#SS Assassin's Curse - FREE today only

Here's a sample from our new book, "Assassin's Curse, Book 1 in the Witch Stone Prophecy." As an added bonus, the book is FREE today only. What do an assassin's guild, a witches coven and 2 twin girls have in common? Check out our book and find out. Enjoy!

The Prophecy of the Witch Stone

From the line of power twice born

To the power born twice

Shall arise the seekers of the Stone.

Look for the sign of the witch in two joined

For they shall be the saviors

Who shall grasp the power from darkness

And bring it into the light

For when the flower blossoms

Then will be the time

For their powers shall be twined within a single aspect

And stand balanced on the sword’s edge of good and evil.

False guidance shall lead to the path of doom

And will spell destruction of all

                                                That they were brought about to save.

***

Mave saw the boy look his way and inwardly smiled.  He knew the boy was scared, and rightly so.  It was not chance that brought him here today, but a carefully orchestrated scheme to make sure he tested the boy.  He felt Jeda was no more than a third-year upstart who did not deserve the opportunity to test for apprenticeship.  Most novices trained for five or six years before petitioning to test.  Mave was going to make sure that the boy did not pass.  That was as it should be, for it was Mave who had brought Jeda to the guild in the first place.  He should be the one to put the boy in his place and teach him humility.

Jeda finally reached up and took a pair of fighting knives off the wall.

Mave shook his head at the boy’s choice.  I knew it.  The boy may know how to fight, but he knows nothing of winning.

“Begin,” said the dispassionate voice of the master-in-attendance judging the test.

Mave strode forward, closing the distance and eliminating the only advantage knives would give the boy.  Without the distance to throw them, they were completely useless against swords. 

The boy stood stock-still, visibly trembling as Mave approached.  His frozen fear was pathetic and almost embarrassing.  Mave would cut him slightly with his first blade and knock him out with the handle of his second, putting a quick end to this charade of a test.  Twirling his swords in a deadly dance, Mave felt no sympathy for the boy.  Today’s failure would set Jeda back at least a year and give him more time to learn proper respect and modesty, traits Mave felt he was sorely lacking. 

The young fool doesn’t know what he’s in for.   

As Mave swung the first blade to catch the boy across the cheek, something unexpected happened.  Jeda dove forward, under the first blade, and whipped one of his knives at Mave’s exposed side.  Mave deflected the throw with his second sword.  If he had not been such an excellent swordsman, the throw would have a scored a hit.

Maybe not quite the fool I took him for.  Mave spun around swinging the sword in a deadly arc to face the boy as Jeda jumped to his feet.  The swing cut the boy high on the arm and he cried out in shock and pain.  The cut was deep and bleeding heavily, rendering the arm useless.  The boy went down on one knee, but Mave moved cautiously forward.  He would not be caught off-guard a second time by the boy’s cleverness.  When Mave came within a sword’s reach of him, the boy jumped forward into a diving roll and threw his second, remaining knife.  Mave anticipated the move and easily deflected the throw, shaking his head at the boy’s stupidity in throwing away his last means of defense.  As he turned to face Jeda, he realized his mistake.  He felt a blade slice through his trousers, burning and drawing a bright-crimson line along his leg.  Jeda had used the second throw to distract Mave from his true objective: the first blade that Mave had deflected.  The boy had used his diving roll to reach that first blade, left forgotten on the floor.  

How did he get that knife so quickly and throw it so precisely? Mave wondered, looking down at his bleeding leg.     

“Enough.  Blood has been drawn by Novice Jeda,” said the master’s voice from the balcony.  “He is elevated to the rank of apprentice.”

Mave studied Jeda with a smoldering anger.  He was a good fifteen feet away and was wobbling on his feet from loss of blood.  It didn’t seem possible that he could have thrown that knife in his condition.  Mave knew the boy must have somehow cheated. 

This is not over; no one makes a fool of me.

Amazon link: FYI, if you are an Amazon PRIME MEMBER, you can borrow the book for FREE anytime.

http://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Curse-Witch-Prophecy-ebook/dp/B006T3HN2A

#SS Regency Romance LOVE BY SECRETS by Debra Elizabeth

Book Blurb
Eighteen-year-old Emily Richardson is excited to attend this season's society balls and begin her search for a husband. She is thrilled when the dashing and handsome Connor Preston begins to show her more attention. After each ball, Emily finds a love note in her drawstring reticule, and she expects a marriage proposal from Connor any day.

When her father objects and forces Emily to accept the proposal from Lady Tisbury's shy nephew, Ethan Richardson instead, her heart is broken. How can she love her new husband when her heart belongs to the man who wrote her such beautiful love letters?

Love by Secrets is a novella of ~19,500 words (80 pages)


LOVE BY SECRETS, .99
AMAZON:  http://www.amazon.com/Love-Secrets-Regency-Romance-ebook/dp/B005XMZ0NM

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-by-secrets-debra-elizabeth/1106798037


Reviewers Comments:
"As a fan of the incredible Jane Austen ... this novella was a real treat for me to read. The author does a wonderful job with descriptions, such as when she describes Emily's first ball as a kaleidoscope of colors as the couples dance the night away." Amy Lignor

"Love by Secrets is a sweet, bite-size love story. ... I really liked the time period the book was set in. It reminded me of Pride & Prejudice in that regard." Jackie Miller

Excerpt:
Chapter 2

Emily placed her hand on her father’s arm. With her mother on his other side, they entered the ballroom together. 

Candles lit up the room. There was a dazzling, oversized, crystal chandelier in the center of the ballroom, and a dozen wall sconces scattered around the room. Musicians played a lovely tune. Couples danced in the center of the ballroom, and the swirl of silk dresses was like one of Sir David Brewster’s kaleidoscopes; dazzling the eyes with color.

“Oh, Papa, it’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” Emily whispered.

Mr. Stanton patted his daughter’s hand. “Indeed it is.”

Before they had gotten too far into the room, they ran into Miss Mia Gardner standing at the edge of the dance floor.

“Good evening, Miss Gardner,” Mr. Stanton said.

Mia curtsied. “Good evening, Mr. Stanton, Mrs. Stanton.” She turned to her best friend. “Emily, I’m so glad you’re finally here.”

“Did I miss anything?”

Mia whispered in her ear.

Emily giggled. She let go of her father’s arm. “Papa, may I take your leave?”

Mr. Stanton nodded. “Of course, Emily. Miss Gardner, a pleasure to see you this evening.” He bowed to the young woman.

Mia curtsied. “Thank you, Mr. Stanton.”

The two young women hurried over to the nearest alcove to confer in private, and away from prying eyes.

“Let me see it,” Emily demanded.

Mia held out her dance card for her friend’s inspection. Neatly scribbled were the names of six young men: the handsome Mr. Connor Preston being the first name, and the reserved Mr. Charles Giles rounding out her dance partners. “Can you believe it? Mr. Preston wants to dance with me?”

“Of course he does. Why wouldn’t he? You look beautiful tonight,” Emily said.

Mia gave her friend a sad smile. She was not a beauty, but had a sweet disposition. She was from a good family; not wealthy, but comfortable on 2,000 pounds per annum. With four children, however, there was hardly any extra to go around. Nineteen-year-old Mia had already been through one season without a marriage proposal. Would she land a husband this season? Or would she wait season after season for that elusive marriage proposal?

“Thank you, Emily. You are a dear friend to say such sweet things.”

Compared to her friend, there was no doubt that Emily would have her pick of suitors. She was the prettiest girl in the room

Emily grasped Mia’s hand. “I know you’ll find someone this season.”

The two young women were huddled together on the bench. They did not notice Lady Tisbury approaching, with two gentlemen in her wake, until their shadows fell over them.

“Good evening, Miss Gardner, Miss Stanton,” Lady Tisbury said.

Both Mia and Emily looked up, and immediately stood.

“Lady Tisbury, a pleasure to see you again,” Mia said as she curtsied.

“Good evening, Lady Tisbury,” Emily said. “Thank you for your kind invitation to attend this evening.” She curtsied.

“It is my pleasure. I would like to present Mr. Connor Preston and Mr. Ethan Richardson.”

The young women curtsied to the gentlemen.

Lady Tisbury swept her arm out toward Mia. “Gentlemen, you both are acquainted with Miss Mia Gardner. She has been a frequent guest of mine.”

Lady Tisbury nodded in Emily’s direction. “Gentlemen, this is Miss Emily Stanton.”

Both Connor and Ethan bowed, first to Mia and then to Emily. “Miss Gardner. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stanton,” they said in unison.

Emily watched them both. Connor had black hair, neatly trimmed at his shirt collar, and intense, blue eyes. He looked dashing in his smartly cut jacket. Ethan had blond hair and deep-brown eyes. He wore a serious countenance, and seemed rather dull next to his gregarious friend.

“Lady Tisbury, thank you for your kind introduction to Miss Stanton,” Ethan said.

Lady Tisbury nodded. “I’ll leave you now. She leaned toward her nephew, Ethan, and whispered, “Please speak with me later. It is Colby again.”

Ethan bowed. “Yes, of course, Lady Tisbury.”

When Lady Tisbury had departed, Connor turned his attention to Mia. “Miss Gardner, may I have that dance now?”

“Yes, uh, of course, Mr. Preston,” Mia stammered, suddenly flustered by the handsome, young man.

“Miss Stanton, may I sign your dance card?” Ethan asked.

Emily took her dance card out of her reticule, and handed it to Ethan. “Thank you, Mr. Richardson. I would enjoy that.”

Ethan signed the card. Before he could give it back to Emily, Connor reached for it.

“My turn,” Conner said, with a twinkle in his eye. He signed the dance card, and handed it back to her. He turned his attention back to Mia and offered his arm. “Shall we, Miss Gardner?”

Mia took Connor’s offered arm, and he led her out to the dance floor.

“Would you care to dance, Miss Stanton?” Ethan asked.

“I would love to.” Emily took his arm, and they proceeded to the dance floor. They stood opposite Connor and Mia, waiting for the couples to line up for the quadrille dance. The dance was announced, and the music started. The women curtsied, and the men bowed.

Emily met Ethan’s hand, and they circled one another. “Don’t you just love to dance Mr. Richardson?” she asked.

Ethan looked up into Emily’s blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but he did not have a chance to answer her question before they parted once again.

The dance continued. Emily and Mia crossed paths. Emily was now paired with Connor. He winked at her and her eyes widened in surprise. When their hands met, a shiver of delight went down her spine. By the time the dance ended, Emily wanted nothing more than to dance again with the handsome Mr. Preston.

The men bowed to the ladies, and Mia and Emily turned to leave the floor.

Connor held his arm out to Emily. “Miss Stanton, I believe you owe me a dance. Shall we partake in the next dance as well?”

“Thank you, Mr. Preston; I would be delighted,” Emily said.

Ethan stepped next to Mia, and he escorted her off the dance floor.

For the rest of the evening, Emily thought about the dashing Mr. Preston. He was charming and witty, and she floated around the dance floor with a smile that lit up her beautiful face.

***

“Oh, Nesmith, you should have seen the room. It was so beautiful. Mia and I danced almost every dance.”

“Whom did you dance with?” Nesmith helped Emily out of her dress.

“With almost every gentleman in the room; but I danced twice with Mr. Connor Preston,” Emily said. “He’s so handsome. I think he likes me.”

“Did he say so?”

“No; but he winked at me, and we danced two dances together.”

“Miss Emily, don’t get your hopes up. Men love dancing with pretty girls. When he comes to see your father, then you’ll know he’s serious.”

“Oh, Nesmith, don’t be harsh. You weren’t there. I just know he likes me.”

“If you say so,” Nesmith said, a frown creasing her face. The older woman combed out Emily’s hair and helped her into her nightgown. “Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you Nesmith.”

“Good night, Miss Emily.” Nesmith left the room, and hurried down the hall to attend to Mrs. Stanton.

Emily grabbed her evening reticule. She brought the candle over to the bed, and set it down on the table. She climbed up into bed, snuggling into the soft, feather pillows. She pulled her dance card out to look at Connor’s name again, and a slip of paper fell out. “What’s this?”

She unfolded the note. Her eyes widened as she read it.

I have eyes for only one

In the sea of colorful silks

With eyes of blue

And a smile that

Gladdens my heart

You are my Bright Star

“A love letter. Oh, Mr. Preston; I knew you liked me.” Emily hugged the slip of paper to her breast.


LOVE BY SECRETS, .99
AMAZON:  http://www.amazon.com/Love-Secrets-Regency-Romance-ebook/dp/B005XMZ0NM

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-by-secrets-debra-elizabeth/1106798037

#SS Regency Romance, LOVE BY SECRETS

Reviewers Comments:
"As a fan of the incredible Jane Austen ... this novella was a real treat for me to read. The author does a wonderful job with descriptions, such as when she describes Emily's first ball as a kaleidoscope of colors as the couples dance the night away." Amy Lignor


"Love by Secrets is a sweet, bite-size love story. ... I really liked the time period the book was set in. It reminded me of Pride & Prejudice in that regard." Jackie Miller


Excerpt:

Chapter 2

Emily placed her hand on her father’s arm. With her mother on his other side, they entered the ballroom together. 

Candles lit up the room. There was a dazzling, oversized, crystal chandelier in the center of the ballroom, and a dozen wall sconces scattered around the room. Musicians played a lovely tune. Couples danced in the center of the ballroom, and the swirl of silk dresses was like one of Sir David Brewster’s kaleidoscopes; dazzling the eyes with color.

“Oh, Papa, it’s so beautiful, isn’t it?” Emily whispered.

Mr. Stanton patted his daughter’s hand. “Indeed it is.”

Before they had gotten too far into the room, they ran into Miss Mia Gardner standing at the edge of the dance floor.

“Good evening, Miss Gardner,” Mr. Stanton said.

Mia curtsied. “Good evening, Mr. Stanton, Mrs. Stanton.” She turned to her best friend. “Emily, I’m so glad you’re finally here.”

“Did I miss anything?”

Mia whispered in her ear.

Emily giggled. She let go of her father’s arm. “Papa, may I take your leave?”

Mr. Stanton nodded. “Of course, Emily. Miss Gardner, a pleasure to see you this evening.” He bowed to the young woman.

Mia curtsied. “Thank you, Mr. Stanton.”

The two young women hurried over to the nearest alcove to confer in private, and away from prying eyes.

“Let me see it,” Emily demanded.

Mia held out her dance card for her friend’s inspection. Neatly scribbled were the names of six young men: the handsome Mr. Connor Preston being the first name, and the reserved Mr. Charles Giles rounding out her dance partners. “Can you believe it? Mr. Preston wants to dance with me?”

“Of course he does. Why wouldn’t he? You look beautiful tonight,” Emily said.

Mia gave her friend a sad smile. She was not a beauty, but had a sweet disposition. She was from a good family; not wealthy, but comfortable on 2,000 pounds per annum. With four children, however, there was hardly any extra to go around. Nineteen-year-old Mia had already been through one season without a marriage proposal. Would she land a husband this season? Or would she wait season after season for that elusive marriage proposal?

“Thank you, Emily. You are a dear friend to say such sweet things.”

Compared to her friend, there was no doubt that Emily would have her pick of suitors. She was the prettiest girl in the room

Emily grasped Mia’s hand. “I know you’ll find someone this season.”

The two young women were huddled together on the bench. They did not notice Lady Tisbury approaching, with two gentlemen in her wake, until their shadows fell over them.

“Good evening, Miss Gardner, Miss Stanton,” Lady Tisbury said.

Both Mia and Emily looked up, and immediately stood.

“Lady Tisbury, a pleasure to see you again,” Mia said as she curtsied.

“Good evening, Lady Tisbury,” Emily said. “Thank you for your kind invitation to attend this evening.” She curtsied.

“It is my pleasure. I would like to present Mr. Connor Preston and Mr. Ethan Richardson.”

The young women curtsied to the gentlemen.

Lady Tisbury swept her arm out toward Mia. “Gentlemen, you both are acquainted with Miss Mia Gardner. She has been a frequent guest of mine.”

Lady Tisbury nodded in Emily’s direction. “Gentlemen, this is Miss Emily Stanton.”

Both Connor and Ethan bowed, first to Mia and then to Emily. “Miss Gardner. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stanton,” they said in unison.

Emily watched them both. Connor had black hair, neatly trimmed at his shirt collar, and intense, blue eyes. He looked dashing in his smartly cut jacket. Ethan had blond hair and deep-brown eyes. He wore a serious countenance, and seemed rather dull next to his gregarious friend.

“Lady Tisbury, thank you for your kind introduction to Miss Stanton,” Ethan said.

Lady Tisbury nodded. “I’ll leave you now. She leaned toward her nephew, Ethan, and whispered, “Please speak with me later. It is Colby again.”

Ethan bowed. “Yes, of course, Lady Tisbury.”

When Lady Tisbury had departed, Connor turned his attention to Mia. “Miss Gardner, may I have that dance now?”

“Yes, uh, of course, Mr. Preston,” Mia stammered, suddenly flustered by the handsome, young man.

“Miss Stanton, may I sign your dance card?” Ethan asked.

Emily took her dance card out of her reticule, and handed it to Ethan. “Thank you, Mr. Richardson. I would enjoy that.”

Ethan signed the card. Before he could give it back to Emily, Connor reached for it.

“My turn,” Conner said, with a twinkle in his eye. He signed the dance card, and handed it back to her. He turned his attention back to Mia and offered his arm. “Shall we, Miss Gardner?”

Mia took Connor’s offered arm, and he led her out to the dance floor.

“Would you care to dance, Miss Stanton?” Ethan asked.

“I would love to.” Emily took his arm, and they proceeded to the dance floor. They stood opposite Connor and Mia, waiting for the couples to line up for the quadrille dance. The dance was announced, and the music started. The women curtsied, and the men bowed.

Emily met Ethan’s hand, and they circled one another. “Don’t you just love to dance Mr. Richardson?” she asked.

Ethan looked up into Emily’s blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but he did not have a chance to answer her question before they parted once again.

The dance continued. Emily and Mia crossed paths. Emily was now paired with Connor. He winked at her and her eyes widened in surprise. When their hands met, a shiver of delight went down her spine. By the time the dance ended, Emily wanted nothing more than to dance again with the handsome Mr. Preston.

The men bowed to the ladies, and Mia and Emily turned to leave the floor.

Connor held his arm out to Emily. “Miss Stanton, I believe you owe me a dance. Shall we partake in the next dance as well?”

“Thank you, Mr. Preston; I would be delighted,” Emily said.

Ethan stepped next to Mia, and he escorted her off the dance floor.

For the rest of the evening, Emily thought about the dashing Mr. Preston. He was charming and witty, and she floated around the dance floor with a smile that lit up her beautiful face.

***

“Oh, Nesmith, you should have seen the room. It was so beautiful. Mia and I danced almost every dance.”

“Whom did you dance with?” Nesmith helped Emily out of her dress.

“With almost every gentleman in the room; but I danced twice with Mr. Connor Preston,” Emily said. “He’s so handsome. I think he likes me.”

“Did he say so?”

“No; but he winked at me, and we danced two dances together.”

“Miss Emily, don’t get your hopes up. Men love dancing with pretty girls. When he comes to see your father, then you’ll know he’s serious.”

“Oh, Nesmith, don’t be harsh. You weren’t there. I just know he likes me.”

“If you say so,” Nesmith said, a frown creasing her face. The older woman combed out Emily’s hair and helped her into her nightgown. “Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank you Nesmith.”

“Good night, Miss Emily.” Nesmith left the room, and hurried down the hall to attend to Mrs. Stanton.

Emily grabbed her evening reticule. She brought the candle over to the bed, and set it down on the table. She climbed up into bed, snuggling into the soft, feather pillows. She pulled her dance card out to look at Connor’s name again, and a slip of paper fell out. “What’s this?”

She unfolded the note. Her eyes widened as she read it.

I have eyes for only one

In the sea of colorful silks

With eyes of blue

And a smile that

Gladdens my heart

You are my Bright Star

“A love letter. Oh, Mr. Preston; I knew you liked me.” Emily hugged the slip of paper to her breast.


LOVE BY SECRETS, .99
AMAZON:  http://www.amazon.com/Love-Secrets-Regency-Romance-ebook/dp/B005XMZ0NM


BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-by-secrets-debra-elizabeth/1106798037

Hurricane Irene is barreling towards Boston

The hurricane is headed my way. I hope that I don't lose power, but if I do, my Kindle is charged and ready.

Are you looking for something new to read?  Do you like dystopian fiction?  Why not give our Dark Future Series a try. THE RIGHT PATH is still free at all outlets to get you started.

  













If you're looking for a new fantasy read, why not try our Rule of Otharia series:
 

Happy Reading and stay safe today!

#SampleSunday - ZIA'S PATH (Dystopian fiction)

I'm thrilled to share a sample from our newest release: ZIA'S PATH. This story is our third in our Dark Future series and is the sequel to THE RIGHT PATH (currently FREE on amazon and B&N). 


Book blurb: 
In this second novelette about crippled teenager, Abraham "Ham" Jones, and his tomboy partner, Zia Slate, the stakes are even higher. They have agreed to accept the memory weapons from their new guardian, Henry Lloyd, but with the power of the weapons comes the responsibility to follow "the right path." It's supposed to be simple: help one person at a time, but nothing in this harsh world is ever simple. It's a dog-eat-dog world where food is scarce and gangs rule the streets.

When Ham decides to go into the worst gang-ridden area of the city to save a little girl, Zia doesn't think it's a good idea. It's too dangerous, but eventually she agrees and the two set off in search of the girl. When Zia goes off to scout ahead, Ham's worst nightmare comes true. Zia is snatched by slavers. Can Ham find out where she has been taken and mount a defense to save her in two days before she is sold as a sex slave?

Excerpt:
Damn.  It happened so fast!  I didn’t think anyone could sneak up on me like that.  ‘Course I was lookin’ for that kid, the one Ham wanted to save, but I heard that goon one second too late.  He grabbed my arm, threw me to the ground and put a knee in my back while he tied my hands together with a rough rope. 

“Get the hell off me,” I said, grunting through the pain of being slammed onto the concrete.

“Shut your stinking mouth,” the big a-hole replied.  He threw a bag over my head and dragged me to my feet.

I tried to scream, but he smacked me upside my head.

“That’s your last warning, sweet cheeks.  Another sound outta you and I’ll slice yer throat.  Leave ya dead in the streets.  Maybe your boyfriend can find you then.”

Boyfriend?  Does he mean Ham?  This goon must have seen him.  Ham, are you close? I need you.

The guy threw me in the back of some kind of van.  I heard others inside, but I was too scared to say anything.  That threat was too fresh in my mind.  The thought of ending up dead in the gutter was something I didn’t want to think about.  I’ve seen the bodies, dead in the streets.  They get puffy and smell like rotten meat.  After a couple days, you can’t even recognize them anymore.  I didn’t want to end up like that, so I just shut my mouth.  Ham would find me; I just knew it.

That’s when the van started moving. 

I was so scared I thought I was gonna pee myself.  The only thing that stopped me was that when Ham rescued me, he would laugh.  I know exactly what he would say.

“You were so scared, you peed yourself.”  He would laugh and laugh and never let it go.  I held on to the sound of his laughter.  I wouldn’t let this get to me, but who’d grabbed me?  I had a couple ideas, but each one was worse than the one before.  Another gang?  Was someone after my knives?  I’m nobody.  Why bother with me?

I heard another girl crying beside me, so I scooted over until I bumped into her.  She jumped and squeaked like a mouse, but no one came back and hit us so I figured we must be alone. 

“Who got us?” I whispered.

The stupid girl started crying louder and harder, and I just knew someone would hear her soon.  “Hey, shut the hell up before they come and beat us.”

That did it; she quieted right down.  She must have already got her share of being smacked around, so I asked her again: “Who got us?”

“Slavers…” was the only word that escaped between sobs.

“Crap!”  I inhaled sharply.  Slavers took girls off the street to sell as sex slaves.  I was in deep shit.  Why me?  I looked like a thirteen-year-old boy, for God’s sake.  I had no soft curves or even boobs, yet.  I didn’t even have my hair down today.  Maybe they would realize when they looked me over that they’d made a mistake.  Maybe they would just let me go. 

Yeah, right.  That’s about the time I really started to worry.  Ham wouldn’t have any idea who snatched me or where I was taken.  Who was left to save me?

The ride didn’t take long and, before I knew it, I was being dragged out of the van.  Being blindfolded was the worst part.  I had to wait until they took the hood off before I could see where I was or who had grabbed me.

“Oh, look what we have here,” the first voice said.  I felt my knife being pulled out of my waistband.  “You won’t need this where you’re going.”

“Let me see that knife,” a second voice said. 

“Hey, I found it first.  It’s mine.”

Then I heard a smack and a muffled cry.

“It’s mine now, a-hole; get these girls inside.”

I wisely kept my mouth shut during that little scuffle.  I didn’t want them to see what kind of knife it really was or what it could do.  Old Henry said memory weapons were rare and real expensive.  Maybe if I could escape, I could get the knife back.  Crap!  Henry is going to be mad that I’ve lost it already.  Today is definitely not turning out as we planned.

I silently cursed, knowing I should have waited for Ham to catch up to me.  I shouldn’t have gone so far ahead looking for that little girl.  I still don’t understand why she is so important to him.  There are lots of lost kids out there that we could have helped today. 

Rough hands grabbed my arm and yanked me forward.  I heard a door creak open and I was pulled through.  That’s when I heard it--crying, and lots of it.  This new place smelled like old sweat and piss.  It was so disgusting that I had to breathe through my mouth so I wouldn’t smell it.  Last thing I wanted was to gag and puke inside this hood on my head.

The bag was finally pulled off.  I was smashed up against a steel cage while my jailer took the opportunity to feel me up.  I couldn’t help it; I flinched when he lifted up my shirt.  His calloused hands were rough against my skin, and when he pinched my nipples hard, I cried out.  I felt the tears come and I blinked furiously trying to clear my eyes.

“Well, well, well, looks like we got ourselves a virgie, boys,” he laughed, speaking to the other two men standing by the door.  “This one is gonna require special handling.  Go tell the boss what we got.”

Holy crap, I’m screwed.

   

#SampleSunday - THE CRYSTAL FACADE

This week's Sample Sunday is from THE CRYSTAL FACADE.  Dyla, Eclair and Cat are searching the hills for any clues that would connect Merlin to the ancient Otharians.  They naively believe they were able to return to Earth without being detected.  Read on to see what happens.

The portal opened beside the lake and Dyla, Cat and Eclair stepped through.  As usual, Dyla came through first and immediately scanned the area for danger, but the countryside was too dark to see anything useful.  Dyla used her powers and swept the surrounding area to ‘feel’ for any telltale signs of human activity.  She held up her hand, motioning for the others to stay still while she concentrated on her search.  When she finished her sweep, she motioned for them to move forward.

“Anything?” Eclair whispered.

Dyla pointed discreetly along the lakefront.

“We have company, someone by the side of the lake in the trees.  We’re being watched, so be careful.”

***

Colin had been instructed not to light a fire because his presence was to remain secret, but Colin was fed up with this night watch duty.  Enough was enough he decided, thinking he would not spend the entire night out in the middle of nowhere freezing his ass off. 

He left his post and wandered further into the woods to gather twigs, reasoning that a small fire would not attract any attention out here.  Hell, he could scream at the top of his lungs and no one would hear him.  With his arms full, he returned to the edge of the tree line and set the twigs in a pile.  After three tries with his lighter, the twigs finally caught fire.  He hunched over the flame and warmed his hands.  He was so busy with his fire that he did not see the pin prink of light forming on the lake’s far shoreline.  The pin-prink quickly widened to a doorway-sized opening and three figures stepped through.

The light from the full opening was bright enough to finally catch Colin’s attention.  He looked up and swore as he stomped out the fire.  He stood motionless watching the scene unfold before him, not believing what he saw.  Two women and a man stepped from a door of light and stood in front of it at the lake’s edge.  As suddenly as it had materialized, the doorway winked out, but the three remained in place, silhouetted against the lake.  A hand signal from one of the women sent the trio moving away from the lake’s edge. 

“What the hell?”

It took several seconds before Colin collected himself.  This was unbelievable.  He just saw three people step out of thin air.  It was no wonder Munroe didn’t tell him what to look for; he wouldn’t have believed him.  He kicked more dirt on the remains of the fire, ensuring it was snuffed out completely and fumbled to get his cell phone out of his jacket pocket.  He flipped it open and dialed Munroe’s number.

“What happened?” Munroe asked before Colin could say anything.

“I don’t know how to tell you this.”

“You saw a bright flash of light?” Munroe asked.

“Yeah, I guess you could call it that and then three people stepped out of it.  There was a man and two women.  It was stranger than all hell, it was.”

“That’s what you’ve been waiting for.  Follow them, but don’t let yourself be seen.  Understood?”

“Well, that’s going to be tough cause they just took off running like bats outta hell.”

“Then get your ass moving, you bloody idiot.  Whatever you do, don’t lose them,” Munroe commanded.

“Right.”

***

“We have contact.  It’s the three of them again.”

The team leader by the lake listened for a moment.

“No, they didn’t spot us, but they did see Munroe’s lookout we reported about earlier.  Anyone could have seen him for miles, the idiot actually lit a fire.”

“Where are the three headed?” the voice on the phone asked.

“They moved off quickly into the hills.”

“Is Munroe’s man following them?”

“He looks to be trying, but I’m not sure if he’ll be able to keep up with them.”

“Follow at a distance and watch.  I want to know where they’re going and what they’re doing out there.” 

“Roger.”

***

Dyla held up her hand to stop her companions.

“He’s following us.”

“I’ll take care of this,” Eclair said and promptly disappeared.

Though he disappeared, the two women could follow his movement by the noise and disturbances he made walking on the loose rock, vegetation, and dirt.  He met up with Colin within minutes, but though Colin couldn’t see him, he did hear something moving towards him in the dark.  Colin slowed down to a crawl as he peered around looking for the source of the noise. 

Snap!

Colin heard the noise directly behind him.  Acting on pure reflex, he swung his arm in a wide arc and connected with something behind him.  Turning around, but not seeing anything, Colin began to back away.  A disembodied voice followed his retreat.

“That won’t help you.”

Colin’s eyes widened and he looked around fearfully for the source of the voice.  A rock rose in front of him and hovered in line with his nose.

Colin stared at the rock, momentarily dumbfounded.  Between the strange lights, people magically appearing, and floating rocks, he decided he had enough and took off running, leaving the weirdness behind.  No amount of money was worth this.  Unfortunately, it was too late.  The rock shot out and hit him solidly in the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

Eclair materialized rubbing his ribs where Colin has connected with his fist.

“That hurt,” Eclair said, looking accusingly at the unconscious man lying prone at his feet.

“Any idea who he is?” Dyla asked as the two women came up beside Eclair.  

Cat bent down and looked at the prostrate man.

“I never saw him before.”

She searched through his pockets and found his cell phone.  Opening it up, she looked through its contacts and recent calls. 

“Oh no, this isn’t good.  He made a call a few minutes ago to Munroe.”

 “Damn, he’s the last person I wanted to know that we’re back,” Dyla said. 

Cat nodded.

“Darius was right.  He said that neither Munroe nor Blackheart would give up looking for us,” Eclair added.

“Well, so much for secrecy.  Now that Munroe knows we’re here, it will be a matter of time before he comes after us again,” Dyla said.  “We need to check out these hills quickly and leave before he has a chance to catch up with us.”

“So what about the underwater chamber?” Cat asked.

“It’s a waste of time and Eclair’s strength.  Besides Blackheart probably cleaned the place out by now.  Besides, there’s no telling how long it will take to find Merlin’s cave if it even exists.”

Disappointed, Cat reached into the backpack and pulled out a couple of flashlights.

“Here’s a flashlight for each of you.  It will be hard trek to where I found that data cube, especially in the dark.”

Dyla grabbed one and pointed it at the others.

“We need to keep these off until we get well away from the lake.  I didn’t feel anyone else besides Munroe’s man, but these lights can be seen from miles around.  If anyone is lurking around, they’d know immediately where we were.” 

“OK,” Cat replied.

Eclair motioned to Cat with a flourish.

“Lead on.”