Authors: Once Upon A Kiss

Claire Delacroix (44 page)

She had definitely been alone too long.

What was keeping Sebastian?

Lilith picked up her deck of tarot cards, shuffled and considered the riddle of what to do. She fanned the cards across the table and plucked one from their midst, her heart skipping a beat when she turned it over.

The Magician.

A card about making things happen. A card for the creative and the powerful. A card hinting that it was time things got done.

By her.

It was a card that demanded immediate action.

Lilith considered it. Why was she just waiting for Sebastian? In every other area of her life, she was the one to take the initiative and make a difference. She had to admit that it would be a lot more romantic if Sebastian just swept into her life again on his own.

He had promised, after all.

Was his promise a lie?

No. She wouldn’t think along those lines. She stood up and went to the mirror. One more time she looked deeply into her own eyes and one more time, she caught no glimpse of Sebastian. Obviously, her Gift didn’t extend to herself. Magick was like that.

But maybe some of the things she had learned over the centuries could help.

The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than Lilith was on the way to her kitchen. She checked the calendar and discovered that both sun and moon were right for a love spell.

That had to be a sign that she was on the right track.

Whether her actions provoked a response or not, it was good just to be doing something. Lilith turned on the radio and tuned into the oldies station. The first song made Lilith smile and turn up the volume.

Love Potion Number Nine.

A potion it would be.

Lilith danced as she conjured, a reckless glee making her feel decidedly younger than her many years. Her cauldron was on the stove and the strongest love potion of all time was rapidly being assembled.

If Sebastian was anywhere within the galaxy, he’d get this message. When he showed up, Lilith had several hundred years of creative thinking to put to good use.

Lilith felt her desire heat to a fever pitch with every pinch of this and two petals of that cast into the brew. Anticipation hummed beneath her skin and every passing second added to her conviction that this spell would work. The mixture began to boil and its earthy perfume filled the house.

The yearning was enough to make her knees go weak.

Lilith changed softly before the simmering brew.

“Lover true, come to me,

Through the air or across the sea.

Once we loved all night with style

Come back NOW…”

Lilith chuckled under her breath as she thought of the perfect rhyme.

“I’ll make it worth your while.”

She ladled the bubbling green brew into her coffee cup. The last chorus of the song bounced off the kitchen walls. D’Artagnan lashed his tail as he watched from the doorway, his eyes bright. The potion smelled vile.

Lilith held her nose. She closed her eyes. She held her breath.

She took a sip.

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Claire Delacroix sold her first romance novel in 1992 – that book,
The Romance of the Rose
, was published by Harlequin Historicals in 1993. Since then, she has published more than forty romances, including historical romances, contemporary romances, time travel romances, fantasy romances and paranormal romances. She has also written under the name Claire Cross
. The Beauty
, part of her successful Bride Quest series, was her first novel to land on the New York Times list of Bestselling books. In 2009, she was the writer in residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time they have hosted a residency focused on the romance genre.

Recently, Claire has published a future-set urban fantasy romance trilogy (post-nuclear, pre-Apocalyptic, featuring fallen angel heroes). She currently writes the Dragonfire series of contemporary paranormal romances which feature dragon shape shifter heroes, as well as a linked YA series called the Dragon Diaries. Both dragon series are published under the name Deborah Cooke.

In the spring of 2012, Claire will publish a new medieval romance.
The Renegade’s Heart
is the first book in a new series, The True Love Brides, which is linked to The Jewels of Kinfairlie series. Visit her website for more details.

Learn more about her books at her three websites:

www.delacroix.net

www.deborahcooke.com

Or visit her blog, Alive & Knitting at:

www.delacroix.net/blog

You can keep up with her news with the monthly newsletter on her Yahoo listserve:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chestwick

As well as on her Facebook FanPage:

www.facebook.com/AuthorClaireDelacroix

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Books by Claire Delacroix

Time Travel Romances: