Castaway Love: Castaway Heart, #3

By L.C. Mawson

He won't stop until she's dead...

One assassin down, but there's still one to go. With everyone back on Earth, Lyna and Dyna go back to stay with Rosaline, discovering things Sam has been keeping from them.

As Lyna tries and fails to stop the last assassin, she realises that Hian won't stop until Dyna is dead.

Lyna concocts a plan to shake him forever. The problem? Lyna would have to go home to sell it, leaving Sam for good.

CASTAWAY LOVE is the last book in the Castaway Heart paranormal romance trilogy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.C. Mawson
• Release date: Jun 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781540184207

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

Lyna wasn’t sure that she’d ever get used to the strange sensation of the world disappearing around her, she thought to herself as Sam and Ellen shifted her and Dyna into town.

Why did we shift here? Lyna asked as they walked through town. Aren’t we a walking target for Hian’s men? Why didn’t we shift straight to Rosaline’s?

Because of her protections, Ellen explained. Only members of the coven can shift in and out. Everyone else has to walk in.

Lyna frowned. Wait, coven? Rosaline’s a Witch?

Ellen nodded. Yeah, she’s my Coven Head. Or, well, she was my mother’s Coven Head. I can’t really be a part of the coven while I’m stirring up trouble for foreign governments. Though I still get all of the privileges, like being able to shift in and out.

Lyna’s frown deepened as she turned to Sam. So, wait, you said that Rosaline practically raised you. How come you were raised by a Witch?

Ellen snorted.

Shut up, Sam bit back at her.

It’s not my fault you’ve been lying to your girlfriend.

Lyna’s frown turned into a glare. Sam, what does she mean? she growled.

Sam sighed. I haven’t been lying. I just... I didn’t correct an assumption you made about me.

What assumption?

That I’m a Slayer, he admitted, glancing away. I went to train with the local Slayers, but that was just because I got sick of being the only teenage boy at my coven. Or the only boy there at all...

You’re a Witch? Lyna asked. Why didn’t you tell me?

He shrugged. I don’t know. I figured there was no reason to correct you at first. I thought you’d be off the ship once we reached land, and that we’d never see each other again. After that, well... There was never a convenient time to correct you, and I never had to outright lie, so...

Lyna folded her arms, looking away.

All this time, she had been going through everything with Ryn while wishing for Sam because he was different. Because he wouldn’t keep her at arm’s length because she thought that she knew him, or at least would have the chance to, and yet it turned out that he had been lying all along.

Just as Ryn had kept her at a distance, so did Sam. Was there a chance that he was doing it to hide something just as sinister?

Hey, Sam said softly, stopping in front of Lyna.

She looked up, a little hesitantly.

When you thought I was a Slayer... I got mocked a lot as a kid for being a male Witch. It gave me an easy out, and I took it. I didn’t know you, I had no way to know if you would stop liking me if you knew the truth. And then once I did know, we had so many other problems that it seemed superfluous. I’m sorry, I should have been upfront with you.

Lyna sighed. I just... If you lied about that, how am I supposed to know that you won’t lie about other things? How am I supposed to know that you’re not...

I promise, I won’t, Sam said, shaking his head. Though I guess you’ve got no reason to trust that. I just... If you had ever asked me outright about being a Witch, I would have told you. And I’m not lying anymore.

Lyna’s arms tightened around her chest.

She wanted to trust Sam. She wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

But she had done that with Ryn, and where had that gotten her?

Here she was, reliant on someone else again. If Sam decided not to help anymore - if he turned them over to Hian - it would all be over.

Not that she truly believed that he would, but could she take that chance?

It’s okay, Sam said softly. "I get it. I wouldn’t exactly be in a trusting mood either after everything that just happened. But this is the only thing I’ve lied to you about, even implicitly. And I’m not looking to do it again."

Lyna smiled a little, though it had a bittersweet edge as tears crept in behind her eyes.

At that moment she was very aware of how tired she was...

Okay, she managed. Come on, let’s just get to your coven.

Sam nodded, the four of them picking up pace as they headed through town, down towards the river.

Eventually, they arrived at a large building, surrounded by what looked to be eating establishments.

This is your coven? Dyna asked, voicing her twin’s question.

Ellen nodded. Setting up in a hotel seemed the best approach for a coven. It’s got all of the needed facilities, and no one nearby really pays attention to who comes and goes.

Sam reached into his pocket before bringing out a wand, and Lyna’s mind immediately snapped to every time she had seen his hand in that same pocket when performing magic.

He tapped the handle of the door before entering, and Lyna could feel a ripple in the magical wards surrounding the building.

The others followed him through to the lobby, just as a short, pale woman with cropped strawberry blonde hair strode through from another room.

She raised an eyebrow as she saw them all.

So, after months without a word from either of you, you both arrive back at the coven together with a couple of Mermaids? the woman asked, a critical eye dancing between Sam and Ellen. Why do I get the feeling I’m not going to be happy about this?

Sam and Ellen exchanged an awkward glance.

The woman folded her arms with a sigh, before turning to Ellen. And I suppose this has nothing to do with your little crusade to destabilise Atlantis?

Sam shook his head before Ellen could answer. No, this is all me. They were running from trouble in Atlantis, and I offered to help them. I couldn’t just leave them alone...

And what kind of trouble exactly have you brought to my door? she turned to Lyna and her sister, so Lyna figured it was a question for them to answer.

I was running from my mate, Dyna answered, to Lyna’s surprise. My sister helped me to escape him, but he is not the kind of man to simply allow me to leave. At first, he tried to retrieve me. Now he has given up on me returning home, and instead, wants me dead.

He sent an assassin after them, Ellen said. We killed them, but there is another.

And how exactly did you come to be involved in this whole mess, Ellen? That is the element that concerns me most here.

Ellen shrugged. Lyna came to me for help. She returned to Atlantis for a while, to try and figure out a way for her sister to safely return. When it became clear that she would receive no help from the rest of the nobility or the law, she turned to me.

And your little crusade doesn’t benefit at all?

The best way for Atlantis to become safe for Dyna is for her mate to no longer wield the power he currently has. As it happens, that’s good for everyone.

The woman sighed, pinching the