Title: Ianthe
Series: Fae Realm Series #1
Author: Cathlin Shahriary
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: October 31, 2015
As she strolled across the clearing, her eyes adjusted to the moonlight and her ears took in the sounds of the forest at night. Noisy insects created harmonies of their own music. A slight breeze rustled the leaves of the trees as her feet swished through the grass. She looked down frequently to make sure she didn't trip and hurt herself. She glanced up as she closed the distance to the oak but didn’t see her mysterious man. Disappointment burned in her throat like acid and she mentally kicked herself for being so stupid as to think he could possibly be real. She paused debating whether to continue on toward the oak or go back to the house and wallow in self-pity. In that moment the hairs on the back of her neck prickled, and her arms broke out in goose bumps. She could feel someone watching her from the woods. She took a few steps closer toward the old oak and softly called out, "Hello?"
"You came," his voice responded from the darkness, making her skin tingle. She snapped her elastic against her wrist, so wanting this moment to be real.
He appeared from amongst the shadows of the forest next to the tall oak. He was exactly as she pictured him in her dreams. His dark shoulder length hair was tied back into a loose ponytail. He was even wearing the same outfit—boots, leather pants, and a tight fitting shirt that showed off his muscles impeccably. He emanated danger, but somehow Lola was only soothed by his presence. She yearned to get closer and took a few more steps toward the tall oak. This time she could clearly see that his ears were indeed pointed. She followed the contours of his chiseled jaw and pointed nose toward his eyes that seemed to glow the green of newborn grass in spring. Her breath caught. Being up close to him literally took her breath away. She had never seen a man so gorgeous before. All those guys she thought were hot before couldn't hold a candle to him. She snapped her elastic more forcibly against her wrist, the pain ensuring that she indeed was awake and was not dreaming up the magnificent specimen standing in front of her. He glanced down toward her wrist as his lips tugged down into a scowl.
"Why do you hurt yourself?" He asked.
Lola opened her mouth, but no sound came out. It was suddenly dry. She closed her mouth and licked her lips hoping to make her voice work this time. His eyes tracked her every movement and seemed to darken when they settled on her glistening lips. "I, um, wanted to make sure you were real," she whispered. Wow, Lola, way to sound like an idiot. "I'm sorry. You… um… you just look exactly as I had imagined… as if I have dreamed you up," she quickly added. Oh, great, now you sound like the creepy stalker, Lola thought cringing inwardly. "The rubber band, um, helps me know what's real and focus in on the moment at hand." Whew. There, maybe that would be an acceptable answer.
His frown didn't ease, but he reached out and gently stroked her wrist where her elastic had left a red mark. "I don't like it," he stated simply. Lola just stared at his face, savoring the trail of heat that his thumb left with every pass over her wrist.
After a few moments she seemed to shake herself out of her hormone-induced stupor and yanked her hand out of his. She took a step back. "Okay, Spock, enough with the touchy feely. Who are you and why are you hanging out outside of my window?"
"Who is Spock?" He asked scrunching his eyebrows in confusion.
"You know, Spock... from Star Trek," Lola replied. She could tell he wasn't getting it as his brows still furrowed. "The one with the pointed ears," she held up her hand moving middle and pointer finger together as well as her ring finger and pinky. "You know, the ‘live long and prosper’ thing." He still looked confused, but Lola was at a loss for how to explain the connection further. "Okay... well you still didn't answer my questions."
"I am Conall," he replied, extending his hand for her to take. The instant she touched his skin again it was like she was drunk on his touch. She leaned forward and closed her eyes to the sensation. A sense of calm and rightness filled her bones as she took a deep breath. It came out as a breathy sigh. She felt a tug and realized that this time she was the creeper holding on too long. He removed his hand from her grasp and she instantly missed his touch.
Cathlin Shahriary lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, surrounded by cats (two of which she calls her own) and a 75 pound pitbull puppy named Erwin. By day she is an elementary teacher, creating future book nerds and writers. By night (weekends and summer) she is an avid reader, fan girl, author stalker, cat foster, and writer.She hopes that this book will be the first of many. You can follow Cathlin on Instagram and Twitter @cshahriary. If you wish to discuss all things Winchester/Supernatural, or see what she is fangirling over most recently, you can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authorcshahriary .
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