Asira is a member of a high-ranking family of Alchemists who exert control over the libraries that store magical texts. She never believed her acceptance into the coveted position was in doubt. Yet, when she becomes the apprentice of a gargoyle shifter Alchemist who insists on keeping his pet bird with him, she has her doubts that he was the right choice for her final class.
Jaydon is from a shifter group known as the Gigun. As an unconventional but powerful teacher of transmutation at the university, he could have his pick of mentees. It isn’t hard to tell that the last thing he wants to do is mentor a student from a powerful family.
Asira finds Jaydon frustrating but too fascinating for her own good. But she needs his knowledge and guidance when she becomes the target of a classmate’s deception. With Jaydon’s assistance, the two of them uncover a conspiracy that threatens the well-regulated order of the Floating World.
As their feelings for each other intensify, Jaydon must make a life-altering decision which will either bind them together… or permanently force them apart.
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EXCERPT
His deep voice had a slight rasp, and a warmth that made his words much more interesting than they should’ve been. It was as though he was sharing his personal thoughts with her, not reading from a dry alchemy text.
“Would you like me to show you more?” he asked, as he absently flipped through the pages.
“Yes, please.”
He looked up at her and smiled, pleased at her enthusiasm. “Well, let’s look at this chapter. I think this will explain what elements are important to…”
What was happening to her? She’d never had to struggle to focus on alchemy theories before. And none of her previous instructors had had this type of effect on her. Maybe if she’d had more of a social life over all the years of study, she wouldn’t be feeling this way.
“And this element is essential in…”
There had to be a way to ignore the slight aroma of spice if she worked at it. Anise and Bergamot and was that citrus? Maybe it was from the soap he used. That had to be it.
“Now in this chapter, I want you to pay attention to…”
Each time he glanced at her, she smiled and nodded even though she had no idea what he was talking about. It had to be the spices, that was it. She’d read about how they could be combined to induce pleasurable thoughts. This was right out of her Olfactory Alchemy Formulas textbook.
The magister who had written it had been the topic of endless gossip and speculation for years afterwards. In fact, Varen had made one of the elixirs from the text on a whim. He’d never been as popular with faculty and students as he had been that summer.
“Asira?” Jaydon was staring at her. “Are you all right? I was asking if you understood these symbols.”
“Um, yes, of course,” she said, wondering why she was so warm all of a sudden. “I was distracted.” She rubbed her sweaty palms together, though it didn’t help.
“Oh?” He held her gaze as he continued to point to the page. “Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”
Was he sweating? No, that light sheen on his skin had to be…she had no idea what it had to be. Under the desk, their knees were touching and for some reason she was reluctant to move away.
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Buy links
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https://books2read.com/Metamorphosis-Worlds
Amazon.com
https://tinyurl.com/2ff4muhw
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Worlds of Fire Romantic Fantasy Series
Featuring worlds of magic and technology, connected by fiery portals created by the mysterious phoenix shifters. Guarded by the winged Night Forces, the portals are gateways to planets inhabited by humans and shifters. Worlds steeped in mystery and intrigue, bound by the secrets in the powerful Books of Fire.
Also Available
Out of the ashes, a new beginning…
When his family and most of their kind were destroyed by the Guild, Derek inherited the position of Vampire Lord. Alchemists held the keys to creating portals to other worlds, knowledge they passed down to phoenixes. Their utopian society was crushed when the Guild invaded, intending to unlock the powerful secrets phoenixes possess. Lovers Derek and Avani met the night their city was sacked and after the city succumbed, they were lost to each other.
Love will be resurrected in blood and fire…
Having lost her memory, Avani became a protégé of the Guild Master, conditioned by magic to believe shifters and vampires were evil. Eventually, she was made Seeker, tasked with finding the Vampire Lord in order to gain access to phoenixes.
When Derek finds Avani, he neutralizes the magic that’s kept her from remembering who she is. However, the Templars have almost certainly made a pact with the enemy of all supernatural creatures, in order to gain access to the portals. Only a phoenix can save the world from utter ruin now, but that was precisely the asking price…
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Author Bio
Deborah A Bailey’s Romantic Fantasy, Science Fiction and Paranormal Romance novels include suspense, a bit of mystery and a lot of romantic heat.
Her short stories have won awards from the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference and have been published in US1 Magazine and the Sun and are included in, Electric Dreams: Seven Futuristic Tales.
Visit her site https://AuthorDebBailey.com for more information and subscribe to the newsletter here: https://eepurl.com/bokGdX so you’ll be the first to find out about giveaways, book launches and sneak peeks.
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Tess Rafferty has written for numerous comedy variety shows, including Martha and Snoop’s Potluck Party Challenge, @Midnight, The Comedy Central Roast of Roseanne, The Soup and has written and developed half hour comedies for numerous companies including Warner Brothers. As an author, Tess made her debut with her memoir Recipes for Disaster. Under the Tuscan Gun is her first novel.
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