Sentinels Of Varnuse 2: Wind Walkers [7]

#7.

The sound of silence is not always the best thing and Crimson even though he was lying on the jungle floors knew this particular silence could only mean bad things—real bad things. It didn’t help that when Nico got hurt it sent Crimson’s own mind into overdrive. As hard as he tried he couldn’t smell what was out there—he knew something was out there—but for the life of him what it was eluded him. Something, or someone, was now sitting and watching. Maybe they were waiting to see what they would do next, or possibly they were waiting for those of them whod been hit to bleed out.

Crimson couldn’t seem to get his eyes to focus, and everything felt wrong. As he heard the worried voices around him he was still trying to work out what could have made the enemy who had attacked do so. Also as the drug seemed to knock Nico out, somehow their mind had linked. Crimson had not only lost the ability to speak and reassure Dominic he was okay. He was numb, if this was death than it wasn’t so bad at all. The pain of his nest mate being harmed had completely left his body, and he now floated above; looking down at the scene on the ground where the other’s worked on his brother’s body. He wasn’t even sure the other’s had even realised he was currently linked to Nico.

Somewhere off in the distance a sound caught his attention. The strong urge to follow it pulled him away from the here and now. Crimson looked back at his travelling companions as he drifted toward the sound calling to him. It seemed as though in a matter of minutes he was above a completely different setting. He quickly realised this was definitely not a place he wanted to linger. Below him, Tondran stood out among the many, yelling orders to move one of the prisoners. Crimson drifted lower knowing he needed to find out what the hell was going on. Something was screaming at him to take notice as if what he was seeing was important.

Crimson’s heart lurched as two bound men were dragged into view. Both were extremely dirty, yet even covered in filth as they were Crimson could see their underlying beauty. He saw the chains bit deep into their flesh as they were staked to the ground arms stretched out so they appeared to be reaching for each other in desperation. Something in Crimson told him this was done on purpose; whoever did this knew if these two men touched then all hell would break loose. Crimson sensed this was some sort of twisted game to Tondran.

As quickly as the realisation came to him Crimson knew what he had to do.

Drifting down until he hovered centimetres above the ground between them. Even though he’d come to the conclusion he couldn’t be seen in this form, both sets of eyes turned toward him with their unspoken request. Taking one of their hands in each of his own, he closed his eyes he let the power flow through him. He felt the way the power met inside him and entwined before heading toward the other person—a whispered ‘thank you’ could be heard as their essence passed through him.

Crimson’s eyes flew open and stared at the man on his left. Dark hair matted with dirt and blood looked so out of place and Crimson knew he if it was clear of tangles it would fall in gentle curls around his face and shoulders. Beautiful golden eyes the colour of the king’s ale stared back at him. Confusion was clearly written on the man’s face. Plump lips swollen more so with being beaten than because they were naturally full, mouthed the word, ‘Who?’

No words of his own would form on his own lips—in this visage he was mute. He smiled sadly at the stranger as he felt his own body calling him back to where he lay in the clearing with his is brother, mate and travelling companions. He shook his head as his fingers touched his own throat indicating he couldn’t talk—he wanted to let the stranger know why he couldn’t answer.

And with the next breath he was gone.

**~*~**

“He’s coming around,” Dominic stated in relief. He couldn’t believe how good it was to see Crimson’s eyes open, even if they weren’t fully focused yet. As everyone had worked on the wounded no one even realised something was wrong with his mate—a tidal wave guilt washed over him. He didn’t have to see the others to know they all felt exactly the same way.

“Don’t move him, Dom.” Nico said. “It would be best to wait for his soul to reconnect with his body.”

Dom nodded letting Nico know he understood. “I wasn’t going to. I just needed to be touching him. I just—”

“Simian.” Crimson whispered before he had even opened his eyes.

Dom heard both Vayne and Arron gasp as the sound of their mate’s name fell from Crimson’s lips. What was Crimson trying to say?

“What?” Arron asked as both men moved closer.

“I saw,” Crimson closed his eyes as if he was trying to grab hold of a dream, his words coming out in short sentences. “I saw Simian staked to the ground near another man. They were the same, yet different. They are family, I think. I bridged the gap between them. I…I,” confusion and pain filled his eyes.

“What did you see?” Vayne demanded and Dominic growled at the man’s tone of voice.

Crimson pushed himself up and spoke. “Tondran,” Dominic tried to hold him still, but his mate moved until he could look at them all. “I don’t know how I saw what I did, but he’s getting ready to move Simian again. I was right,”—he frowned at Vayne—“they’re headed towards the altar at Mount Varnuse’. I just don’t think that’s their final destination. I kind of got the feeling Tondran doesn’t even know who he has. When I bridged the gap I think I set in motion things he isn’t prepared for. We need to rescue Simian and his fellow prisoner as soon as we can.”

Vayne looked very frustrated as he asked in a less demanding voice than he had earlier. “Do you know where they’ll be, or which way we’ll need to go?”

“Yes, whatever passed through me is now like my own personal homing beacon. The closer I get to them, the easier it will be to follow. Somehow I know whatever it was that fought off the ones who attacked us, was a manifestation sent by the two men. They were sent here to save you and Arron. Simian was saving both his mates.”

Dominic spoke up before Vayne could ask any more questions. “Who’s the other prisoner? The one who was with Simian.”

“His name is Raevyn Blue. I think he’s our mate.”

Shock flashed through Dominic. One second he was holding his mate and the next darkness had claimed him.

Release Day ~ Running Into Zero Tolerance

OUT NOW - EXPERIMENTALS 2

BUY LINK

BLURB:

When there’s nowhere left to run—prey you find Zero Tolerance to keep you safe.

While searching for his missing brother Linc O’Hare stumbles across his mate and willingly gets kidnapped to save a man whose name he doesn’t even know. Having his mate live a life of slavery is not on Linc’s to-do list, and he plans to rectify the situation.

Gideon Church knows no other life than the hell he’s been living. Escaping with Linc is the best day of his life—until he realises his whole life has been a lie. With the help of Linc and the inhabitants of Zero Tolerance will Gideon be able to separate the lies from the truth and figure out just who he really is.

Em's Turn

Four more 

for your enjoyment...

Updates & John Marsden

Seriously I have been so fricken busy of late that I haven't even had time to scratch myself... I guess everyone associated with blogger has gotten the erotic nudity email from the company by now. My blog is probably not going to be effected by this at all seeing as I have little to no nudity on show.

In my down time I have been reading the young adult series...the Tomorrow series by John Marsden... I'm up to book 5 in the series and they have been bloody awesome... they are so worth the read so if you haven't already done so make the time to give them a go—you won't regret it.

Somewhere out there Ellie and her friends are hiding.

They're shocked, they're frightened, they're alone. Their world has changed, with the speed of a slamming door. They've got no weapons—except courage. They've got no help—except themselves. They've got nothing—except friendship. How strong can you be, when the world is full of people trying to kill you?

Hell is still the safest place on earth. When you've run out of choices, you've only got yourself. As war rages, as the enemy closes in, as Ellie and her friends fight for their lives, they are left with nothing. Nothing but courage, spirit and pride.

Live what you believe in... die fighting for it. The third day comes a frost... a killing frost. The enemy spreads across the land, cold and relentless. They invade. They destroy. They kill. Only the heroism of Ellie and her friends can stop them. When hot courage meets icy death, who will win through?

Nowhere to run; one place left to hide. You're running from bullets through the streets of your own town.  our life's on the line and no-one's there to help. What's happened? When did safety turn to fear, peace turn to war, happiness turn to panic? When did your normal day become a nightmare? Ellie and her friends struggle with the biggest questions life can offer

The world is in flames... You look behind—there's nothing but smoke. Ahead of you the future has just burst into flames. Your life is on fire. The world's an inferno. You're burning... with passion and fear, with love and rage. You're burning for revenge.

Hunting and being hunted. Sometimes life seems to offer nothing more than a chase to the death. The fight to survive has never been fiercer. But as they wage war, Ellie and her friends still find time for other things: friendship... loyalty... even Christmas. If only they can withstand another night.

Daylight couldn't be far away, and if they hadn't found me by then, it wouldn't take long once the sun came up. The drops of blood would be a dead give-away. Dead in every sense of the word. With a roar like a train in a tunnel, the war enters its final days. Ellie has to be on that train. There's no more sitting around, no more waiting. There's only fast decisions, fast action, fast thinking. And she'd better get it right. With all their being, Ellie and her friends want to stay alive. But there's a war out there. And it has to be won. The end is here...

"We were halfway up the spur when we heard it. Homer and Gavin and I, just the three of us... I'd say there were fifteen shots in the first volley, evenly spaced, lasting about twenty-five seconds... All the way down the spur I'd heard the scattered shots, getting closer as I got closer, and all the way down I tried to think of reasonable explanations for them, and I couldn't think of a single thing that made sense."

The town of Wirrawee is emerging from war, slowly, like a flower after a cold snap. Businesses are starting to reopen, the school has re-commenced classes, and local farmers are gradually repossessing their land. But it's not the same Australia as before the war. A new nation exists just a few miles away, a new border that separates Australia from its invaders. Or does it?

For Ellie Linton, being back on the farm with her parents is what makes the terrible things that happened during the war—the things she, Homer, Lee, Fi and the others had to do—all worthwhile. It's where she belongs.

But the war won't let her go. A devastating tragedy has shattered any hope she ever had to reclaim her life, or herself. It's a new kind of fight. And the enemy isn't always from the other side of the border.

"I held my line. I knew from the war, if not from shooting rabbits, that we were safe enough for the first moments. It is too impossible to hit a target like us from a helicopter that's rocking and rolling and trying to find its target. But maybe this guy had new equipment or maybe he was a brilliant shot or maybe he was just plain lucky. Bullet holes tore through the ute like a huge metal-punch was suddenly and roughly slamming a simultaneous line of them from our rear to our front."

Ellie has struggled to put the war behind her and lead a normal life. Although what's normal about your parents having been murdered; trying to run a farm and go to school; and bringing up a young boy who's hiding terrible secrets about his past?

"You jam on the brakes and stop the ute right at your front door. You jump out. Not for the first time you run into a house that could be full of guns, with death waiting for you. You don't even think of that until you're crossing the threshold... You already know what you're going to find. Underneath the fear and horror and panic there's a cold realisation that Gavin's body will be somewhere in the house. You can picture what those bullets will have done to his little body."

It is a time of profound change for Ellie Linton. Enemies are everywhere. Some come crawling over the hills; others drive in and knock on the front door. Sometimes her friends are there and sometimes they are not. Ellie fights every inch of the way. But when courage and imagination are not enough, when she is trapped and helpless, Ellie must face the end of life as she knows it... standing alone, sustained only by her own strength.

Cover Reveal!!!

Created by the amazing

Tracey Soxie Weston

Updates!!!

Today I am...

I'm doing 1st edits on Storming Love: Floods ~ Adrian & Lockie... I need to send it back to the wonderful Kris J [MLR] today at some stage.

I'm also in the middle of Galley on The Diamond Rose 1: Gateway to Kalethia... I have to get that back to the amazing Kathy K [FP] today. 

I also have a beautiful cover for TDR1: GTK done by the talented Tracey Soxie Weston, and I'm now waiting permission to share it with you all.

I also have beta edits from James A on part of The Lines Of Marsden 3: You Make Me Die In Pieces [MLR]. They'll have to wait until tomorrow, but I will get them done as soon as possible.

Cyclone Marcia & Other Things

Okay, the news at the moment is Cyclone Marcia is going to make landfall between Yepoon and Rockhampton in the early hours of tomorrow morning before making it's way toward where I live. It's looks like a long way from where my home is situated, but it's predicted Toowoomba will get between 100—200 ml of rain, which will probably mean I will more than likely be flooded in again... Not to worry I live in an area where the water can't reach (hopefully) but it does cut off road access. Good news is if it gets bad my hubs and son (who will at school tomorrow) will have somewhere to stay should we get a flood. Emily lives in Toowoomba, but Uni Village is in an area that shouldn't flood.

Other News:

1.  I had the worst night sleep ever... I don't know whether it was because I had new story ideas flooding my mind while I was trying to sleep, or if I was just having weird-arse dreams—and believe me they were weird as hell. Mind you I did write notes down each and every time I woke up. Once I figure out what the hell my brain was trying to tell me I will share it with you all.
2. I'm also very close to be able to show you  new cover art by Tracey Soxie Weston for The Diamond Rose 1: Gateway To Kalethia... and I want to warn you all it is absolutely beautiful.
3. I've been chatting with Erica Pike and it looks like we will be getting ready t set up for the next Hop Against Homophobia & Transphobia—we'll be giving a shout out for the sign up soon... so keep watching both the HAHAT Blog and the HAHAT Community Facebook Page.
4. The Lines Of Marsden 3: You Make Me Die In Pieces is still coming along... and that's all I'm going to say about that.
5. I'm thinking of writing something M/F just to see if I can do it—This is what I'm thinking about calling the series Quade's Crossing and the first book will be called Meghan's Way. Mind you a couple of books in the series will be M/M—so basically wondering what readers think of a M/F and M/M mixed series?