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Cover & Excerpt

Cross Keys: Unity by Ally Shields
Elvenrude Trilogy Book Three

A race to the edge of annihilation...

Despite an ongoing rebellion in their Elven homeland, Kam and Seth have scheduled their long-awaited promise ceremony for the night of the Winter Solstice. A deadly explosion in New Orleans has left the fate of criminal Jermon Lormarc uncertain, the rebellion escalates into kidnappings and arson, and the widespread theft of ancient human artifacts forces the Elven king to reveal secrets kept for thousands of years.

When a spirit woman predicts a catastrophic end to Jermon's quest for artifacts, Kam, Seth, and Prince Trystan of Cyrilia set out on a worldwide hunt to stop him. Back in Elvenrude, Kam's sister Esty and Seth's cousin Rhyden, having recently ended their relationship, track the rebels while fighting an attraction that won’t be ignored.

Everything is on the line. No one can hold back. The future…or nothing…awaits…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content/Theme(s): Elves, Fae, Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Paranormal
Release Date: December 25, 2015
Publisher: Etopia Press

Excerpt & More

Purchase link(s): Etopia Amazon ARe iTunes Google

Excerpt:
The port authority guards waved her through the iron gate, and Kam cut down Decatur Street. The smell of food wafting into the narrow streets of the historic French Quarter reminded her it was well-past the dinner hour, and she made one stop before reaching the condo she shared with her mate Seth Lormarc. Once she changed into jeans and combed the tangles from her hair, she sat on the edge of the bed to open the package.

The ornate, silver and emerald clasp was just as beautiful as she'd thought in the elven craftsman's shop. Kam held it against her lips for a soft kiss, then returned it to the box. The emeralds twinkled in the light, and her mouth curved, thinking how spectacular it would look on Seth's dark forest-green, ceremonial cape. It was a perfect engagement gift, since he'd be wearing the cape at their wedding next year.

She crouched and hid the small box under the bed. He'd be home from the guild meeting soon, and she didn't want to ruin the surprise. The Winter Solstice celebration was less than two weeks away. She could keep the clasp a secret until then, couldn't she?

The ding of the house portal sent her scurrying from the bedroom. By the time Seth found her, she was leaning against the kitchen counter with a glass of red wine.

He gave her that slow smile, his green eyes bold with promise. Her heart turned over, as it had every day since they'd met, and, eager for his touch, she set her wine glass on the counter. Kam lifted a hand to run through his black, unruly locks and met his kiss with a hunger of her own.

When he lifted his head, his mouth curved into a grin. "I love finding you here at the end of the day." He smoothed her hair and planted a second kiss on the tip of her nose. "Now if you were only barefoot and pregnant."

"Don't even joke about it." She widened her eyes in mock horror. "My parents are ignoring our cohabitation, but a pregnancy would have my father on our doorstep with a priestess."

"As he should." He looked into her eyes. "Maybe we shouldn't wait."

Her mouth dropped open. "For a child?"

"Well, that wasn't what I had in mind, but why not?" He laughed then. "OK, we should start by announcing the engagement. Why wait for the solstice? Most members of both clans will be pleased."

"That's why we're making the big announcement so public. It's symbolic. Remember? This was your idea. To formalize the end of the Ryndel-Lormarc feud."

He tightened his arms possessively. "I didn't realize how impatient I'd be."

Kam snuggled against the warmth of his chest. So was she. To be bonded to this incredible man was right up there next to waking in his arms. "I bought your gift today."

He chuckled. "And it's a secret. You're trying to tempt me, but for once, I don't want to know. I wouldn't risk giving the fairies an excuse to jinx our future." He picked up her wine glass and took a sip. "Hmm, that's good. Is this dinner?"

"Part of it," she said, taking a second glass from the cabinets. "Since we're eating so late, I used my extraordinary culinary skills and picked up Italian on the way home. It's warming in the oven."

"Terrific. Any luck in Elvenrude?"

She told him what she'd discovered.

"Brunic should be pleased. The rebellion has proven tenacious and elusive, even without my great-uncle there to fuel it."

"The rebels haven't done anything recently except talk and provoke a few minor confrontations, but this might help us keep an eye on them. I'm a little worried Brunic's being so hard core." She opened the oven and grabbed a mitt. "Look out, this is hot."

"He has a point. These same people supported Jermon."

"Some of them did," she corrected.

While they ate, he changed the subject to the new woolen buyer from Japan. "He placed a sizable order of capes and scarves that should keep the guild busy for the next thirty days. I hope to interest him in our gold and silver products too." Seth leaned back in his chair and picked up his wine glass. "What did you do before going to Elvenrude?"

"Acquisitions' business. Two of my spotters transported from Greece to lodge a complaint. Apparently there's a mysterious competitor who's snatched several new finds of carved statuary." She quirked a brow and set down her fork, shoving her empty plate away. "There will always be private and government collectors, and sometimes they get there first. As long as someone's preserving these things, I'm not worrying about it. After all, that's the king's excuse for our museum collection—to preserve those treasures the humans are neglecting before they're unavailable to future generations."

"So all's well, except your spotters lost the recognition that comes with a good find."

"That's about it. I told them to keep track of the near misses, but I'm not sure what we could do if we wanted to. There are some things we just can't fix."

"Which reminds me…" Seth swirled the wine in his glass. "I had a message from Trystan."
~~~~~~
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