Synopsis
Set among the rolling green Irish hills, Kelkerry Castle is something out of a dreamy fairy tale. For hotelier Bridget Marshall, however, it’s a dream come true…once she’s sorted out the mold, lead paint, and ancient plumbing. And she’ll prove to everyone in the nearby village of Shansally (pop. 119) that she’s not just another silly, dreamy-eyed American—including her curt (if utterly gorgeous) new neighbor, Liam O’Flannagain.
Only, this breathtaking castle has far more secrets than expensive repairs. While someone—or something—here desperately wants Bridget to give up and walk away, there’s another force tugging Bridget to stay. Because whenever she’s with Liam, the ancient past seems to come to life again, sweeping them along in a story they’re apparently destined to relive.
Now, Liam and Bridget are caught up in a long-ago tale filled with love, danger, and betrayal. The past seems to be working its magic on both of them, pulling them into a love story they’re helpless to resist. And they’ll have to uncover the truth of what happened all those centuries ago before history—and tragedy—repeats itself.
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Excerpt
The light swung skyward for a moment. “We’d best hurry and do whatever we’re going to if you don’t want to get soaked through.”
“We’re waiting on you, then. We agreed I wasn’t going to touch anything.” I returned to studying the triple spirals. The pattern was mesmerizing. I wrapped my arms around me to try to fight the pinprick sensation. It only made things worse. Like my hands were moving in the wrong direction. I could already smell a hint of ion in the air, mixing in with the grassy damp. There was something to see here. And it either very much wanted, or very much didn’t want us to see it. I could only hope it was the former.
Liam remained as still as one of the stones for a long beat before he moved to the one closest to him.
I waited, but nothing happened. “Did you touch it?”
“I told you it doesn’t always happen.”
You can’t seriously think it won’t happen. I couldn’t possibly be the only one feeling the energy in the air. “Try another one.”
The light in his hand bobbed as he moved down the line, stopping in front of one stone then the next.
“How long do you want me to do this?” he called as he started to round the mound, his light just visible around the curve from where I stood.
“How many stones are there?” I returned. I could almost feel his grumbling in the distance, but he continued making his way around.
His light blinked out of view. And I was seemingly alone in the darkness. My heartbeat rose to my throat, every nerve in my body alert. The trees continued to rustle in the distance. The sound somehow amplified in the stillness between the stones. To my over-charged mind, it sounded like laughter.
Christ… I blew out a calming breath and threw my arms down to my sides. I flexed my fingers to try to dispel some of the energy. Even if it was just a trick of the wind and the shape of the dip, I could see why generations would believe there was something mystical living in that mound. And if there were fairies, well, I supposed I just had to hope they weren’t pissed off by us dropping by tonight.
Last thing you want is an angry fairy, I remembered Liam’s words the first time we had talked about the visions. Now, I sort of wished I’d asked him “why?”
If anything, the buzz in my hands only got worse. I’d be throwing off lightning bolts from my fingers soon if this kept up.
And those damn spirals wouldn’t let me go.
I certainly had no desire to relive the last jump I’d had in the stables. Intuition bordering on compulsion continued to urge me forward. I glanced at the mound again. Still no sign of Liam’s flashlight. Taking a final deep breath, I reached out and touched the center of the three largest spirals.
The familiar dizziness hit, the electricity rolling over my body. The world spun, but it took form again. This time without pain. Not even the near migraine I’d felt every other time.
Progress?
I glanced around the darkness. The already consuming night felt all the more daunting, and I realized my flashlight had gone. Other than that, and the weight of Ellyn’s longer hair and odd-fitting clothes, though, everything still looked the same.
They were already ancient by Ellyn’s time, the thought registered. The mound and stones had been there millennia by the time Ellyn would have seen them. The corners of the stones softened by the elements and mossy with age. They were mystical old ruins, made by a mysterious long-gone people, the same to her as me.
About the Author
Jessica Dall is the author of such novels as Forever Bound, A Dangerous Beauty, and The Stars of Heaven. She has written across an array of genres, though her love of history and romance always seems to find a way into her work. Born and raised in southern California, she now resides in Maryland with her husband and daughter. When not living vicariously through her characters, she enjoys travel, crafting, and helping others with their own writing journeys.
