The Return (The Witch Hunter Saga #2)
by Nicole R. Taylor
I've wandered my afterlife believing that I was the monster my maker told me I was. It was the only thing I knew. Not even my brother, Sam, could convince me otherwise.
Not until her. Not until Aya. She walked into my life like a hurricane of destruction and nothing would ever be the same again. None of us could have known what would happen next. What fate had in store...
I finally grew a heart, only to have it ripped out.
Now, I will stop at nothing for revenge.
Zac's afterlife is just going from bad to worse. He grew a heart only to have it torn out by the founding vampire, Arturius.
Nobody is sure what he wants, but Zac doesn't want to know. He's more interested in finding a way to end him for good. But, it might just be that he's after Gabby, who's harbouring a secret of her own, one that Arturius would do anything for.
Aya's past will come back to haunt Zac in ways he never thought possible and what he finds out will alter everything he ever knew about her. He will uncover a deadly secret that should have remained buried. A secret Aya has fought to keep for thousands of years. One she has killed for.
In the end, who's secrets will betray them to the one man who wants them all dead? Aya's or Zac's?
They'll need to figure it out sooner rather than later, because death is not an option.
Not until her. Not until Aya. She walked into my life like a hurricane of destruction and nothing would ever be the same again. None of us could have known what would happen next. What fate had in store...
I finally grew a heart, only to have it ripped out.
Now, I will stop at nothing for revenge.
Zac's afterlife is just going from bad to worse. He grew a heart only to have it torn out by the founding vampire, Arturius.
Nobody is sure what he wants, but Zac doesn't want to know. He's more interested in finding a way to end him for good. But, it might just be that he's after Gabby, who's harbouring a secret of her own, one that Arturius would do anything for.
Aya's past will come back to haunt Zac in ways he never thought possible and what he finds out will alter everything he ever knew about her. He will uncover a deadly secret that should have remained buried. A secret Aya has fought to keep for thousands of years. One she has killed for.
In the end, who's secrets will betray them to the one man who wants them all dead? Aya's or Zac's?
They'll need to figure it out sooner rather than later, because death is not an option.
Nicole R. Taylor is a Paranormal, Urban Fantasy and Contemporary Romance author from country Victoria, Australia.
Nicole is a graduate of the University of Ballarat Professional Writing and Editing programme and is a former music memorabilia sales person and grocery merchandiser. Previously, she has written for Fasterlouder.com.au and various small street press music and entertainment publications as a gig and album reviewer before publishing her first Urban Fantasy novel in early 2013.
When she isn't writing, Nicole likes to spend time curled up with a good book and her 3 year old rescue cat, Burger. She gets itchy feet more often than not and has lived in three countries and travelled to three times as many.
Nicole is a graduate of the University of Ballarat Professional Writing and Editing programme and is a former music memorabilia sales person and grocery merchandiser. Previously, she has written for Fasterlouder.com.au and various small street press music and entertainment publications as a gig and album reviewer before publishing her first Urban Fantasy novel in early 2013.
When she isn't writing, Nicole likes to spend time curled up with a good book and her 3 year old rescue cat, Burger. She gets itchy feet more often than not and has lived in three countries and travelled to three times as many.
Author Links
Wow! Just wow! Its hard to put into words how much I love this series, and am very anxious for book 3, Shadows Sons. I can’t wait till its out.
I really loved the twists and turns in this books, and some great surprises too. I wont be telling you any spoilers though, you need to read it yourself.
I know I was so shocked at the end of the first book, The Witch Hunter, and was so anxious to read this one to see what happens, as I did not want o accept the ending of that book, at all!
I did get a bit bored only in a few parts where the back-story got to be a bit much for me. Especially all the war talk with Zac’s story, I was not as interested in that part, but do see how it was important, but not sure if maybe it should have been a bit less maybe?
Other than those bits that I didn’t really care for, I overall loved the book. It was well written as usual, and it was really hard to put down.
I highly recommend this series to all the paranormal romance lovers out there, the unique twist on these vampires and witches was great.
5 out of 5 stars for me. And the cover is great too.
I was provided a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
This review is also at Goodreads, here, and Amazon, here
CHAPTER ONE
Lake District, United Kingdom
Autumn, 43AD
Aeriaya was the last daughter of the stars to walk the earth.
The last of the race known as the Celestines. She was twenty five of what the humans called years and she alone held the weight of an impossible responsibility on her shoulders. She was to be the last caretaker of the earth.
Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of the forest, casting its dappled fingers through the deep green grass below. It was an abnormally warm day, the earth still damp from the morning mist, thousands of tiny dewdrops clinging to moss covered trees.
Aeriaya wandered through the wood, her long pale fingers playing through the light, savoring the small points of warmth. Coming to a clearing she smiled, her long silver hair blowing across her face in the sudden breeze. The sun had coaxed the little field to come alive with small white flowers, their yellow centers bright and happy. Pulling her hair back into place, she walked out into the sunlight, beginning to gather as many of the blossoms as she could carry. She knew that her mother would love them, they were simple yet stunning.
Catching a glimpse of a figure approaching her from the side she shook her head. She wasn't meant to be out walking today, but she needed the peace of the forest, if only for an hour or two. Smiling, she turned, expecting to see her brother emerge from the forest, come to take her home. He had a habit of following her and playing tricks when she least expected it. Instead, she gasped as she caught sight of a menacing figure in the tree line, shadowed by the forest around him.
Dropping the flowers in surprise, she took a hesitant step back. He was covered head to foot in black heavy linen and leather clothing, not an inch of skin showing. A large hood had been pulled low over his eyes, shielding his face from the sunlight. She took a few steps back, fear creeping into her heart, knowing that if she ran, she wouldn't be able to escape.
Dropping the flowers in surprise, she took a hesitant step back. He was covered head to foot in black heavy linen and leather clothing, not an inch of skin showing. A large hood had been pulled low over his eyes, shielding his face from the sunlight. She took a few steps back, fear creeping into her heart, knowing that if she ran, she wouldn't be able to escape.
A satisfied smirk pulled at his lips as he watched her back away. "Celestine," he whispered.
How did he get here? He shouldn't have been able to find the clearing, let alone get into the forest. She should have sensed his approach, but even now, it was as if she were alone. He was not one of them, neither was he human. He was... dead?
Aeriaya stood frozen in fear, not able to tear her gaze away from him. Something was terribly wrong.
Before she could react, the man lunged forward, faster than she thought possible, and grasped her around the waist, flinging her over his shoulder. Looking within herself, she sought the coil of power that was the center of her being. Her parents always taught her to use it for good, that to kill and destroy was wrong. Surely this time was different? She let her power wash over her, but nothing happened. It sputtered and died, leaving her empty.
"No!" she cried, beating her fists against the man's shoulder. It couldn't be. "No!" Letting out a blood-curdling scream, she beat her fists harder against his back, trying to free herself, but his grip was like iron. He was so strong, her fists and raking fingernails had no effect on him. Even when she tried to bite and kick, he continued to run.
The forest grew dark as he took her further and further away from her home, the air colder and more desolate. She pleaded with the man to let her go, but he wouldn't respond, instead running faster, never seeming to tire.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but before long, she was dropped like a stone onto a hard floor, the air pushed from her lungs. Taking heaving gulps, she looked around wildly. She was in a dark stone room, surrounded by four men and one woman, but she couldn't sense their presence, either. They were dead, just like the man who had taken her.
Panic overtook her and she scrambled backwards, trying to get away from them, crashing into something hard. Looking up, she gasped as she realized she had collided with the man's legs. Jerking forward in horror, he laughed down at her, a satisfied smirk pulling at his lips.
There was a scraping sound as a heavy wooden door opened opposite and a woman walked into the room, closing it behind her with a dull thud that echoed off the walls. Looking around for the first time, she realized that the stone room wasn't just any room. The earth was all around her, she could feel it through the walls. The room was a dungeon.
The woman paused just inside the doorway for a moment, a look of triumph plastered on her face. She was tall and slim, fiery auburn hair that fell in waves over her shoulders and her heart beat in her chest.
Aeriaya regarded her warily as she walked forward and surveyed her terrified form on the ground with hazel eyes. This woman was very much alive and very much a witch. This was all so very wrong. She must be one of the Five. And if that was true, then she had betrayed them all. Just by looking at her, she could tell the witch had created the dead creatures that stood around her. The power she had been granted had been corrupted.
Aeriaya regarded her warily as she walked forward and surveyed her terrified form on the ground with hazel eyes. This woman was very much alive and very much a witch. This was all so very wrong. She must be one of the Five. And if that was true, then she had betrayed them all. Just by looking at her, she could tell the witch had created the dead creatures that stood around her. The power she had been granted had been corrupted.
"Well done, Regulus," the woman caressed the man's face with a delicate hand. The man who had taken her from the forest. "Very well done."
"Who are you?" Her musical voice sounded misplaced in their dark surrounds. "What do you want?"
"Oh, forgive me," she exclaimed. "Let me introduce you to my family. Regulus you have already met on such intimate terms. This is my lovely daughter, Octavia. And my sons, Marcus, Titus, Caius and Arturius. And I, I am Katrin."
She knew that name. She was one of the Five.
"What have you done?" she whispered, still cowering on the floor.
"They're dead," Katrin laughed. "They're vampires. The creatures of myth, brought alive by my will. Bound to the night, slaves to blood." She gestured to the six vampires, who began to move forward.
One of the men grabbed her roughly around the waist and hauled her up, holding her lithe form in place. One by one, the vampires came forward and dragged her head to the side and sunk their fangs into the soft skin of her neck, consuming her blood. At first she tried to fight, but each burning tear into her jugular made her limbs heavier.
Why were they doing this to her? She'd never done anything to hurt anyone. Was she to die?
Once they had all drank, she was let go, the cell door slammed closed and locked. Alone in the darkness, she sunk to the floor and sobbed, her tears dripping into the hard dirt floor.
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