Broken Tether
PRAISE FOR JESSICA WAYNE’S FANTASY NOVELS
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A TETHERED DUET
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“Gets you all in your feel goods.”
-BlueEyedCtryGirl (Amazon Reviewer)
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“To me, “home” is a sense of belonging and being in your place in the world. It isn’t just the house and neighborhood you live in -- it is also the people in your life. Throughout the story, these characters found their home, took care of it, returned home, and fought for home”
-Deb’s hooked on books (Amazon Reviewer)
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COLLATERAL DAMAGE
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“Oh, what a ride! The author did a brilliant job with a first scene, getting us emotionally involved in Timothy's backstory.”
-Jamie (Amazon Reviewer)
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“A hard to put down story of magic, revenge and love.”
-NanaPat (Amazon Reviewer)
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WARRIOR OF MAGICK
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“High fantasy at its best, Jessica Wayne effortlessly paints an epic picture filled with tense romance, rich friendships, and an explosive plot. Read now or regret it!”
-Kelly St. Clare, USA Today Bestselling Author
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“This book starts off with a bang and just keeps on rolling--right to an awesome end that leaves you hanging by your fingertips!”
-Deb B (Amazon Reviewer)
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THE PROPHECY SERIES
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“Anastasia and Dakota take you on emotional read of love, loss, action, adventure and sometimes heartbreak.”
-Cynthia (Amazon Reviewer)
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“It will hit you in all the feels!”
-Rose (Amazon Reviewer)
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“This book is filled with action, fight for power, and a love that can beat all odds.”
-Bri-Anna J. (Amazon Reviewer)
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“A fantastic next-in-series…”
-Bella (Amazon Reviewer)
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“This story is full of action, magic, suspense and so many emotions to have your heart beating a mile a minute.”
-Bibliophile Babes Book Blog
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“Want to see a heroine kick some booty? Read the Phoenix series in full, and MAKE SURE you finish with the Sorceress.”
-Amazon Reviewer
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“…action packed from beginning to end.”
-Amanda (Amazon Reviewer)
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“ Jessica has such a creative mind and she always does an amazing job putting that creativity into her writing.”
-Heather (Amazon Reviewer)
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“This book was jam-packed with action and suspense! It was such a terrific ending to an amazing series! I highly recommend reading this entire series! If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would!”
-Heather (Amazon Reviewer)
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“Amazing read with lots of twist and turns and everything will be revealed for an awesome ending that you won't want to miss!”
-Cynthia (Amazon Reviewer)
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VISIONS OF DEATH
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“Fast paced action packed story. With complex characters and descriptive world building that allows the reader to easily visualize the story taking place this was a story that I found hard to put down.”
-Michelle (Amazon Reviewer)
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“ This is a fast paced paranormal romance with suspense on the side. I can not wait for the next book.”
-Tiffany (Amazon Reviewer)
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VISIONS OF VENGEANCE
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“These books cover almost every facet of reading, it’s a romance, it’s a fantasy, it’s sci-fi, it’s fun.”
-Linda (Amazon Reviewer)
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“Meg Anne and Jessica Wayne managed to achieve perfection.”
-Atlanta (Amazon Reviewer)
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VISIONS OF TRIUMPH
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“ There was a lot of mystery and suspense, twists and turns, and tears of pain and joy, which kept me glued to my kindle.”
-Polly (Amazon Reviewer)
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“I was completely blown away by this series and this ending was well worth the wait!”
-Palegarreta (Amazon Reveiwer)
Broken Tether
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by Jessica Wayne
Copyright © 2017. All rights reserved.
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, businesses and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or actual events is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Edited by Claudette Cruz of The Editing Sweetheart
Cover Design by Fiona Jayde Media
Contents
Foreword
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Also By Jessica Wayne
About the Author
Contemporary Romance by J.W. Ashley
For my amazing husband, who I know would wait though the centuries for me. I couldn’t ask for a more supportive partner to spend my life with. Love you, babe.
WARNING: This book is going to pull at your heartstrings. It will rip you apart as you watch the trials and triumphs the characters go through.
Chapter 1
Ireland 1798
Eight-year-old Aine stared wide-eyed at the large house looming before her. It must have a hundred rooms! she thought to herself as she studied the rows of windows on the ivy-covered walls. The brick house seemed like a mansion to the little girl who was used to the single room she shared with her parents.
She covered her mouth to stifle an excited giggle. She felt like she was in her own fairy tale! Aine couldn’t believe she was going to live here!
A large front door with equally large windows on either side opened, and a man and woman stepped out with two children.
“That is the O’Brian family,” her mother, Kyla, whispered to her. Aine looked up at her. She had always thought her mother was beautiful enough to be a queen. Aine smiled and was glad her mother finally got the chance to live in such a beautiful house.
“You will be respectful, Aine,” Darcy MacBradaigh warned his daughter. “We are guests of theirs.”
“Yes, sir.” She bowed her head lightly and quickly looked away. Her father’s eyes always frightened her. She couldn’t remember a time he had looked on her with kindness. She knew he worked hard to provide for them, and he had never hurt her, but just once she wished he would smile at her. She looked back at the family that stood before her.
The young girl wore a beautiful pale blue gown that made Aine wish she’d worn something more than the torn and faded dress that barely fell to her knees. Her dark hair was braided neatly down her back in a way that mimicked how Aine wore her own. The girl’s blue eyes shone bright, and Aine thought she looked kind. They appeared to be the same age, and Aine wondered if the girl might want to be friends. She had never had a friend before.
The woman who stood between the two children had the same dark hair as her daughter, but her eyes were green. The gown she wore was fit for a queen, crimson with a long, flowing skirt. She smiled warmly at Aine, and after offering a quick smile back, Aine looked down at the ground. Her father had always told her that she was not supposed to make eye contact with adults, that it was rude and she would be punished if she did.
“Master O’Brian, ’tis a pleasure to be of service to ye.” Darcy bowed.
“We are grateful to have ye here.” The man held out his hand to her mother. “I am Hue O’Brian, and this is my lovely wife, Fiona, and our children Aengus and Myria.”
For the first time, Aine looked at the man. He had dark hair as well just like his wife and daughter, and his eyes the same deep blue as the girl. He smiled warmly at her as well, and Aine smiled back before quickly looking down once more.
When her eyes lifted again and landed on the boy who stood next to his father, she blushed. He was handsome, his hair combed neatly, and the tan tunic he wore was banded around his waist. His eyes and hair matched his sister’s, and Aine thought he must be a few years older than her.
“’Tis nice to meet you.” Myria held her hand out, and Aine took it gently.
“Nice to meet you as well.” She bowed, and Myria laughed.
“No need for that, we are the same age!” She nudged her brother. “Say hello, A
engus.”
“’Tis lovely to meet you, lass.”
“’Tis lovely to meet you as well,” Aine said softly, and then shrank back to her mother. Kyla smiled knowingly and patted Aine’s head.
“Come on inside and we will show you to your room.” Fiona gestured, and they followed her inside.
The inside of the house was just as impressive as the outside. Aine couldn’t help but stare as she followed her mother. Fire danced in the large hearth, casting an orange glow over the tapestries that hung on stone walls.
Aine thought back to the house they had just left. The floor had been made of rickety wood rather than the stone that she stood on now. The walls had held no tapestries, and light had shone through the cracks between the rotting boards. The hearth had been but a small hole that she couldn’t even have fit in.
“I am so excited to have a girl my own age to play with,” Myria said to her as they walked. “We can be friends, can’t we?”
Aine nodded and hid the smile that bloomed on her face. She was beyond excited, but she couldn’t imagine why this girl would want to be friends with her. Any other child would have turned their nose up at her poor appearance.
“Who is that?” Myria pointed to the small doll Aine clutched in her arm.
“It’s Cara. My mother made her for me.” Aine clutched her closer. The children in the village had made fun of the doll. They laughed and said she was anything but beautiful, and at one point had even ripped her from Aine’s arms and rubbed her in the dirt.
“She’s lovely.” Myria smiled and looked back ahead. “Maybe once you are settled, you would like to see my room.”
“All right.”
“Aine, come now,” her mother called for her and Aine rushed towards her. They had climbed the stairs to the top of the house, and Fiona pushed open a door that led into one large room that was divided by a wall that spanned only half of the space.
“We set this side up for you and your husband,” Fiona gestured to the side that held a large bed and chest of drawers, “and this side is yours, Aine.” She smiled and led Aine to the other side of the wall.
Aine’s eyes widened. A bed sat against the opposite side and was covered in the most beautiful blanket she had ever seen. She strolled and ran her fingers over the stitching. Bright colors and Celtic knots adorned the thick quilt. I will certainly not shiver at night when I am covered with this!
“’Tis beautiful,” she whispered and gently touched the pillow. She had never had a pillow before, let alone a bed of her own. She had always just slept on the floor with a single blanket.
“The children brought up some toys they thought you might like.” Fiona gestured to a box in the corner.
“Come see!” Myria gripped her hand and pulled her to it.
When she lifted the lid, Aine’s eyes filled with tears. Inside were beautiful hand-carved wooden toys. She lifted a horse out and stared into its defiant eyes.
“Don’t cry!” Myria wrapped her arm around her.
“Aine, wipe those tears away and show your gratitude,” her father scolded her, and Aine did as she was told.
“Thank you very much for these wonderful gifts,” she said and lowered her head.
For the first time since he greeted her, Aengus walked over and gently lifted her chin.
“You are most welcome, lass. I know you are only crying because you are grateful.”
His words shocked her, and she quickly looked to her father, who was doing his best to hide his irritation at the boy. Darcy MacBradaigh did not appreciate being corrected, ever.
“Perhaps you would like to go and see Myria’s room now?” Fiona asked, and looked to Darcy and Kyla. “If that would be all right with you both?”
“Yes, of course.” Kyla smiled. “Run along, honey.”
Aine beamed at her. “Thank you, Momma.”
Chapter 2
Four years later
Aine smiled as she wandered through the village with her mother. The sights and sounds were so unlike the small town they had lived in before. Here, everyone seemed so happy to see each other, and women even stopped to talk to her mother from time to time. Four years later and she still enjoyed every trip to see her mother’s friends.
“How are your studies with Lady O’Brian?”
“Wonderful! She taught me to read! She told me that it is important for everyone to know how to.”
Aine was too young to hear the sadness in her mother’s voice. “Aye, I think it is wonderful she is teaching you.” She squeezed her hand. “I need to run in here for a moment, will you be all right waiting?”
“Yes, Momma.” Aine smiled and pulled the thin book out from her satchel. She took a seat next to the door and set about reading the story Lady O’Brian had given her.
“Well, look who it is.”
Aine looked up to see one of the boys Aengus played with sometimes.
“Hello, Bartley, how are you?” She smiled warmly, and he scoffed at her.
“Better than the brat daughter of a maid, I suppose.”
Aine’s face flushed. “I doubt that’s true,” she whispered.
“What did you say?”
“I said that I doubt that’s true.” Aine stood when he stepped closer. She pressed her back against the wall and did her best not to show him the fear she felt.
Bartley looked to the other boys who stood with him. “Can you believe her? You had better be nice to me.”
“Why is that?”
“You are below me. One word form my father and I will have your parents thrown out of the O’Brian house.”
“The O’Brians would never do that.”
“Sure they would. I bet they would jump on the chance to get rid of a little brat like you.”
Aine felt the fear turn into anger. She knew he was wrong about the O’Brian family, but it still stung.
“Why do you have that book? It’s not like you can actually read it.” He sneered.
“Actually, I can. Lady O’Brian has been teaching me.”
Bartley and the other boys laughed. “That won’t matter. You will never be anything more than a maid like your mother. You will end up some man’s wench until he tires of you. Won’t be long before he does, I imagine.” His mouth turned up in a smirk.
“You are wrong.” Tears filled her eyes.
“Am I? I seriously doubt it. Perhaps one day you can be my wench.” He laughed. “Obviously that was a joke. I don’t want trash.”
“You better watch what you say, Bartley.” Another boy joined the group. Aine had only seen him a few times with Aengus, and couldn’t remember his name. He was tall and slender, and Aine knew Myria had a bit of a crush on him, although her friend would never admit it.