Guardians of Light by Renee Wildes 💕 Series Tour & Gift Card Giveaway 💕 (Fantasy Romance)

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Strength can be drawn from pain…if the heart can heal faster than it bleeds.

Dara Khan Androcles was trained from childhood to be a healer. But as a demon-possessed invader threatens Safehold, and she defends a wounded warrior on the battlefield, her hidden inner dragon thirsts for blood.

When she lifts the warrior’s blond, blood-encrusted hair away from his ear, she discovers he is more than King Hengist’s outlander ally. He is an immortal. The elven heir to the throne of Cymry.

Loren ta Cedric senses something different about flame-haired, falcon-eyed woman who saves him. A healer, wreathed in raw, dark power, who wields knives with deadly skill. A mortal who prays to the Lady, not the human gods. Now he owes this thoroughly distracting female a Life-Debt. Which, in the heat of their flight to Loren’s homeland to raise an army, somehow becomes Life-Mate.

Dragon-human and elf, peasant and prince, logic says they have no future. Yet the power of their unlikely bond could be the only thing that saves their world from a demon poised to tear it apart.

Warning: This new twist on Cinderella contains a grouchy dragon, a sentient war mare with the dry wit of a certain English Dame, and a fiery heroine who strikes serious sparks with a mercenary elf.

As a child, invaders butchered Maleta’s parents and left her ravaged body for dead. Now, reborn as a finely-honed weapon for the Gray Goddess, Maleta has shed the burden of emotions for one goal—regain her homeland for her brother.

Cianan ta Daneal’s mission to the fractured land of Shamar is twofold: to overthrow a despotic queen, and to save a life. For months, he’s been haunted by recurring visions of a beautiful swordswoman slaughtered by a skeleton army. He never expected to lay eyes on that woman and recognize her as his Lifemate—or that she’d turn and run like hell.

Uniting Shamar’s diverse peoples in revolt is easy compared to the delicate task of wooing a woman who flinches from his touch.

Slowly, Maleta dares to hope that her country, what’s left of her family, and her shattered heart are safe in Cianan’s steady hands. But when the cold blade of fate strikes true, can she trust his love is strong enough to pull her back from the Abyss?

Warning: This new twist on Sleeping Beauty contains an assassin nun who knows no fear. Okay, just one fear, but it’s a biggie. And an Elven paladin with the Devil’s own negotiating skills. To coax her heart out of hiding, he’s gonna need every one of them.

Years ago, the pull of the full moon and a powerful curiosity drew Finora into a human fisherman’s bed—a man who stole her selkie skin and took its location to his grave. For seven years, trapped on land, she has searched fruitlessly. Hope fading with every passing year.

Tasked with finding and returning dragons to his mountain homeland in the east, Trystan follows a slim lead westward across an unfamiliar sea. When pirates attack his ship, leaving him with injuries too severe for his werewolf to heal, he comes face to face with the most unexpected of rescuers—Finora, her two, half-human children, and the biggest damned dog he’s ever seen.

Tristan and Finora’s attraction is instant, undeniable, and hopeless. Finora is pulled to the sea, Tristan is tied to the land. But Finora can help him complete his mission, and share one night of searing, heartbreaking passion. And memories only the deepest of betrayals could shatter…

Warning: Contains Celtic legends, seven-year curses, dragons with bad attitudes, imperiled children, a grumpy sea goddess, and wave upon wave of soul-searing pleasure.

Plagued with nightmares of a goblin child tormented by monsters—and with her usual cures having no effect—dream faerie Pryseis journeys to the Shadowlands to heal the child in person even though doing so risks the wrath of the faerie council. And, if she’s away from home too long, her very existence.

Caught and imprisoned by an ungrateful goblin sorcerer, she’s now trapped underground, chained, her despair growing as her time ticks down yet warmed by the memory of a man she has only touched in dreams.

Benilo ta Myran drained his spirit healing powers during the war, but he has no choice. The beautiful faerie in his dreams is in trouble, and not even his worried king and queen can stop him from trying to save her before the darkness snuffs out her light.

Finally they are together—chained side-by-side in a goblin dungeon. Their only hope for escape is to break the law to merge their powers in a ritual so intensely erotic it binds them for life. However short and nightmarish that life might be…

Warning:
Beware beautiful faeries and hot elves appearing in your dreams. They may lead you astray…and steal your heart.

On what should have been Verdeen’s proudest day, she is blocked from advanced warrior training because no war mare chooses to bond with her. Burning with humiliation, she accepts a lesser assignment to the Isle of Ice, serving as bodyguard to human riever, Daq Aryk.
Verdeen’s never paid much attention to men, so focused was she on her training. But she quickly realizes hieing off into a distant wilderness with Aryk is a bad idea. He makes her lose all focus and perspective.
Aryk faces a difficult task: molding six warring clans into a peaceful whole. He’s got nothing against women warriors, but Verdeen is young and inexperienced, her beauty a potentially fatal distraction. She’s a shield-maiden, not a bedmate. But the way she melts at his every touch erodes all his good intentions…and sense.
One kiss unleashes the kind of feverish desire that should occur only once in a lifetime—with a mate. But as their quest takes ever more dangerous twists and turns, their bond could be the one thing that unites a nation. Or make Aryk’s worst nightmare a blood-soaked reality.

Warning:Contains fire and ice, ever-gratuitous sex and violence, sword play and self-play, spying and lying, noble intentions and betrayal. In other words, a rollicking good roll in the proverbial hay.

from A Guardian's Destiny

Verdeen paced through the lush gardens, letting the honey scent of night-blooming moonflowers soothe her. Their waxy ivory petals glowed in the lights. Thank the Lady Goddess everyone remained inside. The splashing of the wishing fountain attracted her, and she emerged into a small clearing lit by pink mage light. She wasn’t the first to venture there.

She froze at the intimidating figure staring into the shadowy ripples of water. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know anyone was here—”

“Don’t go.” Aryk turned from the fountain and held out a sun-bronzed hand. “Stay.”

She eyed his hand, wary of his touch. “Daq Aryk, what are you doing out here?”

“Just Aryk. I longed for quiet.” He raked his hand through his hair. “I felt on display.”

She could relate to both parts of his statement, and unexpected sympathy welled for the stranger. As if of its own volition, her body glided closer to him. His unique, multi-faceted, hazel eyes captured her gaze. Their intensity made her falter. “Why have you come here to Poshnari-Unai, my city?”

“To set my destiny in motion.” His lips quirked at her puzzlement. “Stovak nos briel.”

She cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

“Destiny awaits. Sounds grand and mysterious, hai?” He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “’Tisn’t. I’ve a political problem back home. Cianan believes Loren could help.”

Humans followed the Destiny Hand? “He’s very good at solving most problems.”

Everyone’s but mine.

“Your eyes are red. You’ve been weeping. Why?” He frowned, but she read genuine concern in his eyes. “Today you triumphed over everyone. I’ve never seen aught like it. You were amazing.”

“Really?” She cursed the tremor in her voice, the eager approval-seeking obvious even to herself.

His smile softened the harsh planes of his face and deepened the crinkles around his eyes, making him seem younger and less imposing. “Hai. I’ve seen many a warrior in my lifetime. Believe me when I say you’re gifted, Kyra. Smart, strong, and beautiful. Poetry in motion.”

Something melted within her at the compliment. There was the word again, kyra, his husky tone nigh making it an endearment.

“The one thing I wanted most in this world slipped through my fingers this afternoon. A chance to be selected as a ranger trainee, to further my studies. It didn’t happen.” A tear fell. She froze as he brushed it away.

“There are many paths to greatness. A warrior’s greatest strength is the scope of his vision. You showed vision and judgment today, but take care lest your focus cause you to miss your true path. A warrior must above all be adaptable to change. The one thing that never changes is the fact everything changes.”

He held out his hand again, and she took it. Big mistake. His thick, scarred fingers caressed hers. made her tingle in places not even remotely attached to her hand. She entwined her fingers with his to still them and bit her lip at the zing of awareness as his thumb brushed the sensitive skin of her inner wrist.

“Cease,” she whispered.

“Cease what?” His voice dropped to a smooth, dark seduction of lethal proportions. “This?” His fingers teased hers with long, light strokes. “Or this?” He rubbed gentle circles over her pulse, which hammered at his touch.

She should have extricated herself but didn’t move. Couldn’t move. “This isn’t proper.”

Some rebellious part of her didn’t care.

“Do you always do what’s proper, Kyra?”

“What’s kyra mean?”

“’Tis a term for a woman warrior.”

“We also have such a term, ancient and seldom used. Vertenya. Few exist in our world to carry such a title.”

Per Cianan, there were now but two—Queen Dara and herself.

Aryk slid closer, the heat from his body curling around her. “I answered your question. Now you answer mine.”

What was his question? If only she’d focused on his words instead of on the rich smoky warmth of his voice. Like crème rija pudding with honeyed brandy. Sheer decadence to make her melt.

“Do you always do what’s proper?”

Female in the military? It didn’t get any less proper. Just ask her absent parents. Acourse, holding hands with a royal guest in a moonlit garden wasn’t proper, either. Yet here she stood with her hand in his, close enough for his subtle musky scent to push the fragrance of the flowers from her awareness. All she could think of was how she wanted to move closer yet. Dazed, she shook her head.

Heat flared in his changeable eyes. “They said this is a wishing fountain. If you make a wish and toss in a pebble, your wish comes true.”

“’Tis true. A legend as old as this city itself. There are faeries with the power to grant it, if the wish is personal and comes from the heart.”

Aryk uncurled his free hand, revealed a stone. With a flick, he tossed it over her shoulder. Verdeen heard the splash. “Guess what I wished for.”

“Your destiny would be fulfilled?”

“Stovak nos briel. Nay, what I wished for is more personal and out of my hands.”

“What?”

Their gazes clashed then locked. His eyes narrowed, darkened. “A kiss freely given by you.”

What? Her heart skipped a beat. Why waste the power of a wish on such a frivolous thing?

He must have read the disbelief on her face. “’Tis a rare gift. Tonight in this magical place, all things seem possible.”

They did. They truly did. She should be angry or offended at his outrageous request. She should return to the party. Today had been emotional chaos, leaving her raw, vulnerable in its wake. Tonight, heart ruled mind. She nibbled her lower lip, undecided. Why? Mayhap ’twas the moonlight, the seclusion of the garden setting. Mayhap ’twas his words, the understanding on his face. The heat in his eyes, the warmth of his hand.

Or mayhap Cianan was right. Mayhap the woman tired of the warrior having the say.

Award-winning WI author Renee Wildes grew up reading fantasy authors Terry Brooks & Mercedes Lackey. A Joseph Campbell fan, when she discovered romance novels she was fated to write fantasy romance. A mythology & history buff, from ancient Sparta through the Dark Ages, a Navy brat and a cop's kid, she gravitated to protector/guardian heroes & heroines. She's had horses her whole life, becoming the only vet tech in a family of nurses. It all comes together in her Guardians of Light series for Champagne Book Group and her paranormal title "Marek's New World" for Tirgearr Publishing - fantasy, action, romance, heroics and lots of critters!