Ember (36 page)
Authors: Carol Oates
“I love you,” Candra said against his lips, purely because she never wanted to waste another opportunity to let him know.
His lips spread into a smile that she felt against hers. “You know men have died for less.”
“Men have lived for less too,” Candra said back, smiling.
Sebastian’s hand curved around Candra’s neck, under her ear, and his thumb brushed across her cheek before his mouth came down on hers in a soft, passion-filled kiss.
Epilogue
The night sky over the desert was wild and raged like fierce living creatures battling for dominance. Heavy black clouds whirled and crashed against each other viciously with thunderous roars. Forks of lightening hit the arid ground, cracking it apart and sending dust and sand swirling into the air. The ground shook as if terrified, and animals fled, seeking safe haven from the onslaught.
With another mighty lightning strike, the ground exploded, leaving a gaping hole in the landscape. It was followed by another and then another and another…until the holes were scattered across a wide expanse and the first droplet of moisture fell from the sky. Soon it was pouring; icy sheets of rain lashed the desert as if the heavens were calling out in protest, and a dirty hand emerged, gripping onto the edge of the first and largest hole.
About the Author
Carol Oates has never been one to remain still for long. After her parents’ mad dash to the hospital through the empty city streets of Dublin, Ireland, Carol made her debut into the world in the early hours of Christmas morning. Since then her pace has not slowed down in the least.
Carol was introduced to the world of supernatural books when, as a child, her family moved to a coastal suburb on the northern border of Dublin known as Clontarf, famous as the birthplace of Bram Stoker, the prolific author responsible for breathing life into the legendary story
Dracula
. This stirred in Carol an early passion for reading about all things supernatural. Combine that passion with a deep interest in the history and folklore of Ireland, as well as an active and vivid imagination, and Carol Oates the author was born. She loves to write about anything not entirely “human”— -a love that emerges in her debut novel,
Shade of Atlantis
, as well as in her second novel,
Ember
.
Carol still lives in Dublin, but spends a great deal of time traveling though the counties of Ireland and Northern Ireland with her partner and son. When not traveling through the countryside, Carol spends her days at the office and her evenings immersed in the world of Legends and Mythical Creatures.
Acknowledgments
This is another book that wouldn’t exist without the support of my family and friends.
I owe a debt of gratitude to all my dad, brothers, and sisters who are unwavering in their love regardless of what life throws at us. I would like to thank my mum for giving me the strength to always keep going, even when the going gets tough.
I want to say a special thank you to David for being one of the smartest people I know, to Rodney because he copes with my craziness, and to Eric who is the light of my life.
I also want to thank Elizabeth and Omnific Publishing, Meredith for walking me through the process of editing this book, Emma, Katherine, Micha, and Coreen for their contribution, and the other Omnific authors who are always there for moral support.
Finally, thank you to my readers, the reviewers, and bloggers who have so tirelessly promoted me in past and continue to help me make my dream of being an author a reality.
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Table of Contents