From my TBR: Escape From Samsara by Nicky Blue is the first book in the Prophecy Allocation series, but does stand alone. At the time I created this post, the book was free…so be sure and check it out.
Just looking at the cover makes me think this could a FUN one.
Escape From Samsara by Nicky Blue is all about Barry, a gardener that believes he is a ninja, and his wild adventure to find his missing father, with a talking bush to help him, all the while Nicky Blue’s twisted comedic personality shines through the written words.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
He thinks he’s a deadly ninja. He’s not. He’s Barry Harris and he still lives with his mum.
Barry’s been patient, but after twenty-seven years of trimming hedges for people he hates, he’s had enough. All he wants to do is to find his missing father and to discover his inner ninja. But life’s not done with throwing him curveballs.
A fatal mistake catapults Barry into the adventure of a lifetime. With talking hedges, samurai ghosts, meddling psychotherapists, and an inexplicably non-linear time pattern conspiring against him, Barry must do battle to save his hide, unleash the ninja within, and rescue his father from an ancient army, a dark sorcerer and a raging inferno.
What is the mysterious Prophecy Allocation Department?
Where is The Before and After?
Even more importantly, Will Barry’s underwear hold out until he has saved the day?
ABOUT NICKY BLUE
Hi, I’m Nicky, I am from Brighton in England. I grew up fascinated by books like Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected and t.v. shows like The Twilight Zone. I have a passion for writing sci-fi and dark comedy. Stay updated with my work and get two of my free ebooks at: nickyblue.com/read
Pawned by Laura Bickle is a wonderfully done fantasy of angels and demons, dragons and the mob, and the humans that inhabit a richly developed world, where everything revolves around Raz, his cousin, Carl, and Bert, a demonic lizard, and the magical pawn shop that he lives in, where things are sold and bought, and traded for favors.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
For fans of Stranger Things and the works of Neil Gaiman, Pawned is a Young Adult novel that blends dark fantasy adventure and noir — on the New Jersey boardwalk.
You can hock almost anything at my family’s pawn shop…even your own soul.
You think running a pawn shop full of cursed objects with your dad and grandpops is cool? Try it for a week and get back to me. Now try picking up any random object and seeing its creeptastic history play out right before your eyes — yup, that’s my little “gift.” It’s my job to sort out what’s haunted and hexed from what’s not, and do my best to keep all of us — including Bert, our ice-cream-truck-driving-lizard demon — employed.
So it wasn’t all sunshine, roses, and possessed samurai swords even before grandpops’ heart attack — but now things are garden-gnome levels of bad. Dad made a deal with the wrong end of the dark side to save grandpops’ life, putting my whole family smack dab between the forces of evil and our friendly local blow-your-pawn-shop-to-smithereens mobsters. And Lily next door…I shouldn’t even be thinking about Lily.
All I ever wanted was to get out of this crap town and away from my messed-up family, and instead it looks like I’m gonna have to use every scrap of magic in this joint or there won’t be any family left to leave behind…
ABOUT LAURA BICKLE
Laura
Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out
loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in
Sociology – Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in
Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she
patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems
in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under
the stairs, also writing contemporary fantasy novels under the name
Alayna Williams.
Her work has been included in the ALA’s
Amelia Bloomer Project 2013 reading list and the State Library of Ohio’s
Choose to Read Ohio reading list for 2015-2016.
Legacy: The Awakening Liza Malloy (Legacy trilogy, #1) Publication date: March 30th 2020 Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Romance
College student Jessica craves a stable, ordinary life. But when she meets the alluring and irresistible Aiden, her life takes a thrilling turn. Jessica knows there’s something different about Aiden, but she’s shocked when she learns his secret. The further Jessica delves into Aiden’s world, the more consumed she becomes with him.
Heir to the throne of a secret kingdom of supernatural beings, Aiden yearns to fulfill his destiny. But from their first encounter, Jessica captivates Aiden. Aiden is certain that Jessica is his only chance at true happiness. But Aiden can’t deny that his presence in Jessica’s life threatens to destroy the very things he loves about Jessica—her generosity, compassion and innocence.
As Jessica finds her life filling with peril she never imagined, she must decide how much she’s willing to risk for love. And Aiden must choose whether to embrace his legacy or follow his heart.
Intensely compelling and powerfully gripping, The Awakening is the seductive first installment to the Legacy trilogy, an unforgettable, epic love story.
“So, we’re friends?” I turned to him as I spoke and read the regret on his face.
“Jessica, I’m sorry about last night.”
I felt my eyes warming up and willed myself not to cry.
Aiden reached for my hand. “I like you Jessica. Of course we’re friends, but I’m also…” He sighed. “We’re different, you and I, and we’re in completely different places now. It was wrong of me to kiss you.”
We stopped near the dry creek-bed, still holding hands. I glanced over at Aiden and realized he was watching me again, that same look on his face. He wanted me and I knew it, but something was restraining him.
Neither of us spoke for a moment.
“Aiden, the last time we were here, and I made that joke…” I paused.
“About vampires?”
I nodded, my heart racing in anticipation of pushing him away after he’d finally opened up to me. “It was only a joke,” I reiterated. “But I feel like you are hiding something or holding back.” I swallowed audibly.
He inhaled sharply and stepped closer to the water.
I followed him, but kept a few feet between us. “Aiden, I like you, and I want to know you better. I won’t judge you. I just want to know.”
“What do you want to know?” he asked, his voice so quiet I could barely make out his words.
“Everything. I want to know you, Aiden.” I bit my lip to keep from shouting at him, from insisting that he knew exactly what it was that I wanted to know, that I was the one who had no idea what he was hiding.
“What specifically?”
I blew out a sigh. “Why do you move around so often? Why can’t I go in your house? Why do you and your brothers all have long hair? Why couldn’t your sister wear a ponytail?” I held my breath and stepped closer, feeling uncharacteristically brave. “How did you know to get me out of that fire?”
Aiden turned towards me slowly, his head down. “Jessica, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have started anything with you. I just can’t…” He sighed, then made eye contact. “I can’t answer your questions. And we can’t be together, so I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
Without thinking, I leaned into him, pressing my lips into his. He hesitated, but then I felt his mouth respond to mine, his warm lips opening for me, the tip of his tongue gently tickling my lips.
I broke off the kiss before he could reject me again. “I know you care about me,” I said firmly, empowered from my boldness.
“I do,” he agreed willingly. “But that’s why I can’t…”
“Bullshit!” I interrupted. “I’m already involved in whatever it is, so you might as well tell me the truth. What are you hiding? You can trust me.”
Aiden’s eyes quickly darted around, scanning the woods behind me. Apparently satisfied we were alone, he turned back to me, locked his eyes on mine, then tucked his hair behind his ears.
I was so captivated by his stare, with those unnaturally vibrant eyes, that it took a moment for me to register that he was showing me something. I blinked, and refocused on all of him, not just his eyes. And then, I saw it.
Author Bio:
Liza Malloy writes contemporary romance, new adult romance, women’s fiction, and fantasy romance. She’s a sucker for alpha males, bad boys, dimples, and muscles, and she can’t resist a man in uniform. Liza loves creating worlds where the heroine discovers her own strength and finds her Happily Ever After. When Liza isn’t reading or writing torrid love stories, she’s a practicing attorney. Her other passions include gummy bears, jelly beans, and the occasional marathon. She lives in the Midwest with her four daughters and her own Prince Charming.
Today I am excited to share OF FLAME AND FURY, Taran’s final book in the Weird Girls & Flame Urban Fantasy series by International & Award Winning author Cecy Robson. Come find out why fans love this fast-paced, character driven series.
Of Flame and Fury
Taran Wird, the loudmouth mistress of flame and lightning, didn’t want to attend the formal gathering of the supernatural elite. She did so only to help to unite the supreme beings in attendance in one common goal: protecting Taran’s sister, Celia.
Celia is pregnant with alpha werewolf Aric Connor’s child, the same child prophesized to save the world from uprising evil. Evil wants this child dead before he is born and, more importantly, before he can grow strong enough to stop it.
Taran and her werewolf lover, Gemini, put plans in place to protect Celia. Master Vampire Misha Aleksandr and his clan also swear their allegiance to Celia and vow to keep her from harm. The witches even cast protection spells around the manor to curse anyone with malintent who enters. Nothing was supposed to go wrong, except everything did.
Creatures that shouldn’t exist stalk the grounds and invade the premises, and every curse meant to shield the guests turns against them. No one counted on the powerful being who arrived uninvited. But he’s here, manipulating the magic enclosing the estate to work in his favor.
As body counts rise and allies become enemies, chances are Celia won’t survive the night. But evil never counted on how hard Taran Wird would fight, even at the expense of her life.
CECY ROBSON is an international and multi-award-winning author of over twenty-five character driven novels. A registered nurse of eighteen years, Cecy spends her free time creating magical worlds, heart-stopping romance, and young adult adventure. After receiving two RITA® nominations, the Maggie Award, the Award of Excellence, and a National Reader’s Choice Award nomination, you can still find Cecy laughing, crying, and cheering on her characters as she pens her next story.
I picked up Dawnvel Druids by William Collins on 11.27.19, after William approaching me on Goodreads. It was free on Amazon and looked like a quick read, so why not?
At the time I am writing this post, it was still FREE on Amazon, but check for the “0”.
Instead of being out doing teenage things with her friends on Friday night, Simone is scoring drugs for her father and battling supernaturals.
Bobby had come to Dawnvel Academy after hearing about the missing students. His favorite TV show was about solving murders done by supernaturals, but he’s not the heroic type. Will he rise above his fears? His first nite, another missing student.
Many supernaturals appear as Dawnel Academy and the town come under attack. Dawnvel Academy is an Otherworld gateway. Druids are the protectors, but a helpful weretiger, gargoyles, and ghost lend a hand.
How did Bobby get into the academy? He’s a foster child. Doesn’t know who his parents are. And who are the Perfect?
As the action picks up, Bobby finds his place, as will Simone.
There is the usual teenage angst of going to a new school, but Dawnvel is so much more and even though Bobby seems an unlikely candidate for what is to come, he must face it head on.
We have monsters and danger and though I found no book surprises, I enjoyed the Dawnvel Druids and look forward to finding out what happens next.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
For fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed and the Dresden Files.
As a druid, seventeen-year-old Simone Singh lives by three rules: gargoyles must be destroyed, her identity remains secret, and she can never attempt dark sorcery. Only now the number of gargoyles are growing, her identity has been uncovered and her best friend has been murdered by dark magic.
Simone and the damaged oddballs she calls friends pretend to be normal students at Dawnvel Academy, but are secretly gargoyle slaying, wand-wielding druids, who occasionally time travel.
On the same day her clan leader is killed, the new boy at Dawnvel, Bobby, sees her slay a gargoyle. Simone soon learns the hapless Bobby is a druid too, he just doesn’t know it. She decides to train Bobby whilst she leads the clan, which includes the tormented ex-boyfriend she might still be in love with and the pansexual party girl who has always loathed her. Worse, the dark druid is trying to knock them off one by one.
As she hunts down the killer hiding amongst them, Simone and Bobby’s friendship begins turning into something more, before Bobby displays signs of dark magic himself. She can’t believe anyone she cares for could be the dark druid, but the killer can only be someone she knows and trusts. Her own life and everyone she cares about is at risk.
Told from the dual viewpoints of Simone and Bobby.
ABOUT WILLIAM COLLINS
William Collins is a 26-year-old writer from the UK and the author of The Realmers Series and the short stories, Realmer Chronicles.
A Darker Shade of Sorcery is the first in the series, followed by Moonlight War Act I and Moonlight War Act II, already released.
The Fourth book in the series, Angels and Elves, is coming soon.
Welcome to my tour stop for The Prophecy by Erin Pemberon. I am always curious about book covers, so Erin is here today to tell us about hers.
ABOUT THE BOOK COVER – Guest Post
I didn’t have a whole lot to do with my book cover. I actually don’t even know who designed it, although I think it may have been Denise but I’m not sure. They sent it to me and asked what I thought. My response, “It looks good to me.” It’s supposed to be Ella, the main character in my book, after she has left the tower. Ella is the princess who is trying to reclaim her throne and her kingdom. She has magical powers that no one else has and she kicks butt with the sword, which is why she has a blade in this picture. She also has blonde hair and brown eyes like the woman on the cover.
Thanks for sharing and I am so happy you joined us today.
The Prophecy by Erin Pemberton
GENRE: Young Adult Fantasy
BLURB
In
a land plagued by war, King Dorvin and Queen Shiara are expecting their first
child. They are excited until the good fairies tell of a prophecy; that their
daughter is the key to winning the war against the Shadow tribes. To protect
her, mages of the kingdom create a tower to keep her and her guardian hidden
until her eighteenth birthday. When Ella turns 18 she leaves the tower, only to
find that her parents are dead and the Shadow tribes now control the kingdom.
Trained as a warrior, and aided by the good fairies, Ella must now bring her
subjects together and prepare for the final war.
EXCERPT
“If you don’t tell me your name, you’ll find out the hard
way,” Ella responded calmly even though butterflies were carrying out their own
battle in her stomach. The magic was showing her just how far she could throw
him with its use. She was beginning to think of it as a whole separate entity
within her mind.
Just as she pulled her arm back in preparation of launching
him through the night sky, he shouted “Erek! I’m called Erek.”
Ella, bemused, smiled serenely at him as she placed him none
too gently back on the ground. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”
Erek mumbled something under his breath but made no attempt
to say anything else.
“What are we going to do with him?” Ella asked, turning to
look at Tia.
Tia, ignoring Ella’s question, took a step closer to Erek,
grabbed the rope that bound him, and pulled him toward her. “What do you mean
we’re trespassing on your land? This land belongs to Dorvin, king of Fablina,”
she hissed, apparently taking care to spit in his face as she talked.
The ugly smirk appeared on his otherwise handsome face, a
mirthless laugh consuming him. “My tribe killed and replaced your king
seventeen years ago. This land belongs to the Shadow tribes, and you are as
good as dead.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links
I’m just a small town girl, living in Ohio and making up worlds for my characters to live in. A preschool teacher by day, I live with my amazing husband while dreaming of walking hand in hand with him on the beach just searching for seashells. Together, we have five incredible kids, who are starting to make their way in this world as they take on college, high school, and elementary school. I love Christmas, the beach, seashells, painting, reading anything fantasy related, and in my very little spare time, creating new worlds for others to enjoy.
College Life: Friends, Finals, and the Fae trying to kill you.
Attending college your first year is exciting! Unless you fall victim to a siren’s love spell.
The Leopold Otto University, in mysterious Bewachterberg, invites both humans and those from the fairy lands to attend classes.
Beware though, the administration doesn’t guarantee your safety.
American college student, Logan Dannon, quickly discovers a student body composed of creatures from mythology and folklore are tricksy and dangerous. Only if he can navigate the fae’s tangled code of honor, might he survive the semester.
Brigit, a fae runaway, didn’t plan on getting a human roommate. Or that she would be placed under a fairy debt. Will the dryad be able to save Logan from a siren’s love spell or fail the semester?
A contemporary fantasy world where beings from the Perilous Realm make university life for humans precarious. The first book in the College Fae magic series about friendships between humans and the fae.
After gaining her B.A. degree in journalism Byrd worked as a reporter for a bunch of newspapers you never heard of in small towns you never heard of. Eventually she realized she could starve just as as easily writing her own stories as reporting on local vegetable festivals.
It’s been a while since I’ve read a Dean Koontz novel, so I joined the Library Challenge to encourage myself to catch up on some authors I have been missing. I am so glad I did and have already downloaded Book II, The Whispering Room.
I checked out The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz from the library and I am so glad I did. I love characters like Jane Hawk, who do what must be done when others are unable to stand for themselves.
Call her a vigilante? Maybe. Call her a savior? Well, she can’t save them all and she pays a huge price. It was the suicide of her husband that sets her on the hunt. She doesn’t believe it. She must find out for herself…WHY.
The hunter becomes the hunted, when those who want to keep the suicides secret find out she is on the hunt. She finds some unlikely allies as she struggles to stay one step ahead of those who want her dead.
I thoroughly enjoyed joining Jane Hawk on her wild adventure. It made me think…could this happen today? Nanobots…are they good or bad, or both? Someone always finds a way to take something good and make it bad and ‘they’ do it in a frightening way in The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz.
The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz is part of the Jane Hawk series and does not stand alone. Read in order of release.
I immediately downloaded The Whispering Room, Book II in the Jane Hawk series.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Meet Jane Hawk—a remarkable new heroine certain to become an icon of suspense, propelled by the singular narrative genius of #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz.
“I very much need to be dead.”
These
are the chilling words left behind by a man who had everything to live
for—but took his own life. In the aftermath, his widow, Jane Hawk, does
what all her grief, fear, and fury demand: find the truth, no matter
what.
People of talent and accomplishment, people admired and
happy and sound of mind, have been committing suicide in surprising
numbers. When Jane seeks to learn why, she becomes the
most-wanted fugitive in America. Her powerful enemies are protecting a
secret so important—so terrifying—that they will exterminate anyone in
their way.
But all their power and viciousness may not be enough
to stop a woman as clever as they are cold-blooded, as relentless as
they are ruthless—and who is driven by a righteous rage they can never
comprehend. Because it is born of love.
ABOUT DEAN KOONTZ
Acknowledged as “America’s most popular suspense novelist” (Rolling Stone) and as one of today’s most celebrated and successful writers, Dean Ray Koontz has earned the devotion of millions of readers around the world and the praise of critics everywhere for tales of character, mystery, and adventure that strike to the core of what it means to be human.
Dean, the author of many #1 New York Times bestsellers, lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Shayna and her two best
friends have the abilities to manipulate and control the four elements,
earth, air, water and fire. While learning to hone their growing powers,
they discover a new and malicious presence in their sleepy beach town.
Someone is performing blood magic and threatens to expose their small
magical community. So far only small animals have been slaughtered, but
then the nightmares start.
Shayna suffers nightmares of being
chased and sacrificed only to wake up bloodied and bruised. She thinks
her magical blood is the ultimate target for the final blood rite. When
an innocent girl, Tracy, is kidnapped Shayna knows it’s only a ploy to
draw her out; she can’t let someone die because of her.
I love books that are located in beach towns and magical communities. There are so many elements I like about the book, her nightmares, waking up bloody and bruised…I want to know what is going on. I picked this up on 7.31.12.
Title: Edge of Death, Book Two of the Admiralty Archives Author: Joni Parker Publisher: Village Green Press LLC Pages: 452 Genre: Urban Fantasy
BOOK
BLURB:
In this
second installment of The Admiralty Archives, the warrior Lady Alexin, the
Keeper of the Keys for the Elf realm of Eledon, finds herself exiled to the
harsh world of near-future London. Rendered little more than a political pawn
by the Elfin Council of Elders to avoid a war with the Rock Elves, she has
little choice but to struggle to find her way in this strange new land. Taken
under the protection of kindly mentors, Vice Admiral Malcolm Teller of the
British Royal Navy and his wife, Alex brings all her skills to the fore as she
uncovers a series of deadly plots.
Murder
is on everyone’s mind as an underground White Supremacist organization takes
aim at Admiral Teller while two wizards, resurrected from death, must kill Alex
in order to survive. To make matters worse, the Rock Elves dispatch a hundred
assassins from Eledon with their sole mission to bring Lady Alexin to the very…
Edge of Death.
Alex had never felt so alone in her entire life. She stared
blankly out the window of the limousine she shared with Admiral Teller and his
staff. Her eyes focused on her reflection as a tear escaped down her cheek. She
swiped it away. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel grateful for their help and
support, but her heart ached—she wanted to go home…to Eledon…to her Elf
grandparents…to her job as the Keeper of the Keys…not to London.
Alex’s mortal father had died when
she was four and she’d been raised by mortals until she turned fifteen. She
thought she’d have a better understanding of life here on Earth, but she
didn’t. She even missed the snooty Council of Elders and the grumpy Chamber
Elf. Helping those mortals had been the worst decision she’d ever made. Over
seven hundred sailors on five ships had been stranded in Eledon and she’d
returned them safely. She brushed away another tear and looked around. Good,
no one’s looking at me. She turned back to the window.
An unusual sound caught her attention and she gazed out the
sunroof of the black limousine. It was a helicopter. Or a chopper. A
helo—whatever they called it. Alex leaned her head back and sighed. What was it doing here? It wasn’t part
of the motorcade. Over the past few weeks, she’d seen a lot of them flying in
and out of Portsmouth’s Royal Naval Base in southern England. The Royal Marines
had told her about them. This one hovered way too close. The pilots smiled and
waved at her, so she waved back. Friendly, she thought, at first. But why were
they wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day? Her instincts told her something
wasn’t right. Who were these men?
Assassins? Why were they waving at me? The hairs on the back of her neck
rose as she thought of the worst-case scenario. The helo was going to attack
them.
She nudged Leftenant Nelson of the
British Royal Navy—the red-haired, fair-skinned man raised his chin, but his
eyes remained fixed on the screen of his mobile. He played a video game to pass
the time.
“Wait.” The
young officer pushed the buttons with his thumbs and stared intensely at the
small screen. The car crashed and the game ended. “Damn it!” He shook his fist
and gritted his teeth. “I can’t get past this level. What in the bloody hell do
you want?” He pulled his ear buds out and turned sharply; his eyes narrowed—his
anger still prevailing.
“Sorry, but
why is that helicopter flying so low?” Alex pointed up. She had learned one
thing about the mortal world—it could be dangerous here.
“It’s just
a traffic helicopter, looking for accidents on the highway.”
“So why are
those men wearing sunglasses? It’s cloudy out.”
“They’re
pilots—they think it makes them look cool.” He waved his hand dismissively and
went back to his game.
“Good.”
Alex felt relieved. Her instincts were wrong. No need to worry. This was normal. Since that night she was supposed to return home to Eledon, but
couldn’t, she wasn’t quite sure what was normal and what wasn’t here in
the mortal world. She relived the scene, repeating in her head on an endless
loop and clenched her jaw. Lord Fissure of the Rock Elves had threatened to
kill her grandfather if she tried to return home—and the sneer on his face told
her that he’d won.
Sitting across from her was Vice
Admiral Sir Malcolm Teller. He was a kind man, but he was a mortal…and a
target. She’d already foiled three assassination attempts on him. He was
targeted by a white supremacist group called the 23rd Infantry, just
because he was a black man. It didn’t make sense to her. Over the past few
weeks, he’d also become her mentor and benefactor and promised to help her find
a way home. But how? He didn’t know
anything about the Elf world. Were there
more entry points somewhere? Even she didn’t know—she was stranded. No, exiled.
Next to him on a laptop computer
was Captain Jonas, a brilliant naval officer and the Admiral’s chief of staff,
who always looked at her with suspicion. Was
there any way to convince him I wasn’t a scout for an alien invasion? She
doubted it. He was a stubborn man.
Over the past few weeks, the
Admiral had taken charge of the return of the sailors, the ships, and the
civilians who’d been stranded in Eledon, while she’d made friends with Captain
Shauna O’Leary, Royal Marines. Alex worked out with the Marines on a daily
basis and learned a lot about the mortal world from them. This morning,
however, she was notified the Admiral had completed his task and would be
leaving for London in an hour. She would have liked more time—she barely had a
chance to say farewell to Shauna. But she packed quickly and got to the
limousine before anyone else.
Alex had no clue what to do next,
but she felt an urgent need to get back to Eledon to protect her grandfather
from those Rock Elves, especially Lord Fissure. Until she figured out how, the
Admiral had offered to let her stay with him and his wife. Without any other
option, she agreed.
Her best hope of getting home was
to find Ecstasy, the wizard. He’d brought her to the mortal world in the first
place, but even Detective Inspector Tyler of Scotland Yard couldn’t find him.
So, how could she?
* * *
Leftenant Nelson tapped her arm. “Hey, Alex. I didn’t mean
to snap at you like that. You didn’t know about the traffic helo. Sorry.”
“It’s all
right. Sorry, I bothered you.” Alex wasn’t really sorry, but thought it was the
polite thing to say. He’d always been pleasant to her. The chopper rose higher
over the vehicle, pacing the limo’s speed on the highway. Its body was made of
glass and metal with pods on either side. Alex stared at it curiously and went back
to her thoughts.
Without
warning, the limo veered off the main highway and exited onto a two-lane
country road. Alex grabbed hold of a handle to her left and sat up straight,
alert for trouble. Her eyes widened and her pulse quickened as her head swiveled
around, looking for the source of the problem.
“What’s
going on, Jonas?” Admiral Teller dropped the newspaper onto his lap and looked
over to the Captain.
“I’ll find
out, Admiral.” He pressed a button near his head. “Petty Officer Thomas, where
are we going?”
“Following the security car in
front, Captain. It’ll take us around an accident ahead.”
Captain Jonas glanced at the
traffic on the highway. It wasn’t slowing down and his phone didn’t have any
reported accidents. “Thomas, there aren’t any accidents reported. Call the
security car and get them back on the highway. We have an appointment at the
Ministry this morning.”
“Yes, Captain.”
Yet, the limo continued along the
empty country road.
Thomas reported back. “Captain, no
reply from the security car.”
The Captain grew alarmed; this
wasn’t supposed to happen. He checked his phone again, still no accidents. He
craned his neck to look at the traffic, flowing smoothly on the highway.
The sound of the chopper drew
closer. Alex looked out the sunroof—the pilots grinned. This time, not in a
friendly way. Alarm bells went off in her head.
“I thought the chopper was supposed
to watch traffic on the highway.” Alex looked to Nelson, who was also peering
out the sunroof; his jaw tight and his eyes focused on the chopper.
“I don’t like this.” Captain Jonas
pressed the button. “Thomas, get us out of here!” His eyes narrowed.
“I can’t, sir. We’re boxed in.”
“Leftenant, send out a distress
message immediately!”
Nelson’s thumbs flew over the
screen of his mobile phone, sending out a text message.
Alex felt helpless and she could
tell the men didn’t know what to do either. She turned in her seat to see the
driver’s face in the rearview mirror. His eyes were so wide she could see white
around his pupils as he clutched the steering wheel.
Captain Jonas slammed his laptop
shut and pushed the intercom. “Thomas, take evasive action. Turn left up
ahead.” He turned to his right. “Fasten your seat belt, Admiral. Leftenant,
call for help again.”
The Admiral put on his seatbelt and
Alex tightened hers. The Leftenant sent out another message over his phone.
Thomas slammed on the brakes and turned the limo to the left. The long vehicle
barely made the sharp turn and skidded sideways before it straightened. Then he
stepped on the gas. All at once, he jammed on the brakes and nearly ran into
the chopper as it hovered low over the road.
Alex broke into a sweat. How are we going to get out of this? She
looked to the Admiral, who looked at the Captain. No one had any answers.
“Turn right!” The Captain pointed
to a smaller road.
Thomas quickly turned the limo down
a road which became a dirt path leading into a pasture where black and white
cows munched on grass. The limo broke through a barbed wire fence and drove
into the field. Alex gripped the handle as she bounced in the seat. Oh, my stars!
“Damn it! Turn around! Get us out
of here!” The Captain’s eyes grew large as the chopper followed behind. “Did
you send the message, Nelson?” He pulled the Admiral away from the window as Nelson
frantically texted another distress message.
“Jonas, this car is armored. We’re
safer in here than out there.” The Admiral pointed out the window.
“Thomas, get us out of here!” Jonas
waved his hand forward.
“I can’t, sir! I’ve lost control!”
The steering wheel spun wildly under his hands as the limo fishtailed across
the grass.
Alex rocked to the right as the
chopper’s nose tilted down. “It’s aiming at us!” She pointed out the back
window. The Marines had told her about helos, firing rockets and shooting guns,
but that was in a war zone, not in the English countryside.
Two white streams of churning smoke
fired from the pods on the chopper, exploding just behind the vehicle, kicking
up mounds of dirt, and lifting the rear end. Gunfire strafed the back window,
shattering the glass but remaining intact.
Alex covered her face as the limo
sped through the field, barely missing a cow. Seconds later, the limo ran into
a stone wall and came to an abrupt stop. The airbags deployed and everyone sat
stunned for a few seconds.
“The chopper’s coming around for
another crack at us, Captain.” Leftenant Nelson grabbed the door handle. “Let’s
get out of here!” He scrambled out the door, followed by the rest, jumping
behind a stone wall in front of a stand of trees.
Just as they ducked behind the
wall, the chopper sent two more rockets at the car, which exploded at the rear.
Then it opened fire with machine guns. In spite of the armor plating and
bulletproof glass, the limo was severely damaged—it hissed and steamed.
Alex hunkered down next to Nelson
as bullets pounded against the wall. She’d never felt anything so powerful and
wondered if the wall was strong enough to protect them. It brought back
memories of when she’d been shot, but somehow, she didn’t remember it this way.
Her recent training with the Marines had involved simulated bullets; this
wasn’t the same. Her panic rose. She couldn’t move. Her breathing grew shallow;
sweat dripped off her face. She felt if she was on the edge of death, about to
go over. The men were just as scared as she was.
Her courage was buoyed by a short
lull in the action; she peeked around the wall and saw the chopper back up to
maneuver for another round. I have to do
something.
“Is there a weak point on the
chopper?” Alex asked.
“The rotor on top.” The Captain
pointed up.
As the chopper flew forward, Alex
aimed the palms of her hands at the rotor. “Break!” she shouted. An intense
beam of blue light shot from her hands, knocking the rotor off. The blades
struck the ground, sending dirt and shrapnel in all directions while the cabin
tumbled across the field and exploded.
“What in the bloody hell was that?”
Captain Jonas stared at her—his eyes wide.
“My blue light.” She grinned at
him.
“My God!” The Captain glared at
her. “Don’t do that again!”
Why
was he so surprised? The Captain had seen her use it before when she’d
healed some people. She pressed her lips together in frustration.
“Wicked.” Nelson glanced at her and
nodded, raising an eyebrow.
Wow,
that’s weird. He can raise one eyebrow at a time. At least, Alex thought it
was unusual. She’d never seen…
“Stay down!” Captain Jonas pushed
the Admiral’s head behind the wall as he detected movement to the left. The two
fake security vehicles had arrived on scene. Out of one car, two men in black
ran at them on the left—they were scouts, leading the attack.
“Men on the left.” She nodded to
Leftenant Nelson.
“More on the right.” The Leftenant
grimaced. “We’re screwed.”
“I’ll use my blue light again.”
Alex was about to raise her hands.
“No!” The Captain glared at her.
“Don’t use that thing. It’s unnatural.”
“So are guns. We can’t just sit
here and do nothing.” Then, she had another idea.
About the Author
Fantasy novels are Joni Parker’s writing passion. Thus far,
she’s written two complete series:“The Seaward Isle Saga,” a trilogy, and “The
Chronicles of Eledon,” the award-winning four-book series. Her latest series,
“The Admiralty Archives,” began with the publication of her book, “Curse of the
Sea” and continues with the second book in that series, “Edge of Death.” Her
work extends beyond novels into short stories and blog articles. Joni’s retired
from military and federal government service and devotes her time to writing.
She currently resides in Tucson, Arizona.
