Alight
The Peril 
Pyxis Book 2
Author: K.C. Neal
File Size: 406 KB
Print Length: 242 pages
Publisher: StoneHouse Ink; 1st edition (September 12, 2012)
Language: English
ASIN: B009AJ561K
Synopsis:
When Corinne learns who the second Guardian is, she must find a way to make peace with the last person in the world she wants to deal with. As she struggles, her nemesis unleashes an otherworldly evil, and a mysterious illness strikes Corinne s friends. Faltering under the weight of her destiny, Corinne escapes to the dream world. There, she meets Zane, an Australian guy with a hot accent and a revelation that binds them together and alters the path of Corinne s life. She throws herself into fighting for everything she loves, but just as she s certain she will prevail, she s robbed of what she needs most.


EXCERPT:
In this excerpt, Mason and Corinne have already gotten pretty good at communicating with each other through their telepathic link. Now, they’re both starting to discover the true nature of their abilities. 
“Wanna see something cool?” He asked after a minute.
“Sure.” I looked at him expectantly in the dark room, but didn’t see anything.
Then, there it was. Mason was glowing. It was as though a faint, warm light had illuminated just beneath his skin.
I sat up. “Shut . . . the . . . front . . . door!” My voice sounded harsh compared to our silent exchanges through our link. “How are you doing that? It’s like you’re a human firefly!”
Mason’s laugh rumbled deep in his throat, and I eyed the ceiling, remembering my sleeping family upstairs.
I don’t know how to explain how I do it. There’s more. Watch.
I stared as the light within him changed from a faint, warm yellow glow to a whiter, more intense light.
“Wow, that’s—” The words died on my lips as Mason raised his hand, and an orb of blue-white light formed in his palm. The ball of light detached from his hand and floated up until it was level with my face. I gaped in wonder.
Touch it, he said softly.
I raised my hand to the light, hesitated, and then pushed my fingertips into it. A buzz of pleasant, ticklish electricity ran up my arm to my body, leaving goose bumps in its path.
I can make it a lot more intense, but I’m afraid it might hurt you. I think it’s supposed to be some kind of defense.
The glowing ball disappeared, and my fingers hung in the empty darkness for a second before I lowered my arm.
Defense? Like a weapon? A stun gun? I asked. I was tempted to flip on the bedside lamp so I could really see his face. I wanted some confirmation that I’d actually seen what I thought I saw. I slowly lay back down on the bed, and curled up on my side facing him. A strange twinge of excitement stirred at the base of my sternum.
He shrugged. Maybe, I’m not sure. I haven’t told your Aunt D about it yet. I wanted to show you first.
Just then I noticed the heat radiating from him, much more than usual. I reached out and ran my fingertips slowly down his arm, and I gasped when residual static crackled softly between my skin and his, illuminating tiny blue sparks. His skin was as hot as the bottom of my laptop after it’s been on for a few hours. When my fingers reached his wrist, he grasped my hand in his and wove his fingers through mine. His hand was so warm, I started to sweat a little.
He rolled to his side, still gripping my hand, and faced me. His lips hovered inches from mine, and my heart thumped.
Hold still, he said.
I waited, wondering what new trick he could possibly have. He drew a slow breath in through his nose, and then his lips parted and he began to exhale. His breath washed over my nose, mouth, and cheeks, and a million tiny sparks burst against my skin. Everywhere the sparks touched, my skin tingled.
He sent no words through our link, but I could sense how badly he wanted to close the space between us. His longing stirred like a heavy, hot wind through my mind, and for a moment, I couldn’t distinguish his feelings from my own.
He ran out of breath and leaned a fraction of an inch closer to me. I closed my eyes, anticipating the pressure of his mouth. When his lips touched mine, our emotions and thoughts seemed to twirl and twine around each other in a rush, like strands of seaweed caught in crashing waves.
Too soon, Mason pulled back and the tide of our jumbled thoughts receded.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Most of K.C. Neal’s days are filled with some combination of writing, reading, gardening, working, and watching stuff on Netflix with her husband and their maltipoo, Oscar. She has an irrational fixation with L.A., and during occasional trips there she pretends her life is more glamorous than it really is (“Entourage” is her guilty pleasure). She likes to surf and hang out on sandy beaches, especially where drinks are served adorned with tiny umbrellas.