Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 48193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48193 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
My heart aches with empathy as if I’m the one who’s cut off from home. Yes, I have lived in the cottage alone for the years since my coven was taken. I kept our physical home, but not the people who made it home, and I have been homesick for them more often than I haven’t.
I know what it is to be far from everything you know without a way to get back.
I wave my hand at the door, undoing the latch and the bolts, then pull it open fast, before I can lose my nerve. If he can step through the doorway, he may enter. It is as simple as that. I will aid him in leaving this place as soon as the storm passes.
Outside, it is very dark from the thunderclouds, but more lightning burns across the sky, and there he is.
Something shifts wildly when I open the door. My heart won’t behave, and my lungs don’t know what to do. The sight of him…it does something to me I’ve never felt before.
He is tall and broad and muscled, wearing leather armor. Every inch of him that I can see is soaked from the rain, and dark hair runs in streaks across his forehead. He does not look like the kind of man who would ever need someone’s pity. Certainly not mine. He is too strong. His presence overwhelms me. The shadows from my fire cast shadows on his sharp features, and it is like a gust of wind has come into the house and stolen my breath all over again.
My curiosity is no less powerful. It feels like a fire raging through me.
This soldier is the most gorgeous man I have ever seen.
A Spell Jar for Courage
Recipe requirements:
A jar with a cork lid to carry the spell
A pinch of salt to cleanse and purify
Tiger’s eye crystal for courage
A sprinkle of cinnamon (or a stick of bark) for abundance
Orange candle to seal the jar
Add your ingredients one at a time, stating the intention and purpose of each ingredient as you touch it. As the wax seals the jar, state the following:
For the good of all and to the harm of none, I am my own hero. Within me I possess the courage to open every door. I am able to walk through any space I desire. I am guided, protected, and being shown all possibilities for my higher self with strength. There is nothing that can stop me for I am capable and worthy. Courage walks beside me and holds my hand when I am in need.
When the wax has covered the lid and sealed the spell in the jar, blow out the candle and whisper, “So mote it be.” Keep the jar in a safe place and shake if necessary to remind yourself of this truth: you already possess all the courage you will ever need.
RYKER
If I had seen this woman in battle, I’d have died right there without striking another blow. Her beauty is a gift from the gods. I’ve never seen a soul so lovely. From her dark hair with waves that caress her face as the wind slips between us, to her striking hazel eyes that spark mischief and wisdom. She embodies a power in her slender frame that is draped in such delicate cloth.
I don’t think I could look away even if I wanted to. I’m entrapped and I do not fear it. My body wishes to bow to her. It is as overwhelming as it is soothing. Laying eyes on the witch is like coming home.
She’s tall, though not nearly as tall as I am, and the curves under her dress are shapely, mouthwatering spells. Her eyes in the firelight are a color I can’t name. I need to take her face in my hands and draw her closer so I can put a name to that hue, but my training keeps me in my place. My fingers itch to explore every inch of her skin. She’s intoxicating and I have barely breathed her in.
My orders were not to find the witch and lay claim to her. My orders were to find her so that she might help me charge my crystal and find a way out of here. I have a duty to uphold the honor of my oath. And yet it all seems to shatter the moment I scent her mouthwatering fragrance. It’s nearly terrifying, the pull I feel to her.
The problem is that my oath seems to be no match for the fullness of her lips and the red flush on her cheeks. Those things, together with the gorgeous body hidden under her dress, have caught the attention of my wolf.
It stirs inside me, demanding that I inhale deeper, demanding to get closer to her scent. It is the same scent I caught on the wind—the one that made me burn with curiosity.