Will Jorah have a chance to fall in love with the person his soul is longing for, or will the horrors of the world keep them apart?
When I was fourteen, I was sucked through a portal to another realm—the land of the fae—and forced to live there for three years. Crazy, right? Welcome to my world. Being an Ellwood means being pulled into the craziest and most dangerous situations while trying to protect the people around you. But I wouldn’t change it for anything.
For years, every time I visit the land of the fae, something seems to pull me toward the north. Naturally, it’s the most dangerous place in all of Faela, so my family forbids me to travel there. But now I know something is wrong, and I find myself unable to ignore the call I feel deep down in my soul. The peaceful feeling I normally get from the north is gone, replaced with nothing but fear and sorrow.
I know in my heart that the pull I’m feeling is from my viramore—my soulmate—and I’m afraid I might be too late to save him. If I do make it there in time, what kind of condition will I find him in? I can feel that he’s hurt, grieving, and simply waiting to fade away, and I’m too far to help. He’s in danger, I know he is, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to keep him safe from the evil creatures hunting him.
Jorah is a 107K word novel and the fourth book in The Brinnswick Chronicles. It can be read as a standalone novel, although it’s better to read the series in order to get a better feel for the characters and the larger story arc. This MM paranormal romance contains explicit material and is intended for mature adults 18 years old and older.
Laiken~
My eyes filled with tears as I realized my fate was still not my own. I was locked in a room with an unfamiliar man. I was locked on another boat with people I didn’t know, with no way of knowing who my enemies were or how close they may be.
And I was alone.
My baby brother, my little sisters, they were all gone.
But I was still here.
I wish they would’ve left me on that ship to die. I hadn’t had much time left; I would’ve been at peace.
Finally at peace.
Now I may never know that tranquility.
A single tear fell from my eye even though I’d long thought all my tears had dried up. It had been days—weeks, perhaps—since I’d last shed one, but I supposed that was what happened when your enemies withheld water from you.
“What’s wrong, Laiken? Are you in a lot of pain?” the man asked, his voice deep and husky, vibrating against my side.
I was too afraid to speak. Afraid I might say the wrong thing and anger him.
“Laiken?” he said gently. “What’s wrong, love?”
I closed my eyes at that. He sounded like he really cared, but how did I know if he was true or not? How could I trust him?
“My brother’s bringing some food, water, and more healing salve,” the man—Jorah—said. “We’ll get you fixed up. Can you tell me where it hurts? Is it your feet? You have so many injuries, I’m not sure what to concentrate on.” His voice shook with an emotion I didn’t understand.
The door opened, and as a dark-haired witch came in, I curled into myself and pushed my face into Jorah’s chest, squeezing my eyes shut. I might not trust him, but at least he hadn’t hurt me yet. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see the pain coming if this new witch decided to hurt me.
The new witch whispered, “I’ll set the tray on the table. Do you need anything else, Laiken?”
Hearing my name made a shiver of fear race through my veins, and I tucked myself further into Jorah.
The new witch only stayed for a few more seconds before he left the room, and some of my fear left with him.
“It’s okay,” Jorah whispered. “That was my brother, Basil. He won’t hurt you, I promise, but we can ask everyone to stay out of the room until you’re feeling better and up for company. Would you like some water, love?”
Taking a shaky breath for courage, I opened my eyes to find a cup in front of me. Hesitantly, I took the cup, sniffed it, then took a tiny sip. When the water hit my tongue, a tiny moan came out of my throat. It had been so, so long since they’d given me anything to drink—my magic had been the only thing keeping me alive—and the wetness of it felt better than anything I’d ever had.
I drank a few hearty gulps before Jorah grabbed the cup. I whimpered, but he said, “Shh… I just don’t want you to make yourself throw up. You need to take small sips so your body can adjust.” He passed the cup back to me. “Small sips.”
I nodded and took a tiny sip even though I wanted to gulp it all down. I knew he was right, though.
He offered a kind-looking smile. “Would you like some soup? We aren’t sure what kind of diet you’re used to, but this is a soup that my older sister used to make for me every time I didn’t feel well. It’s vegetables only, no meat, and we figured that would be good for you since it seems like it’s been a long time since you last ate.” That strange emotion flickered behind his eyes again.
Food sounded blissful, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so I said nothing at all.
Jorah smiled sadly. “It’s alright. I know you’re scared, but I promise you no one on this ship is going to hurt you. We’re trying to get to the Pink Isle as quickly as possible so we can keep you safe.”
The Pink Isle was farther than I’d ever traveled, so I didn’t know much about that land.
“Everyone on this ship is family,” Jorah added after a minute, then he tensed, which put me on immediate alert until he whispered, “Where’s your family? Do we need to change course?”
It took me a moment to decipher the word family. “My pod?”
Jorah hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, your pod. Do we need to turn around to rescue them?”
I shook my head slightly.
He hesitated. “Are you… do we need to help them?”
I closed my eyes. He’d obviously seen the bodies of my kin on that ship, or what was left of them. Although he might not have been able to tell whether they were my kin or not, and I honestly couldn’t think on that right now. “They’re gone.”
He sucked in a breath. “You don’t have any family—pod?”
I shook my head again. No, I didn’t have any pod left because they’d all been killed in cold blood. “N-no one else survived.”
There was a pause before Jorah hugged me to his chest tighter and whispered, “Oh, my sweet little siren. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry I couldn’t find you sooner.” He sounded as if he was fighting back tears, and I realized he was trembling.
Michele is married to an awesome guy that puts up with her and all the burnt dinners she makes—hey, sometimes characters are a bit distracting, and who doesn’t plot when they’re supposed to be cooking? They live together in Baltimore, Maryland with two little monsters, three-legged and four-legged fiends, and a little old man (aka their two sons, their two cats, and their senior dog). She hopes to rescue another cat soon, and if her hubby wouldn’t kill her, she’d get more than one… and maybe a few more dogs as well.
She loves creating worlds filled with lots of love, chosen family, and of course, magic, but she also likes making the characters fight for that happy ending. She hopes to one day write all the stories in her head—even if there are too many to count!
