Royal Chronicles, Book 4

Total-E-Bound Publishing
Release Date: May 5, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-906590-51-2
Genre: Historical/Dark Fantasy
Length: Novella

As eldest and heir to the throne of Drahcir, Keiran feels the weight of the ancient curse heavily on his shoulders.

As the time to return to Drahcir draws near, he fears he will have to return without his mate, sealing the fate of his kingdom.

He had always allowed his passion to rule him, and for good or bad, he has followed that passion. But when he gives in to a night of passion and discovers his mate, will he be able to convince her to return with him in time to save his beloved kingdom?

REVIEWS

4.5 Hearts! TOP PICK! "If you've read the previous Chronicles, you must read this one. And if you haven't, go get them!" - Chris, Night Owl Romance

EXCERPT

Winter, 1270
Foothills of the Ben Nevis Mountains


Like the wings of a raven, night swept the land, drenching the small Scottish village in darkness. Keiran Sinclair welcomed the dark for it matched the growing weariness inside him.

He sighed heavily and leaned upon the small wooden table before the hearth. The inn was small, but clean, and though Keiran should be out searching for his mate until the very last moment, exhaustion and the cold had driven him indoors. He liked the small village because it was near the pass that would lead him home.

Home.

The fire warmed the chill that had settled into his bones from the frigid temperatures that had fallen two days ago. He missed the warmth of Drahcir, he missed the gentle, loving smiles of his mother and the way his father would ask his opinion as heir to the thrown. But most of all, he missed his three brothers.

As eldest, he’d left Drahcir first. He had expected to be the first to return. Yet he was destined to be the last.

Keiran rubbed the heel of his hand into his eye sending red flashes behind his lid. His eyes felt as if sand were imbedded in them from all the sleepless nights, and his body was weary down to his soul.

For so long he’d search for his mate moving from town to town, and even from time to time with the help of the Fae. When Aimery had sent him to his youngest brother, Sorin, with a warning, it had taken everything Keiran had to walk away from his brother.

Seeing Sorin had been wonderful. But parting had cut Keiran deeper than any blade.

All he could hope for was that Sorin had made it back to Drahcir with his mate.

Keiran snorted as he lifted the mug of ale for a long drink, letting the liquid burn a trail down his throat. It was the damned curse that sent the brothers out of the safety of their magical kingdom to search out their mates. The curse from a spoiled, selfish Fae princess who had been toyed with by one of his ancestors.

His hand clenched around the mug. If only he could find his ancestor and strangle him before he could damage the entire Sinclair line.

Each brother had left Drahcir on their twenty-first year and had until the fifth moon of the Harvest year to return with their mates. Since time moved slower in Drahcir, it was a different time in Scotland when they stepped out of their gates.

If only finding their mates was easy, but there were the Tnargs, vicious beasts with one task in mind – kill the Sinclair mates. When Keiran’s ancestors had managed to locate their mates and elude the Tnarg, the Fae princess had stepped in and moved future mates through time in her attempt to destroy the Sinclairs..

Fortunately, there was Aimery, a Fae commander and friend to Drachir. It was Aimery who had helped three of the Sinclair brothers, but there was nothing he could do for Keiran.

Keiran tossed back the rest of the ale and slammed the mug on the table. Anger and frustration threatened to drown him. He turned to gaze into the fire and blew out a shaky breath.

I’ve failed. I’ve failed everyone – Drahcir but more importantly my family.

His family and all of Drahcir would cease to exist if he didn’t return with his mate in time, and it looked like that was exactly what would happen. All because he hadn’t been able to find his mate.

The fifth moon of the harvest year was in days. How could he locate and convince his mate to leave her world and her family behind to travel to a magical kingdom in such a short time?

It was impossible, which is just what the princess had wanted.

As heir to Drahcir, it had never entered Keiran’s mind that he would fail. For over four years he had been searching for the woman that would match him completely, the woman he would be bound to for eternity. Surely he should have found her by now.

“Would you like another?”

The melodic, soft voice reached him through his musings. He blinked and turned from the fire to find a woman beside him. Her hair was the color of honey streaked with gold. Ringlets coming loose from her thick braid framed her face.

He wondered what her hair would look falling around her and if it would feel as smooth and soft as it looked.

“My lord?” she asked.

Keiran cocked his head to the side as he gazed into her unusual gray eyes. There was something almost familiar about the girl, as if he should know her.