ŷ������

Happy Friday!

Because enough of you commented on the blog and said you were interested, I will be continuing with the Friday snippets of the draft throughout September.

This section continues Chapter Four.

And as always, this is draft material and things are subject to editing (and possibly deletion), so please don’t share.

Hope you enjoy!

~ Thea

Pre-order LIONHEART now!

���� | �� ��| �� ��| �� ��| ��

__________

Chapter Four (cont’d)

She didn’t know what was going on, but she knew for certain this was not what Annwyn believed would happen. They were supposed to travel as a group. For some reason, Robin had decided to forge ahead on his own and leave the others behind.

She didn’t want to risk letting go with one hand to pull her hood up, even though the bones in her face were beginning to ache. It might be impossible to sound calm while breathless, but she gave it a try. “Robin, I don’t like this. We weren’t supposed to leave them behind.��

The puck said, “That was not what I promised.��

There was a vicious note in his voice, and her heart sank. She had heard all too many tales of bargains made with ancient creatures that hadn’t been voiced carefully enough. “But it’s what Annwyn believes. Turn around and go back. It’s not too late to fix this.��

This, whatever this was. This kidnapping?

He ignored her. Where was he planning on taking her?

She was tempted to wait to find out, but just as it wouldn’t have been fair to explore the manor house while the others waited, it didn’t seem fair to prolong whatever this was either.

So, crouching low over the stallion’s back, she shapeshifted. As soon as her body had transformed into a falcon’s, she launched away. She thought of her packs regretfully as she flung upward, most especially her physician’s kit and the fire starter kit she’d had for so long, but sometimes you just had to let go.

As she gained in height, she looked back at the puck. The stallion plunged around in a circle, as completely at a loss just as Annwyn and the troops had been moments ago. Rearing, he screamed at her in wordless rage and frustration.

She almost laughed except he was too dangerous, and she didn’t know what he would do next. For all she knew he could shapeshift into a bird and follow her. From Sophie’s stories, he had been a small dog, and then a monkey.

Besides, flying away into the night wasn’t what she had come here to do either.

With an inward sigh, she wheeled on the wind and arrowed back to the puck. Landing some distance away, she shapeshifted back into her human form, put up her hood, and crossed her arms.

He had wheeled to face her and stood, head lowered, almost as if he were a bull and she a red flag.

“Why did you leave them behind?�� she asked.

He said nothing. Every line in his body was furious and recalcitrant, as if he were a two-thousand-pound recalcitrant child. Gods, what a thought.

Cautiously she walked forward. “If you don’t talk to me, I will fly away and not come back. Is that what you want?��

“Of course not.�� He gnashed huge teeth at her.

“Did you ever have any intention of taking me to Oberon?��

His pause went on a little too long for her liking. “Yes. Eventually. Annwyn might have studied you. She might have decided you were safe to have around our king. But I haven’t, and I don’t listen to what Annwyn or anyone else in the Dark Court says.��

Sophie had been right. There was a long-held resentment, and possibly even jealousy, vibrating in those words.

In the meantime, the wind had grown even colder, and now both her cheeks and toes had gone numb. “I need my cloak, and it’s in one of the packs on your back,�� she said. “Do you mind?��

He glowered. “No.��

Warily, she approached, but he held still while she dug in the right pack to pull it out. Shaking it out, she draped it around her shoulders and pulled the hood over her coat hood. Heaviness settled around her, but it was without warmth.

She was going to have to use one of her body warmers. Digging into the pack again, she pulled out a packet. Once she opened that and tucked it inside her coat, it began to put out a welcome heat that sank through her layers of clothing. Wrapping her arms around her chest, she hugged it close.

After a few minutes thought, she said, “I’m not on Annwyn’s side.��

He lifted his head to stare at her. “Whose side are you on?��

Nobody’s side. Not Annwyn’s. Not yours. She rejected each possible answer as it occurred to her, as she tried to figure out what he wanted to hear.

Then she told him the truth. “I’m on Oberon’s side. That’s always true whenever I take on a patient—I’m on their side, especially the children and those who can’t speak for themselves. Not their families. Not the courts. Theirs.�� She paused. “Your king is going to die, unless something is done for him.��

“Can you fix him?�� Despite how he obviously wanted to keep his guard up, hope and need slipped into his voice.

“I don’t know. I can assess his condition, and I can do what is best for him—I can do everything I possibly can for him, but there’s no way I can know what that might be without examining him. And the truth is, I might not be able to do anything for him. Only one thing is certain, Robin. Your king is going to die, unless something is done for him. Why didn’t you want to bring Annwyn and the troops with us?��

He stamped at the snow desultorily. Other than tangling his mane and tail, the wind and the massive cold didn’t seem to affect him at all. “I wanted to judge you for myself, while they weren’t around. If you were a threat, I would take care of you.�� He looked at her sidelong to see how she took his words.

He might be old, unpredictable, and dangerous, but he had nothing on a cantankerous, bull-headed dragon. She said gently, “You were looking after your king.��

“He told me to guard his place and watch them. A long time ago, Isabeau took me and held me captive for years. I failed him once. I won’t fail him again.��

In the meantime, while you play out your guilt-ridden power-fantasies, he is going to die unless something is done for him. She bit back saying that too.

Instead, she asked, “How long will it take them to reach the city on their own?��

He gave an equine equivalent of a scornful shrug. “Perhaps a fortnight?��

“Okay. You know what? I think you should pay attention to what your Sophie thinks, not what Annwyn says or does. Your Sophie would want you to take me to Oberon. You can shadow me all you like. You can ask whatever questions you need to ask, and you watch any procedure I might need to do. And I can explain everything I need to do before I do it. How does that sound?��

“That’s a bargain I’m willing to accept.�� He bared his teeth. “And I can be there to stop you if you try in any way to harm him.��

Annwyn would be beyond furious, of course, but she had told Robin the truth when she’d said she wasn’t on Annwyn’s side. She was on Oberon’s side, and this was the fastest way she could get to see her patient for the first time.

“Of course.�� She shrugged. “That too.��

*������������������ *������������������ *

Sometimes you could slog away at something for months or years and you never seemed to make any headway. A long project, a difficult situation, a challenging surgery. In a way, Kathryn’s journey to get here was like that—there had been so many moving parts, it had seemed to take forever.

And then suddenly life speeds up. You make a breakthrough, end the project, complete the difficult situation, finish the surgery. For Kathryn, that came the closest as anything she did to the feeling of flying while she was on the ground.

Until now.

Land flew by as the stallion raced at a breakneck pace. She caught glimpses of the ever-changing landscape�� sometimes it seems like Scotland, and at other times like Spain. It was its own unique place. Now she wanted to stop and sightsee. She couldn’t imagine when she would have the time; she would probably never get the chance.

At one point they raced along a seemingly endless shore while dark thunderclouds larger than cities towered overhead and the howl of the wind sounded like a live creature full of viciousness and teeth. Robin’s speed was incredible. They were traveling faster than she could fly.

And she loved it.

Leaning forward, she shouted, “Go faster!��

There was a slightest hitch in his stride. She had surprised him. Then he tossed his head and bugled in response. He stretched his body out, his long powerful legs a blur, and raced faster. In that moment she forgave him everything—his recalcitrance, duplicity, obstructiveness, everything.

Just before dawn, as a knife-like light began to silver the restless shore, they came upon a dark, ruined city so quickly she could only snatch at details. Like the bones of an immense creature, columns, roads, archways, and buildings flashed by, leaving behind an impression of broken grace and beauty. Half of it lay underwater, and what was left was covered in gargantuan swaths of ice and frozen icicles. It was a gorgeous, tragic place.

Here, Robin had to slow down until he walked, picking his way along ruined causeways and climbing sides of aqueducts. Neither spoke, the eerie howling wind ever-present. She thought about offering to get down to walk but staying clenched in the same position throughout the long hours of the night had made her stiffen, and she decided not to mention it if he didn’t.

Soon they left the submerged part of the city behind, as the puck picked a route that led up hill, and something else began to intrude on her awareness. The crazy wind was getting to her. She shook her head, but the feeling persisted. Covering her ears with both gloved hands, she tried to concentrate.

A sense of danger slid icy fingers down her spine. There was a Power that resided here, and it felt dark, vengeful, and awake. Like a predator, it tracked their progress through the streets but chose not to attack, at least yet. It felt like it was biding its time.

Twisting, she studied the empty streets around them, and took in deep long full of the briny air. She caught no scents other than land, stone, and sea

Robin, she said telepathically. Something is tracking us. Do you sense that?

Yes. He sounded strangely peaceful. He knows we’re here.

Holy hells. For the first in what seemed like a very long time, she felt seriously shaken. That predatory, malevolent-feeling Power was Oberon?

________

Copyright: 2018 Teddy Harrison LLC

All rights reserved

Pre-order LIONHEART now!

���� | �� ��| �� ��| �� ��| ��

Hey guys! Here’s your Friday Snippet of LIONHEART. I promised I would post snippets of the draft through August, and today is the last Friday. Now I’m wondering if I should continue posting or if I should stop.

Please comment here on the blog if you would like for me to continue. I don’t have time to check Facebook, Twitter, ŷ������, or Instagram for comments, so I’ll only be paying attention to what is posted HERE on the blog. If enough people want me to continue, I’m willing to do so.

This section starts Chapter Four. As always, this is draft material and things are subject to editing (and possibly deletion), so please don’t share.

Hope you enjoy!

~ Thea

Pre-order LIONHEART now!

���� | �� ��| �� ��| �� ��| ��

__________

Chapter Four

Traveling the passageway at the manor house was certainly the most idiosyncratic crossover Kathryn had ever experienced.

A very long time ago, Morgan le Fae�� she must remember to call him Garanhir and not something that was so offensive to him—had broken the crossover passageway in an ancient battle between Isabeau’s Light Court and the Daoine Sidhe. Then Kathryn’s idiotic ancestor had the perfect lack of good sense to build the manor house on top of the broken land magic.

Sophie had been the one to figure out the correct path through the broken pieces that would still lead to Lyonesse. It had involved digging a tunnel through an oubliette, which had since been widened and supported with timber beams.

As Kathryn emerged from the tunnel behind Gawain intense cold slapped her face. Pausing just outside the entrance, she took a deep breath and looked around. It was night in Lyonesse, with lowering clouds and bitter winds. Wilderness slashed across an uneven horizon broken with rock. The only illumination came from flickering torch lights and campfires from the troops stationed on the spot.

No halogen lighting. No electricity. No cars, no planes, no asphalt. In response, her Wyr side, the most wild part of her, surged up in fierce joy.

She looked over the tents and the raw frames of what would soon be structures. Sophie had kept Kathryn updated on various details of her new life regularly by email. According to her they had started building the shelters months ago.

But since a fortnight in Lyonesse would take six months or more of Earth time to pass, here they had just begun to build the housing that would be necessary to keep the troops and their mounts in safety.

She followed Annwyn to the largest campfire, content to study the scene with a certain reined-in glee while the general conferred with the soldiers huddling close to the warmth.

Rowan touched her arm. “Would you like to step inside one of the tents? We could get a hot drink for you.��

She hadn’t even resorted to putting up her hood yet and shook her head. “I’m good, thanks.��

“Okay, but don’t hesitate to say if you get too cold.��

“Will do.��

Annwyn turned back to them, frowning. “Robin has refused to stay in the camp, but he must be close by. Rowan and Gawain, circle the clearing and call out for him.�� Her frustrated gaze met Kathryn’s briefly. “He’ll show up when he’s ready to, I guess.��

She nodded as she continued her interested perusal of the area.

Annwyn switched to telepathy. About Robin. Just so you know, he is wilder than most.

She noted the other woman made no mention of old resentments or tensions. Was Annwyn unaware of them, or was she simply giving the kind of warning she thought was suitable for a visitor to hear?

Over the years, Kathryn had talked to countless families of patients and had heard and seen it all—justifications, arguments, enablers, outright hostility, love, hate, hope, lies, despair. Who knew what the truth was in Annwyn’s case—and who cared? Kathryn had one job: healing Oberon. Anything else was superfluous.

I appreciate you telling me, she replied, filing Annwyn’s words away in case they somehow became useful to her mission.

The troops had started to widen a natural clearing, and raw tree trunks studded the ground along the treeline. Also, she noted, shelter for their cattle had come first. They had already erected one wall of what would be a proper stable, and a rough roof of sorts comprised of pine tree boughs had been piled on top of the building frame. Campfires were positioned at both ends of the partial shelter. In the reflected light she could see the animals standing close together for warmth, draped in heavy blankets.

Horses and cows could tolerate pretty cold temperatures�� as low as 20°F or lower, if they had to—so the fact that the Daoine Sidhe were emphasizing their safety indicated how bitter the temperatures must get at night.

As if Annwyn had read her mind, the other woman said, “Lyle tells me the bad weather has been coming in waves. I don’t know what that means about Oberon’s condition, if anything. We’re in a lull right now.��

Kathryn nodded again. “Hopefully they’ll get the barn finished before the next wave hits. Then if worse comes to worse, they can shelter with the animals.��

The other woman’s expression filled with approval. “That was their thinking. The cattle throw off a lot of heat. It’s a bit smelly to bunk with the animals, but overall it’s a good survival tactic.��

As they chatted, Kathryn’s gaze fell on the area designated as the wood pile. Several cords had already been cut and stacked neatly, and still more lay in haphazard piles around the trunks being used to split wood.

In the darkest shadow behind the cord farthest from the fire, a pair of eyes watched her.

The eyes themselves were so deep in shadow they were almost as dark as the rest of the night. Someone with lesser eyesight wouldn’t have seen it, but Kathryn’s eyesight was unusual even among the Wyr. Because of her animal form, she could pick out small prey from very long distances, and a rabbit from up to two miles away.

She said nothing about the presence behind the woodpile. Instead, she positioned herself to face it and looked back at the eyes steadily.

I see you. She didn’t say it, either aloud or telepathically. She didn’t have to. She merely waited.

Her patience was soon rewarded.

There was a flicker of barely seen movement. Then a figure in the shape of a tall, thin teenage boy detached from the shadows and walked toward the campfire.

Any potential resemblance to youth ended as the creature grew closer. Kathryn inspected him with interest. He had spiky, nut brown hair, a thin wild face, and ageless, feral eyes.

While everyone else was bundled against the cold, he wore pants, boots, and a woolen coat left carelessly open. He also wore a rather odd scarf, royal blue with gold buttons, but he wore no gloves on hands that had too many fingers and when he smiled he had too many teeth as well, and they were sharp and white.

Whatever form he might choose to wear, those teeth revealed something useful about his real nature. Those were a predator’s teeth.

“You must be Robin,�� she said as he drew near. “I’m Kathryn Shaw.��

“I am indeed,�� Robin said. “And I am a host of other names besides. I’ll be betting you have other names and titles too. But which is the truest?��

As the only heir to an English title, it so happened Kathryn did have other names and titles, but the only relevant title she cared about was the one she had earned through her own sweat equity.

His question was probably nothing more than playfulness, but still it caught at her. Which one was the truest�� falcon or doctor? She didn’t know.

“Thankfully,�� she replied, “we can be more than one thing simultaneously.��

Annwyn had turned away to talk to Lyle again. She spun back around. “Robin! There you are. The troops are already mustering. We will be ready to ride in just a few moments.��

The puck ignored her, his attention focused on Kathryn. “My Sophie knows a Dr. Kathryn Shaw and loves her.��

My Sophie—both affectionate and possessive. She smiled. “Yes, that’s me. And my Sophie knows and loves a puck named Robin.��

Flinging one narrow hand out, he bowed. “‘Tis I, although I was not in this form when we met, nor was I capable of any speech.�� As he straightened to his full height again, his smile had disappeared. “She saved my life, at much risk to hers.��

“She’s very brave,�� she said. “And generous. I just finished having tea, sandwiches, and scones with her. I know she would love to see you again, whenever that becomes possible.��

The strange creature’s expression shadowed, eyelids lowering. “Perhaps there will be time enough again for that one day.�� When he looked up again, his gaze pierced her. He said, “I will carry you.��

It was an assent to a question that Kathryn had not realized had been asked. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so she kept it simple. “Okay. Thank you.��

At that he shapeshifted into a huge black stallion, with feathery hooves and fiery eyes. The transition was so abrupt, the stallion’s presence so Powerful, Kathryn fell back a step before she could catch herself.

According to the others she had talked to, Robin was a great many things, but at the moment he was simply magnificent.

“I have two bags,�� she told him apologetically. It didn’t seem right for this wonderful creature to be used as a beast of burden, but he had offered.

He shook his head impatiently. “They mean nothing. Put them on my back.��

“All right.�� She already had straps she could use to connect her packs, and while the twenty troops who would travel with them gathered with their mounts, she knelt and buckled the packs together, then slung them over the stallion’s neck.

He stamped one great hoof and, as if they had been arguing, snapped, “I will not tolerate a saddle or bridle.��

She looked into his ferocious eyes. “I would never dream of suggesting it.��

“Then climb on.��

When she started to, a hand on her arm stopped her. Annwyn said, “Robin can’t teleport like the Djinn can, but when he chooses to he can move very fast. Falling from such a speed would probably be fatal.�� She said to the puck, “Robin, please rethink the saddle and bridle just this once.��

“No,�� Kathryn said. When they both turned to stare at her, she told them, “I won’t fall. It will be okay.��

“I don’t want to take the time to argue with you,�� Annwyn said impatiently. “You know how much is at stake here.��

Kathryn regarded her and said again, “I won’t fall.��

The other woman pulled a sour expression. “Prove me wrong, and if the fall doesn’t kill you, I might.��

Then one of her men called to her, and she pivoted on one foot to stalk away. Kathryn looked at the puck. “Did I refrain from rolling my eyes at that?�� The stallion tilted his head, as if he wasn’t quite sure what he had heard. She added, “I couldn’t tell. I was too busy trying to control myself.��

Stamping one hoof again, he snorted. It sounded quite like horsy laughter. He told her again, “Climb on.��

Not all the other troops had mustered, so it seemed a bit too soon to subject him to her weight. Still, she was beginning to feel the cold and sitting on his back would be warmer than letting her feet turn to blocks of ice, so she turned and strode away, then whirled and raced toward him. With a leap, she landed on his wide back.

From somewhere nearby, someone let out a low whistle and slow clap. Suppressing a smile, she edged closer to the stallion’s shoulders and arranged the weight of her two packs so that they fell on her knees on either side.

The stallion shook his head and arched his neck. “You may hold onto my mane.��

“That would be helpful,�� she said gravely. Wanting to experiment with how much of a handhold would be comfortable, she gathered together a decent amount of the coarse raven hair and gripped it in one fist.

Without warning, the stallion leaped forward.

“Whoa!�� she said sharply, more from surprise than anything else, and clamped down with her knees to maintain her seat. She caught a brief glimpse of Annwyn and other soldiers turning to stare, their faces filled with shock and dismay.

Annwyn roared, ��ROBI—���

The wind snatched away the last of his name.

Powerful muscles surged underneath Kathryn, and the wind bit into her skin. The land plunged by so quickly, by the time she looked over her shoulder, the encampment by the crossover passageway had already disappeared.

What. The. Hell.

________

Copyright: 2018 Teddy Harrison LLC

All rights reserved

Pre-order LIONHEART now!

���� | �� ��| �� ��| �� ��| ��

Here’s today’s Friday Snippet for you! Because I couldn’t find any better place to break in the narrative, this segment concludes Chapter Three. As always, this is draft material and things are subject to editing (and possibly deletion), so please don’t share.

Hope you enjoy!

~ Thea

__________

Chapter Three, cont’d

Kathryn had heard about the changes that had occurred on the old estate, but it was still a shock to see them in person. In the summer, the manor house had sustained major structural damage during a battle with Morgan when he had still been enslaved by Isabeau and acting as her Captain of the Hounds. Sophie had been a part of that conflict.

Since that time, she had taken her inheritance and sold it to the Daoine Sidhe for a sizeable sum. Now the main house structure was shored up with visible reforcements, and the charming little gatekeeper’s cottage that had been near the road had been completely demolished, and several more buildings had been added to the five acres. Before, the property had been an overgrown, abandoned relic, but now the entire place buzzed with people and purpose.

When Sophie parked in front of a new cottage, Rowan left with a final, lingering look at Kathryn. She shook her head at him, and he lifted wide shoulders in a regretful shrug.

As he disappeared, she said laughingly, “Wow.��

“Right?! He is so much trouble.�� Sophie opened the back of the Range Rover and began to pull out luggage and packages. “I live for the day when I get to see Rowan meet the woman who will knock him on his ass—in a good way, of course. I don’t want him to get hurt. I just want him to know what it’s like to really fall for someone, you know?��

Kathryn picked up luggage. “When he sets aside the bullshit, there seems to be a nice guy in there underneath.��

“I think there is. At the very least, I don’t think he means any real harm, although more than likely he probably causes it anyway. But Nik trusts him, and I trust Nik, so there you have it.�� Sophie led the way into the cottage, which was unlocked. “I’m betting Annwyn is going to show up as soon as she hears you’ve arrived, so let’s make the most of what time we have. Would you like some tea? I’m becoming very Anglicized and never bother with coffee anymore. Also, I made some beef and tomato sandwiches, and there’s fresh baked scones—I didn’t bake those, so they’re actually delicious—and clotted cream.��

“That sounds lovely,�� she replied. “I’m famished.��

She followed Sophie to the kitchen where they visited over the tea, sandwiches, and scones. It was good to see the witch so happy. It shone out of Sophie in the sparkle in her eyes and the healthy luster of her freckled skin.

When Kathryn had met her, Sophie had still been in recovery from a life-threatening injury. She’d been closed in, strung tight, and underweight. Now, despite the presence of armed guards everywhere, she was obviously at home and relaxed, and she laughed often.

Kathryn was glad to see it and cast around for something to say that would encourage Sophie to talk about it. “You and Nikolas are happy?��

“You know, we are,�� Sophie said. She sounded surprised, and then she laughed. “He’s not anything I would have imagined for myself, and we fight all the time. He has this old-world chauvinism that drives me nuts—and I know I drive him nuts, because I don’t let him get away with it. He says I’m too contrary, and I say he’s too dictatorial, but in spite of all that, we manage to make it work. I can’t even tell you how.��

There it was, the elusive, ephemeral thing, condition, whatever you wanted to call it. Bond. Nik and Sophie had it in abundance, and they weren’t even Wyr, or at least Sophie wasn’t. Since the Daoine Sidhe were a community of mixed race Elder Races, Kathryn supposed it was possible that Nik might have some Wyr in his blood.

Humans had the capacity to bond too. To love. But if things didn’t work out it rarely killed them like it did the Wyr when they lost a mate. The Wyr might mate for life, but perhaps it was good that mating was a relatively rare experience.

Every Wyr was conditioned from an early age to avoid pining for something that most likely wouldn’t happen. It was entirely plausible to have a full, enjoyable life filled with many different kinds of loves—friendships, affairs, even marriages. Kathryn enjoyed a full life while experiencing the friendships and affairs. Still, it was fascinating to watch from the sidelines when others went through the mating process.

Children were also rare to all the Elder Races, but even children could come to unmated Wyr, just as Kathryn had come into her father’s life. Her mother had been Francis Shaw’s mistress, and when she had become pregnant he had honored the relationship by marrying her. She had died in a carriage accident when Kathryn had still been a baby. She had always been grateful to have at least one of her parents as she was growing up.

Pulling out of her reverie, she sipped her tea. “I suppose it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how it works, as long as it does. The most important thing is that you’re both in it together.��

“Yes.�� Sophie’s smile was bright and broad. “We’re all in.��

A quick tap sounded on the back door. Giving Kathryn a meaningful nod, Sophie rose to answer it, and a moment later Annwyn stalked into the kitchen. She was one of those people who could make a room shrink just by the strength of her presence.

Her fierce green gaze landed on Kathryn. “You’re here.��

Kathryn had lived with people like Annwyn for many, many years, and she could recognize Annwyn’s type from a mile away. The other woman was so purpose-driven she would steamroll right over you, if you let her. Kathryn wasn’t going to let her.

“Yes. I arrived this morning, met with my solicitor to take care of a few things, and hopped in a rental car right after that.�� She bit into a scone with pleasure. “It’s good to take a break and eat. This is my first meal of the day.��

“Please, join us,�� Sophie said to Annwyn. “Would you like a cup of tea? Perhaps a sandwich and a scone?��

Just as Kathryn had seen her do in the meeting hall a week ago, Annwyn paused then drew herself in, as if reaching for patience. “Yes, thank you.��

Annwyn seated herself as Sophie got her a cup, a plate, and silverware. After a moment, she said in a measured tone, “While I know just how significant the time slippage is between Earth and Lyonesse, it’s hard to internalize it emotionally. For so long I lived with a sense of urgency, and it’s difficult to relax when I know so many of the Daoine Sidhe are suffering.��

Kathryn met Sophie’s gaze for a moment. Then as the younger woman turned to get the tea kettle from the stove, she smiled at Annwyn. Gently, she said, “I am going to do everything I can for him, you know.��

Annwyn studied her closely, then sat back in her chair. “I believe you will. When will you be ready to cross over?��

Framing that as a question, she could see, took a major effort. Like Annwyn said, it was hard for her not to push. She considered how she wanted to answer.

Finally, she said, “I slept on the flight, I took care of the last of my business affairs this morning, and I’m not here to sightsee. Visiting with Sophie was the one thing I wanted to do, and we’ve been doing that. I want to finish my meal, take a shower and put on an appropriate outfit. After that, I’m all yours.��

Annwyn straightened in her chair and the fierceness roared back. “Excellent.��

As they resumed their meal, Kathryn asked, “So, what comes next?��

“Once we cross over, we lose the luxury of the extra time we have had here on Earth,�� Annwyn said. “So I have struck a bargain with one of our people. He’s�� unusual. He’s a nature sprite, and he has agreed to help. He’s waiting for us now on the other side of the passageway. With his aid we can reach the city much more quickly than we could if we had to travel on our own. Half of it is under water from flooding, and the other half is frozen. We had to evacuate the general population from there some time ago. I want to set up a base camp in a safe place in the city, and we’ll work from there.��

Her plan sounded sensible enough. Kathryn nodded. “Sounds good to me.��

When she finished eating, Sophie showed her the bathroom and brought towels and a washcloth. Thanking her, Kathryn said, “May I store my luggage here until I get back?��

“Of course!�� Sophie gestured to her clothes. “I’ll wash your outfit and store that in your suitcase, too, so it’s ready for you when you get back.��

“Thank you.��

She took the towels, and when she would have stepped into the bathroom Sophie laid a hand on her arm. Telepathically, she said, I know the nature sprite Annwyn was talking about.

Kathryn looked at her curiously. Yes?

His name is Robin, Sophie told her. We bonded over the summer, and I love him, but he’s quite unpredictable. Isabeau held him captive and tortured him for a very long time, and I don’t think he’s healed yet.

���������������������� That’s unfortunate. Why did Sophie consider this important enough to tell Kathryn privately? She wasn’t sure she liked the implications in that. What does that mean, exactly?

���������������������� It means�� The other woman bit her lip, clearly struggling for the right words. It means he doesn’t always make the right decisions, or at least he makes decisions based on criteria that you and I might not have.

���������������������� Kathryn knew all about very old, damaged creatures. Several had been patients of hers at one time or another. She pursed her lips. I see.

I want you to understand. Sophie looked at her intently. Robin’s not BAD. At least—I don’t think he’s bad, but he’s dangerous. And I’m not clear why he would make a bargain with Annwyn when he has unresolved resentment for the rest of the Dark Court. I might be overthinking this. He probably did it because his first loyalty is to Oberon, but I just wanted you to know. You’re walking into a situation that has a lot of history and nuances. Lots and lots of nuances.

���������������������� I appreciate that. Kathryn squeezed her hand. It’s so much better to be armed with knowledge than not. Thank you.

You’re welcome. Now I feel better. Sophie stepped back. Enjoy your shower.

Sophie had given her food for thought. Kathryn mulled everything over as she brushed her teeth then luxuriated in a long, hot shower and soaped through her hair twice. She even took the time to shave her legs, because she had no idea when she might get another hot shower or the luxury to do so again. She was extrapolating, but easy, copious amounts of hot water didn’t sound very plausible.

The near future felt uncertain and exciting. She liked that. Often her job made her feel that way, but for all its challenges it fell prey to routine. I needed more adventure in my life, she mouthed as she stood with her head under the shower, relishing the sensual way the warm water poured around her moving lips.

The Dark Court sounded like it had a lot of heavy baggage. That meant it sounded like virtually every other Elder Races demesne in the world. Old creatures meant tangled grudges, ancient resentments, divided loyalties, and hidden motives. Just like home.

Chuckling, she stepped out of the shower, toweled off and dried her hair thoroughly. Stepping into extremely cold weather with a damp head of hair didn’t sound sensible. Once she was dressed, she went into the living room to rearrange the items she would take with her into her two packs.

Her original pack would be the one she would grab in case of emergency, and she wanted to tuck some of the food packs in it. The second was the one she would ditch if she had to, because she couldn’t hike long distances carrying both of them. But they both contained items that would be useful to have. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to ditch one.

Annwyn had left while Kathryn got ready. When she returned she was dressed in heavy winter clothing too, and she had a sword strapped to her back. She eyed Kathryn’s new outfit with approval. “I like jeans.��

“You would really like these. They’re made for cold weather.�� Lifting up her sweater, she turned down the hem at the waist so Annwyn could see the flannel lining inside.

The other woman’s expression lit with interest. “When we return to Earth I must seek out a pair of those. Are you ready?��

She nodded. Giving Sophie a quick hug, she hefted up her two packs and settled one on each shoulder by a strap. She followed Annwyn to the manor house. They met Rowan and Gawain at the huge front doors.

Both men were dressed in hardy winter clothing as well. Nodding to her in greeting, they lifted her packs away. She didn’t protest. Both men had much more body mass than she did, along with wider shoulders. Decades of running a challenging medical practice had taught her to conserve her energy until she had to expend it.

When the group followed Annwyn inside, Kathryn stared around in fascination. For hundreds of years the peculiar magic of the house had kept it locked against all who would enter. Sophie was the first person to unlock this house’s mysteries and step inside. From the drunken euphoria in her voice when she called to tell Kathryn the news, Kathryn could imagine how she had felt.

If Kathryn had merely been visiting, she might have wanted to poke around the house at her leisure, but it was clear from Annwyn’s own emotional struggle that too many people were depending on Kathryn to do her job. It wouldn’t be fair to abrade already strained nerves by lingering.

She needed to get to Oberon as quickly as possible to examine him. Then she needed to heal him, if she could.

Failing that, she would need to break the bad news to the Daoine Sidhe as quickly as possible, so they knew in what direction they needed to move in order to heal as a people. A lot was riding on Kathryn getting this right.

So, she would get it right.

________

Copyright: 2018 Teddy Harrison LLC

All rights reserved

Great news! is now available for purchase!

�� | �� ��| �� ��| �� ��| ��

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

Thea Harrison …��comes four pre-released novellas, bundled into one convenient package.

This digital collection contains True Colors, Natural Evil, Devil’s Gate, and Hunter’s Season, the four previously published Tarot novellas in the Elder Races series.

For each of the novellas in the Tarot collection, the events of the stories follow the path of a mysterious Tarot deck��

True Colors:��Alice Clark’s friends are being murdered and she has no idea who to trust, until she meets Gideon Riehl, a wolf Wyr and current detective in the Wyr Division of Violent Crime.

Natural Evil: On a road trip, retired soldier Claudia Hunter stops to help an injured dog near death. Then she discovers the dog is actually a Wyr, Luis Alvarez, who is too injured to shapeshift back into his human form. Someone wants Luis dead, but Claudia has other ideas.

Devil’s Gate: When medusa Seremela Telemar’s wild niece, Vetta, runs off to the lawless town of Devil’s Gate, Seremela knows she has to get the girl out quickly. Vampyre Duncan Turner is the perfect ally in her mission. But when they learn Vetta is set to hang by morning, they’ll have to fight to save her and themselves.

Hunter’s Season:��Chancellor Aubrey Riordan is a man recovering from an assassination attempt. Xanthe is sworn to protect him. Throw together with a magical Tarot card deck in an isolated cabin, they discover a new world of love and possibilities.

�� | �� ��| �� ��| �� ��| ��

Although each of these stories has been previously published, this is the first time all 4 are available as a single volume. Get your copy of THE ELDER RACES TAROT COLLECTION: ALL 4 STORIES today!

Exciting news! LIONHEART, book 3 in the Moonshadow series, is now available for preorder!

�� | �� ��| �� ��| �� ��| ��

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Thea Harrison comes the final story in her spellbinding Moonshadow trilogy��

King Oberon reigned over his Dark Court in Lyonesse for centuries, until an assassination attempt laid him low. Now he lies unconscious in his snow-bound palace, while his Power battles the enchantment that threatens to end his life.

A skilled trauma surgeon and magic-user, Dr. Kathryn Shaw reigns at the top of her profession in New York. Then comes a challenge she can’t resist—she is asked to cure the uncureable. Just getting close enough to try healing Oberon is a dangerous proposition. When she does reach him, he awakens too soon.

Roused from darkness by Kathryn’s presence, Oberon confronts the beautiful stranger who claims she wants to save his life. But the enchantment has frozen his emotions. How can he learn to trust her when he can’t feel anything?

Oberon’s desire is icy, devoid of all tenderness. Not only must Kathryn match wits with him, she must also fight her reaction to his touch, because there is so much more at stake than her own endangered heart.

For the Dark Court faces its most deadly peril yet. Its ancient enemy Isabeau, Queen of the Light Court, is obsessed with its annihilation, and Oberon must be brought to remember his loyalty and affection for his people.

Because if he won’t fight for them, Lyonesse itself may very well be destroyed��

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Are you ready for King Oberon? Preorder your copy of LIONHEART today!

Here’s today’s Friday Snippet for you! This segment begins Chapter Three. As always, this is draft material and things are subject to editing (and possibly deletion), so please don’t share.

Hope you enjoy!

~ Thea

__________

Chapter Three

After finalizing details of the agreement with Annwyn Kathryn took a week to get her affairs in order, since the time slippage between Lyonesse and Earth worked so strongly in her favor as long as she remained in New York.

She also took the opportunity to meet extensively with Morgan, which was a fascinating experience all on its own, as the sorcerer taught her the sophisticated details of his assassination spell and the various tactics he thought might work in reversing it.

Talking to him was mind-bending; as she told Bayne later, Morgan was friendly, brilliant, and toweringly talented—basically the Stephen Hawking of all things magical. Isabeau had been incredibly destructive, both to his spirit and to the world in general, when she had weaponized him.

At the hospital, she worked to transfer all her active patients over to Angus. She owned her Manhatten apartment outright, so she had her furniture swathed in dust covers and arranged her finances so the taxes and utilities would be automatically paid for for the duration of her absence. And she spent her evenings going out on the town with Bayne and other friends who she wouldn’t see for months of their time.

As they enjoyed their dates, Bayne was all too happy to fill her in on the other changes Dragos had alluded to that were soon to hit the Wyr demesne in New York.

The biggest and most sweeping change was that Dragos, his mate Pia, and their baby son Niall were going to relocate to his newly named Other land of Rhyacia. For years, Dragos had been experimenting there with technology and magic, but other than the fruits of his labor the land was pristine, easily protected, and as big as Greenland. The Cuelebre’s departure would leave a power vacuum in the Wyr demesne that Dragos was determined to fill, one way or another.

“Wow. Just�� wow,�� she said as she sat back from her dinner and worked to absorb the news.

“Yeah, it’s pretty huge,�� Bayne said laconically. He didn’t stop eating when she did. They were enjoying a late meal at one of his favorite restaurants, and he’d also had a bit more time to adjust to the upcoming changes. “But I get why they made the decision.��

As she thought things over, she did too. “What’s going to happen here?��

He shrugged. “Don’t know yet. At first Dragos was certain Liam would choose to take over, but then Liam went to talk it over with his mom. Turns out, Pia had other ideas. Liam decided to take her advice and finish his year away at college. He has promised to make his decision by the end of his college stint. In the meantime, Rune has agreed to step in as regent until Liam’s year is over. Rune and Carling are moving into Cuelebre Tower by the end of the month.��

Sipping her wine, she watched Bayne’s expression with fascination. “What happens if Liam chooses not to take over? Is�� that even a possibility?��

Bayne had just taken a huge bite of prime rib, so he shrugged without answering right away. “Nobody knows,�� he said after swallowing. “Apparently after talking to his mom, he had a long list of very good questions that he asked his dad—like, would Liam take over as CEO for Cuelebre Enterprises as well as assume the title of Lord of the Wyr demesne when Dragos leaves?��

She rubbed her mouth to hide a smile. Pia had achieved what she could only daydream of�� she managed to disconcert her mate on what was to Kathryn a satisfyingly regular basis. “And what did Dragos say to that, do you know?��

He snorted, eyes gleaming with amusement. “Dragos is about to start a very expensive community building initiative in Rhyacia. He was counting on drawing on the profits from the company to fund it over the next five or so years. Yet Cuelebre Enterprises and the Wyr demesne are inextricably linked. That wasn’t a problem when Dragos was in charge of both. He could move funds around as he wished. But as Liam pointed out, if he takes over the Wyr demesne and Dragos continues to operate as CEO of the company, albeit long-distance, Liam will always be under his father’s control to some extent. That would not only undermine his authority internationally as the new Lord of the Wyr here, but it would also hamstring his ability to take any quick action that would involve significant expenditures of resources.��

She burst out laughing. “I wish I could have been a fly on the wall for that conversation.��

He grinned. “Me too. One dragon negotiating with another—truly a first in Wyr history. The talk caught Dragos by surprise, and you know how he hates to give up control and hates to lose money. Anyway, nobody is quite sure how this is going to play out, but all the sentinels are pretty certain we’re going to be entertained by the process. Will Dragos relinquish control over the company? Will Liam decide to take over, or will he choose to go his own independent way? And in the meantime, what will Rune and Carling choose to do?�� In a mock TV announcer’s voice, he said, “Stay tuned for the next installment of Days of Our Wyr Demesne.��

She laughed harder. “I’m starting to think I might be glad to be gone for the transition period. I can just come back and find out what happened next.��

He nodded. “Never a dull moment around here, that’s for sure. We’re going to miss you, though.��

We, not I. It was a small thing, but important and telling, she thought without passion or hurt. She didn’t blame Bayne in the slightest—she said things like that too. But it was all symptomatic of that elusive, ephemeral condition that transpired to keep them squarely in the “friend zone.��

*������������������ *������������������ *

By the time she arrived in Westmarch, the English village nearest the property Sophie had inherited, Kathryn was too excited for jet leg to affect her much. While she had traveled extensively on Earth, it had been decades since she had taken a trip to an Other land.

Experiencing Lyonesse would be fascinating in its own right. Added to that, she would get to help a lot of people who were suffering while she attempted to solve a medical mystery, and already she had learned more valuable magic to add to her repertoire of skills. Life just didn’t get much better than that. She refused to dwell on the possibility that Oberon might not be salvageable. They would learn the truth of that soon enough.

Once in the village, she turned in her rental car. As she finished the transaction, Sophie pulled up driving a Range Rover. A handsome male, clearly not human, with long dark hair and the cynical good looks of a dissipated rock star rode shotgun beside her.

His gaze landed on Kathryn and sparked with interest. Even though the windows of the Range Rover were closed to the damp, chill autumn air, Kathryn’s Wyr hearing was sensitive enough to pick up Sophie’s words as she turned to fix her companion with a hard stare.

“You behave.��

The male gave Sophie a slow, sweet smile. “I always behave in direct relation to my companion’s desires.��

Sophie burst out laughing. “Bah. You’re incorrigible.��

Raising an eyebrow, Kathryn suppressed a smile. Clearly he was Trouble looking for some place to happen. It was only when they stepped out of the vehicle that she caught a glumpse of the weapons he wore underneath his autumn jacket, along with the hard, sweeping glance he gave the scene.

Comprehension clicked into place. She had spent far too much time with the sentinels in New York to miss the unmistakable signs of a guard on duty.

Sophie approached with a bright smile, and Kathryn gladly gave her a hug. “Thank you for meeting me here.��

“Of course, totally my pleasure!�� Sophie replied. “It made complete sense, since you’re not going to need a car here for months. It’s good to see you. Until the conflict with Isabel is resolved, I promised Nik I wouldn’t leave the property without protection, so this is Rowan Nyghtseren—he’s playing bodyguard today. Rowan, this is Dr. Kathryn Shaw.�� She added telepathically, Fair warning—he’s a scamp. He’s good at respecting boundaries, but he might tickle them a bit.

The part of Kathryn’s brain that loved etymology and word puzzles chewed on Rowan’s last name. Sophie had pronounced it as “Night �� seren,�� and seren in Welsh meant “star.�� Rowan’s last name meant, literally, “Nightstar.��

With a name like that, he really should have been a rockstar. She grinned. I appreciate you telling me.

Rowan, she noted with approval, didn’t turn his attention to her until he was fully satisfied their surroundings were clear. Then his dissipated rock star eyes met hers as he took her hand gently between his. “A great pleasure to meet you, Dr. Shaw,�� he said. “Or may I call you Kathryn?��

“Nice to meet you too.�� She recovered her hand from his grasp. “And Dr. Shaw will do fine, thanks.��

His eyes narrowed in calculation, until Sophie smacked his chest with the back of her hand. “For God’s sake give it up and stow her luggage in the car.��

Genuine affection warmed his face as he tilted an eyebrow at Sophie. “Anything for you, love.��

As Rowan put her luggage in the Range Rover, Sophie turned back to her. “Annwyn wanted me to go over the type of warm clothes you brought with you,�� she said. “She’s concerned you might have brought things that are more suitable to the city.��

Kathryn smiled. “I suppose she doesn’t have any clue how bitterly cold temperatures can get in New York.��

“Well no, she doesn’t.�� Sophie made a face. “But she also has a point. I’ve been over to Lyonesse, and right now the cold over there�� it’s not normal, Kathryn. The weather is awful all the time, and plus the terrain is very rugged. A shop has opened up here in town that specifically caters to those who traveling back and forth across the reopened passageway. Do you want to stop and have a look at what they’ve got before we leave?��

She took a moment to consider. Despite her ability to meld comfortably into an urban landscape, she was one of the Wyr who had never moved very far from her wild roots. She loved the wilderness and being out in the elements, and she’d packed a selection of clothing she’d bought from REI. But was it suitable for “not normal weather��?

“It won’t do any harm to take a look,�� she said.

“Great! It’s just a few blocks from here.�� With a click of the keyfob, Sophie locked the Range Rover and the three of them headed down the sidewalk.

Once inside the shop, Kathryn inspected everything with interest. When she had packed she had tried to balance the need to be portable with basic layering techniques for cold weather: using a base layer to wick sweat away from the skin, a middle insulating layer to retain body heat, and then a shell layer to shield from the weather.

She had underwear, three sets of thermal silk shirts, and wool sweaters to wear over them, two pairs of flannel lined jeans, three pairs of wool socks, hiking boots, and an insulated down jacket with a hood, a woolen scarf and insulated gloves. She would be wearing some of her cargo, and hopefully be able to utilize a horse, but if it came down to it, she could carry the rest in a rather heavy pack on her back.

Now, she considered what Sophie had said while she browsed the wares in the store. Like Kathryn, the Daione Sidhe weren’t human. They were a hardy mix of the Elder Races, yet conditions were so bad in Lyonesse they were facing the possibility of needing to flee.

When she came upon a shelf dedicated to packets of emergency hand and body warmers, she picked one up curiously.

Time and space had buckled when the Earth had formed, and the Other lands—connected to Earth through crossover passageways—were magic heavy and many modern technologies either didn’t work or were outright dangerous to try to use.

But as she read the instructions on the package, the emergency hand and body warmers were made of biodegradable chemical compounds that were air activated, which was a passive enough, naturally-based technology that made them safe to use in an Other land. She threw several into her basket.

She was already quite comfortable with the things she had brought—her carefully curated physician’s kit, choice of toiletries, small portable hand axe, and Swiss Army knife, and her tried and true flint fire starter kit was over 150 years old.

But after a few more minutes of consideration, she also chose several bags of jerky along with several more of a high fat, high calorie trail mix. Getting enough calories was important in harsh weather, and Kathryn had an animal form with a high metabolism that ensured she burned through calories at an accelerated rate.

Then she added a Mylar emergency blanket, as it was small, extremely lightweight, and would hold ninety percent of her body heat if needed. The last thing she considered was the rack of fur lined, floor length, water resistant cloaks. They were bulky, and they would be heavy. They would be great for heat retention, and lousy for carting around. As she chewed on her lip, Sophie walked over to join her.

Kathryn told her, “I already have a down insulated hooded coat.��

Sophie pulled one of the cloaks off the rack. “This will fit over anything else you wear, and it’s better to have too much than too little. You don’t know what you’re going to run into, and honestly, I don’t know that it would be too much. If you find it’s more than you need and you get tired of lugging it around, you can abandon it if you have to, or you can always donate it to someone else.��

“Good point.�� Unfortunately, with the addition of the cloak, she was sacrificing some of her valuable portability. There was no way around it. She going to need another pack. She grabbed a weather proof pack and then took all her selections to the counter, but before she could pay Rowan smoothly stepped in to hand over a credit card to the shop attendant.

“Don’t fuss,�� he said as she turned to argue with him. His previous calculated charm had disappeared for the moment, and he gave her a simple, warm smile. “You’re on Dark Court business, and I have my orders.��

It was hard to argue with that, so she didn’t. “Thank you.��

With that, their small shopping excursion was over, so they walked back to the Range Rover and drove to the property.

________

Copyright: 2018 Teddy Harrison LLC

All rights reserved

Here’s today’s Friday Snippet for you! As always, this is draft material and things are subject to editing (and possibly deletion), so please don’t share.

Hope you enjoy!

~ Thea

____________

LIONHEART

(Chapter Two Cont’d)

“For what it’s worth,�� Morgan added, “I had no choice—I acted on Isabeau’s command, and I deeply regret what happened. I’ll do what I can to help if you’ll allow me.��

“Do you expect that an apology can wipe out hundreds of years of armed conflict, or bring back the dead you killed?�� Nikolas bit out. “Do you think I’m sorry helps their families cope with their losses?��

“No, of course not,�� Morgan said quietly.

“We’ll never let you step foot on our land, much less risk you getting close to the king again. How do we know there really was a geas on you—or that it is truly broken? There’s no trust for you anywhere in Lyonesse, and no safety either.��

“Then I will have to do what I can to make amends from here.�� Morgan turned to face Annwyn and Kathryn. “If you will let me.��

Kathryn held up her hands. “Hold on a minute. This conversation is moving much too fast for me.�� She looked at Annwyn. “When you asked me to consult on Oberon’s condition, I told you no and the reasons for that haven’t changed. The time slippage between Earth and Lyonesse is so extreme, if I spent a few weeks in Lyonesse it would mean taking months away from my practice, and my duties here in the Wyr demesne—plus those few weeks would be no guarantee of anything. It would take that long just to get the opportunity to assess his condition for myself. Healing him could take much longer. In the end, I might not be able to do anything for him anyway.��

Annwyn’s lean jaw tightened as she listened. When she spoke, it was with a measured discipline piloted by an iron will. “That is why I wanted to talk with you in person. We understand what a substantial commitment this would take on your part, and we’re willing to discuss any terms of compensation that would help alleviate the challenges associated with this assignment.��

“Any terms of compensation,�� Dragos murmured. His eyelids dropped, hiding the expression in that calculating gold gaze, while he rubbed his jaw with the back of one thumb.

Kathryn glared at him. She said telepathically, I blame you for this mess.

Sure, go ahead.

His tone was so clearly indifferent her exasperation deepened. Dragos, I can’t go. You have me on retainer. I have my rotation at the hospital. I can’t just drop those things because someone is stubborn enough to ask twice. Unfortunately, there are people all over the world who need healing, and I can’t help everybody. No doctor can.

Still rubbing his jaw, he raised sleek, black eyebrows and tilted his head first one way, then the other. Maybe it was in acknowledgment to what she said. Maybe he was weighing some internal issue in his head. She had no clue, and no time to query it, because Annwyn was speaking to her again, her tone quiet and urgent.

“Dr. Shaw, I understand you have your life here, and it is busy, complicated, and important.�� Sharp green eyes speared her. “But this is a matter of truly immense meaning for an entire people. It’s not just about my cousin’s life, although that’s important too—and it isn’t just about Lyonesse. Our home is in danger. You’re talking about an entire community that may be displaced and become refugees if we don’t fix this. This is threatening to become an international crisis.��

Kathryn made the mistake of staring into Annwyn’s fierce gaze, and she found herself trapped. How could one man’s magical Power endanger an entire land and people? Thoughtfully, she glanced at Dragos, then at Morgan. Those two males—they held enough Power. They could cause that kind of damage.

Annwyn paused, giving her time to think, then murmured, “We have researched doctors. You are the best at what you do.��

Kathryn’s lips tightened. Every surgeon had her fair share of ego, but that was laying it on a bit too thick. “I am one of the best. Just one. There are others you could ask.��

“No one with your unique combination of sensitivities and skills,�� the other woman insisted.

What did Annwyn mean by that? Frowning, Kathryn opened her mouth to ask, but Dragos spoke first. “How goes the war against Isabeau?��

Kathryn pursed her lips. Why had the dragon chosen to ask that now, of all times? Where had his calculating, wily mind gone in his deliberations?

Morgan rubbed his face and looked disgusted. Clearly he would rather be anywhere else than in the middle of a discussion about Isabeau. Annwyn’s attention shifted, and she watched the sorcerer closely.

Nikolas was the one who chose to answer. “Isabeau has had major setbacks. From all reports, Morgan wounded her severely when he broke free of her control. He also sent a large portion of the Light Court society into disarray when he attacked and killed Modred and destroyed her summer palace. She’s disappeared, and we haven’t yet been able to locate her, but we feel it is only a matter of time, especially if we can rouse Oberon from his comatose state.��

“I see,�� Dragos replied. Everyone in the hall paused, waiting for him to make a point, or say something further, but he remained silent.

He was maddening. Truly, he was.

For a moment Kathryn fantastized about putting her hands around his neck and squeezing. She knew she couldn’t really hurt him, nor did she want to. But she did oh so mightily want to elicit a look of consternation from him in retaliation for all the times he had disconcerted her.

Then, as Annwyn swung around to face Kathryn again, Dragos said, “Isabeau is reputed to have quite a library of magic books, or so I’ve heard.�� He looked at Morgan. “Did you ever see it?��

“No,�� Morgan said drily. “She does have an extensive library, but she would never trust me enough to let me near it.��

“Give me a moment to consult with my physician, and kindly don’t kill each other while we’re at it.�� Striding over to Kathryn, Dragos held out a hand, silently urging her to walk with him.

She obliged and followed him to the other side of the hall. During the course of the small journey, realization dawned. She said telepathically, You want Isabeau’s library, don’t you?

The sidelong look he gave her gleamed. Of course I do. If and when the Dark Court does defeat Isabeau, we can’t have her library out there waiting to fall into the wrong hands, can we? It needs to fall into my hands.

She bit back a smile. Naturally.

He cocked an eyebrow. Naturally. So, I have just one question to ask you—are you interested in doing this? Because if you are, I will back that decision, continue to pay you your retainer while you are gone, and negotiate with the Dark Court for the right to send a team after the library once they have finished dealing with Isabeau. If your answer is still no, there’s no need to discuss this any further.

She paused, narrowing her eyes at him. That’s a fair question, she said slowly. Before, I didn’t allow myself to consider it very seriously.

Dragos snapped his fingers. What’s the name of that young doctor on your surgical team?

Do you mean Angus?

Yes, that’s him. Angus could take over your rotation at the hospital and fill in with your other duties while you’re gone. He could be on call for the sentinels, if need be. He’s qualified enough—he fills in for you already, when you go on vacations. This would just be an extension of that.

She retorted, Are you saying I’m not as indispensible as I’d like to think?

Dragos said, I’m saying I want to know what you want to do, and I’ll support you either way—and I’ve got a way this can work for me if you do want to go. On a side note, there are things going on here in the New York demesne that you don’t yet know, mainly stemming from personal decisions that Pia and I have recently made. You’ll find out about that later, but my point is, here in the city things are going to be in flux anyway for the next year. If you want to make this trip, it can just be part of that flux.

She hesitated, then smiled as she admitted, Okay, to be honest, I think it sounds fascinating. It’s a medical puzzle and an adventure all at once. I’m curious about the spell Morgan concocted that would put Oberon in a vegetative state, and I’m interested to know if I can reverse his condition. And I’ve been meaning to travel back to England to visit Sophie and the property she inherited when she met the terms of my father’s will. So—yes, I would like to go.

Good enough. Dragos put a hand at her back. Now, let’s go make them pay for the privilege of your time and effort.

Suddenly amused, she murmured, They’re in genuine distress. Try not to gouge them too much, will you?

The corners of his mouth indented in a subtle smile. Well, they did offer.

_____

Copyright: 2018 Teddy Harrison LLC

All rights reserved

Here’s today’s Friday Snippet for you! As always, this is draft material and things are subject to editing (and possibly deletion), so please don’t share.

Hope you enjoy!

~ Thea

____________

LIONHEART

(Chapter One Cont’d)

The tension in the meeting hall struck like a blow to the chest as soon as she took her first step inside, and it wasn’t just emotional tension. Power prickled through the air from magics raised but not unleashed.

Ooooh-kay then. Squaring her shoulders, she strode toward the group that had congregated in the middle of the expansive floor. As she approached she took in details.

There were three clusters, each one standing far enough away from the others to set itself apart.

The first cluster was a party of two, stationed squarely between the other groups. One of them was Dragos who stood with his arms crossed as he surveyed the others. He was large and lethal, with midnight black hair, bronze features and gold eyes.

The Wyr gryphon Rune stood beside him. Kathryn hesitated, looking between the two males. Almost as tall as Dragos but not nearly as broad, Rune’s golden hair and handsome features were a familiar sight, but at the same time it was also a strange one.

For centuries, Rune had acted as Dragos’s First sentinel, and he was a force to be reckoned with in his own right�� but he and Dragos had argued while Rune had been in the middle of mating with the Vampyre elder Carling Severan. The strain of that argument had broken the relationship.

Since that time, the men had gradually been repairing it, and when Carling had been kidnapped along with Dragos’s mate Pia, they had been thrown into working together. Apparently, the crisis had eradicated any strain that had lingered between them.

Kathyrn smiled. It was good to see them together again, acting as a team, for however long that might last.

Her gaze traveled to the second cluster, which was also a party of two. A handsome dark-haired man stood beside a woman. Their scents revealed immediately that they were both lycanthropes, but as soon as she laid eyes on them Kathryn already knew who they were.

The infamous sorcerer Morgan le Fae was in attendance, along with his companion, popular musician Sidonie Martel. Kathryn had heard of the pair, but she hadn’t met them yet. The grapevine in the Wyr demesne was lively and thriving, so she already knew that Dragos had offered asylum to Morgan, along with a select band of lycanthropes that immigrated with him.

In other circumstances, her gaze might have been tempted to linger on the pair, but the open hostility in the third cluster of people pulled at her attention.

The third cluster of people was also the largest. Four individuals stood in postures of leashed aggression, their expressions tight. One was a mixed Fae female who was spotted like a cheetah, with russet hair streaked with white, and a strong, lean body.

The mixed-Fae woman stared at Morgan and his companion with undisguised hatred. A powerfully built mixed-Fae male stood beside her, while another male with menacing, intense good looks stood by a woman whom Kathryn recognized.

Immediately, she threw aside any further examination of the various individuals at the meeting.

“Sophie!�� she exclaimed, in equal parts surprise and delight.

Sophie Ross was a mostly human witch with long, curly black hair, pale gray-blue eyes, and freckled skin. Earlier that year, Kathryn had met Sophie in LA and offered her the quixotic stipulations set out by Kathryn’s late father, the Earl of Weston, in his will.

Sophie had been given the opportunity to stay for ninety days at one of Kathryn’s historical family holdings in the UK. If, during Sophie’s stay, she was able to break into the magic puzzle box of a house that the Shaw family had owned for many generations, she would inherit the property and an annual stipend that went along with it.

Sophie had not only managed to break into the house. She had also fallen in love with a prominent member of the Dark Court and gotten embroiled in the centuries-long struggle between Oberon’s people and the Light Court.

If Sophie was here, that meant the dark, brooding male standing so protectively beside her would be Nikolas Sevigny, one of Oberon’s senior knights. And that meant their companions were probably also of the Dark Court��

No wonder the tensions in the hall were so high. Morgan le Fae had, for many centuries, had acted as an agent on behalf of Isabeau, Queen of the Light Court—and the Light Court and the Dark Court were mortal enemies.

Then came the news that had run like wildfire through the Elder Races in recent months: Morgan had not been working for the Light Fae Queen of his own free will. He had been enslaved by a geas.

That one fact could possibly be how Morgan and various members of Oberon’s Court could stand together under the same roof without breaking into battle�� but Kathryn could see the strain was vibrating through among all of them. Even Sophie’s bright smile of greeting was brief. They would have to catch up in private another time.

Now than Kathryn’s sweep of the hall was complete, she focused her attention on Dragos again as she moved forward. Telepathically, she said to him, Surely you haven’t all been standing here for almost four hours while I finished surgery?

The Wyr Lord didn’t appear to appreciate her small spark of humor. His gold gaze flashed with irritation. I sent them to opposite parts of the building to wait it out. They’ve only been back in the hall for a few minutes. We’ve got to conduct this meeting and get it over with before somebody snaps.

Aloud, he said to the russet-haired female, “This is Dr. Kathryn Shaw, as I promised. Kathryn, this is Annwyn Mathonwy, King Oberon’s cousin and general of the Dark Court armed force, and her escorts Gawain Blackwater, Nikolas Sevigny, and Sophie Ross.�� He swiveled on one booted heel and indicated the other cluster. “And over here, we have Morgan le Fae and his fiance Sidonie Martel. I’ve summoned you all here at Annwyn’s request.��

“If I may,�� Morgan murmured. “My last name is Garanhir. I have no desire to be connected to the Fae in any way whatsoever.��

“Of course,�� Dragos told him. “My apologies.��

Oh�� dear. With a sinking heart, Kathryn watched as Annwyn prowled toward her. Nobody wore any visible weapons, but Annwyn appeared to be a weapon all on her own. She moved like danger personified, in one racy, effortless flow.

“Dr Shaw,�� Annwyn said shortly.

“General,�� Kathryn replied, taking the hand she was offered and shaking it. “It’s an honor to make your acquaintance in person.��

“When I approached you in the summer to ask for a consultation on my cousin the King’s condition, you turned me down,�� Annwyn told her. “I’m here to ask you again, in person. Oberon remains in a deeply unconscious state, but meanwhile his Power continues to rage unchecked. Without his will to control it, it’s damaging our city and land, causing floods and forcing evacuations. We need to break through to him somehow, or we may end up with no liveable homeland left. Our physicians and mages have had no luck, either in healing or in halting what has been happening. All they can say is that the reason for his affliction is magical in nature.�� Swiveling to face Morgan, her voice chilled as she said, “And that led me to ask for you.��

Morgan had put his hands in his pockets. He looked more relaxed than the raised magics snapping in the air might otherwise indicate. When he spoke, his voice was deep and pleasant. “If you intend to confirm whether or not I had anything to do with Oberon’s present condition, the answer is yes. I did.��

Annwyn hissed at him, and across the room, both Gawain and Nikolas grabbed for their waists. It was an instinctive move, Kathryn thought, as they reached for weapons they didn’t wear.

“Ease up, gentlemen,�� Rune said in an aside to them. “Remember, this is a parley that you asked for, not a battlefield.��

_____

Copyright: 2018 Teddy Harrison LLC

All rights reserved

Even though I’m posting this on a Thursday this is labeled as a “Friday Snippet�� and I’ve added numbers to these posts so readers can see how to read them in order.

The reason why I’m posting this today is because this piece of the story comes next. However, I’ve previously posted it because I thought readers would enjoy the exchange between Kathryn and Dragos. I don’t want anybody to feel cheated out of a new Friday snippet, so I’ll post a new one �� number (3) �� tomorrow. As always, this is subject to editing and change.

Hope you enjoy!

~ Thea

___

LIONHEART

Chapter Two

New York, present day

��

When the Lord of the Wyr issued a summons to those he kept on retainer, one responded with as much immediacy as one could manage. While Dr. Kathryn Shaw was no exception to this rule, she also refused to walk out of surgery to accommodate his demands.

“Tell him I’m busy,�� she said tersely to the nurse who had delivered the message to the operating room over the intercom.

As she spoke, Kathryn eyed the mangled leg in front of her with a frown. The leg belonged to a twelve-year-old boy who had taken a bad fall while trespassing on a construction site. It was a tricky operation that needed a combination of both magic and physical surgery—which was the only kind of case that Kathryn took on anymore—but she had her favorite surgery team with her, everyone worked really well with each other, and the boy stood a good chance of a near total recovery if Kathryn got it right.

So, she would get it right.

A few minutes later the dragon himself broke into her mind. Kathryn, I need you at Cuelebre Tower, Dragos said telepathically. Get here as fast as you can.

She paused, frustrated, and when the nurse beside her gave her an inquiring glance, she held up a gloved finger and shook her head.

Everyone else in the world had a telepathic range of ten or fifteen feet—everyone, but Dragos. His telepathic range was over a hundred miles, and Kathryn had cause to regret that more than once in her professional life.

She snapped, And I said I was busy. Is anybody on fire? Are any of the sentinels near imminent death?

No, Dragos growled.

Well, I’m in the middle of surgery, and as I’ve told you before, I don’t care for telepathic interruptions when I’m operating.

The Wyr lord was frustrated too. She could hear it in his voice. Can’t you hand the surgery to someone else on your team?

She could, but she wouldn’t. She told him, You wouldn’t want me to walk out on you if I was operating on you, would you?

As she had, in fact, recently operated on him, this hypothetical was more than a little potent. Recently, while in a battle to rescue his kidnapped wife, Dragos had been shot several times and taken a few hits to the chest. One of the bullets had come close to penetrating the truly spectacular protective casing around his powerful heart.

By his pause, she suspected that he was thinking of that injury too. No, of course not.

Then don’t expect me to do it to someone else, she said. If you don’t have a clear-cut medical emergency for me to respond to, then you pick up your damn phone and call or text—and if I say you have to wait, you have to wait. Is that clear?

Well, get here directly after surgery.

Of course. But right now, I’ve got a twelve-year-old boy’s leg to save, so get out of my head—and stay out. She inhaled deeply to get rid of the stress, then turned her total attention back to the boy on her table.

Three hours and twenty-six minutes later, she finished and stepped back to let Angus close for her. Euphoria and relief flooded her tight body. Rotating her head to release the tension in her neck and shoulders, she stripped off her operating gown, gloves, and mask and headed out.

It had been a good afternoon’s work. Better than good. It had been great. She would have a better idea of the boy’s prognosis after his body had fully absorbed the spells, but when she felt this good about a surgery she was rarely wrong about it later. She was pretty sure he would regain full mobility.

But it was too soon to tell his anxious parents that. For now, it was enough to simply tell them she was pleased that the surgery had gone very well. While she briefed them, she multitasked and drank a hot, bracing cup of coffee. After promising to check on his post op recovery that evening, she was finally able to head up to the hospital roof.

As she climbed the stairs, she texted Dragos. Out of surgery. On my way. Be there in 20.

His response was almost immediate. How is the boy?

That last caused her to shake her head and snort. Just when she got to thinking the Wyr lord was a total self-absorbed ass, he switched things up on her. She answered him rapidly. Doing well.

Excellent. Come to the meeting hall when you get here.

Understood.

Once she reached the rooftop, she shapeshifted into her Wyr form, a falcon, and launched into flight.

She loved flying over New York. The cold, keen autumn wind blew away the last of the hospital scents, while the huge, glittering city sprawled beneath her. New York City had been home to Kathryn for many years. She knew its moods and seasons, and she’d watched the skyline evolve. Flying over Central Park was especially glorious, since all the trees were displaying their fall foliage in brilliant canopies of crimson, yellow, and orange.

The eighty-story-tall Cuelebre Tower was an unmistakable landmark, and as familiar to her as the back of her hand. Swooping down to the roof, she shapeshifted back into her human form and headed for the stairs.

What she really wanted to do was take a detour to the cafeteria and eat a large steak for dinner, but that would have to wait until later.

Now that she had the time to turn her attention to Dragos’s summons, she was growing intrigued.

The last she had heard, Dragos and his mate Pia had been recuperating at home with their newborn son Niall while their eldest son Liam was home visting from college.

Something had lured Dragos back to the city, at least briefly, and whatever it was had to be compelling enough to get him to interrupt his personal family time.

If Dragos had wanted to meet with Kathryn personally, he was just as likely to show up at her office at the hospital or direct her to his. If it involved a matter internal to the Wyr demesne, the meeting venue would most likely have been one of the conference rooms on the top two stories of the Tower.

Being summoned to the meeting hall�� that meant outsiders were involved somehow. The meeting hall was where the Cuelebre’s annual Masque of the Gods was held. It was a massive space suitable for public occasions, with tall windows, the high ceilings decorated with crown molding, and the marble floors gleaming and polished.

It also had protection spells woven into the construction, reinforcing steels beams, walls, ceiling and floor in case anything untoward were to happen—and with the Elder Races involved something untoward almost always happened.

Kathryn hadn’t taken the time to change, so when she had shapeshifted back into her human form she still wore her standard surgery fare—blue scrubs, a white long-sleeved thermal shirt underneath, and tennis shoes, and she had confined her straight, fine brown hair in a no-nonsense pony tail. Her scrubs had been fresh when she’d donned them earlier, but now they were crumpled, and in any case, her scrubs weren’t exactly meeting hall attire.

With an internal shrug, she set speculation aside and headed down to the hall which was located just above the ground floor shops and restaurants, and just below the law offices of the Wyr demesne.

This time she took the elevator, and when she stepped out she saw two sentinels, Bayne and Quentin, standing guard at the meeting hall’s large, ornately carved double doors.

Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice would have said during her adventure in Wonderland.

Approaching, she said, “Hey, guys.��

Quentin gave her a genial nod. He was a handsome devil and quite insane, as he had mated with the harpy Aryal and appeared to be quite content with the result of his life choices. Despite his undeniable sex appeal, nobody, at least that Kathryn knew of, was tempted to try to coax Quentin into cheating.

Bayne’s handsome looks were much rougher. His Wyr form was a gryphon the size of an SUV, and his human form seemed not that much smaller.

The corners of his gray eyes crinkled as he looked at her. “Hey, Kathryn.��

Oh, she had a soft spot for Bayne. She had a very soft spot for him. They had dated off and on in a casually, and part of her was sorry that they didn’t manage to generate between them whatever it was that catapulted the Wyr into mating.

Maybe they were both too dedicated to their jobs?

Whatever the reason, their relationship was enough that she felt entirely comfortable stopping beside him and switching to telepathy. Any clues about what’s going on before I walk in there?

His smile deepened. Not my place, babe. All I gotta say is, buckle up.

Well, a girl had to try. She was tall for a woman, but not unusually so. The top of her head came to his chin, and she smiled up at him.

Let’s grab a bite to eat afterward, if you’ve got time.

I’d like that. She touched his arm. I have to check on a patient this evening, but other than that, I’m free.

Good deal. He switched back to verbal speech. “Ready to go inside?��

“I guess so.�� She gave the closed doors a leery glance.

Quentin opened one of the doors and held it for her.

________

Copyright: 2018 Teddy Harrison LLC

All rights reserved

Happy Friday!

Starting today, I’m going to post snippets from LIONHEART every Friday through the month of August. They’ll be around 2,000 words or so long, with the understanding that I’ll break whenever there seems to be a good place in the narrative.

Please remember, as always when I post snippets of draft work it’s all subject to change (or even deletion). Anything you read will very likely have typos and grammar issues that will be addressed during the editing process. For that reason, I ask that you don’t post this in other places.

Happy reading!

Thea

____

LIONHEART

Chapter One

London, 1811

��

The attack happened long ago at one of those bloody masques King Oberon and his Dark Court had once been so fond of hosting.

In the early nineteenth century, those of the Elder Races—along with a select few humans, chosen for their Power and political influence—traveled from around the world to attend Oberon’s masques, and all of England knew that whatever the weather, snow always fell in the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens on the winter solstice.

The guests were treated to a lavish array of exotic foods and mulled wine, magic and mystery, all served by attendants dressed in spotless white, intricately embroidered uniforms. Intrigues always occurred, along with intimate conversations amid the entertainment. Illicit affairs were pursued in the shadows. Treaties were born, and sometimes broken, and there was always the opportunity to forge new alliances.

But mostly, the annual festival was Oberon’s way of saying fuck you to his greatest enemy, Isabeau and her Light Court. The richness of the revelry, the contrived excess—it all said, we dance in spite of you. We thrive.

Until at one masque, Oberon stood watching a swirl of costumed dancers. As he cast a silent spell, large flakes of clear ice drifted down from a cloudless midnight sky as if the frozen stars themselves fell to earth.

The flakes reflected pagan color from nearby bonfires, until the air glittered with brilliant gold and piercing light. All dancers came to a halt, and everyone stared upward in awe while fey music raced through the clearing at a hectic pace.

Laughter broke out, along with applause, even among the most Powerful and jaded of the guests. Oberon smiled to see one pretty Vampyre reaching up with a slender white hand to catch a flake. She stared, eyes wide with wonder, as the glittering ice melted in her fingers.

A sharp sting pierced Oberon’s neck, along with a sense of alien magic. It broke his concentration, and the weather spell fractured.

His reactions were swift and catlike, but even as he slapped one gloved hand over the spot and focused all his fierce attention on it, the brief pain faded. He spun around, his gaze racing over the crowd.

It had been an attack. He was in no doubt.

His gaze fell on one individual, a tall, handsome man in elegant evenig attire, wearing a plain, black domino. The man held a hollow reed between the fingers of one gloved hand.

His direct hazel gaze met Oberon’s. “I have killed you on the orders of the Light Fae Queen, and I must say I am sorry for it.��

Oberon’s lips drew back in a snarl. A savage roar burst from his throat as he lunged forward to kill the transgressor. Even as he sprang forward, an intense wave of dizziness struck him down.

Sharp voices soared overhead like the raw screech of hunting hawks. He recognized Nikolas and Gawain, even as he focused his attention inward, searching for that deadly thread of alien magic.

There it was, the enemy that had invaded his body. The magic wriggled deeper, seeking to enter his bloodstream. Where it touched, coldness spread.

Panicked hands gripped his arms, and another, more feral voice intruded upon his awareness: Robin. “Sire, what happened?��

“Assassins,�� he managed to hiss.

He did not need to say more. His knights roared through the milling crowd, cutting short the festivities with drawn swords. Trusting them to do their jobs, he closed his eyes and concentrated everything on stopping the malicious spell from completing its work.

Time passed, while he tried spell after spell to counteract the attack. The masque ended early, and everyone went home. Over the next few weeks his knights roamed the streets of London, hunting the Light Queen’s Hound, Morgan le Fae, for that was who the assassin had been. They never located the sorceror. He had simply vanished, apparently into thin air.

Oberon retreated to the country where he continued to search for ways to eradicate the magic that attacked him from within. Some spells seemed to work, at least temporarily, and for a while the progress of the magic halted.

He gained a measure of time.

Weeks, months. Even years.

But each time, after a period of stasis, the bastard evil that invaded his body reawakened and burrowed deeper, always aiming for his heart.

It caused undeniable damage. He could feel himself changing. The closer the magic came to his heart, the colder he grew. Colder in his thinking, in his emotions. He grew crueler, more calculating.

Once he had taken lovers who had longed for his touch and chased him for another taste of the ecstasy he had given them. Then as he changed he took conquests, and although the pleasure he brought them was extreme, they did not beg for his return when he left.

After a few more years, he and his Court stopped hosting the annual Masque, and the Elder Races found a few popular venue in the Wyr demesne located in New York.

Oberon could see his changes reflected in the growing reserve in the eyes of those he had once considered his intimates. His family. They began to withdraw, and he didn’t care. His fight for survival was easier that way. He was growing to distrust them anyway.

The magic burrowed deeper until it pressed against his heart. Finally, he acknowledged he had to try a last, desperate gamble to save his own life.

He gathered the senior members of his Court together—Nikolas, Gawain, Annwyn, and the others. The puck Robin came too, to bear witness.

“The sorceror’s spell has almost won,�� he said to them. “I’m losing control over my own magic. I must try to put myself into a deep sleep, for if I can stop my own heart from beating, his cursed spell might not gain victory. In the meantime, you must leave the palace while you can. I…I no longer trust myself.��

His cousin Annwyn clasped him in a tight hug, and he allowed it out of respect for the memory of how he had once loved her.

“We will never stop fighting,�� she told him, her green eyes fierce. “Not for you, and not for Lyonesse. Rest well, Oberon, and know that you will awaken again.��

She would make a splendid Queen for the Daione Sidhe should he die. He almost killed her for it right then and there, but that act would have been anathema to the man he had once been, and he would not let the damned sorceror’s spell dictate the actions of the man he had become.

Stepping back from her embrace, he watched as they left.

The puck had lingered behind the others, his thin frame lost in a shadow. When they were gone, he crept out. Oberon said slowly, “Guard this place and watch them.��

Robin’s eyes gleamed. “As you wish, sire.��

But the question was, could he still trust the puck? They were all people he had loved and trusted once. He could no longer feel the feelings, but he still had the memory of feeling them. How could he trust his own instincts, when he could no longer tell how the spell was affecting him?

In the end, much as he hated it, there was nothing left for him to do but let go. Retreating deep into the palace, he cast the stasis spell that would plunge him into darkness.

There, full of rage, he slept and dreamed of vengeance.

___

LIONHEART

Copyright 2018: Teddy Harrison LLC

All rights reserved