Aether Rising
Aether Psychics, Book Four
The only place to hide could be behind the truth.
No one can lie to Louisa Cobb. It’s her gift. Her curse. Unfortunately, her stepfather forces her to use it to help him gain the upper hand in business. Comfortable in her luxurious lifestyle and high society position, she hasn’t minded. Until now.
Louisa wants nothing to do with her newest assignment, Patrick O’Connell, the Irish tinkerer and scoundrel who stole a kiss—and her heart—years ago . Problem is, if she betrays her stepfather and sets Patrick free, she’ll be cut off without a penny to her name.
Patrick knows he is captured because he invented a device to stabilize and direct the mysterious Eros Element. It’s also why he can’t lie, especially while looking into Louisa’s sky-blue eyes. If he fails to recreate the device for Cobb, his closest friends’ happiness will be at risk.
Back in Boston, Patrick stalls for time while Louisa uncovers secrets of her tragic past. It forces the two of them to engage in a treacherous dance on the edge of love and danger. A tango where one wrong step could condemn them both to everlasting heartache—and unleash an unimaginably powerful force that could destroy their world.
Praise for Aether Rising:
“Delightful, inventive action and adventure with colorful characters you can’t help but root for! This fun, charming series is a must for Steampunk and Paranormal enthusiasts alike!” – Leanna Renee Hieber, award winning author of Strangely Beautiful and The Eterna Files
“As with each of the previous books in the Aether Psychics series, I was delighted with the romance, drawn into the intrigue and carried away by the adventure. Aether Rising is steampunk adventure and romance worth 5 stars!” – Whiskey with my Book blog
“I can’t recommend this series, and this book, highly enough. The characters have depth and quirks and the world is intense and compelling.” – 5-star Amazon review
“I adored the dynamic between Patrick and Louisa, as well as their individual growth and the progression of their relationship. The ending had me smiling.” – 5-star Amazon review
“A remarkable story written by a thought provoking author.”- 5-star Amazon review
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Excerpt:
A moment of blessed silence made Louisa realize O’Connell had stopped pacing. Then she realized he stood right above her, and he was scratching at the floor. She climbed up on her trunk so she could better listen to him and wished she had some sort of light to illuminate the closet ceiling. The sound of his nails prying apart something heralded a shower of dust and wood shavings. She sneezed and blinked to clear the sawdust from her nose and eyes.
When she could finally see again, she found herself looking up at him. He grinned as though he was delighted to see her.
“Why, Miss Cobb, I had no idea I’d find you down there.”
“It’s about time you stopped pacing. Some of us need to sleep.” She hopped off the trunk and tried to brush as much of the mess off as she could.
He dropped through the hole and stopped her.
“They can’t know about the trap door,” he said. “I promise, I’ll just be down here for a few minutes while I—” He stopped and clamped his mouth shut.
“While you what?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Listen to the tube my friends sent me,” he choked out. He pressed his lips together, fury deepening the lines at the corners of his mouth and drawing his eyebrows together.
“Why couldn’t you listen to it up there?”
“They’d hear me. The guards. Thankfully the trap door is in the corner they designated as my W.C., and it’s behind a partial wall.”
“So you didn’t need to come through.” She crossed her arms. Something about him being so near made her cold in spite of her being covered. Or that was what she thought. Why else would her nipples be tightening?
“No, but I wanted to see you again. I heard what Cobb said to the guards.”
Louisa’s mouth dropped open. She closed it again when a piece of sawdust fell on her tongue. She picked it out of her mouth and glared at him.
“If you don’t want to know the answer to your questions, don’t ask them,” he said. He stepped closer to her. If Morlock had moved like O’Connell was, Louisa would have screamed or slapped him or something, but she lowered her eyelids.
This was her chance. She could discover if he still had the magic in his lips that she remembered. Not likely. Again, that had been a long time ago, and she had to let go of those silly girlish fantasies.
