Page 1 of Immortal Burden

1

~Mia~

Self-serving. Arrogant. Playboy.

I took another quick peek inside the Great Hall at the cringeworthy sight of the stalled ceremony. With a grunt of frustration, I pushed off the wall, the rapid-fire clack of my Manolo Blahniks echoing down the corridor as I hurried to the heavy oak entrance doors.

Again.

I brushed past the open doors, ready to step out into the courtyard and remedy the situation with force. Magical force.

Instead, I was shocked to a halt on the top step when a sudden wave of heat rolled through me.

I choked from the intensity.

A pins and needles sensation that was all too familiar assaulted me.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, a shudder of awareness wracked my body.

Of course. It was ridiculously typical. Waiting until I was at the end of my rope to finally show up.

“Ass,” I hissed through my teeth.

“Invoking my pet name, I see.”

I turned at the sound of his alluring rasp of a voice to see him striding up the walkway toward me.

Ryker Morgan, professional playboy.

He was playing that up in an obvious way. Not only with his overconfident swagger, or his three stumbles in the mere twenty feet he’d walked so far that indicated he was intoxicated. No. It was the little blonde hanging off his shoulder, her tiny hands squeezing his flexed bicep. Her slight frame and her pointed ears confirmed what I’d assumed, given where he’d been for the last few months. She was Fae.

He stopped his approach to plant a sloppy kiss on her.

She squealed with delight and grasped the sides of his face, eager for more.

“Ryker!” I snapped.

The girl jerked back and eyed me.

I called just enough of my magic forth to make a definitive point, knowing my eyes were glowing with a warning of my true power.

Being of a magic-wielding species also, I knew the faery would understand the significance of the threat I was posing.

Sure enough, her eyes widened, a strained gasp escaping her.

Ryker pressed his hand to the small of her back. “Go on inside, Ella. I’ll be along shortly.”

She hurried away, tugging nervously at the hem of her golden mini-dress as she went.

I cocked my hip, slapping my hand to it for effect as I eyed Ryker. “Really?”

“You didn’t need to be so heavy-handed.”

“You’re over an hour late.”

“I was off-realm.”

I rolled my eyes. He knew that was a pitiful excuse. I couldn’t believe he was actually trying to use it.

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