The Wild Hunt
Book 1 of the “Faerie Sworn” Series
Mature YA Paranormal
Date Published: May 29, 2014
Magic still
lingers in the mist-covered corners of the world, wherever the Old Ways are
remembered. However, as civilization and reason scoff at the Fair Folk, the
paths to power have been forgotten by all but a few.
Lily Boyd was meant to become a faerie doctor, a warden of humans and a keeper of balance, until disbelief and pragmatism led her away from the hidden world and into a mundane life. But truth has a way to be Heard and she will be forced to face it if she wants to save her family.
Armed with nothing but her childhood memories and protected by a debt of gratitude she doesn’t understand, Lily must decide who to trust while she navigates a world that is darker and more twisted than she is prepared for.
And should she make the wrong choice, should she mistake friend and foe… the eternal balance between the Faerie Courts may shatter, and then there will be more than Lily’s life on the line.
Lily Boyd was meant to become a faerie doctor, a warden of humans and a keeper of balance, until disbelief and pragmatism led her away from the hidden world and into a mundane life. But truth has a way to be Heard and she will be forced to face it if she wants to save her family.
Armed with nothing but her childhood memories and protected by a debt of gratitude she doesn’t understand, Lily must decide who to trust while she navigates a world that is darker and more twisted than she is prepared for.
And should she make the wrong choice, should she mistake friend and foe… the eternal balance between the Faerie Courts may shatter, and then there will be more than Lily’s life on the line.
EXCERPT
Lily woke. She
didn’t have any recollection of falling asleep or passing out, but when she
opened her eyes, the cottage was no longer in sight and she was no longer
riding.
A dream? She
stirred and a jolt of pain traveled her body.
“I would ask
you not to do that,” the level voice of the stranger said somewhere behind her.
“I took great pains to close your wounds and I dislike working in vain.”
Lily moved her
arm ever so slightly, just enough to glimpse her hand. In the dim light, it
looked covered in a mud-like paste and wrapped in rough cloth. A doctor would
fret at the possible infection, and it did feel numb, but after the attack and
the overwhelming events, numb was too much of a blessing to complain.
“Where am I?”
she asked instead.
“Someplace
safe.” He walked around and crouched in front of her, close enough for her
bleary eyes to make out his features and study him. His coal black hair was wet
and slicked back. Occasional droplets of water fell down his brow, running down
the side of his face and neck. He had delicate eyebrows, a well-defined jaw and
sharp cheekbones that gave his angular face a striking, atemporal beauty. His
thin lips were smirking.
“Who are you?”
Lily pressed on, fighting a sudden urge to crawl back and put some distance
between them.
“A friend. The
question is, dear girl”—his eyes caught the scant light and glinted, the
luminescent green of lichen—“who you are. What is your name?”
“Lily,” she
said. He canted his head, eyes narrowed in thought, and after a moment she
added, “Lily Boyd.”
That startled
a laugh out of him. He rocked forth on the balls of his feet, his crouch
bringing him too close, breaking all illusions of personal space. She caught
sight of his tongue, darting out to wet his lips.
“Such
delicious naivete,” he said. “It truly is, is it not? Lily Boyd.” Her name
rolled off his mouth, languid and sensuous, and she felt a chilling tingle down
her spine. He watched her reaction and nodded, satisfied, before sitting back
to give her a little more room.
“What’s
yours?” she asked, trying to shake the odd sensation.
“Why are you
wearing that piece of jewelry?” he asked in turn, pointing to her neck with a
long, delicate finger.
On reflex, her
hand went up to grab the silver charms and the movement sent another flash of
pain through her arm. She gritted her teeth through the worst of it.
“It’s a gift.
From my grandma,” she said when she could form words again.
“Why?”
“Who is your
grandmother?”
“You saved me
from her house. Why were you there, anyway?”
“Such
inquisitive mind.” He offered another smirk and reached out to touch the
pendant around her neck. “So you are the faerie doctor’s blood, then. Giving
you her protection is much like her, yes.”
“You’re not…
I’m not following you.” Lily sighed, letting her head roll back and closing her
eyes. Her head had begun to pound. “And you haven’t told me your name yet.”
“And I won’t.”
He laughed. “But you may call me Troy if you must.”
Ron C. Nieto is a fantasy and romance author
who has been writing in her secluded fortress for the longest time. Recently,
she had a talk with her cat and decided that she should share her creations,
because it was selfish to hoard them all for herself.If you would like to know more about her, please visit her website.
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