THE BRIGHTEST EMBERS is the third book in Jeaniene Frost's
Broken
Destiny series. Since this is the final installment
in this trilogy, THE BRIGHTEST EMBERS should only be read
after reading the previous books in this series. Although
there is a lot of Christian iconography in this story, the
non-stop action and epic love story will appeal to readers
who have no interest in the religious themes. As
star-crossed lovers, Adrian and Ivy trek across multiple
countries, bodies of water, and dimensions, the score from
the classic film NORTH BY NORTHWEST kept playing in a loop
in my mind.
There is a delicate balance between hope and despair in THE
BRIGHTEST EMBERS, as Ivy embarks on the last leg of her
hero's quest. Jeaniene Frost skillfully conveys how
physically and emotionally draining it is for Ivy as she
fights bad guys, and struggles with doing what's best for
her and her loved ones or being selfless and doing things
for the greater good. Because Jeaniene Frost does such a
phenomenal job of breathing life into these characters, you
easily feel empathy for their trials and their victories.
Three things make this story extraordinary for me -- the
romance itself (largely due to the complex and totally
dreamy yet tortured hero), the adorable pet gargoyle Brutus,
and the spectacularly evil villain Demetrius.
The previous book was very much about the strength of a
group fighting against evil, but this final installment
focuses on Ivy and Adrian. In THE BRIGHTEST EMBERS, even
though there are brief interludes when Ivy and Adrian
separate, I feel like this book highlights the strengths
along with the problematic nature of their relationship.
Over the course of the book, this couple battles the forces
of evil side by side, as well as battling their own doubts
to find their happily ever after. In the end, it's trust --
both in themselves and each other -- that proves to be the
biggest hurdle. Brutus proves to be both a goofy and devoted
pet, as well as a fierce protector. Demetrius is the perfect
villain you love to hate. The best moments are when the
heroes frustrate and annoy Demetrius in the same kind of way
that Peter Pan tormented Captain Hook or the perpetually
cheery Whos irked the Grinch. Of course, Demetrius is a
million times deadlier and darker than those villains but
those slightly comic moments are extremely entertaining.
THE BRIGHTEST EMBERS is a thrilling tale of prophecy,
demons, and the power of love. This is a perfect story for
readers who are looking for an engrossing story with plenty
of action, fantasy, and romance. I look forward to reading
Jeaniene Frost's next book.
You can run from your destiny, but you can't hide?..
.
Ivy thought that she and Adrian had conquered their
fates.
Yet with thousands of innocents still trapped in the
demon
realms, she's determined to locate the final hallowed
weapon and harness its unparalleled power to free them.
But the last relic nearly put Ivy in the grave?there's
probably no coming back from this one.
Adrian's dark lineage has made him the most powerful of
his kind, yet even his incredible abilities might not be
enough now. Instead, the treacherous fate he has fought
so
hard to escape might be the only way he can save Ivy.
Their scintillating bond has been tested before, but
never
with so much on the line. Now fate will come head-to-head
against true love, and nothing they've endured can
prepare
Ivy and Adrian for the unthinkable choices they'll
face?...
Excerpt
Chapter One
I walked into the museum with a half demon holding my hand
and a gargoyle waiting for me back at our car. As a history
major, I’d often dreamed about going museum hopping
throughout Europe, but not once had I pictured doing it like
this.
“We’re here for the four p.m. tour,” Adrian, my new husband
and the aforementioned half demon, told the museum attendant.
“The four p.m. tour group is over there,” she said, pointing
toward a small cluster of people about a dozen feet away.
As we walked off, Adrian traced the braided rope tattoo on
my right hand. My sleeve hid the rest of it, just like my
high-necked blouse and long pants hid the remains of the
other hallowed weapon that had supernaturally merged with my
flesh. If the hallowed weapon we were looking for was here,
I’d no doubt end up with a third supernatural tattoo.
Of course, that tattoo might one day end up decorating my
cold dead corpse.
“Feel anything, Ivy?” Adrian asked in a low voice.
I directed my senses outward and felt the distinct vibes
that meant this was hallowed ground, as well as extra
brushes of power from the various religious relics in this
museum. But I didn’t feel anything potent enough to punch a
hole through every demon realm in existence, and that’s the
specific ancient relic we were after.
“No,” I said, frustration coloring my tone.
I hadn’t felt the power we were seeking when we were at
Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome last week, or the Hofburg
Palace in Vienna earlier this week. Now we were at the
Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin complex in Vagharshapat,
Armenia. This was the third place in the world claiming
possession of spearhead of Longinus, aka the Holy Lance, aka
the final hallowed weapon that I was supposedly fated to
wield. The third time was, unfortunately, not the charm
according to my lineage-derived radar. I could sense
hallowed objects, and the famed spearhead wasn’t here,
unless wards were messing with my ability to feel it.
I wasn’t optimistic about our chances. “I suppose if the
real spearhead was at one of the places it was supposed to
be at, demons would’ve stolen it centuries ago.”
Someone close enough to overhear that gave me a startled
look. I just waved at her. I wasn’t worried about shocking
her with the truth about demons, demons’ minions,
Archons—better known as angels—or any of the other
supernatural creatures I now knew were real. I could spend
the next twenty minutes telling everyone here that all these
things existed, and no one would believe me even if a bunch
of demons were breathing down their necks while I spoke. I
knew that from experience.
Adrian drew me closer, brushing back my dark brown hair. “We
had to check out this museum to be sure the spearhead wasn’t
hiding in plain sight. Besides,” he murmured, leaning down
until his mouth nearly touched mine. “This might not be a
successful relic hunt, but it’s turning into a great honeymoon.”
My cheeks weren’t the only parts of me to grow warm at his
statement, yet instead of leaning into his lips, I pushed
him back. The look in his eyes said he was about to kiss me
in a way more suited to our bedroom than a museum located on
the headquarters of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
Still, Adrian was right. We might have struck out at finding
the third hallowed weapon, but other than that, this had
been the best month of my life. I’d used the second hallowed
weapon to close the gateways between the demon realms and
our world, effectively locking the demons out. That made it
a thousand times safer for me, Adrian, my sister, our friend
Costa, and every other person in the world. Only demons’
minions were left on this side of the realms, and with their
demon masters locked up, the minions seemed to be running
scared instead of terrorizing anyone.
“Kiss me later. Let’s do the tour now,” I told Adrian. “I
might not feel anything, but the last weapon’s power was
blocked by wards. Maybe the spearhead is here, and I just
can’t feel it yet.”
“Maybe,” Adrian said, his light tone belying the sudden
darkening of his sapphire-colored gaze.
Then he straightened, and just like that, the teasing,
passionate man I loved was replaced by a hardened fighter
who’d been raised by demons to be the world’s most effective
killer. I took in a deep breath, reminding myself that the
demons’ efforts had backfired. Now Adrian used all of his
amazing abilities to fight against them instead of for them.
Besides, he was only gearing up in case the spearhead
was here. If so, its incredible power would compel
me into attempting to use it on the spot, and I wasn’t ready
to do that. Not yet. That’s why Adrian would fight to the
last ounce of his demonically-fueled, destiny-enhanced
strength to stop me.
Because if I did use the spearhead now, it would kill me.
*
As it turned out, neither one of us had anything to worry
about. One glance at the relic should’ve been enough to
prove that it wasn’t the real deal. Touching the glass
around it to make sure it hadn’t been protected by wards had
almost been redundant. A first-century Roman spearhead
wasn’t a short, flat, ornamental object that looked better
suited to be a necklace than an ancient tool of war. It was
a nasty, two-foot iron shank crowned with a sharp,
pyramid-shaped point designed to impale someone even through
protective armor.
No, this was another replica, and now, we had no idea where
to look for the real spearhead. Adrian wasn’t nearly as
upset about that as I was, and he wasn’t even trying to
pretend otherwise.
“You could at least fake some disappointment,” I said as we
left the museum and walked toward our rental van.
He gave me a sideways glance. “Then I’d be lying, and I
thought we agreed there would be no more lies between us.”
We had, but he didn’t need to rub in how he’d much rather
that I never found, let alone wielded, the spearhead. I
could understand his reasons, but if I gave this up, then
the demons would win and thousands of innocent people would die.
“And I thought you agreed to support me,” I said,
the weight of all those lives making my tone sharper.
Adrian stopped and turned to face me. The sun was starting
to set, casting artificial shades of red across his golden
hair. His towering height, impressive physique, and gorgeous
features had turned countless heads as we walked, but he
didn’t seem to notice anyone else. Adrian stared at me as if
I was the only person on this massive complex.
“I do support you.” The smoothness in his tone didn’t fool
me. Unbreakable ties could also be made of finest silk. “My
every action is driven by my undying love for you, in fact.
What more do you want?”
Put that way, what more could I want? Yet something still
felt…off, as if what Adrian wasn’t saying was more
important than his words.
Underneath my joy this past month, I’d also had a nagging
feeling that I was missing something important. Of course,
it could be that I just didn’t know how to truly be happy.
I’d never had a real relationship before. Plus, until six
months ago, I and everyone else who knew me had believed I
was crazy.
“I know you’re not chomping at the bit to find the spearhead
because using it is dangerous for me,” I said, exploring
that nagging feeling. “But I’ve survived lots of risks
before, remember? I’ll come out on top this time, too.”
Adrian opened his mouth as if to argue, then closed it. “I
know you will,” he said, still in that smooth, easygoing
tone. “You’re just not ready to wield it yet. That’s why I’m
glad none of these relics have been real. Later, when you’ve
had more time to train, you’ll be prepared to handle it.”
“Yeah, well, later better end up being sooner,” I muttered.
All the people still trapped in the demon realms couldn’t
wait years for me to bulk up on my supernatural fortitude.
“Don’t worry,” Adrian said, intensity deepening his voice
this time. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”
I gave him a lopsided smile. Yes, between Adrian and our
good friend Costa training me, my stamina, strength and
skills had grown by leaps and bounds. Eventually, with more
training, I was counting on it being enough to keep me alive
when I attempted to wield the final hallowed weapon—assuming
we ever found it.
I shook off that nagging feeling. It had to be me projecting
my own paranoia onto Adrian. After all, aside from our fight
when I’d decided to go after the spearhead, Adrian hadn’t
argued with me about it. He’d arranged these trips, helped
me train and been nothing but supportive. So, even though I
felt like I’d grown an inner “trouble brewing” sensor in
addition to my hallowed one, it had to be in my head.
“Fine,” I said, my tone brightening. “Since the spearhead is
a bust, do you know any good restaurants around here?”
I stopped speaking when Adrian flung me forward. He’d shoved
me so hard that I would have hit the pavement face first if
not for all the training I’d undergone. Instead, I rolled,
muscle memory taking over. Several loud pops sounded in
quick succession above me, as rapid as fireworks, yet when
they were followed by screams, I knew what they really were.
Gunfire.
“Ivy, run!” Adrian shouted.
I darted toward the nearest car for coverage. I didn’t have
to worry about Adrian—bullets weren’t lethal to him. He
hadn’t joined me behind the car, but ran in the direction of
the shots. That would be suicidal for anyone else, but his
half-demon bloodline meant that only another demon could
kill Adrian.
“I’m good!” I shouted so Adrian wouldn’t worry about me.
The car window above me shattered from another round of
gunfire. Worse, the angle from that shot had been completely
different. That meant we were being attacked by two
shooters.
I hit the ground and began to crawl toward another car,
shredding my knees on the concrete, but not caring about the
pain. Another shot hit the ground only an inch away, and I
lurched forward to avoid the next one.
“Larastra!” I shouted to Brutus, using the Demonish
command Adrian taught me. I hoped the gargoyle could hear
me. Our rental van was on the other side of the parking lot.
A familiar roar responded to my shouted command, followed by
a much louder crashing sound. I fervently hoped it was my
pet who’d caused that noise instead of a third attacker
joining the mix, but I didn’t dare pick my head up to look.
I stayed as low as I could, hunkered behind a truck that
should be wide enough to protect me.
New screams jerked my head around. A blonde girl knelt next
to a nearby car. She was shaking all over, yet her gaze
appeared almost blank when she looked at me. She also wasn’t
crouched low enough to be safe.
“Get down,” I hissed.
Her eyes widened, but she didn’t move. Maybe she couldn’t.
I’d seen shock freeze people before, but she needed to get
down or—
“Dammit!” I shouted when blood bloomed on her shoulder after
another burst of gunfire. She shook harder, yet still didn’t
drop down low enough to avoid another hit. I glanced in the
direction where the shots were coming from. I was no expert,
but from the angle, the shooter was probably on a roof. That
would give him a great view of the parking lot and me, if I
came out from behind the truck to help her.
I’d get shot if I did that. That was probably the gunman’s
plan: wing the blonde in order to lure me out.
“Help me,” the blonde girl whispered.
She had blue eyes like my sister. She looked to be about
Jasmine’s age, too. And she was caught up in a war she
didn’t even know existed.
Stay where you are! a dark sense of
self-preservation urged me. If this girl can’t duck,
that’s her problem!Don’t you dare! my conscience snapped back. She
doesn’t deserve this. These shooters are here for you, not
her!
This might be reckless, but I couldn’t leave her out in the
open. If the gunman had winged her once to get my attention,
he’d do it again, and she might not survive the next one. I
rose from my crouch to get better traction, then stared at her.
Here I come, I mouthed.
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