Wilted

(This story takes place ten years before the events of The Witching Pen Series.)Fifteen-year-old Elena hides her magical abilities from everyone, except her best friend, Karl. Inseparable since they were very young, they've always shared everything together, including the darkest parts of their lives.Elena's beginning to realise that her feelings for Karl are growing into something more. But her mother's about to drop a bombshell on her – one that will change the course of her life, and heart, forever.PUBLISHER'S NOTES:For fans of the series, this story includes two parts of Elena's past that were made reference to in The Witching Pen: 1) The moment that Karl turns up on Elena's doorstep having been beaten and 'jumped on' by his father and 2) "The Sex Talk" between Elena and her mother.Book length: short story (over 5500 words) Dianna Hardy is an international bestselling author of (cross-genre) fantasy fiction, most notable for her dark (often explicit) paranormal fantasy and the raw, intense Eye of the Storm series. But her heart-warming Once Times Thrice series proves she thrives in the light as much as the dark. Whatever your poison, what she loves most is to bring you stories that are action-packed, fast-paced and not short of heat, with the focus on character development, relationship dynamics, and the plot.She writes full-length novels and short fiction.First published in 1997 with poetry, and then in 1999 with her first short story; The Witching Pen was released in 2011 and she hasn't looked back.Dianna lives in Hampshire, UK, with her partner and their daughter, where she writes full time. Elena, a thirteenth generation witch, is the most powerful witch on the planet; Amy is hidden from her true self, and Mary feels the pain of mankind.On the appearance of a magic pen, three women uncover family secrets and deep betrayal, to discover they are more than they've been led to believe - for better or worse.Alongside the men, demons and angels who love them, they are thrown into a supernatural world where time becomes muddied, where new and ancient merge, where forged bonds cannot be broken, and matters of the heart are never black and white.And then, there's the impending apocalypse.Unique, fun, fast-paced, sexy and passionate, this is paranormal romance that combines the dark with the light, and the sweet with the gritty.