G I V E A W A Y   E N D E D

Synopsis:

Greyson hides many things from the Unseelie Court when they invade his estate each autumn for the Wild Hunt. During his required appearance as host, he is surprised to find a human among the glittering fae. She can see him even when he is using his stealth magic, which means only one thing—they are soul mates. Can he protect her amidst the swirl of fae politics and a plot against her life?

Lyra has grown up among the fae. She has been trained to be the perfect servant. Then her master brings her to the Unseelie Court event of the year and demands she demonstrate her skills to nobles. With the promise of freedom as a motivator, she willingly agrees. Then she realizes her master’s true plan thanks to the intimidating fae lord hosting the event. Though why he would be invested in her fate is a mystery.

The Unseelie’s Wallflower is a light, fantasy romance novella about a relationship between an Unseelie and a human woman. It features faes, fated mates, and a romance between a noble and a servant, all played out against a backdrop of the peril, politics, and maneuverings of the Unseelie Court.

Goodreads / Amazon

Excerpt 1:

Greyson

Then I noticed her, the singular human. A female, small even for her species, hid among the ferns at the foot of one of the massive pillars supporting the soaring ceiling. Dressed simply, she watched the crowd with wary attention, burrowing deeper into the plants’ accommodating fronds every time a guest wandered near her hiding place. 

Curious, I meandered that way. Slipping around the far side of the pillar, I settled in the deepest shadows of the plant next to her fern and set my back against the stone. She had chosen a good spot for spying. Most of the foot traffic flowed around this central point, but few of the passersby glanced in our direction. They ignored the greenery placed around the walls and bracketing the windows of my entryway.

“Bored with eavesdropping?” she asked.

I glanced over at her. Fronds framed her features as her bright eyes scanned the mingling crowd. She hadn’t turned my way, but somehow, I was certain she spoke to me. Assessing our surroundings, I noted no one else stood close enough to overhear or be the object of her query. 

“Are you speaking to me?” I asked.

“Who else?” She flicked a glance over her shoulder. Blue eyes focusing on my face and the softening of her mouth hinted at a smile.

“You see me?” Utter surprise brought a great rush of excitement. No one saw me when I wished to be hidden. Not even my own kind could detect my passing. Yet this slender human, magicless and helpless, not only saw me but didn’t hesitate to speak to me. It meant one thing. My breath caught in my chest. She was my soul mate.

“Of course, I see you.” Her mouth deepened into a suppressed smile while hidden laughter brightened her eyes. “You are a bit hard to miss.”

Excerpt 2:

Lyra

“You are bound to the house now.” Drummons informed me as he dragged me through the crowd of fae. 

I nodded my understanding. I had expected as much since he used to bind me to his estate before. 

It took all of my self-control not to gawk at the fae around us. Sprites fluttered their gossamer wings. A cluster of giggling pixies sparkling with magic dust dashed by, and a regal naiad covered in the subtle sheen of scales beneath her silk gown sneered at them. Everywhere I turned, creatures I couldn’t name walked by. As imposing as some of them were, none held a candle to the dour-faced male I had surprised among the ferns.

Something about his eyes intrigued me. Despite the restraint of his expression and reserve in his manner, his eyes were vulnerable. Plus, he didn’t rebuke me for my boldness. Drummons was always lecturing me about my tendency to speak when least appropriate. But I couldn’t help it. The strange fae’s sad eyes made me long to make him smile. He appeared to be a man who needed laughter in his life.

“Stop smiling.” Drummons shook my upper arm, breaking me from my thoughts. “Reserved, respectful, and quiet—repeat with me now.”

I obediently recited the mantra that he insisted I learn and apply to my manner. Arranging my expression into a mask of neutrality, I lowered my chin and took a slow, deep breath. It was hard to remain reserved, but I must. If this house party went the way Drummons wanted, he had promised me freedom. 

After a lifetime of servitude, I hungered for liberty. Imagine being allowed to make choices about what I did, who I talked to, and what I ate. I wished to live away from Drummons’ demands and whining. I just had to be perfect for one week. Surely I was capable of that. One week of ignoring handsome, sad-eyed strangers and their need for laughter. I could bite my tongue.

Excerpt 3:

Greyson

Lingering outside the supper room for an hour was the socially acceptable way to see and be seen, a practice I abhorred. I entertained the idea of retreating to my rooms, but my eye caught the gleam of golden hair among the greenery to the right of the stair—Lyra.

I didn’t question my instinctive need to go to her. She was vulnerable.

Stepping back into the shadows just inside the doorway, I tapped my stealth magic. Not a single head turned as I descended the stairs. The servants and fae didn’t turn, but Lyra’s lack of response concerned me. She could still see me, right?

Slipping into the potted foliage next to the balustrade, I waded through the shorter plants to join Lyra in the corner beneath a great potted tree. She perched on the edge of the tree’s tub, head bent and lost in her thoughts. When my foot entered her vision, she looked up.

“Greyson,” she whispered. The delighted welcome in her eyes warmed my heart. “I hoped I would see you.” Her delight dissipated into worry. “My master has changed his instructions.”

“Is that why you are pretending to be a plant again?” I asked, hoping to lighten her mood.

She blinked and smiled fleetingly. “Not my master’s instructions. In fact, he would be quite cross with me for hiding here. But I am obeying the word of his order, just not necessarily the spirit.” She frowned, her lovely blue eyes dimming with her distress. “I am concerned that my master is using me to do something horrible. Can you help me?”

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I dropped my stealth and focused on breathing and maintaining an impassive expression. She had committed the ultimate mistake, requesting help. This was my chance. I would demand a forfeit in exchange. Bind her, and then she would be mine forever. She was my soul mate, after all.

No. I couldn’t do it to her. Yes, I wanted her as my wife, mate, other half, but only if she wanted it too. Forcing myself to breathe evenly, I nodded. “I will help.”

“Thank you!” She stood and moved as though to embrace me but hesitated. “I am sorry. You don’t want to be touched, do you? That is why you wear the gloves.” She motioned to my clenched hands.

“It is not a matter of desire but of necessity.” I gazed down into her beloved face and forced myself to speak of one of my most guarded secrets. She needed to understand. “My kind have soul mates and the first stage of connection is initiated by touch.” I held up my gloved hands. “I wear gloves like every adult of my kind do to avoid accidentally binding someone to me who might not wish to be bound to such as I.”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

Her puzzled expression as she studied my gloved hands did not ease the tension in my chest. At least she hadn’t reacted in horror or taken a step back. But perhaps she didn’t understand the impact of being bound to one like me. How could I explain?

“You are kind and gentle.” She lifted her eyes to my face and clasped her hands before her as though restraining them. “Everything you have done toward me has been supportive and respectful. Any female would be blessed to be bound to one such as you.”

“But I am a—”

“There you are.” Piro’s voice broke over mine as he plowed through the greenery to join us.

As much as I cared for my friend, I hated his arriving at that exact moment.

Excerpt 4:

Greyson

Laughter, music, and the rhythmic thump of dancing feet greeted me as I stepped through into the green haven where I had left Lyra and Piro. To my great relief, the two of them looked up at my entrance. I knew Piro saw only the door open and close because of my magic, but Lyra’s eyes went unerringly to my face. A welcoming smile spread across her features. Oh, how I wanted to be greeted by that smile every day.

“Greyson,” she whispered.

“You can drop the guise,” Piro commented. “You made your point. Besides, I took care to thicken our cover.”

I glanced about to find he had indeed done so. As a master of green magic—thanks to his ettin side—he had broadened the leaves of the surrounding ferns. New shoots had sprung up, crowding in the gaps between the original leaves and branches. Woven together, they created a living shield so no one could look in on the small area where he and Lyra sat. And knowing Piro’s skill, I was confident that it looked very natural from the ballroom side.

I dropped my stealth magic. “Has anyone bothered you?”

“Master passed by, looking for me.” Lyra rubbed her upper arm and Piro’s normally pleasant expression hardened.

“He has her bound with a heart spell.” Piro motioned a hand toward Lyra without moving his arm from its resting place on his knees. “You should show him, Lyra.”

She nodded solemnly. Rolling up her sleeve, she exposed a slim arm, shapely with the evidence of labor. And around the upper portion was a silver ribbon. The spell on it was so strong that it shimmered around the edges of the silk. To ascertain the exact parameters of the spell, I needed to be able to touch her, which would be unwise.

“Did you?” I asked Piro. I couldn’t touch it, but he could.

“I did.” Anger flared in his eyes. “Any attempt to break it and her heart stops. It has been on her since her capture.”

For a moment, I struggled to breathe as a violent mixture of rage and frustration drove through me. I bowed my head, closed my eyes, and clenched my fists as I breathed through the torrent. 

“Don’t touch him,” Piro cautioned, drawing my awareness outward. Only then did I smell her and sense her. She had taken a step toward me. “He needs a moment.”

“Are you well?” Lyra asked, the closeness of her voice heightening my senses. 

No. The most honest answer was no. The woman who was quickly stealing my heart—the person I wished to marry and bind to me for life—lived every day under the specter of death. And I was helpless to save her. What monster would do this to anyone, let alone a child—a helpless human child? Such bindings were immoral and corrupt, meant to force complete servitude on the recipient.

“Greyson?” Her soft voice soothed my raw nerves. There was still hope. She lived.

I lifted my head and met her gaze. Earnest concern lit her blue eyes and marred the line of her delicate brows. 

“I am just trying to calm myself,” I assured her.

“His kind is prone to strong emotions,” Piro added.

I almost laughed. “That is a ludicrously inadequate description.” Meeting my friend’s gaze, I found understanding. Grabbing onto the opportunity that he had just offered, I forced myself to ignore the simmering rage and focus on the moment. “What else have you learned?”

“I know more than I thought of Drummons’ plans.” Lyra crossed back to her previous seat and perched once again on the edge of the tree pot. “He has been using me to campaign for his purpose, which we believe is the establishment of a human slave trade. Selling me is one thing, but making it so others suffer a similar fate is far worse.” The dejection in her voice reflected the slump of her shoulders. Her fingers traced the edges of the ribbon on her arm, making my heart stutter.

“Don’t,” I pleaded.

She lifted her head in confusion.

“Don’t play with the ribbon, please. For my sake.”

“She almost ripped it off earlier, and it didn’t trigger,” Piro observed.

“Not helping,” I informed him.

Lyra eyed me and then Piro. “What are you not telling me? I know it will kill me if I try to break it.”

Piro lifted an amused eyebrow at me. “Your choice.”

“It is too soon.”

He tilted his head and asked, “Are you sure? She trusts you. Her reaction to me clearly indicates that.”

Lyra’s brows lowered, and she studied Piro thoughtfully. I could almost see her mind working. It was only a matter of time before she figured it out.

Author Bio:

A reader of fairytales and folklore, Elisa Rae loves a happy ending. Noblebright characters, dastardly villains, and chemistry between characters delight her. When she isn’t writing, she loves to watch superhero movies and literary dramas.
​
Elisa Rae is the pen name of Rachel Rossano.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway