Exhausted with life, Dakota tries to end his -- only to be saved at the last moment by his friend Terrell, who then drags him into a world of magic and intrigue that's always been right there, hidden beneath the surface.<br><br>Powerful magic users are steadily pulling the planet into a violent war, and evil forces will stop at nothing to take the talismans possessed by Dakota and his newfound family. Dakota soon finds himself deeply in over his head ... with love, with family, with fighting for all their lives.

The Pyre Starter

Keeping his eyes on the computer, Terrell didn’t reply right away. The muscles in his neck and face tensed—a common and unmistakable sign of pain and anxiety—and he gripped at the edge of the table. “It sure as hell sounded like you meant it,” he said slowly.


“I didn’t.” It took everything he had not to break down and start crying. Despite his best efforts, a lump formed in his throat, and he had to force every word past it. “You’re everything to me, okay? I just didn’t think, and I know I hurt you. But that was the last thing I wanted. And I can’t believe I said those things to you. You deserve a lot better than that. I’m so sorry. It’s probably not enough, and I don’t know if I’ll ever live this down, but I hate what I said to you, Terrell, what I did to you. Believe me. I hate it, and I’m really sorry.”


He exhaled sharply. Rubbing at his mouth, Terrell looked to be hiding just as much emotion as Dakota was. “Why would you say it if you didn’t mean it?”


Chapter 85