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Sister of Embers & Echoes by Annie Anderson
Release Date: January 17th 2020 by Annie Anderson
Series: Rogue Ethereal #4
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Demons, murder, and a trip straight to Hell...
I thought I’d get a little time off before the veritable poop hit the fan, but fate — or rather the Fates — have other ideas. The witch who tried to have my sister possessed has escaped, and not only do I find him dead, but I don’t have a clue who he was working with. Or working for…
Now I have a Council Member in human jail, a ragtag bunch of stuffy law-abiders to lead, and a solid inkling that the next person on the chopping block is me.
All of that would be bad enough, but I’ve got bigger problems. Maria isn’t quite right after a demon almost stole her body, and I have a hunch it’s going to require a trip to Hell to get it fixed.
Time to sharpen my athames. Vacation time is over.
I thought I’d get a little time off before the veritable poop hit the fan, but fate — or rather the Fates — have other ideas. The witch who tried to have my sister possessed has escaped, and not only do I find him dead, but I don’t have a clue who he was working with. Or working for…
Now I have a Council Member in human jail, a ragtag bunch of stuffy law-abiders to lead, and a solid inkling that the next person on the chopping block is me.
All of that would be bad enough, but I’ve got bigger problems. Maria isn’t quite right after a demon almost stole her body, and I have a hunch it’s going to require a trip to Hell to get it fixed.
Time to sharpen my athames. Vacation time is over.
{EXCERPT}
As a Rogue, I’d avoided all manner of witch havens for the last four centuries. Being around other witches seemed like a really good way to get killed. Or tortured. Or worse.
It would be like waving a red flag in front of a bull.
No, thank you.
Even with my Rogue status lifted, the weird honor of being the last in the line of what was considered demon royalty, and the Sentinel moniker, I didn’t feel right being here. This city was a hotbed of death and power, the politics of such I had no desire to navigate. There were too many covens, too many demon aristocrats, and too many other Ethereals all fighting for the same bit of land that was no more special than the next bit.
Plus, I’d left Maria, Ian, and my mother behind, and I didn’t feel right about that, either.
“Are you coming, or are you going to be mosquito dinner? We’ve got places to be.” Aidan nagged from the ornate French doors, his shoulder resting on the doorjamb like he owned the place. I wasn’t quite sure how he’d procured this hotel room at what was the definition of the last second, and I didn’t want to know.
“I’m thinking it over.” I snarked, staring at the street below. It wasn’t a high tourist time, the summer being too warm for most people, but still, the parties raged, and the city seemed to pulse with activity.
Denver didn’t feel like this. Denver didn’t have this buzzing, this trill of magic on the air like a spell was being cast every minute of the day. Denver felt like peace. This place felt like I was a moment away from being burned at the stake.
“My contact is not going to wait forever, Max. Get the lead out.”
He was right, but I couldn’t quell the unease in my belly. Maybe it was because we were here, or perhaps it was because it was the first time I’d seen Aidan without his signature beanie.
I’d always assumed he was balding underneath, but that was not the case. The knit fabric was hiding something, however. A long, jagged scar ran from one side of his temple to the other, curving down the side of his ear and disappearing into his hair. The white of the scar tissue told of its age, and it was hard not to flinch at the sight of it. It wasn’t a scar you’d get from an accident—not with wraith healing, anyway.
No, someone had done that to him on purpose.
“Did they ever pay for what they did?” I asked out of the blue, nodding toward his scar.
His expression tightened, but he answered me. “No.”
“If you ever want me to make them, you let me know.”
AUTHOR BIO:
Annie Anderson is a military wife and United States Air Force veteran. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she is a southern girl at heart, but has lived all over the US and abroad. As soon as the military stops moving her family around, she'll settle on a state, but for now she enjoys being a nomad with her husband, two daughters, an old man of a dog, and a young pup that makes life... interesting.
