Cirrus@Austlit

'One house.

'One last wish.

One secret... 

'I wish I had never locked eyes with Ben. He made my lavender rose heart explode into a thousand blooms, and infused me with a hypnotic potion of floral and fruity fragrances that resonated in perfect harmony with his being.

'I wish ... love at first sight ... did not exist.

'I wish I hadn't entered the wrought iron gate on that fateful day.  I should have fled when I was attacked by the black crow of war and death.

'And I wish … I hadn't met Nic. Beautiful Nic. He pushed me into my fearscape, then left. Just like that.

'Gran said I wouldn't get hurt.

'She was right. How do you feel the hurt when it is so painful you become numb?

'One house.

'One last wish.

'One shattered heart...' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'I gazed into Ben’s smoldering cerulean eyes. My heart opened like a lavender rosebud to the morning light, infusing my life force with a floral, delicate and luminous fragrance. How could I not remember how beautiful he was—is. My breath hitched. He had returned for me, with whispers of love and promises of devotion and to be wholly present, his touch resonating in perfect harmony with my being, making my heart hammer against my ribs. 

'My heart told me to absorb every single ray of his pure love like spring flower petals opening and stretching and reaching for its sun. But my mind was guarded. Matters of the heart must also be matters of the mind… I should have run. Far away. 

'I should have protected my heart. From him. Could the sensual lips that had sung love to me like poetry to my soul be the same lips that would scorch me with betrayal? Were his words truth, or a lie? None of it made sense. And in the end, who had betrayed who? 

'They say hearts heal, with time ... but, you never forget. They say minds strengthen, during the storm ... and that’s where my dreams changed - to protect my heart. I should have run. Far away... ' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Ben placed his hand onto my bare shoulder; his skin touching mine. My breath hitched. I felt like I had awakened me from the sleep of a hundred years.

I had worked so hard to forget him—the way his cerulean eyes would drink me in, swallow me, and coat me in love that moved through me and around me. I had worked so hard to forget his lips and they way they caressed mine, lighting every cell of my being, making my body hum. I had worked so hard to forget his smell—jasmine, musk, oak moss and sandalwood—and the way he moved, the way he made me feel when his voice caressed each letter of my name.

He moved his lips to mine and kissed me with a new depth of love, with such emotion that it almost broke my heart. My lavender rose heart faced its sun and exploded into bloom, infusing my life force with an intense floral fruity fragrance.

This is the way we were. Deeply in love. Deeply connected. Deeply needing the other like the air we needed to breath. 'Cate.' His voice vibrated in perfect harmony with my soul and sang to my lavender rose heart like a summer rain quenching the parched earth. I sucked in a shuddering breath. The first time I saw him my heart whispered, he's the one… Our love - tender, pure, sensual, eternal, passionate, stormy, unpredictable, heartbreaking. Love isn't meant to be like this. Is it? If it is, it will destroy us… I don't want to say goodbye.' (Source: Publisher's blurb)

'Zedekiah. Son of the Warrior. He hated being called that with every fibre of his being. He wanted to blend in, fit in with the others … but how could he when his destiny had already been chosen? His gifts were awakened earlier, though he tried to suppress them ... being different was a burden. His soul ached for deeper things, something he had to complete. Alone. He consciously chose not to love or be loved. It was better that way. Easier ... until he met the cloaked horse rider. She irritated him. But somehow, talking to her was the most exquisite torture he'd ever suffered. He knew their love was forbidden. It was the rule of the Council Elders. If only she could share her secret, it would change everything. The truth is a beautiful thing...' (Source: Publisher's blurb)