by Brian Feehan
June 28, 2022
Berkley
About the Author:
June 28, 2022
Berkley
The riveting first novel in a brand-new paranormal romance series by debut author Brian Feehan, son of legendary #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan.
The We—beings who existed long before humans ever did, filled with powerful magic—walk among us. Owen and Alice are both etherealists—rare humans born with magic who are targets for those We that wish to take it from them. At nine years old and against her will, Alice’s soul was tied to one such powerful and evil We. She escaped and was trained to be a weapon so she might one day break the bond and safely return home. Everything is going to plan…until she meets Owen.
Owen is a musician who is trying to outrun his past while keeping those around him safe in an increasingly dangerous world. Owen keeps them on the move until a band of hunters crosses their path. Owen must go home—a place he swore he’d never return to—and seek protection from the We who could destroy them. And then he meets Alice. Only through finding each other do either Alice or Owen have a chance of survival.
HARMONY OF FIRE – Exclusive Excerpt
“Alice, listen to me.” Father Patrick abandoned his search of the street and turned around in the driver’s seat to look back at her. “You and I can go into that house right now, your parent’s home. We can simply scoop them up and then disappear.”
Never taking her right eye away from the scope, Alice’s left eye focused on him. Father Patrick had been in his mid-thirties when he served Grace Cathedral, not more than a few miles from where they were now. He held scars on all ten of his fingers from the day that had changed both of their lives forever. And for sixteen years, despite being a pacifist, Father Patrick had never abandoned her. They had traveled most of the world together, so when he spoke, she felt the weight in the question like a building coming down over her heart.
“We have the skills, and the contacts, to take you and your family out of this country. We walk in there, convince your mother, your father, and little sister to get in this car, right now, and we go. You can have your family back. You don’t have to kill Kerogen. The relic you wear keeps the bond covered, and the rest is simply outsmarting him. As you said, he doesn’t have friends to help find you, and the world is a vast space. We can do it. You can have your mother and father back today, now. Right now.”
Alice stared at the good Father as every muscle and cell in her body shouted out with pain and ice. It hurt. Hurt more than the pain she had come to live with. It hurt in a way that crushed her soul into small pieces.
“Oh, Alice, it's ok. We can do this.” Father Patrick said as he opened the center console, pulling out a fresh white tissue. “Here, you’re crying.” He reached as far back as he could.
It hurt to move, even as Alice set down the lethal weapon and gathered her will. One hand wiped away the tears that had slid down to her chin. Then she reached forward and took the tissue from his weathered, scarred hand. The white cloth smashed in between hers and his.
“I can’t. I can’t do it. Father, they had a service and buried me, and you know it. Right now, they aren’t in danger. But if I take them. If I change their life like my life has been changed, then all three of us will be hunted forever. Because, if I stop going after Kerogen, I know beyond a doubt, Kerogen will come after me. He will never stop because he owns me.” Alice’s left hand touched her collar bone and slid across the faint crisscrossed lines that lay there. “Kerogen has a plan once my power stops growing. He will need everything I have to give if he wants his soul to break into heaven, and we both know it. He won't ever stop or let me go.”
Alice held his gaze. The depth of his blue eyes held the weight of the earth.
Can’t you see, they buried me years ago, they had to let me go and start over. You’re asking me to go in there and break them just as he broke me. I can’t offer them anything but pain.
“Alice, you can have it all. A simple life in a fishing village, or live on a mountain top. You could meet a man and start your own family.” Father Patrick stopped talking as Alice let go, the white tissue still in his hand, taking on a symbol of surrender she could never accept.
“I’m broken, Father. Kerogen broke me on that day when we sang together; he tied our souls in a way I can’t escape. I don’t get to have a family, a husband and partner I call my own. I’ll never be a princess with a normal life. I don’t even understand what that would look like anymore. I just need to fix what he did to me. Break the bond and send his ass to hell. Just look around. I don’t belong in this place. There is no little white cottage for me. No ivory tower, no picket fence. Father, you did your best to save my soul, but I’m broken, and I won't stop until Kerogen is dead.”
Excerpted from Harmony of Fire by Brian Feehan Copyright © 2022 by Brian Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
“Alice, listen to me.” Father Patrick abandoned his search of the street and turned around in the driver’s seat to look back at her. “You and I can go into that house right now, your parent’s home. We can simply scoop them up and then disappear.”
Never taking her right eye away from the scope, Alice’s left eye focused on him. Father Patrick had been in his mid-thirties when he served Grace Cathedral, not more than a few miles from where they were now. He held scars on all ten of his fingers from the day that had changed both of their lives forever. And for sixteen years, despite being a pacifist, Father Patrick had never abandoned her. They had traveled most of the world together, so when he spoke, she felt the weight in the question like a building coming down over her heart.
“We have the skills, and the contacts, to take you and your family out of this country. We walk in there, convince your mother, your father, and little sister to get in this car, right now, and we go. You can have your family back. You don’t have to kill Kerogen. The relic you wear keeps the bond covered, and the rest is simply outsmarting him. As you said, he doesn’t have friends to help find you, and the world is a vast space. We can do it. You can have your mother and father back today, now. Right now.”
Alice stared at the good Father as every muscle and cell in her body shouted out with pain and ice. It hurt. Hurt more than the pain she had come to live with. It hurt in a way that crushed her soul into small pieces.
“Oh, Alice, it's ok. We can do this.” Father Patrick said as he opened the center console, pulling out a fresh white tissue. “Here, you’re crying.” He reached as far back as he could.
It hurt to move, even as Alice set down the lethal weapon and gathered her will. One hand wiped away the tears that had slid down to her chin. Then she reached forward and took the tissue from his weathered, scarred hand. The white cloth smashed in between hers and his.
“I can’t. I can’t do it. Father, they had a service and buried me, and you know it. Right now, they aren’t in danger. But if I take them. If I change their life like my life has been changed, then all three of us will be hunted forever. Because, if I stop going after Kerogen, I know beyond a doubt, Kerogen will come after me. He will never stop because he owns me.” Alice’s left hand touched her collar bone and slid across the faint crisscrossed lines that lay there. “Kerogen has a plan once my power stops growing. He will need everything I have to give if he wants his soul to break into heaven, and we both know it. He won't ever stop or let me go.”
Alice held his gaze. The depth of his blue eyes held the weight of the earth.
Can’t you see, they buried me years ago, they had to let me go and start over. You’re asking me to go in there and break them just as he broke me. I can’t offer them anything but pain.
“Alice, you can have it all. A simple life in a fishing village, or live on a mountain top. You could meet a man and start your own family.” Father Patrick stopped talking as Alice let go, the white tissue still in his hand, taking on a symbol of surrender she could never accept.
“I’m broken, Father. Kerogen broke me on that day when we sang together; he tied our souls in a way I can’t escape. I don’t get to have a family, a husband and partner I call my own. I’ll never be a princess with a normal life. I don’t even understand what that would look like anymore. I just need to fix what he did to me. Break the bond and send his ass to hell. Just look around. I don’t belong in this place. There is no little white cottage for me. No ivory tower, no picket fence. Father, you did your best to save my soul, but I’m broken, and I won't stop until Kerogen is dead.”
Excerpted from Harmony of Fire by Brian Feehan Copyright © 2022 by Brian Feehan. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Brian Feehan lives in his mind, creating vibrant characters who tend to talk very loudly and far too often. When real life comes knocking, it is likely to be the love of his life, Michelle, or their son Dylan. Together, they live on the northern coast of California, which is quite different from any other part of California.
Brian is fascinated by both the written word and learning new subjects. He is always up for a laugh, a game, or a drink with friends and family. He is also the son of #1 New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan, who started his training to become an author before he was old enough to walk.
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