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eBook Category: Dark Fantasy/Romance
eBook Description: Her fate uncertain, Riley agrees to use her psychic abilities to pursue a murderer, despite the foreboding and desperate emotions building within her. The ancient adversary seeks Riley for his own revenge, forcing her to confront not only the rage of her past, but a phantom haunting her future. Enter the world of Riley McCabe--where enigma and myth collide with terror and temptation. With each step taken, Riley is drawn further from a place of safety into a darkened realm filled with ancient foes, and an increasing number of new enemies seeking her destruction.

eBook Publisher: Mystic Moon Press, Published: 2008
Fictionwise Release Date: April 2008

5 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [285 KB], eReader (PDB) [68 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [44 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [40 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [87 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [110 KB], hiebook (KML) [131 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [95 KB], iSilo (PDB) [36 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [46 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [85 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [64 KB]
Words: 13651
Reading time: 39-54 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

At Death's Door

A wash of color decorated the western sky as the sun began its slow descent into a welcoming sea. Hues of varied blues interwoven with shades of brilliant pinks and corals balanced amid crimson stratum soon turning to a blush of pink on gray-lavender, blending with the darkening canopy of twilight.

I watched the orb of scarlet sun sink beneath the horizon, casting its long multi-colored rays across the infinite water as jewels tossed upon an ocean dream. As I gazed, trying to memorize the new pattern of sunset, I am reminded of the many years I have stood on this same spot memorizing the daily passage of time.

Warm breezes flowed to the shore along with the incoming tide, expanding their wanton enticement toward me as I stood near the cliff's edge. Inhaling the air's briny scent is another reminder why I have made my home along these shores of Scotland, and gazing across the water always provides comfort--the sounds of the surf bashing the rocky shoreline an odd love-language to my heart when I remember my birthright and homeland of Ireland across the small bit of water that has become as distant as the moon.

The slow pace of this life is always at constant odds with my nature. Hypersensitivity to my surrounding world called me to others in need of my help--some strange or paranormal experience those in the human realm have no ability to deal with or understand. Such is my life. I remained constantly hidden, never leaving unless that call pulled me from my solitary existence--until four months ago.

Within a seventy-two hour time span, life, as I cherished it, ended. What began as a weekend invitation from a stranger had ended in our simultaneous revelation of each other. I reluctantly accepted that revelation with a plethora of qualms, because deep in the center of my core I needed acceptance of who I am and what I've become.

After a month, I'd left the home of someone still a stranger to me and came home to rethink my involvement. After three months of daily sunsets, I was no closer to a decision of returning to England, or staying here. Life had become something I hated--ambiguous.

Twilight gave way to night as I remained rooted to the same spot, unable to move for fear I'd lose something in the transition of the day's demise. A cool wind ruffled my hair away from my head, making me long to dance with the breeze as a child does. It had been an eternity since I'd been a child, in fact, my origins had become as lost as the sunset disappearing from my recent view.

I closed my eyes and allowed the air to wrap me with hands of the elemental world. A chill ran the length of my spine, always an indicator something was about to happen, only this time the chill held something I'd forgotten when I'd left England and returned home--emotional attachment. I continued gazing out to sea as the sensation blanketed my body in a familiar cool embrace, throwing my life into turmoil once again.

"Hello Braedon."

The embrace grew more secure as I felt him in my mind. I knew he walked toward me without watching.

"Riley."

Somehow his invasive inner voice didn't bother me tonight. No matter what I thought about him, I still liked having my name whispered on the wind even if the wind was only in my head.

"Your hair is as flames in the night my love, quite beautiful to behold."

That made me smile knowing my outrageous hair color. "Why don't you say what you would really like to say?"

His laugh caressed my ear with sensuous tendrils of sound. "Oh Riley, I do love your ability to sweet talk me. Alright, your hair reminds me of a waterfall of blood in which I could sate my thirst; alas, I must remain content to experience satiation by it enveloping me."

I turned and stared into eyes that glittered as pieces of jet in the moonlight, knowing that as soon as light hit them their true color of azure would hold me captive. "That's nice. Why are you here Braedon?"

He lifted my hand and raised it to his mouth, then turned it, kissing the inside of my wrist while teasing the small vein with his tongue. "I thought that would be obvious, my love." Pulling my hair away from my neck, Braedon began a slow assault of lips along my flesh, pursuing the artery with a confident tongue, turning my words into a sigh and sending the sensation I didn't want to admit I liked, to another region. "Yes Riley, relax and enjoy the sensation."

I relaxed into Braedon's embrace as if I melted into a comfortable chair, content to allow his touch to wash over me with a wave of pleasure. "Were you always this romantic, you know ... before?"

"You mean before I died? I would like to think of myself as having been romantic, alas, not many remain from when I was brought over to gauge the romantic endeavors of my youth."

"Oh." Something disturbing crept along my skin as he held me, something he wasn't allowing me to experience, something was off and I couldn't define the nature of the disturbance. "Braedon, do you mind that I ask you about your previous life?"

His teeth grazed along the vein on my throat, driving my thoughts from his problem to a distant realm while he nipped at the base of my neck.

"No, I do not mind you asking, although I do mind you asking while I attempt your seduction." He nibbled on my earlobe, his cool breath making me dizzy, his words barely audible as they entered my ear on a whisper. "Were you always impervious to romantic intentions, my love?"

The words stung like a hot poker shoved in my gut, causing me to gasp for breath. Memories hurled at me in rapid-fire succession, filling my head with tormented visions that had altered my existence for what had seemed an eternity. It was an eternity, as each day lived had been colored with individual layers of outrage and hatred of a few and the action of one in particular. As I struggled, the air around me became thin and oxygen sparse, the cool embrace tightened, holding me from falling off the cliff edge.

"Riley!"

This time, my name spoken was like cold water slapped in my face. I felt my body moving, unaware if it was internal or if I was physically falling.

"Stay with me Riley, just relax, you are going to be fine."

The hatred was as ingrained as my nature, and no matter how I wanted it, I was never going to be fine.

"Riley, can you hear me? What are you seeing? Are you able to release the vision?"

Time slowed as one image remained burned in my memory as if it had just occurred. A face I would always hate. The vision evaporated as Braedon's person became more sure. Opening my eyes found me still in his arms and sitting on the ground.

"Riley?"

Stunned. I felt stunned--by Braedon's appearance and the terror experienced by his simple question. What clung to him that precipitated such a violent mental reaction?

"Riley, are you alright? You have been unresponsive for some time."

"How long have I been out?"

Braedon rubbed my arms. "About an hour, does this normally happen when you have a vision?"

Another hour lost to hate.

"Here Ms. McCabe, perhaps some water will help."

Quinlan's voice startled me. Confused, I looked up, realizing I was still sitting near the cliff edge. My hand shook as I took the glass he offered, spilling most of the water before it got to my mouth. Braedon removed the glass before my fingers involuntarily opened. The sound of my voice was as shaky as my hand. "Why have the two of you come here?" I tried to stand but Braedon held me fast to him.

"Riley, try to relax and tell me what is happening."

"Something's wrong. Why have the two of you come?"

"Quinlan always travels with me, you know this."

As I sat lodged between Braedon's legs and arms, my body absorbed a tremendous amount of sorrow mixed with uncertainty, tinged with a seed of hatred that if given the chance to grow would match mine.

"You've brought bad news, very bad news." I looked at Quinlan who now resembled a statue ... there was no way I was getting information from him. I felt Braedon's heartbeat through my back, a hammer strike each time it beat, belying his calm exterior.

"Riley, I wanted--no needed to see you. You have been away from me for the three months we agreed upon. I came to--"

"What? Lay claim to me and drag me back like some Neanderthal man?"

Braedon hugged me tighter and placed his face on my shoulder. "I need you, my love, please do not make this harder for me, not tonight."

"Just tell me what's going on. You're body is screaming, yet you've got a wall of stone around you. I may be psychic, but I don't want to try to read you."

Quinlan cleared his throat, breaking the moment of revelation. "Braedon, if we are to find accommodations we should leave. We are quite a distance from other shelter and only a few hours remain before dawn."

I sighed. "You don't have to go anywhere, you're welcome to stay here."

Braedon's breath eased along my neck as he spoke. "I would like nothing more than that Riley, however, I am not a usual house guest."

"Don't you mean you have sun issues?"

Braedon chuckled despite whatever was happening internally. "I suppose I do."

I struggled from his grip, scrambled to my feet, and then held out a hand for him. "Let's go to the cottage and I'll show you where you can sleep or whatever happens with daybreak ... then we need to talk."

Braedon looked around my cottage as Quinlan brought in their luggage. "This is quite charming, not quite as elegant as I imagined, but comfortable I think."

I laughed. "I suppose my cottage would just about fit in your ballroom huh? The place is comfortable and more than I need."

"But would you not like more?"

Over the month I'd spent with Braedon, he'd proposed almost every day, lavishing me with gifts and attention until I felt smothered. I'd agreed to a new life with him because after being alone for so long there was something lacking in me I no longer had the ability to change. Braedon had seen it and claimed he loved me despite the giant hole in me. I'd left him and come back to hide from his all-consuming attention; now as I looked at one of the most beautiful men I'd ever seen, I realized I'd missed him.

"Braedon?"

"Yes?"

"Were you always this beautiful?" His open face clouded as I watched his eyes become glassy. "What did I say wrong?"