In the Shadow of a Dream
Maci Aurora
(Fareview Fairytales, #3)
Publication date: January 30th 2024
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
With the promise of finally learning her motherâs secrets, Brinna Fareview and her family gather together. Only somewhere between the truth and lies, Brinna wakes to find sheâs trapped in a space in between the world awake and the nightmares of her family. All of them are asleep. Learning she has the ability to move from dream to dream, Brinna tries to find a way out of the dream world, but sheâs stuck, unable to fix whatâs ailing her family. But then an unexpected thing happens, Lucian Uraiahs, god of day and light, walks into her dream.
While Lucian decided a long time ago that Brinna Fareview was a blight on his peace, he canât seem to avoid her. She pops up at every turn, all because his brother is god-yoked to her sister. All Lucian wants is to disappear into the oblivion of the cosmos amidst his shame and guilt, but the unbidden feelings he has for Brinna canât be contained. When Lucian is stripped of his powers for refusing to bend to his fatherâs will, he is imprisoned with only his guilt to keep him company. Except when he falls asleep, he dreams of Brinna and somehow becomes the only link to saving her, her family, and his brother from a spell that could destroy them all.
Brinna and Lucian must work together to uncover the secrets they need to break the sleeping spell, but the longer they share their dreams, the more they realize time is against them.
Join the Fareviews in book three of the Fareview Fairytales series, In the Shadow of a Dream, to discover the truth that has them trapped behind the hedge.
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EXCERPT:
Luc grumbled and turned back to look at the hedge once more, walking its length when he heard womenâs voicesâsweet and liltingâcoming from inside. He stepped back, searching for the elusive entrance.
âRemember when we were talking to Tarley the other day? About the man in the woods?â Aurielleâhe knew her voiceâreplied.
âSo romanticâŠâ the other said, her voice soft and whimsical. Which left only two possibilities: Lucâs woodland fairy or the other sister, the one with the dark, soulful eyes. âWhy are we doing this again?â she asked.
He wondered which one was with Aurielle and suppressed any hope it might be his singer.
âWell, Iâve met someone.â Aurielle snapped the words, because the other one seemed to be antagonistic about being dragged out into the woods.
He grinned at their bickering. Relatable.
âI have so many questions! Youâve been behind the hedge sinceââ The sisterâs voice cut off abruptly, then she shouted, âThe Great Nap Escapade?â
âSo,â Aurielle said, drawing out the word, âyouâre doing this for true love. And I promise, Brin, you wonât have to wait long.â
[âŠ]There were words spoken Luc couldnât discern, followed by Aurielle bursting from the hedge. She called out for Nix and disappeared across the road through the bramble.
âWhat if someone comes?â Brinna called, then groaned. âAnnoying.â
He was going to talk to her! He swallowed as he thought about what to say. âCouldnât agree more.â Luc couldnât see her; she was still hidden within the hedge.
She gasped. âWhoâs there?â
âThe brother.â
Her headâlike a disembodied apparitionâappeared from the hedge, turning to look for him.
When she saw him, her eyes widened. It was the first time he realized her eyes were gray. âWhose brother?â
He hummed but said, âSince weâre both on lookout duty, we could make it interesting.â âWho are you, exactly?â she asked, stepping from the hedge.
Lucâs breath stopped up, caught up by both disbelief and utter excitement. [âŠ] âThere you are,â Luc said, finally finding his voice.
She demanded his name.
âLucian,â he said, turning slightly toward her, his shoulder leaning against the hedgeâa terrible choice. He straightened and wiped the leaves from his shoulder.
âAnd youâre not here to meet my sister?â
âStars, no,â he said, allowing himself to truly look at her as he shook his head, grateful, suddenly, that Nix asked him to be his unnecessary companion. âThat would be my brother. Come closer.â He gave her a slight grin. âI donât bite. Usually.â
Her eyes narrowed. âIâm fine right here, thank you.â
âYou know my name, which gives you power. Will you not offer the same?â Though he already knew it, he wanted her to offer it freely.
âBrinna,â she replied and disappeared back into the hedge.
âWait,â Luc called. âWhere did you go?â The hedge didnât have an entrance. âWhere are you?â âHere,â she whispered, as if daring him to find her. Despite the low volume, her voice reached him, and he wondered, strangely, if it always would.
He used his godlight to sneak through the magical threads of the hedge, and his arms passed through, allowing him to grasp Brinna. Using her as leverage, he pulled himself inside.
She squealedâa cute little sound that seemed as if she was trying to be quiet about itâand stumbled into him, her palms pressed against his chest. Heat seared his skin underneath his clothes where her hands rested.
âWhat are you doing?â she demanded. âUnhand me.â
He did. Immediately. Swiping his hands over the place sheâd touched to wipe away the sensation.
He hated the added impulse of wanting to wrap her up in his arms.
Ridiculous. He told himself he was curious about this hedge, given heâd never seen anything like it on his Roam.
He walked deeper into an arched passageway that stretched out in front of him with no end in sight, as if it curled in on itself. Surprised by the muted light inside, Luc glanced over his shoulder, where Brinna now stood framed by an arched entrance.
She followed him. âWhat is wrong with you?â
His internal glow warmed the darkness inside the hedge so he could see her features, which pinched with her frown. He wanted to press his thumb against her mouth, run the pad of it across her lips, but he swallowed the urge instead and looked away.
âIf I keep walking, what will I find?â he asked, ignoring her question for one of his own.
âThe cottage. Where I live.â She paused, then said, âYou truly couldnât see me? That seems⊠unbelievable.â
He hummed and looked around. âPerhaps if it wasnât enchanted.â
âEnchanted!â She scoffed, an unflattering kind of snort, but Luc found it⊠cute. âYou must be mistaken.â
He snorted back at her, incredulous. âI am not mistaken. Not about this.â
âYou donât make mistakes?â She offered a sharp laugh.
Heâd begun to think thisâtrapping himself in proximity to herâwas one. âAbsolutely not,â he lied. The very large mistake in his immediate past had nearly cost him his brother, but she didnât need to know about that.
âI highly doubt that.â She crossed her arms, her dark eyebrows arching over her pretty eyes. âNow, why are you glowing?â
âWhy is this hedge enchanted?â he countered, realizing he should have doused his godlight so his father wouldnât know, but he didnât with her attention finally fixed on him.
They stood facing one another, the hedge seeming to close in around them. He only needed to take a step, and heâd be close enough to draw her into his arms, lean forward, and kiss her. The shrinking hedge and his overpowering urge to touch her made him feel like he couldnât take a deep enough breath.
âHow do you get out of here?â The shrinking hedge unnerved him, even if it was an illusionâŠThen he realized he couldnât see the opening any longer. It had disappeared. He was trapped.
âI need to go,â he gasped.
Author Bio:
Romance author.
Lover of stories.
Maci Aurora has been writing stories since she was a child. When she was eleven, she fell in love with reading Sunfire Historical Romances about girls who made a difference in their lives and still fell in love. In high school, a friend introduced her to Lavyrle Spencer and Judith McNaught, and from there, her writing journey was cemented in telling stories about love. Having already published many novels (all of which are threaded with romance as upper YA and New Adult titles) under the pen name, CL Walters, Maci Aurora wanted to write stories that offered the same attention to story and characters but with additional steam.
Maci writes in Hawaiʻi where she lives with her husband, their children, and their fur-babies.
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