Excerpt
I spun, my tail
knocking people across the room to snarl at my father. My wing descended to
protect Evanora. There was no way anyone was taking her, they’d have to go
through me first. I crouched low to pounce. Andreas studied my reaction to the
threat, his eyes widening at all the revelations today.
Evanora squirmed
from under my wing and stood in front of me, her hand on my chest. “I think I
can handle this.” She prowled in front of me like a threatened tigress
protecting her mate.
She snapped her
fingers, and the elders levitated above the stage. Her right arm flung high in
the air, and the emerald guards flew across the room by an invisible wind that
herded them all in the corner beside Ruben.
Several of them
tried to run, but the golden dragons cut off their escape route. A few emerald
guards transformed into their dragons. Ruben leapt on one, his talons tearing
through its protective scales as if they were nothing more than fine silk. His
teeth tore the throat out of another.
A green dragon
launched itself towards Evanora, and I pounced on it. My talons eviscerated it,
his flesh steaming from the toxin Evanora had infused there to fight against
the krakens. I’d never killed another Gaian—until recently I would have
believed it was blasphemy—yet I never gave it a second thought because he had
attacked my mate.
Ruben advanced
on the others with murder in his amber gaze. They had attacked his mate, and I
had no doubt every single emerald guard would suffer the force of his wrath for
their actions. Panicked energy filled the air, and screams followed as more
dragons emerged to try and fly to the doors at the top of the staircase. Some
used their talons to climb the walls.
Ruben didn’t
miss a beat. He rained fire on them, turning them all into heaps of steaming
ash. The ferocious heat permeated the room, and every Gaian took a step back
from the black death dragon.
The smell turned
my stomach, and I tried not to breathe to limit my exposure to it. The cooking
flesh reminded me of a dark fae party where they roasted whole pigs over open
fires. Suddenly, turning vegetarian seemed like a good idea.
“You!” Evanora’s
finger pointed directly at Cyrus. “Are a monster from the depths of hell.” She
took slow deliberate steps towards him.
He swallowed and
furtively looked to the side, taking a few steps back. The coward was searching
for somewhere to escape to. He tried to lift his foot, but he seemed to be
stuck where he stood. Apparently, he could only be brave if he had his women
helpless due to a dragon suppressing collar.
Sensing the
situation was under control, I returned to my human form. Ruben appeared at my
side. He snapped his fingers, and we were both clothed in black.
With each flick
of her wrist, lashes appeared on Cyrus’ body until he fell to his knees, his
clothes in tatters. Evanora rubbed her hands together in a circular motion. His
skin began to melt and peel down his body like a candle under the intensity of
her stare.
“Even as you
forgot them, I remember every one of their names, every terrified young girl
you tried to impregnate with your evil spawn. Cyrus of the green dragons, I
curse you from this day hence. You shall not rest in the afterlife but spend
eternity in the realms of purgatory to experience the pain and suffering you
have caused to others. Their agony will be yours, your body violated with their
rapes, their torment only yours to bear.”
A BOOM shook the
chamber, forming a crack across the ceiling. Wails sounded all around us before
a black shimmering vortex appeared behind Cyrus. Shadow hands grasped his limbs
and dragged him screaming into the darkness.
Stunned silence
filled the room. Ruben’s hand grasped my arm, his eyes wide in alarm at what
we’d just witnessed.
Evanora dusted
her hands off and placed them on her hips. “Now what should I do with the
elders who sanction rape, torture, and murder?”
Fuck that I was
annoyed with her. I’d never seen anything more magnificent than Evanora go on a
murderous spree. Her hair had a life of its own, moving around her as magic
coursed through her. She took beauty into a different league.
I wanted her
more now than ever before. She no longer looked frail and ready to break; her
curves were accentuated in the deep purple gown that hugged every inch of her.
When she released her magic, I swore I could see dark writing under her pale
skin.
Evanora clicked
her fingers, and the elders dropped to the ground, scrambling to get back on
their feet. She chanted words from an ancient language that I didn’t
understand. Energy pulsed towards the stage from the four directions of the
wind, which Evanora summoned.
“Your dragons
are bound inside you, unable to be released until the day you prove yourselves
worthy to be a Gaian once more. You are nothing more than human, trapped in a
realm that you can no longer leave,” she said. Her voice sounded remote and
devoid of emotion.
Magic manifested
in the air in a green mist. It twisted and swirled around the elders, stripping
away their elder marks from their wrists. Evanora stalked through them,
examining every single one of them until she seemed happy that they were bound
by her enchantment.
“Next time you
consider touching my mate, I would think again,” she hissed at them before
strutting down from the stage. I’d never been more turned on in my life from
her display of dominance.
“It’s time to go
home.” Evanora opened a portal, indicating that Ruben and Justus leave through
it.
My eyes met
Andreas’. He nodded to let me know he would take care of everything.
Evanora grabbed
my hand, and the world tilted off its axis for a few seconds before we
re-materialised in my house.
Author Info
CR Robertson is a paranormal romance writer who lives in Ireland, the most magical country in the world. From an early age, she loved faerytales and mythological stories. She delved into the pages to go on an adventure with the characters, sparking a lifelong love of the literary world and story craft.
The Otherworld Chronicles started when the characters evolved in her head, constantly jumping in to tell their story until one day that nagging voice said, “Why not write their faerytale?” The rest resides in the pages of the Otherworld. Her in-depth knowledge of mythology and faerylore weaves the background for the characters in each of her manuscripts.
It may be cliché, but she has a cottage by the sea on the east coast of Ireland. Gardening is one of her favourite pastimes and is evident in her garden that is overflowing with crystals and seasonal flowers for the birds, butterflies, and her favourite bumblebees. Her dogs enjoy the sleepy seaside town and spend their time playing in the sea.
The Book Junkie Reads . . . Interview with CR Robertson . . .
How would you describe your style of writing to someone that has never read your work?
My writing has the underlying themes of mythology/pagan symbology/paranormal with romance threaded through it. There are not just romance stories, the main concept is the underlying concept. In my latest Gaian Otherworld my characters face the krakens who are aiding the pollution of the planet because they want an underwater world. I like to introduce concepts to make people think about real life issues.
What are some of your writing/publishing goals for this year?
This year I plan to write four books, each released three months apart.
Do you feel that writing is an ingrained process or just something that flows naturally for you?
I am not a writer by profession, I am a geneticist that works in forensics. I set myself a goal of 2000 words a day. If I miss it one day, I ensure it is made up over my goal for that week. It allows me to have moments to ponder what I’m writing…
Do you have a character that you have been working on for a long time that still isn't quite ready, but fills you with excitement to work on the story?
Nope, as soon as a character appears, I go with their story unless I’m in the middle of another. I have a male character developing in the back of my mind at the moment, but I’ll live with him and let his character develop until I finish the work in progress.
If you could spend one-week with 5 fictional characters, who would they be?
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy
Sherlock Holmes
Dracula
Ethan Tourmaline (from my Otherworld Chronicles – sorry, I love him…)
Where would you spend one full year, if you could go ANYWhere? What would you do with this time?
Probably South America. I would love to take a year and explore all the temples from the indigenous tribes… and go exploring the Amazon while I’m there…
Can you share you next creative project(s)? If yes, can you give a few details?
I have two books left to write in my dragon series, and then my readers are constantly asking me to write one last book in the Otherworld Chronicles because they are demanding Casper gets a book – they encouraged me write Sage’s book as well!! Then I have a new series that I’m thinking about that will involved magical creatures such as reapers…
