Nightfall (Grim Gate #1) - Emily Goodwin Page 0,137
my shoulder, taking him into the house before I unload the horses and bring them into the barn. It’s big and empty, not really ideal for horses, but it will do for the next few days until I can some sort of temporary fencing up, while I shop around for someone to install something permanent.
I fill up two water buckets and open up the side door in the barn, letting fresh air and light in. It’s cold tonight, and I took my coat off in the truck. Shivering, I go inside to get Romeo set up. I brought what I could fit in the truck and trailers, and the rest of my stuff is arriving in two days. I donated a decent amount of stuff so I wouldn’t have to deal with moving it, and also because I don’t need the furniture here.
Double checking there are no holes behind the sink in the downstairs powder room, I spread out a blanket, fill up a bowl of water, and toss a handful of treats down for Romeo. He runs out of his carrying bag, making cute little dook noises as he hops around the room. Smiling, I watch him for a minute and then close the door so I can get back to unpacking.
Someone knocks at the door, and I freeze, eyes going to Hunter. He trots through the foyer, tail wagging as he stands by the door.
“If it’s a demon, you’re fired,” I tell him and open the door. It’s not a demon, but who stands there surprises me just as much. “Ethan!”
“Anora.” His lips pull into a grin.
“What…what are you doing?” I ask, overwhelmed with emotion. “It doesn’t matter.” I stand to the side, letting him come in, and then throw my arms around him. He puts his lips to mine, kissing me hard. We stagger back, tangled together, and Ethan pins me between his body and the wall. He’s not in as much pain as he was before, but his ribs aren’t healed yet.
“You’re here,” I whisper when we break apart, and my eyes get all misty.
“I am.” He kisses me again and then cups my chin, turning my face up. “I told you that you wouldn’t have to go through this alone, and I meant it. I don’t want to lose you.” His lips brush over mine again, sending tendrils of desire through my body. “I love you, Anora.”
A tear rolls down my cheek. I rest my forehead against Ethan’s, and it’s like everything just clicks into place and I’m standing exactly where I’m meant to be. “I love you, too.”
Two weeks later…
“Did you find everything okay?”
“I did, and then some,” I tell the cashier at Novel Grounds, the indie bookstore in downtown Thorne Hill. “I just moved into a new house and finally have the space to do a rainbow bookshelf like I’ve always wanted.”
“Oh, those are so pretty. I rearrange my shelf at home but then get all OCD and have to alphabetize them again,” she says, and we both laugh. She starts ringing up my books when another Novel Grounds employee comes in the store. I recognize her because I’ve been here four times already since we moved. I have a library and have to fill the shelves. It’s a crime to leave them bare for any longer than they have been. “Hey, Kristy,” the woman ringing me up says as Kristy comes around the counter.
Kristy.
I blink and get hit with a memory. I’ve already remembered part of it, but this time, I see more.
“The cards don’t lie,” Aunt Estelle presses.
“The cards are just—” A sharp knock on the door causes the woman to stop. She moves around her desk, robes swirling around her feet, and opens her office doors. Two girls, who look to be about my age are ushered in by another adult, who, for some reason, I know to be a professor.
“Callie and Kristy,” the dark-haired woman sighs. “I’m not surprised. What is it now?”
“We were just practicing for tomorrow’s test,” a blonde girl rushes out, and her blue eyes flick to mine. She hesitates, not wanting to say anything in front of me.
“It’s not our fault,” the other girl chides. She has dark brown hair that’s pulled into a messy braid. “We did everything the book said, so we can’t get in trouble for it.”
“You cast a warding on your entire dormitory that prevents everyone but Kristy from entering,” the professor goes on, crossing her arms.
“All I did was prevent anyone who wishes me harm to not be able to enter. Obviously, they have it out for me,” the girl with the braid shoots right back.
I blink, realizing the cashier said something to me. “Sorry,” I say and shake my head. “I spaced out.”
She laughs. “I do that all the time.”
My eyes go to Kristy, who’s putting her coat under the register. Is she the girl from my memory? That would mean she’s a witch too. I can’t exactly ask, so after paying for my books, I take one lingering look and go home with the intention of going right into my library to start arranging the books.
“Hey, babe,” Ethan says, and I smile when I see him. He’s at the stove, working on dinner. We’ve settled into a routine already, and he’s continued to spoil me by making me breakfast and dinner most days. “Get enough books?”
I heft my bags onto the counter. “This will fill a few shelves. I’ll go back next week to get more.”
Ethan turns the burner off and picks a leatherbound notebook up off the counter. “I found this in the attic.” We’ve been slowly going through the boxes of crap up there, certain we’ll find something that will shed some light on my forgotten memories.
“What is it?”
“It’s mostly random notes and to-do lists, but at the end, there was this.” He holds up a folded piece of paper, and I recognize Aunt Estelle’s handwriting right away.
“What is it?”
“It’s a letter that looks like it never got sent.” He comes over and puts it on the counter so I can see. “It’s a list of demons your aunt helped locate and bind to human bodies. And according to what she wrote, she used spells similar to the one she used to bind your powers.”
I quickly scan the letter, and the demon Asaroth is one of the first demons on the list. “Wait,” I say, looking up at Ethan. “If the spell is similar to the one she used on me, does that mean—”
“The binding spells on the other demons broke too? Yeah. And there’s a good chance more are going to want revenge.”
Starfire, Book Two in the Grim Gate Series is coming Fall 2021
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Thank you
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy life to read Nightfall, which started out as Unbound, the first book I ever wrote. I’ve wanted to rewrite Anora and Ethan’s story for years, finally giving them the justice they deserved.
I appreciate so much the time you took to read this book and and would love if you would consider leaving a review. I LOVE connecting with readers and the best place to do so is my fan page. I’d love to have you!
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About the Author
Emily Goodwin is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of over a dozen of romantic titles. Emily writes the kind of books she likes to read, and is a sucker for a swoon-worthy bad boy and happily ever afters.
She lives in the midwest with her husband and two daughters. When she's not writing, you can find her riding her horses, hiking, reading, or drinking wine with friends.
Emily is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency.
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