And We Have Some Winners!

Well the BIG ONE
Across the Veil!
Congrats to Lisa Kessler on her fabulous story.  


Now Winners of Simon and Schusters Book Giveaway


This Weeks
Benita   From Ca


Last Week
Mike Shields   From Ca

Paranormal Fight Club Stats Thus Far

Elemental Rain has 40 Votes Across the Veil has 67 Votes

Fight Clubber Lisa Kessler's Interview with Angie Fox

With a degree in Journalism and a background in television news, when did you decide you wanted to write about Demons and Biker Witches?

Well, I've always loved to read, and write - so writing a book of my own was a natural transition for me. As for demon slayers and biker witches? I figured if I'm going to write a whole book, I might as well have a lot of fun doing it.

The Accidental Demon Slayer, which is the first book in the series, started off as a kernel of an idea that amused me. What if a straight-laced preschool teacher suddenly learns she's a demon slayer? And what if she has to learn about her powers while on the run from a nasty, fifth level demon? And wouldn't it be interesting if she's running with her long-lost Grandma's gang of geriatric biker witches?

I started writing and let the story evolve based on the characters and that central issue of what happens when a reluctant heroine is thrust into a series of extraordinary situations. And I knew the story was working when I couldn’t wait to get back to the keyboard every day.

Most authors publish many books before they reach the New York Times Bestseller list.  Besides writing a fun, cutting edge paranormal, what else do you attribute to reaching this achievement so quickly?


I was incredibly lucky to have found an amazing readership. Seriously, my readers are some of the most fun, interesting, kick-butt people you'll ever want to meet. They're also quite insistent about recommending my books to their friends, book club buddies and even strangers they "meet" in the bookstore. (Some of those bookstore stories crack me up). In short, I owe it all to my readers and I couldn't be more impressed or grateful.

What can readers expect from future Demon Slayer books?  Is there new territory you're aching to cover?


The main thrust of the new books is that Lizzie has come into her own as a demon slayer. That doesn't mean there aren't a lot of surprises along the way, but she really is steeling herself for the final battle ahead. I've always had a very specific direction that I wanted to take with this series, and I've always known it would take five books to complete the story arc.


That said, there have been a lot of surprises. Like Pirate, the dog. Readers familiar with my work know that Pirate wasn't even a planned character - he just showed up in the beginning of the first book. Stubborn dog. In the second chapter, when Lizzie learns she's a demon slayer and there are some very scary, very angry creatures on her tail, she takes comfort in her dog. As I was writing, I thought, "This is a sweet moment. How do I throw her off?"


I made the dog say something ot her. Nothing big. After all, he's only after the fettuccine from last week. And he knows exactly where Lizzie can find it (back of the fridge, to the left of the lettuce crisper, behind the mustard). It tickled me, so I did it. Thanks to her unholy powers, Lizzie can now understand her smart-mouthed Jack Russell Terrier.


And he's been evolving ever since. I was going to try and keep him quiet in A Tale of Two Demon Sayers (book 3). After all, he did have a bit too much fun in The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers (book 2). But then in Book 3, Lizzie finds this dragon egg and it hatches and suddenly Pirate thinks he has a pet. Lizzie tries to explain to the dog that he can't have a pet. He is a pet. But Pirate schemes to keep the dragon and suddenly I have this new dragon character on my hands and a dog that doesn't want to give him up. In the end, Pirate won - he got to keep his pet (who incidentally ended up playing a nice role in the finale of the book) and I suddenly have a new character. So while I plan the overall story plots and character threads, the dog always manages to surprise me.

You've got 3 Accidental Demon Slayer books so far...  How many books do you see being in the series?


There will be five books total in the Accidental Demon Slayer series. The book that is coming out in January 2010, called A Tale of Two Demon Slayers, is the keystone book in the series. That's where our accidental demon slayer, Lizzie, comes into her powers and accepts who she is going to have to become in order to master the demons she'll face in the final confrontation (books 4 and 5). I'm writing book 4 right now, which I'm calling The Last of the Demon Slayers. Titles do change, though, so we'll see if that one sticks. The final two books will come out in 2011.


Oh and incidentally, I have this pet peeve as a reader. It drives me crazy when I pick up a cool book and then find out it's book 7 in some series and I'm hopelessly lost. Each of my books is a complete story and can be read as a stand-alone.

Tell us about your favorite reader email ever...


I suppose the award has to go to intrepid reader Marcie, who named her new Jack Russell puppy after Pirate and then proceeded to tell me that her Pirate ate her autographed copy of The Accidental Demon Slayer. Oh, the irony.

Lastly, what is the best piece of advice you ever received before your first book was published?

Make the story big. I had an agent tell me that if I wanted to sell, my characters had to take bigger chances, have more to risk and lose. It’s easy to say, but a hard thing for a writer to do. It’s a vulnerable, risky place to be. I knew The Accidental Demon Slayer was big enough when instead of ending my writing sessions thinking, “I hope that’s good enough to impress an editor.” I ended them thinking, “No. I didn’t not just write that. I did not just make my character defend herself with a toilet brush and a can of Purple Prairie Clover air freshener.”

--
Angie Fox
New York Times bestselling author
THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR DEMON SLAYERS - just released!
www.angiefox.com


Are You Part Demon Slayer?
Find out at: http://quiz.angiefox.com/dangerous-demon-slayer-book/

Don't Miss Lisa's Story Across the Veil here on Romance in the Backseat

Across the Veil - Part Four

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

“Braitheann sí.” Faldo growled as he stepped inside Talia’s trailer, pointing an accusatory finger at them. “Betrayer.” Faldo tipped his head toward the Sentinel. “Take her back to Summerland. The High Council can decide her fate.”

As the Sentinel stepped forward Keth leapt to his feet. “You will have to kill me first.”

“With pleasure.” Faldo’s mouth twisted into a sick smile. “I have waited all my life for this.”

Keth raised a brow. “No vampires to fight your battle for you this time?”

“Vampires?” Talia got up to stand beside him. “Vampires aren’t real.”

Keth shook his head. “Just because you haven’t seen one, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I can assure you they’re very real. My dear brother has been sending them to attack me regularly since I crossed the veil.”

Faldo shoved the Sentinel. “Enough talk. Seize her.”

The hulking troll lumbered forward, but Keth dodged his big hand. He lunged forward and hit the creature’s knees. The sentinel waved his arms before toppling over, shaking the entire trailer with the force of his fall. Putrid breath expelled from the Sentinel’s lips as Keth sprang back to his feet.

“Let’s finish this, Brother,” Keth growled. “Just you and me.”

Faldo’s smirk spread and he flicked his gaze toward Talia. Before Keth could react, his brother had her by the throat. “Stay back or I will kill her.”

Talia’s blue eyes met his, but Keth didn’t see fear, instead Talia’s stare burned with determination. She had a plan, so he stalled for time. “Why do you want to crush such a precious flower? Talia has always been yours, Faldo, and you have never deserved her.”

Faldo’s face flushed red. He grabbed her forearm and jerked it up, exposing the vine that matched Keth’s wrist. “She has never been mine. You saw to that when you claimed her for yourself…”

His words ended abruptly when Talia jammed her knee into his groin. His face paled as he bent over in pain. She slammed the heel of her palm into his nose and followed it by bringing her elbow down between his shoulder blades. Faldo crumpled onto her carpet face-first, blood trickling from his nose.

“I don’t belong to anyone,” she huffed. “I’m not a sack of grain or a pretty piece of jewelry.”

Keth started to smile, but from the corner of his eye he saw something moving. His smile faded when he realized the Sentinel was lumbering to his feet.

“Get behind me, Talia.”

She did as he asked and he steadied himself into a fighting stance, ready to counter the creature’s next move. While they circled each other, Talia suddenly ran past him and looped a large metal ringed belt around the Sentinel.

“Diúltach,” she commanded, but the Sentinel kept swiping at her with his large hands. She dodged and glanced at Keth. “My magic never works right on this side of the veil.”

“Diúltach,” Keth growled. “I am your master now.” The Sentinel quieted, his arms lowering to his sides. “You have to combine our magic with human commands. The spell isn’t as strong, but I can usually count on it to work.” He looked over at his unconscious older brother, and then smiled at Talia. “When did you learn to fight?”

She pulled her robe tighter and lifted her chin. “I’m not a little princess anymore. I’ve taken self-defense classes. I can take care of myself.”

He raised a brow and nodded. “I can see that.”

“So what should we do with him now?” She pointed at Faldo. “We can’t just leave him here for the humans to find.”

Keth raked his fingers back through his hair. “We can’t let him live. He’ll never stop hunting us.”

“Are you suggesting we kill him?”

Keth mulled over the thought. Cruelty was Faldo’s specialty. Even before he found Keth and Talia at the lake, Faldo took pleasure in tormenting his younger brother. While Faldo’s physical features favored the light, his soul echoed with bitter darkness. The world would be better off without Faldo in it. Keth turned to grab the stake from his coat, but Talia caught his arm. The gentle softness of her touch pulled him back from his dark thoughts.

Her eyes met his. “We can’t kill him, Keth. If you let darkness win, then your soul will be just as empty as your brother’s.”

“Do you have a better plan? He won’t stop, Talia. Now that he knows where you are, he will send his vampires to call on you too. They lust for Fae blood. They’ll be happy to do his bidding.”

Talia glanced over at Faldo, then back up at Keth. “I have another costume prop with iron in it. We can restrain him and take him back across the veil. The High Council can decide his fate.”

“Why would the council believe us over him?”

Talia straightened up, her glamour lighting up her flawless skin as her eyes twinkled up at him. Even wrapped in her robe she looked every bit the regal faerie princess. He couldn’t help but smile.

“They’ll believe us because I am Talia, Princess of the Light, and I have returned home.”

He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a slow, lingering kiss to her skin. “We have both been gone from Summerland for five human years; time passes differently there, remember? The kingdom may not be the same.”

“I guess we’ll find out.” She gave his hand a little tug as she rose up on her tiptoes to kiss his lips. No flower on earth smelled as sweet and Talia’s skin.

He tugged Faldo’s arms back behind him as Talia emerged with another belt with iron links. He wrapped the belt around Faldo’s wrists, pulling them tight together. Faldo groaned, but didn’t struggle.

Once Talia was dressed, he yanked Faldo to his feet. “Come brother. It looks like we’ll be going to see the High Council after all.”

Without incident, they made their way off the movie set and out into the arid Arizona desert wind. Keth jerked Faldo to a stop and waited for Talia and the Sentinel to approach. With Talia at his side, he closed his eyes and opened his soul to Summerland’s magic. Cool air, rich with the scent of springtime, whipped through his hair as he chanted, “Osclaíodh sé geata. Open the gate, lift the veil.”

Talia added her voice to the plea. Crossing the veil wasn’t like a spell. It required the veil to welcome you. That was probably part of the reason Faldo sent vampires to attack him. The undead were part of the world of man. Faldo could bribe them with magic or jewels or even the enticement of Fae blood, without ever crossing through the veil himself.

The air around them charged with frantic energy as the desert warped and the color faded. Then as suddenly as the change began, they were back home. Keth frowned, his green eyes narrowing as he took in the stark countryside. Clouds blocked the sun and the lush green grass was withered. All of Summerland was gray.

“What’s happened?” Talia gasped.

Faldo let out a bitter laugh. “Welcome back.”

***

When they reached Talia’s home, the castle no longer sparkled. The stone was dull and cold. Her eyes welled with tears. “I don’t understand.”

Keth took her hand and led her inside, his brow furrowed. How many years had passed since they left? How could the magic of Summerland be lost? The air no longer carried the scent of spring flowers, instead the stale odor of dust and mildew stung his nostrils.

When they reached the chamber of the High Council, Talia gasped. Up on the throne sat the withered bodies of her parents. The king and queen stared blankly ahead; unaware that Talia was in the room. Tears streamed down her face as she knelt between them.

“What have you done?” Keth whispered.

Faldo smirked. “This is all your doing.”

“I had no part in this.”

“You took what was rightfully mine. It was within my right to demand justice.”

Keth’s brow furrowed as he gripped Faldo’s arm tighter. “You call this justice?”

“Justice comes at a high price. After our parents were dead, I had to offer the vampires more Fae blood.”

The world tilted and his legs went weak. “Our parents…”

“Are dead,” Faldo finished.

Keth looked up at Talia kissing the hands of her parents, and the realization that he would never see his parents again hit him squarely in the chest. All the years of rage and hatred burned through Keth’s veins like an inferno as he tackled his older brother, knocking him to the ground. Faldo erupted with maniacal laughter as Keth pummeled his unprotected face.

“Yes, kill me brother. Finish off the world of magic. Replace it with darkness and hate and retribution. Finish it for me. Kill me.”

Keth stopped punching and clamped his hands around Faldo’s neck, squeezing until his brother was silent. He watched Faldo’s eyes bulge as he struggled instinctively for breath.

The sound of Talia’s scream shattered the darkness that embraced him.

Keth let go of his brother and winced. Searing hot pain flared through his head. Talia’s hands covered her face as she wept, and Keth forced his legs to move through the pain. He had to help her. Blood oozed down his forehead when he finally reached her side.

“It hurts,” she gasped as he pulled her into his arms, clenching his jaw to keep from crying out. His vision clouded and for a moment he almost welcomed unconsciousness. He kissed her hair and whispered, “I am so sorry, Talia. An aimsir láithreach.”

“I love you too,” she sobbed.

He closed his eyes, and whispered a heartfelt plea to the Lady of the Lake. “Take me. Let Talia live. Please. Take me in her place.”

Talia clung to him. She always fit so perfectly in his arms, like he was born to hold her. As he drifted away, a smile warmed his lips. He’d finally come home.

“Keth?”

Her voice sounded distant. He tried to answer her, but he couldn’t move. Her fingers slid through his hair, soothing the fiery ache. Gradually he took air into his lungs, savoring the sweet taste until his eyes fluttered open. He stared up at Talia, dazed by the glow of her red hair. As his vision cleared, he realized streaks of green now flowed through her mane, and around her head a tattoo vine appeared green with life. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t find the words.

Talia traced her fingertips along his forehead as she bent to kiss him. “You have one too,” she whispered. “Summerland has made you my king.”

Keth sat up, his jaw dropping as he took in the flowers that surrounded them. The High Council chamber sparkled with magic and glory once again. He spun around toward his brother, only to find a twisted oak tree in his place. The Sentinel blinked, rubbing his head and wandered out of the room.

“Kethian of the Gollan Clan, please rise.”

Keth blinked. How long had it been since someone referred to him by his full name? He gave Talia’s hand a squeeze and rose to his feet. The king was no longer a shriveled husk. His long silver hair shimmered around him and his eyes twinkled with magic.

“Summerland herself has chosen you for our daughter. By offering your life for hers, you have brought the Light back to our world.” The King rose and helped his daughter to her feet. He brought their hands together and looked at each of them. “Magic grows from love, may both bloom in your lives.”

Keth’s eyes shined with emotion as he stared down at Talia. After a lifetime of longing, they were finally together, no more hiding or pretending.

“I love you,” he whispered, and without hesitation, before all of Summerland, he kissed her.

Elemental Rain Part 4

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

If he thought she was going to wear this, he had another thing coming! How on earth did he expect her to hide all her hair under that little wig? And the outfit! Where did he find it, Sailors R’ Us?

Before she made it close to the door, she heard a knock, and then it flung open as Jake stormed in.

“Don’t you knock?

“I knocked. I see you’re not ready yet. I don’t care what issues you have with the outfit. There are spies all over this damn town lookin’ for you. They’re lookin’ for your dark hair and Victorian-style clothin’. This drastic change might not be comfortable or desirable for you, but it will keep you safe a little longer than you wanderin’ out of here dressed like that.”

Well that stole her thunder, leaving her speechless.

“We don’t have all day, Lily. I need to get you out of here, so you need to get dressed now. We’re leavin’ in 10 minutes, so be ready. If you aren’t, I’m pickin’ you up and carryin’ you out as is,” and then he stormed out, pulling the door shut behind him.

As infuriating as he was, he was right. She dressed as quickly as possible, after she took a shower. She needed to clean up after last night, but she also needed to wet her hair, so it would fit under the small wig easier.

Twenty minutes after Jake stormed out of the room, all three of them left Millie’s and headed for the wharf, where they would meet the makeshift army Jake had at his disposal. They headed for the Green Dragon.

As they walked, Lily asked him the one question he didn’t want to answer, “What happened to you, Jake, after you left the States?”

He exhaled a deep breath before answering, “Well, my father came over and fought to get me released. It didn’t work as we had hoped. I was forced to serve the term, but two years later, I was released. I was never sure why, but I had heard rumors that someone had argued quite well in my defense, but I have no idea who it was. They didn’t want me to know who they were.”

“So why didn’t you come back then?”

“Ah, Lily. Those two years were hard. I was so messed up by the time I got out, that I needed to purge the demons before I could even think about you. By the time I was ready to face what I had done, too much time had passed. Plus, I heard that you were getting’ married, so I stayed away.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Your mother.”

“When did you talk to my mother?”

“I didn’t. I wrote you a letter and she responded.”

Without warning, Lily stopped in her tracks and began pacing back and forth across the alley they were walking in, muffled screams of anger escaping from her. Finally, she stopped directly in front of Jake, and looked in his eyes as she spoke, “I want to kill her. I never saw your letter and I never told her to respond! What did she say to you?”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Jake said, looking away from Lily.

“Yes, it does, Jake. Please, tell me what she said!”

Tipping his head back, taking a deep breath and looking up to the sky as if in prayer before leveling his head again, he spoke, “She told me that you had put everythin’ behind you and that you found a nice man to marry. She also told me that you wanted nothin’ to do with me.”

As she looked at him, he could see the tears running down her cheeks. “I never told her any of that, and I sure hadn’t put anything behind me by then. It was next to impossible. Did she say who I was supposed to marry?”

“Yes.”

“What name did she give you?”

“She said his name was Blaine Delhomme and that he was rich and that you would be well taken care of.”

“Blaine? She told you I was marrying Blaine?”

“Yes, she did.”

Shaking her head, Lily turned away from him then and went to pound on the nearest wall, forgetting their situation and screamed.

Jake walked over to her then, stood behind her, wrapped his arms around her. “What is it, darlin’? What’s upset you so much? What haven’t you told me?”

She turned to him then and cried. Even though they were pressed for time, he stood there held her tight, and let her get it out. He knew that if nothing else, this was a long time coming.

After a short time, she pulled away from him, wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her shirt, and finally answered him, “I was never going to marry Blaine. I even told him and my parents that.”

“Ok, but what aren’t you tellin’ me?”

She exhaled to steady herself, “I’ll tell you, but I need to ask you some questions first.”

“Ok. What?”

“When did you send me the letter?”

“I sent it in March about five years ago.”

“When did she send you her reply letter?”

“Does it really matter?”

“It might. Please, I need to know.”

“Let’s see, it was durin’ May I received it that same year. It had to be May because she made references to you bein’ a June bride and it wasn’t June yet.”

“I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around how cruel she really is. She knew the truth and she lied to you.”

“What do you mean?”

“She knew when she wrote you that letter that I was in love with you, because I still trusted her as my mother, and told her as much. She must have known that you would return if you ever knew and she did whatever she had to, to keep us apart. She must have known all along about what I was and that you were my protector! But why would she ask you to stay with us if she knew about our connection?”

“It makes sense. Keep friends close, but your enemies closer. It was a smart move. It gave them an edge to know what my schedule was supposed to be, but their plan backfired on them. That’s why we can’t dawdle here any longer, Lily. They’ve got to be pretty angry and out for blood. So we need to put all this aside, for now. We can come back to it later if you need to, I promise. For now, we need to go.”

“Ok, I’m ready,” she said as she turned and began walking down the alley again.

“Um, darlin’,” he called.

“What,” she asked as she stopped and looked at him over her shoulder.

“You’re goin’ the wrong way.”

Looking down at her feet as she turned towards him so that he couldn’t see her turn ten shades of red she replied, “Oh.”

They walked the rest of the way in silence and luck was on their side because the trip was uneventful.

But maybe it was just Millie.

********

The wharf was clean and beautiful. Piers that snaked out to schooners of different sizes and other types of merchant ships lined the blue water’s shore. The sun was setting, the clouds dispersing the rays into all sorts of different colors. Amethyst stretched across sky, turning day into night.

The Green Dragon was aptly named. A huge, green dragon’s head adorned the front of the building, the entrance a big green, scaly mouth. Patrons walked through the dragon’s mouth on its tongue, down it’s throat, and down into the belly of the beast to the party. It was adorned in all sorts of treasure one could imagine being in a dragon’s treasure trove.

The smell of roasting and smoking meats as well as clove, citrus and molasses from craft beer pervaded the air, evoking growls from stomachs of the patrons, including the owner and his guests.

“Hey Jake!”

“Hey Clancy,” Jake replied to the bartender, “I need three dinner platters delivered to my table, please.”

“Sure, boss. What kind?”

“One of each.”

“Yes sir,” Clancy replied, going to the computer to input the order.

“And make it quick, please. We’re pressed for time.”

“Way ahead of you there, sir, I put a rush order on it.”

“Thanks Clancy!”

Jake led them to a table in an alcove that was separate from the rest of the patrons.

“This is a neat place,” Lily said, admiring the surroundings, “do you always eat in rooms like this?”

“Usually, yes. People tend to get nervous when they know I’m in the place, so I try to keep as low a profile as possible.”

“Oh, like that guy calling you, ‘boss,’ helps you keep a low profile?”

Jake shrugged.

She just shook her head and smiled.

The bartender brought over three waters and a shaker glass filled with a dark liquid topped with tan foam.

“What can I get you two ladies to drink?”

“I’ll just have some tea,” Millie replied.

“Hot or iced?”

“Iced, please.”

“Ok, and for you,” he asked, looking at Lily.

“I’ll stick with the water for now.”

“Very good,” Clancy nodded as he left the alcove to fetch Millie’s tea.

A few seconds later, he returned with Millie’s tea and about five minutes after that, a kitchen worker brought the three platters of roast meats, smoked meats and cheeses, a platter of grilled vegetables, another of baked potatoes wrapped in foil and a plate full of grilled Texas toast. They feasted in quiet enjoyment, nervous smiles telling each other more than they could ever say in words.

Millie merely watched the exchange, smiling to herself.

After the meal was over, Millie and Lily used the facilities while Jake settled the bill. The women returned to the table and sat waited, wondering when these friends of Jake’s would show.

Soon, there was some sort of commotion in the bar. A bunch of rowdy men in leather had arrived.

“Aye,” someone bellowed in thick Scottish, “where you be at, laddie? We’re here as requested, now be a good lad and show yerself!”

“Angus, you old sot! How are ya,” Lily heard Jake reply from across the room, just as boisterous.

“In better shape than you, I gather!”

“How do ya, figure that,” Jake asked, his Irish brogue becoming more pronounced.

“Well, I’m not the one makin’ the call now, am I?”

“Aye, true enough, true enough. How many will be showing?”

“Ya should know better than to ask that question, lad. All of us, of course!”

“That’s good. When can I expect the rest of them?”

“Within the next couple of hours, I should think. That fancy jet of yers sure helped matters along, me friend.”

“Glad for that, Angus. I appreciate this, I really do.”

“That’s what the Order’s for. We stand by each other.”

“I know, Angus, but this isn’t really for me. It’s for Lily.”

“Yes, but aren’t ye her Protector?”

“How in blazes would ya know that?”

“Lad, we recognize our own. Now that ye know what yer path is, I can start trainin’ ye properly. That’s the only reason we let you in the order, ye know. We all recognized the protective nature, even if ye didn’t. We just kept a few details until the time was right. Now, the time is right, but I’m not the one to be fillin’ ye in. That’s Athos’ job, not mine.”

“Athos? The musketeer?”

“Yes!”

“But he’s dead.”

“That’s what everyone was meant to think, but I suppose I should explain, so ye aren’t so confused.”

“What, Angus?”

“Protectors are immortal.”

“Immortal?”

“Yes. Just for the record, the phrase ‘all for one and one for all!’ originated with The Order.”

“The Order?”

“The Immortal Order of Protectors.”

“Bloody hell!”

“You’ll appreciate that status in battle,” a gruff voice bellowed.

“Porthos! Ye pirate! How ye be?”

“Ready for a fight, Angus!”

The Final Fronteer

Who will boldly go into the final round?


Elemental Rain
vs
Across the Veil


A rematch from Round 1


Don't miss the thrilling final match up!

Scores - Last Chance to Vote

Here are the scores so far going into the last hours of voting - I apologize for the lost hours - having the flu stinks.

Charged - 32

vs

Elemental Rain - 40

Forbidden - 24

vs

Across the Veil - 42

Voting closes at 6pm EST today.

Thanks everybody for coming and don't miss the thrilling conclusion. 

Terry Kate

Charged Part Three

“Hello. Watch where you’re going,” Dakota said, colliding with what felt like a tree trunk. She reached out to steady herself and turned.
A pale, white face stared down at her, but it belonged to the two most brilliant brown eyes she’d ever seen. They looked like pools of dark chocolate.
“In a hurry?” the guy asked.
Long dark locks of hair spilled forward as he leaned toward her. What was up with everyone being so tall? She instantly despised her tiny five-foot-three status.
She batted strands of hair off her forehead, glad, for once, for the windowless hallways leading from the workout room. She would have cleaned up more had she known she’d be running into Mr. GQ. Oh, and nice-smelling GQ. Was that Envy cologne tickling her nostrils?
“Dakota Summers?” The guy held up an index card.
“Yeah?” She stepped back, fighting with her constricting lungs to catch a breath.
“Mr. Smith sent me here to find you. I’m—.” He looked side-to-side then smiled. “I’m new here. He said you’d show me around?”
Her brain turned to mush. “I’ll whaa—?”
His gaze shifted beyond her then to the index card in his hand.
“Oh. New student. New . . . .” Finally the synapses started firing. New to the team. Meaning, new powers. New everything.
Duh. She probably looked like a pretty impressive mentor-type right then.
She’d stayed up way too late with Sean the previous night. How she refused his offer to go to his room, she didn’t know, but she was glad she did. Maybe it was a good thing she had because Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome looked mighty—
“Hey, Red, you okay?”
“Red?”
He pointed his forefinger toward her head. “Yeah, the hair . . . sorry it’s a habit. I give nicknames to pretty—well, I just give people nicknames.”
She tugged at her stringy locks. “Oh. The hair. I get it. Um. Let’s get out of here.”
She stepped around him and plowed down the hall, thankful for the dim lighting. For as much as they burned, she could only imagine how bright her cheeks were.
She cranked the stairwell door open. Metal slamming against metal echoed as she made her way up the stairs with Mr. I-could-melt-in-your-arms newbie close behind. “Okay, so I didn’t catch your name.”
He coughed. “Name? Oh, it’s Tom.”
“Where are you from?” She glanced up. One more flight to ground level.
The lights flickered out.
“Whoa!” Tom said.
“Don’t move.” She reached behind her and sent a little charge of electricity to her fingers. “See my hand?”
“Wow. I do.”
“Grab it.”
“Won’t that hurt? That’s electricity.”
“Only if I want it to hurt. Just grab it. I have to keep my bearings.”
His fingers met hers, and she shut off her electrical charge. Or at least she thought she did. Her skin still tingled where he touched it.
Okay, that’s new.
“What’s happening?”
“Probably nothing. Stay still.” Dakota squeezed his hand, suddenly worried for his safety. “So, what’s your power? How long have you had it?”
A muffled scream erupted. Maybe it came from the floor above them?
“No. It came from behind us.”
“Oh great. Another mind reader.”
“Another one?”
“Forget it.” She tightened her grip around his fingers then lit up her other hand. Her body brushed against his as she made her way down the stairs. “Come on, Tom. Let’s see what you’re made of. Stay close. I’ll keep you safe.”
Too bad his power wasn’t strength or fire or something lethal like that. All she knew was that she needed to protect him.
Dakota creaked open the stairwell door and peeked out, but something hard crashed against the side of her face. She released Tom’s hand and spun, then ducked and kicked. Her foot collided with whatever had just smacked her. A knee maybe? She lit up her fingers and reached for the attacker, but Tom stepped in and wrapped his large hand around the demon’s neck.
His digits glowed as did his eyes, and the demon vaporized. Not even a burst of dust like usual. The next second, his eyes and hand returned to normal. He looked at Dakota and offered her the hand he’d just used to kill the demon to help her up.
“Nice trick!” She let him pull her to her feet. “You’re gonna come in handy.”
The light radiating from her charge reflected his teeth as he smiled. “That’s the idea.”
Tom took lead, still holding Dakota’s hand. Her throat had gone dry. All the moisture in her mouth somehow ended up in her palms.
Mental blocks up! He’d probably heard her thoughts about his looks earlier. And how good he smelled. And then the chocolate comment.
“Get off her,” a muffled voice said from a distance.
A grunt followed, then the clap of a hand hitting flesh. Dakota pointed to the right side of the dark hallway. Athletic Trainers’ room. She glanced at Tom. The light from her hand outlined his clenched jaw and glistening forehead. Poor guy. Just got to the school and already thrown into battle.
“It’s okay. I’m ready.” He squeezed her hand.
So much for her mental blocks. She was going to have to talk to him about that mind reading thing. She snuffed out her light and stepped into the room. A hiss sounded to her left and the unmistakable smell of rancid demon breath washed over her.
She ignited a charge that illuminated her skin, lighting up the room. A demon to her left had a dark-haired female pinned against the desk, violating her body and inhaling her soul. Another demon, to her right, hunched over a guy, mouth latched onto his neck.
“Tom, get the girl.”
Dakota lunged at the other demon. Tendrils of electricity shot from her fingertips as they made contact with the demon’s cold skin. It stumbled back, and her charged hand gripped its neck. She reached for the blade in her boot. The demon snuck a backhand to her cheek. She held her grip on it, but the weapon clanked against the cement floor, out of reach.
Guess it would have to be done the gross way.
She wrapped her other hand around the neck and when her fingers touched, electricity sparked. The demon howled. The stench of burning flesh filled the air. Dakota gagged but held on. She preferred extermination by stabbing much better than electrocution.
The body in her grip thrashed. Its eyes bulged and tongue shot out. Streaks of electricity flashed like light bulbs in its mouth and eyes until finally the head detached. Splats of crimson stained Dakota’s white shirt, then the demon turned to smoke.
The sudden loss of the creature’s body weight sent Dakota stumbling back, and her butt hit the desk. Two strong hands grabbed her shoulders, keeping her from plummeting to the side.
She squeezed her hand around Tom’s forearm. A faint current shot up through her fingers. She looked at her fingers expecting to see them illuminated. But they weren’t.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Yes. The other one is gone, but so is the girl.”
Dakota lit up her skin again so she could see, then scrambled to the guy’s side and felt for a pulse. “He’s alive.”
Beams of light filled the hallway. “Everyone okay in there?” A deep voice, Dakota recognized as belonging to Mr. Smith asked.
“Here!” Dakota said.
“Tom?” Mr. Smith said as he walked through the doorway holding a flashlight in front of him.
“Yes, sir.”
“Dakota. Are you two okay?” Mr. Smith looked over his black-rimmed glasses at her.
Dakota snuffed out her light bulb skin--civilians might be close behind Mr. Smith. “Yes, sir. This one’s alive.”
“We’ll take care of it. Tom, we’ll need your assistance with his memory later.”
He nodded as he stepped toward Dakota. “Yes, sir.”
“So, Dakota, this is how you treat the new guy?” Mr. Smith nodded toward Tom.
“You know me. I’m not one to mess around. Like to see what they’re made of right off the bat.”
Tom grinned. He flashed his dark eyes at Dakota, and her brain suddenly ached like she’d slurped an Icee too quickly.
Red, there’s more I must tell you about me.

Read The Competition: Elemental Rain