The Shadow Prince (11 page)

With his hands balled into fists at his sides, he said, “Fine, whatever. Walk right into danger if you insist, but don't say I didn't warn you.”

He pressed his palms into the air and the blackness rippled like ocean waves. We must have been standing close to the glamour protecting the pathway. Elementals used glamour magic to change the appearance of an object or to hide something from view.

A howl cried out strong enough to shake the ground, we fought to stay on our feet.

“What the hell is that?” I shrieked.

“Gabriel Hounds, which means we’re officially out of time.” In one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around me and hurtled us into the dark current.

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There have been so many people who have helped me throughout my journey. The first in a long line are my parents, Russell and Brenda Howell. Your love, encouragement, and support have been priceless. I feel so lucky to be your daughter. I want to send out some love to my brother, Michael Howell. You believed this could happen even before I did. Thank you, little bro. None of this would be possible without my husband, Christopher. The fact that I found a man as wonderful as you still astonishes me every day. Thank you for putting a ring on it. My life wouldn't be complete without my daughter, Madison. I didn't truly understand the depth of love until you came into the world. Everything I do is for you, sweet girl. This novella doesn't exist without Courtney Koschel. You're the best editor and friend a person could wish for. I've had many editors, critique partners, and beta readers throughout my writing career. These people are amazeballs: Jessica Reigle, Janice Foy, Vanessa Barger, Jennifer Sipes, Bob Havey, Camille Morales, Jordan Mierek, Heather Howland, Kerry Vail, Jen McKinnon Scicchitano, Cathy Yardley, Will Kalif and Kristin Anders. Each of you has helped me grow as a writer and I want you to know I am truly grateful for all that you have given me. Special thanks to Jennifer L. Armentrout for lots of reasons. Mostly, thanks for thinking this was a good idea and for being full of awesome. Last, but not least, I want to thank you—the reader. Thank you for giving me a chance. This series has been a labor of love and I truly appreciate your support. Big, awkward virtual hug coming your way. ;-)

Stacey O'Neale lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she's not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.

Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult paranormal romance and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter
@StaceyONeale
, look for her on Facebook, Pinterest, and GoodReads. You can also visit her blog at
http://staceyoneale.com/
.

ISBN-13: 9780991451906

THE SHADOW PRINCE

Copyright © 2014 by Stacey O'Neale

SMASHWORDS EDITION

All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of the e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission from the publisher, Phoenix Reign Publishing P.O. Box 857, 1521 Ritchie Highway, Suite 100 Arnold, MD 21012.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Summary

Every sacrifice has consequences.

Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:

Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.

Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he's capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?

Cover Designer: Najla Qamber Designs

Editor: Courtney Koschel

Interior formatting and design by Amy Eye:
The Eyes for Editing

Smashwords License agreement

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