Life Beyond Time

Book Six of the Aruvalia Chronicles

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When disaster looms
A warrior must offer assistance
Even when the chance of success is slim

Domerin has established a tenuous peace with the beast that lives inside him. Which means, for better or worse, he’s ready to face the threat his queen has foreseen. But by the time he returns to Aruvalia, he finds the kingdom in the midst of another mess, unable to agree on who should be in charge of solving their problems.

In an attempt to restore order, Domerin hatches a mad plan to assist Crescent in arresting his mother. To pull it off, Crescent first needs to dive into the heart of hostile territory to confront Aruvalia’s biggest enemy face to face. While he’s there, he might gain a glimpse of Karis’s grander plan. But to succeed, his ruse will have to be flawless.

And there are other risks. Confronting Crescent’s mother might delay Domerin’s departure to the north, where the massive magical storm the queen warned about has finally formed. If Domerin and Rose miss their window to divert the magic-laced hurricane, the damage to Aurvaila could be considerable – which will open the path for the enemies to invade.

Even if Domerin can manage Shale and depart on time, the chances of success remain slim. Can he divest the magical storm of its power, divert the threat of war and spare his kingdom from the risk of a magical epidemic all in one fell swoop and live to tell the tale?

A Dangerous Line…
“I was starting to think you were going to stand me up, Shale,” Karis announced without bothering to greet them, his voice low and cold.

Crescent nearly leapt out of his skin. He’d never imagined he would meet with Karis his first hour inside the man’s stronghold. His heart lodged in his throat, and he was momentarily unable to process language. An odd silence filled his ears, though it was quickly replaced by the pounding thrum of his pulse.

Equally as mind-blowing as meeting his main target the first moment he arrived was watching his mother skitter across the room to throw herself at Karis’s feet. Crescent had seen Shale worried before, but he had never seen her full-blown desperate. And only desperation could make her cower as she did now.

There was an odd, simpering grin on her face as she babbled rapid-fire about an unexpected delay and good news.

Karis wasn’t paying attention to Shale though. His purple gaze rested firmly on Crescent.

Swallowing hard, Crescent finally managed to unlock his legs from their frozen position and traverse the opposite side of the table. It seemed to go on forever, but he probably only passed half a dozen chairs before he halted in front of Karis.

“When Shale said she was bringing a guest, I had no idea it would be you,” Karis purred, interrupting Shale and forcing her to fall silent as she stared in her son’s direction.

“Small world,” Crescent managed, trying to sound casual.

“Indeed,” Karis murmured before regarding Shale. “So this is the boon you bring me to make up for your failure in Feaylic, hmm?”

Crescent caught a bright flash of anger in Shale’s muted jade eyes, but she squelched it quickly. So there was one person to whom even she did not dare spout sass! If Crescent hadn’t been so terrified, he would have laughed to see her so tongue-tied.

“Indeed, Lord Karis,” Shale confirmed. “Crescent is skilled, I assure you. I taught him myself.”

Oh how those words must have burned her throat!

“So you have come willingly?” Karis asked, arching one eyebrow as he turned back in Crescent’s direction.

Crescent bowed his head. “I think we got off on the wrong foot the last time, my lord,” he said quietly. “If we speak frankly, perhaps we will find we have similar goals.”

Karis’s eyes glimmered in a way that made Crescent want to grind his teeth, but he remained carefully frozen, docile and submissive, praying he wouldn’t end up behind another set of iron bars.

“I’m intrigued,” Karis admitted. “But I will not be accused of serving as a poor host.” He motioned to the door behind him. “Go and sleep off the rigors of your journey,” he insisted, motioning toward the portal. “Anything you need will be provided, though I assume your primary concerns are a hot meal and a comfortable bed. In the meantime, my agent and I have things to discuss.”

He smiled the kind of smile that made Crescent’s heart backflip. And because of his own weakness, bile burned the back of his throat.