Requiem (Chronicles of the Irin, #2)
T.G. Ayer
Release Date: September 30th 2014
Publisher: Infinite Ink Books
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Her name is Evangeline and she is Nephilim.
Evie is stuck in the Underworld until she can find a way to be released from her newfound role as Hades. And the longer she remains in Hades the more secrets are revealed about her true origins. A confrontation with a Dark Angel brings two revelations to the Evie - the true identity of Daniel, the Master of the Irin's assistant, and who is he to Evie herself.
While a trip into the depths of Hades leads Evie into the fiery depths of Tartarus and eventually to the eternal peace of Elysium, will Evie find the peace she seeks? And what about the smoking hot Julian, god of Hades? How far is he willing to go to keep Evie at his side?
Chapter 1
Two weeks to the Ascension Ceremony
Evie stared at her hands and
wondered, not for the first time, why they didn't shine with the blood she'd
spilled a few days ago. She flexed her fingers, turning her hands over to study
them in the light of the blazing fire. Long lean fingers, neatly manicured
nails. Elegant hands for a cold-blooded killer. Only the slightly darker
calluses on the inside of her fingers hinted at the hours of weapons-practice,
hours of using weapons to kill.
She was used to being the
executioner, although never guilty of ending an undeserving life. Not until the
insidiously evil Marcellus Bactor had taken over as the Master of the
Brotherhood of the Irin. As a warrior under the Brotherhood she'd performed
missions of charity, missions of freedom, and of course missions of death. But
under Marcellus death had become the sole function of the Irin.
Breakfast had not appealed to her
at all. She hadn't expected to feel so strange after dispatching Marcellus.
He'd been running the Brotherhood, his own needs more important than those of
the humans whom they were all meant to protect. And, now she knew he'd killed
her guardian, Patrick, and robbed her of the only father she'd ever known.
And yet here she was, feeling as
though she ought to receive some sort of punishment for murdering the Master of
the Irin. And for the first time she wondered what the Brotherhood and all her
fellow Nephilim were doing right now. Choosing another Master? Perhaps Daniel?
She shuddered at the thought. What was that saying? Frying pan and fire.
She sighed and shifted in the
sofa, moving her cheek away from the warm flames of the fire. Julian's study
was warm and cozy, and modern. Unlike anything she'd ever expected to see deep
within the bowels of the earth. Dark wood shelves covered the walls filled to
overflowing with books from every age, in every language. Comfortable sofas in
earthy tones were scattered around the space, convenient spots for curling up
with an interesting read. She tossed her dark hair over her shoulder and away
from the heat from the fireplace.
She smiled at the memory of
Castor's reaction to Marcellus' death just hours ago. He'd barely blinked on
seeing the bloody remains of their old Master. Not that she should have
expected tears considering Castor had borne the brunt of Marcellus's fury when
Evie had left Greylock Estate in search of the Underworld. Evie's stomach
tightened when she thought of Castor's little home on the grounds of the
estate. A place the half demon had loved, a place now burnt to ash. But
Castor's woes didn't seem to worry him too much right now. He was being well
entertained by Pollo and his eclectic band of servants.
Julian had gone off on an errand
in a bit of a hurry; something about a volcanic eruption in the South Pacific.
That left Evie to her own devices, which wouldn't have been so bad if she had
not needed to worry about Persephone. Evie was constantly on guard where the
cold-hearted goddess was concerned, what with Persephone having already tried
once to kill her. But so far she didn't seem to want to repeat the attempt.
Maybe she was concerned about what Julian would do to her should she succeed.
Evie snorted. No chance she'd let her guard down though.
Evie's skin tingled and she
glanced at the shifting letters tattooed into her skin. They seemed alive,
twisting and writhing beneath the surface of her pale skin like living things.
Something Evie was yet to get accustomed to. She studied the markings then
returned her attention to the pages of the ancient book lying open on her lap.
A book of dead languages, scripts
from a time long gone. Perhaps a source of information, perhaps a way to undo
this curse that she'd brought upon herself. Twelve seals to make a god. Not a
bad way to turn an angel into the King of the Underworld.
She suppressed another sigh and
rubbed her forehead. Suddenly the room seemed to close in on her and she felt
desperate to leave the confining comfort of the study. She'd been on edge for
hours now. What she probably needed was a sparring session. Something she
wasn't likely to get down here.
She shut the book and left it on
the sofa, heading for the door on feet that seemed to think she was in a hurry
to be somewhere. Outside, the cool air from the shadowed tunnels teased her
overly warm cheeks. She glanced up and down the passage listening for the
sounds of approaching feet or hooves. Nothing. Torches shone at both ends of
the tunnel, their flickering yellow light dancing and reflecting against the
ominous jagged black stone of the tunnel walls.
Evie let her feet guide her,
although part of her knew exactly where they were leading her.
SHORT EXCERPTS
She felt awkward standing there in
front of him. Until he rested his hand on her arm. The touch of his skin to
hers set off a million tiny sparks, sending a shiver of anticipation up and
down her spine.
***
She moved forward and so did
Julian, until their lips were a hairs-breadth from meeting. Electricity sizzled
between them and for a moment Evie's legs wobbled. She tipped forward toward
him, reaching for Julian's shoulder to help steady her. Only touching his hard,
muscled arm didn't help to steady her in any way.
***
Touching him set her body on fire,
and she felt him shift, move toward her. He cupped the back of her head,
tilting her face, giving him access to her lips.
And then he kissed her.
This time his exploration was not
tentative. He kissed her hard, with a pent-up passion that felt dangerous and
delicious all at the same time. Evie's heart thundered against her ribs as she
kissed him back. She curled her arm around his neck and pulled him closer.
***
***
RETRIBUTION (Chronicles of the Irin, #1)
Release Date: 14th March 2014
Publisher: Infinite Ink Books
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PURCHASE LINKHer name is Evangeline and she is Nephilim.
Evie belongs to the Brotherhood Irin and together with all the other Nephilim of the world she is protector to humanity, protector against evil. But evil has found its way into the Brotherhood. Someone has murdered her guardian and Marcellus, the New Master makes demands of the warriors that go against all they stand for. Demands Evie just can’t carry out.
Evie uncovers Marcellus’ plan to collect a set of special seals, but when a high-level demon reveals the truth behind the Seals of Hades, Evie know there is no way she can allow the Master of the Irin to get his hands on them. But will keeping the Seals from Marcellus cause her to sacrifice more that she should? Will vengeance for her guardian’s death be enough or will she need more to satisfy her Immortal soul?
I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognize that reading
was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of
the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am
essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practice
given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers,
my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a
fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of
each others loves – it works wonderfully…
My heart is currently broken in two. One half
resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still
longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer
downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been
transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha,
beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly
inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever
remain cross-eyed.
