Harpy's Escape: Crimson Moon Hideaway, #1

By Renee Hewett and Crimson Moon Hideaway

A morose harpy and an artificially upbeat demon must face what ails them before they can claim their happily ever after.

After each having the year from hell, Ariella Ivie and Caine Ziehm both end up trying to soothe their blues by taking a trip to Crimson Moon Hideaway. Neither was prepared for the Beltane Festival and the magic it brought with it.

Can they both shed their past baggage when they meet again for the first time in years? Maybe… with a bit of help from Jianna and her team at Crimson Moon Hideaway!

This book is a standalone Crimson Moon Hideaway novella. However, Effie and Jace's story is in Chimera's Edge by Renee Hewett!
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Celtic Hearts Press
• Release date: May 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223765035

Book preview

Chapter One

Last year was an utter waste. I mean I feel like I didn’t even have a year at all. Ariella spoke on the phone to her friend Effie. "Sure, you lucked out in November, meeting the man of your dreams and all that, but what did I do? Sat home most of the time and watched one month melt into the next."

Well, that’s why I’m calling! It’s well past time for you to jump back out there! Effie spoke excitedly, another weird turn the last year had taken. Previously, Effie had been the more rational and timid of the two, but since finding love, she’d turned into the enthusiastic optimist, while Ariella became the morose pessimist.

Did you hear me, Ari? Jianna is giving you a free five-night stay at the resort!

The words took a moment to sink in. Why? Why would she do that? And why should I go there?

She’d do that because it’s what she does. The resort is still new, so when she has extra rooms available, she gifts them to lucky folks, and I kinda asked if she’d consider you for one of them. And why would I do that? Because you’ll enjoy a vacation! The resort is absolutely amazing, you—

I don’t need a vacation, Effie. I need work. I need my career to get on track. She glanced at her computer, the damn thing still not delivering any new email responses to her resume from potential employers or even temp agencies. All momentum she’d built up had halted when the world went on pause, and though things had started to return to normal for others, Ariella hadn’t seen any of that good fortune heading her way.

Effie’s voice turned softer. Trust me, taking a few days to stop stressing over work will do you some good. You can let your feathers out and just have fun for a while. Then, you’ll return home, rested and refreshed and ready to take on some new challenges.

Ariella sighed. Since when did I become the friend who avoided fun?

That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You were the one always ready for a good time, and it’s like last year just beat the fun out of you. I want you to go and have a good time.

When?

Well, that’s the thing...

Effie? Ariella growled.

Look, I hate that I moved away with Jace and can’t be there myself to take you out for some fun. Your fun side has gone missing—

Knowing Effie was dodging the question, Ariella took a guess. It’s now, isn’t it?

Are you already booked for the next few days?

No... Ariella growled, her teeth clamped tight so she wouldn’t say something mean to her friend. Effie was well aware that Ariella wasn’t booked. That she suffered from a current lack of work.

Good. Because I bought your plane ticket, and Jianna has you covered for transportation from the airport to the resort, and your room, and food, and some other nice stuff like a spa treatment and casino chips.

I hate you.

You don’t. You love me. You just need to remember how to be yourself again.

Ariella hung up the phone, and her eyes drifted to a photo hanging on the wall. Ariella, long dark hair and dark eyes with almost goth-like makeup, her head tilted back in a full belly-laugh while Effie, with shoulder-length hair that looked strawberry blonde in the sun, smirked, finding more entertainment in her friend’s joy than in whatever had amused Ariella.

Ariella didn’t feel like the person in the picture anymore, though she could remember just six months ago how she’d excitedly cheered Effie on to go after her dreams. That was a whole different person. That Ariella had squealed with excitement when her friend told her she’d met a guy. That Ariella had encouraged Effie to go after the man.

If only she could feel that way again, like her old excitable, fun-loving self. But it seemed impossible. She’d lost that person somewhere and didn’t know how to find her.

She sat at her computer and sighed. For the millionth time that week, she looked at one tab and another, refreshing the pages to check that she didn’t miss any new postings that went up.

Her email chirped a notification, and her heart leaped. Quickly, she opened her inbox, just to find an email from Effie with all the travel details.

Attached she found not only her flight tickets but also some information on the resort. The photos showed a large lodge-like building surrounded by enormous redwood trees. Her winner’s package included a spa treatment, a dinner at the upscale Skippers restaurant, in addition to other room service or casual restaurant meals, and a casino voucher.

She stared at the computer screen, feeling deeply that she didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to leave the house or upset her routine, sad as it was.

To be quite honest, she wasn’t sure she remembered how to behave outside of her home. Around others. In public.

But what choice did she have? Turn down the offer for a vacation and insult her best friend as well as the well-known resort owner?

She reasoned maybe she’d make some contacts, find a new job opportunity or something. Maybe leaving the city and going to such a starkly different setting would help shake things up. She could, at least, admit that she could use some shaking up.

A banner at the bottom caught her attention:

You’re all invited to the Sacred Marriage of the May Queen and the Green Man! Beltane, the May festival of life and renewal, happens this week. Pack green or white to wear to the evening bonfire and union of Earth and Sky!

Beltane... the word sounded familiar, but Ariella couldn’t place where she may have heard it. But I guess I’ll find out soon.

Chapter Two

Ariella couldn’t remember the last time she’d been in an airport. How was it possible that they had that same airport smell and the same hustle-and-bustle atmosphere she remembered?

The early time of her flight meant she could