Dawn of Days – Snippet 3
Dawn of Days, A New Dawn Book 4
By Amy Hopkins & Michael Anderle
Snippet 3
Unedited
Chapter Three
They set up camp that night, laying out bedrolls but going without a fire. Julianne stripped her clothes off and wrapped them inside out to stifle the dank, coppery smell.
Noticing Marcus watching, she paused before slipping a fresh shirt over her head. Julianne flicked a glance towards Artemis, to make sure he had his back to her and was still absorbed in whatever project he was working on.
She slowed her movements, reaching one arm above her head before pulling the linen shirt over it. She shimmied the shirt on, then turned her back on him, giving him a perfect view of her ass as she stepped into a fresh pair of underwear.
As she pulled them up, then stood for a moment, shirt brushing the backs of her legs, she heard footsteps behind her. Marcus’s stubbly face grazed her shoulder as he nibbled her ear.
“You’re gonna make me pay for the Artemis thing, aren’t you?” He asked in a rough, low voice.
“I just showed you my naked butt, and you’re thinking about Artemis?” She said, turning around to slap his arm.
He pulled her closer. “Only because if I forget he’s here, even for a moment, he might get a shock when he turns around and sees me—”
“Marcus?” Artemis called. “Where did you put my pack?”
Marcus growled and let Julianne go. “You should put some pants on, my dear.”
“Not like anyone around here will notice either way,” she said with a sigh. She bent down to grab her clothes, standing up quickly when Marcus pinched her ass.
“Over there, Artemis,” Marcus called, cutting off her protest. He hurried off to help before Artemis could get distracted and wander off into the trees.
Julianne finished dressing and joined Marcus and Artemis near the pile of saddlebags and riding equipment. She shoved the last of her things into her bag, frowning when she touched something hard.
“What’s this?” She murmured, pulling out a smooth, round object. It shimmered a strange reflective colour that threw off shades of red and orange as she turned it over in the fading light.
“Where did you find it?” Marcus asked, wandering over. “Back at those ruins?”
Julianne shook her head. “In my bag. Artemis?” She called. “Did you pick this up?”
He gave an irritated glance at the ball and shook his head.
“Huh. A gift from someone back in Tahn, maybe?” Marcus suggested.
Julianne hefted it in her hand, chewing her lip. “Can’t be. This was the last bag I packed, and I strapped it straight onto Cloud with another bag on top.”
Marcus took it from her and tapped it. The solid thock gave him no clues as to what it was made from. “Weird. Are you going to keep it?”
“My bags are heavy enough as it is, I don’t need to be collecting rocks,” she said.
Marcus lowered his voice and said, “Maybe Artemis can keep it with the rest of the rocks in his head.”
Julianne whacked his chest hard enough to make him wince. “Don’t be mean. Maybe he did pick it up somewhere and just forgot. I wouldn’t put it past him.”
She put the rock on the ground, and smiled as Marcus handed her a small parcel of food.
“Annie outdid herself this time,” he said. “Have a look.”
Julianne pulled back the cloth to reveal a small sourdough roll dotted with olives. She took a bite, savouring it before swallowing. “Oh, that’s divine!” She murmured.
Marcus pulled her down to sit beside him on a bedroll, while he lit a small lantern.
“What’s Artemis doing?” She asked, noticing a small glow surrounding his silhouette.
“Playing with his toys,” Marcus said. “Hey, Artemis! Are you coming over to eat, or what?”
“Almost done,” he called back. “Just have to… and twist that in, yes… and… haha! It’s done!”
He scurried over to them, clutching something in his hands. “Julianne, it works! It works!”
“What works, Artemis?” She asked, sidling over on the mat to make room for him to sit.
Artemis collapsed next to her, folding his gangly legs awkwardly. He grabbed her arm.
“Woah, steady on old man,” Marcus said, his eyes flashing dangerously.
“Marcus, it’s fine. He won’t hurt–OW!” She yelped as Artemis strapped something onto her forearm.
Julianne yanked her hand back. The gold band was tightly clasped around a white stone, pinching her skin underneath.
“Don’t!” Artemis yelled as she tried to wriggle it loose. “That wire is fragile!”
“So is my skin,” she snapped, fiddling with the catch. It wouldn’t come undone, but a wet drop ran down her arm from beneath the stone. “How do I get this off? I’m bleeding, Artemis!”
“Of course you are. If the amphorald worked without a blood connection, we’d have realised its use much sooner, you know.” Artemis grabbed Julianne’s arm and she let him dab away the blood.
She stopped struggling and watched him work carefully, cleaning the area without dislodging the awful pinching sensation. “There’s a needle in that Bitch-damned thing, isn’t there?” She asked warily.
“How else do you think I was going to break the skin?” Artemis asked, shrugging.
Marcus, red-faced and furious, made to stand. Julianne reached out with her free arm and pushed him back down.
“It’s just a little blood,” she said reassuringly. “I assume there is a purpose to this, Artemis?”
“What? A purpose?” He shook his head roughly. “You think I’d go around stabbing people with needles and hooking them up to amphoralds for no reason?”
“You sneaky bastard,” Marcus hissed. “Thief! You stole my amphorald, didn’t you?”
He reached one hand out to grab Artemis, but Julianne swatted him away.
“I only borrowed it,” Artemis grumbled. “But don’t think you’re getting it back. Pah, wasting good magic on a stick that goes boom.” He looked at Julianne. “Go on, try it!”
Julianne sighed. “Artemis, you haven’t told me what it is, yet?”
“Yes I—oh. I didn’t, did I?” He frowned, wracking his brain to try and remember.
“Let’s pretend you didn’t,” Julianne said gently. She shuffled around to turn her back to Marcus, who had a snarl on his face and, quite possibly, murder in his eyes.
“Reach out to Bastian,” Artemis said. “Or, did I give it to Danil? Which one is the rude one?” Artemis asked.
Julianne rolled her eyes. “Artemis, you had months to sort them out. Danil’s the one you didn’t like.”
“Ah. Then I gave it to Bastian. Go on, mind-speak to him.” Artemis waited, eyes wide.
Shaking her head, Julianne tried. Bastian was two days ride away, a distance far out of range of any—
Julianne, is that you? It really works!
She jerked back in shock. “Bastian?” She said. Then, realising she’d spoken it aloud, she repeated it in her mind. Bastian? Where are you?
In the hall. Julianne fancied he was wearing a smug grin by the tone of his thoughts. I’m guessing you’re halfway through the Madlands by now?
A little farther, she answered. But, Bastian—how? She loaded the question with all of her wonder and disbelief.
She felt the mental equivalent of a shrug. Ask Artemis. He’s the mad genius.
“Artemis, what is this? How does it work, can I only speak to Bastian? What about—”
“Stop! Stop talking. You’re talking too much and it’s making my head hurt. Like him.” Artemis scowled and pointed at Marcus.
“I saved your ass today, old man,” Marcus reminded him. His face twitched as he struggled to stay mad, but curiosity got the better of him. “What is it, Jules?”
“I spoke to Bastian,” she said. “He’s in the hall–back at Tahn!”
“Wow.” Marcus rocked back to lean on his elbows. “Maybe that is better than a rif–boom stick. I’m calling it a boomstick from now on. Sounds so much cooler than a rifle.”
“Of course it’s better,” Artemis said distractedly. “I made it. Move your arm,” he snapped, giving Julianne’s arm an experimental tug. “It should stay in place. It won’t need recharging, not like those silly weapons. You can send and receive messages to anyone who has one.”
“We can make more?” Julianne asked, eyes alight.
Bastian, did Artemis leave the schematics? She asked.
None needed, Bastian answered immediately. He just said the amphorald has to touch your blood, or be linked to it by something conductive. I’m guessing he was right. You know, seeing as I can hear you.
She could hear the excitement in his voice.
“See if you can read his mind,” Artemis said.
Julianne reached out, but couldn’t feel anything. She shook her head.
“As I thought.” Artemis dug a small book out of his pocket and began scribbling in it. “Messages, but not control or invasive thoughts. That makes it relatively safe, I suppose.”
“Safe?” Julianne asked, suddenly wary. She immediately ran a mental check for signs of strain, or fatigue. She felt fine.
“Well, I thought it was ‘safe’ to show Rogan that spell, didn’t I? And look what happened!” He squinted. “You don’t think this could be used for bad, do you?”
Julianne bit her lip. “Only as much as it could be used for good. And we’ve got them now. If it’s as simple as you say, it was only a matter of time before someone figured it out.”
Artemis slumped in relief. “I’m not telling anyone else. Only you and Bastian know. Oh… and him.” He narrowed his eyes at Marcus suspiciously.
“Don’t worry,” Marcus said. “I can’t use it, and I won’t tell anyone.”
Artemis continued to scribble notes while muttering, “Can’t use it my ass. Stubborn fool. Still, probably safer if he didn’t. Bastard’s oath, that man with magic? The world would fall.”
“I’m right here, Artemis,” Marcus said.
Artemis looked up, surprised. “What? Oh. Was I talking aloud.”
Marcus scowled and pointed two fingers at his own face, then pointed them at Artemis. Artemis just squinted, shrugged and went back to his notes.
Dawn of Days – Snippet 2
Dawn of Days, A New Dawn Book 4
By Amy Hopkins & Michael Anderle
Snippet 2
Unedited
Chapter Two
Marcus sat with his rifle across his lap, fiddling with it.
“I thought you were going to ask Jakob to charge it before we left,” she chided.
“I did!” Marcus protested. “And I tested it, too, so I know I put it back in properly.”
“Maybe he did something to drain it by mistake,” Julianne mused.
“There’s nothing to drain,” Marcus said, frowning. He held up the weapon, showing her the empty slot where the stone would normally sit. “The amphorald must have fallen out.”
Julianne pressed her lips together. “Marcus, it can’t just fall out.”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s not there now. And before you say ‘I told you so’, I know using it as a club wasn’t the best idea, but every now and then it was needed.”
Julianne arched an eyebrow.
“Ok, maybe it wasn’t needed that often. Still, I’ve got my sword.” He grinned, patting the weapon at his side.
“Sure, until you slap a remnant skull with it sideways, and bend it out of shape,” Julianne pointed out.
“Oh, come on. I only did that once!” He protested.
“I rest my point.”
They rode on, enjoying the morning sun that warmed their skin, even as a cool breeze trailed past, raising goosebumps on Julianne’s arms.
“It’s going to be an early winter,” she said.
Marcus nodded in agreement. “Bastian better hurry up and get his school running, if he wants you back for the opening. The roads will be impassable once the heavy snows start.”
Julianne laughed. “Do you have any idea how much he has to do first? I’ll be lucky if he needs me back by next winter!”
Marcus shrugged. “Throw up a few walls and a roof, right? It’s not that hard.”
“He’ll need to build the schoolrooms, and accommodation for the students that don’t live close by. Kitchens and a dining hall to feed them. He’ll need to find teachers, draw up contracts, provide accounting to the Temple and Lord George to show how our investment is being spent.” Julianne spread her hands. “It’s hard work.”
“Ok!” Marcus said, waving her down. “I get the picture. Lots of boring paperwork, and then throw up a few walls.” He winked.
“You men,” Julianne replied. “Always–” she stopped when Marcus jerked up a hand and motioned for her to be silent.
Julianne gently tugged the reins, pulling Cloud to a halt. Behind her, Artemis’s horse stopped too, thought it was more likely because it was taking cues from the other two. The old man could sit a horse alright, but paid far too little attention to guide it far.
“I smell smoke,” Marcus whispered. “Jules, are here people ahead?”
Julianne’s eyes turned white as she reached out with her mind. She shook her head. “No people, but I can sense remnant, I think.”
Remnant minds were hard to feel, noticeable only because of the low buzz Julianne felt instead of the familiarity of a human mind. She tried to narrow down their location and numbers, but the odd sensation was too indistinct.
“They’re probably setting up camp,” Marcus commented. “We should be too, but I don’t think it’s a good idea of there’s a horde of them this close.”
“I agree.” Cloud took a few nervous steps and Julianne leaned down to pat her neck. “So, let’s go clean them out.”
“I had to fall for a girl with a death wish,” Marcus muttered. “Fine. Shall we go now, while we’ve got the element of surprise? I don’t want to give these bastards a chance to organise.”
Julianne wheeled Cloud around and slapped her flank.
“I guess that’s a yes,” Marcus said to Artemis. “You wait here. Back soon.” He kicked his horse into a gallop and followed Julianne into the remnant camp.
Artemis watched them go, shaking his head. “And people say I’m the crazy one.”
Julianne plunged through the bushes and emerged in a circle of remnant. Cloud Dancer reared back, kicking one in the face and pummelling it to the ground, as Julianne reached down and smashed another in the side of the head.
Marcus flew through, using his momentum to make a clean swipe at a remnant. Its head jerked to the side, attached to its neck by nothing more than some sinewy tendons on its back.
“Three more!” Julianne called, pulling the horse around for another run.
The first kills had happened so fast, the other remnant hadn’t had time to react. Now, however, they stood, baring teeth and grabbing nearby rocks to use as weapons. Marcus steadied his horse, and gripped his sword tighter.
One drew a rusty spear, raising it at Marcus. He didn’t see the big horse behind him plunge forwards. Cloud Dancer smashed the remnant to the ground and stomped on its head, crushing the skull with a wet splat.
Marcus had slid off his horse already, and Julianne joined him on the ground, aiming for the ribs of a remnant that reached for Marcus’s face.
It was a good strike. Julianne felt the crunch of broken bones and the squelch of damaged flesh. Still, the remnant whirled around to face her, mouth open to show corroded teeth behind scabbed lips.
“You ruined my dinner, fucking whore!” It spat, seemingly unaware of the jagged bone sticking out of its chest, or the blood pouring from the hole.
When it stepped forwards, it winced, looking down. Seeing the wound only enraged it more. Julianne swung her staff, missing as the remnant ducked at the last minute.
Without waiting, she spun, using the movement of her weapon to propel her around on one foot as the other raised in a kick. Her boot struck the remnant in the back, pushing it forwards into the dirt.
“Last words?” She asked, her boot pinning the remnant to the ground.
“Fuck you,” came the muffled reply.
Julianne took one hard, well-aimed swing and the last remnant was dead. “You too,” she said cheerily, leaning on her staff.
“Could you try to look a little less smug, please?” Marcus asked. “Because if this keeps up, you’re going to end up a better fighter than me, and I don’t like that.”
“Challenging your manhood?” Julianne asked. She sauntered up to him and leaned in close, pouting her lips.
“That would be totally sexy any other day, but you’re covered in gore. Again.” Marcus stepped back, flicking off a tooth that had somehow landed on his shoulder. “Come on. I’m dying for a hot bath and some clean clothes.”
They mounted their horses after Julianne gave Cloud Dancer a stern talking to for trying to shuffle away when she reached for the saddle. “Listen,” she said, pulling the mare’s head around. “I know it’s gross, but the sooner you get me home, the sooner you get a good wash and lots of treats. Ok?”
Pulling herself up, Julianne ignored the horse’s disgusted shudder. “I swear, Mathias has been talking to you and putting ideas in your head, horse. Go on, git!” She nudged with her knees and they slowly walked back to the spot they’d left Artemis.
Marcus looked around, frowning. Artemis’s old horse was tied to a limp branch, but the old man was nowhere to be seen.
“It’s like herding cats,” Marcus said as he dismounted.
A trail of broken branches and flattened grass soon led to Artemis. He leaned on the ruins of a building, sifting through a pile of rubbish. Above him, a scatter of crumbling plaster fell from the wall, scattering in the wind.
The building was old—beyond old. Too-smooth walls eroded into cracked rubble, showing it was likely built even before the Madness.
“Artemis?” Julianne called carefully.
He ignored her, picking something out of the pile and holding it up to the light.
“Marcus, that wall…” Julianne said, pointing just as another handful of fine pebbles tumbled out of cracks in the brickwork.
These landed on Artemis, and the old man irritably flicked his head from side to side. He looked up, blinking, as Marcus started creeping towards him.
Artemis looked back towards the ground, discarding the nearly-invisible filament to pick up another. This time, he held it up, grinned, then flicked the end.
“Found one!” He yelled, jumping to his feet.
The fast movement made him teeter and he grabbed the wall for support. Marcus dashed forwards, yanking Artemis forwards. The old man fell to the ground with a cry as the ruined structure rumbled, then collapsed in a cloud of dust, sending larger rocks flying out like missiles.
Marcus threw himself over Artemis as Julianne watched, helpless. Without thinking, her magic grabbed for Marcus’s mind.
Are you hurt? She sent urgently
There was a pause. She couldn’t reach past Marcus’s shields without forcing past. Marcus?
I swear to the Bitch herself, if this man doesn’t have some kind of lifesaving information in that thick head of his, I quit. Marcus relaxed his shields, letting Julianne quickly reassure herself he was, indeed, unharmed.
He grunted when Artemis suddenly started struggling beneath him.
“Where is it? You fool, where is it?” The old man cried, scratching at the dirt.
Marcus stood and brushed himself off. “Where’s what?” He asked tiredly.
“My thread!” Artemis scrambled to his feet and grabbed Marcus by the shoulders. “Do you know how hard they are to find?”
Marcus raised an eyebrow and reached out one hand to pluck something from the bushy beard that had been shoved in his face. “You mean like this one?”
Artemis’s eyes lit up and he grinned, snatching the wire from Marcus and spinning around to examine it. “Yes! I found it!”
Marcus coughed. “Who found it?”
Artemis stormed away, calling, “If you hadn’t toppled a building on my head, I wouldn’t have had to find it a second time, would I?”
Marcus opened his mouth but Julianne grabbed his arm, shaking her head. You know you can’t win this, she sent to him.
“Fine,” Marcus muttered, and set off through the long grass after Artemis. “But you can deal with him until we get through the Madlands. No—all the way to Craigston!”
Julianne laughed. “Fine, but you owe me.”
“I’ll give you the world,” Marcus said, raising a hand to his forehead dramatically.
“Oh, I’ll be taking more than that, thanks,” She replied, grinning.
Dawn of Days – Snippet 1
Dawn of Days, A New Dawn Book 4
By Amy Hopkins & Michael Anderle
Snippet 1
Unedited
Prologue
Donna stared into the fading pinpricks of red as they dwindled, and winked out. Blood dripped down her arm, sliding from the knife to her elbow and spattering into the dirt below.
She slipped the knife back and threw the remnant back into a lifeless heap. A smile touched her lips.
“I did warn you, dear,” she said.
Her eyes turned down and a frown marred her face as she noticed the mess. Casually, she reached up and ripped her dress, splitting the shoulder seam and yanking her sleeve off. She balled it up and wiped her arm before tossing on the body in front of her.
Donna turned away. The morning sun cast a long shadow in front of her and she watched it as her eyes took on a glow of their own, turning white as a flawless pearl.
A mumbled word escaped her lips as her shadow changed. It stretched taller, thinning to give her the figure of a lithe young woman. Then, it widened, her neck disappearing in folds of cloth.
Finally, a long staff sprouted from her hand.
Her small smile turned into a grin—not on her own face, but the false image she wore. Donna looked down and brushed off her new white robes.
The ashen staff she carried had the weight and balance of a real one, and the blue of her dress matched her memory of one she had seen on the Mystic Master.
“Finally,” Donna said, looking about. “It’s time for the Master to return to her Temple.” A throaty laugh bounced through the forest. “They won’t know what hit them.”
Chapter one
A remnant charged at Marcus and he aimed his rifle, pulling the trigger.
Click.
“Dammit!” He yelled. The close-growing trees in this part of the Madlands suddenly seemed to loom overhead, despite the dappled sunlight shining through the patchy winter foliage.
Marcus tried the weapon again, then slapped it hard. A third pull still yielded no blast from the weapon. The remnant before him laughed, and crouched low, ready to attack.
Julianne swung her staff, feeling it vibrate as it thunked against the remnant’s skull. The brittle bone exploded, showering blood all over her clothes.
Marcus twisted the rifle behind his back, fumbling to attach it to his belt.
“Leave it,” Julianne said. “Unless you’re so soft you’ve forgotten how to fight without it?”
“Soft?” Marcus called. He slid his sword out with a zing and took the hand off a nearby attacker, then spun to meet a second. That one dropped to the ground, dead, a moment later. “I’m not soft!”
“Duck!” Julianne called as the one-handed remnant stuck its head up behind Marcus. “Bad move, buddy,” she said to the remnant as Marcus threw himself down to avoid her next strike.
Staff met face, and teeth sprayed across the ground. The remnant howled in pain.
“I ge’ yoo, bith!” it screamed.
“Sorry?” Marcus said, a hand cupped behind his ear. “What was that? I can’t understand you… no teeth, and all.” He slashed upwards, piercing the remnant’s belly and spilling long, slippery strands of intestine all over the ground.
The dead remnant crumpled, falling back as Marcus pushed it away from him with the toe of his boot.
Artemis lurched up from his huddled position to lean over and vomit. He emptied his stomach, and sat back down.
Marcus cocked an eye at him, then shrugged. “Yeah. It does smell pretty bad, doesn’t it?”
That made Artemis retch again.
“Marcus!” Julianne chided. She passed Artemis her water, wincing when he looked at the glob of flesh stuck to the side and leaned over again. “Oops. Sorry. Maybe we should head back to the river we passed earlier.”
Artemis pulled himself to his feet and lurched off back along the path without a word. Grabbing the reins two of the horses, Marcus followed.
Julianne eyed Cloud Dancer. The horse stared back as if daring her to try and mount while still covered in blood and innards. “Fine,” Julianne said. “We’ll walk.”
“You know,” Marcus said, tying the horses to a tree and pulling off his shirt. “There are less messy weapons you could use.”
“What, and give up my staff?” Julianne said, dipping the white stick into the water and letting the gentle waves wash the stains away. She made sure to stay downstream from Artemis, as he splashed water on his pale face.
Marcus shrugged. “It’s your staff, or your pretty blue pants.”
Julianne snorted. “My pants are fine, nothing a good soak and a scrub won’t fix.”
She looked down, wondering if it was worth trying to clean them now. Blood, both fresh and old, had saturated the fabric. They were already becoming stiff—it would take hours to clean them out properly. She settled for wiping the worst of the mess off her boots with a clump of grass.
“There must be a spell for that,” Artemis mumbled. “It would fall under the physical realm, of course… but if they had a way to target the organic material, and lift it…”
Marcus shook his head as Artemis continued to ramble about the theoretical application of a magic he couldn’t cast. “Why is he with us, again?”
“I need him,” Julianne said, patiently. “For a time, at least. If we don’t transcribe what he’s learned, it might be lost forever. And he’s learned a lot.”
“You mean, he hasn’t written it all down already?” Marcus griped. He motioned at Artemis’s horse, loaded with leather bags that were stuffed not with clothes or personal terms, but piles and piles of paper.
“You’re not taking my work,” Artemis snapped, suddenly coming back to the conversation. “You’ll get those grubby fingerprints all over it!”
Julianne sighed. “He won’t let us touch it without him there. So, we’re not only stuck with him, I’ll have to fund an escort to get him back when Bastian has the school up and running.”
“Rude,” Artemis muttered, talking into the stream. “Talking about me like I’m not here.”
“Artemis, I spent half the damn trip trying to make conversation with you,” Julianne pointed out. “You didn’t respond to a thing I said.”
“Oh?” Artemis said. He grinned. “My meditation skills finally exceed your chatter!”
Julianne rolled her eyes as she climbed up onto Cloud Dancer’s back. “I know you love us, Artemis. That grumpy old man persona is all an act.”
He snorted, then awkwardly mounted his horse. Wth Marcus leading, they set off through the Madlands.
Redemption – Snippet 7
Redemption, The Boris Chronicles Book 4
By Pual C. Middleton & Michael Anderle
Snippet 7
Unedited
It was his third day patrolling, and they were about to head back. They’d found a few places that showed and smelt of recent human activity. The smell of anyone in the area ahead of them should have been brought to them by the wind that was blowing towards them. Olaf called time.
Though they had found tracking sign, the Weres had been universally thwarted in tracking anyone by scent. They kept encountering patches of strong ‘woodlands’ odor that had overwhelmed their sense of smell.
Olaf was reasonably sure the hide they had found a half mile back was a day old or less. Still, even in his other form, the human scents had been faint. They were the smells of people who were taking extra effort to smell like the environment. Rubbing dirt and strong smelling plants over themselves.
They headed back to the camp, the wind at their back, relatively unconcerned. They had patrolled the area only hours before, and apart from the hide they had found no new sign of other humans. None of the telltale vampire scent on the wind.
Still, his patrol moved cautiously. Overconfidence in the shuttle was what had gotten them into trouble in the first place. They were halfway back, and the breeze went still.
Olaf’s nose twitched, as did Andre’s. “Cover!” He shouted out the order. There was a human odor in the air now the wind wasn’t blowing it away from them. His patrol quickly dived behind rises, trees and whatever else they could find. Olaf himself took cover behind a tree.
He heard rustles in the brush ahead that confirmed his suspicions.
“It would seem that we are at an impasse,” a voice from the woods said. “We have all five of you located. A firefight was not what we had planned, but we will take it if that’s all that is on offer.”
Olaf thought quickly, then decided provocation was the best option if they were the enemy. “That’s all you have! We will not surrender to a blood drinker’s lackeys!” He shouted back. He loosened the straps on his patrol webbing, preparing to shift if he needed too.
However, he was not convinced they served the vampire. He thought he’d be able to smell what Danislav described as ‘old, off blood’ on a vampire’s troops. Especially if it had kept to one lair for some time, as many did.
There was silence for a moment, then a snarling feminine voice answered, “We have nothing to do with that bitch! Most of us are survivors of attempts to ‘cleanse’ our homes with some of her monsters.” That sounded more like this vampire was nearby and directing the Nosferatu. That was a small relief.
Olaf hesitated. If he took it at face value, then he risked looking a credulous fool in any event. Either that or arousing their suspicions about his motives. “I guess it is a standoff then. I sure as hell can’t trust that you are not working for the blood drinkers!”
Evolution – Snippet 2
Evolution: Ghost Squadron Book 3
By Sarah Noffke, J.N. Chaney, Michael Anderle
Snippet 2
Unedited
Knox Gunnison sprinted down the hallway. They were dead. All of them. That was Mateo’s body in the front. They’d killed him. They’d killed all of them.
The soldiers pounded down the hallway, drawing closer to his position. Knox’s feet weren’t moving fast enough. The hallway was too long. There was nowhere to hide. What was he going to do?
The noise behind him stopped. He didn’t dare turn around. Instead, he pushed forward, faster. Only fifteen meters until the exit. He was almost—
A bullet whizzed by his skull, hitting the door ahead. He turned to see two Brotherhood soldiers, each holding a rapid-fire rifle.
Knox ducked when the next round fired off, letting himself roll on the ground, trying to get out of the way.
Knox pulled his pistol from his holster as he rounded the corner. He halted, taking a steady breath. Pausing to breathe seemed dumb right now, but missing would be fatal.
He cocked the gun’s hammer back and released it, loading a round into the chamber. Then he paused, listening to footsteps as the men continued through the hall. He waited until they were close enough…until the moment was perfect.
Knox fired, taking the Brotherhood soldier in the lead out first. The man fell back, the hit to his shoulder knocking him down. Knox let out a breath as he released the trigger and prepared for the next shot.
The other soldier had stopped, pulling his gun up, trying to find the target. Again, Knox pulled the trigger, letting two successive shots fly free. The first bullet missed, but the second went straight through the Kezzin’s leg, making him fall forward on his hands and knees.
The man stared up at Knox, a desperate look in his eyes. The soldier behind him, still alive, had crawled over to his gun, managing to grasp it.
Knox whipped around and sprinted for the exit. With both of these men disabled, there was no reason to stay and fight. He didn’t have to kill them, so long as he could get away.
Besides, more soldiers would be here soon. He didn’t have long.
He managed to get to his ship and open the hatch, an old Black Eagle that had seen better days. It had seen too many days, actually.
Knox had salvaged this bird a few years back, then fixed her up the best he could. It had been Mateo who had taught him how to fly, back when he first got the old ship working. That skill was going to hopefully save his life. He sank down into his chair, not even strapping in as he started the engines.
“Gonna be a fast take-off,” he said to himself. The engine stalled, briefly, but that was normal. Knox slammed his hand over the controls. “No, you don’t. Don’t fuck with me today. This isn’t the time.”
Out the side window, he saw multiple Brotherhood soldiers spilling out of the ship they’d arrived on—the vessel known as The Unsurpassed. Knox had never seen anything quite like it, massive and smooth by design, but with more guns and weaponry than any single ship should have.
The soldiers aimed their weapons just as the booster kicked in, making the Black Eagle rise off the ground. The shots spilled over his aircraft at once, making loud ricocheting noises.
Knox fixed his eyes on the clouds as he rocketed away. “You’ve taken worse. Hang in there ole’ girl,” he told his ship, pulling back on the controls and speeding the Black Eagle away.
He took several potentially fatal hits before the bird managed to get away, soaring for space. If he was lucky, he’d make it out of the system. He already knew those men would follow him. People like that never left survivors. But if he could get far enough away then maybe they wouldn’t find him. Maybe he could stay alive.
There were very few things Knox was actually good at, but one of them was hiding.
He’d been doing it all his life.
Death Defied – Snippet 1
Death Defied, Valerie’s Elites Book Two
By Justin Sloan, PT Hylton, Michael Anderle
Snippet 1
Unedited
Chapter One
Planet Tol
Days spent on Tol were nothing like back on Earth, and it wasn’t only because Valerie had just helped institute a successful coup. While on Earth she had hidden in the shadows, forced to try and keep the status quo of not too many humans knowing about the existence of Weres and vampires—of which she was the latter.
Up here though? Here she was a hero, the liberator of the people. As much as she insisted it hadn’t been only her, and even tried to push the credit over to Kalan, where much of it was due, the Skulla and Norral were hard to convince.
It wasn’t only a matter of them listening to her on this matter, there was the issue that, until Valerie had come along, the Norral were slaves to the Skulla. Now this whole system was being reworked, with Sslake as the new leader, trying to put the pieces together of this metaphorical vase she’d broken.
Of course, in the process of breaking it, she’d made it ten times better than it had been. No more slaves, no more people having to fight for their right to live here or to rise up in society.
What the new system would be like, Valerie wasn’t trying to influence. If Sslake needed them, he would ask for their help.
At the moment, she just wanted to find something to eat that wasn’t the local variation of flowers or Rantu, their version of panther. It was their local specialty, but after having been friends with a Were-puma for the year or so before leaving Earth, she just couldn’t see herself eating any animal that even remotely resembled a cat.
“Maybe the Norral have a better diet?” Garcia offered, as he and Robin walked with Valerie through the bazaar. They made their way over toward the Norral tables, not happy to see that, even though they weren’t slaves anymore, their sales tables were set up in the back and with very little room.
Too bad Kalan and Bob had to take off so soon, she had a feeling Kalan’s tastes were much more in line with her own, and he probably knew where to look.
A shot went off and everyone ducked—everyone except Valerie, who turned and scanned the crowd looking for the shooter. She didn’t have to look hard, because there was a tall Pallicon, standing at least a head above all of the Skulla that had dove for cover. His pistol was aimed right at Valerie, though he’d clearly missed.
“Wandrei skum!” he shouted, about to shoot again, when an enhanced Skulla tackled him, two more joining a moment later.
“Looks like our friends haven’t abandoned us,” Robin said with a raised eyebrow. She nudged Valerie and nodded to the far curtain of the bazaar, where Warlord Palnik stood watching, arms crossed. Several more of those large-armed Skulla stood by as his bodyguard.
In spite of everything that had changed, there were still classes here, and Palnik was still one of those at the top. If not for Sslake, in fact, he might be at the top. Before it had been Warlord Charbon, who Valerie had taken out as part of her mission, and the top warlord who had called himself the Bandian, after a race of aliens who, it turned out, Kalan actually belonged.
“What’s he doing here?” Valerie wondered aloud.
“Looking for trouble,” Garcia replied. “Maybe I’ll bring him some.”
Valerie held out a hand, then used it to wave to the warlord. In response, all she received was a scowl.
“To be fair, you changing the system essentially stripped him of any real power,” Robin pointed out. “You could see why he would be annoyed.”
“And we saved lives when we did so.” Valerie started walking toward him, motioning the others to follow and simply ignoring the shooter. “I’d say he either starts living in the system or gets out of it. Pretty black and white, if you ask me.”
Palnik waved his guards off at Valerie’s approach, walking over to meet her halfway.
“I trust you’re finding a new way to entertain yourself?” Valerie asked, referring to the fact that the fighting arena was closed now.
He sneered, then turned that into a frown. “Sslake’s looking for you, asked me to locate you. Looks like I get to be his personal errand boy.”
“You must love that,” Garcia said with a chuckle.
“Maybe I break your legs and we see who’s laughing?”
Garcia took a step toward Palnik, and to the warlord’s surprise, his guards didn’t step in to do a damn thing. It hit Valerie that it was likely because of the legends surrounding her and her team. Nobody wanted to mess with them, not with what had happened in the fighting arena, nor how they had taken down the false Bandian at his strange base in the jungle.
“You were saying?” Garcia asked, towering over the warlord.
Behind them, the other Skulla were taking care of the shooter, dragging him out of the tent, unconscious and with a line of blood dripping from his nose.
Palnik shook his head and turned to lead the way.
“He’s not at his quarters?” Robin asked.
“Actually, he’s had a team going over the Bandian’s base since you took it out, and thinks he found something quite intriguing. He asked for you all specifically, and said it might be a job for you and your team.”
Suddenly the lights went out completely and an explosion sounded, followed by a feminine voice, loud and carrying as it said, “It has come to our attention that new leadership is in play on Tor, and you have yet to pay tribute to your gods. We require blood. We are taking hostages. On the fourth hour, if you haven’t fulfilled our demand, one will die every hour until we have the Bandian. Send him, and be quick.”
With that, the lights returned to normal and only the far off screams could be heard.
Valerie took a split-second to process this, then ran outside, leaping over tables and shoving locals aside until she was past the tents and could see that the threat was real.
Hovering over the city was a massive spaceship, drones pulling back into it—but the drones were carrying their screaming hostages.
Half a dozen fighters rose up from the city, but as they moved for the ship above, their engines all seemed to die and they went careening back into the city creating new explosions and subsequent fires.
“Well, we’re off to a great start,” Robin said, running a hand through her hair.
Valerie turned to the nearest Skulla. “Who are they?”
He shook his head, eyes never leaving the sky.
“Looks like that might be a question for Sslake,” Garcia stated.
“Hell, at least they only want the Bandian.” Robin shrugged. “No brainer, give him up.”
“We can’t just go around handing out prisoners to whatever alien group comes along making demands like this.” Valerie stared off at the fires, almost wishing she didn’t always have to be in these situations, but knowing she was the most qualified for it.
“Don’t forget,” Garcia cut in, “it’s not exactly we, is it? Not like back home. Here, we’re the mercenaries, not the government.”
He had a point.
“Looks like we better pay our friend Sslake a little visit then,” Valerie said. “But first, let’s make sure nobody’s hurt over there.”
They all took off, running for the fires and anyone who needed their assistance. It bothered her that she wasn’t going to have final say here, but if she was going to play her role, she had to do it by the book. Although, the way she figured it, since there wasn’t technically a book yet, she had some wiggle room.
Evolution – Snippet 1
Evolution: Ghost Squadron Book 3 (Unedited)
By J.N. Chaney, Sarah Noffke, Michael Anderle
Snippet 1
Chapter One
Defiance Trading Company Headquarters, Planet L2SCQ-6 in Frontier space, Unnamed System.
Felix Castile listened to the loud breathing of the Kezzin behind him. Commander Lytes must have had a deviated septum. It was the only plausible reason for his constant sniffling, always interrupting the silence.
Or maybe it was just a physical trait of the Kezzin. Felix hadn’t taken much time to learn about the species. He knew these lizard-type aliens could stop breathing for an extended period of time, but that was about it.
Felix prided himself on his ability to accumulate and use information, but only when it was useful. If it didn’t earn him additional power or prestige, then he didn’t seek the data out. Currently, his relationship with Commander Lyte existed solely to further his own plan—the complete and absolute destruction of General Lance Reynolds. The moment the Kezzin stopped being useful would be the moment Felix cut him loose.
All that Felix Castile did was for the goal. Every action, every day.
And that was exactly why he was here in this awful place, staring at a group of black market merchants.
The leader of the Defiance Trading Company, a rogue operation that stockpiled weapons and sold them on the black market, looked up from the pad in his hand. “We have loaded everything into your ship that you requested. I have yet to see the transfer of funds come over, though,” said the man, his voice raspy, probably from years of smoking or hanging out in filthy warehouses like this one. The man, Mateo, had a thick scar that ran over his left eye and down his cheek. Living outside of Federation space hadn’t been kind to him. That much was clear.
Felix surveyed Mateo’s crew. There were roughly a dozen men stationed around the warehouse, most of them with their guns at the ready and grimaces on their greasy faces. Felix had Brotherhood soldiers on each side of him, outnumbered by Mateo’s guards. No doubt, the arms dealer felt safe with all his people to protect him.
He was short-sighted. Only fools underestimated Felix. The arms merchant would soon understand that.
Felix cleared his throat. “You sold me three nukes. How many more do you have here?”
Mateo’s scar moved when he lifted his eyebrow. “Not sure why my inventory is any business of yours. I’ve supplied you with what you’ve asked for.”
“That you have,” Felix said, pulling his hat down over his eyes and taking a step back.
Mateo eyed the pad again. “Like I mentioned, the transfer hasn’t come through. We can’t let you to leave until that happens. It’s simple business. I’m sure you understand.”
Felix smiled darkly. “About that…”
He took a few steps back, his soldiers stepping in to shield him.
“Didn’t you hear me?” asked Mateo. “Hey! I’m talking to—”
Shots fired from above. Men yelled. Some tried to return fire, but they were quickly silenced.
Felix turned in time to watch Mateo clutch his chest as the bullet pierced the arms dealer’s flesh. Disbelief and betrayal rang out in the man’s eyes before he fell to his knees, finally collapsing forward.
Each of the men stationed around the warehouse lay in similar positions, blood puddling around them. None had stood a chance.
Stationed overhead were a dozen Brotherhood soldiers, each one assigned to take out their specified targets on the ground. The timing had been perfect.
Felix glanced up to the rafters, a proud look in his eyes. “Have your men load the remaining weapons into my ship.”
“Yes sir,” said Commander Lytes, his eyes lingering on one of the dead bodies for a moment. He hadn’t liked the plan and said there had to be another way. Lytes was wrong and must have seen that now. Perhaps next time he would trust in Felix’s plans from the beginning.
The door to the exit swung out in front of them. A man with a short black Mohawk and a leather jacket that had seen better days froze at the threshold. His eyes scanned the warehouse, falling first on Mateo’s dead body and then the others that were strewn all over the facility. His gaze snapped to Felix, standing roughly ten meters away. They’d missed one of Mateo’s men.
“Get him!” barked Felix.
The soldiers darted forward, right as the strange man reversed, heading back the way he came. Gun shots rang out from the hallway, echoing loudly in the warehouse.
Felix looked at Commander Lytes. “Have your men search the building. I don’t want anyone left alive. Do you understand? No witnesses.”
Commander Lytes nodded, hurrying off to where his men were gathering in the middle of the facility, having climbed down the rafters where they were stationed.
Felix’s eyes briefly rested on Mateo’s dead body. Perhaps he would be happy, knowing that his weapons would be used to end a long-standing battle. A fight that would shake the very foundation of the galaxy…of the Federation, itself. What better use could a man like Mateo have than to be useful? What better purpose could there be than to alter the status quo? Had Mateo never come to this warehouse today, he might never have realized his true destiny. He would have gone on living his life, worthless as it was, and died without ever truly mattering.
But Felix would make him matter. Felix would give Mateo’s life purpose. That would be his gift to him.
Soon, everything would be in place to make General Reynolds pay. Felix had figured out the best way to punish him for what he’d done all those years ago.
Break the Federation…and General Reynolds would be broken, too.
Evolution will be released December 21st.
Exploration Release!
Exploration: Age of Expansion – A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Ghost Squadron Book 2)
Kill the bad guys. Save the Galaxy. All in a hard day’s work.
Eddie and Julianna are hell bent on tracking down Vas and making him pay for his crimes. He’s armed and dangerous, and to make matters worse, he’s on the hunt for a devastating weapon that could bring destruction to the Federation and all its people.
Someone has to stop him.
Eddie and Julianna, along with her trusty E.I. named Pip, must seek out the expertise of specialists who can break into the enemy’s network. That’s the key to beating Vas. They’ll also need more pilots and better ships.
But as Ghost Squadron grows, so do the dangers on the fringe of Federation space. They still don’t know who is behind all the attacks—the one pulling the Brotherhood’s strings—but no matter what, they’re going to bring this faceless enemy down.
Whatever it takes.
Experience this exciting military sci-fi saga and the latest addition to the expanded Kurtherian Gambit Universe. If you’re a fan of Mass Effect, Firefly, or Star Wars, you’ll love this riveting new space opera.
Unborn Release!
Reborn: Age Of Magic – A Kurtherian Gambit Series (The Rise of Magic Book 8)
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Lilith is dying.
The Laughing Queen is coming.
A series of mysterious disappearances are plaguing New Romanov.
Good thing Team Triple B is on the case.
In order to save the people that she loves, Hannah must push her magical abilities to the limit. But what if she pushes herself too far?
Reborn is the epic conclusion to the second arc of The Rise of Magic. It’s a race against the clock adventure that will change the very fabric of Irth and open doors Hannah never even knew existed.
Valerie’s Elites Release!
Valerie’s Elites: Book 1 in The Valerie’s Elites Series
By Justin Sloan, PT Hylton, & Michael Anderle
Fighting for her life in a Deathmatch is the perfect cover.
It started as a simple intel mission. Then it turned sideways.
Valerie goes off mission, trusting her gut and wits more than her physical abilities to get on the inside, to help bring justice to the slaves and the downtrodden. She is, after all, the Justice Enforcer.
In the process, she finds herself teaming up with locals to take down an empire, right a cascade of wrongs, and kick some serious ass.
Valerie was chosen by the Dark Messiah himself. She can’t turn a blind eye to what she finds on Tol. From starship battles, to infiltrating a prison ship, to fighting death matches and taking on mechs in a valiant effort to set this planet straight, join Valerie and her elites as they export her brand of justice.