Time Currents (Kielan Series #3)

By Brenna Lyons

Lord Sevryn is home for a visit with his intemperate mother and spoiled siblings. Between rants about lowborns, courtesy of his mother, Sev makes a wondrous discovery; one of the maids his mother hired in his absence is his Goddess-destined soulmate.

Or is she? Bettina is his soulmate, to be sure, but otherwise she's not what she seems. Her reasons for avoiding Sev are complicated. Mates don't hide things from one another, and there is a lot Bettina is hiding. For one thing, she's not lowborn. Raised in the lap of luxury, she decided to run rather than embrace a power that threatens her mind and heart.

CONTENT ADVISORY: This is a re-release title.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fireborn Publishing
• Release date: Feb 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781946004451

Brenna Lyons

Brenna Lyons wears many hats, sometimes all on the same day: ex-president of EPIC, author of more than 100 published works, teacher, wife, mother... She's a member of ERWA, IWOFA, Broad Universe, and more than 60 other author groups. She's taken Spinetingler's Book of the Year for 2007, and she's also finaled for multiple times for the EPPIE, PEARL (including one HM, second to Angela Knight), CAPA, and once for a Dream Realm Award. Brenna writes in 25 established worlds plus stand-alone fiction books and stories, poetry, articles, and essays. She's a bestseller in indie/e fantasy and horror, straight genre and cross-genres thereof. Brenna has been termed "one of the most deviant erotic minds in the publishing world...not for the weak." (Rachelle for Fallen Angels Reviews) Milieu-heavy dark work is practically Brenna's calling card, with or without the erotic content. She teaches classes in everything from POV studies to advanced editing, networking to marketing.

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Fireborn Publishing Copyright Statement

Time Currents

Copyright © 2009/2013/2017 by Brenna Lyons

eBook ISBN: 978-1-946004-45-1

eBook Publication: February 2017

Cover Artist: Brenna Lyons

Photo Credit: 123rf

Editor: Kathryn Lively

Logo copyright © 2014 by Fireborn Publishing and Allison Cassatta

Licensed material is being used for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in the licensed material is a model.

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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is strictly coincidental.

This book is written in US English.

PUBLISHER

Dedicated to...

That one special person, for pushing me to do things I never thought I could. You know who you are, and I am ever grateful.

Chapter One

The estate of Lady Valree Spring, Hanford, Planet Kielan

May 25th, 3756

Really, Mother, Sevryn Spring drawled, sipping the brandy clenched between his fingers. Before the visit was over, he might need a bottle instead of a glass.

The whole thing is simply scandalous, Valree continued.

Scandalous? he half-laughed. Finding a soulmate is scandalous these days? His humor was bitter and brittle. If Sev found his soulmate, her class was the last thing he'd worry about.

He was the filthiest little rag, Sevryn...and he was all over her.

He didn't reply to that. Nothing he said would change his mother's mind, not even the fact that she knew herself how powerful the connection between soulmates was. By all accounts, Valree had been half-undressed and full of his father's cock within minutes of setting eyes on him. He sipped the vintage again, nodding to half-heard comments.

Father would have understood. There was little question about that.

But his father was dead, and his mother's dislike of lowborns got worse with every passing season. It was upsetting, in some way he couldn't define; his mother's bias made him uncomfortable with being in her company.

What do you think you're doing? Valree snapped.

My apologies, mi'lady. The servant was already on her way back to the door. No doubt she'd come in, thinking the room was empty, simply following the schedule she'd established for her work.

Rude little tramp, his mother grumbled over her blue amber tea.

Really, Mother, he repeated, his cheeks heating as the servant stiffened at the insult.

She probably came in here to catch your eye. All these servant girls want to bed noblemen with some thought of...

Sev didn't hear the rest. His emotions were suddenly a riot of embarrassment, outrage, and indecision. He had to change the subject. And how are Lewin's studies progressing? he inquired.

Valree snapped her mouth shut, and a smile curved her lips at the mention of her younger son. Splendidly. He's all the architect of your grandmother and more.

He took down a swallow of the drink instead of a sip. There it was again, the hint that there was something lacking in Sev, because he was neither a healer like his father, grandfather, and sister Elewyn were nor a creative type like the rest of his grandparents and Lewin were. Sev's talents ran to machines, and machines were simply too common a talent for his mother's tastes. They never spoke about his work.

His mother went on and on, gushing about Lewin. Sev let her, his gaze straying to the closed door, his mind to the woman who'd disappeared through it.

****

Bettina paused, staring the door blocking her way in frustration. It had been open a few moments ago, but that was life on the Spring estate. Some days, she swore Lady Valree and her children did these things of a plan to annoy her.

And now she had another room to clean. Lady Valree's elder son had come home for a visit. With all likelihood, he was the same sort of slob as his younger siblings were and more. Eldest noble children, especially eldest males, were insufferably spoiled and unwilling to take responsibility for themselves.

Then again... Memories of his