EXCERPT FROM IMMORTAL ILLUSIONS

An excerpt from Immortal Illusions (Eternity Covenant Book 2) by Ursula Bauer:

Available now from Samhain Publishing in e-book and print wherever you buy great books.

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As if she heard him speaking his indecent thoughts, she stirred, and turned to gaze at him. “Jack’s not the only one with a price.”

Kerr drew in a deep breath. Hugh looked suddenly alarmed. Jack grew more curious. What secret agenda did his little surrogate with the mysterious grey eyes hide that had everyone so on edge? He hoped it was suitably scandalous.

“That’s right, gentleman,” he said smoothly. “The lady has a price and it will be met. We are, after all, partners.”

Ramon appeared truly interested in this new turn of events. “You didn’t tell me this when I first approached you, Raine.”

She licked her pretty lips, a motion that made Jack’s blood run thick.

“I needed time to consider what it was I most wanted.” Raine’s voice was clear and strong. As she spoke, power and passion welled inside of her. He wanted to break the physical contact, but he couldn’t resist the lure of her. She called to him in a way he’d not heard in a very long time, and suddenly he wondered if he’d not gotten himself in too deep.

“I want the chance at knighthood.” She continued with her demands, her voice echoing into the quiet room, sounding distinctly like a glove being slapped across an enemy’s face in challenge. “If I’m to do this for the Covenant, they must make an exception to the rules. They must accept me to squire and give me the chance to prove my worth, earn my spurs and don the chains of fealty.”

Jack’s soul warmed over. Raine was playing brilliantly. He was hard-pressed not to jump up and clap. Her demand was far more outrageous than his own, one if met that would throw the Council of Wardens deep into the darkest, foulest scandal yet. Imagine that, a half-breed knight. He wanted to laugh out loud, to dance around the table, to kiss her for her audacity. He wanted to kiss her to satisfy his own longings, to know if she tasted as unpredictably wonderful as her spirit hinted.

Kerr began to shake violently, so much so, Hugh had to steady him. “No one will sponsor this vermin as squire,” Kerr bellowed. “We are the Wardens. We must protect the Eternity Covenant. We must be pure. Clean. Beyond reproach. The half-breed soul is stained with the taint. She’s nothing but a savage.”

Jack, never known in the first place for his self control, lost what little of it he’d managed to muster for today’s performance. “You’re calling us savage? You were born on the dirt floor of some mud-walled hovel and spent the first part of your mortal life killing villagers to ensure fertility in the fields. Now that is some seriously backwards, savage stuff. If anyone has a stained soul, I think it’s you, Druid.”

Kerr actually lunged for Jack, but Hugh held him fast by the shoulder. “I’ll see you damned for that,” raged the Elder Warden. “When this is all over, I’ll make you pay.”

Ramon seemed unmoved by it all. He smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle on his expensive suit, then cleared his throat again, silencing his counterpart. “I’d be happy to sponsor you, Raine. My paladin, Uller, will take you as squire.”

An uneasy silence fell over the room. Raine removed her hand from Jack’s. She nodded stiffly. “I accept your offer, Ramon Salazar. I assure you that you’ll not regret this.”

Kerr continued to sputter and rant. Jack sensed a dangerous change in the climate of the room. The demand was crazy enough, but Ramon’s rapid agreement was sheer insanity. A line in the sand had just been drawn, marking a war amongst the ranks of the High Wardens. Naturally, Ramon had been the one to etch it, but to do so easily spoke of other issues at work. Raine appeared untouched by it all, but her uncle held in check a barely suppressed rage, and Jack noted he could not meet his niece’s eyes.

“So we’re in agreement. Should we get down to the fine points, then?”

Salazar looked to Jack, then to Kerr, and a strange light came into his cold black eyes. “Jack, Raine, we’ll meet up later at my brownstone this afternoon to work out our particulars. If you’ll give us some privacy, Kerr and I have other matters to discuss.”

This confirmed Jack’s suspicion. Something was going on, something wild and juicy. Ramon looked up to no good right now. Jack itched to be back in the thick of it, something he’d never imagined possible. “Time’s wasting, Ramon. Let’s ink the deal.”

“Later, Jack. Plenty of time this afternoon.” There was a finality in the dismissal that didn’t allow for argument.

Jack shrugged. One door shut for now, but he’d find another. “Fine. So glad we could have this little reunion.”

Raine appeared equally as startled by the turn of events, but did manage to say a civil goodbye to her uncle and his crazy boss. She followed Jack into the antechamber.

With the last of his energy, he used the residual magic from the first spell to blow open the doors to the hall, and they walked by a stunned Wiggans and his security team. There was a good deal of ranting from Wiggans, resulting in an armed escort as they waited for, and then boarded the elevator. Raine stayed silent and stoic. Jack made some cracks to the security force, but they didn’t respond to his half-hearted attempts.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with that prize ass,” he said to Raine when they stepped outside the Warden’s building. The words came out stilted and sounded idiotic, but he felt he had to say something. He was trying to figure all the angles, including hers. “You were right to ask for the moon. You’re risking your life for them. They owe you.”

“I’m not doing it for them. I’m doing it for me.” She broke free of his hold and stepped clear of him as if he carried the plague. “Just like you, Jack. I’m in it for me.”