Dark's Destiny release date moved back to June and a sneak peek

 Dark's Destiny is almost here! Release date has been moved back to June, but no worries. It will be here before you know it!

To help tide you over, here's a sneak peek:  

Destiny checked her watch as she entered her home through the back door, shutting it firmly behind her. Dang, I’m running late. A moving shadow drew her attention. “Hey, Sebastian.” He’d been curled up in one of his favorite spots—in the top hammock of the cat tree in the corner.

::I prefer the name Death:: He stood and stretched his long front legs out before him, flexing his claws as he did so.

Plunking her purse on the nearby kitchen table, she rolled her eyes at the huge, long-haired Maine coon cat. All muscle, he reminded her of a panther, except for his brilliant orange tabby coat and the large, pointy ears complete with tufts of whitish hair arcing outwards. Weighing in at just under forty pounds, he was a huge specimen, even for one of the largest breeds of domestic cats. His two extra toes on all four paws gave a mitten appearance, making his feet look even bigger.

“Yeah, well, I preferred the name Pickles. I believe we compromised.” They had this very same discussion several times per week. She patted his head as she hurried to Pru’s home office, her late great aunt’s inner sanctum, so to speak.

Sebastian snorted but jumped down and padded along behind her.

She’d adopted Sebastian as a kitten three years before. Something about him just clicked. She guessed it was because he spoke to her that day—in her mind. Most people would’ve waved it off as her imagination. Destiny knew better. Descended from a long line of witches, she inherited the ability from her father’s descendants. Her mother’s ancestors didn’t hold a lick of magic. Not even Aunt Pru, who was eccentric enough without the addition of such unusual skills.

On the low-wattage end of witchcraft, as explained by her paternal grandmother, the most any of them could do was start a tiny flame without the use of a lighter or flint. Generations of hooking up with non-witches seemed to have diluted the abilities. Fine with Destiny, as she’d more than likely have ended up burning the house down with any of those capabilities. Still, she possessed a single, magical gift—she could hold conversations with her sassy, arrogant cat. No other animals, just Sebastian.

Truth be told, she’d decided that magical abilities had fizzled when it came down to her. Sebastian, on the other hand, possessed plenty. When she considered the entire puzzle, it made sense. Sebastian projected his words into her mind and he understood her spoken words. It was all Sebastian with the gifts. She simply stood on the receiving end of his impressive abilities.

On the other hand, where his cat burglar skills came from, she didn’t bother to guess. As an escape artist extraordinaire, he could sneak into Fort Knox if he wanted. A normal house must be a piece of cake. He’d proven his expert abilities on several occasions—much to her chagrin.

“I have to find this book. Leather bound with a drawing of a flower on the cover.” She spoke out loud to keep herself on task, and as a habit. Since Sebastian could understand everything she said, she always kept him in the loop as a nod to manners.

::Why?::

“A customer bought it from Aunt Pru. He’s here to collect.” She recalled those piercing eyes and knew she couldn’t return empty-handed. No matter what.

Hanging a right, she entered the office only to come to an immediate halt. “Sebastian? What’s this?” She glared at the large white sock on the floor with a mix of trepidation and resignation.

Sebastian jumped up into the office chair, sat down, and started washing his front paws. ::My latest kill::

Destiny sighed heavily. “We’ve talked about this. You can’t go around stealing stuff from other people.”

He ignored her. Just like every other time over the past year that he’d requisitioned one article of clothing or another.