The Knight Of The Rose (50 page)

Slowly and reluctantly, I walked t o the door and placed my fingers over the handle. When I

turned back to look around my room for the very last time—the rose and the locket were gone.

With faltering resolution and a tender heart, I blinked back the pain , and closed the door

behind me.

Dad winked at me when I took his arm, and we wal ked down the stairs to the warm spring

morning—the last morning I would ever look across the road, at the oval of the school where I once

met a boy. He’s not there anymore—no longer waiting by t he grass for me to take his hand. He’s

gone—and I am moving on.

The photographer placed us in position to do cument the momentous occasion before we

could climb into the bridal car and drive away, leaving behind all the innocence of youth and the

sadness of eternal nights.

Bright, sunny days are my path now.

I looked up at the blue sky, just as I did that first day I came to live here, only, back then, in

my heart, I wanted nothing mor e than to go ba ck home, whi le today, the idea had me stealing

glances at my dad, Sam, and even Vicki, wondering how I was going to cope with missing them.

I guess life has a funny way of granting the things we want, when we no longer really want

them. I came here alone, and I’m leaving with a heart full of family and friends who love me.

When the night descends and I farewell them for the l ast time, I know I’ll cry, becaus e

somewhere deep inside myself I’d realised, looking around at the faces of the family I’d come to

know, and the fr iends I’d come to love, that maybe I never really needed to go home, becaus e

maybe home is where your heart wants to be, and where the shelter of loving arms is never very far

away. And I guess, in a way, I truly was home all along.

The Knight will return in…

Book Three: The Heart’s Ashes

Death never leaves us. Once it’s touched our souls, it hungers for our return—waiting for us

to fall. And if it finds Ara again, she will have no way to escape.

Moving on from David was hard, forgetting the abduction and torture was almost

impossible, but nothing as devastating as the thought that, now, because of her, David might face

the horrific punishments of the Set.

No one knows where David went when he lost Ara, but she can only hope he’s the one

leaving subtle clues for her to discover, and it makes her desperate to find him—desperate enough

that she would risk her own life, hanging out with an informant who means to kill her. What truths

she is told about David’s dark past, though, will threaten to change her heart and destroy the way

Ara perceives everything. She must ask herself if it’s right to love one monster, then despise the one

that tried to destroy her.

In all her searching, the promise of immortality will finally be renewed, but sold at a price

Ara’s not sure she’s willing to pay.

Will love be enough to make her submit to this new role, or will it fail her once again and

leave her reaching back for the hands of death?

A note from the author:

Dear readers,

I have loved the journey of writing this book, but even more so, loved sharing it with all of

you. I’ve been lucky enough to get to know and become close to some of you over the years, and I

love hearing about your lives and families. I invite everyone who reads this book to post a review,

comment or rating on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or iBooks. I read every comment and would love to

hear from you. I also invite you to join us on Facebook
(The Dark Secrets series)
so we can get to

know you too.

Fondest regards,

A. M. Hudson