Title: Lights of Aurora
Author: Theresa McClinton
Series: The Stone Legacy #2
Date of Publication: November 1st, 2013
Genre(s): Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
After the discovery of her ancient Maya bloodlines, eighteen-year-old Ashley Coreandero is faced with a daunting responsibility. She must protect the stone of Muuk’Ich while Sarian, the underworld general, relentlessly drives her to the brink of insanity.
As the winter solstice approaches, it brings an onslaught of unexpected side effects. Ashley must seize control over her supercharged powers, while dealing with the overwhelming suspicion that her boyfriend, Arwan, is hiding a secret so dark it could destroy them both.
With the arrival of a surprise houseguest, Ashley’s deepest fears about Arwan are confirmed. And when middleworld deities intercede, the group of gifted Maya descendants are confronted with hardships they never saw coming—including an enemy more deadly than they have ever faced.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned—but when that woman has no soul and a taste for revenge, they will need the powers of every surviving ancestor simply to stay alive.
A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa began her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.
Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.
In the dressing room of the sporting
goods store, Ashley checked herself in the mirror, horrified at what she saw.
Wet, limp hair stuck to her cheeks and neck. A huge bloodstain spread over the
front of her once beautiful gown, now smeared with mud and torn in several
places. Her cheeks were burned from the biting cold, and her nose was so red
she could pass as Rudolph.
She
sighed and worked at removing pins and ties out of her hair until it was
finally undone, and then used one of the ties to lock it in a bun. Next was to
get out of her dress and change into something warm and dry.
Ashley
turned to the side and craned her neck as she fumbled with the corset strings.
The damn thing was laced so tight there was no way she could do it herself.
Ashley
sighed. Perfect.
She
grabbed the dressing room curtain and pulled it aside. “Arwan?”
“Hm?”
He lifted his head from his hand where it was rested, his eyes glossed over
with sleep. Her shoulders slumped forward. The poor guy was exhausted. She
couldn’t blame him. He’d been through a lot these last few days. They all had.
“I
just…” She pointed to her back. “I need some help with this corset thing.” The
man sitting two chairs to the left gawked at her. Ashley made double sure the
curtain hid the stain on her dress.
Arwan
stood and eased toward her. “Turn around.”
She
noticed more people shopping, and several men slumped in the rows of chairs in
the waiting area. “Uh, no. Come inside.” There was no way she’d let him undo
this thing with everyone around. The fact she had to ask for help to undress
was humiliating enough.
He
opened the curtain and slipped in, then secured it closed with a Velcro strap.
He rested his hands on her waist. “Turn around.” She did, and stood with her
back straight, watching his reflection in the mirror while he worked at
loosening her corset.
The
pressure around her ribcage eased, and she drew in a deep breath. “Oh thank
God. That thing was killing me.”
The
air caressed her skin as the damp corset slowly opened, exposing the curves of
her back. She crossed her arms over her chest to prevent the top half of the
gown from falling off, as the tightly laced ribbon was the only thing holding
her top in place.
As
Arwan worked to unlace the last of the silk ribbon, his fingers brushed against
her lower back. Warmth ran up her spine and tickled her skin. She studied him
in the mirror, soaked and miserable, yet he hadn’t complained—not even once. He
should get into some fresh clothes so he didn’t catch a cold. Thanks to her
stone, she could heal him if he did. Her abilities were becoming more powerful,
but every bump they avoided made for a smoother journey.
“You
should go get changed,” she said. “I can handle it from here.”
He
rested his hands on her shoulders. She watched his gaze slide over her bare
back.
Besides
riding together in the taxi, they hadn’t spent more than a few moments alone
since London. The longing she felt for him in the coffin house overwhelmed her.
He
placed a kiss on the curve of her neck. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she
gripped her dress tighter as she tilted her head to the side, exposing her
neck. “Arwan,” she whispered. This wasn’t really the best place, never mind the
fact she probably smelled like wet dog.
He
hooked her elbow and gently spun her around. She missed being close to him, and
knew her heart was no longer hers. It belonged to him completely. And even
though they had only a short history together, it seemed as if they’d known
each other for a lifetime. Whatever drew them to each other—whatever made her
vow her love so completely in so little time—was a bond that would never be
broken. It was a bond made without her consent but with all of her heart.
He
cradled her face. “If anything happened to you…” His jaw tightened. She wanted
to press her fingers against his chest and run her hands along the curves of
his shoulders. But if she let go of her dress it would fall to the floor. Her
cheeks flushed at the thought.
He
brushed his thumb along her lips, and his eyes flickered to them. “Mi
mariposa. Si algo te hubiera pasado…me hubiera roto el corazόn.”
Her
chest tightened. She really, really needed to learn Spanish. But regardless of
what he said, it always made her weak in the knees. It wasn’t the words, but the
way he said them, and the heightened intensity of his gaze.
He
pulled her close and kissed her, one arm wrapped around her waist as the other
caressed her cheek. Her crossed arms acted as a barrier, annoying but
necessary. The light in her chest flickered on. The rush of cold from the light
sucked the breath out of her lungs with a sharp blast.
Screw
it. She pried her arms free and wrapped them around his neck. With the top of
her gown pinned between their bodies, the sides of the corset fell open, exposing
the curves of her waist. His hands ran along the length of her bare back before
they settled on her hips.
The
light in her chest brightened, and electricity spread over her skin. His lips
curved into a smile, causing her to pause. Whatever he was thinking made him
happy, or maybe a better word was pleased.
Impatiently,
she ran her fingers through his hair and drew him closer to deepen the kiss. He
didn’t object, but from then on, handled her with a new tenderness that wasn’t
there before. He calmed her, and her light dimmed as a new type of passion took
over.
She
didn’t just want him, she wanted his love. She wanted his heart, forever.
“Ahem.”
A woman from the other side of the curtain sounded clearly annoyed. Ashley
jumped and noticed the foot of a store employee tapping impatiently on the
tiled floor. “Is everything all right in there, or do I need to call security?”
Her
cheeks blazed with heat.
“Maybe
we should finish getting our supplies,” he said in a low voice as he faced the
curtain with a crooked grin.
She
nodded, and Arwan slipped out of the dressing room to speak to the woman
waiting outside. His tone was apologetic while he explained Ashley’s wardrobe
situation.
The
time is getting closer now, a voice
whispered in her ears.
She
shut her eyes and tried to block it out. The light in her chest grew hot rather
than cold, making her feel sick.
Prepare
to rule under me, the voice continued.
Ashley
cupped her hands over her ears and squinted her eyes shut.You
are mine. Don’t ever believe differently. After spending more than she could
comprehend at the sporting goods store, they placed all of their new supplies
into two hiking backpacks. She’d chosen a smaller one with an external frame to
fit her more petite build. He had a much larger pack, the frame inside and with
fewer pockets than hers.With
Zanya’s pendant hung around her neck, Ashley zipped up the largest pocket and
finally transferred the very last and most important thing.Her
stone.Large
and oval in shape, the only pocket large enough to accommodate the stone was in
the front. The stone’s energy was still raw and sharp from Sarian’s partial
hold. He may have broken the obedience spell, set upon the stone at its
creation, but it still recognized her. Unfortunately, unlike when she first
bonded with it, her stone no longer spoke to her. It was quiet. Too quiet. Its
colors morphed and pulsed dimly, transforming from its normal hues of white and
blue, to deep violet and brown. Its polluted energy burned her skin as if she
were handling a hot light bulb.“Are
you ready?” Arwan stood and slung his pack over his shoulder. She rubbed her
temples, then blinked to clear her vision. “What’s wrong?”Ashley
glanced up at him. “Nothing. I just have a headache and—” She thought about
telling him of the whispers, but she would probably just sound stupid. If she got
some rest, her mind would be back to new. She stood and slipped on her
backpack. “Never mind. It’s not important. Let’s go.
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