Tithed Read online

  For most people, Arithmancy is no more than a jumble of numbers. For Somnus Keep instructor Elspeth Valerin, those numbers are her refuge, her passion. Her magic—her only magic since a painful incident from her past cripples her ability to unlock the inner power of the thrall.

  Today her calculations indicate change is in the air. That’s not what she smells when she enters The Slaughtered Lamb, though. She smells ale. Smoke. And when she catches a glimpse of the owner of the Lamb, memories.

  Tonight there’s a new face among the regulars in Connell Byrne’s pub. The woman he once loved with all his heart—before she left it in pieces. And one thing hasn’t changed: she is still clearly—inexplicably—afraid of him.

  Elspeth’s heart is racing. That she and Conn are here at this moment means her numbers were right. Beyond this moment, though, is a fate she cannot comprehend. The one equation she’s never been able to calculate. The one outcome she cannot control—love.

  This title has been previously published under the title Everything Counts.

  Warning: Star-crossed lovers who need a little push to fully understand the phrase, “The whole is more than the sum of its parts.” Explicit sex with enough steam to prove the Chaos Theory.

  eBooks are not transferable.

  They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520

  Macon GA 31201

  Tithed

  Copyright © 2011 by Megan Hart

  ISBN: 978-1-60928-355-1

  Edited by Lindsey Faber

  Cover by Kanaxa

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: February 2011

  www.samhainpublishing.com

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Tithed

  About the Author

  Look for these titles by Megan Hart

  Also Available from Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  Copyright Notice

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Tithed

  About the Author

  Look for these titles by Megan Hart

  Also Available from Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

  Copyright Notice