Valerie’s Elites – Snippets 4
Valeries’ Elites: Book 1 in The Valerie’s Elites Series
By Justin Sloan, PT Hylton, & Michael Anderle
Snippet 4
Unedited
A loud chirping sound came through the open cockpit door, and Kalan had piloted enough ships to recognize it. That was the proximity alert.
***
Kalan didn’t consider himself much of a strategist when it came to fighting, but he did know this much: if your enemy’s looking the other way, it’s a good time to hit him.
He waited until he was sure the male had passed his hiding place, then he drew a deep breath and stepped into the aisle. He kept his handgun trained on the deck.
The reply sounded both disgusted and resigned. “Hang on.”
Reborn – Snippet 2
Reborn: The Rise of Magic Book 8
By CM Raymond, LE Barbant, & Michael Anderle
Unedited
Snippet 2
“Well, one thing I can say about you cat people is, you sure know how to drink!”
Aysa stared in awe as Vitali continued to tilt the mug of ale back, rivulets of the sweet elixir sliding out of the edges and making the fur around his mouth darker than the rest. He almost slammed the mug on the oak table and followed it up with a deep belch.
“Why thank you, Long Arms.” He grinned, and a gentle purr emanated from his chest. “And we prefer ‘Lynqi,’ not ‘cat people.’”
“You say ‘potato.’” Aysa winked to insure he knew she was being playful. “Seriously though, do you have nine lives? How many have you used?” Aysa leaned in, her mouth slightly open as she waited for a response. She looked at Vitali as if he were from an alien planet, which he might as well have been.
The Lynqi’s yellow eyes narrowed and his whiskers twitched as he glanced quickly at the rest of the party seated around the table. Hadley gave him a “what can I say” kind of shrug, and Vitali looked back at her. “No, only one life just like you, but some would say I’ve gotten lucky a few times.”
Aysa nodded, looking up at the ceiling as if thinking about the answer. “Right. Of course. I guess that makes sense.” She paused and looked him up and down. “Can you see in the dark?”
Vitali rolled his eyes. “Can the house cats in Baseek see in the dark, Aysa?”
She shrugged. “Not sure. Never had one, but my friend Tia did and I swear that little bitch could see me coming on a jet-black night. The cat, that is, not Tia.”
“Really?” Vitali asked, looking at Laurel.
“She has a point,” the druid replied. “We had a few cats in the Dark Forest and those buggers could run through the trees like nobody’s business.”
As if to save Vitali from any more of Aysa’s probing questions, Hadley refilled everyone’s mugs and asked, “Where’s Gregory, anyway? I haven’t seen that mental giant for more than a few hours since we left Kaskara.”
Laurel frowned. “You and me both.”
“Getting cold at night?” Aysa asked, raising her brows.
Laurel ignored her. “He’s been holed up working on that tech we pulled out of the tower ever since we left, at least whenever he can talk Aysa here into flying Unlawful for him. But he’s taking a little break in the cockpit tonight.”
“And thank the gods,” Aysa said. “I mean, I’m pretty good behind the stick, but flying the ship straight toward Archangelsk is a little boring, if you ask me. Now if I got a chance to fly it into battle, that might be something completely different.”
Hadley laughed. “Please don’t jinx us, Aysa. I could use a few days without someone trying to kill me, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m with you, Had,” Laurel said, “but I wouldn’t mind getting to spend at least a few hours of those days with my boyfriend. I’m starting to think that Gregory is only using me for my kaffe!”
A low growl rose from the other side of the room, which was almost exclusively occupied by Sal. Thankfully the dragon had finally stopped growing. Any bigger, and the ship would have ridden him back to Archangelsk.
He sat up, beady black eyes blinking as his head twitched back and forth.
“No way, Sal,” Laurel said with a grin. “Strict orders from Hannah. No kaffe for you! I’m sorry I even mentioned it.”
Sal growled before walking in a circle and lying down in a tight ball.
Devin crawled out of Laurel’s cloak and leapt to the floor. Her nails clicked on the wooden floorboards as she scampered over to Sal and climbed into the crook of the dragon’s front leg.
“Well, if that isn’t cute,” Vitali said, “I don’t know what is.”
Devin climbed onto Sal’s back and sat up on her hind legs. She bared her teeth at Vitali and chattered in an almost violent way .
Everyone else laughed wildly.
“Not sure Dev likes you, Vitali,” Aysa said, “but don’t mind her — she’s a bit of a racist. And by the way, do you have opposable thumbs?”
Before he could answer, the door flew open with a crash.
Karl, eyes wild, stood before them breathing heavily. “We have a situation!”
My Ride is a Bitch Audiobook Release!
My Ride is a Bitch: Kurtherian Gambit Book 13
By Michael Anderle
It’s out there, it’s always been out there – just no one believed it.
Governments, black ops, rich businessmen…. All want alien tech, and some are going to great lengths, illegal lengths, to procure it.
Someone went so far as to endanger a young girls family. A young girl who wrote a letter to the Queen Bitch. Now, those that are searching for the technology will have to deal with TQB.
If there is one thing that will get Bethany Anne’s attention… it’s mistreating the defenseless.
Bethany Anne tries to stay out of the world’s business, but they just keep doing stupid stuff….
Sucks to be them.
Reborn – Snippet 1
Reborn, Rise of Magic Book 8
By CM Raymond, LE Barbant, & Michael Anderle
Snippet 1
Unedited
Chapter 1
Karl closed one eye, tracing a set of stars with his fat forefinger as the wind whipped through his hair. The people in the Heights called it the “cup and handle,” but it looked more like the biggest smoking pipe he’d ever seen. Something that maybe the Matriarch would draw on after a long fight out in the galaxy, if she were predisposed to such things.
“Maybe I’ll join her,” Karl said, drawing his own pipe from his pouch.
He filled the bowl with some of the weed given to him by the people of Heema just before he left. It was a dry smoke with a tart bite at the end. Like nothing he had ever tasted, though it suited him well.
Just like the people there.
Blowing a long line of smoke out from between his lips in an elongated sigh, he watched the wind grab the smoke and pull it back toward the stern of the Unlawful.
“Are you still moping about your forsaken princess?” a voice asked from behind him.
Karl spun and found Hannah approaching the bow.
He waved his hand at her. “Princess? I don’t know what yer talking about. Just going over battle tactics in me mind. That’s what a true warrior does when their alone.”
Hannah laughed as she pulled the pipe from his hand and took a deep drag. Her lungs raged and she coughed smoke into the summer night air. “Never knew why you guys liked to smoke this shit,” she said, eyes narrowed on Karl’s pipe. “Worse than breathing in Sal’s gas, if you ask me.”
He snatched his pipe back from her and grinned. “Tis an acquired taste, lass. Only comes with experience.”
“Just like herpes.” She grinned and patted him on the shoulder. “And battle-tactics my ass. I know a lovelorn face when I see one. You’re out here pining over that short, little package you left behind on the mountain.”
“Women. Can’t help it if they find me irresistible. Doesn’t mean I repay the favor.”
Hannah laughed. “That’s not the way the others tell it.” She leaned against the railing, her lips pursed. “You could have asked her to come with us you know. This ship is plenty big.”
Karl stood quietly for a moment, then sighed. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think of askin’ her. She was lovely — and strong as diamond. Ya would have liked her. But then I watched her, after the fighting was all done, and the Heemites were helping us mine some of those damned crystals for Gregory. I could see it, not only in her eyes, but in the eyes of all the others.”
“What?” she asked.
“Leadership. It’s the same look you get in yer eyes.”
Hannah opened her eyes wide and leaned in close.
Karl laughed. “Aye, that’s the one. They were all looking at her to tell them what to do. And I don’t blame em. We kind of upended their whole religion and culture a little when we killed their gods. Her pa’s a good man, but he was a king of the old rules. He doesn’t have the vision to lead his people into a new future. Or the grit. And she’s got grit in spades. I knew right then and there that the place was with her people.”
They both stood quietly and watched the stars. Finally, Hannah said, “And what about your place, Karl? You could have stayed with her you know. Made a life of it among people like your own. Speaking from experience, you make a pretty good right hand man.”
Snorting, Karl said, “And let ye and these bastards try to save Irth without me? Not on yer bloody life, sweat pea. I’ll keep on being at yer side until all this is over.” He drew long on his pipe as his eyes drifted off toward the horizon. “That’s my place. That’s where I belong. Clarissa…who knows. Maybe I’ll see her again when times are different. But until then, there ain’t a force on Irth that can pull me away from you.”
Hannah couldn’t hold back her smile. But as her mouth turned up at the edges, her throat grew tight, and she felt the surprise of tears strike at her eyes. It was just about their anniversary — a year since Karl had saved her from a raging boar in the woods outside of Arcadia, just near the tower. She let out a tiny laugh, just thinking that it hadn’t been so long ago that an animal from the brush nearly killed her. Now she was possibly the most powerful magician in Irth — depending on Ezekiel’s mood.
It had been a year but felt like a thousand lifetimes.
Hannah grabbed the hilt of the rearick knife at her belt and drew it, the blade catching the night’s full moon.
“Schiesse, magician. I take it all back. Ye don’t want me here, ye just have to say so,” he said with his hands raised and a grin that could raise the dead.
“Thank you for this, Karl,” she said, glancing at the knife. “And for saving me that night at the tower, and a dozen more. I owe you. I’m glad you came.”
He looked down at the cracking leather of his boots. “It’s nothin’, lass. Just doin’ what any other rearick ought, really.”
Hannah shrugged. “Maybe. But you’ve done what most haven’t. I couldn’t be here without you, you salty son of a bitch.”
He waved his hand at her again. “Eh! I’m window dressin’. We all know that. But you… You’re like the Matriarch herself come to right every wrong and take names in the process. Aye, yer just as…”
Hannah raised the blade, stopping the rearick mid-sentence. “Careful, Karl. Wouldn’t want to speak blasphemy against our great Queen Bitch.”
Karl’s friend’s face grew deadly serious. Eyes growing wide, he took in the blade wondering if she might even use it. He gave a slight nod. “I see yer a true believer now, is that right?”
She sheathed the blade and exhaled long and hard. “It is difficult not to believe after all we have seen — all we have heard.”
“Aye, it is faith that believes in the things unseen, Hannah. And yer gettin’ there.” He laughed, easing the tension. “And there’s a damn many things less worth believing in than Bethany Anne and Michael. Like the fact that ye grew a dragon from a lizard and that ye might just love that little douche from Arcadia.”
If it weren’t so dark, he would have seen her blush. “Love? It’s a strong word.”
“That’s right. And ye know strength — of magic and justice. But maybe ye need to realize yer taken by him more than ye even know.”
Hannah jabbed him in the ribs with the point of her elbow. “You speaking from experience, little guy?”
“Gah! Don’t turn this back on me.”
“You can always go back — to Heema I mean. After we’re done with this whole ‘end of the world’ business. I’m sure you can hitch a ride with Gregory on the Unlawful. Who knows, by then they might be ready for their honeymoon.”
Karl snorted a laugh. “Those damned kids.” He looked out over the clear night sky, tracing again the constellations that were fading with the light of the moon rising up behind them. “You know there might not be an end to this war, right? I might just keep swingin’ me hammer until one of the bastards take me down, or until I’m too old to lift her. Either way, I might not be in much shape to get back to Clarissa by then.”
Hannah nodded as she followed his gaze over the rail. She knew, deep down, that he could be right, that the fight to save Irth might not be one with a clear victory. But she had to try, she had to fight for all that she loved — and for a future that she might not ever see.
Even with his words, she slept with dreams of a place where there was no more war, a city without walls and defenses, a New Arcadia for a new age.
“You blokes sure did kick some ass up there in the mountains, though, right?” Hannah looked back at him.
A smile stretched out under Karl’s beard. “Aye. We did a pretty good job, all right.” He turned, and Hannah could have sworn his eyes were a little glassey, but he blinked the gloss away. “I didn’t know what ta think when ye set me up with the brain, the freak, and the mental case, but, in the end, we made one hell of a team — even that little rat of Laurel’s.”
Hannah laughed. “Yeah, you did. And how about Gregory?”
“Shite. Hard to call ’em a kid anymore, ain’t it? He’s grown some stones as big as Aysa’s bolas. Combine a little courage with the stuff between his ears, and he’ll be a force to reckon with. Even the pretty boy pulled his weight this time.”
“Well,” Hannah snickered, “that’s saying something. Not even I can get Hadley to do that. I’ll have to put Gregory in charge more often. When I’m leading the BBB, Hadley usually spends most of the time fixing his hair.”
“Aye. It was good to — ”
Before Karl could finish, a crack, like thunder, tore through the ink-blue night sky. Instinctively, they ducked, and Karl had his hammer in hand before Hannah had the chance to breath.
“The hell,” she finally said, searching the night sky for signs of a storm, but there was nothing.
Karl nudged her and pointed. “Tell me that ain’t what I think it is.”
Their eyes were fixed on a spot in the heavens, impossible to imagine. A swath of sky, nearly as big as the Unlawful floated on the horizon a few hundreds yards in front of them — a tear in the universe, whose background was darker than dark.
And it was growing.
Exploration – Snippet 5
Exploration: Ghost Squadron Book 2
By Sarah Noffke, J. N. Chaney, Michael Anderle
Snippet 5
Unedited
Exploration: Ghost Squadron, #2
Julianna slammed the door to the interrogation room upon exiting. She had to get out of there before she did something she’d regret to the dumb Trid. He wasn’t talking, almost like he wanted her to rearrange his shark face. Ever since seeing those imprisoned by the Brotherhood, she had a new passion to stop them. Julianna had seen it all, but that didn’t mean seeing children starved or families separated and imprisoned was something that didn’t faze her. She was human after all.
Well, kind of.
Julianna pulled back her fist and launched it at the wall. The force of her punch should have hurt. Would have made a normal person flinch with pain. Julianna only considered doing it again to further relieve the frustration.
“Some things never change,” said a voice at her back.
Julianna straightened, tightening her jaw. She turned around, knowing full well who was speaking. “What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Julianna, running her eyes over Jack Renfro.
The spymaster for the Federation hadn’t changed a bit. Still the same muscular physique and discriminating expression covering his face.
He smirked. “It means, you’ve still got the same fire I remember.”
Julianna allowed herself to grin, her shoulders relaxing. “Some things never die, about like you.”
Jack chuckled, a warmth spreading over his features. How long had it been since she’d set eyes on him? A long while, no doubt. “The same could be said about you.”
“What brings you aboard the ArchAngel?” Julianna asked. One reason she hadn’t seen Jack for quite some time was that he had been sent on a series of unclassified missions. This was a guy who fixed things. Made shit happen. Everyone respected Jack, and those who didn’t never stuck around for long.
“I’ve taken on a new assignment,” he responded.
“Oh? General Reynolds hasn’t disclosed anything to us,” said Julianna, referring to her and Eddie. TheArchAngel was in their command and, therefore, anything happening on it should be of knowledge to them.
He nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I’m taking over for the general.”
VALERIE’S ELITES – SNIPPET 3
VALERIES’ ELITES: BOOK 1 IN THE VALERIE’S ELITES SERIES
BY JUSTIN SLOAN, PT Hylton, Michael Anderle
Snippet 3
Unedited
Civilian Transport Shuttle
Kalan knew he was in trouble the moment the airlock opened and the six Pallicons marched aboard, weapons drawn.
Up until then, it has been a fairly uneventful flight. He’d barely made it to the transport in time for departure to Tol, and when he’d seen how crowded the shuttle was, he’d almost wished he hadn’t. He’d even strongly considered getting off and transferring his ticket to the next shuttle, but that would mean missing his appointment, which would mean he wouldn’t get the job. And he badly needed the job.
So instead of getting off, he’d squeezed himself into a seat and waited for the transport to lift.
The passengers were mostly Skulla, but there were a few Pallicons too. He’d always envied Pallicons a little. They were shapeshifters, and Kalan would have given anything to be able to do that.
It would be nice be something other than a muscle-bound six-and-a-half-foot-tall gray-skinned freak every once in a while. To not have everyone cast a cautious eye at him anytime he walked into a room.
Kalan hadn’t been to the planet Tol before, but he’d spent most of his life in the Vurugu system. Six planets revolved around an ancient star. The outer five had been terraformed and were populated mostly by Skulla, a species that decorated their skins—faces included—with countless tattoos as part of their strange religion.
Skulla only stood about four feet tall and were thin creatures, but they made up for their small size with razor-sharp wits, and were often ruthless.
The planet closest to the center of the cluster was the home of the Pallicons. It was almost impossible to spot them when they were shapeshifting, but Kalan’d had a lot of practice. The key was to stare at the edges. Focus on a single hair or a knuckle; something small and specific. If you watched a shapeshifted Pallicon for ten or twenty seconds like that you’d see a tiny flicker, and then you’d know.
He was just starting to relax about an hour into the flight when the ship was attacked. Less than five minutes later, the six Pallicons boarded, through the airlock, their weapons drawn.
“This ship is hereby commandeered in the name of the Bandian!” one of them shouted.
A murmur ran through the passengers when they heard that name, and Kalan raised an eyebrow. If these guys really were from the Bandian, that was bad news indeed.
While the first Pallicon spoke the others spread out, one heading toward the cockpit while the rest dispersed to either end of the transport to cover the passengers.
Kalan watched all this silently. He carefully controlled his breathing, and reminded himself not to get involved unless he absolutely had to. This wasn’t prison. He didn’t need to step up to every tough guy who crossed his path. He didn’t have to prove himself.
Yet, as he watched the four of them work, Kalan grew more uncomfortable. He spotted their weapons, handheld Tralen-14s. Those were not cheap, and they were difficult to get in this ass-end of the galaxy. These guys were well funded.
The other thing that worried him was that they seemed absolutely disinterested in the jewelry most of the Skulla wore. If they weren’t there to rob the passengers, probably they were there to steal the ship itself—which wouldn’t be good news for the passengers.
Maybe the hijackers would keep them alive and try to ransom them back to their families, but it seemed more likely the Pallicons would escort them out the nearest airlock at the earliest opportunity.
The small Skulla female next to him clasped her hands on her lap, and it was clear she was trying to keep them from shaking. She kept shifting her gaze between the six Pallicons, eyes darting back and forth frantically.
Kalan leaned over to her. “It’s going to be okay,”
As soon as he’d said the words he regretted them. He didn’t make a promise unless he intended to keep it, and now that he’d told the female things were going to work out, he was going to have to do whatever it took to make sure he wasn’t a liar.
The female kept her eyes on the hijackers. “I don’t know. The Bandian doesn’t leave witnesses.”
Kalan had no idea what the average Skulla lifespan was, but this female had to be near the end of it. Her facial tattoos were so faded it was difficult to imagine what they’d once been.
“Hey, you ever seen one of my kind?” he asked.
The female reluctantly turned toward him, which had been his goal. If she stopped looking at the hijackers, maybe she’d stop thinking about them for moment or two.
“No, I don’t think I have.”
He smiled. “I’m not surprised. There aren’t a lot of us, especially not in this part of the system. As far as I know, there are only two of us Gah’har’zakanew in the sytem.”
Her eyes narrowed as she tried to repeat the name back to him. “Gah’har-what?”
“You can call us the ‘Grayhewn.’ Everyone else does.” He nodded toward the Pallicon at the far end of the ship. “Point is, they’ve probably never heard of my kind either, which means they don’t know what kind of trouble they’re in right now.”
He winked.
Kalan hoped he sounded more confident than he felt. He was used to fighting against long odds, but Pallicons were scrappy even when they weren’t carrying cutting-edge weaponry.
The hijackers had gathered the flight crew outside the cockpit and had them on their knees, weapons to their heads. If Kalan was going to act, it had to be now.
“Wish me luck,” he said to the old female. Then he drew a deep breath, unstrapped his safety harness, and started to rise.
Valerie’s Elites – Snippet 2
Valerie’s Elites: Book 1 in The Valerie’s Elites Series
By Justin Sloan, PT Hylton, & Michael Anderle
Snippet 2
Unedited
Damu Michezo.
At the name, the aliens’ postures instantly got less aggressive and they looked at her with wide, intrigued eyes.
“You… You think you can compete in the Damu Michezo?” the lead one asked.
Valerie had to laugh. “I’m pretty sure I’ll be fine.”
The alien cracked his neck, pounded on his stone carapace, and said, “Show me.”
“What?”
“You beat me, I’ll point you in the right direction. In fact, there was a shuttle headed for the planet it’s held on not long ago. You might still be able to catch it, or at least chase it down and follow. Are you up to it?”
Robin smiled at Valerie, then shrugged and took a step back.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Valerie warned. “I mean it.”
He scoffed. “I’ll tell you a little secret…no one has ever hurt me. You? I won’t worry. Come.”
Valerie tossed her rifle to Robin, and then her sword. She heard pounding and she turned back to see Qwaza charging damn fast. Valerie had fought her fair share of vampires and Weres on Earth, so she was used to speed. With a quick sidestep, she brought around her leg to sweep him. What she hadn’t counted on was his next move, which involved a fast sideways roll to compensate for her new location. He came up like a boulder, unraveling as he regained his footing, and slammed his forehead right into hers.
Red spots filled her vision, and it wasn’t only because her eyes had started to glow red. That fucking hurt!
When Qwaza next moved, Valerie didn’t take any chances. She dodged to the left and tried pushing fear, only nothing happened. The alien kept charging forward, and she realized that it wasn’t putting off an emotional aura that she could sense—another difference from back home.
He was fast, and apparently immune to her special abilities. That meant she would have to take him down the old-fashioned way, with a straight-up butt-kicking. He plowed into her again, but this time she went with it as her martial arts training back in Old France had taught her. Using her opponent’s strength against him, she twisted his arm behind him and slammed him headfirst into the nearest tree. The trunk cracked, dangerously close to snapping in half.
It wasn’t like she was trying to kill him, but she also wasn’t about to let this guy win—not when her mission depended on it. Without hesitation, she kicked out his leg so that he plowed into the ground head-first.
He growled, trying to spin and get to her, but she was too fast. In the time it took him to maneuver around her she had delivered two knees, an elbow to the temple, and an uppercut to his jaw.
Qwaza stumbled back, looked like he might charge again…and then collapsed onto his butt.
Valerie started to raise her fist in victory, but the alien pulled something sharp from within his carapace—a stone knife. He was up and slashing before Valerie had time to fully process it, and one slash caught her across the cheek. She slammed her forearm into the back of his wrist, knocking the knife from his hand, and then delivered a roundhouse kick so powerful that it cracked Qwaza’s carapace and sent him reeling backwards.
Valerie’s Elites – Snippet 1
Valerie’s Elites: Book 1 in The Valerie’s Elite Series
By Justin Sloan, PT Hylton, & Michael Anderle
Snippet 1
Unedited
Space: The Singlaxian Grandeur
The Singlaxian Grandeur touched down on the first planet in the Vurugu system, an uncharted habitable sector at the edge of the known universe. All atmospheric tests were nominal, and with only the slightest trepidation Valerie hit the button to open the ship’s doors.
Her first breath of air on this planet brought back memories of the mountains around the fjords back on Earth—cleaner than anything she had experienced until that point, and this had it beat. It carried an interesting scent, like cinnamon.
Not that she was from the fjords. No, she had been born in Old France, before moving to what had once been America and helping to reestablish New York. She had worked hard to bring peace to her corner of Earth, and now the universe called to her.
This was the first planet she had been on out here, her first step toward accomplishing her mission for the Etheric Federation. The legendary vampire Michael had made her a Justice Enforcer on Earth, one of his own, and when the time came he had asked her to join Colonel Terry Henry Walton and Bad Company. Her first assignment was to take a small team to this system and collect intel, the ultimate goal being to ensure that the inhabitants of this system joined the Etheric Federation in its war against any race that would see the people of Earth or other innocent races harmed.
They had landed in a secluded area under the cover of trees unlike anything she had ever seen. In a sense the leaves reminded her of umbrellas, spreading in every direction from upturned branches covered in blood-red bark. Since the leaves dripped a sap-like substance she decided to call this the “Bleeding Woods,” an all-too-appropriate name for the landing spot of two former vampires and their team.
Former vampires, in her mind, because it was hard to think of them as such anymore. There was a time when both Valerie and Robin would have avoided the sun and drunk blood to stay energized, but such requirements had vanished.
Michael had changed Valerie with his blood, and Robin had been given fancy Etheric Federation Pod-doc upgrades.
When Valerie stepped onto the alien soil she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. Her whole life had been spent on Earth, but she’d left it behind to join the fight. To ensure Earth was safe.
Only problem was, she didn’t know where to start. They had the intel file Colonel Walton had given her and she could call him whenever she wanted—in theory—but that wasn’t exactly her style. She didn’t want to be the one who started the first mission of her new job by calling the boss to ask for direction.
Valerie resolved to get this done on her own. Her team may not have had fancy Jean Duke Specials, and their ship may not have been the most advanced in the Etheric Federation, but the team had grit. And with the types of jobs they’d be tackling, grit was the most important thing.
“Is it safe?” A head popped out of the doorway, a man with a flat nose and beady eyes. Bob. She still wasn’t sure what to think about him. “I mean, for us…non-vampires.
“I’ve explained this. I’m not technically a—”
“Yeah, yeah, not really a vampire. Except that you have drunk blood using your fangs before to sustain your lifeforce, correct? And you weren’t able to go into the sun.”
“Shut up,” she replied, turning again to analyze their surroundings. She heard a shuffling noise among the trees.
“I’m just saying… Once a vampire, always a vampire, right?”
She severely wanted to punch Bob right now, but he’d been modified in the Pod-doc too. While on Earth only vampires and Weres could use the power she now understood to be Etheric energy, but up here she had to get used to other people being enhanced.
If she punched him it probably wouldn’t hurt nearly as much as she would want it to, so she opted to just ignore the man. It was her fault, after all—his being here. He had been released from his service as the Pod technician on the other ship, so when Valerie picked her team—dubbed “Valerie’s Elites”—she figured she’d give him a second chance. The idea made sense if she ignored what a dick he was, focusing instead on his technical knowhow.
But he was still talking, even though she kept ignoring him.
That was the problem with dicks. They just keep pounding relentlessly away. Would he ever give up? Finally she turned and pushed fear, one of the talents she possessed but he lacked. It was enough to make his eyes go wide and his jaw clench shut.
Not enough to make him shit himself, though she would have to consider that next time. This, along with being able to read emotions like an aura, separated her from the rest of them. Even Robin, who had received many modifications, didn’t have any abilities like that yet.
The timing was perfect too, because just then the shuffling in the trees came again, along with a stronger scent of incense as red dust flew past. Her best guess was it came from the trees, and could be rubbed off.
She held up a hand for the others to stay put and be quiet. A yelp came from the direction where she guessed her enemy was—if it was an enemy.
Valerie crouched as she ran, then unslung her rifle and knelt next to one of the thicker trees. Instantly a puff of grey spores flew up around her, and she cursed under her breath. It was too late—whatever had made the noise spotted her and charged.
It appeared at first to be a rhino, but then she saw it was a large bipedal figure covered in thick slabs of rock.
She braced herself. As it collided, she rolled back and kicked upward, sending it over her shoulder. Normally that would have sent a full-grown man sailing, but given his weight this male just kind of flopped over and landed with a thud.
Two more of them appeared and charged her, and Robin leaped through the air to tackle one. It braced itself, and she hit it with an oomph before falling onto her butt.
Damn. She knew that Robin was stronger than most vampires—or former vampires. That meant these aliens were tough.
“What are they?” one of the aliens said to another.
“Monsters, or maybe demons,” the third said, doing his best to stand but flailing like a turtle.
Valerie and the rest of her team had had a chip implanted that translated most languages, and apparently this one was included.
“More like emissaries,” Valerie stated, glad to find her chip translating. “We’re not here to fight you.”
One of them turned to her with a look of defiance, then positioned himself like a bull about to charge.
She lifted her rifle and aimed at him—it had to be a male with that attitude. “I don’t think I made myself clear. We’ve just arrived, and we’re looking for a contest of champions. Perhaps you’ve heard of it? I’m told it’s called the—correct me if I say this wrong—Damu Michezo.”
Etheric Researcher – Snippet 4
Etheric Researcher
By S.R. Russell & Michael Anderle
Snippet 4
Anne dressed in a sleep tee and added a housecoat. Jinx didn’t care if she walked around the apartment naked, but there were things Anne just didn’t feel right about. Parading around in just her nightclothes was one of them.
She hoped that Jinx would cool down soon. She was hungry, but felt it was inconsiderate to eat when Jinx was overheated. Anne padded into the common area to find Jinx lying on the rock floor. The fact that Jinx’ tongue wasn’t hanging out was a good sign.
Do you want to eat now or talk first? Anne asked.
Let’s start the conversation now. It’s not like we’ll be talking with our mouths full if we continue during dinner, Jinx teased in reply.
True enough, so where do you want to start?
Well, the armor works fine, but when something big hits me I’m still at the mercy of all that energy. Even if I had crushable impact-activated armor, I’d still have to be able to be able to remain in placer that to work. Jinx practically whined in frustration.
I see only two ways to solve this. One is to put you in some sort of canine power-assisted battle armor, so you have the …
Jinx actually did whine this time, cutting off the rest of Anne’s comment.
Hey, I didn’t say you’d be happy with the solution. I’m trying to go through our options and talk things out with you.
Jinx stood and walked over to lay her head on Anne’s leg. Sorry. Let’s get something to eat now, and I’ll shut up and listen.
Anne scratched Jinx behind the ears, smiling at the rumble of pleasure that always brought from her friend. “Grab some of your kibble, but don’t overeat. I put two steaks in the fridge this morning to thaw, so you have steak for supper-supper.”
Supper-supper?
Ya, as opposed to snack-supper. Your kibble, in this instance, Anne replied as she got to her feet and headed for the kitchen.
I wish I could blow a raspberry like you humans do, Jinx said as she followed Anne, draping her tongue purposely out of the side of her mouth.
Anne smiled when she saw Jinx’ funny expression.
Okay, back to the conversation. Armor would be heavy enough to absorb the blows without launching you across a room, or we could find a way to bleed off the energy some way.
That’s basically what Matrix said when I was talking to him, Jinx admitted as she munched on some kibble.
Did he give you any suggestions? Anne asked. She put on a pan to heat and seasoned her steak. Jinx liked her steak rare with just salt, so the cracked pepper and garlic powder only went on one of the steaks.
None, Jinx grumbled.
“We can’t make the energy just disappear,” Anne commented aloud as she placed her steak carefully in the hot pan. She liked her meat medium rare, so she put hers in several seconds before she added Jinx’ and took Jinx’ piece out several seconds before her own. “I imagine your conversation with your brother told you the same thing?”
We didn’t go into specifics. I don’t have his appreciation or understanding of mathematics, Jinx confessed.
“Well, if I remember my physics, you can change energy’s form, but you can’t just get rid of it.” Anne shook her head slowly as she pondered the problem.
Could we send it to the Etheric place? Jinx gave up on her kibble and laid by the kitchen doorway. Anne would make her wait a few moments for her steak so it would be cool enough to eat without burning her mouth, so she relaxed.
Let me think. Anne was quiet as she flipped the steaks. After ninety seconds she took Jinx’ out of the pan, followed by her own thirty seconds later. She added a potato-like vegetable, and her dinner was complete. Jinx’ meat got cut into four pieces to make it less messy to eat, and both girls settled in for their suppers.
Even though Jinx had learned to eat slowly, her teeth were much better designed to chew meat than a human’s were. Jinx finished her steak in half the time it took Anne to eat her meal. Once they were both done and the dishes had been cleaned up, they moved into the public area and flopped down on the couch.
—
“Your idea is good. I’m just not quite sure how to accomplish it,” Anne said. She spoke aloud for the noise, as opposed to any need.
“I remember people on Earth claiming that certain gems or crystals, and even precious metals, could channel energy. I guess the best place to start would be to get a bunch of samples and see if they react to Etheric energy. If we any respond, we’ll know they have some sort of connection. Then we’ll see if we can get them to transfer energy from this side into the Etheric. To someone who doesn’t know what’s happening it might look impossible, but we’d just be moving the energy to a different realm.”
You could try using that energy to power your Etheric-based combat abilities, Jinx suggested.
“It would be a good idea, but only if we could somehow store it. That way I could tap into when I needed it. I don’t need to throw fireballs just because someone kicked you, especially if I’m already using some sort of weapon.”
Oh, good point. Jinx’ ears drooped a little.
“No, it’s a clever idea,” Anne reassured her friend. “Step one, see if we can channel energy to the Etheric. Step two, find a way to convert kinetic energy into a form that will transfer. Step three would be to see if we can find a way to store that energy so I can tap into it for combat.” She smiled at Jinx. “See, we have a plan. Now we just need to see if we can make it work.”
Jinx let out a long sigh. I bet this is going to be boring.
“It might be,” Anne admitted, “but the good thing about it is that we have something to work on. That’s what the Empress hired me to do. Even if it is long and boring, at least I’ll be able to report on what we are attempting. I’ve hated it, being hired as a researcher and not being able to think up anything to research. At least now we’ve got a valid project!” She punched the air with excitement.
Undying Illusionist Audiobook RELEASE!
The Undying Illusionist: Age of Magic – Tales of the Feisty Druid, Book 2
By Candy Crum & Michael Anderle
Remnant invaders. Evil druids. A murderer on the loose. Good thing Arcadia has found a new ally.
With Doyle’s grim warning to Amelia before he was killed, the Chancellor is struggling to find clues to who the wolf in their blossoming city could be.
But Arryn has already found her. The problem is proving it.
Student after student has gone missing, and the remnant have been invading the Valley, ripping it apart one village at a time – but Arryn knows more will come and something has to be done.
After getting help from an unlikely source, Arryn finds the proof she needs – but her problems have only just begun.
Talia’s compatriot, a dark mystic named Scarlett, has quite a game planned for Arryn, and she may have to abandon the city she loves in order to save it.