Night of the Storm: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Eura Chronicles Book 2) Read Free

distance between them closed as he approached Lilae. He bowed before her, took her hand, and kissed it with his soft lips.
    “Prince Liam Marx of Oren.”
    “I can’t believe it's you,” Lilae whispered. She wanted to throw herself at him, wrap her arms around his neck, and hug him tighter than she’d ever held a man.
    “I know,” he said, reaching for her. “Finally, we meet. I’m sorry if I'm too forward. But, you are even more stunning than in our dreams.”
    Heat came to Lilae’s cheeks, reddening them. She was still unsure of how to respond to compliments. Two men in her entire life had remarked on her beauty.
    Liam was now the third.
    His skin glowed as if a light shone from within his body.
    A Tryan .
    Lilae’s eyes lingered on his hands, not hesitating to place her own within them.
    The touch sent delicious warmth along her skin. His grasp was tender as he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and pulled her closer to him.
    Every dream and moment of suffering had led to this moment, to the day when she would meet the man that seemed to be the missing link to make her whole.
    “Thank you,” Lilae said, her lips trembling as she looked at Liam.
    He cupped her face in his hands. “For what?”
    Lilae sucked in a breath and closed her eyes. How was it possible that she felt so safe and secure in his hands?
    She held onto his hands as he stroked her cheeks. “For being there for me when no one else was. For giving me strength when all I wanted to do was cry and give up. To die.”
    She opened her eyes.
    Ash fell, covering the black ground like a white blanket.
    “You saved me,” Lilae whispered, her eyes welling as she looked into Liam’s.
    When he pulled her into a tight embrace, she clutched to his body, not caring that he was technically a stranger from a faraway land. To them, they were more than that. They’d helped each other heal, and persevere, for longer than either even realized.
    “You’re bleeding,” Liam said, holding her at arm’s length to get a look at the blood that stained her clothes and skin.
    “It’s not my blood.”
    Liam looked into her eyes and pursed his lips. Concern filled his eyes, but he breathed in relief. “Good.”
    He hugged her tight to his hard chest.
    Liam smelled of the sea and the jungle. Lilae didn’t want him to let go.
    “Welcome, Prince Liam,” Delia said, breaking them from their intimate moment.
    When Lilae pulled away, she noticed a hint of a smile on the Elder’s lips as she watched them.
    “I am Elder Delia. It seems you’ve already met Lilae.”
    “Lilae,” Liam repeated. He held onto her hand. It was clear that neither of them wanted to let go. “I knew your name had to be beautiful.”
    Voices came from the wreckage.
    “Nani and Rowe are my dear friends from Oren,” Liam said, motioning to the odd pair. “Rowe is a soldier, and Nani is a healer.”
    Lilae rubbed her hands together, her eyes taking in the fairy and a tall Tryan man as they stood beside Liam before a scene of fire and wreckage.
    Lilae tensed when Rowe looked at her. His brown hair was short, and a beard had started to grow on his chiseled cheeks and chin. He was as tall as Emperor Kavien and similarly built with large muscles and a broad naked chest that glistened with sweat.
    “Hello,” Rowe said.
    A faint smile came to Lilae’s lips. There was something kind and gentle about the giant before her. She didn’t fear him, despite the scars that covered his chest.
    “Hello.”
    “We are an army of five,” Delia began, looking at each of them. “Against a formidable force.”
    “They are my most loyal friends. They wouldn’t have stayed behind if I’d told them to. And they are more than capable to aid us in any way necessary,” Liam said.
    “You’re stuck with us,” Nani said. She smiled at Lilae and flew over to her. Her wings glowed and shimmered in the dark. The bright purple of her hair was a beautiful contrast against her olive skin.
    “You’re The