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LENGTH: Novella
SENSUALITY: Sensual

Cover art (c) Eliza Black 2005
ISBN 1-58608-374-0
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Though Wildon saved Tia from a carjacker, when she wakes to find herself a prisoner in a doorless room with him, she is furious. Then he informs her that she is married to him, a prince of the Sidhe, the fairy race. While she insists it is not a valid marriage since she did not consent, Tia cannot deny that she finds passion in his arms. But does he really love her or does he only want to get close enough to poison her famous mother?

Rating: Sensual

PRINCE OF THE MIST

By

Penelope Marzec

© copyright April 2005, Penelope Marzec
Cover art by Eliza Black © copyright April 2005
ISBN 1-58608-374-0
New Concepts Publishing
Lake Park, GA 31636
www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One

Tia trembled as she suppressed the desolate moan welling up in her throat. Clutching at the burning ache on her right side, she turned to continue running. With a sickening sense of despair, she glanced around her at a level plateau. She saw nothing but the tall trees and the shadowing canopy of the forest where the light was fading fast as the sun set over the tops of the Catskill Mountains. She needed someplace to hide, but there were no large rocks. The trees, while tall, were not wide and would offer precious little camouflage. She knew she couldn't go much further, since the searing pain in her side would not allow her to take a decent breath.

Gasping for air, she staggered along the leaf-strewn ground until a stabbing pain in her shoulder halted her in her tracks for a moment. She tried to catch her breath, but breathing caused a spasm of agony in her side. She had hit the ground hard when she had escaped from the carjacker and now she couldn't bear to move her shoulder even the slightest bit or fill her lungs with air.

So far there had been no gunshots, but her pursuer had a weapon and at any rate he could still easily overpower her when he caught up to her. She leaned against the rough bark of a tree and closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing against the tightness in her throat. She didn't want to die, but she couldn't fight off the madman following her.

When she opened her eyes again, a sudden wind stirred through the branches overhead as a thick fog began to roll toward her like a shroud, obliterating the landscape with a blanket of mist. The bizarre haze spread quickly, deadening the noise in the woods and making it eerily quiet--save for a muffled shout from the carjacker.

She tried to move away from the icy white dampness, but it followed her, swirling around faster and faster, as though it wanted to envelop her. Already numb with fear, she found her terror spiraling out of control. She felt smothered by the cold cloud.

She noticed a large fallen log only a couple feet away from her. She was sure it hadn't been there a few moments before, but she headed toward it nevertheless, gritting her teeth as every movement of her side now shot an excruciating ache through her.

Suddenly, there in the dancing fog, she spotted a backpacker standing on the other side of the log. The tall blond man had such fair skin that even in the dying light, his face was plainly visible. He beckoned to her. For a moment, she hesitated. What if he was a friend of the carjacker?

"This way," he called.

Something in his voice reassured her. She gulped and glanced behind her. She could not see anything save for the white fog. With her heart thundering, she staggered toward the log. It was far more massive than she had thought at first. It was level with the middle of her thigh.

"Swing your legs over," the backpacker urged.

She heard another shout from the maniac pursuing her. That spurred her on as terror flooded through her veins. The searing pain from her side threatened to immobilize her, but she managed to swing her right leg over the trunk, then her left.

The backpacker gave her a warm smile and held out his hand. She reached for it and at the first touch, she found an odd sensation flooding through her--a weightlessness that made her lightheaded.

"Jump!" the backpacker implored.

Looking beneath her, Tia saw only the leaf-covered floor of the forest. She pushed off the rough bark and found herself sliding right through the leaves and down into empty darkness.

She screamed in panic. She could see nothing as she fell further and further. Was it a rabbit hole? A bear den? Tia felt the backpacker's hand still clutching hers, but she could hear nothing except the howl of the wind. Twisting through the empty space, she saw her whole life pass before her in a brief instant. Somewhere, far off, she thought she heard lilting music. Then all sounds, even the sound of rushing air stopped as she passed out cold.