Crown Prince Thorn: I felt defeated. Helpless. If Sherra were alive, why didn't she mindspeak to tell me so? Every day, I floundered against that notion—that if she were alive, she'd have contacted me by now. "Don't give up, Thorn," Hunter said softly. "We don't know everything there is to know." "Hunter, every day reminds me of how little we actually do know." * * * Sherra has not returned to the King. Seven months have passed and Kaakos, Ny-nes' leader, is rebuilding his army. His plan is to unleash an onslaught against Az-ca—in retaliation for the destruction of his troops and weapons. In Az-ca, the King's health is failing, the enemy is on the march and Merrin and his rogues have forged an alliance with enemy infiltrators. Will the Crown Prince be forced to deal with attacks from both sides, without Sherra's help? Will Az-ca survive if Sherra is dead, as so many believe?
Lexsi: Tears of flame dripped down my cheeks�tears for Kory and for me. The fire net burned my hands whenever I touched it, but I couldn't let it harm him any more than it already had. Kory's wings, with burn-holes between ribs, beat to help me get the net off him. Kory screamed as the net sunk farther into sections of his back�it was designed to burn flesh until it had completely passed through its victim. I shook my hands to rid myself of the wad of net I held and reached for the part that was burning Kory so badly. Lexsi: Who is behind the plot to kill us? What do they want? Where are they? Why me? My to-do list is overwhelming... Kordevik: How can I keep my Thifilathi in line, when it wants Lexsi now? How do I keep the werewolves, shifters, vampires and humans around me acting civil toward each other? How can I protect Lexsi and the others, when the enemy wants to destroy all of us? How did I get myself into this mess? A Demon's Work is Never Done...
Quin is kept busy placing planet-saving spheres on poisoned planets. On an isolated planet, a device has been created to hide anyone or anything from even the most powerful, including the gods. Quin The spheres The device --Vardil Cayetes wants all of those things. Who can stop him, now that he is back and stronger than ever?
Reah, I know you're not happy with us right now, but we didn't order the firebombing. RAA moved without consulting us. And I'm supposed to believe that? Reah, you're being disrespectful with a superior. I didn't answer him. If he knew how disrespectful I wanted to be—I was staring at Xiri's bones, after all. I sobbed. Reah? Reah, are you still there? You be respectful, Vice-Director, the next time a friend's bones lie beneath your hand. I cut off the communication. Lendill didn't try again.
I am Lexsi Silver, and I will determine my own future. Most people consider their wedding day as one of the happiest of their lives. Most people are not High Demon. Just before my wedding on the planet called Kifirin, I decided I wasn't going to marry someone I'd never met. Aunt Bree for help. She had one condition. I had to live on Earth and take a job with Rome Enterprises in San Francisco. * * * My name is Kordevik Weth. My intended left me standing at the altar. Afterward, I got drunk and destroyed the bar where I'd gone to drink and forget my humiliation. As punishment, Li'Neruh Rath, god of my home planet, sentenced me to five years on Earth, working as a driver for Rome Enterprises in San Francisco. Every day, I rail against the job I hold and the one who'd pushed me into it—Lexsi Silver.
A dead god. A dying world. A girl never meant to be sentient. Siriaa is dying. A poison is spreading throughout the planet and none know how to neutralize it. Finder, working in King Tamblin's castle kitchen most of her life, has never spoken. A child of questionable parentage, Finder is an orphan assigned to perform duties nobody else wants. While others plan intrigue, murder and invasion to escape the poison's effects, Finder watches all in mute acceptance. Will she be the key to Siriaa's salvation, or will it die about her, without knowing why?
Quin finds herself at the center of a maelstom, as Siriaa is threatened by an unidentifiable poison and a coup envelopes Kondar. Lives hang in the balance across the universe, as samples of the poison stolen from Siriaa are offered for sale to the highest bidders. Quin feels obligated to help those she can, but it will require powerful help. Does such a thing exist? If so, will it answer her call?
Belen?" I blinked up at him. As usual, he was shining brightly, although he'd dampened it so I might look at him. "Lissa, this is certainly the beginning." He gazed around us. At leveled homes and devastated bodies. I understood what he said. All too clearly. It had been my suspicion, but I was too afraid to voice it aloud, as if saying it might make it real. It didn't need my words to make it real. It had already become real. The God Wars were upon us. "It'll only get worse, won't it?" I whispered. "If this is not stopped," Belen lowered his head as if in thought. "Either the opposing forces know something we don't, or evidence we do not have indicates that the Three are now revealed." "You don't know who all Three are, do you?" I shivered. "We know of the Mighty Hand—he has revealed himself to us, but he has placed himself behind a shield only the strongest might breach, and to my knowledge only the One might get past Strength's barrier. One other we have both felt," he nodded slightly to me. Neither of us was willing to speak Breanne's name aloud. She was in enough danger, I think, and I didn't want to add to that. "The other I cannot say, although we have seen evidence," Belen sighed. He hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something else and then thought better of it. "I am afraid to say what I might think about this," Belen murmured instead. "It worries me that even the quietest voice might be heard if I speak my suspicions about this. Lissa, there's something you do not know," Belen continued. "What's that?" "I only removed the mind cloud from your son. The others—it had already been removed when I arrived to do it." "What?" I stared at Belen. "Someone quite powerful arrived before I did. I believe Gavin and Cheedas benefited from a visit from one of the others. At this time, I cannot say—am afraid to say—which it might have been." "I don't understand this," I rubbed my forehead. "Lissa, do not make yourself ill, I beg," Belen knelt next to me. "We must be strong and vigilant in the coming days. It is up to us to do what we can to protect innocents during these times. As much as we can, for as long as we can. We cannot say if our enemies are destroying these lives, attempting to draw one or more of the Three out. After all, if one of them falls or turns to the other side, all will be lost. More than one destroyed will only hasten our demise." "This is the flaw, isn't it?" I sighed. "Yes. This is the flaw," he agreed. * * * Those among the powerful know the God Wars have begun—except for Breanne. Without suspecting what she really is or that she has been targeted, she has chosen a new home for herself—in Earth's past. When strange events begin to happen around her, Breanne's confusion ramps up considerably. Toss in a handsome stranger and a horrible past, and Breanne seems headed for destruction.
I should be dead. All the fire demons who were betrayed and sacrificed before me had certainly died. Will, the wizard who attempted to destroy me, said it was the only way to kill the enemy known as Black Myth. Of all the fire demons led unknowingly to their deaths, how had I survived—and why?
From Falchan to Earth to the heavens and places in between, join Devin, Dragon, Conner and others as they travel through this collection of short stories.
Ilya The rest of us woke after a few days, when it became apparent we'd survived the drug. Even Corinne woke faster the first time. This time, three weeks had passed. I was grateful for the scans and other tests Dr. Farrell ran, indicating she was alive. Still, I was terrified for her. And for me. I spoke to her often and lately, I begged her to open her eyes. * * * After surviving the drug a second time, Corinne's abilities are put to the test as the enemy steps up his attacks. Will she survive the attempts on her life, as well as betrayal from within? As she struggles to keep the others alive, a new threat arrives—one even the enemy doesn't see coming.
The Metal Library has relocated itself. Morgett Blackmantle, a powerful Ra'Ak, is seeking its new location. A scholar is hired to research potential hiding places for the library. When the scholar is killed for the information he holds, Kory, Lexsi and the scholar's son are drawn into the search for Morgett and his allies. These three, along with their friends, have to prevent Morgett from bringing death and chaos to Australia, while leaving the timeline intact and undisturbed. For committing terrible murders, Morgett has no idea that his demise may be A Demon's Due...
He wants to talk to you again," the girl winced. "I want to bust his nose," I muttered, making the girl laugh. I hefted the tray up and carried it to his table. "I had to wait two clicks to get in here." "I told you to call ahead," I said, settling the tray on a stand and handing off his noodle bowl, followed by the plate of ox-roast. "I thought you were making that up." "I never lie about food," I said. "Is there anything else?" I swept the tray off the stand. "Ex-ASD?" "That's what the Director said. And he's not high on my list, unless it's the list of people I never want to see again." "What's the problem with Director Keef?" "Where do you want me to start?" "Start with the most recent." "My dead daughter," I snapped and walked away. After Reah's brush with death, she is understandably distrustful of most of her mates. Striking out on her own, she is determined to investigate a rash of child disappearances across the universes, in and outside the Alliances. The evil she discovers in the course of her investigations could bring all worlds to their knees if Reah doesn't find a way to destroy it.
Aedan always knew when something was wrong. Adele sat at the kitchen island, staring at her hands. Ashe had never seen her so defeated. "What is it?" Aedan sighed as he took a seat beside Adele."This." Adele pulled the letter from the drawer and handed it to Aedan. Aedan hesitated, as if he could hold off the news and keep his life as it was for a few moments longer. Finally, his fingers grasped the envelope. Ashe watched as the weight of it settled onto his father's shoulders. Slitting the envelope open with a slightly extended claw, Aedan pulled the folded paper out and opened it.In an effort to lay claim to Ashe, the vampires roll the dice. As a result, Ashe's life spins out of control - in ways even he couldn't imagine. Friends betray him. Those closest to him pull away. What he believes to be true turns out to be only a partial truth.The war between Light and Dark Elemaiya ramps up in the midst of these painful revelations, and it is up to Ashe to do something about it. If he doesn't, everything could be destroyed.
I got out five years ago. Untalented, they said. In other words, they didn't know what to do with me, and murder usually leaves a mess. I understood messes. Saw too many of them in my dreams. That's why I live where I do, still in their shadow but outside their walls. The conditions, of course, are that I have to move every five years, check in now and then and never, ever, talk about them to anyone. It was time to move. * * * Cloud Dust is a secret, government program, in which ninety-five per cent of the volunteers are dead. Meet the one who didn't volunteer...
Other Worldly Holidays is a collection of three short stories; GSW, Or How I Met My Mother, Queen's Holiday and Rose of the Peaks. These stories have many of your favorite characters and provide some wonderful background into their lives—all centered around the holidays.
The Larentii are observers only; their policy is never to involve themselves in the turmoil of other races. Corinne is now one of them. What will she do to protect those she cares for on Earth? Will she risk her life to save them? The Larentii rebel has arrived.
A full moon hung over the Mississippi's dark waters, meaning this was the time for hunters to arrive and take whatever they could capture. A device would be clamped to the backs of our necks and we'd never be able to shift back to human again. It was how they justified their enslavement of us; that we were only animals instead of sentient humans. The Krelk had killed more than two-thirds of the human population, too, but they made the excuse that they'd thought them animal as well, until their High Council, wherever that was, decided otherwise. When I heard the first yelp, even underground, I couldn't breathe. Was that a shifter? Few shifters could take on a Krelk and their weapons and either survive or avoid being stunned. That's how we were captured—frozen and only barely able to breathe while we were caged, tagged and hauled away from the buffer zone. Another yelp—followed quickly by a third. This was no shifter—the Krelk were the ones screaming. Terrified but still curious, I dipped into the watery entrance and slowly made my way out of my cave to peek at the river bank above my head. A dead Krelk dropped into the water nearby, making me jump and squeak in terror. "An otter?" Someone leaned down to look at me. Not a Krelk—I knew their scent. This—I'd never scented someone like this before. I scrabbled backward, afraid of this newcomer, too, even if he did appear humanoid. "Don't be afraid—I killed all of them." I backed all the way into the water and scrambled to swim to my cave before he could grab me. Once there, I refused to come out. "I understand," he said, loud enough that I could still hear him. "Be safe. I'll patrol farther down, tonight." I listened, my heart beating so rapidly I feared it would burst while his footsteps, light as they were, faded as he walked southward. He'd killed six Krelk, and I'd never heard one of their weapons fire. Who could do that?
Ver'Dak wants Verillium more than any other world... Verillium, a small, Class-M planet, wasn't part of any alliance, had little in the way of technology, nothing in the way of riches and had been at war with itself for centuries. Why, then, had it drawn the interest of the cleverest, wickedest demi-god ever? The only thing standing in Ver'Dak's way is the daughter of a dead king… and the Black Zone * * * Jessil: Verlin grabbed my hair before I could pull the woman to safety; that's how I ended up being dragged up endless palace steps and thrown onto the floor of Father's study, which Nessil had taken for his own. "Well, Balver won't take her now—not since she's been in the kitchens for three weeks and available to anybody walking in," Nessil's boots came into view as Verlin held me down, my cheek pressed hard against the new rug on the study floor. My eyes watered from the scent of fresh dyes—Nessil had been quite busy removing evidence of Father's rule. Wait—he'd said Balver. Lord Balver. Old, bandy-legged and smelly Balver. Nessil had gone looking for the worst possible place for me to serve as a breeder and broodraiser. "She hid well enough in the kitchens—I say send her back there," Verlin suggested. "No—she liked it there or she wouldn't have stayed," Nessil pretended to be wise. "Let's give her to the army, instead. As a punishment." "Sound decision," Verlin grunted, removing his knee from my back. "Stay down, drone; the tappers are on the way.
I guess this isn't a good time." Lendill folded into the kitchen. "Here. It has bourbon in it." I pushed my cup of tea toward him and rose from my seat to make another. "Land and sky, Reah, this is strong." Lendill took a sip from my cup. "Yeah. Sit down," I said. "What do you want?" "Is that any way to treat a mate you haven't seen in months?" "You only show up when you want something," I said. "So what is it?" "Bel has disappeared," Lendill swallowed more tea, grimaced and then swallowed more. "Wizard Bel?" I hadn't seen Bel for years, yet I knew he still worked for the ASD. "Yes. I sent him to investigate a problem on Surnath, and he vanished. We can't find him." "What kind of problem?" I asked, sitting down with my freshly poured and spiked tea. I didn't even ask Teeg if he wanted any. I was still pissed at him. "A worker in an electronics factory went crazy and killed twenty of his coworkers after getting his hands on a laser pistol somehow. And then, two weeks later, a secretary at a legal firm kills six people there. The governor of the Realm on Surnath asked us to investigate. We thought it was just a copy crime. Bel was in so he volunteered. Was there for three days before he came up missing." "That's terrible," I said. "And you tried mindspeech and everything?" "Yes. No answer. Bel isn't one to fall easily into a trap. So we're all concerned." "Me, too," I nodded. I'd known Bel when I was a conscript in the Regular Alliance Army. "Norian and I are willing to pay top credit if you'll work a special assignment on this." Wizard Bel is missing, after investigating two crimes on Surnath. Reah agrees to work this special assignment for the ASD, and discovers that Bel's disappearance is linked to far deeper and much darker crimes. The criminals behind these crimes hold the survival of both Alliances in their grip and it is up to Reah to expose them before their final plans become a reality.
The High Demon race is dying, and nothing short of a miracle will save it. Kifirin has promised to provide that miracle, in any way he can. * * * Reah has worked in the kitchens of her family's restaurants since the age of eight. The only daughter among Addah Desh's 27 children from eight wives, Reah has been ignored, belittled and abused all her life. When the conscription notice comes from the Regular Alliance Army, Reah is more than happy to report for duty in order to escape her family. Unfortunately, her liberation is short-lived...
Radomir handled the meeting, because Gavin wanted to kill Norian Keef. Norian sat inside Gavin's office at the palace, nervously tapping a foot. That in itself irritated Gavin to the point of red-eyed, lengthy-fanged murder. Radomir worked to calm Norian while Gavin looked on, mentally considering the many, painful ways Norian might meet his end.
This will help us customize your experience to showcase the most relevant content to your age group
Please select from below
Login
Not registered?
Sign up
Already registered?
Success – Your message will goes here
We'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.