NEW RELEASE: Mystique of the Fallen by Jessamyn Kingley (Excerpt)

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Mystique of the Fallen (D’Vaire, Book 42)

Author and Publisher: Jessamyn Kingley

Cover Artist: LJ Anderson of Mayhem Cover Creations

Release Date: October 24, 2024

Genres/Tropes: MM Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, Fated Mates

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 90 660 words

Goodreads Series Link

Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Two men from opposite worlds will discover if fate has all the answers.

Blurb

Venerable Knight Roman Calixtus was once renowned for his conquests. But the fallen knight put those days behind him. A dream grew inside him thanks to his closest friends finding their mates, and now Roman impatiently waits for the other half of his soul. But nothing prepares him for the day he discovers he is paired with a human.

Fallen knights do not get along with humans. None of them have human mates. It shocks Roman, and even the goddesses themselves are surprised by the match. Roman wants to find love. Instead, he is confronted with a belligerent human who believes Roman is a zombie.

Grant’s life is a mess. His boyfriend is controlling. His job is crap, and so is Grant’s outlook. The last thing he needs is a fallen knight in his face, trying to convince him they are meant to be together. Grant no longer trusts tender emotions, nor does he want to speak to anyone who is undead.

The connection Roman wanted is fraught with issues. So is the future, and neither man is prepared for what comes next. In order to get the matebond of Roman’s dreams, he needs the help of a powerful sorcerer and the diligent work of the goddesses watching over their charges.

In the end, Grant and Roman discover that, despite everything, they are a perfect match.

Excerpt

“Did you look at a clock?” an amused male voice asked.

Grant’s brows drew together. “No, but I guess it’s like seven.”

“Yeah, it’s the first time I haven’t had to wake up to take one of your calls. I’m glad to hear from you. How’s your reading going?”

Unfortunately, Grant had had little opportunity to explore the world of the Council. Reginald was growing more impatient with each day, and Grant had to devote his energy to expediting his future plans. “I’ve got some shit going on, but I read that stuff about your Reverent Knights.”

“Did you Google it?” Roman asked. “I don’t want you to blindly take my word for anything.”

In that way, Roman had Grant’s full respect. Reginald told him what to do and what to believe. If Grant tried to think on his own, it pissed Reginald off, and he accused Grant of lacking trust in him. Grant wasn’t allowed to have any beliefs that deviated from Reginald’s either.

“Yeah, I didn’t find too much,” Grant confided. “You’re not going to like this, but some humans are, like, proud and shit that they killed those Emperors. They don’t really believe your Reverent Knights are the same guys though.”

“Honestly, I don’t give a shit what humans believe,” Roman said. He cleared his throat loudly. “Present company excluded, of course.”

“It’s okay, you can offend me. You have no reason to be nice to me. I haven’t been nice to you.”

Finding out that a fallen knight believed they were mates was still fucking up Grant’s headspace, but he was trying to be reasonable. Roman probably wasn’t a zombie. That didn’t mean zombies didn’t exist, but maybe fallen knights didn’t fall into that category.

Grant’s thoughts were fuzzy most of the time, but he hadn’t had any beer since that morning. Even with a clear mind, Grant didn’t know what to make of the situation. The timing sucked.

“You’re doing your best to learn about me and my world, which I appreciate. All your life, you’ve been taught to avoid people like me. I’m not going to slap a deadline on your feelings. You deserve whatever space you need to adjust to this new reality Fate has thrown us both in. To be honest, I’m adapting too. I’m the first fallen knight to be paired with a human.”

“I guess because humans killed your bosses, you might be pissed.”

“Exactly. Humans also don’t make my job easy. But I refuse to hold that against you.”

“I was a cop. A few years ago, I was doing everything I was told, including fucking up crime scenes for fallen knights.”

Roman sighed. “At least we have law enforcement in common.”

“Yeah, look. I called because I’m going through some shit,” Grant said. “I’ve decided to move. Break up with Reginald. Shit like that. I gotta disappear, so you may not hear from me for a while. I gotta find a place to live and all that. And since we’re being honest, I still need to think about this mate business. You gave me all this stuff, and I haven’t had a chance to read everything yet.”

“I appreciate you letting me know. Good luck with your move. If you need help with anything, I hope you’ll at least consider me a friend you can count on. I’ll unpack a box or slap some paint on the wall with you.”

A strange picture flashed in Grant’s mind of him standing in a living room decorated in blue, green, and silver. Roman was there at his side, and they were laughing.

“Yeah, thanks, man.”

“I won’t call you. Take as long as you need, and I’ll be here.”

“Why are you so nice to me?”

“Look, this situation is complicated, but I’m unwilling to take out my conflicting emotions on you. On my mate. I can’t predict the future, but I’ve waited a long time to find the other half of my soul. That’s you. Only Fate knows if our bond is a good one. Someday I’d like us to discover that truth for ourselves. In recent years, I’ve learned from my family that Fate doesn’t always get the timing right. I respect that your life didn’t begin the day we met. All I can do is offer my friendship and hope you take me up on that someday.”

Grant was inexplicably moved to tears. Why the hell he was suddenly emotional was baffling, and he blamed it on the rush job he’d had to put on his plans. But he had to admit, having a friend like Roman didn’t sound like a bad thing. Maybe he could do that. Be his friend. But it had to wait until Grant faced Reginald and rebuilt everything.

“Let me get settled. Give me a few months or whatever. Then maybe I’ll call you and we can work on this friends thing.”

“Sounds good, but seriously, if you need anything in the meantime, you can call me, and I’ll try to help.”

“Thanks,” Grant replied, touched by the offer, which did nothing to smooth out his suddenly turbulent emotions.

About the Author

Jessamyn Kingley has published over thirty titles and refuses to pick a favorite among them. With an extraordinary passion for her characters, she enthusiastically adds tales to her D’Vaire series and avidly re-reads them whenever her schedule allows. After decades living in the Washington, DC area, she now resides in Nevada with her husband and their three spoiled cats. When she is not writing or adding new ideas to her beloved notebooks, she is gaming with family and friends.

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