A Special Sneak Peek at "Burdened Bloodline"

Happy Holidays, lovely readers!

I imagine you all are busy with the holiday festivities…I know I have. Remind me not to release a book around December as there’s so much to do!

I am very excited, though, about Burdened Bloodline arriving next Tuesday on eBook and in paperback. This has been one of my most enjoyable projects to date; the story flowed from my brain to my computer, coming so quickly at times I could hardly keep up. With the next book already outlined, I am very eager to begin writing all the drama that unfolds.

We have arrived at a very big turning point in Jax’s life, and this novel sets the tone for the remainder of the series. Bonds are forged and broken, and events are put into motion that will forever change the fate of the Realm of Virtues. It’s an Agatha Christie meets Game of Thrones experience that I hope you all will enjoy.

I thought I’d spread some holiday cheer and give you a sneak peek into Chapter One!

Arms around,

S.B.

Chapter One

Someone tried to kill me.

Duchess Jacqueline Arienta Xavier sat up with a start. With her heart pounding in her throat, she struggled to calm the flurry of nerves ricocheting through her body.

“Is everything all right, Jax?”

She turned her amethyst gaze to the Captain of the Ducal Guard, who sat alert in an armchair tucked away in the corner of her room. Knowing her life was in danger, he had refused to leave her side, even when she begged for privacy in her own chambers. Her husband, Lord Percival Pettraud, slept calmly beside her, despite his adamant protests that his protection would be enough to keep her safe.

“Jax?” George Solomon’s low voice coaxed her for an answer.

She broke away from his intense stare reflecting in the pearly moonlight, her attention drawn to her balled fists that clutched the bed sheets for dear life. “It was just a bad dream.”

He straightened, edging forward on the chair. “You’re safe here, Duchess. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Her royal gaze locked with his chocolate eyes, seeing the conviction bleeding from his pledge. “I know.” And she believed her own words. Any threat George Solomon saw coming, he would take care of. He had always taken care of her. But what about threats that remained unseen?

Relaxing into the sea of pillows strewn around the head of the bed, Jax shuddered. She was supposed to be enjoying a romantic getaway with her husband, not fearing for her life. She had thought that by leaving her life in Saphire behind for a few weeks, she would find some respite from court. Using a disguise to remain anonymous, Jax and her closest friends had traveled to the deserts of Kwatalar, seeking a few days of carefree frivolity. But like so many of her well-laid plans, things had gone horribly wrong. Her enemies had found out about her trip and her intention to disguise herself as Lady Victoire Rapaste and sent poisoned chocolates to assassinate her. Whether or not by the hand of the Virtues, the chocolates had been intercepted by another guest staying at Ogdam Oasis, and he had died as a result.

Lord Tarek Killiam’s death weighed heavily on her. She couldn’t help but blame herself for his untimely and cruel demise. Regardless of the comforting words her friends used to soothe her raging guilt, she was the reason Tarek was dead. The poison had been meant for her, after all.

George watched her silently, seeming to know it was best for him to let her sift through her tangled thoughts alone.

Part of the guilt clawing at her heart was her undeniable happiness at still being alive. If Tarek Killiam hadn’t whisked away the chocolates for himself, she would have eaten them. Virtues, she had tried to share them with her friends. If any of them had died because of her well-known love of sweets…

A tear slipped down her cheek, mingling with the sweat pouring from her brow.

“Would you like to take a walk outside?” George asked, as if sensing her growing heartache. “The night air might help clear your mind.”

Nodding wordlessly, she pushed back the light linen covers, eager to be away from the confines of the small bedroom suite. The alabaster stone walls felt like they were caving in on her.

George handed her a dressing robe, and she quickly tossed it on over her flowing nightgown. Despite the searing daytime temperatures, the desert cooled significantly at night, and she’d need protection from the chilly elements.

Lighting a small lantern, George glanced back at the bed. “Do you want to leave a note for Perry? If he wakes, he might panic to find you gone.”

Jax studied her sleeping husband’s lean, muscular form outlined beneath the sheets, his mop of curly dark hair strewn wildly in stark contrast to the white linen pillow. “He’ll be out for hours. I had Vita put a sleeping tonic into his evening tea.”

George’s eyebrows rose with a voiceless question.

“Someone around here should at least enjoy their rest while they can,” she said with a half-hearted shrug. Her eyes darted back to her husband. “He wasn’t prepared for this. I owe it to Perry to make sure his world remains innocent a little while longer.”

George guided her out the suite, his hand protectively resting on the small of her back. “He would hate to hear you talk like that. You owe him nothing, Jax. Perry knew what he was signing up for when he married you.” He paused when they reached the second-floor landing, shrouded in shadow. “We all do what we must to support the people we love.”

Her hand trembled as she reached for the staircase railing. “But what if it becomes too much?” Her words were barely a whisper.

Will Jax ever make it back to Saphire unscathed? Find out in Burdened Bloodline, coming December 18th!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JPX65SK?ref=series_rw_dp_labf