Cover for KILLING TIME by Ingrid Nickelsen
A YA Paranormal Romance/Fantasy
Killing Time
by Ingrid Nickelsen
Coming April 2015
REVEAL IN
Book 2 of the For Better or for Worse Series
Death is the ultimate heartbreak. Evangeline never expected it to break hers after she died. No one should have to choose between their husband and their first love, but it is that choice that shatters her spirit.
She makes her choice, choosing not to transition, and finds that death can be vengeful too.
The world of the dead is far more complex that she ever knew, and facing the consequences of her actions might be the hardest obstacle yet, Fighting to survive in a world she doesn’t understand, she seeks the help of the wanderers. Time is running out as winter grips the land and her companions help her search for Will. Perhaps, if she keeps her eyes open and believes in her love enough, she will make her way back to him before the Hunters find her first.
Unexpected reunions, impossible choices, and long-hidden secrets will fill her journey with joy and sadness. It is Hunting season and Evangeline will have to fight for those she loves while remembering that cheating death always has a price.
Told from a dual perspective, Killing Time brings the For Better or for Worse series to a heart-stopping continuation in every sense of the word.
About the author
Ingrid is a 23-year-old French girl, college student, and dreamer. She currently resides in Paris, where she spends most of her time going to museums and the movies. Despite the romantic atmosphere in Montmartre, or even the fancy cafés in the Champs Elysées, she would easily trade it all for a nice walk in the woods with her schnauzer, Golden. She is always craving adventures, and finds that books are the cheapest way to travel to far-away lands. She is inwardly convinced that words have the power to heal the worst blisters on our hearts, or at least can make us forget about them for a little while. And sometimes, it is just enough to face another crazy day.
Author Links
Find Excerpt and links for Book 1 below
Excerpt
"Everything's gonna be okay."
Everything is going to be okay. I should repeat it to myself like a broken record. Everything is going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay. Why does it seem like these words have lost all their meaning?
"I promise." He embraces my waist to push me closer to his warm chest.
"How is it going to be okay?" I shake my head, unable to restrain my tears from rolling down my burning cheeks. "How? He's dead!"
I bury my face into his collarbone to stifle my crying, listening to nothing else but the sound of his beating heart. I feel it pounding fast and hard, matching mine. It makes me cry even more. I don't want him to be strong for the both of us. That, too, isn't fair.
He puts his hand on the back of my head. "I'm so sorry."
I curl up against him and move my head slightly to glance at the dark ocean. This sandy beach is my favorite place on earth. This is where he kissed me for the first time. This is the place that always reminds me someone truly loves me, and sometimes it's just enough to chase the hurt. This is my haven.
At least it was, until now.
I ran to meet him here as soon as my little brother released my hand in his hospital bed. I knew he wouldn't force me to speak, and he didn't. He just held me close. It took the time of a wave dying in the vast ocean's arms for me to fall down in a faint, my legs quaking like an aspen leaf. His grip was so tight he fell to his knees, too, resolute not to abandon me in my rare moment of weakness.
It feels so good to be weak. I don't care if my face is washed with tears or if I have red rims around my eyes. I need this loss of myself. I need him and my haven.
"I'm sorry, Eve. So sorry." He sighs, clasping me tighter against him to calm me down. "I wish I could do something, anything to relieve your pain. I hate being so helpless," he hisses between clenched teeth. "It kills me."
I peek up at him, trying to find a light of hope, but I see nothing. Tonight, I'm more aware than anyone that love isn't possession. It doesn't stand still. My world can fly away in the blink of an eye, and there's absolutely nothing I can do to fight the ruthless, cold, and brutal wind that likes to come without calling.
"I…I just want…the world to disappear," I choke out between my sobs. The thick air is getting unbearable, harder to breathe. I press my hand against my breastbone. It hurts. It hurts too much. "I can't live anymore, I don't want to. Not like this. Please make it stop," I beg him. "Just make it stop. It hurts."
He holds my face in his hands to make sure I meet his serious gaze.
"Listen to me," he says slowly, scanning my face as he speaks. "I'm on your side. There are times when I wish I could escape this crazy world. But you know what? It'd be a terrible mistake to switch our life off if we get the chance."
I vaguely wipe my face with the back of my hand, lowering my gaze.
"Yes, you can be hurt and awfully bruised inside," he continues, gently tucking a stray lock of hair behind my ear. "Sometimes you get so scared to face the day you could suffocate. But I love you."
His last words take me by surprise. I know he does. I just didn't expect him to say them now.
"I love you," he says again, his voice catching ever so slightly. He strokes my face once more. "I don't want to switch my life off… because you are my life."
I feel paralyzed for a brief moment. It doesn't make any sense. Who am I supposed to thank for the love he's offering me? Are they the same odds that are against me tonight? Those who first harm me to bless me next?
I desperately love him. I do. So much. He's always been my hero, and logically speaking, a hero is supposed to be indestructible. He'll be here, until the end of time. I have to be sure of that. I want to be sure of that.
"He's gone." I shrug sadly, more tears falling out of my eyes. "He'll never be seventeen. I'll never get the chance to see him anymore. Never again…It's over." I try to put together in a wrecked breath, willing for more comfort.
"No, he's not. He's right here," he says, pointing at my hammering heart. "He's probably in a better world now."
I instinctively look up at the starry sky with a broken smile. I hope he is. He deserves to be.
"Eve." He tips my chin down to hold my gaze. "Maybe now is the time to share what's in your heart, too. There's no forever."
I quickly shake my head.
"Don't say that." I take a long, ragged breath. I really don't know how to breathe anymore. "We have time."
The disappointed light in his eyes is his only reply.
He bends down instead, and softly puts his lips close enough to touch mine. His hands travel up my cheeks and fondle my hair as he gives me a tender kiss. These are the ones I love the most. Our breath mingles together as I forget the world around us, and just like that, the ache begins to vanish little by little.
Not entirely, but just enough for the dizziness to take over so I may abandon myself in my most secured place.
His arms.
He knows I want to say those three words. I just need more time.
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