Title:
Lost in Shadow, A Shadow Walkers Novel (Book 1)
Author:
Cynthia
Luhrs
Release
date: March 27,
2013
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Age
Group: Adult
Book
Description:
We were wrong…ghosts are frighteningly
real.
For centuries a war has been raging between light and shadow. Shadow Walker
pitted against Day Walker, threatening to plunge the world into darkness.
Colin, an ancient warrior, lost hope long ago. Now he prowls the streets of
Edinburgh eviscerating those who prey on humanity.
Emily possesses the ability to see beyond our realm into the dangerous realms
of Light and Shadow. Unwittingly drawn into the shadows when she intervenes to
help Colin, igniting his long-buried desires, she unleashes a terrible curse.
Now with a week to break the curse, time is running out as they are locked in a
deadly fight with forces that will stop at nothing to destroy them before they
succeed.
Intensely romantic and thrilling, Lost in Shadow portrays the struggle between
redemption and retribution.
Fans of J.R. Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Karen Marie Moning, and Charlaine Harris
will enjoy the Shadow Walkers Series.Show more
About
the Author
Cynthia Luhrs is the author of the
Shadow Walkers novels. A graduate of Towson University, she was practical,
majoring in Business which served her well now she's a writer and needs to stay
organized. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, she toiled away in Corporate
America for many years. Her idea of a perfect day is no interruptions and the
freedom to live in her head all day, writing to her heart's content, an icy
cold drink next to her as she creates the next Shadow Walker book. Of course her
cats frequently disrupt this oasis of serenity.
Author
social media links:
Excerpt:
Colin was moaning, thrashing about, in
the throes of a nightmare while unconscious. On the bright side, at least he
wasn’t dead. She’d kept him warm against her, promising anyone who was
listening she’d give up chocolate, Pepsi, and wine if they’d let him be okay
and get them out of here.
Swearing, Colin couldn’t hear over the
infernal racket. And why was water dripping on him—were they going to drown in
this godforsaken tunnel? Sitting up, his head spun.
“Wait, you’re hurt. A rock hit you on
the head. There was so much blood, I tried to stop it but you wouldn’t wake
up.” Drying her eyes and hiccupping from crying, Emily helped Colin sit up.
“I thought you were lost in the shadows,
it’s been so long—I can’t find any way out, there’s an awful scrabbling noise.
I think the rats are back. It’s terrible having an overactive imagination. I’m
not normally such a mess but I kept thinking the rats would get in and eat us
alive.” This last bit was said on a particularly unladylike hiccup as Emily
pulled herself together.
“Do you think you can stop hiccupping so
I can listen for this scratching you heard? Shall I scare you to make the
hiccups stop?” Colin smiled thinking how brave she was, taking care of him
while she was afraid. She was strong whether she believed it or not.
Listening, he could hear faint noises.
This was good; the rats knew how to get out. If he could pinpoint where they
were, there was a chance he could find a way to escape. Hell, being trapped
while he was injured afforded him some peace from worrying about the bloody Day
Walkers killing him while he recovered.
Deciding the noise was coming from the
right of them, Colin started digging, removing stone, placing it on the path
behind them. If the Day Walkers found the entrance, at least they’d have to
remove the stone. They couldn’t materialize past it since they couldn’t see
where they were going. You had to know where you were going or you might end up
embedded in a wall. While it wouldn’t kill you, it might be a hell of a long
time before you got out.
“Let me help.” Emily started prying the
rock and stone loose.
The bloody stone was heavy; his arms
were straining. Pulling a particularly heavy chunk out of the debris, Colin
jerked as another rib broke. It must have been fractured and snapped from the
strain. He stopped a moment as dizziness and nausea threatened to make him look
like a girl.
Gah,
damnit to hell, it hurt like a bitch. Focus, you prissy girl, keep going,
ignore the pain.
“Ouch!” Emily winced next to him.
Taking her hands in his, Colin examined
her fingers; she had snapped off or ripped off each nail down to the quick
trying to help remove the stone. “Lass, stop, you’ve destroyed your pretty
nails. I liked the color, reminded me of a bronze shield I once had.” Anger
filled him; she’d been injured because of him. If she hadn’t trusted him, none
of this would have happened. She’d never cried out; simply kept digging. She
had a spine of steel which he admired.
“They don’t hurt anymore.”
“You’re in shock. Now lean as close to
the wall as you can.” With a grunt and a heave, the boulder came rolling past
her to land at their feet. Air came rushing in, along with the sound of…rats.
“I’ve never been so happy to hear those
dirty little creatures.”
Reaching for Emily’s hand, Colin first
had to wipe his hand and forearm off on his kilt; he must have re-opened one of
his injuries, it was bleeding again. He didn’t care about the blood, he didn’t
want to worry Emily.
“It’s another tunnel. We’ll follow the
rats to safety. Take my hand; it’s tall enough we can stand up.”
In the darkness, he felt her wince as
she placed her hand in his. Stopping, he cursed. He should have taken care of
her when he realized, not waited. Ripping what was left of his tattered shirt,
he bound her hands to cushion the tender fingertips.
“There, there, this will help. Once we
are safe, we’ll have them tended to. Are you okay?” He stroked her cheek.
“I feel numb.”
“Most men would have screamed like
girls—ripping a fingernail off hurts like hell.” Admiration filled his voice.
She sniffed, “I don’t feel very brave.”
Turning a corner, air blew in ruffling
their hair, the sound of water trickling by their feet, the rats scurrying to
freedom. Ahead, he could make out a dim light. Reaching the end of the tunnel,
they came to a stone wall. The rats were scurrying out; air and water coming
in…there had to be a door here somewhere.
Excitement filled his voice, “Feel every
inch of the wall…” Colin paused for a moment thinking of earlier, her warm hand
on his thigh…what it would be like to have her hands exploring every inch of
his body. Mentally eye rolling, he continued, “There has to be a lever in the
stone we can press to free us.”
Exploring every inch of the wall, a thud
sounded as Colin pushed in on a stone rosette. Light flooded into the space as
Colin pushed with all his might, the heavy door swinging open, leading them
outside into the late afternoon.
Sagging with relief, Emily wheezed. “You
distracted me so I wouldn’t flip out. You’re nice when you’re not being
grumpy.”
Hugging Colin tight, she stood on her
tiptoes, kissing his cheek. “Thank you.”
Desire surging, his control snapped,
pulling her tightly against him, he captured her mouth in a demanding kiss,
invading her with his tongue, bruising her lips; he wanted to crawl inside her,
take her there against the stone wall, on the banks of the water.
Arching against him, she ran her hands
over his back and arms, feeling his strength, his wounds—and the blood. A
bucket of cold water would have had the same effect. She pulled away, “You’re
bleeding and badly injured, we have to find help.”
“Damn the bloody injuries.” Growling at
the distance between them, he shook his head to clear it.
The worry on her face
brought him back to his senses.
“Aye, we need tending, though I’d rather
stay here and kiss you senseless. We’re close to the Black Swan. It will be
safe for a bit, we can get you bandaged up, a hot meal, drink, and then rest.
In the morning I’ll arrange a ship and we’ll set sail up the coast, somewhere
safe.”
Daylight was fading, the late afternoon
shadows would help hide them from prying eyes. There was a path running along
the water, ending at the back door of the Black Swan. Robert could help them
with a ship. They’d go to Ravensmore. Fury ignited him, thinking of Rawlins and
others trying to hurt Emily.
The thought kept eating at him. They
couldn’t know about the curse, what it meant, could they? He’d cut down every
last sonofabith before he’d let any of those filthy bastards lay a hand on a
single strand of Emily’s hair.
MINE...no one would touch his woman.
