, did they? Scorching heat churned inside her, making her heart flutter. Lifting her nose, she sniffed the air. Nothing but his spicy masculine scent greeted her, pleasing her dragon. Barbara held her breath, desperate for the connection to the beast. The dragon hadn’t awakened in weeks, its slumber so deep, nothing she had done had brought it out, yet the notion of Clay with another woman had roused its possessive instinct. Barbara surrounded the dragon within with light, as though the pale energy would coax it back from the pit in which it dwelled, but, satisfied no other woman had been in Clay’s home, it retreated once more. Shivering, Barbara wrapped her arms around her middle. She would never get used to the cold, empty void deep in her core.

Standing at his front door, she hesitated. He had told her to come anytime. Day or night, she was always welcome. She’d depended on his strength over the past few months—too much, and it had taken its toll. He had never complained, not once, but his energies didn’t lie. The darkness he took from her latched onto him with a wicked grip, and she could no longer allow his suffering just to ease her own. The last few days without him had been hell, and had she not promised to come to him before allowing herself final rest, she still would not seek him out.

Taking a steadying breath, she gathered her courage and rapped at the door. When nothing stirred inside, she blinked back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks again. Where was he? She hadn’t considered he might not be home to console her. She couldn’t go back there. She just couldn’t. The grief tore at her soul even from a distance. She was too close. She wouldn’t be strong enough to go back and not be among the fallen come morning without Clay’s help. A small sob slipped past her lips and she knocked a little louder. Maybe he slept and hadn’t heard her knock.

“Barbara.” Clay’s strained voice came from behind her.

She spun to find Clay racing up his front steps toward her. He devoured her with his eyes, his elongated pupils proving he wasn’t quite in control. His wheat colored hair was messed as though he had run his fingers through them. The unruly, shoulder length locks he always tried to subdue tumbled around his head.

“I went to your house looking for you. When I found your door open, and no one had seen you, I thought…” His broad chest rose and fell with labored breaths. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and then he had her in his arms, crushing her to his hard body as though he would never let her go.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, her need for strength and comfort overshadowed by the need to ease his fears. “You had only to speak to me, I would have answered.”

His arms tightened until she could hardly breathe. “I couldn’t face the possibility…” He choked on the words. “It doesn’t matter. You’re here.”

His warm breath tickled her ear. Their energies mingled and melded together, sliding over her like a warm, silken hand caressing every inch of her, making promises she had never been brave enough to accept. Promises she wanted to take him up on, here and now, before her chance slipped away forever.

Clay’s moan reached her ears, just as his hand burrowed in her hair, pulling her head from his chest, and turning her face to his. The yellow flecks melted away, leaving his eyes the color of pure jade. She couldn’t stop, not this time. She didn’t want to. His mouth hovered over hers for a fraction of a second before he claimed her lips with a moan. He devoured her with his kiss, demanding her response. When she melted against him with a sigh, he slid his tongue into the moist recesses of her mouth, deepening the kiss. Holding her close, he lifted them both from the ground, and took her inside.

Without breaking contact, Clay slid his hands down her back to cup her backside, pressing her flush against him.
“Tell me what you want, Barbara, that I’m not alone. Tell me you want this as much as I do.”
His voice slid into her mind in the telepathic way of their people. The want and need behind the words curled around her, pulling her closer to the edge.

It was her choice. He would be gracious and put a stop to it regardless of his own discomfort. He always did. All she had to do was say the word. They weren’t named mates after all, but she was beyond caring anymore. She wanted this—for her.

His shoulders tensed beneath her palms even as his lips continued their assault.

“I… I want you. No talking. No thinking. Just you.”

Clay took Barbara’s mouth with a savagery he couldn’t contain. The gryphon inside him clamored for release, demanding he possess her. She was safe in his home, in his arms, and he couldn’t get enough. He kissed down the column of her neck, and back again, nipping at her delicate jaw. He devoured her, and what’s more, he didn’t want to stop. He needed to get lost in her passion, in her warmth. Needing more contact, he pulled the wrap from her shoulders and tossed it aside, not caring whether it landed on the nearby chair or the floor next to it.

He skimmed over her body, the heat of her skin heating his palms through the thin fabric covering her back. What in Goddess’ name had she worn? Pulling back, he took the sight of her in. Her long fiery tresses fell to cover her chest, and he couldn’t help but sweep them over her shoulders to clear his view. The only thing keeping her from his hungry stare was a thin white nightdress hugging the curves of her breasts and hips. The darker circle of her nipples, visible through the delicate fabric, puckered under his gaze. Closing his eyes, he took several deep breaths before looking at her once more. “I need to see you. Just this once, I’d like to feast my eyes upon your body.”

Her breasts rose and fell with her quick breaths, drawing his attention again. Though he had never seen the perfection of her body, he’d dreamt of it many times. He had wanted this woman for so long, and tonight, if she desired it, he would have her, all of her. She took a step back, putting a little more distance between them before taking the gown by the hem and lifting it free of her body. “Now you.”

The soft lilt of her voice added to the madness invading him as he saw his heart’s desire bared before him. He couldn’t think. His dreams didn’t come anywhere near the beauty before him. Her rosy nipples peaked and ready, begged for attention. He longed to taste them, draw the buds into his mouth and suckle until she writhed beneath him.

She closed the space between them, and when he still didn’t move to remove his clothes, she slid her hands up his chest. With a feral growl, she twisted her fingers between two buttons, gripped the edges tight and pulled. The soft plink of the buttons sounded loud as they hit the floor. Her eyes widened, and he couldn’t help but smile. The animalistic display had his heart racing and his beast struggling to get to hers. Too long had her dragon been silent.

If tonight was all they’d ever have, he wanted it all. He let her pull the shirt from his shoulders, dropping it to the floor at their feet before pulling her close again. Her full breasts pressed against his chest, and it was all he could do to keep from taking her right there in the front foyer of his house. He brought his hands down her back to her bottom, drawing her against his hard length again. She shimmied against him with a small moan. “Take the rest off,” she whispered, before licking at the tender skin behind his ear.