Monumental — Jessica N. Lane

After a rocky couple of months in Faega, Claire has decided she is in desperate need of a break from all things magical. Too bad a little time off doesn't seem to be in the cards for her. Kaydair's followers are on the move, and that means Claire's much-deserved vacation must be cut short. Though she's excited to see her family and friends in the mythical realm of her birth, she's nowhere near ready to face Silas so soon after he unintentionally broke her heart. But her feelings and pride must take a backseat to her duty. After all, she has a curse to break, a madman to evade, and four known worlds to save. Not to mention the fact that she still has a lot to learn when it comes to her new powers. With finals right around the corner, and her surrogate family in the human realm looking forward to spending time with her, she comes to the realization that maybe she can't have it all, and that the time may one day come where she has to choose between the two worlds that both feel like home to her. Monumental �" great in importance, extent, or size.

-Excerpt-

My eyes blinked open to the cracked ceiling of April and June's bedroom. I sat up, and pushed my wayward hair out of my face. There was no need for my inner light this morning. My mind was too abuzz with all the things I needed to square away for me to even contemplate being tired. I pushed the quilt I slept under aside, and quietly sidestepped a can of hair spray and numerous mateless sneakers before slipping out the bedroom door.

First things first, I thought as I headed across the hall to the bathroom. I was in desperate need of toothpaste and leave-in conditioner. I emitted a big, eye-closing yawn as I swung the bathroom door open, ...and regretted it almost immediately.

I stifled the shriek that wanted to escape my mouth when I realized the bathroom wasn't empty. August stood facing the mirror on the medicine cabinet, and toweling off his wet hair in nothing more than a pair of sweatpants. His eyes landed on me, and I suddenly felt very exposed in my tank top and shorts. I whirled around so that my back was facing him, and squeaked out a “sorry.” I was just about to flee, but was halted by a voice shattering the morning silence like a sledgehammer.

“Hope I'm not interrupting anything, Princess.”

The voice was familiar; the excessive amount of venom it possessed was not. “Silas?” I asked in disbelief as I squinted in the darkness of early morning to make out the figure looming at the end of the hallway. The lycan in question prowled down the hallway with all the finesse of the lethal predator I knew he was. Oh no. This was bad; this was very, very bad. I surreptitiously spread my arms to grasp the door frame so that I took up the entire doorway, creating a barrier between a murderous Silas and an oblivious August.

“Silas,” I said in a voice that was equal parts placating and reprimanding. The sound of my voice caused him to take his glowering gaze off of August, and look to me in askance. “It isn't what you think. Calm down.”
He didn't look convinced.

I rolled my eyes.

-End of Excerpt-