Spotlight: The Last True Templar by Boyd Morrison and Beth Morrison

A Perilous Quest. A Deadly Legacy.

Italy, 1351. English knight Gerard Fox and the resourceful Willa have come through a death-defying journey across war-torn Europe. Now looking towards their future together, they must first find a way to reconcile with their difficult pasts.

In a small village between Florence and Siena, Fox and Willa are caught up in a deadly ambush. After rescuing the enigmatic woman who is the target of the attack, they take refuge in her opulent villa and learn her heartbreaking story – a tale of loss, deception... and a burning desire for freedom.

Soon, Fox and Willa are involved in a perilous quest to save her family's legacy... and to do so, they will have to solve a mystery that points the way to the fabled lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

Excerpt

The Last True Templar

March, 1314

Paris

It seemed as if the entire city had come for the execution. Massive crowds lined both banks of the Seine, straining to view the stake set into a pile of logs on the tiny island of Île aux Juifs. A man holding a flaming torch waited for the command to do his duty.

In the fading light of dusk, the four men tied back to back around the tall post looked unafraid, even serene. They knew the horror that was to come and that insufficient fuel was deliberately used to ensure a slow and agonizing death. But they seemed at peace with their decision to recant the false confessions that had been tortured out of them. For this reversal, they’d been branded lapsed heretics, the most heinous crime imaginable.

Domenico Ramberti stood on the southern bank of the river, forcing himself to control the shivering and coughing that had racked his body on and off for the last six months of his long journey. Although he had occasional bursts of energy, today he felt older than his forty-eight years. But if Jacques de Molay, Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Templar, could maintain his noble bearing while he met his fate, Ramberti could keep his composure as well.

Many of his fellow knights had been tortured over the past seven years, ever since that dark Friday the 13th in 1307 when King Philip had ordered the simultaneous arrest of all Templars across France. Ramberti had escaped only because he had been in Italy at the time. Since then, he’d done everything he could to preserve his beloved order, but now he was here to witness the coup de grâce.

After this day, Ramberti would be the last true Knight Templar.

Molay, in his seventies, balding with a rim of white hair and a long flowing beard, stood straight atop the pyre, maintaining the dignity for which he was renowned. The marshal’s cry to carry out the sentence was loud enough for all to hear. Molay didn’t debase himself to watch as the executioner dipped his torch to the kindling, setting the logs ablaze.

Above the growing flames, Molay shouted something. The crowd grew still, eager to hear his final words. His voice carried across the water, strong and clear.

“God knows that the hearts of the Templars are pure. He knows who is in the wrong and has sinned. God will avenge our deaths. Make no mistake, all who have borne false witness against us will suffer because of what has been done to us.”

The curse caused many of the spectators to gasp and whisper, but they kept listening. The flames grew, and black smoke belched forth. By now, Ramberti could feel the heat of the fire himself. To Molay the inferno must have been unbearable, and yet he continued to speak.

“I call for His Holiness Pope Clement to join me within a year and a day before God, where he will have to answer for his vile betrayal. I not only summon His Highness King Philip to the same fate, but his descendants likewise to fall and his family line to come to an inglorious end. At the last, the world will know the truth about our innocence. The brotherhood will be reborn, and no one will doubt the nobility and virtue of the Knights Templar.”

As his final words rang out, the thick smoke obscured the men who so bravely endured their torture, sparing Ramberti from watching his beloved grand master being burned alive.

He could only hope that Molay’s curse would come to pass. The king, who owed a fortune to the Templars, had concocted the false accusations that brought down the order so that he could wipe his debt clean and seize the vast holdings of the Templars for his own. The pope, a weakling and a fool, had succumbed to Philip’s threats and joined him in condemning the Templars, disbanding them completely two years ago and handing over what remained of their holdings to the rival Knights Hospitaller.

But Ramberti knew something they did not, the real reason that Molay had finally recanted his confessions to fabricated crimes such as denying Christ and desecrating the cross. Just days ago, he had informed Molay that the resources to restore the Templars to their past glory were now well hidden from the French king, waiting only for the right time and worthy champions to restore the order’s rightful place in the world.

Ramberti’s determination to safeguard the remaining Templar wealth had grown into an obsession that consumed his every waking minute. Despite the danger, he had braved terrible hardship and illness, and had even forsaken his own family to come back to Paris to deliver the news to the grand master that the treasure was safe, giving Molay and his men the peace of mind to at last deny their false admissions of guilt so that they could face death as faithful Knights Templar

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Boyd Morrison is a #1 NY Times bestselling author, actor, engineer, and Jeopardy! champion. He started his career working on NASA's space station project at Johnson Space Center, where he got the opportunity to fly on the Vomit Comet, the same plane used to train astronauts for zero gravity. After earning a PhD in engineering from Virginia Tech, he used his training to develop sixteen US patents at Thomson/RCA. Boyd then managed a video game testing group in Microsoft's Xbox division before becoming a full-time writer. For non-fiction thrills, he enjoys white water rafting, skiing, scuba diving, and bungee jumping. Boyd is also a professional actor, appearing in films, commercials, and stage plays. In 2003 he fulfilled a lifelong dream and became a Jeopardy! champion. He currently lives in Seattle with his wife.

Elizabeth Morrison is Senior Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. She received her PhD in the History of Art from Cornell University and began work at the Getty in 1996. During her twenty-five years there, she has curated numerous exhibitions, including Imagining the Past in France, 1250-1500 in 2010 and Book of Beasts: The Bestiary in the Medieval World in 2019. The accompanying publications for both shows were finalists for most prestigious honor in museum work, the College Arts Association award for outstanding exhibition catalogue. She has written or edited six books as well as a dozen articles in the specialized area of French and Flemish manuscript illumination. A leader in her field, she has served on the boards of the International Center of Medieval Art and the Medieval Academy of America, and is currently the Vice President of the Association of Art Museum Curators.

Spotlight: Angels Around Us by by Victoria Liiv

After falling out of the sky- quite literally- with an airplane, Amber goes though life simply surviving from week to week. 

Heaven's Torment Book 1

Genre: Psychological Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance

After falling out of the sky- quite literally- with an airplane, Amber goes though life simply surviving from week to week. Her traumatic experience keeps on haunting her day and night, but mostly at night, and it seems there's no way out. Nothing left to try for. If life is only a torture, why keep on going?

The answer is simple: Adriaan.

The man has managed to get through her defences and keeps her hope alive. He's the reason the get out of bed in the morning. He's the reason to push through the terror encompassing her. He's also her therapist. A new fear surfaces past the trauma: confessing her feelings for him.

Adriaan couldn't possibly love her back. Not only because relationships between a therapist and their patient are not allowed, but also because she's damaged. 

Keeping her obsession secret draws Amber closer to Huub. He's nice. He's successful. He's good in bed. But he's not Adriaan. 

Amber struggles through life, holding onto a small spark of hope and the love she keeps on running from.

All you need to know about Angels Around Us:
- written in first person present (have to note it since some people despise this)
- falling for the therapist (forbidden love)
- a slow burn romance
- a healing journey from panic attacks and trauma
- an emotional support dog Angel
- it is Amber's emotional journey first and foremost and romance second. An emotional connection that grows over time. It is not a smutty romance
- it covers several darker topics that can be triggering.

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

This book contains darker topics of life among which is living with trauma, anxiety, emotional abuse, self-harm, and abortion. If you are disturbed by any of that subject matter, then this book may not be for you. 

If you find any more triggers I should mention while reading the book, let me know.

"There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel."

Excerpt

I look over to Adriaan’s table at the same time he looks over at us. Shit. His brother is laughing at something Adriaan must’ve said, then stands up and walks straight towards us.

“Amber, is it?” he asks once he stops right in front of us, blocking our view of the two women on the stage that are actually not that bad to listen to. “I’m Lucas. Adriaan would’ve come over, too, but he’s a pussy.” He laughs, throwing his head back, and I see his Adam’s apple bobble up and down in the rhythm of his chuckles.

I stare in disbelief. “Not how I’d describe him, but okay.”

“No? How would you describe him? Ik ben benieuwd!” Lucas has the same confidence Adriaan does as he pulls a chair over from a neighbouring table and sits down on it the wrong way around, his arms on the backrest.

“Is that what you came over here for? To talk about Adriaan?”

Lucas laughs again. He’s got such an easy laugh that is almost infectious.

“He’s here to test the waters!” Natalie exclaims. “After your performance, I’d be curious too about your feelings. Although, you did leave it all on the stage, didn’t you?”

I groan and protest. “I told you,” I squeeze through tight lips as my cheeks burn up under the scrutiny of the man looking so much like his brother but acting completely opposite to what I’d imagine Adriaan being like. “He’s just my—”

“Therapist. Yes, I heard. I also heard you’re totally drooling over him.”

“Nat!” I shout exactly at the time the music stops, and my voice carries over the murmurs of the whole bar. A few people turn to stare at the outburst. I notice Adriaan being one of them.

“She really needs a drink,” Lindsay chirps in. “She’ll loosen up quite a bit once she gets tipsy.”

I roll my eyes at her and shake my head ‘no’.

“Really?” Lucas asks. “Because I did see her give away a drink. What would you like?”

“I’m driving,” I mutter.

“She likes Sex on the Beach,” Idy helps out.

“I’ve never had sex on the―Oh, right, we’re talking about the cocktail. Seriously, I’m good. I don’t need anything.”

As if on cue, the next participant in the karaoke night, decent as she is, sings out “I wanna have sex on the beach …”

I groan. “Gosh! What are the chances? I don’t understand it, though. Who’d want to have sand all over themselves, getting stuck to the crooks and nooks of their bodies? That can’t possibly be nice.”

Lucas laughs again. I have a feeling he’s one of those easy-going happy people who can find amusement in the simplest of things. It slightly reminds me of the beginnings of my therapy sessions with Adriaan, before the topics turn sour and depressing and I drown his smile with my sorrow. The laughter gets Adriaan to look over at us again, and I see him stand up from his seat to reluctantly move closer to our table.

“There you are! I wondered how long it would take for you to decide solitude doesn’t suit you when there’s four beautiful ladies to entertain. You learn such amazing things. Did you know Amber doesn’t like sex on the beach?” The look Adriaan gives Lucas could banish demons. “No, really, apparently the cocktail is fine, but the real thing is a no go.”

“Only you could start a conversation with something as personal as preferred intercourse locations,” Adriaan replies with a raised eyebrow. “Do I even want to ask how you got to the topic?”

Buy on Amazon | Bookshop.org

About the Author 

Victoria Liiv is a writer, reader, nature lover and traveller at heart. She has been travelling through magical worlds since a very young age and wants more than anything to share the wonder with everyone else eager to escape from all things mundane. Let it be a magical adventure through slowly darkening Earth or a soul crushing fight for survival and love while the world burns. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of romance.

She self published her debut novel Through Hell & Highwater in 2020 when the pandemics keeping her isolated gave her the reason to follow her dream of becoming an author. She hasn’t looked back since.

Her second novel, Afterworld: Road to Redemption, released September, 2022.

With many more ideas and characters keeping her awake at night this is only the beginning of her writing career.

In her everyday life she found the magic in her partner, who gave her courage to move out of Estonia, the country she was born in, to an equally small but more known The Netherlands.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight: 8 Essential Steps to Inspire Others & Build a Thriving Workforce by Tenia Davis, Ph.D.

The Servant Leadership Advantage

Business Leadership, Company Culture, Inspiration, Leadership Development

Date Published: June 1, 2023

At its core, servant leadership creates an environment where everyone works together toward common goals without sacrificing individual values or freedoms. The focus is on helping people grow through experiences and providing support when necessary to ensure success for individuals and organizations.

A successful servant leadership culture fosters a more effective and compassionate leadership culture in your organization. In "8 Essential Steps to Inspire Others & Build A Thriving Workforce," author and leadership expert Tenia Davis, Ph.D., outlines a proven process for creating better leaders.

This practical guide includes everything leaders need to know to create an environment that encourages employee engagement and drives organizational success. The process includes identifying the right people for leadership roles, providing ongoing training and development opportunities, and helping team members internalize a servant leadership mindset that emphasizes serving others over traditional power dynamics.

In organizations where the leadership team models servant leadership principles, those leaders create an atmosphere where employees feel valued, appreciated, and empowered. Servant leadership done well creates an environment of trust where individuals are more likely to be engaged in their work and motivated to achieve results that benefit everyone involved.

Whether you’re looking for ways to transform your existing team or build one from scratch, this book provides all the tools and information necessary to develop strong leaders who embody servant leadership’s spirit.

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Tenia Davis is an accomplished Human Resources and Recruitment professional with a distinguished record of leadership in executive positions at top-tier organizations such as Harpo Productions (The Oprah Winfrey Show), iManage, Johnson Publishing Company, and Raise. With an exceptional track record of driving operational excellence, Tenia has successfully managed complex practices, standards, and regulations not only for talent acquisition and HR but also for multiple departments of large international corporations while managing day-to-day administration.

As the chief people officer at NORC at the University of Chicago, Tenia is responsible for overseeing NORC’s People and Diversity Racial Equity, Inclusion (DREI) functions. In this role, she brings her extensive experience in change management, organizational development and training, compensation and benefits, workplace planning and recruitment, HRIS, employee and labor relations, and embedding diversity initiatives to lead the organization towards success.

Tenia is a scholar as well as a leader, holding an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago and a Ph.D. from Benedictine University’s Center for Values-Driven Leadership. Her dissertation titled “The Influence of Organizational Culture on the Display of Servant Leadership” is a testament to her exceptional academic credentials. Furthermore, she is a recognized community leader who demonstrates a particular care and interest in mentoring the next generation of leaders and volunteers. Her efforts were acknowledged by the United States Senate as she received Congressional recognition for inspiring the world’s future leaders.

Contact Link

Website: https://www.leadership-wise.com/

Spotlight: Forever Again by Delaney Diamond

(The Cordoba Agency, #5)

Publication date: September 11th 2023

Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Synopsis:

To get a second chance at love, two assassins must survive a criminal enterprise determined to wreak havoc in America’s Paradise.

Alissa Francis is at home on St. Thomas, USVI when Hossam Jalal—her former lover and biggest mistake—arrives unexpectedly. Then a bomb detonates in the middle of the capital, killing a prominent member of the community, setting the island on edge, and propelling Alissa into action.

Hossam initially came to the island to win back Alissa’s affection, but now he joins forces with her to uncover the motive behind the violence. The duo embarks on an investigation that leads them down the twisty path of a local legend and forces them to take the matter of saving the island into their own hands.

Excerpt

On the alert, she moved slowly toward the front of the house, and when the oak door came into view, she pulled up short. A man wearing sunglasses sat on the stairs.

Her heart stopped, and she swallowed the sudden tightness in her throat.

Hossam Jalal.

Since she saw him last, his face had haunted her dreams, and his presence evoked mixed feelings—excitement, regret, anger. He removed the sunglasses and tucked them into the pocket of his guayabera shirt. He looked like a man on vacation—relaxed, refreshed.

“Hello.” His low, raspy voice reverberated through her like an echo.

“What are you doing here?” Alissa asked, in a tone as frigid as an icicle.

“You would not speak to me in Paris, and since then you have not accepted any of my calls or returned my messages.” Despite living in France half his life, his accent leaned closer to his native Morocco.

Alissa squared her shoulders. “For the average person, that would be a hint.”

“I am not very good at taking hints.” He smiled, white teeth contrasting against olive-toned skin. The expression softened his features and annoyed her.

“No kidding,” she muttered, eyeing him warily. “It’s been a year.”

“I had some things to take care of first. Then I checked in with one of our mutual friends, who took pity on me and told me you had returned to St. Thomas a few days ago.”

She knew exactly who told him her business. Had to be Hunter since he and Hossam were friends, and she’d give him a piece of her mind the next time they spoke. She would never divulge to either man how many times she’d been tempted to call Hossam and bridge the divide between them.

Six feet tall with his black curly hair adorably too long, he had a wiry build and bore a striking resemblance to the Dutch actor of Tunisian descent, Marwan Kenzari. His unassuming smile and low-key appearance in light-colored linen clothing were nothing but camouflage. Hossam meant “sharp sword” or “cutting blade” or “sword of justice” in some traditions. Very apt, considering he killed for a living. He specialized in making the deaths look like accidents, but he was also a fighting machine, skilled in Muay Thai and Judo.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly.

Her chest tightened at the words, but she knew for a fact that she did not look beautiful. She smelled like outside—salt, sea, and air—and was therefore in desperate need of a shower. Her braided hair probably looked like a frizzy hot mess, and she wore no makeup.

“You wasted a trip. I’m not talking to you.”

“I can be very persuasive.”

She responded by putting one foot in front of the other to move past him, but his fingers curled around her wrist and brought her footsteps to a halt. His touch bled through her skin and into her bones. She gave her arm a sharp twist to free herself, but he held fast and pushed her against the outer wall in the alcove, crowding her with his imposing height.

He was too close now. She could see the irises of his sharp, dark eyes and smell the alluring scent of black currant and bergamot in the cologne he often wore.

“You know I can get out of this hold if I want to.”

“Go ahead and try,” he said with a soft smile. His fingers tightened fractionally, and they had a stare-off.

Most men were no match for her, but not someone with Hossam’s skill, whose strength and agility meant he could pin and hold her in place, no matter how hard she fought.

“Let me go, Hossam.” She let the hardness in her voice be a warning.

He sobered. “I cannot do that, habibti.”

Alissa stiffened. “Don’t start with that habibti nonsense. I’m not your darling or your beloved,” she said, shoving him off her.

As if to dispute her assertion, his gaze ran over her in an overtly possessive way that made her skin tingle and put her on edge.

“I did not come here to fight.”

“Then why are you here?” Alissa demanded.

His eyes softened. “I came for you.”

Buy on Amazon

About the Author

Delaney Diamond is the USA Today Bestselling Author of black romance and interracial romance in the contemporary romance and romantic suspense genres. She reads romance novels, mysteries, thrillers, and a fair amount of nonfiction. When she’s not busy reading or writing, she’s in the kitchen trying out new recipes, dining at one of her favorite restaurants, or traveling to an interesting locale. To get sneak peeks, notices of sale prices, and find out about new releases, visit her website and join her mailing list. Enjoy free stories on her website at www.delaneydiamond.com.

Connect:

Website: https://delaneydiamond.com/

Mailing list: http://bit.ly/DelDiam

Readers group: https://bit.ly/3sRgyh5

Facebook: facebook.com/delaneydiamond

Twitter: twitter.com/DelaneyDiamond

Pinterest: pinterest.com/delaneydiamond

Podcast: http://podcast.delaneydiamond.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/delaneydiamondbooks/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B004HU9G3G

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight: The Royal Windsor Secret by Christine Wells

Could she be the secret daughter of the Prince of Wales? In this dazzling novel by the author of Sisters of the Resistance, a young woman seeks to discover the truth about her mysterious past. Perfect for readers of Shana Abe, Bryn Turnbull, and Marie Benedict.

Cleo Davenport has heard the whispers: the murmured conversations that end abruptly the second she walks into a room. Told she was an orphan, she knows the rumor—that her father is none other than the Prince of Wales, heir to the British throne. And at her childhood home at Cairo’s Shepheard’s Hotel, where royals, rulers, and the wealthy live, they even called her “The Princess.”

But her life is turned upside down when she turns seventeen. Sent to London under the chaperonage of her very proper aunt, she’s told it’s time to learn manners and make her debut. But Cleo’s life can’t be confined to a ballroom. She longs for independence and a career as a jewelry designer for Cartier, but she cannot move forward until she finds out about her past.

Determined to unlock the truth, Cleo travels from London, back to Cairo, and then Paris, where her investigations take a shocking turn into the world of the Parisian demi-monde, and a high-class courtesan whose scandalous affair with the young Prince of Wales threatened to bring down the British monarchy long before anyone had heard of Wallis Simpson.

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

About the Author

Christine Wells writes historical fiction featuring strong, fascinating women. From early childhood, she drank in her father’s tales about the true stories behind popular nursery rhymes and she has been a keen student of history ever since. She began her first novel while working as a corporate lawyer, and has gone on to write about periods ranging from Georgian England to post World War II France. Christine is passionate about helping other writers learn the craft and business of writing fiction and enjoys mentoring and teaching workshops whenever her schedule permits. She loves dogs, holidays at the beach and hunting for antiques, and lives with her family in Brisbane, Australia.

To keep up with news and special offers, please join Christine’s mailing list: https://tinyurl.com/y4ktw9g2

Christine can also be found on her website: www.christine-wells.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineWellsAuthor

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ChristineWellsAuthor

Twitter: @christinewells0

Instagram: @christinewells_

Spotlight: Heart of Glass by Donna Grant

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Donna Grant returns to the beautiful and mysterious Isle of Skye with a captivating tale of magic, mystery, and unexpected passion.

A desire that won't be denied.

Ferne Crawford is a Seer with unique abilities that set her apart from other Druids. She once ignored her magic with tragic results. So, when she’s bombarded with visions of a great evil that call her to a place she’s been warned never to go, she’s powerless to resist. Her life takes a drastic turn the moment she arrives on Skye and encounters a handsome, valiant stranger. Theo makes her ache for his touch. Their meeting stirs an explosive passion, awakening a yearning that only he can satisfy. However, there’s more than the malice which brought her to the isle that intends her harm.

Detective Inspector Theo Frasier carries the weight of the isle and his people on his shoulders. With more Druid murders and no leads on who’s controlling the killing mist, he’s beginning to feel the strain. The last thing he needs is anything—or anyone—distracting him. But once he meets Ferne, he can’t get her out of his head. Or his heart. She fills his every thought, day and night. His need for her consumes him, pushing everything else aside. But will his love be enough to save them from the growing threat?

Excerpt

Chapter One

After her parents and the London Druids told Ferne relentlessly never to set foot on the Isle of Skye, and that the Druids who called the isle home were not to be trusted, she ignored them all to follow an instinct she continued to question.

The closer she got to Skye, the more her stomach churned. She could turn back. She had yet to reach the isle. Sure, her brother knew where she was going, but Mason would accept if she returned before going farther. Yet she didn’t turn her car around. She kept driving.

The bridge that connected mainland Scotland to the Isle of Skye came into view. There was still time. All she had to do was pull over and turn around to head back to England and Mason. Generations of Druids knew never to come to Skye. It meant immediate banishment by family, though Mason would never do that to her. He supported her. Always. Still, she felt a gnawing uncertainty that made her want to retch.

“Last chance,” she whispered as she came upon the bridge.

Her foot lifted from the accelerator, but she kept driving. Her heart slammed erratically against her ribs when she reached the top of the structure, and then she was on the descent. Before she knew it, her tires rolled onto the Isle of Skye.

She shook so badly she thought she would have to pull off the road, but as quickly as the shaking had begun, it slowed and then stopped altogether when she was on Skye. Ferne’s gaze swept around her, taking in the shops, houses, cars, and people, not to mention the unimaginable beauty everywhere. The navigation system directed her toward the cottage she had rented, but she ignored it and just drove. She wasn’t supposed to be here. Not only because it had been ingrained in her from her earliest memories but because there was a really good chance the Skye Druids would force her out as soon as they learned who she was. Ferne would take whatever time she had to see Skye while she could.

The sun remained hidden behind soft gray clouds that intermittently sputtered drizzle. The sea whitecapped in some coves, while others had smoother water. The mountains rose like stony giants watching over the isle. There were lochs, waterfalls, and a landscape of such rugged splendor that she began to understand why so many tourists frequented the isle. But there was something else, as well. Magic.

Ferne had once heard a London Druid whisper about how a friend of theirs had said they could sense the magic on Skye. She had dismissed the claim as an exaggeration. Now, she knew they hadn’t lied. While she wouldn’t say she actually felt the magic, there was something different in the air. And she wanted to feel more of it.

The only thing missing was her brother. Mason loved their Druid side more than she did. She had shied away from her magic for several years. Not Mason. He went all-in on everything. There were no half-measures for him. He would love it on Skye.

Her intention to drive and take in the beauty of the isle was soon cast aside by her need to get out and experience the majesty for herself. The instant she saw the signage for the Fairy Pools, Ferne turned off the road and headed toward them. It was a main tourist attraction, but she didn’t care.

Her mobile rang as she maneuvered down the lane to the nearly empty car park. She glanced around, searching for the pools. All she saw was a path. The insistent ringing brought her thoughts to a halt. She didn’t need to look to know who called. Only one person ever rang her.

She answered through her car. “Hey, Mason.”

“Is everything all right?” His deep voice held concern. “It took you longer to answer than normal. By my calculations, you should’ve reached Skye. Have they given you problems?”

Ferne maneuvered her Mini into a parking slot. She squashed the irritation that rose at her brother’s overprotectiveness. She was the same with him. They had been that way since they’d lost their parents in a plane crash. “I’m here. The drive was uneventful.”

“Have you gone to the house yet?”

She grinned, shaking her head as she put the car in park. “I haven’t.”

He released a long sigh, and she could well imagine him running his hand down his face as he did when he was restless and agitated. Or worried. “There’s still time for you to come home. No one has to know you’re there.”

“I’m not afraid of them.”

“Ferne,” he said, reminding her of their father when he chided her. Very British, with his voice dripping disappointment.

She closed her eyes to the gorgeous backdrop of the Black Cuillin mountains. “I had the same argument with myself the entire ten-hour drive here. I have to do this.”

“You’re all I have left.”

“And you’re all I have, but that doesn’t mean we should shut ourselves away from the world. Or stop doing what’s right. The Druids on Skye are in danger. If they’re toppled, the rest of the Druids around the world will fall.”

Another sigh. “This is a dangerous thing you’re doing.”

Ferne opened her eyes. “So is what you’re doing.”

“Excuse me?” he said after a slight pause.

“I admit, it took me longer to sort through things because I was preoccupied. If it weren’t so important for me to be here, I would’ve turned around and come home.” She took a deep breath and released it. “Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me you’re not looking into whether Mum and Dad’s accident was more than that.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. Then a soft, “Bloody hell.”

“What you’re doing is much more dangerous, Mas. You should’ve told me.”

“The elders—”

“Can bloody well sod off,” she snapped. Then she pressed her lips together. “They want to control everything and everyone. Neither of us has ever been satisfied with the reports from the plane crash. If the London Druids had anything to do with the accident, then they’ll be watching you.”

“Us.”

She winced at the truth of his words. “They don’t care about me. It’s you they’ve always had their eyes on.”

Mason chuckled, surprising her. “You sound just like Mum.” The smile left his voice. “Just as you have to do what you’re doing, I need to do this. I know what I’m doing. Trust me, Ferne.”

“I do.”

“I’m going to get us answers, and while I hate that you’re on Skye without me to watch your back, it’s better that you’re not here. Not after they kicked you out of London.”

She rolled her eyes. “If they do anything to you, I will burn them to the ground.”

“That’s how I feel about the Skye Druids.”

She grinned. “I almost feel sorry for anyone who comes against us.”

“I don’t,” he replied, no humor in his voice. “It’s what happens when tragedy strikes a family, and all they have is each other.”

Ferne wanted so much to reach out and hug him. “I’ll ring once I’m at the house.”

“Stay in touch as you promised.”

“I’ll be just as worried about you.”

He paused. “Find out all you can about the Druids there. Just…”

“I know,” she replied. “Be careful. The same goes for you.”

She disconnected and turned her attention to the landscape. Her worry for Mason wouldn’t lessen until she returned to the family estate in Derbyshire, but she couldn’t do that until she finished on Skye. But now that she was here, she knew it would be harder to leave than she’d ever anticipated.

Ferne unbuckled her seat belt and stepped out of the car. The air was damp and chilly, made more so by the soft wind. She grabbed her purse and walked around to open the car’s boot. After she’d tucked her keys and mobile into her pockets, she hid her purse and dug out her hiking boots from her suitcase. Once she’d changed shoes, she put on her coat and secured the car. Then, she walked around the vehicle.

“So. This is Skye,” she murmured.

She started across the road to the trail that wound through the land. A path that millions of feet had walked. Like all of Skye, the pools had originally been for the Druids. But there was no stopping change. Now, the Fairy Pools were a popular tourist stop for anyone who visited the isle. Not that Ferne could blame them.

After tripping a couple of times, she had to force herself to look away from the mountains and watch where she stepped. She crossed a small trickle of water that grew wider and deeper the closer she got to the pools. In her excitement, she hadn’t taken the time to look around to see who was about.

As much as she dismissed Mason’s worry, he had a point. Many wouldn’t want her on Skye. Ferne paused next to a boulder that towered over her and took out her mobile. She recorded a video, turning in a slow circle to get everyone in. From what she could tell, only a couple with two young kids was at her back toward the car park. As for the other car besides hers, she guessed it was the lone figure in the distance. She couldn’t make out if it was a male or a female, but she was on guard regardless.

Ferne continued walking. She contemplated getting pictures for Mason, but she couldn’t tear her eyes from the land. With every step, she thought about the generations of Druids who had walked the path, seeking the pools. This was the land of her ancestors, a territory that had beckoned to Druids long, long ago. And she finally understood why.

She also understood why the London Druids were so adamant about no one visiting. The land was stunning, yes, but it was also magical. It felt like home. The magic within her recognized Skye and found contentment here, which meant she was relaxed and comfortable. After years of being twisted with grief, it was like coming out of hibernation. The air was fresher, the wind like a caress upon her skin. Her steps were lighter, her mood brighter.

A few minutes later, she passed the young family. The kids, twin girls, held hands as they walked, singing in what she thought was Swedish. The mother and father gazed adoringly at their children and flashed her a quick smile. Ferne knew how well some could deceive, so she once more pretended to take pictures and watched the family out of the corner of her eye until they were gone.

She reached one of the first waterfalls. She stood for long minutes, simply watching the rush of water as it poured into a waiting, crystal-clear pool. As she climbed higher, the waterfalls became grander, the pools bigger and deeper, and the rocks below larger.

She spotted one that jutted out in the distance and headed there so she could stand over the waterfall and look down the gorge where the water had cut into the rock and land, carving out the pools. A glance around showed she was alone. She looked behind her at the car park and saw only her Mini. She had the pools to herself. She almost broke out in a dance. If Mason were here, he would’ve egged her on. Her father would have, too. Only her mother, laughing all the while, would’ve hurried them along.

Knowing she was alone, Ferne lowered her guard and took her time climbing the path. A smattering of rain came quickly and ended just as rapidly, but even that couldn’t get her to return to her car. When she reached the rock she had seen, she lowered herself onto it, letting her legs dangle over the side. It was quite a considerable distance down.

Ferne leaned back on her hands and considered Rhona, the leader of the Skye Druids. She probably should’ve been Ferne’s first stop, but she would go see Rhona first thing in the morning. It was already late afternoon, and Ferne still needed to get to the house she had rented.

She lifted her face to the sky and closed her eyes. The magic of the isle pulsed here. It was what had initially drawn the Fae when there had been an alliance between the Skye Druids and them. The rumors swirling around the London Druids was that an alliance might be intact once more. However, whether she could believe anything her old group said was something else altogether.

The London Druids had their fingers in a lot of pies. They believed they were more powerful than the Skye Druids, who probably didn’t even know they existed. Every group of Druids around the world compared themselves to Skye. It was hard not to when it was the land on which the Druids had settled in the beginning.

Until her ancestors and countless others had been banished from Skye forever.

Yet here she was, wading into dangerous territory to save the very people who had turned their backs on her relatives. Ferne had tried to reach Kirsi, one of the Druids on Skye, and while she had connected with her through magic, she wasn’t sure if she would go to Rhona as Ferne had urged. There was also a darkness swirling around Skye that prompted Ferne to come herself.

She wasn’t here just to save the Druids on Skye, but all Druids. She would need to convince Rhona of that—however long it took. She wasn’t leaving until she knew the Skye Druids had their enemy in hand. Ferne hadn’t told her brother that she was prepared to fight alongside the Skye Druids to achieve that, but he already knew. Because he would do the same.

Buy on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org