#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.”

#SampleSunday - PATH TO DESTRUCTION

This excerpt for Sample Sunday is from our novelette, THE PATH TO DESTRUCTION.  General Matthew Smith of the American Freedom Fighters is facing overwhelming odds as he tries to hold out against an unrelenting enemy swarming up from the south.  The United States is in danger of being occupied for the first time in its history in this post-apocalyptic tale and General Smith has one last desperate trick up his sleeve.

The sun was barely rising when I heard the noise coming from outside the front of my office.  I wondered who or what could be awake this early and got up to take a look.  I opened the door and received one of the biggest shocks of my life.  There in front of me was Kenzu, kneeling with his entire contingent of samurai warriors arrayed behind him.  They were all kneeling in concentric ranks behind their leader, arranged according to their particular standing within the elite fighting force.  It was disconcerting to see them like that, well over 250 warriors, all with downcast eyes, motionless and eerily quiet, like a powerful beast, crouched and ready to pounce on its unsuspecting prey.  I stood there, mouth hanging open, hoping I wasn’t that prey. 

“What’s going on?”

Kenzu slowly sat back on his heels and raised his head until our eyes met.  His face looked as if it had been chiseled out of stone, eyes inscrutable as ever.  He raised his arms from his lap and held out a magnificent sword for me to take.  I was unsettled by this, my mind whirling with the possibilities of what Kenzu offered, none of them any good for my health or well-being.  The next shock was what he actually said.

“Gomen nasai, Smith-san.”

I was even more confused than before.  What the hell was he apologizing to me for?  Was this some strange part of his Bushido code that said he must apologize before killing me?  I wasn’t looking toward that prospect.

“Wakarimasen.”

Kenzu’s mouth tightened slightly, whether to hide a grimace or a smile, at my Japanese.  I had told him I didn’t understand what he meant. 

“Please, let us speak in your language.  Your attempts at my language always hurt my ears. I cannot abide it today.”

His attempt at levity was a good sign.  I let out a pent up breath, not realizing that I had been holding myself rigid, poised to act at the slightest provocation.  Not that I would have stood much of a chance against Kenzu.  He was the greatest warrior still alive in this god-forsaken war at hand-to-hand combat and sword fighting.

I had good reason for concern for my own personal safety because we had not parted on good terms the previous evening.  Actually, if I remembered correctly, Kenzu had all but threatened my life before turning and storming out of the meeting hall.  It took only a moment to rerun that conversation through my mind.  It had been brief and altogether too ugly.

“You ask too much,” Kenzu had said last night.

“How can you say that after everything that has happened?”

“I am aware of our current situation.”

“Good, you’re aware.  Then make the damn weapons.”

“It is disrespectful.  It is an insult to everything I hold honorable.”

“Honor?” I said incredulously.  “Take a look around, Kenzu.  What good does your honor do us?”

Kenzu’s face darkened, his hands balled into fists.

“I cannot do as you ask.”

“Then you are no better than the rest of them.”

Kenzu nearly lost his composure with my last remark.  His hand flashed to his katana and I thought he would draw it then and there.  If that sword left its sheath, there would be blood drawn.  He stopped himself, looked down as if ashamed at his loss of self-control, and released the deadly sword.

“Smith-san,’ Kenzu finally said.  “It is because of our long-standing friendship that I will not act on your vile insult.”

Then he looked up and locked his piercing dark eyes on me.

“But, if we ever meet again, the outcome will be very different.”

At that, he swirled around and left the hall.  The rest of his warriors, all of who had watched the exchange, left silently behind him.  No one in the unit had tried to stop them.

 So, it was easy to understand my initial confusion, seeing Kenzu kneeling in front of me, holding out that samurai sword.  I looked at the rest of the warriors behind Kenzu and began to understand what was happening.

“You changed your mind?” I asked

“Indeed.”

With no other explanation, Kenzu stood in one easy motion and placed the sword into my hands.

“My sense of honor may have been clouded on this issue, but the fate of our world is a constant reminder of what we face together.  The swords we present today are but the first of many to come.  It will take time to create the number you seek, but my warriors and I will prevail. We will not fail.”

I looked back and saw that every one of the warriors had a second sword in their possession.  I guessed that they had stayed up all night preparing them.  Their effort had been monumental and I gratefully accepted the gift Kenzu offered me.

I looked down at the sword and marveled at the wonder of it.  Outwardly, it looked no different than the katana that Kenzu wore at his side.  It was inside the sword’s handle where the difference lay.  A microchip embedded inside the handle was connected to a series of grafted conduits directly beneath the outer skin of the sword handle.  When activated, the conduit made a passive connection with the nexus of nerves in the user’s hands, and through them, a pathway to the user’s brain.  Once the neural pathway was established, the transference of skills and memories lying recorded in the weapon’s circuit, were passed directly to the user’s brain and temporarily became their own.

“May I be the first to try it?”

Kenzu chuckled.

“You may be the second.  We had to test it first to make sure it worked.”

Finding that stash of microchips may very well turn the tide of the war. If Kenzu could make more of these weapons we may just have a chance.  I looked down at the weapon and found the activation stub.  Pushing it in, I noticed a slight prickling in my arm and then a flood of memories assaulted my senses.  I steadied myself against the wall for the first few moments until I acclimated to the sensation.

  

#SampleSunday-The Crystal Facade

 Chapter 9 – The Docks

Dyla and Eclair stood across the street watching the activity on the grounds of Sir Henry’s mansion.  They had positioned themselves along one of the side streets to watch both the front and the back with minimal effort hiding themselves in the numerous shops that dotted the street.  It seemed a typical day at the mansion, quiet with a few delivery trucks entering and leaving through the back gate.

Eclair did one more survey of the front and turned towards Dyla.     

“Do you think we should chance a look inside?”

Before Dyla could answer, she spotted Munroe coming out the front door.  He hopped into his car parked in the driveway and headed for the street.

“Look, it’s Munroe.  Let’s see where he goes instead,” Dyla replied.

“I’ll grab us a cab.”

Eclair stepped into the street, waving his arms trying to attract a cab driver’s attention.  Two black cabs sped by him without slowing down.

“Eclair, stop.  Let me handle this,” Dyla said.

She stepped off the curb, pushed her hip out and raised her hand at a passing cab.

The driver screeched to a halt.

Dyla looked at Eclair and grinned.

“Men are all the same no matter what planet they’re from,” she said and they climbed into the cab.

“Where to Miss?” the cabbie asked.

Dyla pointed to Munroe’s car exiting Sir Henry’s driveway.

“Can you follow that car without getting spotted?” she asked, handing the driver a wade of money. 

The driver took the money, glanced hungrily at the bills, and nodded vigorously.

“No problem, love,” the cabbie replied.  “That fellow will never know anyone is following him.”

Dyla sat back and leaned over to Eclair.

“This could prove interesting.”

Eclair watched Monroe’s car speed off, noting the direction he took. 

“If he heads back to Soho, he’s probably going back to his flat.”

“Yeah, but I’m hoping he’ll lead us somewhere new and we’ll learn something useful.  I don’t like the idea of sitting around watching and hoping for something to happen.”

Eclair nodded and kept a close eye on the car.

It wasn’t long before Munroe turned off the main thoroughfare and headed down a secondary street along the Thames River.

Dyla leaned forward to talk to the cab driver as he took the turn and followed Munroe.

“Where does this lead to?”

“Goes to the Port of London,” the cabbie said over his shoulder.  “It’s where most of the container ships dock and off load their goods.  Not exactly the nicest part of town.”

“OK, stay close, but don’t let him see you.”

“No worries.”

Dyla watched Munroe drive along, eventually slowing when he approached an indistinct row of warehouses.  When he turned in, Dyla leaned forward.

“Stop here.  We’ll get out now.”

After they got out, the cabbie leaned out the window.   

“You want me to wait?”

Dyla felt waves of greed emanating off the man while he questioned her, obviously hoping for another big payout. 

“No, that’s all right, we’ll be fine on our own.”

“Suit yourselves,” the cabbie replied. “Lots of nasty folks hanging about, you can easily get into trouble in the blink of an eye.”

“Thanks,” Eclair said, “but I got things under control.”

The cabbie gave Eclair a once over and grinned broadly. 

  “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said, driving off.

“What did he mean by that?” Eclair said, looking at Dyla.

“Nothing dear,” Dyla said, patting his arm.  “He doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

“Neither do I.”

Dyla smiled at the double meaning behind Eclair’s comment. 

     ***

“We tracked them to the mansion and then followed them to the docks.  They followed Munroe right to the warehouse.”

The team had easily followed the cab Dyla and Eclair took.  The streets were crowded enough that they were able to stay well behind without ever losing site of the cab.  Once the cab stopped at the warehouse, the team drove past and stopped further down the street.  It afforded them a good view of anyone leaving the warehouse parking lot without being spotted themselves. 

The team leader listened for further directions. 

“Roger.  We’ll sit tight and follow them when they come out.”

*** 

Dyla and Eclair headed down along the row of warehouses and spotted Munroe’s car parked near the end by one of the entry doors.  They moved slowly, keeping close to the side of the building looking for a clue or idea of what was going on inside.  All they found were blackened windows and locked doors.

“We have to get inside somehow.”

“Come here,” Eclair motioned to her.  “I’ll bend the light and we’ll go in the door near Munroe’s car.”

As soon as Dyla slipped her hand into Eclair’s, they vanished.  Though she had done this many times before, it was still disconcerting to look through the slight distortion of Eclair’s shield, knowing no one could see her.  Eclair gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and the two moved toward the door. 

“Do you sense anyone nearby?” Eclair whispered.

“No.” 

Eclair opened the door and they went inside.  On the far side of the warehouse, the bay doors facing the docks were open and workers were busy unloading smaller containers from the ship.  Munroe was nowhere to be seen so they continued moving forward and looked around.  Eclair noticed an office at the other end of the warehouse and headed off in that direction.  It seemed the most likely place for Munroe to have gone. 

Carefully the two approached the office, treading lightly to minimize any noise or sign of their passage.  They glanced inside the lone office window and noticed two desks with stacks of paperwork on both.  Fortunately, no one was sitting at either.  In the back of the office, there was an impressive looking vault.  The door was opened revealing a large lighted interior room.  The door of the vault looked as if it weighed a few tons.  They also noticed shadows of movement inside.     

“Munroe must be in there,” Dyla said.

“Do you want to go inside?” Eclair asked.  “I can easily hold my shield that long.”

“No, we better not test our luck.  Wait until he leaves and then open a portal to the inside.  Can you do that?”

“Yes, no problem, I’ve seen the inside,” Eclair replied.  “If Munroe stays in there too long, we’ll have to hide somewhere so I can drop my shield and rest.”

Dyla pointed at the vault.

“Looks like we won’t have to wait after all.  Here he comes.”

Eclair and Dyla moved away from the office and hid behind a stack of boxes watching Munroe leave the office.  He stopped momentarily outside the office and looked around.  Dyla instantly threw a shield around them, hiding them from an empathic search.  Munroe stared in their direction for a moment, shook his head and then walked out of the warehouse.  Eclair waited until he heard Munroe’s car start up and drive off before he released his concentration and dropped the invisibility shield.  Checking to make sure none of the dockworkers were looking their way, they entered the office. 

“That was close,” Eclair said.  “Let’s get inside that vault and get this over with.”

“The sooner the better.  Let’s find out what Munroe was doing in there.”

Eclair nodded and opened a portal inside the vault.  As they stepped through, the automatic interior lights flashed on.  Looking around, the two gawked at what they found.

“Damn!  Look at all those crystals.”

The vault walls were lined with rows of shelves from top to bottom and on every surface were clusters of raw crystals.

Dyla exhaled loudly.

“I’ve never seen so many crystals in my life.  Why do they need so many?”

“Maybe there are more Otharians living on Earth than we know,” Eclair replied.

“There is enough here to outfit a small army of PSIs.  There’s no way they would use that many crystals on this planet.” Dyla said.

“Maybe they’re for jewelry.  We’ve seen quite a few Earth people wearing them in necklaces and rings.

“Could be.”

“Whatever the reason, we need to get out of here before we get caught.”

“You’re right.  Let’s go back to the flat.”

Eclair opened a portal back inside Cat’s living room.  They stepped through confident that they had discovered an important piece of the puzzle.

***

   

#SampleSunday-Dyla Kicks Butt!

Today's Sample Sunday is from QUEST FOR NOBILITY.  Twins Darius and Dyla Telkur along with their friend, Eclair Jortac, have spent two grueling weeks competing in the Grand Competition.  They have one obstacle left.  Can they overcome all odds and complete it?

Chapter 18 - Race to the Finish

Sergeant Rikervic was an ambitious man destined for great things.  He was a sergeant in the Seleas Duchy’s city guard and had just received his newest assignment.  He was taking over the guard detail that protected the Duchy’s objective in the Grand Competition.  Rikervic stood tall as he surveyed the area.  No would get past him.  He was here to stop the rest of the teams once and for all. 

Being situated on the coast, the city of Highland had an extension and elaborate sewer system that minimized flooding during the area’s violent stormy season.  It was through this maze of tunnels and conduits that the last successful team had found their way into the objective site.  Rikervic had laughed when the Duke rewarded the previous sergeant’s failure with permanent sewer duty.  No team would be afforded that route again.  

Rikervic learned from his predecessor’s mistake and deployed his men in two man teams to cover every entry point into the warehouse, including the sewer grates.  He had assigned himself alone to the front entrance of the building to ensure he would personally meet and greet anyone, especially the duke, that might come by and check on things.  He had finished checking in with his team leaders when he spied the beautiful girl walking his way.     

Wow.  What a looker.  Haven’t seen anything that good in quite awhile.  This must be my lucky day.

Rikervic considered himself a ladies man.  He was tall and handsome in his guard uniform and never failed to attract the attention of women in the bars he frequented.  He fantasized about the glory from this latest assignment and the bevy of girls that would drool over him when they heard.  Now this beauty was walking his way and even from this distance, he could tell she was striking.

He studied the girl as she came closer hypnotized by the undulating sway of her hips.  Her footsteps slowed until she stopped a few feet away from him.  His gaze traveled her entire length, taking in every inch of her womanly curves and long raven hair.

“Is it allowed to talk to an elite guard on duty?” she asked, demurely lowering her blue-violet eyes.

Rikervic nearly choked at her question, but regained his composure, standing straight and wearing his most commanding smile.

“Of course you may,” he replied puffing his chest out. “But, even if it weren’t, for you, I’d make an exception.”

His gaze never waivered from her face as he tried to gage her reaction to his compliment.  Her return smile said it all. 

“What can I do for you?” Rikervic asked, leaving the question opened for any kind interpretation.

Dyla coyly played with her hair and looked directly into Rikervic eyes.

“Umm, I don’t normally talk to strange men, but when I saw you standing here in your uniform, looking so tall and handsome, I couldn’t help myself.”

Rikervic preened and his smile nearly split his face.

Now here’s a woman worth getting to know, Rikervic thought to himself.

“I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time, you look so busy,” Dyla continued.  “I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with your boss.  Maybe I should come back later.”

“No worries little lady, I am in charge here,” Rikervic replied, standing just a bit taller, if that were possible.

He crisply snapped to attention and gave her a slight bow.

“Sergeant Rikervic, squad leader in the Royal Duke’s city guard, at your service.”

“Oh my, you are in charge here.  I didn’t realize you were so important.  I really should go and come back later.”

“No, no, not at all.  Please stay.  You’re timing is perfect, I’ve finished checking on my men.”

“How wonderful,” Dyla replied, stepping intimately closer to Rikervic.  “You simply must tell me more, but if anyone should see us . . .”

Rikervic thought for a moment and realized the girl was right.  If this was heading where he thought it might, then standing in the middle of a thoroughfare was no place to conduct ‘business’.

“Well, why don’t move to the doorway so we can escape any prying eyes.”

Dyla smiled and nodded accepting the offer.  Rikervic drew her into the doorway moving in front of her to block any retreat.

“Now let’s see what you’re all about,” he whispered in her ear while his hand traced the skin of her open neckline.

“Oh yes, let’s see.”

Quick as lightening, Dyla smashed her knee into his groin.  Rikervic doubled over in agony and instantly knew he’d been made a fool.  He reached up to his lapel and pressed his alarm transmitter.  At the same moment, Dyla smashed her elbow against the back of his neck, rendering him unconscious.  The alarm activated momentarily, but Rikervic’s hand fell away as he collapsed in a heap. 

Dyla watched the Sergeant crumble to the ground.

“Men,” she scoffed, “so predictable.” 

  

#SampleSunday - THE CRYSTAL FACADE

Today's Sample Sunday is from THE CRYSTAL FACADE.  Lady Dyla Telkur, her lover and telekinetic extraordinaire Eclair Jortac, and Catiana Spencer, the Earth archeologist who was forced to go to Otharia, have finally come back to Earth to try and figure out the Otharia/Earth connection.  Unfortunately for the threesome, their return is not the secret they think it is.

Chapter 7 – Contact

The two-man team sat quietly in the blind they had constructed.  Their clothing and faces were both camouflaged to blend into their surroundings.  The blind was far enough back from the trail that no one would see them during daylight.  At night, they were totally invisible. 

Their orders were simple, observe and report all activity. They were experienced with this type of work, but it was slow and tedious at night because the cold kept most people away from the lakefront. One of the men had wrapped himself in his poncho to get some rest while the other continued to watch the motion sensors and heat sensing infrared.  It was going to be another long night, but the work was easy and the money good.

The night was clear and the stars reflected their brilliance in the calm waters of the lake.  A pinpoint of light that looked like a fallen star suddenly expanded into a floating doorway.  Three figures stepped through.

“Contact,” the man on watch whispered to his companion.

“Where,” the second man asked. 

“Lakeside.  They just showed up on infrared.”  

The second man was instantly alert joining the first.

“They must of came directly out of the water.  That’s the only way they could get there without us knowing.”

“Looks to be three heat signatures.  Two woman, one man,” 

“Send the report.”

“I’m on it.” 

***

Dyla came through first, shifting right, followed by Cat and Eclair who shifted left.  They crouched low to the ground until the doorway winked out of sight.

“Do you feel anyone?” Eclair whispered.

“No,” Dyla answered.  “We’re clear to move.”

The trio moved along the well-worn path made from tourist’s feet visiting the lake and surrounding countryside.  It wasn’t difficult to keep a fast pace and they were making good time.

 “This trip back to the city would have been much easier if my van was still here.  Probably got towed months ago for being abandoned,” Cat said.

Eclair looked over at the young woman who was already breathing hard.

“Cat, doesn’t anyone on Earth ever exercise?”

He ducked when Cat took a swing at his head.

“Very funny,” she retorted.  “I meant this little trek would be quicker if we didn’t have to walk so far.”

“I knew what you meant,” Eclair said, chuckling.

Cat frowned while she searched her coat pockets.  Her frown soon turned into a grin.

“We’re in luck.  I forgot that I had money in this coat.  We can hop on the tube at Swindon.  That’ll take us back to London.”

***

“Looks like these are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” the first man said after he had made his report.

“What now?” the second asked.  “Follow them?”

“No.  We’re to wait and report which direction they go first.”

After a few moments, it was obvious where the trio were heading.

“They’re moving towards town,” the first man reported into his two-way radio.

There was a moment of silence while he listened to the reply.

“Roger, out.”

He changed the frequency on his hand set and made a second call.

“Three coming your way.  Two women, one man, moving along the trail towards Swindon.  Pick them up on the outskirts of town and follow at a distance.”

Again, there was a moment of silence while the other end answered.

“No, we’re staying here at the lake.  Another team will join you if needed.  Orders remain the same.  Observe and report.”

The second man groaned silently and wrapped his poncho tighter around his body.  It was going to be another long cold night.

***

“How much farther,” Eclair asked when they stepped off the train in London.

“Not far,” Cat said, “but we’re going to take the long way around.  If anyone is watching my house, I want to know before we go inside.”

“That’s smart,” Eclair replied.

“Cat, you’ve been gone for many months,” Dyla said.  “Does anyone take are of your home while you’re gone?”

“My landlord has gotten used to me being away.  I‘ve been gone for months before on archeological digs, so I signed a long-term lease for occasions like this and he’s kind enough to pick up my mail when it starts to pile up.”

Cat led Dyla and Eclair along a few side streets from where she could get a good look at the area around her house.  After several passes, she was satisfied everything looked normal.  Cat waved her hand around dramatically.

“Well, same old neighborhood.  I see nothing out of the ordinary, nobody watching, nobody snooping, nobody waiting.  I think we’re safe.”

I have to quit living like this.  I feel like I’m in a spy novel.

  

#SampleSunday - Divided Paths, CRYSTAL FACADE

Today's Sample Sunday excerpt has Darius talking to his cousin Ty about the dangerous trip to Earth that his sister, Dyla, is determined to go on.  Her plans of taking Eclair with her instead Darius has Ty extremely worried.

Chapter 5 – Divided Paths

The sun was touching the western horizon when Ty walked into Darius’ private study.

“Hey Ty.  How’d you get away this time?” Daruis asked.  “This is the second time in two days your councilors have released you from their grasps.”

Ty plopped himself down in one of the over stuffed chairs before answering.

“Really, do you think anyone can tell me what to do?”

“As a matter of fact, yes.”

Ty shrugged.

“You’re right.  I told my councilors that I was coming to see Trinity.  That’s the only way I got out of there.  There was another stack of petitions that needed my attention, but I’ll deal with those later.  My councilors are great, but they’re relentless.  Some days I don’t know how they do it.”

“I know.  Running a duchy is much harder than I thought.  My father made it look effortless.”

“I guess we both should have paid more attention during those lessons.”

“You’re probably right.”

Both young men lapsed into quiet contemplation at the mention of their fathers, each lost in their own thoughts.  It was Darius who first broke the silence.

“Trinity should be off duty soon.  You’re welcome to sit here until she comes back.”

“Thanks.  Most generous of you cousin,” Ty chuckled.  “But seriously, while we wait for Trinity, I want to talk to you about this trip to Earth.”

“So do I,” Darius said, his demeanor changing.

Ty leaned forward.

“I’m deeply concerned about these three going back to Earth alone.  It was bad enough when you were with them, but without you?  I don’t know.  I have grave reservations.”

“I understand, but I can assure that they could have no greater protection than Eclair.”

“Eclair?” Ty scoffed.  “Darius please, Eclair’s my friend too and I know about his trick of bending light, but we’re talking about their very lives being at stake.  It’ll be incredibly dangerous for them.  This Blackheart guy will be on the lookout for them this time.”

“I know, but I stand by what I said.  Eclair is the one to pull it off.”

“How can you be so confident?”

“Ty, you haven’t seen Eclair in tight situations like I have.  He’s no longer the pushover you knew in school.  He’s powerful beyond all reckoning.  I don’t think even he knows the depth of his power.  Gods help us all if he ever turned evil.  There would be no stopping him.”

“I’m sorry, I just don’t see him that way.  I’ve known Eclair too long to have that level of confidence in him.”

Suddenly, Ty felt a tightening around his arms.  It quickly spread over his entire body until he was completely paralyzed.  Within seconds, he found himself rising and spinning around in mid air.

“Hey! What’s going . . .”

Ty’s voice stopped in mid-sentence.

Eclair stood in the doorway of the study, focusing on Ty, his head slightly bent as he concentrated.

Darius sat up straighter in his chair.  This was a new trick that even he had not seen yet.

Dyla was standing behind Eclair.  She gently touched his arm.

“Eclair, enough.  I’m sure they get the point.”

Eclair looked up and flashed a boyish grin at Ty.  He winked at Dyla and they both walked into the room.

“Still have no confidence in my abilities to protect the group?” Eclair asked.

He released Ty’s voice and slowly lowered him back into the chair.

“Damn you, Eclair,” Ty shouted, indignantly.  “Release me at once.”

Eclair stood in front of Ty releasing the invisible bonds that held him.

“Why did you do that?”

“To convince you,” Eclair said, deadly serious.

Ty was stunned.  Darius was right.  Eclair was powerful beyond reckoning.

“I knew what you were doing and yet I couldn’t stop you.  I’ve never felt such power.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.  Would you like to see more?”

Ty held his hands up in surrender.

“Stop.  Please no more.  I’m convinced.”

“Fair enough.”

Eclair gave Ty a mock bow and walked over to the empty chair next to Dyla and sat down.  She reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze.

“Pretty good, huh?” he said.

“Always.”

“All right you two, enough fun and games.  We have business to discuss tonight.  Let’s get to it,” Darius said trying hard not to laugh.

  

#SampleSunday - Visions, QUEST FOR NOBILITY

Today's SampleSunday, is from QUEST FOR NOBILITY.  Dyla Telkur is an empath who has dream visions that can sometimes portend the future.

Chapter 4 – Visions

The fire danced and crackled with life, seeking to devour anything in its path.  Three separate spurs raced around the warehouse, burning all they touched.  Boxes of all shapes and sizes became ash as the flames joined to become one intense hungry blaze.

She watched the scorching scene, riveted to the floor.  She turned her head, seeking an escape, but saw only shadows.  The flames were almost upon her when the walls disappeared.  She felt the heat closing in and tried desperately to free herself.  When she turned back, the flames surrounded her, engulfing her in an inferno of pain and torment.  Screaming, she felt the flesh melt from her limbs.

Dyla bolted upright in bed, awakened by an ear-splitting scream. Drenched in sweat and trembling uncontrollably, it took her a moment to realize that it was her own scream she heard and she shuddered in fear.

She clamored off the bed and fell to her knees.

“Oh no, oh no,” she whispered while rocking back and forth.              

Within moments, Darius came rushing into the room and found his sister on the floor.  Folding her into his arms, he made a telepathic connection and was immediately assailed by images of pain and suffering.  He had never felt such intensity through his link before, and he nearly staggered back at the blow.

“It’s OK, you’re safe,” he said softly, clutching her tighter.

It took Dyla several minutes before she came back to herself.

“Darius, I had a terrible vision.  There was a fire, it destroyed everything.”

Darius lifted her chin and met his sister’s eyes.

“I felt it when I touched you.  You’re safe now.  It was only a bad dream.”

“No, it wasn’t a bad dream, it was more than that.  I was there, inside it, feeling the heat of the fire.  It burned me.  I’ve never felt anything so horrible before.”

“Do you want me to summon the healer for you?”

“No, I want to talk to Mother.  She’s never mentioned having visions before, but she may understand what’s happening to me.”

Darius helped Dyla to her feet and slipped a robe over her shoulders.  A number of concerned servants stood standing in the doorway to the bedchamber watching the scene unfold.

Darius reassured them.

“It’s all right.  Go back to bed.  Everything here is fine.”

The servants nodded one by one and slipped away.

The twins left Dyla’s room and walked down the corridor to their parent’s bedchamber.  Dyla knocked lightly on the door. 

Silence greeted them.

“That’s strange.  They’re not answering.  I’m surprised they didn’t come when you screamed,” Darius said.

Dyla reached out, turned the door handle, and walked into the room.  It was empty.

“Where are they?”

The room was pristine.  The bed had not been slept in and there was no sign of their parents.

Dyla looked about the room, worry written on her face.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“It’s awfully late for them not to be in their chamber.  Where could they be?” Darius asked.

“Did you see them after the banquet?”

“No, I was with Ty.  What about you?”

“No.”

“I think you’re right.  Something’s not right.  Come on, let's get dressed."

"I'll only be a minute.  I'll meet you by your bedchamber."

"Sounds good."

Both Dyla and Darius ran to their bedchambers and emerged within minutes fully dressed.

"Where do we start?" Dyla asked.

"Let's start with Father's study.  If  they're not there, let's check in with Ronal.  Maybe he knows what’s going on."

            "I hope so," Dyla said


  

When is it Too Much of a Good Thing?

Sundays are usually dedicated to something called #samplesunday.  For those of you who aren't on twitter, the hashmark in front of sample sunday helps those who want to read all the posts for a particular topic find them at once. The alternative is going through your main twitter stream which can be daunting if you have a lot of followers.

The idea behind sample sunday was the brainchild of David Wisehart of the Kindle Author blog. The thinking was that if every author posted an excerpt of their novel on the website or blog, then twitter followers could sample a variety of them easily. If the sample intrigued them, it might even result in a sales or two for the author.

This idea has worked very well for the past couple of months, but unfortunately to me, all those #samplesunday tweets and retweets by authors and their friends just seem like spam now.  Every Sunday my main twitter stream is filled with nothing but #samplesunday tweets.

So I've decided to take a few weeks off from #samplesunday.  If anyone happens upon my blog and is interested in reading excerpts from my books, I have a dedicated Sample Sunday Excerpts page up in the top green menu bar.

Happy Reading!

   

#SampleSunday: Can you become invisible?

Today’s excerpt is from the QUEST FOR NOBILITY. The Telkur Duchy is nearly bankrupt. Darius and Dyla Telkur have no choice and have entered the dangerous and grueling Grand Competition. If they win, the winning purse could save their duchy, but that’s the big question.  It’s not only IF they win, it’s IF they can survive the two week competition. Is Éclair Jortac their secret weapon?

Chapter 14 – Movement excerpt:

Dyla moved to the lead for this leg of their trek extending her empathic senses forward, trying to detect any life signs ahead of them.  Eclair followed her and Darius covered the rear.

A few hours into their movement, Dyla stopped suddenly and crouched down along the trail.  Eclair nearly fell over her.  Darius quickly grabbed him, pushed him behind, and moved up to his sister’s side.

“There are people up ahead.  I feel them, their nervousness and eagerness.  Someone is real anxious over the rise, higher to the right,” Dyla whispered in his ear.

Darius motioned Eclair to stay put, and he disappeared to the front.  After a few moments, he was back.

“Move back, they’ve set up an ambush.”

Quickly, the three retraced their steps to a safe distance.  They quietly put their heads together to strategize a new approach to their objective.

Darius looked at Dyla and told her what he had discovered along the trail.  

“There’s a small force laying in ambush about 50 meters along the right side of the trail.  They were moving around and making noise, so they weren’t that hard to see.  I also caught some slight movement on the rise behind them.  There must be their spotter up there to alert them when someone gets close.  If you hadn’t sensed them, that spotter would have seen us and warned the ambush we were coming.  We probably would have walked right into it.  They’re covering that entire section of the trail.  What do you think?”

“We’ll have to backtrack and find another way around,” Dyla replied.

“Why can’t we can go right through them,” Eclair said.

Exasperated, Darius shook his head.

“How do you think we’ll manage that?”

“I’ll make us invisible and we’ll walk right past them.”

Dyla frowned at Eclair.

“That’s not funny.  This is serious.”

“I am serious.  Watch.”

Eclair promptly disappeared.

The twins were transfixed, staring at the spot where Eclair had stood.  A moment later, he reappeared.

“Damn.  How’d you do that?” Darius asked.

“It’s easy.  I bend the light around me and it makes me invisible.  I can do it for all of us.  The range is limited, so we’ll have to walk closely together, but I can hold it long enough to walk through the ambush.”

“Why didn’t you say so before?”

“You didn’t ask me.” 

Dyla smiled broadly.

“Eclair, you never cease to amaze me.  How long can you hold it?” 

“I don’t know.  I’ve only tested it on myself and held it for about 20 minutes.”

“That’s more than enough time.  If you can get us through this, you’ll be well worth all the headaches you’ve caused me,” Darius said. 

As he readied himself, Eclair’s bravado quickly disappeared.  He momentarily blanched at the thought of bending light around all three of them for 20 minutes.  Dyla felt his anxiety level rise and moved to his side to ease his nervousness. 

“Don’t worry, I know you can do this.  I can feel your power.”

Eclair was special.  Whenever she focused on him, she could feel an unfathomable well of power beneath his surface.  That unknown depth of power gave her pause and made her wonder exactly how strong he was.

“Good, it’s settled.  Let’s move,” Darius said.

The trio stood close together, and Eclair extended his power to encompass them.  At first, it was easy, but he soon realized that the constant forward shift of focus, while maintaining enough rearward concentration to cover them all, was taking its toll. 

After a few moments, he was in trouble, but they were already committed.  They had crested the hill and, even at night, they would be in full view of the ambush force if his concentration slipped even a fraction. 

Dyla felt Eclair’s tension growing and his hand on her shoulder began to tighten.  They had agreed to move slowly through the ambush site to minimize the noise, but something was terribly wrong.  She decided to move faster and risk discovery by noise, rather than from exposure should Eclair’s concentration fail. 

Darius also realized something was wrong when their speed increased, but dared not probe Eclair for fear of interrupting his concentration.

Halfway through the ambush site, Eclair was drenched in sweat from the effort.  He was vaguely aware of Dyla’s shoulder beneath his hand and the waves of reassurance he felt emanating from her.  By a supreme effort of will, he continued to move forward, concentrating on his circle, putting one foot in front of the other.  He didn’t know until later that Darius had physically helped him along from behind.  Holding the power was agony and the tension extreme.  His skull was near splitting when they finally stopped moving.

“You can let go now,” Dyla whispered.

            Eclair looked up, released his concentration, and fell back into Darius’s arms, unconsciousness.