Book Title: Soul of the Imperian (D’Vaire, Book 26)
Author: Jessamyn Kingley
Publisher: Self-published
Cover Artist: LJ Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations
Release Date: December 9, 2021
Genre: M/M Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Tropes: Enemies to lovers, fated mates
Themes: Fate, love
Length: 96 664 words
It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.
Check out the D’vaire Series on Goodreads
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
Demons are expected to hate the Imperian, but what if he’s your mate?
Blurb
Praetor Sashati Soriandras is adjusting to his wonderful new life as part of the Council of Sorcery and Shifters. His new leader’s choice to leave the demonic realm gained Sashati’s immediate approval. There is nothing there but dark memories and a horrible legend about the butcher who ripped magic from the demons a millennium ago.
After being banished to a tiny realm, Imperian Paszratorabiel—or Paszra, as he prefers to be called—is waiting for his wings to grow back. The minute he recovers, Paszra hunts for a place to bring his family so they can find mates. When Paszra finds a planet full of interesting beings, the presence of demons is the only thing he hates about his potential new home.
When Sashati and Paszra meet, neither man is happy to learn they are mates. The demons blame Paszra for everything, while the Imperian despises Sashati’s people. However, they share a tradition of not denying Fate. But to honor the way their souls are connected, Paszra and Sashati must overcome much more than their initial dislike of each other.
Standing in a conference room within the Order of the Fallen Knights, Sashati opened the letter. Although it was not addressed to him, he read it for possibly the hundredth time.
Arch Lich Chander Daray,
Greetings, I trust this missive finds you well. My people and I are searching for a new home, and our research led us to the Council of Sorcery and Shifters. We live in a realm that differs greatly from your planet and hope you would meet with us to answer specific questions regarding your world. Your kindly fallen knights have gifted us with a book about your government, and we have much interest in joining. Enclosed is a scroll that will allow you to communicate with us. Our schedule remains free, so please advise when and where is most convenient for you. It is my fondest wish to hear from you soon.
Yours,
Imperian Paszratorabiel
The words were antiquated, and the script was elaborately fussy, as if the writer were from a different era, but the name signed at the bottom proved it to be a lie.
“The Imperian died a thousand years ago,” Sashati grumbled.
“There are few stories of your history. Perhaps the demons have been discussing him,” said Daemon Lord Benton Daray, one of the two sentinels who guarded Chander.
“With whom? They rarely leave their apartments, and the sentinels would certainly not be gossiping about our most hated enemy,” Sashati growled, pacing in the conference room where they’d asked the imposter to meet them.
“You don’t have to say that so scornfully. They’re still adapting,” Diyarta responded immediately.
“I’m very curious why someone would use the name of a dead man no demon has willingly spoken in a millennium,” Hexaniys remarked.
Although Sashati would never suggest it aloud in Diyarta’s presence, he wondered if it was the demons pulling a prank. They had to be bored in their apartments when they weren’t spending the money other races had donated to the Demonic Arcani, and it would be like them to goad their inexperienced leader by pretending to write a letter as the Imperian.
“What I don’t understand is why the letter is addressed to Chand,” stated Lich Sentinel Alaric Daray, the leader of the Sentinel Brotherhood and Chander’s mate. “If whoever this is wants to join the Council, they should’ve contacted the Emperors.”
“Perhaps they heard that every time Chand gets a magical missive it bops him in the face and couldn’t resist the temptation,” Daemon Lord Baxter Daray said.
The Arch Lich offered him a baleful stare. “I’m sure they used a dead guy’s name and put together this entire hoax on the off chance I might get a paper cut on my nose.”
“Let’s stay focused on the facts,” remarked Reverent Knight Drystan Gylde-Kempe, the co-leader of the Order of the Fallen Knights. “Our office in San Diego logged two visitors showing up in ornate but old-fashioned clothing a week ago. There was a man and a woman of a race our officer could not name, though there was a level of familiarity to it. They were polite but unfamiliar with the names of things like the Order of Necromancia. For whatever reason, they were interested in Chand. We can’t discount that the two incidents are likely related. The officer offered them a handbook, which they took, and then they left.”
“He asked them to identify their race, but the pair either neglected or refused to answer,” added Drystan’s mate, Reverent Knight Conley. “We don’t know their names either. There was nothing to suggest they were dangerous, but we have no clue how many of this race there are. Not to mention whether they’ll show up en masse today, or if it’s just going to be this supposed imposter.”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Sashati argued. “The Imperian himself slaughtered the imps right in the center of our fucking realm. If he somehow faked his own death, which is impossible since Masal’akra killed him in a public place with plenty of witnesses, there wouldn’t be anyone with him.”
Jessamyn Kingley lives in Nevada where she begs the men in her head to tell her their amazing stories which she dutifully writes it all down in what has become a small mountain of notebooks. She falls in love with each couple and swears whatever book she wrote last is her absolute favorite.
Jessamyn is married and working toward remembering to start the dishwasher without being distracted by the scent of the magical detergent. For personal enjoyment, she aids in cat rescue while slashing and gashing her way through mobs in various MMORPGs. Caffeine is her very best friend and is only cast aside briefly for the sin better known as BBQ potato chips.
Join her Facebook group, Jessamyn’s Ruffian’s
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