Romance, Fantasy, Suspense and Sizzle! Warm up your winter nights with these free short stories, novellas, books and preview/excerpts by bestselling romance and urban fantasy authors!
Love, adventure, passion, suspense, and action—it’s all here! We’ve got a mix of contemporary, MF, MM, paranormal, romantic suspense, urban fantasy, shifter, kink, sweet, and more. Read the stories here—then come meet the authors at Coastal Magic Convention in 2020!
While all of the authors with stories in the giveaway will be attending Coastal Magic Convention as Featured or Signing Authors, there may also be additional authors who were unable to participate. For a full list of CMC 2020 authors, visit www.CoastalMagicConvention.com
This Group Giveaway has expired
Trickster Blood
Trickster Blood Lucienne Diver
Hermes (yes, that Hermes of Greek myth) has an unerring nose for mischief, which comes in handy as a syndicated humor columnist.
His instincts go on high alert when a colleague offers to forgive a bet in exchange for Hermes checking on his father, who’s has taken up with his much younger housekeeper and dropped out of touch. The suspected foul play has trickster written all over it.
His instincts go on high alert when a colleague offers to forgive a bet in exchange for Hermes checking on his father, who’s has taken up with his much younger housekeeper and dropped out of touch. The suspected foul play has trickster written all over it.
The Anti-Cinderella
The Anti-Cinderella TAWDRA KANDLE
How many girls can say their first kiss was with a prince in the British royal family?
I was fourteen and he was sixteen, and yes, it was magical. But to tell you the truth, I didn't even think about it or Nicky Windsor until fate, in the guise of my grandparents, brought us together again ten years later.
Now I'm ducking reporters at every turn. The whole world seems to be watching me, wanting to see some kind of modern Cinderella story. But trust me, I'm no man's princess. I'm more comfortable in tennis shoes than in a tiara.
The only thing that keeps me from running away is Nicky. He's all I've ever wanted in a man: hot, hunky and head-over-heels in love with me. I think I want to be with him forever. But can I handle what comes after our happy ending?
I was fourteen and he was sixteen, and yes, it was magical. But to tell you the truth, I didn't even think about it or Nicky Windsor until fate, in the guise of my grandparents, brought us together again ten years later.
Now I'm ducking reporters at every turn. The whole world seems to be watching me, wanting to see some kind of modern Cinderella story. But trust me, I'm no man's princess. I'm more comfortable in tennis shoes than in a tiara.
The only thing that keeps me from running away is Nicky. He's all I've ever wanted in a man: hot, hunky and head-over-heels in love with me. I think I want to be with him forever. But can I handle what comes after our happy ending?
Steamborn
Steamborn Eric Asher
A supernatural swarm. A treacherous scheme. A tinker's apprentice may be the village's only hope...
Jacob has yet to meet a gadget he couldn't fix or an adventure he couldn't resist. With trade routes to his remote Lowlands town cut off, Jacob must exchange his boyhood adventures for petty theft. After all, his wages at the tinker shop aren't enough to pay for his father's medicine.
But it soon becomes clear why few merchants brave the nearby roads as a plague of terrifying creatures descends upon the town. With the Lowlands under siege, Jacob and his friend have no choice but to run for their lives. When their escape uncovers a terrible secret, Jacob learns there are those who'll stop at nothing to make sure the teen takes the scandal to his grave...
Jacob has yet to meet a gadget he couldn't fix or an adventure he couldn't resist. With trade routes to his remote Lowlands town cut off, Jacob must exchange his boyhood adventures for petty theft. After all, his wages at the tinker shop aren't enough to pay for his father's medicine.
But it soon becomes clear why few merchants brave the nearby roads as a plague of terrifying creatures descends upon the town. With the Lowlands under siege, Jacob and his friend have no choice but to run for their lives. When their escape uncovers a terrible secret, Jacob learns there are those who'll stop at nothing to make sure the teen takes the scandal to his grave...
The Wrath of Stan
The Wrath of Stan Meghan Maslow
Stanley Whipplemartz is a short, skinny kid with bad skin, worse hair, and a cracking voice. And there’s that small inconvenience of being, well, a vampire. Unlike the charming, attractive vampires that we’ve all come to know and love, Stanley is a seventeen-year-old computer geek who was turned at a Star Trek convention in the mid-eighties.
Stanley knows no other vampires, and had to learn about his powers the hard way. This includes his frustration with only being able to use his powers of mesmerism on ladies over sixty. In this first story, Stanley discovers that someone has stolen his credit card and run up a lot of debt. What’s a nerd vampire to do?
Get even, of course!
7,6K Short Story
Stanley knows no other vampires, and had to learn about his powers the hard way. This includes his frustration with only being able to use his powers of mesmerism on ladies over sixty. In this first story, Stanley discovers that someone has stolen his credit card and run up a lot of debt. What’s a nerd vampire to do?
Get even, of course!
7,6K Short Story
What a twisting adventure! Kem and Tuii burn up the pages in Meghan Maslow's Demon for the Win. I couldn't put it down. Not only was I drawn in by the fantasy world she created but also the chemistry between the lead characters. You don't want to miss this one.
I loved this cute story about an incubus finding his true love with a dryad. It was both hot and sweet as Kem worked to convince Tuli that he was enough just as he was. Meghan Maslow's world of Verona is fun, imaginative, and always full of surprises, and I highly recommend this book.
Meghan is amazing at finding humor in every situation, and this story is classic Meghan. Hilarious, fun, and starring two unexpected and utterly charming characters. I really appreciate that she didn't go with the resistance plotline of an incubus falling in love (as though getting an incubus to fall in love is like trying to bathe a cat), and Kem is all the more delightful for being an exception to every rule. Can't wait to see more in this series!
In standard Meghan Maslow fashion, this book is chock-full of humor, bubbly and detailed world building, and scorching hot disaster demons. Kem and Tuli are drawn to each other like magnets, but not all is easy for incubi when it comes to the dreaded capital-R Relationships, even when they are *gulp* falling for their soulmate. An intriguing mystery provides the backdrop to this spicy fantasy romance, and I’m in love with the world of Verona Meghan has created. Highly recommended!
Night
Night Morgan Brice
When malicious pranks and mayhem break out in Myrtle Beach just before Halloween, psychic medium Simon Kincaide suspects a supernatural source. He teams up with homicide detective Vic D’Amato, his personal and professional partner, to find the prankster and stop the havoc before lives are lost. But will that be enough for the restless ghosts of Myrtle Beach?
Morgan Brice writes magic in a way that sucks you into the story and causes time to fly by as you read.
Morgan Brice writes uniquely fascinating m/m romance - if you like suspense and ghost stories in your romance mix, this is a book for you!
Great m/m suspense romance. This is a unique combination for a holiday romance.
Morgan is a great Author, I will never miss another book from her. :)
I really liked this. Definitely worth reading!
His Fairy Share: An Excerpt
His Fairy Share: An Excerpt Meghan Maslow
Six months have passed since wizard Quinn Broomsparkle left behind his indentured servant shackles. He’s in love with his half-dragon/half-fairy familiar, Twig Starfig. He’s got a home. Friends. A job. And a father-in-law he could do without. A pretty close to perfect life.
So, when Quinn receives a summons to return to his home realm, how hard could facing his past really be?
He and Twig are about to find out . . . Hint: it isn’t going to go well.
Excerpt: Chapter 1
or what might more accurately be titled:
“That Bastard Murphy and His Stupid Laws.”
*This excerpt is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
So, when Quinn receives a summons to return to his home realm, how hard could facing his past really be?
He and Twig are about to find out . . . Hint: it isn’t going to go well.
Excerpt: Chapter 1
or what might more accurately be titled:
“That Bastard Murphy and His Stupid Laws.”
*This excerpt is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
What a twisting adventure! Kem and Tuii burn up the pages in Meghan Maslow's Demon for the Win. I couldn't put it down. Not only was I drawn in by the fantasy world she created but also the chemistry between the lead characters. You don't want to miss this one.
I loved this cute story about an incubus finding his true love with a dryad. It was both hot and sweet as Kem worked to convince Tuli that he was enough just as he was. Meghan Maslow's world of Verona is fun, imaginative, and always full of surprises, and I highly recommend this book.
Meghan is amazing at finding humor in every situation, and this story is classic Meghan. Hilarious, fun, and starring two unexpected and utterly charming characters. I really appreciate that she didn't go with the resistance plotline of an incubus falling in love (as though getting an incubus to fall in love is like trying to bathe a cat), and Kem is all the more delightful for being an exception to every rule. Can't wait to see more in this series!
In standard Meghan Maslow fashion, this book is chock-full of humor, bubbly and detailed world building, and scorching hot disaster demons. Kem and Tuli are drawn to each other like magnets, but not all is easy for incubi when it comes to the dreaded capital-R Relationships, even when they are *gulp* falling for their soulmate. An intriguing mystery provides the backdrop to this spicy fantasy romance, and I’m in love with the world of Verona Meghan has created. Highly recommended!
Rx for Sex
Rx for Sex Bru Baker
Despite long hours and job stress, psychiatrist Dr. Barr Campbell and his partner, psychologist Dr. Charlie Winters, are making it work. But when Charlie is suddenly relegated to the night shift, cracks start to form in their relationship. Barr finds himself lonely and frustrated, and his solution is to jump into his work. Between Barr's extra hours and Charlie's new schedule, they're hardly ever alone. As doctors they're used to brutal schedules and exhaustion, but the lack of sleep is really getting to Barr. Luckily for him Charlie has a plan--and an Rx for Sex might be just what this doctor needs.
Sons of Darkness New Excerpt
Sons of Darkness New Excerpt Gail Z. Martin
When a series of disappearances, suicides, and vengeful spirits cause havoc and
death along a remote interstate highway, demon-hunting ex-priest Travis Dominick
teams up with former special ops soldier and monster-hunter Brent Lawson
to end the problem with extreme prejudice.
death along a remote interstate highway, demon-hunting ex-priest Travis Dominick
teams up with former special ops soldier and monster-hunter Brent Lawson
to end the problem with extreme prejudice.
She writes stories that you can't put down. A wonderful imagination coupled with a love of history.
You can't go wrong with a story set in the Chronicles of the Necromancer world! I love her characters and you get sucked in from the first chapter!
Gail Z Martin never disappoints. Her books are fast-paced, roiling adventures that leave you wanting more.
I recently had the pleasure of reading Gail Z. Martin's The Summoner, the first installment of the Chronicles of the Necromancer. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately grabbed Scourge, the first book in her Darkhurst series, off the shelf at my local bookstore. Now I have TWO new series to finish reading!
If you enjoy fantasy, give this a chance. Prepare to be entertained for hours by a gripping plot, compelling characters, and a unique world.
A great story for fans of epic fantasy.
Dark Hope - Sample Chapters
Dark Hope - Sample Chapters HD Smith
After five years of working for the Devil, Claire Cooper believes she lives an otherwise normal life. Until she finds herself in jeopardy for a murder she did not commit.
Desperate to save her life and soul, she enters Purgatory, but runs afoul of the Devil’s sister, Pagan Queen Mab. Mab has her own agenda and uses Claire to get even with the Devil. Claire learns each ruler is in a race to discover “the girl” in the prophecy to fix time.
As Claire peels away clues to the real killer, she realizes she must outwit the Devil’s children or end up a prisoner in Purgatory forever.
Desperate to save her life and soul, she enters Purgatory, but runs afoul of the Devil’s sister, Pagan Queen Mab. Mab has her own agenda and uses Claire to get even with the Devil. Claire learns each ruler is in a race to discover “the girl” in the prophecy to fix time.
As Claire peels away clues to the real killer, she realizes she must outwit the Devil’s children or end up a prisoner in Purgatory forever.
Double or Nothing: A Novella in the Chosen On...
Treasure Trail—an excerpt
Treasure Trail—an excerpt Morgan Brice
Erik Mitchell traveled the world uncovering art fraud and relic theft. Then a sting goes wrong, he ends up injured and returns to find his partner cheating. He decides to stop globetrotting and buy an antique shop in scenic Cape May, NJ, rebuild his life, and nurse his broken heart.
Undercover Newark cop Ben Nolan went down in a hail of bullets when a bust went sideways. When his aunt hires him to take over her rental real estate business in Cape May, it seems too good to be true. Now if he could just believe he could ever be lucky again in love.
When a missing antique shows up under mysterious circumstances, Ben and Erik are plunged into danger as a cursed hotel’s long-ago scandals resurface. Someone wants those secrets to stay buried, and might add Ben and Erik to the death toll.
Undercover Newark cop Ben Nolan went down in a hail of bullets when a bust went sideways. When his aunt hires him to take over her rental real estate business in Cape May, it seems too good to be true. Now if he could just believe he could ever be lucky again in love.
When a missing antique shows up under mysterious circumstances, Ben and Erik are plunged into danger as a cursed hotel’s long-ago scandals resurface. Someone wants those secrets to stay buried, and might add Ben and Erik to the death toll.
Morgan Brice writes magic in a way that sucks you into the story and causes time to fly by as you read.
Morgan Brice writes uniquely fascinating m/m romance - if you like suspense and ghost stories in your romance mix, this is a book for you!
Great m/m suspense romance. This is a unique combination for a holiday romance.
Morgan is a great Author, I will never miss another book from her. :)
I really liked this. Definitely worth reading!
Texas Two Step: The Prequel
Texas Two Step: The Prequel Cynthia D'Alba
Go back to where it all began...When Olivia Montgomery met Mitch Landry and their lives were changed forever.
Texas Two Step:The Prequel is a short story. It serves as an introduction to Olivia Montgomery and Mitch Landry, the primary characters in the novel, Texas Two Step. The Prequel covers their college dating years up to their break-up. Texas Two Step, the novel, continues the story six years later.
Texas Two Step:The Prequel is a short story. It serves as an introduction to Olivia Montgomery and Mitch Landry, the primary characters in the novel, Texas Two Step. The Prequel covers their college dating years up to their break-up. Texas Two Step, the novel, continues the story six years later.
Wonder B*tch
Wonder B*tch Ashlyn Chase
Imagine seven attractive crime-fighting women with super powers—and PMS!
Joell of the League of Amazing Witches, gets a desperate call for the League’s help. She tries to explain to their contact that they’re unable to work right now since they have to lock up their weapons when it’s—ahem—that time of the month. Unfortunately, the victims are male models kidnapped from a romance convention! Since all the members of the League write sizzling romance novels in their spare time and can’t resist a pretty face on a hunky body, she agrees.
But who’s the hero in all of this? The models’ agent, willing to pay big bucks to get them back? The undercover cop, hired to work with them since he can pass for a model and be trusted with weapons? Or will it be someone else with superpowers of his own?
Joell of the League of Amazing Witches, gets a desperate call for the League’s help. She tries to explain to their contact that they’re unable to work right now since they have to lock up their weapons when it’s—ahem—that time of the month. Unfortunately, the victims are male models kidnapped from a romance convention! Since all the members of the League write sizzling romance novels in their spare time and can’t resist a pretty face on a hunky body, she agrees.
But who’s the hero in all of this? The models’ agent, willing to pay big bucks to get them back? The undercover cop, hired to work with them since he can pass for a model and be trusted with weapons? Or will it be someone else with superpowers of his own?
The Warm Up
The Warm Up Xio Axelrod
Originally published in the USA Today Bestselling HOT ON ICE: A Hockey Romance Anthology, this edition contains a bonus chapter!
Subzero. That’s what folks around the league call Constantine Zimin, hockey’s best defenseman. He’s unflappable. Stoic, even. No cracks in all that ice, not until he meets Suji Meriwether. The pediatric nurse has no time for bad-boy jocks who want to use her patients as props. But as soon as they meet, temperatures rise and their defenses fall.
Subzero. That’s what folks around the league call Constantine Zimin, hockey’s best defenseman. He’s unflappable. Stoic, even. No cracks in all that ice, not until he meets Suji Meriwether. The pediatric nurse has no time for bad-boy jocks who want to use her patients as props. But as soon as they meet, temperatures rise and their defenses fall.
Soulmated
Soulmated Shaila Patel
Read the multiple award winning Soulmated today!
Irish royal empath Liam Whelan is being forced by his family to search for his empath soul mate. The union will improve their family's political standing and give the couple legendary powers, but when Liam falls for Indian-American Laxshmi Kapadia, there's a problem--she's not an empath. Now he has to decide just what he'll sacrifice to be with her.
2015 Chanticleer Book Reviews' YA Paranormal Winner
2017 Author's Circle Young Adult Book of the Year Award
PRISM award for Best Young Adult and Best First Book
Runner Up for the ATHENA award for Best Young Adult Paranormal
Georgia Romance Writers' Maggie Finalist for Young Adult
Irish royal empath Liam Whelan is being forced by his family to search for his empath soul mate. The union will improve their family's political standing and give the couple legendary powers, but when Liam falls for Indian-American Laxshmi Kapadia, there's a problem--she's not an empath. Now he has to decide just what he'll sacrifice to be with her.
2015 Chanticleer Book Reviews' YA Paranormal Winner
2017 Author's Circle Young Adult Book of the Year Award
PRISM award for Best Young Adult and Best First Book
Runner Up for the ATHENA award for Best Young Adult Paranormal
Georgia Romance Writers' Maggie Finalist for Young Adult
Tangled Web: A Deadly Curiosities Novel
Tangled Web: A Deadly Curiosities Novel Gail Z. Martin
Cassidy Kincaide runs Trifles & Folly, an antiques and curios shop with a dangerous secret. Cassidy can read the history of objects by touching them and she and her
allies keep Charleston and the world safe from supernatural threats.
When zombies rise in Charleston cemeteries, dead men fall from the sky, and the
whole city succumbs to the “grouch flu,” Cassidy and her allies suspect a vengeful
dark witch who is gunning for Teag and planning to unleash an ancient horror. Cassidy, Teag, and Sorren—and all their supernatural allies—will need magic, cunning, and the help of a Viking demi-goddess to survive the battle with a malicious
Weaver-witch and an ancient Norse warlock to keep Charleston—and the whole
East Coast—from becoming the prey of the Master of the Hunt.
allies keep Charleston and the world safe from supernatural threats.
When zombies rise in Charleston cemeteries, dead men fall from the sky, and the
whole city succumbs to the “grouch flu,” Cassidy and her allies suspect a vengeful
dark witch who is gunning for Teag and planning to unleash an ancient horror. Cassidy, Teag, and Sorren—and all their supernatural allies—will need magic, cunning, and the help of a Viking demi-goddess to survive the battle with a malicious
Weaver-witch and an ancient Norse warlock to keep Charleston—and the whole
East Coast—from becoming the prey of the Master of the Hunt.
She writes stories that you can't put down. A wonderful imagination coupled with a love of history.
You can't go wrong with a story set in the Chronicles of the Necromancer world! I love her characters and you get sucked in from the first chapter!
Gail Z Martin never disappoints. Her books are fast-paced, roiling adventures that leave you wanting more.
I recently had the pleasure of reading Gail Z. Martin's The Summoner, the first installment of the Chronicles of the Necromancer. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately grabbed Scourge, the first book in her Darkhurst series, off the shelf at my local bookstore. Now I have TWO new series to finish reading!
If you enjoy fantasy, give this a chance. Prepare to be entertained for hours by a gripping plot, compelling characters, and a unique world.
A great story for fans of epic fantasy.
Superpowered Love 1: Equilibrium
Superpowered Love 1: Equilibrium Katey Hawthorne
Hansen has been hot for Sam since they first bonded over their secret superpowers—literally hot, since Hansen can produce fire from thin air. But Sam is always covered in girls, so Hansen keeps his feelings deeply buried and settles for being Sam's best friend.
Then Sam's electrical powers go haywire in public, and in the fallout a mutual attraction is forced to the surface—but bisexuality is new to Sam, and Hansen is afraid to admit he's in love. And in the midst of trying to figure out themselves and each other, they have to face—and survive—the unfriendly witness to Sam's explosion.
Then Sam's electrical powers go haywire in public, and in the fallout a mutual attraction is forced to the surface—but bisexuality is new to Sam, and Hansen is afraid to admit he's in love. And in the midst of trying to figure out themselves and each other, they have to face—and survive—the unfriendly witness to Sam's explosion.
Immortal Spartan
Immortal Spartan Hildie (H.M.) McQueen
The unthinkable happens...
The actions of one night drastically alters the course of his long existence...
Torn between developing emotional ties to a beautiful woman and his life’s calling, Spartan Roderick Cronan comes face to face with the fact that he may lose both.
When an Immortal warrior rescues Rachel Andrews from a demon attack, she is dragged into a world she never believed existed.
A story of the chaos love can cause.
The actions of one night drastically alters the course of his long existence...
Torn between developing emotional ties to a beautiful woman and his life’s calling, Spartan Roderick Cronan comes face to face with the fact that he may lose both.
When an Immortal warrior rescues Rachel Andrews from a demon attack, she is dragged into a world she never believed existed.
A story of the chaos love can cause.
Dragon's Desire
Dragon's Desire JD Monroe
Dragon shifter Pahlin Stormcaller has undertaken the Wandering, a seven-year journey to the human world to find himself before taking his rightful place in dragon society. Life in the human world isn’t what he expected, and Pahlin finds himself earning a meager living by fighting—and losing—in a secret shifter fight club. But when he meets headstrong bartender Violet, his luck turns around.
Violet Ray can't explain the influx of muscle-bound hotties in her bar, but she’s not complaining. When one of them threatens her, she’s ready to protect herself. But nothing prepared her to learn that magic was both real and deadly, or for the cutie at the bar to turn into a dragon to defend her. Can she trust this man who is more than he seems, or is he too dangerous to risk her heart?
Violet Ray can't explain the influx of muscle-bound hotties in her bar, but she’s not complaining. When one of them threatens her, she’s ready to protect herself. But nothing prepared her to learn that magic was both real and deadly, or for the cutie at the bar to turn into a dragon to defend her. Can she trust this man who is more than he seems, or is he too dangerous to risk her heart?
The Soul Summoner
The Soul Summoner Elicia Hyder
Blessed or cursed with a connection to the souls of others, Sloan Jordan can see the best in people...and the worst. With nothing more than a glance at a photograph, she can judge the living from the dead and the good souls from the evil ones. For twenty-seven years, she's kept her ability a secret, but eleven women have been murdered, and Sloan may be the only hope of finding their killer.
She has just agreed to help Detective Nathan McNamara with the case, when a stranger—who is as alluring as he is terrifying—shows up at her doorstep with a dark past and another puzzling mystery: she can't see his soul at all.
Now Sloan is on the hunt for a deadly psychopath with two irresistible men. One of them would die for her, and the other would kill to keep her safe.
She has just agreed to help Detective Nathan McNamara with the case, when a stranger—who is as alluring as he is terrifying—shows up at her doorstep with a dark past and another puzzling mystery: she can't see his soul at all.
Now Sloan is on the hunt for a deadly psychopath with two irresistible men. One of them would die for her, and the other would kill to keep her safe.
Phantom Light - a Phantoms Novella
Phantom Light - a Phantoms Novella Jessica Hawke
“If you hold onto this world hard enough, you’ll get a grasp on it. But it will get a grasp on you, too, and you won’t be able to decide anymore that you’re ready to go.”
When Valerie Young wakes up from a horrific accident to a world gone gray and cold, she wants to believe anything but the truth of what happened. But as she struggles to accept the dreaded d-word, time is slipping away for her to move on to the afterlife. When she realizes her younger sister has been irreparably altered by the accident, Valerie must choose between a chance at peace and the cold reality of existence as a restless spirit.
Phantom Light is a prequel novella to the Phantoms novel series. This edition includes the full novella PLUS an extended preview of Phantom Touch, the first novel in the series.
When Valerie Young wakes up from a horrific accident to a world gone gray and cold, she wants to believe anything but the truth of what happened. But as she struggles to accept the dreaded d-word, time is slipping away for her to move on to the afterlife. When she realizes her younger sister has been irreparably altered by the accident, Valerie must choose between a chance at peace and the cold reality of existence as a restless spirit.
Phantom Light is a prequel novella to the Phantoms novel series. This edition includes the full novella PLUS an extended preview of Phantom Touch, the first novel in the series.
Shadow Blade
Shadow Blade Seressia Glass
Kira's day job is as an antiquities expert, but her true calling is as a Shadowchaser. Kira serves the Gilead Commission, dispatching the Fallen who sow discord and chaos. Right now, though, she's got a bigger problem. Someone is turning the city of Atlanta upside down in search of a millennia-old Egyptian dagger that just happens to have fallen into Kira's hands.
Then there's Khefar, the dagger's true owner -- a near-immortal 4,000-year-old Nubian warrior who looks pretty fine for his age. Joining forces is the only way to keep the weapon safe, but now Kira is in deep with someone who holds more secrets than she does, the one person who knows just how treacherous this fight is. Because every step closer to destroying the enemy is a step closer to losing herself to Shadow forever.
Then there's Khefar, the dagger's true owner -- a near-immortal 4,000-year-old Nubian warrior who looks pretty fine for his age. Joining forces is the only way to keep the weapon safe, but now Kira is in deep with someone who holds more secrets than she does, the one person who knows just how treacherous this fight is. Because every step closer to destroying the enemy is a step closer to losing herself to Shadow forever.