Captivated
Courts of Light and Darkness, #1
Amazon US Amazon UK
After her family was
killed by a dark elf, mercenary Honora Butler’s purpose is the disposal
of wicked faeries, elves, and other Unseelie beings, but she’ll find
herself questioning her mission when she meets Brennan, a dark elf who
doesn’t conform to what she believed his kind were like.
Brennan
O’Niall doesn’t know what it is about Honora that makes him crave her,
but he wants to find out. However, when she’s charged with the murder of
a friend, he’ll have to discover the truth and decide just how much she
means to him.
Excerpt from Captivated:
Gritting her teeth, Honora Butler sneaked farther into the dark, snowy
forest. Danger lurked within the shadows, and she would kill or be killed. Death
didn’t intimidate her anymore. She knew it too well.
Everyone she’d loved had been taken from her. The only thing she cared about
now was destroying those who had ruined her life.
Snow crunched beneath the soles of her knee-high leather boots. The risks of
killing those monsters were great, but she didn’t care. When she was young, the
Mercenary Guild had taken her in. They’d seen her abilities and her
determination. They’d trained her, given her a chance when she’d wanted only to
die, and now she did what she bloody well could to make sure the dark beings of
the Unseelie Court hurt no one else.
A horrified scream erupted ahead, beckoning her deeper into the forest. It
had to have been caused by her prey. Picking up her pace, she pulled a throwing
knife from its sheath. Her magic surged into the blade, filling it with power
and making the metal white-hot.
The trees broke into a clearing. The cause of the cries stood in the dirt
road. A woman cowered on the ground while a short, stocky man dressed in blood
red with a matching hat sneered at her. He looked to be having far too good a
time.
“I have a husband and kids. Please, don’t hurt me,” the woman whimpered. “My
master...he’ll—”
The Fear Dearg snorted and crossed his arms in front of him. Stroking his
bushy beard, he stared down his crooked nose at the terrified woman as if
pondering what to do first.
Honora doubted the woman was in immediate danger. The Red Man mostly engaged
in cruel pranks on those he sought, but that wouldn’t stop her from killing him.
Her mission in life was to rid the world of malevolence. No matter what.
She slid from the trees, taking one quiet step after another. “Na dean
maggadh fum,” she said. Those words, ‘Do not mock me,’ were the best chance she
had to take him down without a problem.
The Fear Dearg jerked his gaze to Honora. His lips curled back into a snarl
at the interruption. “So be it. Now go on. Get out of here. Can’t you see I’m
busy?” He stared at her blankly, waiting. “What? You want my favor and
prosperity? One of those bold adventurers? Wait for your turn.”
Just like that, he returned his focus to the woman, grabbing for her dress.
With a snap of her wrist, Honora sent the throwing knife sailing through the
air. A wash of blood arced in a thick spray as the Fear Dearg collapsed, the
knife lodged between his eyes.
Shrieking, the woman scurried backwards from the corpse. Her eyes were wide
and horrified at the sight of the dead faerie. “What have you done?” she asked,
glancing Honora’s way. Shaking her head, she reached for her large basket with
foodstuffs that lay on its side. Most of the food had fallen out, but the woman
didn’t bother gathering it. She just took the basket, then ran off down the dirt
road.
What had that been about?
Honora watched the woman until she disappeared around the curve of the path.
She walked over to the dead Red Man, then tugged her blade out of his skull. It
came away easily, blood dripping off it in great crimson drops. She wiped it
clean on his jacket before tucking the knife back in its sheath.
Her stomach rumbled. On the ground was an unsoiled loaf of bread from the
woman’s fallen food. She stripped off her bloody gloves and crouched. After
brushing off a few leaves, she tore a piece from it and lifted it to her lips.
In the distance, she heard a faint noise like that of a large flock of birds
beating their wings. That couldn’t be right. Birds weren’t typically active at
night there. Yet the sound grew louder.
The sudden realization of what it was punched her in the gut. She dropped the
bread and raced after the woman. Honora needed to find the safety of shelter.
She couldn’t be out here when the Sluagh—restless spirits of the dead—flew over.
What they did was worse than death. They captured their victims’ souls.
Behind her, the cries became impossibly louder. She didn’t have much time at
all. She had yet to spot any homes or places to hide and knew if she were
spotted, she would be connected with the murder of the Fear Dearg. They’d hunt
her down. She wouldn’t be safe unless she found somewhere soon.
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NYT & USA Today bestselling author Sarah Mäkelä loves her fiction dark,
magical, and passionate. She is a paranormal romance author, but she’s written
all over the romance spectrum with cyberpunk, sci-fi, fantasy, urban
fantasy...even a sweet contemporary romance!
A life-long paranormal fan, she still sleeps with a night-light. In her spare
time, she reads sexy books, watches scary movies (and Ghost Adventures), and
plays computer games with her husband. When she gets the chance, she loves
traveling the world too.
Find Sarah and her books
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amber Lynn Natusch is the author of the bestselling Caged, as well as the Light and Shadow series with Shannon Morton. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, and speaks sarcasm fluently because of her Canadian roots. She loves to dance and sing in her kitchen—much to the detriment of those near her—but spends most of her time running a practice with her husband, raising two small children, and attempting to write when she can lock herself in the bathroom for ten minutes of peace and quiet. She has many hidden talents, most of which should not be mentioned but include putting her foot in her mouth, acting inappropriately when nervous, swearing like a sailor when provoked, and not listening when she should. She’s obsessed with home renovation shows, should never be caffeinated, and loves snow. Amber has a deep seeded fear of clowns and deep water…especially clowns swimming in deep water.
To learn more about Amber and her books, visit www.amberlynnnatusch.com.
