“I'm not going. I do have a choice babe, you see I know that you’re desperate to collect souls for your mission and whatnot, but I’m fighting for my life here.” Arsinoe was beyond shocked. Refusing a chance for glory in Valhalla was another matter altogether, but now for the love of Odin did he know that she was missing her horn! "Look, you're beautiful babe, but it's just not going to work. At least not until I get my body back." Hale shrugged, carefully observing the woman before him, looking for signs that she was angry, or impatient or even amused, but she gave nothing away. "You cannot leave.” Her voice reverberated in command again. Hot, Hale thought, letting his imaginations run wild. Hmm, that voice in bed..., whispering in his ear, telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. He broke out from his reverie when he felt her grasp—firm and restrained—on his wrist. "Hey." He tried to pull back without success. Damn, the woman was strong. “I am not dead. If you would let me get back to my body I'll be perfectly fine." He tugged again. "Now that," she said in an unhurried voice, the sound filling the air around him, entering his ear in a gentle caress, "is something I can't allow. Stop fighting destiny Hale Caradoc.” ********************* As an Incubus, Hale Caradoc has had centuries to make a name for himself as one to 'make love not war'. But with growing unrest in the underworld, Hale is forced to take a stand and leave the luxury of his extravagant life for the battle of Nark. Arsinoe Rowan Asger has spent millennia collecting warriors for Valhalla, her sole purpose was to serve as the most devout Valkyrie. But when her new ward tries to run off on her watch, it is more than just a question of duty. This time, pride is on the line and something far greater... Lana_sky Para-nor-mance Contest Entry Character Pairing: Hale and Arsinoe Challenge Element: Good/ Seer - Devony Word Count: 8750

The end of the world has passed. Ragnarök left the world a harsh wasteland, but not all hope is lost. - A short story for the second Fantasy Smackdown.

Complete at 75,000 words. One incident is all it takes to change your life. For Sophie it happened the day the fox attacked her. When Sophie moves to university, she is finally happy; reunited with her best friend and spending time doing the one thing she loves, art. Life’s perfect. Or is it? In Fosswell, nothing is as it seems. People are dying, secrets are big, and danger hides in every shadow. Sophie’s changing too; could it be anything to do with a recent fox bite? And why does she find a creepy, old house and the boy who lives there so compelling? All becomes clear when she falls under the spell of the seductive Sebastian and learns his family’s secret. Book One in the Foxblood trilogy.

Prince John's biggest fear? Becoming King, and everything to do with it, from the sheltered life, to someday having to get married. Celia, a lady knight, minus the 'Lady' if she can help it, is not looking forward to coming of age and attending the High Ball which she thinks is nothing more than a market for single girls. The two have hated each other since childhood, but when the stress gets to John and he does something drastic, Celia's the only one who can help.

“Has that ‘curl up with hot chocolate and read’ feel to it.” ~*~*~ Monica doesn't believe in life after death. Obligations, certainly. But, after her husband's death, there hasn’t been much ‘life’ to speak of. Just her kids, her farm, and the man who rents it to run his business, Marshal. She decides to change that. It won’t be like it was the first time. Nothing could be like it was with Jason. But she didn’t quite anticipate how different the dating world had become. The more she learns, the more panicked she becomes until she literally runs from her first date . . . and directly to Marshal. She was just looking for someone to ease the loneliness. What she found was a friend she’d already learned to lean on. But can Monica let go of her picture-perfect memories and embrace a new dream? With a new man?

I am his salvation. I'm just like any other human being who doesn't want attention. Though that's already impossible with my weird eyes which others find fascinating and I deem annoying. My life is perfectly normal. Well, that's before I'm abducted by a group of salivating monsters with red eyes and rather long canines. They are led by a man who looks as beautiful as an angel, but as hot and sexy as a devil. If he isn't frowning, which he always is. He needs me for the sake of his kind and most especially, for the safety of humanity. He claims he will protect me until I fulfill my part. I doubt him, though, since he's given me nothing but greedy stares...

Book Two in the A Pirate's Kiss Trilogy (Original Title - A Pirate's Kiss: Sunken Treasures) Circe is back and she is up in the air. Literally. She is a guest at the Royal Air Temples and with Nathaniel back by her side, she suddenly feels as though she can take on the world. But the world might be slightly bigger than Circe has expected. What is she to make of the Queen of the Air, who seems to hold all the answers to Circe's questions in the palm of her hand, both those she has asked, and those which she is still to ask? And what of Prince Zalas, the white eyed boy who radiates an untamed and mysterious power from every pore? Meanwhile the dark and dangerous Obsidian Bones waits for her just outside the Kingdom walls with perhaps the biggest secret of them all ... Everything has changed from that fateful day that Circe was snatched in the night. Her questions begin to outweigh the answers she is receiving and when a shocking truth is revealed, will her priorities change in order to protect the one that she loves most? Or will she find the strength to let him go?

"The girl is mine" he all but growled, motioning with a tilt of his head towards me. In that moment I knew exactly who he was and what he was talking about. I paled at the realization as my throat went dry and my heart slammed against my chest repeatedly. "Oh my god" I whispered, covering my mouth as I backed away from the two guys in front of me. I was his tether. "The hell she is" Fevah fired back, still not getting it. He was ignored by the stranger as I seemed to have claimed his full attention. He smiled sweetly at me, taking small steps towards me, trying not to frighten me. "It's alright sweetheart, I could never hurt you" he called, his voice soft and melodious. I froze, fear freezing me in my spot as the wind seemed to suddenly pick up and toss my light brown hair in my face. Tears sprang up to my eyes. I didn't want this. I didn't want him. This was the one thing I would never want. My parents would disown me if they found out. I would get kicked out and be left for dead. I can't let them find out; I'll just have to find a way to get rid of him. I knew that wasn't going to be easy. "You've got to be shitting me" Fevah suddenly said, his eyes going from the stranger then back to me. Realization had finally hit him. I was a freaking monsters...or what ever he was, tether. He swallowed loudly before scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "She's my tether" the stranger said offhandedly, his voice soft as he eyed me approvingly.

After a mysterious stranger turns Alice Eleanor into an Immortale, saving her from committing suicide, she finds herself with no memory of her human life and is haunted by the presence of death. Caught up in a life of mysteries and secrets, Alice meets various individuals in the Realm of the Immortales who, with great effort, tries to solve the many dilemmas they find themselves amid. Love triangles and forgotten friendships implode, and Alice makes every effort to escape her destiny of dying. ______________________________________ “I want to live,” she whispered, closing her eyes and surrendering herself to the perfect blue waters and the strange man’s soothing touch. “Forever?” he asked. A trickle of light broke through the blackness of his infinite eyes. Alice let out a sigh and whispered, “yes”. The man brought his mouth to her neck and first kissed it tenderly. “Would you live with me, forever?” ______________________________________ ~♥~Vampire / Mystery / Thriller~♥~

"We're all looking for the same things in the end." She thinks people are mundane. He thinks people are fascinating. Somehow, they fall in love.