Coral &
Bone
Publication Date: July 7, 2014
Synopsis: Halen
knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her
entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things,
but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown,
the flames have become impossible to tame. Even more dangerous than the flames
are the images of a mysterious boy with stormy gray eyes and a crooked smile
that she can’t seem to stop drawing.
Halen
is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the
underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can't help
but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And
when those who have deceived her come to her for help, and the mysterious boy
from her drawings becomes flesh and blood before her eyes, Halen must
choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.
Excerpt:
"See who you
are," the mermaid whispered.
Halen's eyes clouded over and when the smoke cleared she found
herself standing in an open field. She was dressed in a cotton dress which fell
around her ankles. Soft grass tickled her toes. She took a step forward and a
flower sprung from the ground beside her. She leaned down to pick the red
poppy. As she took another step a flower sprang up from between the blades of
grass. Halen smiled. She walked a little farther and with each step a new poppy
sprouted and bloomed. She ran faster and the field blossomed under her feet,
and when she waved her hand, the entire valley filled with red poppies. She
inhaled their sweet scent and when she exhaled, the birds glided in the breeze
of her breath through an endless blue sky.
Halen laughed when the wind caught her skirt and swept the
fabric up over her head, but when she pushed it down, dark clouds rolled
overhead. She took one step forward and the grass beneath her feet sizzled to a
crisp. Taking another step, the poppies burst into flames. The fire licked the
hem of her skirt and she gathered it up over her knees. Scanning the field, she
spotted a boulder; if she could make it there, remove her feet from the ground,
she could save the rest of the field.
She ran in long strides, and with each step, she scorched the
ground with her fiery feet. Suddenly, she tripped. Her hands touched down and
the ground combusted with a brilliant light. The fire raced through the field,
spreading to the trees. The flames reached up, lassoing the birds from the sky,
dragging them to the ground. Halen crawled to the rock and hoisted herself up.
She stared out to the barren land. "No, no. What have I done?" She
clawed the air and the clouds rumbled with thunder. The fire burned hotter and
hotter under her flesh. The only way to extinguish the flames was to release
them. Tilting her head back, she opened her mouth wide and screamed. What birds
had not been burned turned now to black beasts swirling in the torrid sky.
About the
Author:
I write stories about magick, love and dark creatures lurking
in the shadows. When I'm not lost in Edit Land you can find me reading a book
from my towering TBR pile or at the movie theater nibbling licorice. I don't
have a lucky number, but my favorite time is 11:11. I completely believe that
the fortunes found inside cookies will come true and that you must be careful
when wishing on stars. I live on an island, so if you want to visit you'll need
a boat, and if you want to survive the passage be sure to bring candy for the
mermaids.
Excerpt:
The lake
flattened against the horizon. Halen couldn’t tell where the water ended and
the sky began—the two were one. It was hard to imagine a whirling vortex
springing from the center of the lake. She wondered if she jumped in, would she
be able to find a seam that would lead her back to Elosia, or if that world was
sealed off from her forever. She would like to apologize to Dax for kissing
him. She would like to tell Catch and Pepper she was sorry for stealing the elixir.
They had been nice to her without even knowing her. Maybe it was because of
Natalie; maybe Catch and Pepper thought twins were inherently the same. They
made Natalie sound brave, rescuing Catch from the fisherman’s nets. That’s why
they believed Natalie was alive, because she wouldn’t give up on them.
Flipping
open her sketchbook, she saw Dax’s eyes flashing back at her. “What have I got
myself in to?” She longed to hear him answer her back. She traced the rim of
his lips with her finger and her breath caught. “It was simpler when you were
just a sketch.”
“You miss
him.” Tage’s voice was at her back.
Halen spun
around. “I don’t miss anyone.” She slapped the sketchbook shut.
Tage
crouched beside her. “Sorry, but I can read your feelings. I know you miss
him.”
“Is that a
guardian thing—you can feel what I’m feeling?”
“I’m an
Empath. I can feel one’s emotions as if they were my own. Especially the ones
expressed in paintings or drawings. A gift from my mom.”
Halen
thought of the silver records chamber filled with books and scrolls. “Could
your mom read pictures?”
“She could
feel the emotions of the painter, whatever they were going through while they
painted the memory. That was her position in Elosia.”
“I’ve seen where she worked.”
Tage stared
out to the lake. “She told me she would sit in this grand chair, made entirely
of translucent quartz, and interpret the emotions from the scrolls. The tribe’s
entire history is felt in those scrolls. I imagine her there, like an angel,
reading from her throne.”
“I saw the
chair. It is just like a throne—it’s beautiful.” Halen didn’t mention destroying
the room, or the salt water waves she hurled. Instead she told Tage about the
scroll with the two sirens, joined, floating over the water. She told her about
the spheres and the lapis river, the underground rock spires reaching up to the
rainbow-dusted ceiling, and the copper room and pink water bath. She recalled
every bit of Elosia, except for the boy with the crooked smile.
Tage
smiled. “It’s just how my mom described it. I miss her. I can talk to her
sometimes. She’s out there somewhere.”
“In
heaven?”
“I don’t
know. When I hear her voice she’s surrounded by white as if she were lost in a
cloud. I always imagined heaven would be busier, with souls rushing about. Like
here.”
“Well, look
at us. Other than the crew of crazies, there aren’t any people around. Even
though there’s a whole city beyond the trees. So maybe heaven is more like
this—or whatever you want it to be.”
Halen
smiled. “Maybe your mom just finds a quiet place in heaven to talk to you.”
Tage
smiled. “You’re not so bad, you know.” She nudged her side.
“Neither
are you.” Halen nudged her back. It felt good to be on Tage’s good side. Until
now, she hadn’t even realized she had one. When Daspar first introduced Tage as
part of the family, Halen had been hesitant. Oh, she tried to find something to
like about Tage. She knew Tage had lost both her parents, but she also heard through
closed doors that she had ended up in a hospital for doing drugs, so she didn’t
know what to expect from her.
She
wondered now how Tage got along with Natalie. Did they share secrets? “You were
Natalie’s guardian right? What was she like?”
Tage got
the same faraway look Halen had seen in Dax’s eyes when he spoke of Natalie.
“Can we
talk about her later?”
“Sure,”
Halen said, though she had a million questions.
“So, do you want to tell me about this guy you
have feelings for?” Tage asked.
“What? I
don’t have feelings for any guy.” She tucked the sketchbook under the log.
“Empath-remember?
You can’t hide.”
Halen
blushed. “I met him in Elosia.”
“I know.”
Tage dug her boot in the sand. “I have to tell you something.”
“Oh?”
“I used
your sketchbook to find you.”
“What—how
could you?” Why was she even asking? This was typical, sneaky Tage. She should
have known better. Her face flushed as she wedged the book farther under the
log with the heel of her
boot. “So
you’ve seen all the drawings—of him—of Dax?”
“Yeah, I’m
really sorry.” Tage wrung her hands together. “I know it’s private and all, but
I had to find you. Really—there was no other way.”
Apology or
not, Halen was fuming and embarrassed. Tage probably thought she was some
obsessive stalker freak. Yet in a way, it was good thing she had found the
sketchbook. Otherwise Halen might still be with the mermaids.
“Thanks,”
Halen finally said.
Tage’s face
washed with surprise. “You’re not ticked off with me?”
“Please
don’t tell anyone about him—about all the sketches.”
Tage
smiled. “So you do like him?”
Halen
didn’t know how she felt about Dax. It was silly to miss someone you barely
knew. But she did, and when she glanced through her sketchbook, she yearned for
more than just a drawing of him. She wanted to feel the pulsing charge of his
lips on hers once more and grow dizzy with touch of his hands on her waist, as
he pulled her hips against his. In his arms she had wings and she could have
flow straight up to the Elosian sky, but in that moment she didn’t wish to
escape, had he not ran away, she might have stayed in his arms forever. She
shook these ridiculous thoughts away. She couldn’t believe she had been so
stupid. How could something so idiotic feel so right?
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.
SEX! It all started with sex, between my parents. Personally I don’t like thinking about it, but whatever works for you is a-ok with me. No judgment. The sex happened in California and much of my life also occurred in that state until I moved from the land of nuts (almonds), wine, silicon… boobs, and heavy traffic to the southeast US. Like most writers I like to write, but let’s get back to sex. Eventually I married and gave birth to 2 small people-children (boy-6, girl-4 as of this writing).
