Enveloping Shadows Read online

  Enveloping Shadows

  By Lauren D.M. Smith

  A fierce and beautiful warrior.

  A man of secrets and shadows.

  Only together can they stop the awakening horror.

  Rumors of monsters and dark magic are circulating through the court, but Terrwyn is little concerned. Her superb sword skills are all she needs to protect the princess Aricia—and as chief bodyguard, the princess’s safety is Terrwyn’s only mission.

  Too late, she realizes her mistake: a stranger cloaked in darkness snatches the princess before Terrwyn can react.

  When a handsome stranger emerges from the shadows to save her life, Terrwyn has little choice but to allow him to accompany her. Zelek, shrouded in secrecy and on a mission of his own, has special skills that Terrwyn needs.

  Together the warrior and the shadow-whisperer forge a plan to rescue the princess, and find themselves plummeting not only headlong into evil, but into the depths of passion and love.

  This book is approximately 52,000 words

  Carina Press acknowledges the editorial services of Anne Scott

  One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise! Find out more at CarinaPress.com/RomancePromise.

  Dear Reader,

  I was supposed to write this letter in August. I procrastinated it to September. Because I didn’t want to think about December—holidays, shopping, baking, cleaning, shopping, shopping, cold and snow. I don’t know about you, but just thinking of the business of the holidays makes my chest a little tight with anxiety. And you’re probably reading this right in the middle of all those busy times! So it’s a good thing we have a few escapist reads for you this month, to help give you a respite from some of the stress of the season and take you away on a mental vacation!

  Jade A. Waters brings all the sexiness in her debut erotic romance, The Assignment, first in her Lessons in Control trilogy. After freeing herself from a troubled past, independent Maya Clery explores her wildest sexual fantasies with playful, dominant Dean Sova in a dynamic that challenges her inhibitions—leading her down an intoxicating path of passion, pleasure and true emotional freedom.

  Wattpad author and Harlequin’s 2015 So You Think You Can Write winner, Lauren D.M. Smith, returns to Carina Press with her next fantasy romance. In Enveloping Shadows, monsters, thieves and demons might stand between Terrwyn and the princess she’s sworn her loyalty to, but it’s the mysterious Zel who could be the most dangerous. Make sure you check out The Emperor’s Arrow, the book that won the SYTYCW contest and started Lauren’s publishing journey, available now!

  We have two—yes, two!—exciting releases from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Dane this month. In the Cascadia Wolves series, we follow the Warden siblings as they find their mates. Fall in love with Layla and Sid in Reluctant Mate, and then meet Lex and Nina in Pack Enforcer. Watch for more Cascadia Wolves books in the coming months!

  Adrian is an Alpha, a genetically and computer enhanced assassin who has spent years plotting revenge. The only woman he wants is the daughter of his greatest enemy. With war looming and people’s lives on the line, does he trust Charity, does he f**k her or does he kill her? Alpha’s Revenge by N.J. Walters is a futuristic erotic romance sure to heat up your holidays (and beyond)! Other titles in the Project Alpha trilogy, Embracing Silence and Assassin’s Awakening, are now available for your holiday shopping checkout-line reading!

  If you love the darker side of romance, Devil’s Slave, an American Monsters erotic male/male thriller romance, is going to send your socks up in flames, not just knock them off. To save his niece and help stop a human trafficking ring, former detective Hugh Kincaid offers a rich, dark and scorching hot dominant everything he has—himself. Dark, dirty and a more than a little forbidden, this love affair from debut author Lola Hale has all the hallmarks of what readers loved about Captive Prince, but in a contemporary setting.

  In the third installment of Jade Chandler’s down-and-dirty Jericho Brotherhood motorcycle club series, two hard cases deny the beyond-carnal bond that forms between them...until it’s almost too late. Deny: A Dark, Erotic Motorcycle Club Romance is sure to get all motors revving! Read the other two scorching romances in this series, Enough and Release, now available!

  Don’t forget Shannon Stacey’s Holiday with a Twist holiday novella, which released last month, and we also have a full backlist of holiday titles, if you’re in the mood for some romance with a holiday flair. Visit CarinaPress.com and find reads like All She Wants for Christmas by Jaci Burton, Lone Star by Josh Lanyon, Believe by Lauren Dane, A Christmas Reunion by Susanna Fraser, Breath on Embers by Anne Calhoun and dozens more!

  Whatever your celebration, wherever you are, this season the Carina Press team once again thanks you for your continued love, enthusiasm and support of our books and authors. We hope you’re surrounded by all the things you love this holiday season, and we wish you, as always, a month of reading books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Editorial Director, Carina Press

  Dedication

  Dedicated to my parents, who encouraged me to do what I loved, even when that had my head firmly in the clouds.

  Contents

  Chapter One: Orders

  Chapter Two: The Ball

  Chapter Three: Stolen

  Chapter Four: Gone

  Chapter Five: On Edge

  Chapter Six: Wild Lands

  Chapter Seven: Sleepless

  Chapter Eight: Zelek

  Chapter Nine: Deceptions

  Chapter Ten: Knowing

  Chapter Eleven: Creatures

  Chapter Twelve: Storm

  Chapter Thirteen: Trapped

  Chapter Fourteen: Talk

  Chapter Fifteen: Injured

  Chapter Sixteen: Plans

  Chapter Seventeen: Falling

  Chapter Eighteen: Cold-Blooded

  Chapter Nineteen: Stone

  Chapter Twenty: The Tower

  Chapter Twenty-One: Together

  Chapter Twenty-Two: Splitting

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Demon

  Chapter Twenty-Four: Magic

  Chapter Twenty-Five: The Palace

  Excerpt from The Emperor’s Arrow by Lauren D.M. Smith

  Also by Lauren D.M. Smith

  About the Author

  Chapter One: Orders

  Tightening her grip on her sword, Terrwyn eyed her opponent. The morning sunlight reflected off his mirror-bright breastplate, and she squinted to get a better look. Shemir’s blade was as steady as hers, though even through the glare she could see how shiny his face was. She smiled.

  Shemir stepped back at the sight of her expression, bringing his shield up higher, his sword turned towards her. Terrwyn shifted her lead foot forward and raised her own shield. Only when she felt herself properly centred, with her sword almost an extension of her arm, did she move.

  She raced forward, the dust of hard-packed ground beneath her puffing up every couple of steps. Shemir angled his shield to meet the sideways slash she sent at him. His own blade snicked out to scrape harmlessly across Terrwyn’s shield. But she hadn’t just slanted her shield, she pushed back, t
he block halfway to a blow with the force she put behind it. Shemir’s sword went wide.

  Terrwyn spun to his side, her shield pressed against the arm that held his blade and her sword kissing the side of his neck. Shemir instantly went still, only the sweat that slid down his face moving. Terrwyn held her position for a moment, then stepped away. “As I’ve told you, the full plate will only weigh you down. It’s better than chain, but you can’t move as fast as you can when you wear the leather-plate hybrid. Our job is to move fast to keep Aricia safe, remember?”

  Nodding, Shemir sheathed his sword. “I thought for practice the full plate would be better. I could use it to build up my stamina,” he panted.

  She blinked then smiled. “Good thinking! I’ll suggest it to the others. Though if you keep wearing it, all the polishing in the world won’t keep it parade ready.”

  He flushed and opened his mouth, but a shout from behind interrupted him. They both turned to look. The woman, dressed in the dark grey dress paired with the white apron and cap of the palace staff, had stopped at the grassy edge of the practice ring. She leaned forward against the simple wood fence and called, “Sir Terrwyn! You must come quickly. It’s her highness.”

  Terrwyn sighed and sheathed her own blade. So much for the rest of her practice with the other guards. “You should try another sparring match against one of the others before you call it a day. And remember you’re on the evening shift.”

  He saluted her smartly. “Yes, sir.”

  She waved and walked over to where the maid stood wringing her hands. “What’s she done this time?” Terrwyn asked, hand on hip.

  The woman, curly hair damp from her run through the halls, gulped. “Her highness is tearing her rooms apart! Neither myself nor chief maid Bethia were able to stop her, so—”

  Terrwyn cut her off with a raised arm. “I got it. I’m coming.” Using a hand on the top of the rough wooden fence, she vaulted over it. Her muscles protested faintly, especially after the two sparring matches she’d already done, but she ignored them. Pushing her body’s limits was how she improved, and the older Aricia got, the more capable her bodyguards needed to be. Especially with her pretty face and single state.

  Through the nearest door they went, into the main building of the palace. In the dim light of the narrow hallway, Terrwyn was forced to rely on her memory of the maze of rooms and halls until her eyes adjusted. The tan stone blocks that made up the palace were bare here, only the public rooms covered in elaborate tapestries and paintings. Terrwyn preferred the back areas. The public ones were always full of courtiers and other folk who would want something of her and, by extension, of Aricia. Court posturing gave her a headache.

  The maid hurried along, and Terrwyn was forced into a fast walk, scanning the area as they went. As always, she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Only more of the palace staff going about their duties with scarcely a glance in their direction. The servants flowed in every direction, all of them moving with purpose.

  Terrwyn nodded, glad to see everything as it should be. The sweat on her back dried and began to itch. Her smile faded and Terrwyn made a face. She hoped Aricia didn’t keep her busy too long, since late morning was one of the times when the palace baths were at their fullest.

  They made it to the nearest staircase and headed up. The narrow, turning stairway was steep and made Terrwyn hope none of the other guards ever had to run up it in full-plate armour. She could imagine what would happen if someone were to fall. She winced. The maid heard her and looked over her shoulder. “It hasn’t been all too long, my lady. Her highness won’t have caused too much damage.”

  Terrwyn sighed and didn’t bother correcting the woman. “I’m sure she hasn’t, but it’s getting her to stop that might be the issue. Aricia doesn’t always, or even often, listen to me. Also, I’m a knight so you needn’t call me ‘my lady.’”

  “As you wish, sir. But, between you and Bethia, her highness will stop. She has the utmost respect for both of you.”

  Terrwyn resisted the urge to snort. The maid was obviously new to working for the princess. “I’m sure we’ll find some way to distract her.”

  They reached the top of the stairs then, taking the first door on the right. They emerged into the hallway that housed many of the nobles. The walls here were lined with gilded lanterns instead of the plain candles of the servants’ area, and featured many of the paintings that didn’t fit in the Royal Gallery. Terrwyn didn’t spare them a glance, striding down the hall towards the closed and guarded doors just visible from where they were.

  The palace guards were forced to wear full plate at all times when on duty, something that always made Terrwyn feel bad for them. She had her own suit of armour, but rarely wore it, preferring the extra speed she got from her lighter leather and metal hybrid. The pair on duty stood to either side of the double doors, their halberds planted against the stone of the floor.

  As she approached, they both gave her half salutes, which she returned. The narrow slits in their helms gave her no idea who was inside, but it hardly mattered. All the palace guards knew her on sight. Some from sparring with her and her people, some from seeing her during formal events, and the pitiful some who’d been forced to call her to handle one of the princess’s escapades.

  The maid now trailing behind Terrwyn, she hurried her pace towards the second door on her left. Its thick wood and metal could only partially muffle the sounds of raised voices coming from the other side. With a sigh, Terrwyn opened the door and walked into chaos.

  Aricia’s usually immaculate rooms looked as if a whirlwind had gone through. The antique ebony and blue velvet furniture, kept lovingly polished, was barely visible under the piles of fabrics that had taken over the sitting room. Everywhere Terrwyn looked, there were dresses.

  She saw two maids in one of the corners, staring at the open doorway as another gown came flying out. This dress landed on the imported floral rug covering much of the stone floor. Eyebrows up, Terrwyn strode over to the door and poked her head inside.

  Like the first room, this one was populated by ebony furniture, highly carved and older than all Aricia’s maids put together. But unlike the sitting room, the furnishings here were free of fabric guests. Terrwyn glanced around for the source of the flying clothes. The first person she saw was Bethia. The head of Aricia’s maids stood with her gaze narrowed, her lips pulled down. She caught sight of Terrwyn and rolled her eyes, jerking her chin towards the open closet.

  Terrwyn grimaced and walked over. She rapped her knuckles against the side of the closet’s door, her attention on the figure bent over inside. “Aricia, what are you doing?”

  The blond head popped up, and she was treated to the smile that had helped spread tales of their princess’s fair face. “Terrwyn! This is perfect! You are the person I most wanted to see.”

  The knight shook her head. “Want to explain why you decided to redecorate with your gowns?”

  Aricia waved a hand dismissively. “I am doing nothing of the sort. I am simply searching for the right dress for the masque ball tonight.”

  Terrwyn’s eyebrows disappeared back under her bangs. “You already have a dress.” She nodded at where the dress figure stood in the corner. Done in silvers and white and paired with a moon mask, it had taken the seamstresses nearly a month to put together. “Please tell me you haven’t changed your mind about it.”

  The princess rolled her eyes in an uncanny imitation of Bethia. “It’s not for me. I am looking for a gown suitable for you.”

  “No. Oh no, I’ll be working on keeping you safe. How can I do that if I’m wearing something I can’t fight in?”

  Propping her hands onto her hips, Aricia glowered. “It’s a masque ball. No one knows what I will be dressed as, so the danger to my person is relatively low. I will not have you use your work as another excuse to avoid your duty as a lady and a woman. You
will attend the ball, in a gown and without your sword and shield, and you will dance with young men. You cannot spend your whole life focused only on guarding me.”

  “I don’t, but your safety has to be my first priority. I am your chief bodyguard. If anything were to happen to you, I’d be held responsible. So, you have my apologies, but I will go to the ball as myself.”

  The princess’s chin rose, and her eyes glittered dangerously as she looked at Terrwyn. “No, you will not. You are sworn to me, and as such, I order you to attend the masque in a gown and without obvious arms.” She tossed her head. Her lips quirked up slightly as she continued. “You may hide as many weapons upon yourself as long as they won’t be discovered. And that includes if a suitor were to touch you or dance with you.”

  Terrwyn pinched the bridge of her nose. She couldn’t disobey the order without going against her oaths, as Aricia damn well knew. “As you wish, Your Highness.”

  Aricia wrinkled her nose. “You’re not going to start your-highnessing me, are you? You’re one of the few people who I don’t have to endure it from. Besides,” she said, smiling, “I am certain to find a gown even you will love. My thought is something in a deep blue, since it pairs so well with your dark hair and complexion...”

  The princess trailed off, gaze unfocused, then she suddenly clapped her hands. “Aha! I know of the exact dress.” She whirled and went deeper into the closet, flipping through the endless racks of clothing acquired by the royal family for centuries.

  Wishing she could go back to her practice, Terrwyn watched Aricia snatch something off the rack and come running back with it. She held it high and watched Terrwyn expectantly. The overgown, more of a floor-length jacket that laced at the bust and covered everything besides the triangular sections at the front, was black shot through with silver. Underneath was a deep-blue material patterned in diamonds of nearly the same colour so it was barely visible. The long, draping sleeves of the overgown were lined with the same blue material.