Seattle, Washington and London, England - Present Day

Kadenshar is an Ash Demon. Created from the ash of mortal remains during Nero's burning of Rome, the Ash feed on a person's ego to control and destroy humans from the inside out. When his brother, Tendaeus, crossed through to the mortal world looking to make war, Kadenshar followed to protect him. His brother is seriously injured and entombed in crystal to stop the degeneration process by members of the Cadre, a group of mortal researcher’s intent on the study of paranormal entities and attempting to bridge the gap between mortal and dark realms for peace. The Cadre say they are trying to save Tendaeus's life, but Kadenshar knows that the crystal is torturous to demons. After Kadenshar is bound and imprisoned, he doesn't believe in their protestations of trust or peace. The Cadre promise to heal and release his brother if Kadenshar brings them the Crystal Goddess, a rumored great crystal healer and peacemaker that also holds the ability to destroy the Ash race. Tendaeus is Kadenshar’s only living relative and it is his duty to help him. It is also Kadenshar's duty as an Ash warrior to destroy any threats to the Ash Demon, and he plans to succeed in both tasks.

Medical research scientist Destiny Rue is worried about her sanity. Her mother was institutionalized for mental illness before her death, while Destiny was still a girl. Now, she is having spells that she is sure signal her own insanity. Right before an important presentation she is to give, Destiny spots her dead mother in the audience, and she also begins to hear voices in her head. Her gaze is caught on a dark and exotic man in the front row, and as Destiny mentally questions who he is, she is hearing his answers. Rubbing the crystals left to her by her mother -- they are the only things that provide her comfort -- Destiny struggles for control. When one of her slides appears to be of a man and woman having sex, and the voice in her head begins an erotic litany, she faints. Her boss is worried that Destiny has just lost significant funding and is furious with her. When he fires Destiny, the man from the audience, Kade Sharpe, offers him a large sum of money to borrow her for a research project in England. When she hesitates, Kade asks Destiny to dinner to prove to her that he is harmless and to discuss the project he has in mind. When even more bizarre events occur over the next few days, convincing Destiny that she is closer to insanity than she thought, Kade must tell her that she has an important destiny to fulfill. He must also protect her from the Ash Demons that have been sent to destroy her and keep her from reaching England.

As they race toward the Cadre, Destiny and Kade become more and more attracted to each other. Destiny has never known love, protection, or friendship and quickly comes to rely on Kade. Kade is sure that his feelings are under control and that he is simply feeding her ego according to plan. After all, Demons can't love, can they? Secondary characters include Pagroe, an Ash bent on keeping Destiny from fulfilling her prophesied role; Lady Aurora, the cold and manipulative leader of the Cadre; Edwina, who will train Destiny in crystal healing; and Mersey Bane, a Cadre protector. Various other demons crop up and give Kade and Destiny trouble. Several twists occur and secrets are revealed, leading Destiny to the enchanted forest of St. Yve Wood and the danger that lurks there.

SAVING DESTINY is the final book in the Dark Enchantments series. Kade and Destiny have many things in common, including losing family members quite young. As Kade fights for his brother, he doesn't recognize the emotions he feels for Tendaeus or Destiny. Destiny feels too many things, and having feared insanity for years, she accepts the changes in her life a little too easily. The back-stories of Destiny and Kade provide a solid foundation to their motivations and actions. The writing is sharp, sensual, and suspenseful. Battle scenes are creative and taut. Reading the previous books in the Dark Enchantments series provides background on characters and groups that receive only a light touch in this story. Questions will arise that aren't addressed, but they don’t detract from the overall story. The romance builds quickly and is steamy, though unconsummated until the end (for a good reason). A classic love story wrapped around a paranormal thriller, SAVING DESTINY is a tale readers won't want to miss.

Jennell