(Adult thriller/mystery)
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Copyright © 2019
Nightlight Press
Cover design inspired by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations LLC
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Main Cast List
Amelia (daughter of Erik and Abby Novalik – vampire)
Eva (daughter of Azazel and Tamara – druid/lamia/vampire)
Herakles (creation of Ta’Zan – Faulty)
Raphael (creation of Ta’Zan – Perfect)
Riza (daughter of Horatio and Aisha Drizan– jinni)
Taeral (son of Sherus and Nuriya – fae-jinni)
Varga (son of Ashbik and Ruby Goode – vampire-sentry)
Family tree
If you’d like to check out the Novaks’ family tree, visit: www.forrestbooks.com/tree
Taeral
I’d never thought our connection to Cerix would run so deep. At first, I’d seen it as a wonderful coincidence—to have discovered such a fascinating world in the In-Between, with an interesting species, a rich culture, and a troubled, colorful past, while searching for what we’d originally thought was the source of our fae-exploding problem.
Knowing that it was also the secret home of Eirexis, the first of three pieces that made up Thieron, Death’s scythe, managed to add more value to this planet and its civilization. We’d come a long way since we’d first set foot on Cerix, all the wiser in two weeks, give or take. I’d lost track of time, counting the days not by hours or minutes, but by the number of fae that continued to fall ill under the Hermessi’s influence.
We were dangerously close to four million, now, and five million was just around the corner. It would bring about the end of days, in a most literal sense. Thousands of worlds wiped out across the In-Between and the Supernatural Dimension, maybe even beyond. Billions of lives, gone in the blink of an eye.
Time wasn’t on our side, and we’d made few and shaky alliances along the way. Brendel kept Hermessi children hostage on Yahwen, using them as leverage against the elementals who stood against the ritual. Among them, Kabbah, the oldest and most powerful, on equal footing with Brendel, had finally chosen his side—even though his daughter’s life was at stake, he’d helped us more than once, and chances were he’d do a lot more by the end of this fight. The few rogue Hermessi left scrambled to assist our cause in any way they could, but we’d lost Ramin and had no idea where or how to find the others. Death hadn’t made it any easier. She’d tasked us with finding and retrieving Thieron for her, the only weapon that would work against the Hermessi and put an end to all this.
Despite the adversities and the fact that our loved ones were in mortal peril—some worse than others, like my father and the Novak fae—my crew and I kept moving forward, relentless in our quest. We’d barely made it out alive after our last stop in Nevertide, and we were headed into even more dangerous territory.
As soon as we passed through the portal and set foot in The Shade, I felt as though I could breathe a little easier. Nothing had changed, but there was something about this place that offered clarity and peace, when everywhere else weighed down on me like a ton of rocks. Derek and Sofia came to greet us, spreading love and hugs to all the crew.
“I cannot express how relieved I am to see you all here in one piece,” Derek said, gripping my shoulders and smiling. “You’ve come farther than most of us would’ve, to be honest.”
“You flatter us,” I replied.
“This is bigger than anyone thought,” Sofia chimed in. “Derek is right. You were handpicked because of your abilities and your character, but mostly, you were chosen because of how well you work together.”
“We’ve served our time in the field, more than most,” Derek added. “It’s not my intention to flatter you, but rather to encourage you. The future is yours, Taeral, and I can’t think of anyone better to fight for it.”
“Thank you for having us,” Lumi said, offering a soft smile. “We do need to regroup and plan our next move.”
Derek and Sofia escorted us into the Great Hall, merely yards away from the portal. All around us, redwoods towered like quiet giants, the moonlight slipping through their thick crowns and casting its ethereal glow across the island. This was a haven, not just for supernaturals, but for all creatures who sought peace and comfort, who fled the horrors of war and hatred. No wonder it made me feel better.
Eira was still shaking next to me. She’d had no time to process our encounter with Death. It had gone from enlightening to deadly violent in minutes, since the Hermessi had come after us between worlds. I couldn’t think of a more devious and shameless attack strategy than to hunt us down through the blank white space between pink water caves. Fortunately, Amelia had encouraged the pink waters to take us to Nevertide, after the entrance to Persea had been compromised.
“We heard you had quite the welcoming committee on Nevertide, this time around,” Derek said. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sarcasm. He didn’t often serve up such stinging dollops, and I treasured each of them. They were part of what had made him such an iconic figure in GASP. “I’m glad Kabbah came through for you. Where is he now?”
“We’re not sure,” Amelia replied.
“He’s out there in the ether, rallying the rogue Hermessi. He’s looking to form a reliable crew of elementals, and fast,” Fallon replied. It came as a surprise to us, though not entirely unexpected, since he’d helped us twice already. Maybe he’d finally chosen his allegiance.
“How do you know?” Derek asked, eyeing Fallon carefully.
The vampire-fae frowned. “It’s kind of hard to explain, but there are residues of his thoughts in my head from his possession.”
“That’s interesting,” I replied, though a little concerned. “Would you be able to remember more?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know if there is much else left up here,” he said, pointing a finger at his temple. “I wouldn’t dare say yes. What I can confirm is that he had every intention of going full rebel after our encounter in Nevertide.”
“I take it he’s going to help us further down the line?” Sofia asked as we took our seats around the council table. I’d even missed the feel of its smooth glass surface, which Phoenix and Dmitri had recently outfitted with magi-tech to display images and workable keyboard buttons. It was like a giant, highly functioning glass tablet, powered by serium batteries, and I loved it. She moved to pull up an image of Cerix at the center of the table, complete with the most recent data. “He’s not just going to sit on the sidelines?”
Fallon nodded. “He’s out to sabotage the Hermessi children’s detention on Yahwen, first and foremost. He wants his daughter free and safe, and he knows that other rogues will feel empowered if they see him involved. That’s what I’m making out of these memory bits, anyway. I mean, I understand his reasoning.”
“I’m even inclined to assume he’s going to have a group of rebel Hermessi shadowing us along the way, too,” Lumi added. “That’s what I’d do if I were him. Or keep an eye on this crew, myself. Brendel’s become much more vicious now that she knows what we’re after. Our only advantage here is that, after she snatched Thieron and broke it into three pieces, she was no longer able to touch them. She can’t move them from wherever they are.”
“We know Eirexis is on Cerix, but it’s good to know that, wherever the other two are, she can’t lay a hand on them or move them,” Acantha said.
“It also means they’ll be waiting for us on Cerix.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I gave Eira a brief glance. She was pale, her breathing ragged, but she was gradually recovering. She’d been through enough already, much more than any other Cerixian—except, perhaps, Inalia.
Derek added a new profile to the Cerix display on the table. It highlighted a picture of a woman, seemingly middle-aged, with long, curly brown hair and green, foxlike eyes. I recognized her tunic uniform, as I’d seen it on Dellon Figgen before—the former prime minister of the Cerixian Empire, disgraced and imprisoned during our first visit.
“We sent a delegation over to Cerix shortly after you left, as you may recall,” he said. “They’ve been sending daily reports, not only on the Hermessi cult’s activities but also on the state of this diplomatic relationship we’re trying to build with the Cerixians. So far, so good, though there hasn’t been much progress in capturing more cult members.”
