I figured it was about time for another round of Teaser Tuesday! It's been long enough, hasn't it? :) This week, our teaser is from Stricken. See you at the end!
"How did the fire start?" he asked her.
She shook her head, refusing to answer.
"Anya," he prompted, wishing he could
leave it alone as she wanted, but he could not. "We need to know."
"Arson." The word trembled on her lips.
"Someone set it."
"Did they ever find out who did it?"
"No."
"Did your father have any enemies? Anyone
that would want to murder him?"
"No," she said again. "Nothing like
that. He volunteered with the Red Cross and coached my softball team. He helped
Aaron with the pack. Took dinner to our elderly neighbor every night. Everyone
loved him."
"You're sure? What about your brother?"
Kaeden pressed as gently as he could. He hated to do it at all, but they needed
to be certain. They couldn't afford to chase down false leads or false hope.
They didn't have time.
"No. There was no reason for anyone to do
that to them. No reason," she whispered with fierce certainty.
"Don't,"
Kieran warned when Kaeden opened his mouth to press for more.
Kaeden heeded his blade-brother's warning and
closed his mouth without speaking. He watched Anya's expression crumble into
abject misery. She had nothing more to give him today.
He reached out and slipped his hand into hers,
squeezing her fingers in silent apology for forcing her to face such painful
memories.
Twin tears fell from the ends of her lashes to
roll down her cheeks.
She didn't look at him when he moved closer,
instead keeping her gaze locked on the kitten sleeping in her lap, but she did
allow him to pull her up against his side. She didn't make a sound as she
cried. She simply rested against his side as little tears made tracks down her
porcelain cheeks.
Kaeden's heart hurt for her. The Fae were
immortal, but not indestructible. As the Demon Wars had taught them eons ago,
and La Morte Nera reminded them now,
even an immortal life could be tenuous. The
Fae understood loss and grief. They experienced those painful facts of life just
as humans did. Kaeden had never met his mother, and had been shunned by his
father. He'd lost friends in battle, and had even hefted the blade that felled
some of them. But those hurts, spread out over two and a half centuries, seemed
like little more than the sting of bees compared to what Anya had endured in
twenty-three short years.
Aww, poor Anya. Lots going on in her life at the moment! And lots going on over here, too. I still have a few more stops on Fade's Blog Tour, and I am busily writing Book Two for all of you. In the meantime, make sure you check out the Paranormal/Fantasy Pitch Contest we have going on over here! One lucky winner is going to walk away with all kinds of amazing prizes.
xoxo,
A.K.M.
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