His Broken Angel by Beth Ciotta
HIS
BROKEN ANGEL
(The
Glorious Victorious Darcys
1.5)
Bonus
e-Novella (digital only)
BLURB:
From
the author of Her Sky Cowboy comes a sexy new novella about
rebellion, redemption, and the healing powers of love and tolerance
amid budding global chaos.
Doc
Blue has never had it easy. Born a Freak, the offspring of a Vic—a
native Victorian—and a Mod—a time traveler from the future—he’s
lived on the fringes of society, hiding his true identity and
preternatural healing abilities from even his closest friends. His
brief support of the Freak rebellion has only left him with even more
problems, losing him both his job and one of his greatest allies, the
Sky Cowboy, Tucker Gentry. So when Tuck’s kid sister, Lily, ends up
blinded in an air skirmish on her way from America to England, Doc
jumps at the opportunity to be the one to rescue her and use his
powers to mend her wounds.
Curing
Lily proves harder than anticipated, and Doc realizes that to restore
her sight he will have to spill his biggest secret and embrace his
Freak nature like never before. But, with Lily’s help, Doc may be
able to reach the full potential of his abilities, heal Lily’s
broken heart, and learn, finally, how to open his.
Includes
a preview of the next Glorious Victorious Darcys novel, His Clockwork
Canary.
EXCERPT:
“I’m
sorry I got you in this fix,” Lily said, fiercely conscious of
their intimate and highly inappropriate position. Arms and legs
entangled. Her backside pressed against his groin.
“I’m
here on account of my own actions, angel. I promise I’ll get us
both out.” He shifted and squeezed her waist, pulling her even
closer. “Jasper just ran off. Guess he’s heading for the
Crusader.
Don’t know what that dig looks like, but she must be flashy or big.
P.J. said she’d attract attention.”
“What’s
this dig look like?” Lily asked.
“Let’s
put it this way. It’s called the Bullet.”
“Sleek
and cylindrical.”
“With
wings and a tail and some sort of rocket booster. P.J.’s firing up
now.”
Lily
heard the rumble clean through the shield. The cramped dirigible
vibrated and shimmied and Lily braced for takeoff. “Are you scared,
King?”
“You
forget I’ve been riding with your brother for the past few years.
If we weren’t chasing and apprehending outlaws, we were clashing
with sky pirates and ALE. This is nothing. Although P.J’s flying
ain’t for the fainthearted.”
“I’m
not fainthearted.” Lily licked her lips. “Not usually.”
“I
believe you, but flying blind is discombobulating. Focus on my
voice,” he said close to her ear as the vessel lurched forward.
“I’ll talk you through it.”
For
a minute she was breathless, speechless. Her mind and body reeled
with the forceful launch and the sudden unexpected speed as they shot
through the air. Just as he’d promised, Doc described everything.
The three ships that constituted skytown breaking apart and heading
in separate directions , several other smaller digs shooting off
every which way . . .
“Ah,
the Crusader.”
“Flashy
and big?” she asked, holding tight to Doc’s hands.
“Beauty
of a zeppelin wrapped in an intricate iron grill. Topside propeller
and rear rocket thrusters. Gondola’s loaded with cannons and the
zepp’s fitted to carry small fighter digs like this one.”
“How
. . . how can you be sure it’s the Crusader?”
Lily asked as the Bullet
lurched right.
“The
big S welded into the intricate grill work.” Doc sighed. “Caped
Crusader. Man of Steel. Superman. A twentieth-century superhero. Pa
used to liken Jasper to the fictional icon. Thing is Superman used
his powers for the greater good.”
“For
Jasper,” Lily said as she struggled with a dizzy spell,
“emancipating Freaks is the greater good.”
“You’re
a good soul, Lily Gentry.”
Doc
kissed the back of her head and the dizziness intensified. Only it
wasn’t from the topsy-turvy ride. Cannon fire exploded in the
distance and Lily burst with a fierce need to live in the moment.
This moment. “I’ve never been kissed.”
“What?”
“If
this ends badly, I want something good to remember when I meet my
maker.”
“Don’t
talk nonsense, angel. P.J.’ll get us out of here. If nothing else,
her pride demands it.”
Ignoring
the ache in her ribs and the pain in her leg, Lily swiveled round
best she could. “Kiss me proper-like, King.”
“Lily.”
She
could feel the warmth of his breath. His mouth, so close. His body
tensed as she leaned in, but she didn’t pull back. She waited . . .
and when the Bullet
shook
with the blast of return fire, she took what she wanted. A kiss.
Though her mouth glanced off Doc’s, she tasted a hint of peppermint
and slice of heaven. Bliss.
He
groaned then, cradled her face, and pressed his lips to hers—firm
and true. He kissed her proper-like. The kind of kiss she’d read
about in dime novels. The kind she’d seen stolen between lovers in
the park. Heat radiated through her body, her skin tingled, and her
blood burned. He teased the seam of her mouth with his tongue, and
Lily’s lungs near about burst through her ribs.
Inspired
by their precarious circumstance and her uncertain future, she parted
her lips and welcomed Doc’s tongue. The awfulness of the world
faded away as the compassionate healer gifted her with sizzling
passion.
The
Bullet
bucked then arced, and Lily’s heart followed.
Video
Book Teaser:
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