Lights of Aurora by Theresa McClinton
(The Stone Legacy #2)
Publication date: November 1st 2013
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
(The Stone Legacy #2)
Publication date: November 1st 2013
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Young Adult
After the discovery of her ancient Maya bloodlines, eighteen-year-old Ashley Coreandero is faced with a daunting responsibility. She must protect the stone of Muuk’Ich while Sarian, the underworld general, relentlessly drives her to the brink of insanity.
As the winter solstice approaches, it brings an onslaught of unexpected side effects. Ashley must seize control over her supercharged powers, while dealing with the overwhelming suspicion that her boyfriend, Arwan, is hiding a secret so dark it could destroy them both.
With the arrival of a surprise houseguest, Ashley’s deepest fears about Arwan are confirmed. And when middleworld deities intercede, the group of gifted Maya descendants are confronted with hardships they never saw coming—including an enemy more deadly than they have ever faced.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned—but when that woman has no soul and a taste for revenge, they will need the powers of every surviving ancestor simply to stay alive.
Purchase:
Ashley descended the spiral staircase in
the main wing. It was early, and they needed to find out more about the
salvaged pages of the book. Thankfully, Renato was an early riser and had
already begun his day in his study.
She
paused in the entrance, expecting to see her mother as well. But Renato sat
alone at his desk with nobody else in the room.
She
sort of hoped her mom would be there so they could talk about the night before.
It was unfortunate what she had been through, but Ashley’s life hadn’t been
peaches and cream either. Everything she knew about herself and the world
changed the night Renato brought her to their home, and she wouldn’t throw that
away for anything.
Renato
lifted his head as she approached his desk. He studied her, one brow arched,
and leaned back in his chair. “May I ask the occasion?”
Ashley
glanced down at the leather pants that hugged her curves all the way to her
ankles. The boots she found fit her decently enough, but they were heavy, and
the shirt was more revealing than she was used to. The clingy material
stretched over her arms and hooked around her thumbs, and the scoop neck showed
off her cleavage. “No occasion.”
He
laced his fingers and rested his hands on his desk. “You look exactly like your
mother in her old training gear.”
“It
was in my closet.”
“It
is good to see the gear in use. It will serve you well.”
“First
I have to find Drina, and ask her to look at the pages of the book. We need to
know exactly what they say. Exactly.”
Renato
tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Is there something on your mind?”
She
crossed her arms. “I just can’t help but wonder why nobody told me the truth
about what’s really going on here.”
“We
have been truthful with you, Ashley. As truthful as we could be.”
“Oh,
don’t give me that crap. You knew about Arwan all along. You knew, and you
didn’t tell me.” She pointed at him. “That is not being
truthful.” She turned and walked toward the exit of the study.
“You
shouldn’t try to find Drina’s home, Ashley.”
“Why
not?” She continued moving toward the door.
“Because
you don’t know where she lives, and you may get lost in the jungle.”
“My
stone will guide me.” She paused, and glanced over her shoulder. “Or did you
forget I’m still the guardian?”
Renato
stood and straightened his jacket. “I understand you are angry, but I am
trying to reason with Joy. She has been through more than you can imagine, and
you can’t blame her for having some trouble adjusting.”
She
spun around to face him, anger surging through her. “That’s fine. She can take
all the time she needs to adjust. But I have to do what I am meant to do—what
you dragged me here for.”
His
shoulders dropped, as did his gaze.
She
bit her lip. Being pissed at Renato sucked. He didn’t deserve her shitty
attitude, but she was sick and tired of being sick and tired, and anger was the
only other emotion she could grasp onto. But they would have to work together
if they wanted to make any progress. She drew in a deep breath and adjusted her
tone. “Contessa is up to something with the book, and I need to figure out what
it is.”
He
nodded. “Agreed. But please take someone with you, just so I know you are
safe.”
“Safe?”
How could he continue to treat her like a child? After almost being killed by
some cave demon, battling incubi, traveling through time, winning back the
stone, and then venturing to the depths of the underworld, apparently she still
hadn’t proven herself. Maybe it was time to remind him exactly what she was
capable of.
Ashley
stepped forward and cued the light in her chest. Her muscles tensed as the tips
of her fingertips burned while an energy ball formed in her hand. She pushed
harder, sending electrical currents over her skin, and causing the energy ball
to roll and spark in her palm. Her breathing steadied and she widened her
stance, focused on building winds to create a storm in the office. “I’m pretty
sure I can take care of myself,” she shouted over the roar of the cyclone. Her
hair flew around her face while Renato’s tie danced across his chest. Still, he
kept his gaze steady.
She
dimmed her light and let the storm die out. Loose papers glided to the floor.
“Was
that entirely necessary?” He glanced around his office.
“Yeah,
well at least you know now that I can take care of myself.” She lowered her
hands and took a normal stance. “And with this solstice thing around the
corner, my powers have gotten stronger.”
“Ah.”
He smoothed down his hair and tie. “Your mother and I were just speaking about
our travel plans.”
“Where
are you going?”
“We.
Where are we going?” He rounded his desk, stepping over loose papers on
the way. A tinge of guilt streaked through her for making such a mess. “The
solstice is an important event to our kind, and your mother hasn’t been able to
attend a ceremony since before she left. She’s rather looking forward to it.”
“Where
is she, anyway?”
“She
is staying in a room in my wing. There were no more available rooms in the main
wing, and she wasn’t fond of the idea of asking you to move out of her old
quarters. Besides.” He averted his gaze. “I believe staying in the room she and
your father once shared would be too painful for her.”
“Oh.”
Ashley hadn’t thought of that. She relaxed her shoulders and leaned on the
wall. “How is she? I mean, is she okay?”
“She
is coping.” His deep-brown eyes carried unwavering wisdom and confidence. He
rested his hand on her shoulder. “But I cannot begin to imagine how difficult
this has been for you.”
She
was too torn to confirm his statement.
“I
know you are hurting, and not just over your mother.” Renato pulled her toward
him and wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her against his chest and
whispered in her ear. “I’m sorry I’ve failed you, Ashley. I never intended to
keep secrets from you, but some secrets were not mine to disclose.” His tone
carried more pain than she was prepared for, and more hurt than he deserved.
“I’m
sorry for being mad at you.”
His
smile was sad. “No need for apology.” He hugged her tight once more before
letting her go.
She
cleared her throat and drew in a deep breath. “So, when exactly is the solstice
ceremony?”
“It
will be on the twenty-first of December—the shortest day of the year.”
“December
twenty-first? Isn’t that the day everyone was freaking out over the world
ending?”
“In
two thousand twelve, yes. But it was an unfounded concern. Our ancestors did
not predict the end of the world. It was merely the end of the thirteenth
Baktun.”
She
rubbed her face, regretting the fact she hadn’t kept up with her reading like
she was supposed to. “Okay, I’ll bite. What’s a Baktun?”
He
shook his head, and cringed under his stern look. “A Baktun is a cycle of time
equaling nearly four hundred years. And unlike the belief of many, the end of
the thirteenth Baktun was a time for hope and change.” He gazed at her. “Hence,
why I believe we received you directly after its arrival.”
She
couldn’t help but smile.
“But
it is also a time for bonding and reuniting with long lost friends. It is a
family gathering of sorts, with the purpose of creating new spirit bonds.”
“You
keep saying bonding.”
Renato
turned and walked to a bookshelf. He scanned the titles until one caught his
attention, and he pulled it off the shelf. “Bonding is the unity of two souls,
much more powerful than traditional marriage.” He opened the book and searched
through the pages as he walked toward her. “It is a commitment that cannot be
revoked. One made with the utmost surety that their love will never waver, and
will never be withdrawn.” He extended the book. “It is a sacred event for all
Riyata, and a reminder that true, honest commitment is still valued.”
Ashley
took the book and examined the text. “So…” She glanced up at Renato. “Why are
we going? I mean, nobody here is bonding.” Her thoughts flashed to
Arwan, who hadn’t been back to the house since her mother returned. She missed
him, and worse, she was worried about him.
“Because
it is a tradition for our people, began by the gods who blessed the stone. It
is not strictly for bonding. It is a holiday. A celebration of life.”
“Oh.”
She closed the book and held it up. “Can I take this back to my room?”
Renato
nodded. “As long as you return it with the others you took last night.”
“Uh,
yeah. Sorry about that.”
“And
before you leave, kindly clean up this mess.” He gestured to the paper
littering the floor.
Ashley
looked around the study, and dropped her shoulders. “Right.”
“Perhaps
this is your first training lesson. Do not use your abilities unless you can
clean up after them.”
A long time enthusiast of
things that go bump in the night, Theresa began her writing career as a
journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there.
After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of
press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world
of young adult paranormal romance.
Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers
Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers
Website: http:// theresamcclinton.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/t_ mcclinton
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