Shadow Queen — R.S. Collins; S.R. Vaught

What if death is just another stop on the Path? The day Jazz Corey died, Bren McAllister lost a piece of himself. He knows he'll never be whole again, and this King of the Witches gig -- not his style. But he's trying. He knows that's the only way to honor the girl he loved, the girl he still loves, the girl he'll always love. With the help of his father and brother, not to mention Jazz's grumpy advisors, he's rebuilding Live Oak Springs Township, and restoring the Path to its full glory. He's able to keep his mind on his new royal job until the moment he realizes Jazz might be alive . . . sort of. She might be waiting for him to come get her. And if he doesn't hurry, it might be too late. It's simple. All he has to do is turn his back on everyone who believes in him, find a passage no one has ever seen, unlock it with a key no one understands, defeat an evil monster no one can name, cross through some gate that doesn't exist, and die without dying. No big deal, right? Jasmina Corey knows death shouldn't be like this. It's dark and cold, and everything hurts, and Shadows keep chasing her. Shadows and big stinky things with wings. Worse than that, a know-it-all peacock is stalking her, and the stupid bird won't shut up. Where is she, really? How is she supposed to get out? Jazz knows she's losing herself, and she has to get out of . . . wherever she is. And get back to . . . who was that handsome boy with brown eyes? Was she a witch before, or is that just another dream, like the fanged monster breathing down her neck while the peacock screams? She's smart. She can figure this out. She knows that just as sure as she knows that she's the daughter of . . . Never mind. Jazz has to hold on to her fading mind and find Bren, because something's coming for her. It's huge, and it's evil, and it wants what's left of her soul. Nothing to fear but fear itself? Right. Whoever said that never tried to walk out of death -- or run. Please note: The L.O.S.T. trilogy was previously published under the pseudonyms Debbie Federici and Susan Vaught.