"You survived," she slurred, as her knees went out from under her.
The floor pitched toward her, but he was there. Strong hands caught her before she hit the floor, and he slung her up into his arms.
"Dmitri died," the man said, in a toneless voice. "All that's left now is Obsidian."
And then the world vanished around her as everything went dark…
Also by Bec McMaster
BURNED LANDS SERIES
Nobody's Hero
The Last True Hero
The Hero Within
Holding Out For A Hero (coming 2018)
DARK ARTS SERIES
Shadowbound
Hexbound
Soulbound (coming 2017)
LONDON STEAMPUNK SERIES
Kiss Of Steel
Heart Of Iron
My Lady Quicksilver
Forged By Desire
Of Silk And Steam
Novellas in same series:
Tarnished Knight
The Curious Case Of The Clockwork Menace
LONDON STEAMPUNK: THE BLUE BLOOD CONSPIRACY
Mission: Improper
The Mech Who Loved Me
You Only Love Twice (coming 2018)
LEGENDS OF THE STORM
Heart of Fire
Storm of Desire (coming 2018)
OTHER
The Many Lives Of Hadley Monroe
Author’s Note and Acknowledgements
First things first: Garrett. Please don’t think this was an easy decision to make. When I was plotting my way through the book, I needed a way to push the Nighthawks over the line, and set up the storyline for the next few books. And a horrible, horrible thought occurred. Could I do that? Should I? Surely there was some other way… But one of my beta team said, “If you pull your punches here, you’ll deflate the stakes of the story, the emotional impact, and the ongoing plot of the Blue Blood Conspiracy series.”
As to Garrett, I forsee male bonding nights with Kincaid ahead of him, in which there will probably be biomech arm wrestling matches, and Perry and Ava will roll many an eye.
###
I enjoyed every second of writing this book, but as with every project I take on, I couldn't have done it without a lot of help from these amazing people:
I owe huge thanks to my editor, Olivia, and my final eyes proof-reader, Mandy, from Hot Tree Editing for their work in helping make this manuscript the best it could be; my wonderful cover artists from Damonza.com for nailing yet another cover; and Marisa Shor from Cover Me Darling for the print formatting.
To Kylie Griffin and Jennie Kew for the Beta Read and simply for being the best sounding boards I could hope for, and Robyn, Keri, Jess, Laurelle, Kaye and Nicole for helping keep me sane, and being my support crew! There were many chocolates consumed in the making of this book.
Special thanks to my very own beta hero, Byron–who has always been unabashedly proud of this dream of mine, even when I didn't know if I could do it. Thanks for making dinner while I was on deadline, venturing into the mad mess we call a laundry, and basically giving me the time to wrap this book up. This book nearly killed me (who needs sleep), but you were there for me every step of the way.
Last, not least, to all of my readers who support me on this journey, and have been crazy vocal about their love for the London Steampunk series, and anything else I write! I hope you enjoy the next adventure in the dark world of London Steampunk.
About the Author
Bec McMaster is the award-winning author of the London Steampunk series. Following a life-long love affair with fantasy, she discovered romance novels as a 16 year-old, and hasn’t looked back.
She has been nominated for RT Reviews Best Steampunk Romance for Heart of Iron (2013), won RT Reviews Best Steampunk Romance with Of Silk And Steam (2015), and Forged By Desire was nominated for a RITA award in 2015. The series has received starred reviews from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal, with Heart of Iron named one of their Best Romances of 2013.
When not poring over travel brochures, playing netball, or cooking things that are very likely bad for her, Bec spends most of her time in front of the computer. She lives in a small country town in Victoria, Australia, with her very own Beta Hero; a dog named Kobe; and demanding chickens, Siggy and Lagertha.
For news on new releases, cover reveals, contests, and special promotions, join her mailing list.
www.becmcmaster.com
becmcmaster1@gmail.com