Title:Evanescent A Broken Novel Book two
Author: Carlyle Labuschagne
Genre: Dystopian. Science- Fiction. YA
Release Date: November 2013
Publishers: Sensational Publications
Tour Host:Lady
Amber's Tours
Blurb:
Her fall has just begun. Only his touch can save her from the shift that could destroy it all.
Within my blood runs a thing our kind calls the Shadowing Disease. It shadows over, and bends everything to its will. When the first blood- shift came, it tore through flesh and blood, threatening to bend me, break bone, shatter my mind and entrap my heart with its honeyed, seductive poison. It came with vicious intent, moving my thoughts and altering me forever. The shift has caused a rift within me. No one was safe when it entrapped me in its claws of foul lust. But I have the only antidote against the evil that becomes me – his touch alone has the power to release the spurs of sweet darkness that clung on for dear life. I knew what I had to do; the desperation pulled my mind with the deep determination of a hungry predator. But by the time the revelation raised me from the dark dungeon of my bounds – it might have been too late.
Carlyle Labuschagne is a South African debut author working her way into the hearts of international readers with her first young adult dystopian novel "The Broken Destiny". She is not only an author, but works as a sales rep and marketing manager by day. She holds a diploma in creative writing through the writing school at College SA.
Carlyle, loves to swim, fights for the trees, and is a food lover who is driven by her passion for life. Carlyle also writes for IU e-magazine India, an inspirational non-profit magazine that aims at inspiring the world through words. The drive behind her author career is healing through words. Carlyle is also the founder of the first annual book drive – Help Build A Library inAfrica Project.
“My goal as an author is to touch people’s lives, and help others love their differences and one another.”
“Fine, I’ll help you, because
I can see you’ll never give up on her, and I will never be my own if we don’t.”
“You better believe it,”
Robert smirked.
The seven of us stood in
thick, dusty, golden sand, huge pieces of rock and debris extruding like
tombstones from ash. Battered, bruised and bloody, we watched as the ship
disappeared over the huge dunes, our world turning to powder, everything ready
to fly away in an escaping breath.
*****
A
body is fragile; it breaks, it tears, and it bleeds; it is also tangible and
real, beautiful and rare.
A
soul is an ever-fighting, ever-growing entity. It has a mind of its own.
But,
a mind is a curse; it can corrupt, be corrupted, think too much, or not enough.
When
body meets soul, it’s perfect. It knows the truth, but it cannot live without a
mind.
The
mind activates the power from the soul to the body.
The
balance is never perfect. This is the curse of being broken.
“I was on a lit path, a raging firestorm for him – all
of him. My body ached for it. I had found the antidote to my disease, and in
those forced images of false memories, I found my salvation, a cure from
myself…”
*****
But before I could get hold
of my thoughts, another loud explosion tore through the air, crackling like a
beast, our screams becoming lost in the echoes of terror. Loud crashes coming
from every direction, enclosing us within its catastrophic claws. Flames so
high and wide, we were about to be devoured within the jaws of the fiery
creature. I didn’t give myself the time to hesitate for a second longer. I
grabbed my two best friends and hurled them down the stairs. The door came
crashing in as we hit the bottom floor; Robert and David came tumbling through
it, smoke sweltering up behind them. There were no alarms to warn us, which
struck me as very odd at first. I waved my hand before my face trying to see
through smoke and dust. The fire came from next door and radiated though the
walls. I saw the grave expressions on the boys’ faces as they came toward us. I
heard girls in the other dorm shriek, cough, cry, and their loud footsteps as
they came hurtling down the stairs like mad banshees, pushing against us. I
turned to push back, my voice lost in shock and fear. Giveaway:
Olivia has been on the run from the government of Cabal since the marriage ceremony. Finally settling in and finding herself a place to call home, in Shadow, Olivia and Joshua are preparing for the uprising that they and the rebel alliance have been planning for months.
With new abilities and special talents, from Mindonsiphan, Olivia learns that she can do more than most ordinary eighteen year olds. Learning both to hide and perfect her skills will be one of the biggest challenges she'll be forced to face.
A constant rollercoaster of emotion and adventure await Olivia and Joshua, as they embark on a journey to the rebel city of Torv, and what was once home, Genesis.
About the Author
Ruth Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She has written under three unique pseudo names and penned well over a hundred stories.
She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, "Deuces are Wild", which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories.
Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She runs her own book blog and also enjoys photography and traveling.
Her favorite YA genre is a mix of Dystopian & Fantasy which is evident in the upcoming release of her latest book, Aberrant. Slated for release April 2013 by Lazy Day Publishing, it is the first in a trilogy.
Book Description: In life when one thing goes wrong, it can feel like everything goes wrong. Secrets come to the surface while friendships twist out of control, romantic relationships end, and even a dear loved one can die!
In Silenced: The Overtaking Amber’s life turns to chaos when she finds out Sarah, her childhood friend dies suddenly, her stepfather reveals another devastating family secret, and her boyfriend begins pushing her away.
After all the truth comes out, Amber turns to her darkness for comfort when her worst fear becomes reality. Her secret with cutting is discovered when she loses control and ends up in the hospital. Amber’s long journey to recovery begins with a battle. While she’s fighting her way to freedom, she discovers the one love she’s been missing her entire life.
Will Amber overtake her darkness of cutting or will the darkness overtake her?
***** Silenced Series by RaeBeth McGee-Buda addresses self harm, depression, and the internal fight one goes through while dealing with them. Newly released Silenced 2 is now available on Amazon in Kindle and will soon be available in paperback. Links to both are below. Grab your copy today!!
Book Description:
Twenty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed
him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He
created the Hole where sinners are branded according to
their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been
accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.
Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.
Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.
The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.
Review:
This story grabbed hold of my emotions and dragged them along to the very end. It pulls at your heartstrings. I could scarcely breathe because I felt for Lexi. The things that girl had to endure were horrific. I know some of those things she went through,I would have never survived.Her past may have broken her but it didn't destroy her.She finds courage to fight back,to fight through all the heartache to become a strong,brave,and compassionate girl.I don't want to giveaway any spoilers,so let's just say the ending was something I never saw coming but the realization of it put everything into perspective.
Lexi Hamilton lives in a messed up cruel world where the judicial system is revamped to catch not just criminals but what the Commander calls "sinners".They are arrested on accusation and there is no innocent until proven guilty.Many innocents are falsely accused and sent to live in the Hole.One of them is Lexi Hamilton,but she has a few people on the inside protecting her.Many times things happen that brings her to a breaking point but she finds strength in her protector .However,before it is all over Lexi, learns to hold herself up and fight for not only herself but those she loves, those she lost, and those who are too weak to stand up for themselves.
Chapter One:
I’m buried six
feet under, and no one hears my screams.
The rope chafes
as I loop it around my neck. I pull down, making sure the knot is secure. It
seems sturdy enough. My legs shake. My heart beats heavy in my throat. Sweat
pours down my back.
Death and I
glare at each other through my tears.
I
take one last look at the crystal chandelier, the foyer outlined with mirrors,
and the flawless decorations. No photographs adorn the walls. No happy memories
here.
I’m ready to go.
On the count of three.
I
inhale, preparing myself for the finality of it all. Dropping my hands, a
glimmer catches my eye. It’s my ring, the last precious gift my father gave me.
I twist it around to read the inscription. Picturing his face forces me to
reconsider my choice. He’d be heartbroken if he could see me now.
A door slams in
the hallway, almost causing me to lose my balance. My thoughts already muddled,
I stand waiting with the rope hanging around my neck. Voices I don’t recognize
creep through the walls.
Curiosity
overshadows my current thoughts. It’s late at night, and this is a secure
building in High Society. No one disturbs the peace here—ever. I tug on the
noose and pull it back over my head.
Peering through
the eyehole in our doorway, I see a large group of armed guards banging on my
neighbors’ door. A heated conversation ensues, and my neighbors point toward my
family’s home.
It hits me. I’ve
been accused and they’re here to arrest me.
My father would
want me to run, and in that split second, I decide to listen to his voice
within me. Flinging myself forward in fear, I scramble up the marble staircase
and into my brother’s old bedroom. The door is partially covered, but it
exists. Pushing his dresser aside, my fingers claw at the opening. Breathing
hard, I lodge myself against it. Nothing. I step back and kick it with all my
strength. The wood splinters open, and my foot gets caught. I wrench it
backward, scraping my calf, but adrenaline pushes me forward. The voices at the
front door shout my name.
On hands and knees, I squeeze through the
jagged opening. My brother left through this passage, and now it’s my escape
too. Cobwebs entangle my face, hands, and hair. At the end, I feel for the
knob, twisting it clockwise. It swings open, creaking from disuse. I sprint
into the hallway and smash through the large fire escape doors at the end. A
burst of cool air strikes me in the face as I jump down the ladder.
Reaching
the fifth floor, I knock on a friend’s window. The lights flicker on, and I see
the curtains move, but no one answers. I bang on the window harder.
“Let
me in! Please!” I say, but the lights darken. They know I’ve been accused and
refuse to help me. Fear and adrenaline rush through my veins as I keep running,
knocking on more windows along the way. No one has mercy. They all know what
happens to sinners.
Another
flight of stairs passes in a blur when I hear the guards’ heavy footfalls from
above. I can’t hide, but I don’t want to go without trying.
Help me, Daddy.
I need your strength now.
My previous
desolation evolves into a will to survive. I have to keep running, but I
tremble and gasp for air. I steel my nerves and force my body to keep moving.
In a matter of minutes, my legs cramp and my chest burns. I plunge to the
ground, scraping my knee and elbow. A moan escapes from my chest.
Gotta keep
going.
“Stop!” Their
voices bounce off the buildings. “Lexi Hamilton, surrender yourself,” they
command. They’re gaining on me.
I resist the urge
to glance back, running into what I assume is an alley. I’m far from our
high-rise in High Society as I plunge into a poorer section of the city where
the streets all look the same and the darkness prevents me from recognizing
anything. I’m lost.
My
first instinct is to leap into a dumpster, but I retain enough sense to stay
still. I crouch and peek around it, watching them dash by. The abhorrent smell
leaves me vomiting until nothing remains in my stomach. Desperation overtakes
me, as I know my retching was anything but silent. My last few seconds tick
away before they find me. Everyone knows about their special means of tracking
sinners.
I push myself to
my feet and look left, right, and left again. Their batons click against their
black leather belts, and their boots stomp the cement on both sides of me. I
shrink into myself. Their heavy steps mock my fear, growing closer and closer
until I know I’m trapped.
Never did I
imagine they’d come for me. Never did I imagine all those nights I heard them
dragging someone else away that I’d join them.
“You’re
a sinner,” they say. “Time to leave our society.”
I stand defiant. I
refuse to bend or break before them, even as I shiver with fear.
“There’s no reason
to make this difficult. The more you cooperate, the smoother this will be for
everyone,” a guard says.
I cringe into the
blackness along the wall. I’m innocent, but they won’t believe me or care.
The next instant,
my face slams into the pavement as one guard plants a knee in my back and
another handcuffs me. A warm liquid trails into my mouth. Blood. Their fingers
grip my arms like steel traps as they peel me off the cement. The tops of my
shoes scrape along the ground as I’m dragged behind them until they discard me
into the back of a black vehicle. The doors slam in unison with one guard
stationed on each side of me, my shoulders digging into their arms.
Swallowing hard, I
stare ahead to avoid their eyes. My dignity is all I have left. The handcuffs
dig into my wrists, so I clasp them together hard behind me and press my back
into the seat, unwilling to admit how much it hurts.
Did they need so many guards to capture me?
I’m not carrying any weapons, nor do I own
any. I don’t even know self-defense. High Society frowns on activities like
that.
The driver jerks
the vehicle around and I try to keep my bearings, but it’s dark and the scenery
changes too fast. Hours pass, and the air grows warmer, more humid the farther
we drive. The landscape mutates from city to rolling hills. They don’t bother
blindfolding me because they escort all the sinners to the same place—the Hole.
Twenty-foot cement walls encase the chaos within. There’s no way out and no way
in unless they transport you. They say the Hole is a prison with no rules. We
learned about it last year in twelfth grade.
To the outside,
I’m filth now. I’ll never be allowed to return to the life I knew. No one ever
does.
“All sinners go
through a transformation,” one of the guards says to me. His smirk infuriates
me. “I’m sure you’ve heard all kinds of stories.” I don’t respond. I don’t want
to think about the things I’ve been told.
“You won’t last
too long, though. Young girls like you get eaten alive.” He pulls a strand of
my hair up to his face.
Get your hands off me, you pig. I want
to lash out, but resist. The punishment for disobeying authority is severe, and
I’m not positioned to defy him.
They’re
the Guards of the Commander. They’re chosen from a young age and trained in
combat. They keep the order of society by using violent methods of
intimidation. No one befriends a guard. Relationships with them are forbidden
inside the Hole.
Few have seen the
commander. His identity stays under lock and key. His own paranoia and desire
to stay pure drove him to live this way. He controls our depraved society and
believes sinners make the human race unforgivable. His power is a crushing
fist, rendering all beneath him helpless. So much so, even family members turn
on each other when an accusation surfaces. Just an accusation. No trial, no
evidence, nothing but an accusation.
I lose myself in
thoughts of my father.
“Never show fear,
Lexi,” my father said to me before he was taken. “They’ll use it against you.”
His compassionate eyes filled with warning as he commanded me to be strong.
That was many years ago, but I remember it clearly. My father. My rock. The one
person in my life who provided unconditional love.
“Get out,” the
guard says while pulling me to my feet. The vehicle stops, and I’m jerked back
to reality. The doors slide open and the two guards lift me up and out into the
night. A windowless cement building looms in front of us, looking barren in the
darkness.
The
coolness of the air sends a shiver up my spine. This is really happening. I’ve
been labeled a sinner. My lip starts to quiver, but I bite it before anyone
sees. They shove me in line, and I realize I’m not alone. Women and men stand
with faces frozen white with fear. A guard grabs my finger, pricks it, and dabs
my blood on a tiny microchip.
I follow the man in front of me into the next
room where we’re lined up facing the wall. Glancing right, I see one of the men
crying.
“Spread your legs,”
one of the guards says.
They remove my
outer layers and their hands roam up and down my body.
What do they
think I can possibly be hiding? I press my head into the wall, trying to
block out what they’re doing to me.
“MOVE!” a guard
commands. So I shuffle across the room, trying to cover up.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five of us sit in
the holding room. One by one, they pull people into the next room, forcing the
rest of us to wonder what torture we’ll endure. An agonizing amount of time
passes. I lean my head back and try to imagine a place far away. The door
opens.
“Lexi Hamilton.”
A
guard escorts me out of the room, and I don’t have time to look back. As soon
as the door closes, they pick me up and place me on a table. It’s cold and my
skin sticks to it slightly, like wet fingers on an ice cube. Then they exit in
procession, and I lie on the table with a doctor standing over me. His hands
are busy as he speaks.
“Don’t move. This will only take a few minutes. It’s time for you to be
branded.”
A wet cloth that smells like rubbing alcohol is used to clean my skin.
Then he places a metal collar around my neck.
Click. Click. Click.
The collar locks into place, and I struggle to breathe. The doctor
loosens it some as I focus on the painted black words above me.
The Seven Deadly Sins:
Lust
¾
Blue
Gluttony
¾
Orange
Greed
¾
Yellow
Sloth
¾
Black
Wrath
¾
Red
Envy
¾
Green
Pride
¾
Purple
“Memorize it. Might keep you alive longer if
you know who to stay away from.” He opens my mouth, placing a bit inside. “Bite
this.”
Within seconds,
the collar heats from hot to scorching. The smell of flesh sizzling makes my
head spin. I bite down so hard a tooth cracks.
“GRRRRRRRRR,”
escapes from deep within my chest. Just when I’m about to pass out, the
temperature drops, and the doctor loosens the collar.
He removes it and
sits me up. Excruciating pain rips through me, and I’m on the verge of a mental
and physical breakdown. Focus. Don’t pass out.
Stainless steel
counters and boring white walls press in on me. A guard laughs at me from an
observation room above and yells, “Blue. It’s a great color for a pretty young
thing like yourself.” His eyes dance with suggestion. The others meander around
like it’s business as usual.
I finally find my
voice and turn to the doctor.
“Are you going to
give me clothes?” A burning pain spreads like fire up from my neck to my jaw,
making me wince.
He points to a set
of folded grey scrubs on a chair. I cover myself as much as I can and
scurry sideways. Grabbing my clothes and pulling the shirt over my head, I try
to avoid the raw meat around my throat. I quickly knot the cord of my pants
around my waist and slide my feet into the hospital-issue slippers as the
doctor observes. He hands me a bag labeled with my name.
“Nothing is
allowed through the door but what we’ve given you,” he says.
I hide my right
hand behind me, hoping no one notices. A guard scans my body and opens his
hand.
“Give it to me,”
he says. “Don’t make me rip off your finger.” He crouches down and I turn to
stone. I don’t know what to do, so I beg.
“My father gave this to me. Please, let me
keep it.” I smash my eyes shut and think of the moment my father handed the
golden ring to me.
“It was my
mother’s ring,” he’d said. “She’s the strongest woman I ever knew.” With tears
in his eyes, he reached for my hand and said, “Lexi, you’re exactly like her.
She’d want you to wear this. No matter how this world changes, you can
survive.” I turned the gold band over in my palm and read the engraving.
You can overcome anything… short of death.
“You’re going to take the one thing that
matters the most to me?” I say, glaring into the guard’s emotionless eyes. “Isn’t
it enough taking my life, dignity, and respect?”
A hard blow falls
upon my back. As I fall, my hands shoot out to stop me from smashing into the
wall in front of me. The guard bends down and grabs my chin with his meaty
fist.
“Look at me,” he
commands.I look up and he
smiles with arrogance.
“What the hell?”
He staggers a step backward. “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with your
eyes?”
“Nothing,” I
respond, confused.
“What color are
they?”
“Turquoise.” I
glower at him.
“Interesting,” he
says, regaining his composure. “Now those’ll get you in trouble.”
Reality slaps me
across the face. I have my father’s eyes. They can't take them from me. I twist
the ring off my finger and drop it in his hand.
“Take the damn
ring,” I say. I walk to the door. He swipes a card and the massive door slides
open to the outside.
“You have to wear
your hair back at all times, so everyone knows what you are.” He hands me a
tie, so I pull my frizzy hair away from my face and secure it into a ponytail.
My neck burns and itches as my hand traces the scabs that have already begun to
form. Squinting ahead in the darkness, I almost run into a guard standing on
the sidewalk.
“Watch where you’re going,” he says, shoving
me backward. His stiff figure stands tall and I cringe at the sharpness of his
voice.
“Cole, this is
your new assignment, Lexi Hamilton. See to it she feels welcome in her new
home.” The guard departs with a salute.
“Let’s move,” Cole
says.
I take two steps
and collapse, my knees giving out. The unforgiving pavement reopens the scrapes
from earlier and I struggle to stand. A powerful arm snatches me up, and I see
his face for the first time.
Author Bios:
Abi Ketner Is a
registered nurse with a passion for novels, the beaches of St. John, and her Philadelphia Phillies.
A talented singer, Abi loves to go running and spend lots of time with her
family. She currently resides in Lancaster,
Pennsylvania with her husband,
triplet daughters and two very spoiled dogs.
Melissa Kalicicki received her bachelor’s degree from MillersvilleUniversity
in 2003. She married, had two boys and currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Aside from reading and writing, her interests include running and mixed martial
arts. She also remains an avid Cleveland
sports fan.
Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been
best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to
their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging
out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What
started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.
To Anna, horses were more than a fascination, they
were everything. Luckily, she had the opportunity to spend every summer on her
grandmother's horse ranch in Colorado. Life was perfect, until she received the
devastating news that her grandmother had been tragically killed. Anna knew she
was the only member of her family who could take over the ranch and hopefully
find new homes for her grandmother's beloved Arabians.
Anna wasn't alone for long. Her grandmother had hired a local teenage boy to
help tend the horses for the summer. Anna didn't stand a chance against Cody's
quiet charm and the two rapidly become friends. However, even with the
responsibilities of the ranch, Anna quickly discovers the secrets her
grandmother had been hiding and a legacy that sends her on an adventure she
never thought possible. An adventure in the saddle of a horse that wasn't a
horse at all. Sabaska, her grandmother's favorite Arabian, was a Traveler; a
magical being that could travel between worlds. With Anna at the reins, they
find themselves trapped in a fight against evil with the highest of stakes…
Their very survival.
Reviews:
Once again,
Campbell lures us into a fantastical world in which animals remind us what it
means to be human.
So this novel’s
due to be released July 15th and I’m rapt to have been able to read it before
then and offer a review for potential buyers! Now I haven’t really read
fantasy/adventure novels before, so I’m glad such a unique horse filled tale
was the first offered to me to read in this genre!
Campbell writes
the tale of Sabaska, a bay Arabian mare who has a little more to offer than one
would usually expect from an equine. Caught in a battle against good and evil,
Sabaska is a Traveler, an intelligent being in the body of a horse.
The Travelers
have partnered with humans to fight against an evil source that is seeking to destroy
worlds.
After the event
of her grandmother’s death, 16 year old Anna is devastated at the idea that her
grandmother’s beloved horses may be sold off to random people. Determined to
find them good homes, she puts forward an argument to her parents that she can
spend the summer advertising and looking after the horses.
This starts Anna
on an incredible journey of discovering why her grandmother loved her bay
Arabian mare Sabaska so much.
Anna finds
herself unintentionally caught up in the battle that was being fought well
before she was born.
Sabaska’s Tale
is an imaginative and entertaining read that looks at horses from a different
angle. Although they are mythical creatures, the author’s horse knowledge is
factual and put to good use in describing events that occur.
The book has
some mild language and fighting scenes feature in it, but otherwise is friendly
to the younger reader and will no doubt be enjoyed for its story line. When it
comes out July 15, why not grab a copy?
Excerpt:
Footsteps came down the hall toward her grandma’s
bedroom. Anna’s hands shook. They would have heard her footsteps if the carpet
hadn’t muffled them. She crept away from the door and slipped into the
bathroom. A small window with frosted panes opened on the roof. Though she had
thought it odd at the time, her grandma had shown her an escape route. “Anna,
in case there is a fire and you can’t get out the door, you can go out through
this window. Come on, follow me. It’s safe.”
She set the shotgun down across the sink and climbed on the toilet and slid the
window open. The bright moon clearly lit her path. She climbed into the warm,
dry air and reached back for her gun. Just to be sure, she shut the window
behind her, and then noticed a curious thing. It locked from outside.
What had Grandma been involved with?
Anna latched the window and crouched, holding the shotgun to her chest. It was
one thing to follow her grandma onto the roof in broad daylight, it was quite
another to escape intruders in the middle of the night. The light from the moon
didn’t seem so bright now. Shadows danced everywhere. She wished the shotgun
had a sling. She considered staying hidden by the window. They wouldn’t get
through the window without breaking it.
One of the horses screamed. Anna’s blood ran cold, but it broke her out of her
crouch. Before she could think better of it, she crawled across the roof, being
sure to stay in the shadows. The shingles scraped her knuckles where she
clutched the gun. They weren’t doing her jeans or her knees any favors either.
“Damn it.” The harsh whisper echoed in the night.
Anna flattened herself against the roof, heart trying to climb out of her
chest. The next muttered curse might have come from the barn. Yet she heard
both so clearly, they could have been right beside her. It must have been a
trick of the night air. Anna clenched her lips tight, smothering a whimper and
started crawling again. At the trellis, she paused, trying to decide what to do
next.
“Maybe the Traveler is gone, M’lord,” a man said underneath her.
“It won’t leave the girl.” The second man spoke. She knew that voice. Blue
shirts and mean sports cars flashed through her brain.
“The girl isn’t here,” another man said.
“She’s here.” He sounded very confident. “Just be ready to track them if they
get a chance to run.”
The men faded out of hearing range. You have to get off this roof! She tried to get herself to move, knowing
she wouldn’t get a better chance.
A quiet, encouraging nicker caught Anna’s attention and a dark shape in a clump
of evergreens moved slightly. The faint outline of horse dissolved into the
shadows. What the hell?
With no time to figure it out, she carefully scooted to the edge of the roof
and climbed down onto the reinforced trellis. It was awkward with one hand
occupied by the shotgun but the shadows hid hid the trellis from view and the
foot and handholds were predictable. The faint scent of crushed leaves tickled
her nose and she fought a sneeze. That would be just perfect; reaching the
bottom without falling only to have a sneeze give her away. She made it, though
she breathed hard and her limbs shook–only partially from exertion. Okay, now what?
The dark shape moved again. If she could get to the horse maybe she could get
away. Horses could go a lot of places trucks couldn’t. Maybe she could find a
way to call the police. Of course she left her cell phone behind, but Sherrie’s
neighbors were far enough away to be safe and would let her use their phone.
Anna checked for the intruders. Nothing moved so she darted across the open ground
and into the bush. She hoped her sudden appearance didn’t startle the horse
into making noise. The horse stayed silent, bumping her head against Anna’s arm
in a reassuring manner. Sabaska, of course.
Why would the horse hide in a clump of trees waiting for her to climb off a
roof? Sabaska turned to let her climb on her back. She leaned the shotgun
against a tree and scrambled ungracefully onto the horse. Sabaska edged closer
to the gun without being asked and Anna picked it up, not sure how to carry it,
ride bareback and direct her horse, but Sabaska didn’t seem to care. Anna got
settled and grabbed a hold of the horse’s mane while cradling the gun
awkwardly.
“M’lord,” one of the men called more loudly.
Sabaska snorted, tossed her head, and started moving, slowly at first, and then
her muscles bunched.
“No,” Anna whispered.
The horse ignored her and she held on, stifling scream as the little horse
burst from the trees into a dead gallop.
“M’lord! There!”
“Catch them before they Travel!”
She clung to Sabaska’s back as the horse galloped toward a fence. Needing both
hands to stay astride, she tossed the shotgun to the ground and held on. Anna
screamed as Sabaska leapt the fence. In the air, she came off Sabaska’s back,
but the little horse landed underneath her and did a funny jig to keep Anna
from falling.
The men shouted behind her, but as Sabaska ran, the air grew muffled and dense
and the voices faded. Anna thought she might be passing out and clutched the
horse tighter. Sabaska slowed and trees scraped against her legs and arms.
Leafy trees.
Cold frosted her breath and she started to shake. No deciduous forest
surrounded her Grandma’s property and though it could get cold in the summer in
Colorado, there wasn’t usually snow on the ground. Overwhelmed, she stopped
thinking and clung to Sabaska’s back while the little horse pushed through the
trees. Anna hoped she knew where she was going. The numb, suffocating feeling
came and went several times that night. Anna thought she saw the sun high in
the sky a few times, but when Sabaska finally did stop, the sky had just begun
to lighten. Incomprehensible trees surrounded them. She blinked at the red blur
of leaves and smooth silver bark and then passed out. In her dreams, an unseen
entity chased her until a distant voice woke her.
“Sabaska! What are you doing?”
Her horse snorted and though Anna wanted to sit up, exhaustion sent her back to
sleep.
Teaser :
“Well…” She hadn’t
considered riding Sabaska. Her grandma never mentioned it as a possibility and
it stuck in her head that this was Grandma’s horse and no one else rode her.
But Grandma was gone and
Anna needed to ride her at least once to determine what to say to buyers.
“Okay. Sure.”
Sabaska tossed her head
happily and whinnied before heading to the barn.
Anna stared after her,
dumbfounded.
“Right. That’s weird.”
Quotes:
1.
“Are we in a labyrinth?”
2.
“Not bad, girlie,” the ghost said. “Not bad at all.
Personally, I thought it would be a waste of my sleeping dust. Figured you’d
die, but since you didn’t, well done. By the by, my name is David.”
3.
“I will get what I want, and there is nowhere you
can Travel with that horse that I won’t find you.” His voice turned low,
icy, and dangerous.
Author
Bio:
J.A.
Campbell
Julie has been many things over the last few years,
from college student, to bookstore clerk and an over the road trucker. She’s
worked as a 911 dispatcher and in computer tech support, but through it all
she’s been a writer and when she’s not out riding horses, she can usually be
found sitting in front of her computer. She lives in Colorado with her three
cats, her vampire-hunting dog Kira, her new horse and Traveler-in training,
Triska, and her Irish Sailor. She is the author of many Vampire and
Ghost-Hunting Dog stories and the young adult urban fantasy series The
Clanless.
The Land of the Fae is strong with all four courts banded as
one, but uncertainty still remains as they all work together to end the dark
sorcerer’s evil reign. Sorcha—the one and only Winter Court princess—has a
secret, a secret that she has enjoyed keeping for the past six months. When a
much awaited announcement brings her to the Spring Court, and face to face with
the man in her dreams, will she be strong enough to keep up the façade of her
icy exterior, or will she melt into his arms like she does in her dreams?
After formally meeting Sorcha at the Winter Ball, Drake—Summer Court prince and
army leader—knew there was a fiery passion underneath her winter skin, a
passion he wanted desperately to ignite with his own. However, with her frigid
responses toward him he’s decided to keep his distance, except how can he when
his dreams feel real? Seeing her again only ignites his interest, and this time
he’s not going to let his arrogance or her frosty heart stand in his way.
Through unexpected tragedy, Sorcha discovers the one thing the dark sorcerer has
spent his whole existence trying to protect, but what makes it more difficult
is that only one of the Four is strong enough to retrieve it. The tides have
now changed. With Drake’s help, will Sorcha find what she’s searching for? Or
will the dark sorcerer beat them to it, shattering all hope of finding out the
one thing that could save the Land of the Fae … how to destroy him?
Author Bio:
I am an avid reader that loves
my collection of books. Writing has always been a passion of mine and now I am
glad that I get to share my passion with the world. I live in North Carolina and I absolutely love being a
southern girl. I spent several years in college starting out with a major in
Psychology and then switching to dental. I worked in the dental field for eight
years and then decided to stay home with my two beautiful girls. I spent the
beginning of my reading years reading suspense thrillers, but now I can't get
away from the paranormal/fantasy books. I knew ever since then that if I wrote
anything it would be in a paranormal aspect. Now that I have started on my
passion and began writing, you will not see me go anywhere without a notebook
and pen.
My heart began
its erratic beating again, and when I slowly turned around to face Alston, I
was astounded to see that it wasn’t him standing there, but someone else. The
man before me was not only lethal and sexy, but he happened to be the Summer
Court prince, Drake. His bright, red hair reminded me of the sun on a hot
summer day, or better yet, the fire of the dragon inside of him, but I didn’t
let his charm sway me. His smoky, gray eyes bore into mine, and when he noticed
I didn’t melt under his gaze, he tilted his lip up in an arrogant smirk,
clearly amused. Cocky bastard.
“Good evening,
Princess Sorcha. I don’t think we’ve actually been formally introduced,” he
expressed regally, bowing slightly. “I’m Drake.”
“I know who
you are,” I replied blandly. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”
He beamed.
“Good things, I hope.”
“Not really,”
I teased dryly.
Indeed, I’d
heard many things about him. He was an arrogant ass that liked to show off his
skills anytime he could, not to mention he probably had a million Summer fae
women lined up to enjoy him in his bed. I didn’t know that for certain, but I
could only imagine. His life was very secret when it came to women, so needless
to say, it drew many speculations. He was ridiculously good-looking, and the
longer he was in front of me the more I felt a pull to fall into his arms. What
the hell was wrong with me?
Laughing, he
tilted his head and held out his hand. “How about we dance, and you can tell me
all about what you heard. I guarantee most of it isn’t true.”
I glared at
his hand, and then back up to his face, contemplating on if I should accept.
Before I could take his hand, Alston pushed his way between us, anger emanating
off of him in strong waves. “How about you find someone else? Sorcha is with
me. I’m sure you’ll find another Winter fae that would be happy to cool your
bed.”
For a second,
I stood there frozen and speechless. In a way, I wanted to see what Drake would
do, but I also didn’t want to see them fight. It would cause unwanted problems
that we didn’t need. Slow and with determination, Drake took a step closer to
Alston, standing almost nose to nose with him. “So … she’s with you, huh?”
“That’s
right,” Alston growled.
A wolfish grin
spread across Drake’s face. He raked his heated gaze down my body quickly,
before laying his deadly gray eyes back on Alston. “Keep telling yourself
that,” he retorted back.
Alston
clenched his fists, ready to strike, when Drake gracefully backed up and bowed
his head slightly at me, never swaying his eyes from mine. “Maybe next time,
Princess Sorcha,” he murmured to me, his voice low and seductive.
Out of all my
years of always having something witty or smart ass comeback to throw out, that
moment was one of the times I couldn’t form words. Alston snaked his arm around
my waist, pulling me close, and for that second in time I didn’t care. Nothing
existed except me and Drake as he backed up slowly, both of our gazes never
wavering from each other’s. He winked at me before leaving the ballroom, and
once he was out of sight, everything immediately returned to normal. My heart
beat normally while everyone came back into focus, and that meant Alston and
Sarette’s angry glares.
I knew then
that everything was going to change after that night. Drake had captured my
attention, and I was determined to find out more.
