Lost Princess. Dani-Lyn Alexander

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      Cover Copy

      Ryleigh Donnovan’s life changed forever the day she met Jackson Maynard, a Death Dealer, and followed him home to the kingdom of Cymmera. Now she is trying to care for her sister while saving a realm she knows nothing about…

      Jackson has reluctantly accepted the throne of Cymmera, in place of his father. But his world is in turmoil, the kingdom under constant threat of attack. Worse still, Jackson suspects there is a traitor among his court. A powerful prophet has suggested a way to protect the realm, but that solution may drive Jackson and Ryleigh apart forever…

      When a magic relic goes missing, Ryleigh has no choice but to journey in search of it. When Jackson discovers Ryleigh is missing, he must make a choice that will either claim their destiny, or bring an end to the only home he’s ever known.

      Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Books by Dani-Lyn Alexander

      Kingdom of Cymmera Series

      Reluctant Prince

      Lost Princess

      Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation

      Lost Princess

      Kingdom of Cymmera Series

      Dani-Lyn Alexander

      LYRICAL PRESS

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      www.kensingtonbooks.com

      Copyright

      Lyrical Press books are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp. 119 West 40th Street New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2015 by Dani-Lyn Alexander

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

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      First Electronic Edition: October 2015

      eISBN-13: 978-1-61650-599-8

      eISBN-10: 1-61650-567-2

      First Print Edition: October 2015

      ISBN-13: 978-1-61650-600-1

      ISBN-10: 1-61650-600-8

      Printed in the United States of America

      Dedication

      Nicky, I love you so much, and I’m always so proud of you!

      Acknowledgements

      This book would not have been possible without the support and encouragement of my husband, Greg. We’ve built a wonderful life together, and I can’t wait to see where our journey will lead next.

      I’d like to say a big thank you to my children, Elaina, Nicky and Logan for their understanding and help while I spent long nights at the computer. The three of you have brought more joy to my life than I ever could have imagined. My husband and children are truly the loves of my life.

      I also have to thank my best friend, Renee, for all of her support, long conversations and reading many rough drafts. I still wouldn’t know how to use Word without your help.

      I’d like to thank my sister, Debby, who is probably my biggest fan and has read every word I’ve ever written.

      To my agent, Dawn Dowdle, thank you so much for believing in me and for being there in the middle of the night every time I have a question.

      Words cannot express my gratitude to Renee Rocco, for giving me this opportunity, to my editor, Penny Barber, for her wonderful advice and assistance in polishing this manuscript, and to my publicist, Ellen Chan, who went above and beyond to help make this story a success.

      Chapter 1

      The soft brush of something against the carpet outside Ryleigh’s bedroom door intruded on her restless sleep. Her eyes shot open. Her heart drummed wildly in her chest. Blood rushing in her ears drowned out whatever sound had woken her. With the Kingdom of Cymmera at war, even though she was in her own realm, human traitors or monsters could attack from anywhere at any moment. Goose bumps rushed across her skin, prickling her nerves. The memory of savages invading her home taunted her.

      Wait. There it was again. The slightest whisper of something brushing against…something. She slid quietly from the bed, got caught up in the blankets, and almost lost her footing. She bit back a curse, untangled her foot, and grabbed the baseball bat from beneath the bed. Although she had her choice of weapons now—sword, bow and arrow, flail, axe—the bat still felt the most comfortable in her hand, the most familiar. She switched off the small bedside lamp. No sense backlighting herself when she opened the door. She’d be an easy enough target if something waited out there.

      She tiptoed across the bedroom, pressed her ear against the door, and held her breath. The rhythmic pounding of her heart slamming against her ribs masked any sound that might come from the hallway. She blew her breath out slowly, careful not to make any noise, and gripped the doorknob.

      No good. Her hand was too slippery. She wiped her sweaty palm on her pajama pants and tried again. Turning the knob as soundlessly as possible, bat held at the ready, she eased the door open, just a crack at first, and peered into the dark hallway.

      The small night light did little to dispel the black shadows that could hide all sorts of hideous creatures. A shiver tore through her at the memory of the savages that could emerge from a portal anywhere, at any time. With a deep breath, she opened the door enough to slip through, then closed it gently behind her.

      The Jacobs’ door at the end of the hall was closed. Nothing seemed amiss. They’d gone to bed hours ago and didn’t usually get up during the night.

      Dim light spilled from the open bathroom doorway.

      She kept her back against the wall and crept as stealthily as possible toward the unknown. The desire to go back to bed and bury her head beneath the pillow assailed her. A fierce need to protect her sister demanded she ignore the fear. Her head pounded with the conflict.

      The bathroom was empty. She crept past the door. When she passed Mia’s closed door and reached the end of the short hallway, she re-adjusted her grip on the bat. She squeezed her eyes shut and leaned her head against the wall, searching for the courage to round the corner. Raising the bat, she plunged into the dark living room. The instant she could reach it, she hit the light switch.

      Empty.

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