The Search (The Secret Princess - Vol. 2): The Secret Princess

By Sophia Gray

Volume 2 of The Secret Princess series

Nadia use to live the most boring life imaginable in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She was stuck in the rut of every day feeling exactly like the last. Nothing was out of the ordinary; that is, until she met Foster.

Nadia's once boring life has turned completely chaotic. She fell in love and was kidnapped, all within a week!

Can Foster get to her in time, before she is sacrificed in a war she didn't even know existed?

Join Nadia and Foster for the beginning of their whirlwind romance as they decide if true love is worth risking everything they've ever known...

Note: Parts of The Secret Princess were previously published as Blue Ridge.

Also includes a Sneak Peek at an upcoming novel!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Roja Publishing
• Release date: Oct 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536587319

Book preview

Volume 2 of The Secret Princess series

Nadia use to live the most boring life imaginable in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She was stuck in the rut of every day feeling exactly like the last. Nothing was out of the ordinary; that is, until she met Foster.

Nadia's once boring life has turned completely chaotic. She fell in love and was kidnapped, all within a week!

Can Foster get to her in time, before she is sacrificed in a war she didn't even know existed?

Join Nadia and Foster for the beginning of their whirlwind romance as they decide if true love is worth risking everything they've ever known...

Note: Parts of The Secret Princess were previously published as Blue Ridge.

Also includes a Sneak Peek at an upcoming novel!

~Volume Two: The Search~

Dain looked at Foster with narrowed feral eyes. The night air became heavy and hot. It fell on them in a silent, stifling blanket. No one spoke, and Foster tried to shrug off the calming emotion his mother and brother were still forcing on him. He didn’t want it. For once he wanted the pure anger. He wanted the food of hate to sustain him. Nadia was missing. Dain had something to do with it.

"I know you did it." Foster said through clenched teeth.

I don’t know what you’re talking about! Dain yelled. He pushed past his father and tried to start the fight again by grabbing for Foster’s shirt. Derrick’s hand grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked him backwards.

ENOUGH! Derrick’s black eyes looked deep into Foster’s. He grunted and pushed Dain towards the steps. Inside! Both of you!

Foster looked at his mother. She’s missing. I can’t stand this.

Julia tried to smooth his sweaty hair from his forehead but Foster jerked his away. She gave a worried glance to Warren, who simply shook his head. The momentary stifling heat began to lift. Crickets resumed their calling and a few fireflies came back into the yard. Julia looked up the steps at Foster and saw the Nephilim in him for the first time ever. She shuddered to think that this tragedy might turn him towards this path. She went up the steps slowly and Warren followed. When they entered the great living room, Dain was seated on the floor and Derrick was leaning with one elbow against the mantle. She scanned the room for Foster and found him standing perfectly still right beside her. Warren led her to the rocking chair by the fireplace and took his usual seat beside her on the hearth.

Foster, I will hear what happened.

Foster told his father the entire story from start to finish in a monotone voice that took far more control than any of them knew.

Had you any reason to fear for her safety before tonight?

Foster gave him an annoyed glance. Really, Father?

Derrick turned a shade darker. Don’t toy with me, boy. I may not have wanted you breaking rules to see this human, but I certainly wanted no harm to come to her.

Foster slid his eyes towards Dain. I think he wanted harm to come to her.

Dain stretched his legs in front of himself and leaned back on his hands in a lazy pose. If I wanted to harm her, she would already be dead. He said with a grin."

"And you will be dead if anything has happened to her."

Derrick let out a string of curses in the Old language.

I knew we were being watched! Foster yelled. I was trying to watch her as much as I could! I was too tired tonight and now she is somewhere that I’m not!

Foster didn’t bother to respond to his father yelling for him to come back. He didn’t acknowledge his mother’s gentle voice. He took the stairs three at a time and slammed the door to his room. He spun around several times looking for something, anything, that he thought could give him a clue as to what to do. He ran both hands through his hair and suddenly froze. Of Course. He closed his eyes momentarily and took a few short steps to the large windows on the far wall. He laid his palms on the cool glass and stared into the forest beyond. Small lights, too large to be fireflies, flitted here and there, just inside the tree line. A soft amber glow was throbbing from somewhere in the middle of the woods. Door of the Realm. It was the full moon. The Door of the Realm was open tonight. Foster leaned his forehead on the glass and let out a shaky sigh. They have taken her into the Realm.

*****

Foster packed a small bag with an extra change of clothes and a few toiletry items. He felt foolish as he pulled the drawstrings together and slung the bag over his shoulder. The Realm was not a place you packed for. It was nothing like this side of the veil. He thought about Nadia and said a silent prayer for her safety, and her sanity. He hoped she wasn’t too afraid. He shut his door quietly and stood at the top of the stairs listening for the others. He didn’t want them to know what he was planning to do. It was forbidden for a person of mixed race to enter the realm alone before their twenty-one. Even after that, certain races, the ones considered more dangerous, were only allowed to enter accompanied by a member of the Fae or Sidhe. A member of the Sidhe currently ruled the Realm with an iron fist. Foster wasn’t sure why any other race would be considered more dangerous than one of the Sidhe. They were as cold and ruthless as they were beautiful.

Foster walked silently down the steps and peered on either side of the open staircase as soon as he was far enough to see into the living room and dining area. He would just have to hope no one was lurking in the kitchen area or near the glass doors. The rooms were dark except for the flickering lights of a few dying candles. His mother loved candlelight and would burn several tall ones in the massive fireplace when it was too warm to light a fire.

Foster tip toed to the front door and turned the knob. A voice spoke from the darkened kitchen; the words velvet and steel.

Where do you think you’re going?

Stefan. He was the uncle from the abyss, who only showed up in emergencies, and who appeared out of what seemed like thin air if a fight was brewing. He constantly itched for a fight. Yet, Foster could not completely dislike him. He was the only member of his father’s family that kept contact after he married a mixed breed of the Fae.

Foster turned slowly and allowed his shoulders to slump in what appeared to be defeat. It was the same with a pack of wolves. Always show submission to an Alpha. Stefan. Good to see you.

His uncle stepped forward and lit a cigarette. The light illuminated his features for just a moment and Foster was surprised to see the lines of age beginning to show. Stefan was only ten mortal years older than his own father. Would Derrick show age soon as well?

Stefan slowly moved his hand back and forth, putting the match out. You aren’t really glad to see me, now are you?

I prefer you don’t meddle in this. I assume Dain or Father called you.

You assume correctly. It was your father. He called two days ago.

Why? There is nothing wrong here.

Stefan regarded him coolly. "Right. You broke the rules, Foster. It has caused quite a bit to be wrong. He let the last word drip from his lips like poison. No one from any of the ancient races can become involved with a mortal. You know this."

Foster felt the anger rising again. Alpha or no alpha; he was tired of these games. "That’s funny, because I thought that your kind depended on the involvement of mortals. It would be like some kind of Euthanasia to deny your selves that."

Stefan laughed out loud. "We are supposed to reproduce with other Nephilim, but alas sometimes mortal women are just too much