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    Love's Labyrinth
    Love's Labyrinth
    Love's Labyrinth
    Ebook87 pages1 hour

    Love's Labyrinth

    By Ela Stein

    2.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Auria enters the magical Labyrinth on New Year’s Eve, and its halls guide her to the two men she is fated to be with. Brener has loved her from afar since they were children, and Jhennen is a Warrior-Guard, commanding in personality and intimidating in physical presence.

    They share a life-changing, passionate night together, but come morning, they must decide if their one-night menage can be the beginning of something new. When trouble threatens to tear Auria away from her life and the two men she is starting to develop feelings for, their connection just might be her only hope for salvation.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEvernight Publishing
    Release dateMay 27, 2014
    ISBN9781771308533
    Love's Labyrinth

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      Book preview

      Love's Labyrinth - Ela Stein

      Published by Evernight Publishing at Smashwords

      www.evernightpublishing.com

      Copyright© 2014 Ela Stein

      ISBN: 978-1-77130-853-3

      Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

      Editor: Tricia Kristufek

      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

      WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

      This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

      DEDICATION

      To X, for everything, and M. for all the support through all these years.

      A heartfelt thank you to my wonderful beta readers, Ahnah, Cathy, Mitzi, and Lisa, and my amazing and thorough editor, who all helped make the story what it is.

      LOVE’S LABYRINTH

      Ela Stein

      Copyright © 2014

      Prologue

      A single snowflake floated from the sky, weaving through the air. Its fragility was such that a gentle breath could consume it to nothingness. Yet none could deny its power, for countless more joined its downward flight and transformed the world beyond recognition.

      On this planet, which settlers had lovingly—or perhaps desperately—called New Earth, summers were short and winters fierce. When the colonists stepped foot on New Earth for the first time, it would have been easy to classify this planet as uninhabitable. No one would have blamed them. It would have been easy, yes, but there was no longer a choice at that point. They were stranded and no help was to be expected.

      And so the settlers called it New Earth to remind them of home, and their scientists catalogued the life forms and gave them familiar names, as best they could, where their Earthly counterparts bore any similarities. There were trees, as such they were, and bears and fish. This attempt to retain a part of home doomed the original to be forgotten, the memories lost through time. But you couldn’t blame the colonists for wanting a little piece of home, a memory of warmth. They brought with them animals and vegetation on the colony vessel, such as horses and dogs and other useful domesticated breeds. Where possible, those were bred with the new planet’s inhabitants, and new living things were created. Old technologies were forgotten but gave birth to new ones more compatible with the planet they now resided on.

      They survived through the centuries—but barely. They were losing the fight with the inhospitable planet. More and more of their technology, history, and customs were forgotten. Disease they didn’t know how to combat ravished their numbers, while indigenous animals made the land dangerous and the climate baffled their attempts at agriculture.

      Over two thousand years ago, the gods took pity on them and graced the humans with their presence, to guide them and help them adapt. Though the time they spent with the humans was short, its impact was immeasurable. And so began the dawn of a brighter age on New Earth.

      Chapter One

      The first knock on my door was obnoxious. It was late enough that I was already dressed for bed. I froze, hoping they would go away. The second knock came moments later, reverberating through the house. I threw on my thick gray robe and ran downstairs. By the time I reached the door, a third, much-harder knock had resounded, rattling the wooden door on its old hinges. I caught my breath, alarmed. Hoping nothing was seriously wrong, I wrenched it open.

      A man maybe a head taller than I stood there. He had a thin nose and narrowed dark eyes, partially obscured by ear-length black hair. His left eyelid trembled with a tic. A nondescript gray wool coat covered him to his calves.

      Eyeing the man behind him, I drew back, my heart rate spiking. That one was obviously a Warrior-Guard, sheathed in black protective gear, a rifle the size of my arm pointed right at me. A helmet covered his face, leaving only his mouth visible, which was set in a hard, disapproving line. His practiced stance left no doubt he could shoot me where I stood with no glimmer of remorse. I scoured through my memories for some idea of what infraction I might have committed, but nothing came to mind.

      C… can I help you? I sucked in a deep breath, determined to conquer the sudden quiver in my voice. I had done nothing wrong, and acting nervous and guilty would not convey that.

      Auria Nellen? The thin man in front of me spoke, his voice deep and raspy.

      That’s me. I nodded, managing steady my voice.

      May I come in? We have official business to discuss and it’s cold out. He proffered a copper badge, displaying the King’s Seal.

      Official business, indeed. I glanced at the Warrior-Guard, hating the idea of his hulking form occupying my home. My gaze flickered behind them, eyeing the street of small two-story town houses. All was empty and quiet, and not one of my neighbors was outside. No surprise, considering the weather and the hour. I was on my own.

      The court official’s face slid into a sly smile, noting where my gaze had gone. Don’t worry, he can stay out here. He considered me, adding, As long as you cooperate, Ms. Nellen.

      Um, it’s late. Maybe you could come back tomorrow? I asked hopefully.

      Indeed not. I have a lot of work to do and a lot of ground to cover, so that will not be feasible. Please step aside so we may conduct our business and be done quickly. He licked his lips, his gaze gliding over my figure from top to bottom. His eyes glinted in the blue moonlight.

      And what is your business?

      Taxes, of course, he snapped, getting irate. The tremor in his eye accelerated. Do you need to see the badge again?

      I shook my head. Not wishing to make the situation any worse than it was, I stepped back and held the door wider for him. As he moved past me, shooting me a triumphant look, I suppressed the irrational urge to recoil from him, as though from a venomous snake. After all, his off-putting looks weren’t his fault. Although his slimy demeanor definitely is.

      I glanced at the Warrior-Guard, who had lowered the rifle and stood waiting, arms crossed. I closed the door and pushed until I heard it click shut.

      "Miss, I

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