To avoid persecution, the Feiru will do anything to keep their elemental magic a secret from humans—even lock away their children for life. Few know about the experiments going on inside the prison system for magic users, but that is about to change…
Kiarra Melini overhears the dangerous secrets of her blood and decides that if Feiru elemental magic is to survive, she needs to die. But before she can finish the deed, a handsome black-clad man kidnaps her from prison and introduces her to an anti-prison activist group. As the prison retrieval squad hunts for her, Kiarra must overcome the demons of her past or risk losing not only her newfound freedom, but also the man who reawakens her desires and captures her heart.
Jaxton Ward finally rescues his older brother from prison, but instead of helping with his brother’s recovery, he’s ordered to train Kiarra—a stubborn elemental fire user who claims her magic is gone. But just as Kiarra starts trusting him with her secrets, the prison enforcers catch up with them. Now Jaxton must find a way to keep his family safe while also protecting the only woman able to ignite both his temper and his passion.
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Making the Impossible Possible
A strong-willed female soldier and a charming womanizer.
A female undercover agent and a man burned by lies.
At first glance, those couples seem like they’d never, in a million years, be perfect for each other. But if there’s one thing I like doing, it’s making the seemingly impossible work out in the end.
That is the main theme from my paranormal fantasy romance series, the Asylums for Magical Threats. No matter how difficult things might get (and believe me, they get pretty dark at times), little things like love, hope, and humor make you believe things will work out. It may not be tomorrow, or even next month, but the small gains and the overall progress toward making the future a better place is what keeps you going. I’d like to think this holds true for any of us—when we face a challenge, something as simple as talking with a friend or cuddling a pet will help you pull through.
The AMT books are about a race called the Feiru (FEY-roo). The first-born Feiru children have the ability to manipulate the elements—earth, water, wind, and fire. To avoid persecution, they create prisons for these elemental magic users. Originally, they were a safe haven. Sixty years after their creation, however, they are places of torture, experimentation, and even death. The AMTs are a well-kept secret, but one organization is fighting to change that…
But it takes the rescue of a female inmate from one of these AMT prisons to set off a change of events that will change the Feiru (and human) worlds forever.
And those three pairings from the beginning? They are actually the heroes and heroines from my first three AMT stories.
~Jessie Donovan
Each stroke of Jaxton’s thumb left a trail of heat on her skin. She’d dismissed the same feeling during training, blaming her imagination and her yearnings for elemental fire. But the feeling had returned, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.
When she’d had her abilities, her fire had always radiated outward. She’d never heard of heat flaring at another person’s touch.
Even now, she moved her hand a fraction to the south, hoping to feel the tingle of elemental fire particles. But nothing happened.
Jaxton’s thumb stilled and she looked into his eyes. He continued to cup her cheek as he said,
“Reaching to the south didn’t work, did it?”
“How did you—”
The corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. “I’m your shadow, remember? It’s my job.”
It’s my job. Ty had said the same words to her after her flogging, when she’d asked why he hadn’t done anything to stop it.
The past was a cold slap in the face. She became acutely aware of Jaxton’s touch and the scant inches separating their bodies. She’d walked this road before, allowing someone to get close to her before she really knew much about them. After Ty, she’d vowed never again.
Kiarra shook her head and tugged her hand. “Let me go.”
He must’ve seen something in her expression, because Jaxton released her hand and allowed her to take a few steps away. She put a clenched fist over her heart, as if the act could protect it from the memories of betrayal.
“What’s wrong, Kiarra?”
She avoided Jaxton’s gaze and focused on tamping down the painful memories. After all these years, she’d thought herself past caring. Apparently, she was wrong.
She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, using the same trick that had helped keep her sanity over the years: visualizing her future. She pictured the freedom to travel, read, and interact with others who didn’t see her as a freak or a burden. Her heart still racing, she took another inhalation and thought of returning to Mt. Rainier National Park, the possibility of friends, the ability to make her own decisions.
The hurt and panic started to fade, her good thoughts overcoming the bad. After a little more concentration, she finally pushed away the memories. She wouldn’t let Ty’s actions take away her new start; the man wasn’t worth it.
Kiarra opened her eyes. Jaxton stood on the far side of the room, his arms crossed over his chest. He said nothing, his expression unreadable.
The silence was too much for her. “I’m fine.” He raised an eyebrow and she continued, “At least I will be, if you leave me alone for the rest of the evening.”
He uncrossed his arms, the hardness of his face softening. “Are you sure you want to be alone right now?”
No. “Yes.” She didn’t trust herself around Jaxton.
He put his hands up in defeat. “I’ll send a tray up and expect you to eat all of it. I’m also going to have someone periodically knock on your door, just to check on you.” He motioned toward the alarm clock on the table next to the bed. “And set your alarm. Meet me in the front room at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.”
She nodded, hoping Jaxton would leave before she lost her resolve. Earlier she’d taken comfort from his touch, and oddly she yearned to feel it again. “You can go now.”
He gave her one last long look before leaving her room.
Without his presence, the room felt empty and cold. But it was better this way. If she spent too much more time with Jaxton, her resolve would weaken, and she might do something foolish. One man had already betrayed her in the past.
Kiarra wasn’t about to let it happen again.
When she’d had her abilities, her fire had always radiated outward. She’d never heard of heat flaring at another person’s touch.
Even now, she moved her hand a fraction to the south, hoping to feel the tingle of elemental fire particles. But nothing happened.
Jaxton’s thumb stilled and she looked into his eyes. He continued to cup her cheek as he said,
“Reaching to the south didn’t work, did it?”
“How did you—”
The corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. “I’m your shadow, remember? It’s my job.”
It’s my job. Ty had said the same words to her after her flogging, when she’d asked why he hadn’t done anything to stop it.
The past was a cold slap in the face. She became acutely aware of Jaxton’s touch and the scant inches separating their bodies. She’d walked this road before, allowing someone to get close to her before she really knew much about them. After Ty, she’d vowed never again.
Kiarra shook her head and tugged her hand. “Let me go.”
He must’ve seen something in her expression, because Jaxton released her hand and allowed her to take a few steps away. She put a clenched fist over her heart, as if the act could protect it from the memories of betrayal.
“What’s wrong, Kiarra?”
She avoided Jaxton’s gaze and focused on tamping down the painful memories. After all these years, she’d thought herself past caring. Apparently, she was wrong.
She closed her eyes and breathed in and out, using the same trick that had helped keep her sanity over the years: visualizing her future. She pictured the freedom to travel, read, and interact with others who didn’t see her as a freak or a burden. Her heart still racing, she took another inhalation and thought of returning to Mt. Rainier National Park, the possibility of friends, the ability to make her own decisions.
The hurt and panic started to fade, her good thoughts overcoming the bad. After a little more concentration, she finally pushed away the memories. She wouldn’t let Ty’s actions take away her new start; the man wasn’t worth it.
Kiarra opened her eyes. Jaxton stood on the far side of the room, his arms crossed over his chest. He said nothing, his expression unreadable.
The silence was too much for her. “I’m fine.” He raised an eyebrow and she continued, “At least I will be, if you leave me alone for the rest of the evening.”
He uncrossed his arms, the hardness of his face softening. “Are you sure you want to be alone right now?”
No. “Yes.” She didn’t trust herself around Jaxton.
He put his hands up in defeat. “I’ll send a tray up and expect you to eat all of it. I’m also going to have someone periodically knock on your door, just to check on you.” He motioned toward the alarm clock on the table next to the bed. “And set your alarm. Meet me in the front room at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.”
She nodded, hoping Jaxton would leave before she lost her resolve. Earlier she’d taken comfort from his touch, and oddly she yearned to feel it again. “You can go now.”
He gave her one last long look before leaving her room.
Without his presence, the room felt empty and cold. But it was better this way. If she spent too much more time with Jaxton, her resolve would weaken, and she might do something foolish. One man had already betrayed her in the past.
Kiarra wasn’t about to let it happen again.
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So, whatcha ya think about the excerpt?
Do you like heroes/heroines that may appear to be opposites?
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