Should I ignore this letter from my half-sister, and spurn the opportunity to meet a close relative? Or did I write back, and in doing so, risk drawing my father’s attention, and possibly endanger my marriage to Iannis?

The air above the table shimmered, and the ether parrot appeared, lighting the space with his blue glow. He perched on the edge of the table and squinted at me and the letter I was still holding, wicked intelligence gleaming in his eyes. His beak opened.

“Go ahead, say it,” I told the bird. His phrase certainly fit the situation, though I should probably teach him some other expressions, especially if he was going to keep on popping in unexpectedly like this. It would be hilarious, but awful, if he manifested during an interview or public event and began spouting curses.

“Ha-ha-ha,” he squawked, mocking me.

“Oh, fuck off.” I tossed a pillow at the parrot, but he winked out of existence before it could hit. It bounced off the balcony railing instead.

“What next?” I asked the open air, half hoping someone might answer.

But of course, no one did. There would be no deity coming to my rescue, whispering words of advice in my ear, not this time.

Whatever happened next was up to me.

To be continued…

Sunaya Baine’s adventure will continue in Book 6 of the Baine Chronicles, title to be announced! Click the below link and join the mailing list so you can be notified of future release dates, and to receive special updates, freebies and giveaways!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MAILING LIST

If you want to keep up with Jasmine Walt in the meantime, you can like her Facebook page, and follow her on Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon.

Did you enjoy this book? Please consider leaving a review. Reviews help us authors sell books so we can afford to write more of them. Writing a review is the best way to ensure that the author writes the next one as it lets them know readers are enjoying their work and want more. Thank you very much for taking the time to read, and we hope you enjoyed the book!

Glossary

Annia: see under Melcott, Annia.

Ancestral Spirits: according to Shifter belief, once a being is done with reincarnation, they may become an ancestral spirit.

ar’: suffix in mages’ family names that denotes they are of noble birth, and can trace their descent to one of Resinah’s twelve disciples.

Baine, Sunaya: a half-panther shifter, half-mage who used to hate mages and has a passion for justice. Because magic is forbidden to all but the mage families, Sunaya was forced to keep her abilities a secret until she accidentally used them to defend herself in front of witnesses. Rather than condemn her to death, the Chief Mage, Iannis ar’Sannin, chose to take her on as his apprentice, and eventually his fiancée. She struggles to balance her shifter and mage heritage.