Jaded Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Seventeen

  Eighteen

  Nineteen

  Twenty

  Twenty-one

  Twenty-two

  Twenty-three

  Twenty-four

  Twenty-five

  Twenty-six

  Twenty-seven

  Twenty-eight

  Twenty-nine

  Thirty

  PRAISE FOR THE NOVELS OF ANYA BAST

  JEWELED

  “A powerful novel about trust, love, and change with sexy characters a reader can’t help but fall in love with. A great read!”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Anya Bast delivers a superb, heartfelt story. I truly didn’t expect this erotica to be so emotional . . . I was engrossed.”

  —Bitten by Paranormal Romance

  “The story is one that just draws you into its depths and makes you turn the pages as fast as you can . . . I would expect no less from the extremely talented Anya Bast . . . If you have never had the pleasure of reading one of her books, then I would greatly suggest that you start with her brand-new book Jeweled.”

  —Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick)

  WITCH FURY

  “Full of action, excitement, and sexy fun . . . another delectable tale that will keep your eyes glued to every word.”

  —Bitten by Books

  “Hot romance, interesting characters, intriguing demons, and powerful emotions. I didn’t want to put it down and now that I’ve finished this book, I’m ready for the next!”

  —Night Owl Romance Reviews

  WITCH HEART

  “[A] fabulous tale . . . The story line is fast-paced from the onset . . . Fans will enjoy the third bewitching blast.”

  —Genre Go Round Reviews

  “Smart, dangerous, and sexy as hell, the witches are more than a match for the warlocks and demons who’d like nothing more than to bring hell to earth and enslave mankind. Always an exhilarating read.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  “Witch Heart is a story that will captivate its readers. It will hook you from the first few pages and then take you on a wild ride. It is a fast-paced story but it is also a story that will make you feel emotion. Anya Bast uses words like Monet used paint. It’s vibrant. It’s alive. Readers will be able to see the story come to life as it just leaps out of the pages.”

  —Bitten by Books

  WITCH BLOOD

  “Any paranormal fan will be guaranteed a Top Pick read. Anya has provided it all in this hot new paranormal series. You get great suspense, vivid characters, and a world that just pops off the pages . . . Not to be missed.”

  —Night Owl Romance Reviews

  “Gritty danger and red-hot sensuality make this book and series smoking!”

  —Romantic Times

  WITCH FIRE

  “Deliciously sexy and intriguingly original.”

  —Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author

  “A sensual feast sure to sate even the most finicky of palates. Richly drawn dynamic characters dictate the direction of this fascinating story. You can’t miss with Anya.”

  —A Romance Review

  “Fast-paced, edgy suspense . . . The paranormal elements are fresh and original. This reader was immediately drawn into the story from the opening abduction, and obsessively read straight through to the dramatic final altercation. Bravo, Ms. Bast; Witch Fire is sure to be a fan favorite.”

  —ParaNormal Romance

  “A fabulously written ultimate romance. Anya Bast tells a really passionate story and leaves you wanting more . . . the elemental witch series will be a fantastic read.”

  —The Romance Readers Connection

  “A terrific romantic fantasy starring two volatile lead characters . . . the relationship between fire and air makes the tale a blast to read.”

  —The Best Reviews

  MORE PRAISE FOR ANYA BAST AND HER NOVELS

  “Had me sitting on the edge of my seat from page one.”

  —The Road to Romance

  “A lovely erotic tale . . . This unique and passionate story is filled with humor, fire, and heartwarming emotion.”

  —Romance Reviews Today

  “Anya Bast pulled another winner out of her pocket.”

  —Night Owl Romance Reviews

  “An entertaining erotic romantic suspense tale.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  Titles by Anya Bast

  THE CHOSEN SIN

  JEWELED

  JADED

  WITCH FIRE

  WITCH BLOOD

  WITCH HEART

  WITCH FURY

  WICKED ENCHANTMENT

  CRUEL ENCHANTMENT

  RAVEN’S QUEST

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

  Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.)

  Penguin Books Ltd., 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  Penguin Group Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland (a division of Penguin Books Ltd.)

  Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty. Ltd.)

  Penguin Books India Pvt. Ltd., 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi—110 017, India

  Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, Auckland 0632, New Zealand (a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd.)

  Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty.) Ltd., 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg 2196, South Africa

  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  Copyright © 2011 by Anya Bast.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  HEAT and the HEAT design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Heat trade paperback edition / June 2011

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Bast, Anya.

  Jaded / Anya Bast.—Heat trade pbk. ed.

  p. cm.

  eISBN : 978-1-101-51553-2

  1. Triangles (Interpersonal relations)—Fiction. I. Title.

  PS3602.A8493J33 2011

  813’.6—dc22

  2010036501

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  For my readers.

  Thank you for buying my books. Thank you for spending time in the worlds I’ve created and for opening your hearts to my characters.

  I love receiving your emails, and your c
omments on Facebook and Twitter. I deeply appreciate your reviews and am always excited to see your lovely faces at my book signings. I am profoundly grateful for every last one of you.

  It’s only through your support that I’m able to tell the stories that crowd my mind and to live the dream of being a writer, the dream I’ve had since I was seven years old.

  Thank you.

  One

  The problem was expectations.

  Lilya Orensdaughter sat in an outdoor café in downtown Milzyr, sipping a cup of black coffee and watching a family at another table. The man held a small child on his lap while laughing and talking with his wife. They looked happy, in love.

  Even though Lilya had long since put aside such expectations, once in a while they reared their heads. For a moment, watching the young family, she was swamped with a wish and woeful longing—a partner with whom to share her life. Just that. No more. She knew better than to add a child to her yearning. Children would never be for her.

  Neither was a man. Not like that. Not one who loved her the way she loved him, wholly, completely, and reciprocally, the way that couple seemed to love each other.

  She turned her face and mind away, looking down the crowded street of Milzyr. The city had changed so much since the revolution, yet in many ways remained the same. Pleasant autumn weekends still thronged the cobblestone streets with milling couples who spent the afternoon window-shopping and talking with each other as they strolled. Unless one of the odd contraptions that was meant to replace the horse-drawn carriage rumbled past belching smoke, one couldn’t see any difference now that the Edaeii and their royal court had been toppled from power.

  Yet the differences were there. The Jeweled, or those magicked ones who’d been formerly called such, were mostly in hiding now, afraid to face a populace that had murdered them on sight just a few short years ago. Every face that Lilya gazed upon made her wonder: Where were the magicked? It was a sore in her heart that they hid from the world. Things were better for Milzyr apart from that lack—the country needed its magick back.

  A hand touched her shoulder. She looked up, smiling into her best friend’s face. Evangeline’s belly was round as a ball these days. Grimacing from the effort it took to move in such a condition, Evangeline lowered herself into a chair opposite Lilya.

  Lilya’s smile widened. “I’m surprised Gregorio and Anatol are letting you out of their sight these days.”

  “It was a fight, let me tell you.” Evangeline caught the eye of the waiter and ordered a cherry sugar water. “I told them I’d had a child once before, could do it again just fine, and they needed to act more like my husbands and less like my jailers.”

  “Good for you. When is this one due?”

  “Soon. Within the next couple weeks. It can’t come soon enough for me. I feel like I’m twice as heavy as I was with Nicoli.” She smoothed her hand over the expensive fabric of the light green day gown that covered her stomach.

  “Maybe you truly are twice as heavy. Maybe it’s twins.”

  Evangeline’s eyes widened and her face blanched for a moment. “The thought has crossed my mind. Twins. Egad.”

  Lilya smiled and took a sip of her coffee. “Good thing you have two able-bodied fathers to help you out.”

  She smiled. “They can’t wait for this one to get here.”

  “I know they’re crazy for Nicoli. That little boy seems to be the light of their life alongside you.”

  The waiter brought Evangeline’s pink-colored sugar water. “I’m lucky to have them.”

  “Didn’t I tell you so?”

  She nodded. “And you were right. You always are.” She sipped her water. “How are you doing, Lilya?”

  “Wonderfully, as usual.” Lilya took another sip of her coffee. Indeed, as long as she kept her expectations low she couldn’t ask for a nicer life.

  Evangeline offered her a conspiratorial grin. “How many men have offered to whisk you away from your sordid life this week?”

  “Only two.” She pouted. “And one of them is a man who offers at least once a month. The number is rather low. I may be losing my touch.” She had plenty of men who adored her, who stared at her with puppy-dog eyes and offered her the moon on a silver-plated dish, but she didn’t love any of those men back. Not the way they deserved.

  If she’d been a gold-hunting sort of woman, she’d have been married a long time ago. It wasn’t that financial stability didn’t matter to her. To a woman who’d grown up impoverished, money was very important—but other things were more so.

  Evangeline laughed, her blond hair curling around her face. “I highly doubt that.”

  Lilya reached into a bag on the ground near her feet and pulled out a frilly baby gown. “I brought you a gift for the impending little one.”

  “Oh, it’s beautiful,” said Evangeline, taking the gown into her hands. “Truly, it’s gorgeous. It’s also very, very pink. Do you know something I don’t?”

  Lilya leaned forward a little. “I am very good at predicting the sex of babies. I say yours will be a girl.” She shrugged a shoulder and smiled. “Maybe two girls. If so, I’ll have to buy a second dress to match.”

  Evangeline blanched again.

  Lilya laughed. “You’ll be fine.”

  “Says the woman who is footloose and completely free.”

  She shrugged. “Ah, well, I am that.”

  “One day you’ll meet a man who wants to whisk you away and you’ll want to be whisked away by him, Lilya. You’ll be in love.”

  Lilya rolled her eyes. “Perish the thought, Evangeline. I’m happy where I am, doing what I’m doing.” Really, she reminded herself firmly. It was wrong to hope for anything else.

  Evangeline smiled and shook her head. “Just as I thought I was happy in the palace as a J’Edaeii. I had no idea how sweet life could be until all that was taken away. Listen to me, Lilya; you never know what might be around the corner. Stay open to the possibilities.”

  “You know my stance on love, Evangeline.”

  She nodded. “It interferes with your work.”

  “Kills it, actually.”

  “Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”

  Lilya smiled gently. “I know you mean well—”

  “I want only the best for you. I owe you a lot, after all.”

  “I love my life the way it is, Evangeline. Really.”

  “I know you do.” Evangeline smiled, reached across the table, grabbed her hand, and squeezed. “And I love you. I just want you to have someone to share your life with. I never understood how wonderful it could be until I had it for myself.”

  Lilya squeezed her hand back and smiled. Maybe, but it would never happen. Not for her.

  Lilya headed back to the Temple of Dreams a while later. These days she didn’t get to see her friend Evangeline very often, and she saw Gregorio, one of Evangeline’s husbands, even less. Gregorio had been a frequent visitor to the Temple of Dreams before he’d met Evangeline. He’d never been Lilya’s client, though he had been her friend. Now he never visited. It was a testament to the love he shared with his wife. Lilya knew quite well—it was not always so. Many were the husbands who frequented the temple.

  Quite regularly so-called happily married men visited the temple in search of liaisons beyond the marriage bed. When Lilya knew that to be the case, she refused them, as was her option. True, deep love—love in which both partners remained faithful . . . it seemed rare. Yet Evangeline had found it with not one but two men. Evangeline was the luckiest of women, and Lilya couldn’t help but feel a little envious.

  Lilya entered the Temple of Dreams, stepping into the parlor. It was a lavish room, brimming with only the best that the considerable money of the Temple of Dreams could buy. Business was good. In a society that put very little shame on the act of physical lovemaking, she’d put aside quite a large sum of money, even apart from the help she’d had long ago from a friend. She was an independent woman, able to take care of herself. If she chose
to leave this life tomorrow, live in her own house, have her own carriage, and live idly for the rest of her days, she’d be able to do that.

  And, maybe, one day she would.

  Ariana approached her from the entrance adjacent to the foyer while Lilya was taking off her gloves. “Wilhem is here. I showed him up to your rooms.”

  She frowned, laying her gloves on a small table. “He’s not supposed to be here until tomorrow.”

  “Should I send him away?”

  Lilya thought about gentle, shy Wilhem for a moment. That would crush him. “No, that’s fine. I’ll see what he wants.”

  Ariana nodded, smiled, and walked away.

  The heavy skirts of her blue gown swishing with her movement, Lilya headed up the stairs to her apartment. Wilhem was one of only three clients she had at the moment. She’d amassed enough of a fortune by carefully selecting her men. Rich. Gentle. Nonthreatening. Broken. Unattached. Men she could trust when alone with her. Men who paid vast sums for the opportunity to occupy her bed. Men who needed her.

  The only problem was sometimes they needed her too much.