Beautifully Unnatural: A Young Adult Paranormal Boxed Set Read Online Free Page B

being chewed apart by great white sharks.
    Her heart continued to thrash against her ribs.
    The largest shadow swirled closer, its silhouette resembling a four-horned bull. It clasped her waist then threw her toward another. The four shadows tossed her body back and forth like a basketball.
    Searing pain scorched her flesh each time her flight through the water was suddenly halted and redirected. Carbon dioxide fought for escape, pressuring her lungs. Her mouth popped open when she slammed against another shadow, releasing the remaining air, only to suck water back in. Her throat burned, as if she’d swallowed hot lava. Her chest constricted and she spewed water out, only to swallow more.
    Darkness curved the corners of her vision as her consciousness started to fade. Maybe death will be better than trying to live without Mom… but who will take care of Dad?
    Amused laughter assaulted her ears as the dark shapes huddled closer.
    Her mind, unwilling to give up, warred with her exhausted body. Her body won. Her muscles relaxed, her limbs growing heavy, and her brain finally surrendered to her fate. Sadness and regret still clung to her, but at least now the suffering would end.
    Brilliant navy blue light flashed like an explosion around her and the shadows shrank back. There, above her, was her mother, watery and translucent, and the edge of despair surrounding her heart receded, allowing a hint of hope to surge in for the first time in a year. Arms outstretched, Gabby reached skyward, desperate to be with her mother, to melt in her embrace one more time.

Forbidden
    by
    Amy Miles

Copyright © 2011 by Amy Miles
     
    http://www.AmyMilesBooks.com
     
    This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to person, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
    All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

 
     
    For my family, whose love and support
    carried me through the long
    hours and restless nights.

Forbidden
    by
    Amy Miles

Prologue
    Romania, 1689
     
    Roseline Dragomir peeks out from her hiding place behind the altar, searching for the man who led her wedding guests to slaughter. From the moment she had been presented to him, she saw evil in her suitor’s eyes. His stance was firm, overbearing, and far too possessive for a casual introduction. His skin was frightfully pale, his smile leering, as if she were a meal to savor. She’d tried to warn her father against Vladimir Enescue’s marriage proposal, but he was blinded by Vladimir’s vast wealth, a castle, and a bloodline to rival any in Romania.
    All her father got, in return, was a sword through his chest.
    Roseline’s gaze darts about the room, flitting high over the lifeless faces that stare at the ceiling. She dares not focus on any of them for fear of her nerve crumbling entirely.
    Her fourteen-year-old sister, Adela, trembles in her arms. Tight straw-blonde curls quiver against her face; pink bows sit askew in her hair. Blood and soot smudge the freckles from her heart-shaped face. Roseline must remain strong for her.
    Vladimir’s older brother, Lucien, blocks their only exit. His maniacal gaze sweeps the aisles, searching for survivors.
    The rectory at the front of the church was set ablaze during the massacre and acrid smoke now hangs thick in the air. It coils into Roseline’s lungs, grating against her throat. Small wisps of smoke rise from the tips of her loosely curled bronze hair. She beats the embers against her white corset, wincing at the blood that clings to her narrow waist and trails down to bare feet. This blood came from her father.
    There is nowhere to go and no one left to help them. She and Adela are the only ones left alive. Roseline’s chest rises and