Forbidden Fruit

What would you do to get what you wanted,
despite how forbidden it was meant to be?

Damnation, Imari Jade
A fallen angel’s fate is tested when he meets a beautiful young woman who lives at the gates of hell. 

The First Day of Never, Molly Whalen
Little did Svanna Nigal know that the man she was going to meet by chance would give her the chance of a lifetime.

 Temptation, Tracey Fischer
In order to make Leah his, Jacob has to show her a night of passion and sensuality that she never knew could exist.

 In A Forbidden Manor, Ellen Margret
Elspeth wanted the manor. To get it she had to win the heart of Sir Richard Ellesfor—the biggest challenge of her life.

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Excerpts:

Damnation

By Imari Jade

“The Fallen at twelve o’clock,” Jacob shouted at the other three members of the Protectrants as they arrived. “They’re coming at us from every direction.”

Winged beasts flew through the darkened skies, guided by the twinkling stars above them. Humidity was thick in the air, impeding their vision but not stopping them.

“Time to change.” Dante shifted out of human form. Wings appeared as his body grew. Long raven hair careened out of the roots of his head. The tight black leather vest and pants disappeared and were replaced with his war armament. His body stretched to its normal size, and a shield and sword appeared in his hands just as his wings completed unfurling on his back.

The others, Jacob, Saul and Peter shifted to their natural form and prepared to join the battle that was taking place before them. Flames roared from the tip of the sword just as one of the demons charged toward him. Dante caught it in mid-flight, severing its head from its shoulders with a powerful slice. Blood, guts and entrails fell toward the earth. He shook off the demon mess and scanned the skies for the next opponent.

His keen eyes picked up on the incoming demons seconds later as they materialized in open space. The demons were waiting for them. He hadn’t anticipated a sneak attack so near the Neutral Zone but he was ready to defend the territory with his life. Using telepathy Dante sent a message to the others about what was happening and requested backup. The four of them were strong but outnumbered. Moments later the order of warrior angels arrived, armed and ready for his command. Huge winged dragons soared through the air breathing fire from their nostrils. The heat from their bodies made it difficult to breathe.

Dante raised his sword, belting out a fearless war cry as he continued to fight. A mighty bolt of lightening sailed out of the tip, smacking one of the dragons squarely in the chest and sent it sprawling backwards. Its cry echoed throughout the skies as the wounded beast succumbed to its fatal injuries. Another appeared in its place. This one was red with two heads, each capable of tearing his body apart limb from limb. Its thirty-foot tail slashed wildly, trying to strike anything in its path. He and the others fought bravely as hell belched more and more demons from its bowels.

Dante sighed. It was getting so an angel couldn’t have one day of peace without being under attack. The demon army was increasing in numbers and strength, and striking without its usual warning. There had been a total of six battles that week already and it was only Wednesday. If it continued, he’d be extremely tired or probably dead.

Another demon headed his way. This one had two heads, each breathing fire like flames from hell. Its gigantic tail and wings propelled it forward like a torpedo.

Saul flew toward him, his grey wings singed with fire from a demonic weapon. He flapped them slowly to extinguish the flames while effortlessly floating before him and staying out of the path of the dragon. “Bad news. Some of the demons are heading toward earth.”

Dante sliced into his opponent, rendering it dead. “I hope you’re wrong.” He didn’t mind battling in space but the human world was off limits. “We have to stop them before they get there or Michael will have our asses.”

Saul signaled the others to follow.

Another demon was on Dante before he had time to rest. It was Holic.

Holic ducked the bolt of lightening. If he didn’t know better he’d swear his cousin was trying to kill him. “You missed you big dummy. Where did you learn to fight? Sissy angel school?”

The next bolt knocked the lance from his hands. “Damn, that was close,” Holic muttered as he flew after it. He would be at Dante’s mercy if he didn’t go after it and retrieve it. Not that he needed a weapon to defend himself. He had enough powers to keep up with his goody-two-shoes cousin. Crap. The weapon was heading toward earth. Holic followed it down with Dante close on his heels. His wings fluttered out to their full width to brace his descent.

“Stop running, you coward,” Dante shouted behind him.

He was quickly closing in, firing blasts of heat from the tip of his sword. Each shot was too close for comfort. Holic turned and shook his fist at Dante and then landed effortless on his feet in a large yard. He bent down and reached for his weapon just as Dante caught up. He was about to fire on his cousin when he heard a sound coming from a few feet away. Holic lowered his weapon, signaling to Dante. “We have a human present.” He retracted his wings and changed his clothes with a swish of his hand. Dante landed and changed into civilian attire.

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The First Day of Never
    By Molly Whalen
 

“This is all your fault. How could you do this to me?” Svanna shouted to her father, Ashur Nigal, the wealthiest coastal merchant in Spain. Ashur came from a very prominent Middle Eastern family whose wealth was equal to the Prince of Siam. While studying abroad he met and fell in love with Svanna’s mother, Isabella. She came from a modest background and was on scholarship studying international business when they met.

“You knew that he was not ready to go to sea, in fact, the only reason he did go was out of obligation to the family.” Her fiery amber eyes flared at him while Ashur sat seemingly unaffected by her attack.

“Svanna, I realize that the loss of your husband, my son in law, is tragic, however you knew from the beginning that I never approved of the union. His devotion to you made him weak and an embarrassment to our family name.”

At that moment, Isabella appeared hearing the heated argument and closed the door behind her to keep the staff from overhearing them.

“You two need to stop this right now and show respect for Matteo. I will not allow this dissension during our time of grief,” she demanded.

“Bella I will no longer be held responsible for Matteo’s death. He failed to do his job and the universe has determined his fate. This discussion is over,” Ashur stated scornfully.

“Father has informed me that he intends to go through with the arranged marriage that was established when I was but a child?”

Suddenly Ashur grew angry at his daughter’s questioning of his authority. “Bella we agreed to allow her marriage to Matteo because it was in the name of love. Now I must take responsibility to ensure our wealth as well as our family name. You will do as you are told or you will be disowned,” he commanded.

“Ashur, she is your only daughter. You cannot possibly mean that,” Isabella pleaded.

“I do, and I am a man of my word.” Ashur rose from behind the huge oak desk and made his way to the door, which he opened and closed with a slam likely heard throughout the estate. A solitary tear ran down her daughter’s face as Isabella cradled her against her chest.

“Svanna I will try to talk to him, but you know that his family is from a different place than where we live. He has old world views and values and we must respect that.”

“Mother I will not marry without love. If that is what he wants then I will have to leave. I will make a life for myself somewhere with or without his money. I just want to find happiness,” she stated coldly. Her mother shook her head sadly, but understood that her daughter was right.

“When do you plan on leaving?”

“It will take me a week to make arrangements, but I do not want father to know my intentions. When I get settled I will notify you.” Isabella kissed her daughter’s head and Svanna retired to her room for the night.

* * * *

Exactly one week to the day that she had told her mother she had planned to leave, Svanna woke to a glorious day in London. She quickly dressed and hurried down the stairwell to grab a small blueberry muffin before she set out on her journey of the city.

Svanna had tried to contact her mother to let her know that she had arrived, but one of the staff answered and she quickly hung up. She would spend the day getting to know the neighborhood and would call her mother later, after she had returned. Once she reached the street, the sounds of the bustling city greeted her.

She noticed the small cars whizzing by and crowds of people walking along the sidewalk. She quietly smiled to herself as her eyes widened to take in the panoramic view of Hyde Park across the street. The entrance to the park was paved with cobblestone bricks and she heard the faint sound of a horse drawn carriage in the distance.

Svanna pulled out a map to the city from her purse and began mapping out her adventure for the day. She slowly walked down the narrow street to the crosswalk following the crowd, still studying her map. The sound of a blaring horn from a car passing by startled her. Screeching wheels and multiple car horns quickly ensued which made Svanna close her eyes waiting to hear the next sound─a crash.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing immobilized above the body of a female that lay halfway on the curb and the rest in the street. Svanna was unable to move from the sight, obviously in shock by what happened, and yet she knew that she should be trying to help.

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Temptation

By Tracey Fischer

        When Leah arrived back to her office after her meeting, she immediately noticed the note and apple sitting in the middle of her immaculate desk. With a feeling of trepidation, she went and picked up the note that had her name printed in blood red in the center of the heavy cream envelope.

     Leah looked around to make sure no one was watching her and slit open the envelope. She pulled out the card that had a green raised snake in velvet on the front. Touching the velvet with the tips of her fingers, she got a tiny thrill from the soft fabric. She opened the note also written in blood red and scanned the words:

                             Meet me tonight in my garden.

                             I will tempt you.

                                                                 Jacob

     Leah blushed at the words and thought back several weeks to the incident that had prompted these seductive written words.

     Leah had taken the time out of her busy, meeting filled day to attend the annual luncheon, only because she was being awarded a promotion for all of her hard work. She had been the top investor at Huntington’s Financial for the last two years. At thirty, the tall slender blonde was the youngest person to be promoted to vice president status. The fact that she was a woman, beautiful, and successful, upset many of her coworkers. Starting out as a lowly assistant, in a brokerage firm she had worked her way up, from secretary to financial analyst finally to hedge fund manager.

She had made leaps and bounds in her career in the few short years from college to present time that many people felt she did not come about her promotions honestly.

In fact, men who were jealous over her success started most of the rumors; men who in their wildest imaginations would never achieve the success she had.

When the rumors of Leah sleeping her way to the top were unsupported by fact, the gossipers said she must be frigid. Or the men’s favorite—a lesbian.

     The truth of the matter was Leah was serious about her career and did not have time to waste on romance. For Leah, who had dated rarely, men were always more trouble than they were worth. Men thought you had to sleep with them for dinner. Intimacy was a high price to pay for a steak she could buy herself. Besides, she had yet to discover what all the fuss over the act was. She found very little satisfaction in sex.

Leah, after accepting her promotion with a small speech she delivered with class and grace, sat alone at a table wondering how long she would have to stay before she could escape back to the sanctuary of her office.

* * * *

Tall, dark, and handsome CEO, Jacob O’Reilly spotted the blond sitting alone with a glass of wine in front of her. He noticed how his other employees watched her with a mixture of envy and awe. Leah had always held a special fascination for him as well.

Jacob had started his brokerage firm from scratch and, unlike some of his predecessors, he did not have a half a million dollars behind him. With sheer determination, and a fly by the seat of his pants attitude he made an empire by telling others how to build their fortunes. Leah had come straight out of a local business school with no experience but she had a look of will that he knew would benefit him.

He gave her a job as an assistant to one of the lower investors who thought he was the next Donald Trump. Jacob watched with amusement as Leah passed her boss to become what she was today.

To Jacob, the unfortunate fact was that Leah had put her ambition in front of her natural desires. He knew she had them because every once in a while, when he was actually in the office, he watched her looking at a husband bring lunch to his wife with envy. She may not know she wanted love and passion but he knew.

Leah looked up as he approached her and stood in front of her table. He saw surprise in her eyes for it was rare to see him as he usually ran the company from his palatial estate instead of in the office.

“I came to congratulate you, Leah.” He greeted her in a deep voice.

“Thank you, Sir, for the opportunity,” she responded.

Although Jacob’s physical appearance might be absent in the building, he knew every detail regarding his empire. He nodded at the chair and Leah shrugged. Sitting down across form her, Jacob admired her cool beauty and said, “A lot of people did not think you could do this job, Leah.”

“Is it because I am comparatively young beside the other vice presidents?”

“No, because you are a woman.”

     “Oh that. Just look at my record and see it is as good as anyone else’s.” Jacob heard her arrogant tone and smiled. He unnerved her

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In a Forbidden Manor

By Ellen Margret

Elspeth stared in awe at the magnificent manor house that lay at the end of the wide, sweeping driveway. The horse beneath her dipped his head and began to graze on the grassy area just outside the rusting iron gates of Ellesfor Court. She patted the horse's neck. “Well, Horace, you might not be interested in that beautiful building but I am.”

The horse snorted and moved on to a fresh patch of grass.

“It's the most beautiful building I've ever seen in my life.”

An older woman with greying hair, riding upon a grey gelding, came up beside her. “Talking to yourself again, Ellie? Careful, you'll end up as crazy as old Lady Catherine.”

“Lady Catherine?”

“She's the widow of Sir William.”

“Oh, yes, he died just over a year ago, didn't he?”

“Yes, I rang you and told you about it. The whole village went to the funeral in the church on the hill up there.”

Elspeth glanced up at the tiny Norman church on the hill. “Was he well liked?”

“Yes, he was a kind man. He treated everyone as his equal. It was a sad day when he died and I think it turned poor Lady Catherine just a little more mad.”

“Does she live here?”

“No, she moved into the Dower house three months ago.”

“So, who will inherit the Court?”

“Sir William's son, Richard. He's been living in New Zealand for the past ten years. I think he built up a rather successful business over there.”

“Doing what?”

“You know, I'm not entirely sure. Old Rita, the village gossip who runs the post office, did mention to Fred, the milkman, that Richard owned several farms.”

“They have a lot of sheep over there. Was he into sheep farming?”

“I think that perhaps he was.”

“So, has he come back to claim his title and his estate?”

“No, I don't think so. He came back for the funeral but then returned to New Zealand.”

“Is he single, Aunt Annette?”

Annette gave a chuckle. “Rita said he was.”

Elspeth looked at the stone mansion once again.

“You can't have it, girl.”

“I can if I have him.”

Annette laughed loudly. “Ellie, you've been on this earth for twenty-five years. In that time you've got pretty much everything you ever wanted.”

“Daddy doted on me. He didn't mind buying me a puppy and a pony and then a thoroughbred stallion.”

“A red setter with a champion sire that cost two thousand pounds and a pony with Arabian bloodlines that every other girl in your village drooled over. Then, when you were old enough to drive, you had that red sport's car that cost twenty thousand pounds.”

“Twenty-two, actually.”

“Well, your Daddy can't buy you a titled husband and a mansion.”

“Aunt Annette, it's the building I'm in love with.”

“Girl, you've never been inside it.”

“I can tell just by looking at it. It's adorable. It's got character. It's asking for love. I could give it love.”

Annette stared at her niece with incredulity. “Have you forgotten about the promise you made to your father?”

Elspeth was still staring at the building. “He told me I was spoilt.”

“You were.”

“I know and he was right. He told me to live frugally for two years. He said that I was to support myself totally for the two years. I had to get an ordinary job and find a slum to live in.”

“Your flat is hardly a slum.”

“No, but it's not the ten bedroom, country residence that I was brought up in. Anyway, I've kept my side of the bargain for the past eighteen months. He told me to get a low paying job and so I did. I worked in the kitchens of a public house and I served rude people with their meals and I did it with a smile on my face.”

“I see that you talk in the past tense.”

“I have other plans now.”

“No, Ellie, those plans cannot include having Ellesfor Court. You may be beautiful, you may be cultured, you may talk with a plum in your mouth, but that does not mean that you can walk into that building and become the new lady of the manor.”

“What if I wasn't beautiful? What if I wasn't cultured? What if I talked like a country yokel? What a challenge that would be.”

Annette rolled her eyes. “And, you always got the lead parts in performances at your exclusive public school. I really don't think the new lord of the manor would fall for someone fitting that description. Rita heard that the lord of the manor likes well-endowed women with dark hair. He also dislikes people who speak with plums in their mouths. So, you don't fit the bill at all.”

Elspeth grinned.

“Stop it, Elspeth. You can't have Ellesfor Court. I forbid you to have it. Your father would forbid you to have it. At the end of two years, ending up with a stately home is not frugal.”

Elspeth sighed wistfully. “It is forbidden, isn't it?”

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