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A Tale of Two Kingdoms
Knights of Black Swan, Book 6
“…thebest book yet. I was so in love with the story I couldn’t put it down.” – Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock
“…an amazingly epic love story that will live through the ages in Victoria Danann’s world.” – Bitten by Romance
“The series has everything including action, love, paranormal species and abilities, political intrigue and now our very own star-crossed lovers.” – Fangs, Wands and Fairy Dust
“Victoria Danann has once again thrilled me. Black Swan is now on my list of favorite series.” – Vampire Romance Books.com
“Come along on this wild adventure. It’s quite a crazy ride.” – Night Owl Reviews
“…filled with romance and betrayal.” – The Paranormal Romance Guild
DESCRIPTION:
Duff Torquil is heir to Scotia, the kingdom of Fae, who have been at war with the Elves for two thousand years. Fae and Elves are both species who have evolved to respond to one fated lover with whom they will mate for life. Duff Torquil’s predestined mate is perfect for him in every way: beautiful, smart, polished, strong willed and a talented psychic who works for The Order of the Black Swan. The only problem is that she also happens to be Aelsong Hawking, younger sister of the famous vampire hunter, Sir Rammel Hawking, AND the only daughter of the royal house of Elves.
After escaping together to establish a quiet obscure life away from both families and the political differences between elves and fae, the young lovers are captured, separated, secluded, and left to die as mated pairs of their species tend to do when permanently parted. Fortunately, an angelic intervention persuades the unlikely “powers that be” to get involved and the couple embarks on an epic journey through alternate dimensions that know no limits.
Love is the exception to every rule.
Fans of the saga have looked forward to this story since the two met in an Edinburgh pub in Chapter 8 of Book 2.
EXCERPT. This passage from The Witch’s Dream recalls that first meeting of a star-crossed pair.
Though Aelsong had her back to the room, she kept getting the feeling that someone was staring. She finally turned to see who it was and her eyes locked on the navy blue gaze of a dark-haired angel sitting across the room. He didn’t look away or try to hide the fact that he’d been staring. She let her eyes wander down his body and back up again before turning back to her group.
The pub had better food than Elora had expected. Everybody had eaten well and seemed to be having a good time. Well, everybody except Litha. Storm had decided to nip the pursuit in the bud by making a big show of flirting with an array of unattached women in the bar while ignoring her. Observing this, Elora concluded that he must be very afraid of Litha’s potential power over him to engage in such un-Storm-like behavior.
Song also seemed more distracted than anything. Several times more she turned around to see what her admirer was up to. He was out with friends, raucous friends, but, whenever she turned his way, he stopped what he was doing and looked back like she was the only one in the room of any importance.
Out of nowhere someone yelled, “Elves!”
The music stopped. The talking stopped.
Aelsong said, “Great Paddy. The crap has hit the wind.”
Ram looked at Song and Elora and said, “Stay here,” forcefully enough to let both know he meant it. As she slid out of the booth right behind him to follow and cover his back, Elora wondered who in the world he thought he was talking to.
When Ram reached the middle of the room he was facing several perturbed-looking Fae, but he was also flanked by a recently cured vampire and three Black Swan knights, one of whom was a berserker and another of whom was his wife who could destroy the building if she had cause.
He said to the crowd in general. “We do no’ want trouble. We are here on official business. If our presence makes you uncomfortable, we’ll be leavin’.”
One of the Fae staring down Ram smirked, raised his voice and said, “Hey, Duffy. The Fen is sayin’ he’s here on official business.”
Aelsong’s angel came through the crowd and stood in front of Ram. As she approached, she noticed he was as tall as her brother, which meant he was tall for a Fae. She stopped beside Ram in a show of solidarity.
The angel looked down at her. “You’re with him, then?”
“For all eternity. He’s my brother.”
The prince’s mouth turned up at the edges. Then he looked at Ram. “And what be the nature of your official business?”
“Again, we do no’ want trouble and are willin’ to leave, but why should we be tellin’ you our business?”
One of the challengers pointed a thumb at Song’s angel. “Are ye daft? You’re talkin’ to Prince Duff Torquil. You could be sayin’ he’s the last word on official.”
Prince Torquil noticed that Ram showed no outward sign of being either intimidated or impressed.
Aelsong raised her chin and let her eyes wander over him again. A dark fae.
“‘Tis no’ for public consumption,” Ram said.
“I see. And is your sister privy to this intrigue?”
“Aye.”
“Very well. Have her come o’er here and whisper it in my ear.”
“My sister is no’ chattel. I do no’ tell her what to do.”
At that so very public statement of confidence, Aelsong’s heart swelled with pride and affection. She looked at her brother with unconditional adoration for all of two seconds before she walked to the Scotia prince purposefully and stood on tiptoe to whisper, “Black Swan,” in his ear.
Duff experienced a moment of sensory overload, a little light-headedness, when Song came near enough to kiss. He couldn’t decide whether to focus on her very arousing scent which would have to be called Carnal Knowledge if it could be bottled, or the warmth of her breath on his ear, or the sound of her tinkling wind chimes voice, or the actual words she said. When he managed to restart his mental processes, it registered that she had mentioned The Order.
He looked down into those hypnotic Hawking blue eyes and said loud enough that everybody in the bar could hear, “The elves are in Scotia under my protection.” Under his breath, quietly enough that only she could hear, he said, “Fae’s gods, it can no’ be.”
Aelsong swallowed and looked up with wide eyes, her heart shaped mouth forming a silent “o”. She started to take a step backward, but he grabbed her wrist. “What’s your name?”
“Aelsong Hawking.”
He looked like his future had just turned inside out and his brows drew together as he looked down at her. “Hawking?” His heart was sinking.
She backed up a couple of steps unable to look away then Duff’s boisterous friends grabbed him and dragged him away.
