Author: Maggie Mundy
ISBN: 978-1-62420-111-0
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Excerpt Heat Level: 1
Book Heat Level:
Clare gets transported from present day Florence to an
alternate world, one that looks like fourteenth century Italy. The only way
back is through a portal half a world away, plus the local High priestess wants
her dead, and the only one she can trust is a vampire called Trevi. He is the
only one who exits in this world, and she knows more about what he is than he
does. He is hard to resist, especially when he saves her life. Trevi can take
her home but he is keeping one big secret. She will have to be like him to
survive the journey through the portal back to her world making a myth a
reality.
EXCERPT
Oh my God, her
head hurt. That would teach her to drink so much. Clare squinted as she tried
to open her eyes. Tina had better be suffering as much or there was no justice.
That had been one weird dream. She couldn't remember coming back to the hotel,
plus her mouth tasted like the bottom of a birdcage. Not that she had ever
tried licking one, but was pretty sure this was what it was like. Her hand hit
thin air as she reached beside the bed for her water bottle. There was a
bedside table with a glass on it. There was no hotel room, or sister in the
other bed either; there was no other bed. She tried to sit up but her head
thumped and she decided for now it was better to lie back down.
This place
looked old, very old. The walls were white washed stone and the windows at the
far end of the room had wooden shutters. They hardly let in enough sunlight to
illuminate the room. The bed was a four-poster, with curtains around it that
were pulled back. The other side of the room comprised a fireplace and a chair
beside which were stacked books. The books, like everything else, appeared
exceedingly old. They were leather-bound, not a modern looking cover amongst
them.
This couldn't
be happening. It had been a dream. She had been drunk. It had to be. Clare
closed her eyes, hoping when she reopened them she would be awake and back in
Florence. It didn't work. The panic was returning as her pulse sped up. The
door opened and a man walked in with a tray. She didn't recognize him. Was he
room service? He wore old-fashioned clothes and was followed by someone else.
This man she knew. He was called Trevi and had taken her flying through the air
and into the woods. What the hell was going on? Where was the hotel and Tina?
She wanted to see her, not this. Clare pulled up the bed cover and clutched it
in her hands as she pushed her body back into the pillow.
In the light of
the room she could see what Trevi looked like. He had wavy brown hair, blue
eyes and a somewhat angular pale face, a sad face. Then she thought about what
he looked like when his blue eyes turned white. Fangs. Remember, this guy has
fangs.
"Please
help yourself. Hyfa, prepared this food for you, but we were uncertain what you
eat in your world. I hope this is acceptable."
Hyfa placed the
tray down beside her on the bed, bowed and left. Clare looked at the food. It
was fruit bread and milk, which made her think she needed to be more
imaginative in future dreams. Trevi moved a chair beside the bed.
"I'd like
to take this opportunity to properly introduce myself. I am Trevi Foveae. You
are in my home. I took the privilege of bringing you here last night when you
were unwell."
She was having
none of this. Then she remembered something he had said.
"What do
you mean? In my world."
"You are
like the offworlder who was brought through the portal for High Priestess Sari.
From your appearance, I assumed you were sisters."
"I have a
sister, Tina." Clare's stomach was starting to feel like it had a rat
chewing away. What was going on here?
"I feared
as much, I'm so sorry for your loss, Clare."
"What
loss? What are you talking about?" Clare didn't like where this
conversation was going. She didn't want to lose Tina, even in a dream.
"Your
sister is dead. High Priestess Sari needs the life of offworlders to survive.
Your sister was sacrificed."
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