One desperate choice. Life will never be the same.

Accused of spying for a Dark Sorcerer, Meagan runs from her village. But another attack looms on the horizon and help isn’t coming. Without drastic action, her home city could fall. She has one option– try to take up her ancestor’s weapons and deal with the consequences later. Consorts, vampires, dragons, and a permanent relationship would wait until the city was safe.

Samiel and Jaeson come to fight the Dark Sorcerer, but find a stunningly sexy woman whose magic matches theirs. She’s focused so intently on the battle that she barely notices them. Not acceptable. Slow kisses and sensual caresses slowly turn her attention to the hot desire between them.

Their touch is seductive and tempting, but life isn’t all sex. Somehow, they must learn to work together, because time’s running out. They have to stop this Dark Sorcerer or lose their chance at forever.

Meagan’s Choice is a re-release of a previously published book, Chosen Destiny. It has been heavily edited and retitled.

Meagan Danae sprinted down the street. Have to keep running. Her chest ached as she drew in harsh panting breaths. The gray stone buildings rose up around her, caging her in. She rounded the corner.

Her feet slipped on the stone paving and she skidded, nearly falling. Her heartbeat jumped up another notch and fear lurched through her. She couldn’t fall. They’d kill her.

Fuck, this was crazy. Fleeing Apolin with her own sect sisters racing after her trying to kill her. Why had they attacked her?

A thick lock of black hair whipped across her face. She shook her head to get it away from her eyes, but kept moving. No time to worry about it. Hurt, betrayal and confusion mixed inside her, leaving her stomach aching and her head hurting.

She dashed down the street, dodging carts and people. Relief surged through her. Good, another occupied street. They wouldn’t hurl any energy bolts here. Her shields wouldn’t take too much more battering. She had to get out of here. I can’t help them if they kill me now.

She blew out a long breath and ran forward. Have to find a little space. When there was a clear area, she pulled on her magic. A black and white swirling portal opened in front of her. She jumped into it.

The portal dumped her in a soft grassy meadow. Meagan landed on her feet, running forward a few steps from the tunnels momentum. She turned and stared for a few moments. The tension locking her muscles loosened a little. They hadn’t followed her. She grimaced. Lady, that had gone badly.

Leaving the village had been the only way. The others probably hadn’t been able to follow. They’d been zealous and wouldn’t give up while she was in the city. If she stayed, she’d have to start taking the offensive. They were her sect sisters. She wouldn’t hurt any of them if she could finish it.

A heavy weight settled in her stomach and her jaw ached. How had this happened? After she’d returned from a scouting mission, the elders of the Hanir sect accused her of being a spy or a Dark Sorceress. Before she could say anything in her defense, a group of younger witches burst into the room and hurled orbs at her. The choice had been simple. Hurt them or run. She’d run. A tightness banded around her chest as sorrow and pain weighed on her. She hadn’t done anything to deserve that kind of suspicion.

She thrust her hand through her hair and slowly turned. Tall trees fronted two sides of the meadow giving it an air of security. It would be nice to stay here for a little while and catch her breath, but this wasn’t the time.

A small stream cut across the grassy expanse, clear water trickling over the rocky stream bed. She inhaled drawing the sharp tang of sap and spring air into her lungs. Have to calm down and think. Later, she’d deal with the hurt. They might not follow her here, but she had to move. She had to try something.

Sometimes life makes the choices. Apparently, her older sister was right about that. If only she could talk to her sister or her brothers right now. Unfortunately, they weren’t here and she had no idea where to find them.

She’d have to do this on her own. There wasn’t any time to waste. More merdanons were coming. That was about all she managed to tell them, but considering they doubted her loyalty, they probably hadn’t believed her.

Meagan clenched her fists. The dragons and vampires probably wouldn’t show up to help tonight. They hadn’t answered any of the other calls for aid. If the dragons were near, someone would have sighted them in the air.

Meagan licked her lips and raised her hand to the amulet at her neck. Maybe she was the one meant to take up the weapons. Maybe not, but she had to try. In spite of what had happened, she couldn’t let the merdanons and Dark Sorcerers destroy the village. She had to try to help them when the attack came.

She looked around the grassy meadow. Damn, she had to get moving. The temple wasn’t here. To even try to get those weapons, she’d better start now. She took a deep breath and formed another tunnel. White streaks swirled through the black portal. She stepped into it. Silver and white beams slashed through the blackness around her and a pulling sensation tugged low in her belly.

The portal opened, hurling her into bright sunlight a moment later. The momentum propelled her forward and she stumbled forward. Her toe caught on a rock. She stumbled and fell to one knee on the rocky ground. Pain lanced up her leg.

She rose to her feet and brushed at her pants. The gray cloth was torn over knee and as the wind blew across her knee, prickling stings ran over her skin. She ignored it. The pain would go away, but she had to get moving.

She turned and stared across the meadow. One path would lead around the mountain and one up the mountain. She chose the path that seemed to be heading upward. The old temple was near the top of the mountain, but she’d never been there. No reason to. This wasn’t a region where the Hanir sect held power and the only reason to come would be to try to get the weapons. She’d only studied this area on maps.

Huge trees grew alongside the rough, rocky path. Leafy branches arched over path, forming an almost solid canopy overhead. The leaves blocked the light, giving the path a shadowed, closed-in feel. If only the cover wasn’t quite so thick, this would be so much easier, but she could still see. Hopefully, she was on the right path. This could take some time and a mistake could cost someone their life. There might not be any time to spare.

The terrain steepened. Relief swept through her and her muscles relaxed. Good, this was probably the right direction. She hiked up the trail, watching her footing on the loose rocks. As the leafy cover blocked more light, she watched both sides of the trail. Many wild animals made their home on this mountain.

A volk or a necalot could do a lot of damage before she managed a spell to stop them. The furry necalot might not be out hunting yet. It wasn’t even dusk. Most of the time, they hunted at night, pouncing from the trees. The larger, leaner volk would definitely be prowling from the forest, using its sleek spotted coat as camouflage.

Being bitten or clawed would be a horrible topper to an already terrible day. Trimoks chattered in the trees. That was reassuring. One of the small feathered animals swooped down and snatched an insect off a branch. They wouldn’t be so noisy or relaxed if there was a predator in the area.

Moisture from a building storm hung in the air along with the crisp scent of the dicanan trees. Her shirt clung to her skin, dampened by sweat. The path curved upward. She hiked until the trail finally stopped near the entrance to a cave. She smiled and relaxed a little as relief flowed through her. This was it.

Two stone columns, carved from the mountains rock, stood one on each side of the opening. She channeled a bit of power. Silver mist coalesced, creating an orb of light. She tossed it into the air. The light bobbed and floated in front of her as she strode through the dark opening. The dark gray rock tunnel narrowed and then opened into a large cavern.

Carved images and scenes covered the walls from floor to ceiling. Some of the reliefs still bore the paint of a recent ceremony. Fine cloth draped over the statues placed around the room. Bowls of flowers and fruit rested on a marbled rock altar in front of a huge stone warrior. The local sect of witches still used this temple. Good. It would continue to provide a disguise to this location’s first purpose.

She walked past the altar to the giant statue behind it. Placing her hands on the large pedestal beneath the great warrior’s feet, she pulled a little magic up. Silver white light flared and spread over the deep gray base. The stone slid beneath the statue’s feet. She stepped away as the stone block moved backward.

The dark square opening in the floor loomed in front of her. The bobbing ball of light floated into the gap. She stepped down into the hole.
Even the walls down here were decorated. Etched scenes of battle and everyday life in the age of the ancient kings ran along the walls. She eased down the long hallway to the door. Painted scenes covered the panel. She slipped her family seal off her necklace. This would either work or not. She took a deep breath and placed the seal in the small depression in the center of the door. Was she the one meant to take the weapons? If she wasn’t, she wouldn’t even be able to open the door.

The symbol glowed silver. A heat rolled from it before the door swung open. She let out a slow breath. Thank you, Lady! It opened. If it hadn’t, she’d have a huge problem. They still had to defend the village. She couldn’t just walk away.

Weapons covered the walls and the large, stone table in the center of the room. She drew in a deep breath. Oh my. So many of them. How would she know which one to pick? She walked around the room slowly. Swords and daggers rested in neat rows on the table, but none of them caught her eye.

She moved to the back wall and stopped in front of the blades hanging there. Light glinted off a sword. The blade was straight and shone in the white light. Unlike many of the other weapons around it, it wasn’t silver. Silver etching scrolled over the golden blade. She couldn’t take her eyes off it and the matching dagger. Those were her blades.

She reached for the sword and matching knife. Power pulsed from the sword. Her hands tingled as magic raced up her arm. The energy rolled through her straight to the core of her power low in her belly. Her own magic swelled and responded. Energy surged through her to the sword.
She stood still. The two distinct powers mingled and mixed. So strange, but nothing had ever felt so right. Even the weight and the grip could have been made just for her.

She held the weapons in her hands. These two weapons and the magic now inside her would help so much in the fight. She flexed her fingers. Damn, so perfect.

At the door, she awkwardly pulled her seal free of the door using the tips of two fingers to nudge it loose and grasp it. She refused to let go of the blades. Maybe a little of it was fear that the weapons would disappear and this be no more than a vivid daydream. Even now, it didn’t seem real. She wasn’t some hero like in the stories. That wasn’t why she was here. She had to keep the village safe until they could get some help.
She stepped out into the hallway. The door creaked as it swung closed, but it shut tightly. She paced down the tunnel to the stairs.

Time to get ready for the battle. Those merdanons would probably arrive tonight. Going up the stairs, she summoned a pulse of magic. Silvery white magic spread over the stone base. She stepped back as it slid over the opening to the vault.

Now, she had to get back to the village. With every other attack, when merdanons had been spotted, an attack followed the same night. If that was the case, she shouldn’t have to hide. Once the merdanons attacked, all attention would focus on defending the town.

Fucking Dark Sorcerer chose this area because it was vulnerable. Almost easy prey. The village was small and made the perfect target for the dark sorcerer and his merdanons. The only other town close by was just as small and vulnerable. Mountains and forest provided a barrier and isolated it from larger cities and the aid of sister covens.

The Dark Sorcerer also targeted the other village nearby, but it had also withstood the attacks of the Dark Sorcerer to this point. They couldn’t offer any help. Not when every one of their witches was needed to protect their city.

After the battle ended, she’d have some decisions to make. It would be easy to walk away from the village. Especially after they’d chased her through the streets. Her gut tightened. Fuck, never would she have expected such a betrayal. Maybe she’d find another coven, but she had to know why the elders questioned her loyalty.

As she stepped from the cave, the sun sank behind the mountain. Definitely time to get moving. Night fell fast in the mountains.
Meagan summoned a tunnel. A black and white portal swirled in front of her. She stepped into it. Beams of silver and white streaked through the blackness surrounding her.

A tugging sensation pulled low in her gut. The portal opened and hurled her out into an alley lit only by the glow of the moon. She stumbled forward two extra steps to catch her balance. Not the most elegant of entries.

A scream rippled through the air. She stiffened and a rush of energy surged through her. They were already here. She stepped forward, leaving the alley. Time to face the merdanons.

Silver white light flared around her as her shield settled in place. No enemies were in sight, but she wouldn’t be without protection. Meagan paced down the street. She rounded a corner and stopped.

A few doors down one of the Dark Sorcerer’s minions, stood, facing away from her. Pale gray skin gleamed in the dim light from the moon. The only thing in sight was the sharp blades at the huge beast’s hands, but nothing more was needed to identify it. It would have the same vacant black eyes and sharp teeth as all the others. There was nothing in the natural world like a merdanon.

A faint glow flickered beyond the merdanon. The creature pressed forward. Pieces of dark gray wall lay on the ground in the light from the orb. Was the person cornered? Had walls from houses collapsed into the street?

The only way to know was to get rid of that big ass creature. She flexed her fingers on the grips of her sword and dagger. Okay, now what was she supposed to do with these things. The stories didn’t describe how to tap into the power, but she needed to now.

Maybe if she tried summoning an energy orb and directed it through the sword. Silver white magic flared around the pommel of the sword and flew into the walls of the building. Damn it. Obviously not the way.

She tapped the sword against her thigh. How, by the Lady’s robes, am I supposed to do this? Power stirred inside her. She froze. Was it the movement?

She swept the sword from side to side. The energy built channeling from her to the blade. As she swung the sword, silver white energy coalesced near the tip and flew off. The shimmering mass hit the merdanon and flared.

The gray skinned creature howled and spun to face her. She exhaled. The Dark Sorcerer hadn’t put much effort into this creation. It wasn’t shielded.

She whipped the sword back and forth, gathering power. A sizzling white orb flew down the street and slammed into the merdanon. It toppled to the ground.

Meagan nodded and tightened her fingers on her weapons. Damn, these things were good. She looked up from the merdanon to see who stood beyond it. Hopefully, this didn’t result in more trouble.

Talia Sarash, an elder of the sect, stared at her with her mouth agape. Normally, the elder wore robes, but she seemed comfortable in a flowing white shirt and gray pants. The woman’s gray-and-black hair hung wildly about her face.

“I wondered where you’d gone. I knew you wouldn’t just leave the village. Even after the way what should have been a few questions turned into a disaster.” Talia slowly walked forward.

“My family has defended this village for generations. After it’s safe, I’ll decide what I’m going to do.” Meagan flexed her fingers on the hilts of the blades. Something pulled low in her gut. She still had to do something here. This was unfinished.

She dropped to a knee. A tingle raced up the arm holding the dagger. Apparently, she had to use the blade in some way. She drove the blade into the fallen merdanon’s arm.

The large armor-skinned beast dissolved into a fine dust. Power roared into her. Her heartbeat raced and she took a few breaths. Hopefully, she could get used to the feeling. So strange, like raw magic burning through her veins.

“We just had some questions, Meagan. There were coincidences and some gossip.” Talia edged forward. “No one but the elders and you were ever supposed to know about it.”

“Rumors. I don’t know how I was supposed to have time to contact others, much less opportunity. I was always scouting and seldom alone.” Meagan shook her head and rose. Most days, she barely had energy to fall into bed, much less conspire.

“Well, that question is settled now. There’s no way you could hold those weapons and be in any way evil.” Talia waved her hand.

Meagan just raised an eyebrow. Yeah, that was small comfort after being chased by that mob. She looked down the street. The broken wall didn’t completely block the way. Should she go that way or head back and take another street? It probably didn’t matter much. There would be merdanons on the street no matter which way she went. It was early in the fight.

“Do you mind if I go with you? I don’t want another incident like what happened earlier.” Talia held up a hand.

Meagan took a deep breath. Anger burned through her and her muscles tightened. The suggestion made sense. Less chance of having to waste energy protecting herself. The presence of the elder should stop another attack.

Clearing the village would be hard enough. Fighting other witches while she did it could make it impossible. She nodded.

“Has there been any sign of dragons or vampires coming to aid in the fight?” Meagan walked slowly down the street.

Talia fell into step beside her. “No, nothing. There hasn’t been any message of any kind. You didn’t expect there to be any help. You’d have never taken up the weapons if you had.”

Very right. Yeah, Meagan actually gave the vampires or dragons making an appearance more probability than her being able to get into the vault. Since that had worked, there was hope, even if it was slight.

Apolin and Dicsin were too small, too isolated, and too far away from the dragon and vampire protected areas to warrant even yearly visits. Normally, not a problem. The isolation usually meant little happened, but the absence of dragons and vampires in the face of the repeated requests for help meant the messages hadn’t made it there. If nothing made it through the passes, then one of the larger Hanir sects in the city of Amaes should send someone to check on them eventually.

“Are all the villagers safe?” Meagan swept her gaze over the street. Some of the homes were completely destroyed.

“Yes, they’re safe.” Talia’s voice held relief. “When the merdanons were spotted, we moved the villagers out.”

Meagan sighed. Good. They hadn’t been taken by surprise. Unfortunately, there was no time to savor that. Two merdanons lumbered down the street. Behind them, walls crumbled and holes gaped in the buildings. Damn, they’d destroyed this area.

She took a deep breath. The strange power inside her swirled inside her, not building, but staying the same. Thankfully.

She gripped the hilts of her weapons until the metal bit into her palms. A bit of nervousness skimmed through her and her stomach lurched. Would she be able to handle two of them?

The weapons were so new to her. Only stories remained of the last time the weapons were used and the details in them were sketchy at best. How much power would she be able to take before it was too much?

Tiria had always been a mystery. It took more than the right bloodlines to get into one of those chambers. Fate played a huge part in it.
The merdanons advanced closer. She widened her stance and lifted her hand. White magic drifted up, reinforcing her shields. Those couldn’t come down when the merdanons battered them. She licked her lips and swung her sword. An orb of white magic flew off the tip.

The glowing white-silver ball zipped down the street. It flared as it hit the gray-skinned creation on the right. Both beasts roared and shuffled toward her. At least, there wasn’t a Dark Sorcerer behind them. They’d be much more difficult to defeat if the corrupt wizard was nearby.

If this attack followed the pattern of the other assaults, plenty of merdanons would flood the village, but the Dark Sorcerer wouldn’t enter the walls. Why did the attacks keep coming? The Dark Sorcerer might not have a reason for one attack, but five meant that this wasn’t random. He had to want something even if it was just to make them leave the area. The village didn’t have great wealth and wasn’t well-known as many cities and towns were. He had a reason behind all of this effort.

Meagan slashed the sword back and forth. The arc of energy gathered at the tip, glowing brightly before flying off. It hurtled down the street and hit the second beast. The gray-skinned being screamed. The loud noise reverberated off the walls. She winced. Her ears rang.

She swung the blade again. Those two creatures had to go down. Another crackling, white ball of magic flew off the tip of the weapon. The orb flared, but the merdanon didn’t fall. She cursed under her breath. Damn, the Sorcerer put some power into that one.

She slammed another glittering bolt down the street, followed by another quick orb. One merdanon fell, but the other took two long strides forward. She lifted her hand. White magic streamed out, forming a wall that stretched across the street. It pushed him back. She couldn’t let him get too close. Even with her shield up, it was dangerous. Occasionally, they threw things. Her shield should deflect it, but better to keep them away than take chances.

The Dark Sorcerers always came up with new tricks, new ways to destroy or capture witches. She threw another bolt. The second merdanon toppled to the side. She paced forward, slowly. Her muscles tightened. Now, she had to go destroy the merdanons. Lady, even though she’d barely started the power still pulsed too high. With these two, the writhing mass of power would get even worse.

She knelt and drove the blade into the arm of the gray-skinned beast. Power pumped into her while the creature dissolved into a misty dust. She shivered and her head tipped back as the surge flooded her body. Lady, there was another one left. Her hands shook as she moved the few steps closer to the next merdanon.

She looked at the wizard’s creation and bit her lip. How was she supposed to handle all this power? The magic roared through her body at a level higher than she’d ever experienced, but that was only one part of it. Arousal simmered inside her. The more power she took in, the higher it went, but she couldn’t leave the creature for the Dark Sorcerer to recall.

She dipped down and drove her blade into its arm. The energy zipped from the dagger straight to her core. She rose to her feet. Every muscle in her body quivered with the influx of magic.

“You know I won’t mind if you help a little. We’ll run into more than a few of those beasts as we make our way through the village.” Meagan slid a glance toward the elder.

“I was just enjoying watching the weapons at work. I never thought I’d see a Tiria.” The older woman smiled. “You make it seem so easy to defeat them.”

Meagan looked up at the sky. With the exception of being able to destroy the merdanon and prevent the Dark Sorcerer from using it again, there wasn’t much difference in dealing with them. The extra power helped, but what was she going to do with it? Without a Dark Sorcerer in the village, she wouldn’t have call to use it. Not that that was anything to complain about. She really needed time to get used to the power and what the sword could do before putting herself to the test.

Meagan stalked down the street. Orbs illuminated two people strolling toward them. She looked for a side street. Merdanon roars echoed through the city.

There was still work to be done. Chatting wasn’t on her list of things to do until the village was safe. Meagan and the elder met the two women, younger witches from the sect, just before they reached a side street. The young witches looked from Meagan to the elder and back again.

“Elder, we… Isn’t she a Dark Sorcerer or a spy?”

“No, she isn’t a Dark Sorcerer or spy. Look at the weapons. A Tiria can’t be a Dark Sorceress.” Elder Sarash gestured to the sword and dagger.
Both women’s eyes rounded.

“Spread the word to any witch you meet. Meagan is not a spy and no one is to attack her. After what happened, we’re lucky she came back to help.” Talia stared from one woman to the other.

Meagan and Talia took the street to the right. Time to find other beasts before they did more damage. The moon rode high in the sky when the last merdanon fell and Meagan destroyed it.

Energy zipped inside her and she could hardly stand still. The arousal boiled inside her. It had built to a point where she was almost desperate with need for both satisfaction and release from some of this energy. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Get control. She wasn’t a slave to her desires. There had to be some way to handle this arousal without attacking the first man she met. Even if it did sound like a great idea at the moment.

“We have problems, elder. There are holes in the stone wall. We’ll be vulnerable tonight if we don’t seal the gaps.” Camilla Neshar met them as they neared the main sect house.

Meagan looked around the area. Fire glowed red and yellow above some of the rooftops. It would be hard enough for everyone to clear the debris and try to put the village back together. A gap in the wall would only add more worries. They didn’t need to worry about cortans and mountain graels coming into town.

“I’ll shield the village tonight.” Meagan straightened. At least, it would use up some of the extra energy and let her rest later.

“The whole village?” Camilla stared at her.

Meagan smiled. The raised eyebrows and open mouth spoke the doubt louder than words. Maybe Camilla thought she’d lost her mind. With the amount of power coursing through Meagan and the effect it had, Meagan would have done something similar to use up the excess energy. This definitely was one of the negative aspects of being a Tiria.

She glanced around as she walked the village and her stomach sank as if rocks weighted it. Some of the house walls stood no taller than she did. Fires burned on almost every street. Though they’d won this battle, it had come at a cost.

A burning irritation scraped at her eyes. The acrid smell permeated her clothing and her hair. It would take repeated washings to remove it. May the Lady’s power take that destructive sorcerer.

Ash floated in the air and landed on her face and the sleeves of her maroon shirt. The gray stuff smeared into dark streaks on her hands. She pushed on, helping to clear and stop the fires before they spread any more.

By the time the last fire was put out, exhaustion pulled at Meagan. Holding a shield around the village had taken some of the edge off the power, but strange energy still bubbled inside her. Time to get some sleep. The night had been hellish long already and tomorrow the rebuilding had to begin.