Heir Of Lies Excerpt Stop Plus Giveaway

Heir of Lies (Black Dawn #1) by Mallory McCartney

Publication Date: April 21, 2020

“Hope was a dangerous thing. It could consume every dream and make them take flight, becoming wild daydreams in one’s heart and mind. Or hope could incinerate everything you thought you knew, burning you down to your core, leaving you raw and exposed for the world.”

Emory Fae has only known one thing—life at The Academy, a school for those who have special abilities. Following in her parents’ footsteps, the pressure to uphold their dream falls on her and one of her best friends—Adair Stratton. An outcast and feared by most, Adair longs to break away from the expectations dictating his future. With whispers of dark magic spreading across Kiero, Adair starts to doubt The Academy is all it seems.

An unexpected visit ignites new tensions as the roguish king from across the Black Sea, Tadeas Maher of the Shattered Isles, and his heir, Marquis Maher, sail to Kiero. Notorious for their pirating and wrath, for the first time in years, they demand the Faes listen to their proposition for a new treaty. Caught in the middle of politics, Adair and Emory, with the help of their best friends Brokk and Memphis, search for the one thing that matters the most—the truth.

Their world is tipped upside down as unlikely alliances are made, and war ravages Kiero. Through the throes of betrayal, lies, hidden magic, and love, Adair is faced with a life changing decision. Will he fight or bow to the darkness within?

But, Adair’s decision will change the course of Kiero forever, setting in motion irreversible destinies for everyone at The Academy as Emory Fae rises as heir.

Heir of Lies is the first book in the bestselling Black Dawn series.

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Excerpt

He was transfixed by the way she moved. Locks of her black hair trickled forward. Her slender body was animated as Emory was lost in what she was saying. The words were a distant hum, never truly reaching him, but wrapping his mind with their warmth. It felt so good to be talked to without the condescension from his parents or from the withering looks of fellow students.  The afternoon air brushed his cheek, bringing him back to his pressing thoughts. As usual, he was completely and utterly at Emory Fae’s mercy. She radiated with life, and Adair clung to it like a lifeline, desperately and all at once. Chewing his inner lip, he tried to slow his hammering heart, his clammy palms. To suffocate the urge to lean over and run his thumb over her lower lip, to cup her face, to lower his lips on hers and just feel what it would be like, to know the possibilities they held together.  Like every other day of his life, he pushed his roaring emotions down deep, chaining them in the restraints of his very core. The afternoon had passed with their parents going over maps and possible borders his father would go to next with his brainless group.  Roque and his father constantly butting heads.  Nei and his mother, Bresslin, talking quietly to themselves.  Him and Emory had sat in the back, watching and ever dutiful.  But as always, he was watching her. Glimpses of her full lips quirking to the side in her crooked smile. How she tucked her long ebony hair behind her ear. How her eyes reminded him of the forest at night, deep and full of secrets. How when she was excited or mad, her high cheekbones flushed deeply. Her laugh. Her scowl. Her stubbornness. Her, entirely.  Breathing in the deep scent of summer, he tried to relax as they sat on the ledge of the grey boulder they had scaled. He knew, with every passing day, the ownership of his heart was being whittled away. A slow warmth spread through him at the thought, because when it came to him and Emory, there was no other way he wanted his story to be written. The first time they had met, he had known – they were destined. Her light had always complimented his darkness, and he was, in every sense, entranced by her.  “Adair?” Snapping out of his thoughts, he stole a glance at her and faltered, looking ahead.  The sun sat lazily in the sky, and time seemed to stop, each stolen brush of fingers and sly smile tucked away for them both. Emory sought out the comfort of her longest friend. He was her confidant. Who else could relate to what it felt like to uphold their family’s reputations? The pressure, the constant scrutiny. He cringed internally, echoes of his father’s criticisms filling him.  You are the best and the strongest, Adair. We are elite. Better than these fools who occupy this place. You will understand, my son. There is more to life than a teenage boy’s desires. You will see that you deserve to rule. To be mighty. To grow out of this place.    Adair sighed. He yearned for Emory to see past his facades, see past his ability, see past their friendship, past their families, and recognize that she was the most important person to him. Above his parents and this school.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mallory McCartney currently lives in Sarnia, Ontario with her husband and their three dachshunds Link, Lola and Leonard. When she isn’t working on her next novel or reading, she can be found day dreaming about fantasy worlds and hiking. Other favorite pastimes involve reorganizing perpetually overflowing bookshelves and seeking out new coffee and dessert shops.

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Giveaway!

• One (1) winner will win a signed hardcover of Heir of Lies by Mallory McCartney