The cover
for Dance Beyond the Shadows will be
revealed Friday, Sept. 27 over at Friday Night Romance. The hero in that second book in this collection is the
hate-to-love brother of the hero in Dance with the Enemy – which is where we get our first glimpse of Tahruk’s
brother, Lord Redahn. Enjoy an excerpt that sheds some light into his less than
glowing personality. Then you'll just have to trust me when I say you’re going to end up loving him
by the time I’m finished with him!
Now, on to the excerpt:
Elenya’s attention was claimed by another warrior
every bit as stately as Tahruk and his father, Renaine. The other man stared at
Elenya with desire so blatant she felt the need to fold her arms over her
chest.
He laughed. “Perhaps he isn’t attracted by the scent of the enemy.”
“Redahn!” Lady Neria rose to her feet. A hand
held up to her by her husband was the only thing that stopped her movement from
the front bench toward her second son.
The low growl from the other side of the diaz
turned heads toward the warrior accused of slacking his duties. Master Daruh held Tahruk back with a hand on his chest and
another around his upper arm. Hatred burned in the young warrior's eyes as he glared at his
brother.
Elenya started to go to him, feeling the pull
again, only to be stopped by a hand on her arm. She turned to glare at Renaine,
wrenching her arm from his grasp.
“You are a bold woman, Elenya Avenille of Aleone, though your decision to flee from my son has already prompted questions of your
loyalty. What have you to say in your defense?”
Eyes narrowed, she threw a scathing glance at
Redahn following another snort from him. Turning back to the house master, she
brought her chin up deliberately and squared her shoulders. “Upon the
confirmation from Master Daruh that no error had been made, I immediately
submitted to my warrior, my lord, with every intent to … fulfill my …
obligations and duties to the Zanak Drille. Only,” She lowered her head and her
voice, “exhaustion overcame me last night and … visitors at daybreak prevented
certain … fulfillment … this morning,” she managed haltingly, embarrassment
flaming her cheeks. “Still, I am honor bound to do all that is expected.” She
forced her gaze up to look at the house master, stifling her unease while she
awaited his command.
At last, the elder man nodded. He motioned for
Tahruk to take his place next to her. “I trust, my son, this … issue will be amended post haste. We
would not want it said that Zanak does not honor the directives of the Masters,
nor do we wish to prove ourselves disloyal to our King.” He looked from son to
maiden. “At least she is not hard to look upon. It will make fulfilling your
obligations easier…”
The unladylike snort that interrupted the house
master prompted Tahruk to a hasty answer of assurance to his father before he
turned her away.
“My son.” Renaine’s voice halted them a few
steps from the diaz. “We shall dine one hour earlier tonight for your
convenience.”
“Perhaps you should take the time between then
and now to tend to your obligations, brother. ‘Twould be a pity for one so fair to
fall into the wrong hands before you could attend to that little detail.”
Redahn stretched his hand toward Elenya as the couple began to move away.
Tahruk jerked her to his other side and squared on his younger brother.
“And I would be honor bound to relieve such a
scoundrel from his ability to breathe should the Courts not do it for me,”
Tahruk told his brother who, although mighty in his own right, could not have
taken on the jealous elite warrior and emerged the victor.
“Boys!”
It was Nema who stepped between the two men. She
pushed Tahruk back toward Elenya and took Redahn’s arm. “Come,” she urged him,
tugging on him to follow in the other direction.
Redahn
takes every opportunity throughout Dance
with the Enemy to goad his brother and Elenya, although without him, the
book would not have had my mandatory happy ending – something Redahn believes
will never belong to him.
That’s because he had yet to meet Mahryn.
I hope
you’ll jump over to Friday Night Romance, where you’ll meet Mahryn and see a
bit of the softer side of Redahn. The link will be posted on Friday, once it becomes
available. But do take the opportunity to enter for a chance to win an ebook copy of Dance with the Enemy by leaving a comment
below.
Additional
entries for your chance to win may be found in the Rafflecopter box.
