LENGTH: Epic Novel
SENSUALITY: Carnal

Cover art (c) Alex DeShanks 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60394-443-4
Download $6.99

Dark forces conspire against Samantha Cassidy and her family. With her niece taken by a ruthless Intergalactic Triad, Samantha must ally with a powerful man who was once her enemy and in doing so...she just might lose herself.

Rating: Carnal.

Genre: Futuristic Romance.

INTERGALACTIC JUSTICE Book II:

MAXIMUM VELOCITY

By  

Marly Mathews 

© copyright by Marly Mathews, July 2010 

Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, July 2010 

ISBN 978-1-60394-443-4 

New Concepts Publishing 

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com 

This is a work of fiction.  All characters, events, and places are of the author’s

imagination and not to be confused with fact.  Any resemblance to living persons or

events is merely coincidence.

New Jamaica 

The Future

Chapter One

            Samantha Cassidy ran down the dark alleyway.  She spoke into her personal communicator and pulled out her titanium Bo staff at the sight of the two thugs that stood at the end of the alley. 

            “Where is she?” Samantha asked, as static filled the line.

            “I’ve got a reading on her, she should be less than twenty feet from you,” Johanna’s voice streamed out to her.  Johanna as usual sounded remarkably calm, and yet Samantha was about ready to do some heavy damage. 

            “Didn’t I tell her that we couldn’t take down the Anasazi Triad without all of us working together?”

            “And this is coming from the one woman ass-kicking machine,” Johanna retorted, making a loud noise, which strangely resembled a snort.  Samantha sighed heavily.  She didn’t have time for the two sumo-sized wrestlers that were now staring at her with blank expressions on their faces. 

            “Samantha?”

            “I’m still here, but I’ve got a wee bit of a distraction on my hands.”

            “What kind of a distraction?” Samantha loved her sister, but she still didn’t like the tone of worry in her voice.  Johanna was constantly fretting over her welfare.  It wasn’t as if she hadn’t gotten herself in this kind of a tight jam before. 

            “Let’s just say, they’re both the size of....” her voice trailed off when she saw the large explosive device that was rigged to the outside of the warehouse that stood behind the two thugs.  She eyed them impatiently, wishing that they’d just get up and take off.  She hadn’t the slightest idea why they were standing there still as statues.  She walked up to them and fell into a fighting stance.  She held her Bo staff out, and then inhaled sharply as one of the security lights from the warehouse settled on them. 

            “Oh, shit!” she muttered.  They were holographic projections.  Groaning loudly, she dashed to the explosive device.  She pushed the activation button on her Bo staff, and smiled when it shrunk back down to its easy carrying size.  Hooking it onto her belt, she smoothed her hair back and sighed.

            “Hey, Johanna, you wouldn’t happen to know how to deactivate a Romanelli Bomb would you?”

            “You’ve got to be freaking kidding me!  Please tell me that that isn’t the type of bomb that is rigged.  Samantha, for heaven’s sake, get your ass out of there.  Those bombs are nearly impossible to deactivate once they’ve been set.  If you stick around much longer, you’ll become part of the crater that Sullivan’s Warehouse is about to be.”

            “Is Veronica still inside?”

            “Yes, I still have her body signature on my sensors.”

            “Have you been able to open a communication channel to her yet?"

            “Nope.”

            “I can’t just leave.  I have to get inside to her.  I’ve got ten minutes until the bomb is set to explode, I think I can just make it work.”

            “JUST?  Samantha, don’t you scare the living daylights out of me, with those nerves of steel that you possess.  I’m coming to help you, Eleanor says that we can make the distance you’ve crossed on foot, in exactly five minutes.”

            “Fine.  Get down here as soon as you’re able, but I don’t have time to diddle fart around while I wait for you.  I’m sorry, Johanna, but I have to go in, and get Veronica’s ass out of the fire.  As much as I hate to admit it, she is part of the team now.  And besides, poor Ross’s heart would be shattered, if Veronica were to go to pieces.”

            “And how dear sister, do you propose to get inside of Sullivan’s warehouse?”

            “I’m going to break in.”

            “Oh, yeah.  Just give me a minute while I hit my head against the controls.  Your idea of breaking in will trigger the security systems.”

            “Not to worry, Johanna.  Dylan and Tyler have masterminded this nifty little gadget for me.  It will nullify the security system, and let me waltz right in.”

            “Sorry to break this to you Samantha, but you never have waltzed into a room, and I don’t think that you’re about to learn new tricks now.”

            “Ha, ha. I’m like laughing on the inside.” 

            “Seriously, Samantha, BE CAREFUL!” 

            If she had an Earth dollar for every time Johanna told her to be careful, she’d be set for retirement.”

            “Not to worry my beloved sis, I’ll be as careful as I always am.”

            “Yep, that makes me feel a lot better.  I wish you’d just get off your high horse, and let Tyler or Dylan accompany us.”

            “I won’t be needing Tyler’s help.” She thought back to how Tyler had become distant toward her.  Cold even.  It had been six months since she’d rescued him from the noose Devlin had waiting for him, and the last three months with him had been a total mess.  They were going down the road to divorce court….  She could feel it in her bones. 

            “I wouldn’t be so sure, Tyler’s slippery little fingers are invaluable when it comes to intricate security systems.”

            “He’s good where he is.” She rolled her eyes with the way that Tyler had been acting since she’d rescued him from the noose, she felt safer knowing he was out of her way.  He could do a hell of a lot less damage cooped up on the Excalibur than he could running amok with her on a mission.

            “You know, you’re going to have to give in one of these days, and allow Tyler to be more than just your lover boy.”

            “Johanna, I don’t have time for this lecture right now.”

            “I don’t lecture.  I never tell you what to do, I only advise you.”

            “Whatever.  I’ve just found the security system.  Wish me luck.”

            “I’m not only wishing you luck, but I’m praying like crazy.”

            Samantha studied the high tech security alarm, and reached for the magic key that would let her in.  She inserted it carefully into the card swiping area, and waited expectantly for the door to slide open.  She stared at the warehouse door, swallowing thickly when she saw no change.  “Freaking fantastic!” She was sorely tempted to just pull out her pistols, and try shooting her way in.  But she doubted that would help her in any way.

            Breathing deeply, she flipped the card around in her hands.  Squinting against the encroaching darkness of night, she activated her powers against her better judgment and flooded the alley with amethyst sparkling orbs of light.  It gave her just enough light to see her error. She had the card inserted upside down.

            “Are you in yet?” Johanna’s voice startled her, and she nearly let go of the magic key. 

            “I’m about ready.” She didn’t want to tell Johanna that she couldn’t get in because of her own screw up. 

            “Were you trying to put it in upside down?” Johanna asked.

            She grunted, rolled her eyes, and swiped the card through again.  Johanna knew her to well.  Here she was, trying her best to help Veronica, and Johanna had it all figured out.  It was as if the woman was a telepath.  They already had two in the family, and she definitely didn’t need another.  Granted, Johanna had super senses that were attuned to things other people didn’t pick up, but if she didn’t know better she’d of sworn that Johanna was an Alpha Psychic.

            This time the heavily fortified door slid back.  Grinning like a manic fool, she rushed through the opening. “I’m in.”

            “Right.  Now remember to get those eyes in the back of your head working.”

            “They’re always working.”

            “Yes.  Except for when you’re wearing your blinders.”

            “This place is creepy!” Samantha stared around at the warehouse.  The thing that really disturbed her was that it was empty.  She shivered, and had a brief fantasy about a hot blazing fire, with a dark haired man by her side, rubbing her....

            “Samantha?”

            Samantha shook her head, and stopped running when she came to a dead end.  “Samantha,” Johanna continued,  “I have the warehouse in my sights.  I’ll be there in a jiffy.” 

            “How much farther do I have to go before I reach Big V?”

            “You should be there already.  Your life sign and Veronica’s life sign are showing up on my sensors as being very close to each other.”

            “You don’t say.” Samantha wrinkled her brow, and dropped her gaze to the trapdoor in the floor.  “I think I might have a glimmer of an idea as to where Big V is.”

            “Samantha, you don’t have much time left.  I’m getting a little worried.”

            “Don’t worry, Johanna. I don’t have any foreseeable plans of becoming a song on the wind.”

            “Just make sure that you come out of there in one piece.”

            Samantha reached down for the latch on the trapdoor, and pulled on it with all of her might.  She understood where Veronica was coming from when she’d decided to pursue the all powerful Anasazi Triad, but one simply did not try to take down a criminal cartel, all on one’s own.  Now, she had known that Veronica was by all definition of the words madder than a lunatic, but she hadn’t known that even Veronica would get this kind of a harebrained idea. Finally, after a shit load of tugging, the trapdoor flung backwards, nearly knocking Samantha off of her feet.  She stared down, and judged the distance that she would have to jump.  She leapt down, and easily landed in a catlike crouch.  She whirled around at the sound of some muffled grunting. 

            Her eyes widened, when she took in the sight of a bound and gagged Veronica.  She was in a bird like human sized cage that was suspended from the ceiling.

            “I told you not to go on your own,” she chastised, quickly crossing the distance between them.  Her mind reeled as she tried to decide the best way to free Veronica.  “Big V, you have become the bane of my existence.” Veronica’s eyes widened to dangerous proportions, and she was blinking rapidly.  “I know, I know, I have to get you out of there.  The Romanelli Bomb is due to go off in five minutes, and for the life of me, I don’t know how we’re going to get out of this fix.”

            She reached down to her belt, and pulled out a little something that had aided her many times before.  She shot one of her grappling hooks onto the cage, as it swayed precariously.  She retracted it, and went sailing upwards.  She fastened her gadget around the metal bars of the cage, and watched fascinated as it worked its magic.  The bars melted away giving her a big enough space to get in and get Veronica out.  She swung into the cage, and landed firmly on her feet.

            If their circumstance hadn’t been so serious, she would have been tempted to laugh her ass off at the predicament that Veronica had found herself in.  “Don’t worry, Big V, we’ll keep this little incident between you, me and Johanna.  I don’t think that Ross will be overly thrilled if he hears what happened to you.  Still, I don’t think you’re going to sing like a songbird when I remove this.” She removed the gag from Veronica’s mouth, and was about to untie the ropes around her wrist when Veronica’s ear splitting scream cracked through the otherwise still and quiet room.

            “LOOK BEHIND YOU!!!” Veronica finally managed to spit out.  Whirling about, Samantha nearly dropped her mouth open and felt her stomach lurch. 

            “Okay, this is bad! Very, very BAD!!!” She turned back to Veronica and pulled out her trusty Celtic dagger from her boot.  “Don’t look at me like that. I’m going to use it to cut your bonds, not you.”

            She quickly sliced through the ropes, and then felt the hairs rise on the back of her neck from the God-awful noise that reverberated through the room.  It sounded like a lion’s roar, but it was so loud that it literally made the cage shudder beneath them.  She groaned feeling nauseous. 

            “Samantha?  I’m waiting for you. Why don’t I see you?”

            “Because, Johanna, I’m sort of stuck in the middle of something right now.” 

            “I don’t like the sounds of that.  What kind of a thing are you stuck in the middle of?”

            “It would seem that the Anasazi Triad left a little bit of a calling card behind for us.”

            “Well, take care of it, and get your ass out of there.”

            “Easier said than done.  The calling card happens to be a New San Francisco Tiger.” 

            “I’m coming in after you, you can’t take that on alone.”

            “I have Veronica with me.  She’ll help.” She freed Veronica’s legs, groaning when Veronica took a step forward and nearly landed on her face. “Strike that one.  Veronica definitely won’t be helping me. But not to worry, I should be able to take down Giant Kitty here all by myself.”

            “Samantha, I don’t feel comfortable about leaving you alone.”

            “I’ll be fine. Right now…you need to help me from afar.”

            A huge sigh filled the com link. “In that case, you’re going to need time. I’m going to open a link to Dylan, Tyler and Ross and see if they can help me in getting this bomb deactivated. What did you say, Eleanor?”

                 Samantha grunted, as she carefully settled Veronica up against the wall of the cage.  “You stay put.  You can’t do anything in your condition, and I don’t really feel like watching Giant Kitty have you for a little nighttime snack.”

            “Queenie, you’re really getting on my nerves.” Was it just Samantha’s imagination or did Veronica look a little green? 

            “Don’t get started with me, Big V.  We’re in this mess because of your inflated head.  If you hadn’t gotten the brilliant idea to go after one of the most powerful triads in the known galaxy, then I’d still be back on the Excalibur living the high life.”

            “Well, excuse me, for going after one of the biggest prizes in history.”

            “Yeah, and instead of capturing the prize you found yourself in the middle of a surprise.” The elephant sized tiger roared again, and finally broke free of its metal chains. “Oh look, now my life starts to get interesting!” She turned, just as Veronica tried to stand up.  Her legs wobbled like jelly beneath her and she fell into a slump. Samantha frowned. “I have it covered, Veronica.  What did they do to you?” Her heart thudded.

            Please, God, she didn’t really know if she wanted to know. She’d heard a great many tales about the darker side of the Anasazi Triad. Their practices in the way of torture and the occult would make a hardened criminal shake in their boots. And Veronica had decided to cross them.  Her mouth grew dry.

            “What are you going to do now, hot shot?” Veronica asked. “You can’t take that monstrosity down on your own.”  

            “Big V, there’s a time and a place for your big mouth, and right now, isn’t the time nor the place.  And by the way, thanks for the vote of confidence in my stellar abilities. What I plan on doing is saving our butts.  If you have any other bright ideas feel free to share.”

            Samantha pulled out her electric whip, and snapped it through the air.  Then, with her other hand, she reached for two of her homemade grenades.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Veronica stagger to her feet. 

            “I can help,” Veronica muttered, swaying slightly. Samantha had to give her credit. The woman’s grit sometimes rivaled her own.  

            Giant Kitty lunged for them, and nearly took a bite out of Veronica, when Samantha activated her Bo staff.  It grew to its full size, and she threw it so that it would lodge lengthwise in the cat’s mouth.  The large tiger tried to snap her Bo staff in half, but since it was reinforced with the strongest alloy known to humankind, Giant Kitty’s strong jaws could not break it. 

            “Chew on that for a while, pussy cat,” she muttered.  She hooked her whip back onto her belt, and moved forward to help Veronica.  “Lean on me, Big V.”

            Veronica slumped against her and Samantha grunted beneath the formidable weight. “You know, Big V, you might want to consider laying off of those French pastries for a while.”

            “Oh, go blow it out your ass!” Veronica’s hiss blew the wisps of hair off of her face.

            “As ever, you are the epitome of culture and class.”

            “Samantha, we don’t have time to chit chat.”

            “Oh, and here I thought we could have a party.”

            Just then, the Giant Kitty swung toward them with one of her massive paws.  She broke the line that the cage was hanging from, and they went careening through the air.  They both rolled to the other side of the cage. Samantha let out a muffled cry when she hit the metal bars.  

            “That will definitely leave a mark in the morning.”  As soon as the cage stopped rolling, Samantha sprang to her feet, and reached out toward Veronica.   

            She half-ran, half-walked back to the place where the trapdoor was located.  Thinking on her feet, she shot up one of her grappling hooks, and smiled when it latched onto the floor above. 

            “You first,” she said, watching as the tiger struggled with the Bo staff. Thankfully, the Giant Kitty hadn’t decided to follow them, deciding instead to free herself of the damnable Bo staff first. It would not take the cat long to somehow figure out how to get rid of the staff and Samantha had to outwit the feline in the time they had left. Hearing the cat roar in triumph, her heart stopped. She could do this.

            Samantha turned around and again pulled out her homemade grenades.  She took out her electric whip with her other hand. “Come on Kitty, let’s dance.” She snapped the whip through the air, drawing on the well of power deep within her. It crackled through the air, haloing her and the rope in a violet glow. The cat froze, stunned by the wealth of power emanating around her. It roared again, making Samantha’s ears ring.

            “That’s not very nice,” she murmured, reaching out with her mind to touch the cat’s mind. Images flashed through her brain of Veronica being beaten black and blue by the Triad. A man stood in the shadows with white hair. His psychic power made her feel queasy. She struggled against the suffocating sensations and tried to bring herself out of the psychic haze. 

            “Have a blast with what happens next, Kitty,” she murmured, retracting her whip she attached it back to her belt. Veronica had scrambled up the rope aided by Samantha’s rush of telekinetic force which propelled her the rest of the way up. Pain throbbed behind Samantha’s eyes. She hadn’t been exercising her powers properly and as a result, she was badly out of shape. Putting her abilities through this sort of workout was literally making her head sore. 

            “I’m up,” Veronica called down, sticking her head through the trapdoor.

            “Yeah, and I’m still down.” The giant kitty let out another huge roar that made the hairs on the nape of her neck stand on end. Her stomach churned.

            “Well, grab on, and I’ll hoist you up.” Veronica’s anxious face bobbed in front of her. By the looks of things, Veronica was trying her best to keep a calm visage. Samantha attached the other end of the grappling hook to her belt, and made sure that she kept her hands free.  She’d need them, since the shit was about to hit the fan.  The gigantic cat still lunged toward her.  Its jaw was open and she aimed and then chucked the grenade straight at the wildcat. Using her powers, she put the grenade on a direct continued course. 

            “Pull me up, NOW!” 

            She stared up at Veronica. Her face contorted with effort but she didn’t have the energy required to hoist up Samantha’s weight. With the foggy look in V’s eyes she doubted the woman would recall what Samantha was about to do next. Veronica knew she had powers but she’d never shown her the full extent of those abilities and she didn’t know if Veronica would be able to handle full disclosure in the state she was in.  Seeing Samantha erect a telekinetic force field with her mind was one thing, knowing that Samantha could do what she was about to do next was another. She sent out a burst of energy toward Veronica charging Veronica with enough power to pull her up.

            Veronica did exactly as she was told, and Samantha was up beside her in no time.  Veronica started to run toward the exit, and Samantha was hot on her trail.  The disorientation grenade would only put Giant Kitty down for a few minutes.  After that their asses were grass, and Giant Kitty was the lawnmower. 

            “What time is it?” Veronica asked.  Samantha glanced down at her watch and felt ice lodge in her heart.

            “Time for this building to go KABOOM!” she cried.  They wouldn’t make it, the Romanelli bomb was set to go off in two seconds.  “Johanna?” she questioned.  But her ears were met with static, and her heart fell.  She was hoping that she’d at least be able to say goodbye to her sister.  She’d been in grave trouble before, but this situation was unlike any she’d ever experienced.  Well, there had been the time when the Moonlight Bar had been bombed.  What was she thinking?  She could get them out of this fix.  She always had, and she wasn’t about to stop trying now.  After all, she was Samantha Cassidy, the ever-renowned Queen of Danger. 

              “Get down, Veronica!” Samantha screamed.  She lunged forward, knocking Veronica off of her feet.  Samantha activated her personal electrical force field just as a volley of explosions went off. She hoped the force field would hold since she didn’t have the energy to reinforce it with her own abilities. Seeing what had happened to Veronica and then giving Veronica the telekinetic boost had almost drained her right down to zero.  The blasts shook the hallway, and Samantha was afraid to open her eyes, for fear of what she might see. 

            “What do you think you are doing?” Veronica demanded.  Samantha was still sprawled on top of her.  Gingerly, she opened one eye and then the other, only to stare into Veronica’s wide angry eyes.   

            “Hey, Big V, don’t get any ideas, I don’t like the cozy situation we’re in anymore than you do.”  Samantha rolled off of Veronica and sat up.  She expected to see the rubble from the building strewn around her, and yet the building was completely intact.  “I don’t believe it!”

            “Well, I do,” Veronica said, pointing toward a yawning hole in the side of the building.  Johanna was peering anxiously down at them from Eleanor. 

            “You okay?” she asked, resting her eyes on Samantha.

            “I seem to be. I’ll check to see if everything is where it’s supposed to be later on.”

            Johanna gave her a brilliant smile, and then the smile faded from her face, when she was thrown forward. One hell of a blast had connected with Eleanor.  Samantha scrambled to her feet, and along with Veronica they ran toward the hover car called Eleanor.  They skidded to a halt just below Eleanor, and Samantha craned her neck to stare up at the star filled sky. By all accounts it should have been a simple, calm night. Instead, there was a small fleet of hover cars bearing down upon them. 

            “Remind me to smack you upside the head when we get out of this mess,” she said rounding on Veronica. 

            “How stupid do you think I am?” Veronica shot back.

            “Stupid enough to bring down the full wrath of the Anasazi Triad on our heads!” Samantha retorted. Biting her lip, her eyes scanned over the swarm of Triad hover mobiles that were flying toward them. The simultaneous whine of weapons charging filled her ears.  

            Now, they were definitely in for it.

LENGTH: Epic Novel
SENSUALITY: Sensual

Cover art (c) Alex DeShanks 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60394-436-6
Download $6.49

Samantha Cassidy has her own unique sense of justice as an intergalactic bounty hunter. She's a psychic in denial with powers that sometimes have a way of emerging without her permission. 

When she learns that her estranged husband is about to hang for a crime she is convinced he didn't commit she races to save him before it's too late. 

Rating: Sensual.

Genre: Futuristic Romance.

INTERGALACTIC JUSTICE:

RECKLESS BOUNTY

 By

 Marly Mathews

© copyright by Marly Mathews, June 2010

Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, June 2010

ISBN 978-1-60394-436-6

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Nova Cornwall

The Future

Chapter One

Samantha Cassidy eyed her opponent warily, struggling to maintain her composure. Inhaling deeply, she tried ignoring the blinding pain shooting through her right shoulder. The stupid jackass had shot her! Now the old-fashioned bullet was lodged deeply into her shoulder. She fingered the wound tentatively and was relieved to discover that she wasn't bleeding profusely. Either way, she still required medical attention and she still had a job that needed to be finished.

"Look, Clayton, we can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. Right now, I don't really give a damn. But one way or the other, I'm going to collect my bounty, and I can't collect the money unless I have the prize. Don't be stupid. Quit wasting my time, and get your ass over here because you're going down one way or the other."

"Now see here little girl, I don't think that you're in any position to be giving me ultimatums. I ain't the one with the piece of metal in my shoulder. Now run along before I get really angry. I'm not a pretty sight when I'm pissing nails."

Not a pretty sight? Hell, he wasn't a pretty sight right now.

Clayton gave her a sly grin that sent her stomach rolling with revulsion. Good God, he was at least twice her size. His pants were barely staying up beneath his rather over-sized belly. His shirt was two sizes too small. He wore a sweat stained baseball cap on his head. Oh, yeah, he was a real stud muffin.

His gun remained leveled at her. His beady little ferret eyes filled with an unquestionable need to pull the trigger once again. He let out a long belch and then swiped the back of his sleeve across his face. She grimaced. He had the manners of a pig. What's more, with his large frame, pig's snout nose, he kind of resembled one too. Now all she had to do was to check for his curly tail when he turned around.

"You know I really should be sittin' in a bar and drinking a pint of beer. That's what I always do at this time of the night instead of playing games with you, little princess! You look like a china doll. Do you actually think you have a chance in hell against me?"

"Oh, I don't give a rat's ass about your plans," she drawled sarcastically. She had to ignore his china doll remark. In a moment, he'd learn she had the grit and the guts to take him down. With a sigh, she rolled her eyes heavenward. She quickly reached inside her black leather trench coat and enclosed her hands around the electric grappling rope that she kept to detain her prisoners.

The man was sloppy and arrogant. But she could tell by the stone-cold glint in his eye, that he had a feral sense of cunning. She had one chance and one chance only to bring him down and in. She decided to give him one final opportunity to give himself over peacefully. Even though she figured it was a waste of breath. Still, she had scruples.

"You do realize the wanted bulletin stated that you were wanted dead or alive. Though I prefer to take in my prisoners alive, I will consider enforcing my other option. But hell, as far as I'm concerned, it's totally up to you."

Then, she watched while he stuck his hand down his pants and relieved himself of an itch. That was it. She was going to lose her cookies. That was the thing about this job. She had to deal with all sorts of criminals. In a minute, he'd be picking his nose ... or worse.

"Well. Now see I was considering that one myself," Clayton bragged, flaunting the gun in front of her.

Samantha remained impassive at his threat. Suddenly, everything went into fast forward motion. In one heart-stopping moment, she had her electric whip out of her coat and fully activated. It crackled through the night air, snapping as it made its way toward his waist.

Diving toward the ground, she evaded his line of shot. His gun discharged. She smiled when she heard his howl of surprise. The rope was fully tied around him and she was just about to activate the small shock the electricity would give him, when the foul smelling Clayton yet again surprised her with the extent of his stupidity. He pulled against the whip and even the small electrical surge it gave off failed to deter him. It must have been his ample body weight. Damn. She should have thought to reset the charge to compensate for his extra girth.

Before she could react, he was rushing toward her, like a mad bull moose. He knocked the wind out of her when he jumped on top of her.

She struggled to knock him off. Screaming obscenities and threats, she freed her one leg and brought it up to slam against his crotch.

Hard.

Clayton howled in fury and Samantha smiled at his red face. Only, the dirty bugger didn't know when to quit. He reached his ham-fisted grubby paws out and encircled them around her throat. She gasped for air. He was trying to squeeze the life out of her. She managed to reach into her pocket to pull out her immobilizer.

She discharged it into his belly and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. He released his hold on her long enough for her to plant a booted foot to his chest and push him off of her.

Samantha surged to her feet drinking in blessed air and felt the cool night air ripple against her face. Clayton struggled to regain his footing. He was doubled over in agony.

Oh, she so didn't need to see any crack tonight. Temptation ate away at her. She kicked him in the ass. He fell face first to the ground.

"Hey, no fair!" Clayton mumbled.

Fair? He wanted fair? He was a cold-blooded murderer. She'd give him all that he deserved and then some. Bastard.

Groaning, Clayton struggled to regain his breathing. She looked down at her watch. She didn't have all night. This was supposed to be a quick job. Tag him and bag him had been her motto. "Clayton, get up!"

"Can't you see I'm in pain here? Little girl, you really don't know how to play nice." He pushed himself to his feet, turned around and glared at her. Well, she preferred his pig's snout to his crack. That was for sure.

Samantha watched as he backed away from her. She realized by the pain-induced expression on his face that he actually didn't notice what he was doing. They stood on top of a one hundred storey tall building and the idiot was backing away from her toward the edge of the roof.

"Clayton, look...," she began. But she was too late.

The stupid fat ass had lost his precarious balance and was swaying. He almost looked comical with his arms flailing out, as if he wanted to take flight. His eyes widened in dawning clarity and she grasped the blue glowing whip. With all her strength, she struggled to pull him back. But in a blink he was gone. He had disappeared over the edge of the roof.

"Oh, shit. This is so not my night. Oh, please God, no!" she cried out.

Her feet skidded toward the edge. Only then she realized her tremendous mistake. She had fastened the charged whip to her wrist and now the release mechanism was jammed. Digging her heels in, she tried to stop her forward momentum. It was a lost cause.

"Oh shit!" she screamed. Before she knew it, she'd toppled over the edge.

Samantha fought against the growing panic welling inside of her and glanced down at Clayton's hulking form. He was falling fast. Soon, he'd go splat. After that, it would be her turn. Looking away, she tried to ply the rope from around her wrist. She reached up and pulled a hairpin out of her hair and inserted it into the release mechanism. It made a loud popping noise and in one split second she was free! But that still didn't stop her from continuing to free-fall to her demise. She couldn't go out that way. She could see the news headlines now.

Bounty hunter falls to her death, lands on top of her bounty.

Man oh man! She would become a laughingstock!

Swallowing hard she said a quick prayer and reached for her grappling hook. Closing her eyes, she released it, grunting as it connected with the side of the building. It brought her sailing upwards where she bounced for a few moments.

With effort, she slowed her breathing. Looking to the side, she decided her only option was to pull herself back up to the roof. To her unending despair, she found the bloody grappling hook wouldn't retract.

"What else is new?" she grumbled. "This is bloody fantastic."

She was stuck. Utterly and completely stuck. She was quite simply hanging around. She shouldn't have been surprised. Looking to the side, she saw a sight that made her blood run cold.

"How the hell?" she growled. "Damn him straight to New Hades!"

Clayton's almost toothless grin stared her right in the face. With some weird twist of fate, he'd avoided becoming one with the sidewalk.

To make matters worse, he now sat on a hover-motorcycle! He had one of his equally wicked looking cohorts with him. She didn't remember seeing this man on the wanted bulletins. She couldn't stay out at the mercy of either man. So she looked toward the window that was in front of her. She squinted her eyes shut. "This is going to be a close call. I can do this…piece of cake." Swinging toward the wall, she made impact.

With one loud noise, she crashed through the surprisingly thin glass and cut the wire to her grappling hook. Reacting quickly, she dove into a roll. Somersaulting onto her feet, she brushed the remaining shards of glass off of her leather coat and smiled sheepishly at the man that sat across the room. He held a cold beer in one hand and his T.V. remote in the other hand. His eyes bulged out of his head, and his mouth hung wide open.

"That was nothing," she scoffed, "you should catch me on a bad day," she joked, winked, and threw some money at him. "I'm sorry, man. Umm...it's all in the name of justice. Really. Okay, well, I'll be going now. You might want to get a coat. It's a bit chilly out there." She bolted toward the door. Pulling it open, she heard the guy finally speak.

"Uh. Thanks. Glad to be of service." He was still in shock. As she left she heard him say, "Bye."

She was now at the disadvantage. Though on the upside, if she did manage to capture Clayton and his friend she might just be able to collect twice the amount that she had originally anticipated.

Oh, happy days!

Sometimes her partner made mistakes and missed some of their targets. If she could bring this one in, Johanna would definitely be excited.

Samantha dashed frantically through the building, down the stairs and then stopped at the door. Clayton and his friend laid in wait for her and she knew they'd be there. Opening the door she threw out her disorientation grenade. They started hacking and gasping for breath. The thick blue smoke the grenade emitted swirled around them. She smiled. Within seconds, they were completely debilitated and harmless as babes. But they were in no shape or form as cute, and she wouldn't change their diapers in a million years.

Samantha stormed out in front of Clayton and his friend. She grinned at the effect of the grenade. They were so woozy they looked like they were ready for deaths door. She reached inside her coat for her electrical handcuffs. Fastening them around Clayton's wrists, she snorted.

"Why couldn't you have just done it the easy way?" And she laughed at her wiseass remark and clenched her teeth together. Her shoulder pulsed with pain reminding her that she was a wounded woman. "You know, Clayton, you're a great big pain in the ass. Literally. You really try my patience!"

She reached for her communicator and sighed with relief when she heard Johanna's strained voice on the other end.

"Dear God! Samantha, where are you?" The whirring sound of traffic carried through the speaker.

"I have the targeted bounty and I am down on the ground in front of Landry's Apartment Complex. Please come and get me. I have a 180," Samantha explained, exhaustion seeping into her otherwise calm tone.

"Right away," Johanna snapped off.

Johanna instantly interpreted the code they used. Since 180 meant that she was harmed in the line of duty, her sister would hasten to come and get her. She blinked her eyes, having a hard time warding off her dizziness. Everything swirled around her. She felt as if she'd been drugged. The pain and loss of blood was definitely getting to her. She just had to hold out and pray that Johanna would reach her in time. Johanna would. She'd never failed her before.

Johanna lowered the hover mobile down to the cement walkway outside of Landry's, and released the hatch. She jumped out of the driver's side and her eyes widened with concern when she noticed how pale her sister had become.

"Good lord, Sam. You look like death warmed over," Johanna exclaimed, grabbing a hold of the two prisoners and hauling them over to shove them in the back of the hover mobile.

"I feel like death warmed over," she muttered.

All of the fight had vanished from Clayton and his buddy thanks to the drugs rippling through their systems.

"Sam," Johanna called out. "Can you manage to get yourself into Aggie?"

Aggie was what they called their hover mobile and though they both knew it was foolish to name a vehicle they just couldn't help themselves.

"Yep, you bet," Samantha gasped. Wincing, she slumped into the passenger side.

Johanna shoved Clayton and his friend into Aggie, and then harnessed them in. She activated the force field that surrounded them and kept them out of sabotaging the rest of the hover car.

Slamming the door shut she locked it securely. Running back over to the driver's side she slipped inside. She turned her head at the sound of two hovercrafts quickly approaching their position.

Turning to Samantha she gave her a jubilant smile, which quickly faded when she looked at the random blips on the computer screen. "That doesn't look good. What do you think, Sam?"

"I think we've got trouble. Aggie, identify incoming vehicles," Samantha ordered. She pressed a gauze pad onto her shoulder from the med kit.

"Third class Dyvanian hover speeders. Two humanoid individuals_ genders male occupies them each. The Dyvanian race is a cruel and calculating race known for their illegal drug trafficking on the Rim and for slave trading. I would suggest we lose them, posthaste." The female computer system promptly answered in her monotone voice.

"Double Damn!" Samantha muttered, craning her neck around to look out the back window. "I need this like I need a hole in the head. Uh, Jo, I think that it would be very wise if you took us away from here as quickly as you can. It seems that Clayton has some friends that are really missing him." Her eyes widened. It didn't take her long to sum up the battle capabilities of the craft that were quickly overtaking them.

"He's a bloody murderer. How many friends can he have? Oh, wait. Scratch that question. He's probably got a freaking ship load of nasty assed cohorts waiting to rescue his fat ass," Johanna shot back. She activated Aggie, and slowly brought her up into the air.

"It was all a misunderstanding. Really. I had to teach him a lesson. I never thought that it was gonna kill him. But did he listen?" Clayton whined from the back of the car.

"What did you think he was going to do when you threw him out of your hover car? Did you actually believe that he was going to sprout wings and fly? Plus, they were the wrong race to cross. They are the kind of people to send you home in pieces!" Samantha shouted.

Aggie shook under the massive impact of the enemies mounted phase guns. Samantha reached for the weapons control. Leaning forward, she tried to program some defensive shooting patterns.

"Dylan wasn't able to finish that," Johanna murmured. "He's been a little preoccupied what with Tyler gallivanting all over the galaxy...." Swerving, they narrowly missed colliding with an oncoming car.

"Freaking wonderful. Remind me to smack him upside the head the next time I see him. If we live through this that is." Samantha slammed against her door and was then hurled forward when another blast connected with Aggie.

"They aren't trying to blow us up. They are simply trying to get me to land. And I'm not landing until we reach The Excalibur. Then we can get off of this godforsaken planet!" Johanna made a sharp turn and headed for the entranceway to a land formed tunnel. Swerving low, Johanna barely missed scraping the top of the car. She struggled to control Aggie, as they flew into the shallow tunnel.

"Oh, shit! I really don't think this is a good idea, Jo," Samantha warned, pressing back against her seat, and briefly closing her eyes.

They entered the tight passageway and her belly flip-flopped. It was eerily dark inside of the tunnel and Johanna lit it up as she turned the new specially designed headlight on that Dylan had installed only days before. The blinding light blasted through the tunnel. It took a moment for Samantha's eyes to adjust. She looked back and swallowed the lump in her throat when she saw what their enemies had just shot at them.

"You know your theory about how they weren't going to blow us up? Well, Dearest Jo, I think that's just been shot to hell. I don't think Clayton has as many friends as we originally thought. Either that or we have more enemies than we thought. That's a mat grenade. And it's stuck to our roof!"

"Oh, God! Just what we need," Johanna gasped lifting them out of the tunnel. "What do you plan to do?" And then Johanna's eyes widened to grand proportions. She looked out of the corner of her eye and caught the determined expression that had crossed her sister's features. "Oh, no, no, no! You can't be serious, Sam. Even I think what you have in mind is too big of a risk. Samantha, don't you dare! Oh, Lord, how do we get ourselves into these horrendous situations? There must be another way." She whistled. "I've got it! We could always bail out."

"Bail out? On our one and only Aggie? I don't think so. If we do, we'll be without Aggie, and we'll be sitting ducks," Samantha answered. "I don't fancy being sold to the highest bidder, how about you?" When her sister remained silent, she gritted her teeth and opened her window. "Keep the communication channel open. I might need your help. Get ready to do some fancy flying!"

"Aren't I always ready? Just get your butt back in here in one piece!" Johanna screamed, the frustration seeping through her soft voice.

"Love you, too," Samantha whispered. "Don't worry about me, I'm charmed…I'll just tap into the power inside of me." She winked at her sister and climbed cautiously out the window.

Pulling herself up onto the roof she thought about her sister's touching concern. On a whim, she fastened herself to the top of the car.

Samantha edged her way over to the grenade and fought her way through the strong current of air. She fell onto her ass when a particularly strong gust assaulted her. Reacting instantly, she rolled onto her stomach when she heard Johanna's half-screamed warning.

A long thin line of green laser bolts flashed past her and the car shook as it hit the side of Johanna's door.

"Jo!" she whispered frantically. Fear leapt through her.

"I'm fine," her sister automatically replied. Then Samantha heard her mutter under her breath, "But there goes another few years of my life!"

She crawled over to the grenade and rolled her eyes when she saw the time display.

"This night just keeps getting better and better," she growled, pursing her lips. She quickly pulled out her laser pen and tried to unfasten the grenade from the roof of the car.

Samantha had three minutes to get the grenade off and away from Aggie or they'd all be walking through the pearly gates before their time.

"Jo, I need you to ease up on our speed when I say GO. I have a little gift for our generous friends. I think that they're going to get an early Christmas present this year."

"You're just a regular Santa Claus," Johanna replied. "I always knew that your initials stood for something."

Samantha yanked the grenade off and felt it thrumming beneath her fingertips.

"GO!!!" she yelled. The vehicle slowed to almost a standstill. "Now get me close and then burn like lightning."

"Aye, Aye, mon capitan."

Johanna skillfully guided Aggie as close as she could to the pursuing vehicles.

Samantha threw the grenade onto one of their cars and then saluted them with thirty seconds to spare. She bolted into action. Jumping back down into the passenger seat, she released her security rope.

Johanna checked to make sure she was back inside safe and sound. Then she floored the engines. They went to maximum speed. And the night sky lit up as if a thousand firecrackers had detonated.

"I'm beat. Take me home." Samantha slumped back in her seat.

"My pleasure," Johanna said, smiling brilliantly.   

LENGTH: Epic Novel
SENSUALITY: Sensual/Spicy

Cover art (c) Alex DeShanks 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60394-416-8
Download $6.99
Trade Paperback ISBN 1-58608-
Retail price $13.99
(s&h not included in price)

Born in the golden age of Camelot, Molly Pendleton had fought many battles against dark magic. The daughter of King Arthur she was destined to be the best Warrior Witch the world had ever known.

When Collin Remington storms into her life in present day New York, she is met with a foe she can never hope to defeat, for Collin wants her as his own, and he’ll stop at nothing to claim her heart.

With an ancient evil resurrected Collin and Molly must travel back in time to save the future. 

Rating: Sensual/Spicy.

Genre: Historical/Fantasy Romance.

 Lady Pendragon

By

Marly Mathews

© copyright by Marley Mathews, March 2010

Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, March 2010

ISBN 978-1-60394-416-8

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Prologue

The Kingdom of Callywith

Cornwall, 510 AD

Thunder rumbled through the rugged landscape, as lightning shot across the sky. Princess Mary Pendragon was led down the stone steps out into the castle courtyard. She was cousin to the young King Arthur, and was destined for his court at Tintagel Castle. A sudden shiver ran through her. Her eyes flickered to the darkening sky. Sighing, she pulled her crimson cloak closer around her shoulders.

Her mother bent down to lay a gentle kiss on her brow, and then cupped Mary's face in her hands.

"Dearest Molly," she said, with fervor ripe in her voice. Molly was her mother's pet name for her.

Mary jumped when another fire bolt bombarded the castle near to where they stood. Debris of stone mortar fell around them, and her mother pulled her close to shield her from the wreckage. They were under attack. Worse yet, her father's forces were quickly falling beneath the brutal onslaught of the enemy. Time was scarce. Soon, the stories of their stunning defeat would ring through the kingdom. But there was still hope.

There was Arthur.

"You must ride on Wind Spirit as if the hounds of Hades are plaguing you. Do not halt for anything," Queen Mildred advised. Her lyrical voice became soft. Tears stung Mary's eyes. She locked gazes with her mother. Her mother's eyes quickly filled with tears.

Mary did not want to leave. She couldn't abandon her mother to the darkness. It would take hours to reach Arthur. Days, if he had already not set out for Callywith. She could not abandon her mother.

She would not.

"Come with me, Mama," Mary murmured, feeling despair rush through her.

How could it have come to this point? An acrid smell wafted over to her. Death. Too many warriors had already met their maker. Her mother could not be one of the many!

At twelve years of age, Mary was an accomplished horsewoman, but she was still afraid to leave Castle Anwyn.

"You can not stay here, my love. The dark riders from the South have overtaken us, and Arthur's knights shall not reach us in time. You should be able to rendezvous with Arthur's troops. You do remember what your cousin looks like, do you not?" Queen Mildred asked. Desperation filled her voice and her eyes widened in fear. "We don't have much time…you must get to safety. "

Frenzied shouts and urgent cries rang out around them: the sounds of men dying. Mary's heart fell. Even if her cousin did come to her kingdom's aid, how would he be able to fight the darkness, if her father's warriors could not? There were evil otherworldly forces at work here.

They needed Arthur's wizard, not Arthur. For how else could they combat dark magic and expect to win?

"Of course, I remember him. How could I not? He has hair the color of soot, and his eyes are a most disconcerting grayish color. His eyes always sparkle almost as if he thinks I'm a great jester. "

Her mother frowned, and then a wistful smile touched her lips.

"My dearest child, you are too impish for your own good," Mildred breathed. But Mary could see that she had been amused. The corners of her mother's mouth twitched, and if their circumstance had not been so grave, Mary knew her mother would have already erupted into gales of mirth-filled laughter.

"But you will heed Arthur's advice, and counsel. He is our High King, and he will be your guardian when you reach Tintagel Castle. You will be his little girl. "

"I am twelve years of age; I do not want to be his little girl. I am your daughter," she pointed out, jutting out her chin.

"I can not leave your father, my sweeting. I shall not see another sunrise, but you will daughter. I have had a vision. You will grow into a comely woman, and you will live for many, many more years, more than you can possibly imagine. When you reach Tintagel, a powerful man named Merlin shall seek you out. And you, dear child, shall become his student. Merlin shall teach you many things, that I will never have the chance to instruct you in. He will teach you about my people, and their mystical ways." Mildred hugged Mary to her breast once more, and rained wet kisses all over her face.

Mary considered her mother's words. She knew that her mother came from an ancient distant branch of the Celts. She also knew that her mother was as fearsome a warrior, as her father, King Llewellyn.

But she would not go to Arthur. She disliked the man. He always wanted to hug her and his bristly beard annoyed her to no end. He teased her about her coppery mane of curls, and always called her his wee lass. Well, she wouldn't take any of it. She would stay at Anwyn Castle where she belonged.

A fat tear-shaped raindrop fell onto her upturned forehead, and despite her mother's words to the contrary, she hoped she would see her again. Despite her hope, a deep foreboding lodged in her throat.

She reached up to kiss her mother, and then looked over her mother's stooped form at the full moon. A hazy red glow encircled it, and she knew that blood on the moon always foretold bad tidings. Shivering, she placed her foot in the stirrup, as her mother gave her a helpful boost.

"Remember, my dear, run with abandon, but pray take care," Mildred advised, swallowing Mary up with her somber dark eyes.

"I shall, Mama. I shall see you in a fortnight, at the Summer Solstice," she said with conviction.

Her mother gave her a faint smile; gradually, her mother's eyes filled with resolute determination.

"Farewell, Molly," Mildred murmured.

Mary gently kicked her white stallion into a canter and darted a longing glance back at her mother.

Then, with heightened urgency, she gave the command for an all out run. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see dark figures breaking past her father's last lines of defense. It was over. The only thing she could do was to hope to seek out Arthur.

Mayhap, he could save her kingdom; if any of it remained after the enemy forces burned their way through.

Wind Spirit lived up to his name. In a matter of minutes, he had galloped to the edge of her father's land. She darted one last glance at her childhood home. Thick mist enshrouded Castle Anwyn. A shiver ran up and down her spine. Her ears twitched when a haunting melody carried to her on the wind. She swallowed. She focused her eyes on the path ahead as scenery blurred past her. Change was in the air. She could only hope that it was change for the better.

As long as Wind Spirit kept up a furtive pace, she would be out of the borders of her father's kingdom by dawn's first light. The kingdom of Callywith was not far from Arthur's kingdom of Camelot.

Mary felt as if she had been riding for days.

From out of the wilderness, she heard the concerned shouts of men in the distance. A hunting horn sounded, just as she slumped in her saddle. Before she fell, strong welcoming arms enfolded her. She felt scratchy bristle against her cheek, and heard her cousin's soft murmuring.

When he called her his wee lass, she wanted to smack his face, but she was just too tired. Her eyelids drooped shut, and she succumbed to dreamland.

* * * *

Tintagel Castle, 516 AD

Molly shared a chuckle with Adria. Dipping her head back into the afternoon sunlight she focused her gaze on the two shimmering grand swords that lay on the large stone in front of her.

"They look like Excalibur," she remarked, tossing her head thoughtfully. With the slight movement, her thick copper plait fell forward and thumped onto her breast.

"Aye, they do," Adria agreed, her dark long hair fluttering in the gentle breeze. Adria turned her brilliant green eyes on Molly.

Molly gave her an affectionate smile and moved so that they would be shoulder to shoulder. She draped one arm across Adria's shoulder, and pulled her close.

"Mayhap, we shall be the next Knights of the Round Table," she jested.

Adria let out a loud and prolonged snort. "And mayhap, I shall be Queen of Ely," she remarked sarcastically, referring to the small English Isle that she hailed from. "With my uncle and his brood of disgusting boys, I highly doubt that will happen. " Adria sat down on the dry green grass and folded her legs beneath her. "We must face the world head on, Molly. King Arthur would never allow women to sit at his round table…not as knights, and not as witches. " She sighed. Sadness creased her brow.

Adria had been Molly's friend ever since Adria had come to Tintagel four years ago. Her father and mother, the King and Queen of Ely, had been killed when a deadly fever had swept the Isle.

Now, she was the closest thing Molly had to a sister, and like Molly, Adria was a princess without a kingdom.

"Merlin must plan to make us warriors. What else could he be training us for? He has instructed us in the way of white magic…and in the way of combat…to become a man's chattel now…would waste all of our training," Molly continued, thoughtfully tilting her head to one side. She grinned, and raised her hand. Colorful fireworks shot up into the sky out of it.

"Oh, do stop that," Adria chastised. "You know how Merlin is when we use our magic unsupervised. He told us to only use our magic, if we were on the Isle of Avalon, or in another magical realm. If anyone saw you, they would be horrified. They would pronounce our magical ways of being the bidding of the devil. "

A large looming shadow fell over them, blocking the sun's rays. Molly quickly swallowed; the multi-colored fire turned into pure blue fire and slowly drained away from her hand.

She didn't need to look behind her shoulder; she already knew who stood there.

"Good morrow, Father," she murmured, using the name that Arthur had consistently insisted upon, once she had gotten over her parents' deaths.

In truth, she hadn't mourned her own papa that much, as he had always been busy fighting and practicing with his warriors, to take any notice of his mere girl-child.

Since Molly wasn't sprawled across the grass as Adria was, Arthur pulled her back against his broad chest.

"Have you seen Lady Gwenhwyfar today?" he asked. Wrinkling her brow, she turned and rested her flat palms across his chest.

"No, I have not," she declared succinctly, tilting her head thoughtfully to one side. "She could be down by the riverbank, you know how she delights in bathing nude," she remarked dramatically. Adria made an odd choking noise. "Well, she does. I've seen her with my own eyes, and it was a ghastly sight, if you would wish to know. " She shuddered.

Arthur's rich laughter boomed across the landscape, and she craned her neck to look up into his eyes. They glittered merrily.

"Ah, my daughter," he said, as the well-worn laugh lines at his eyes crinkled once more. "You never fail to entertain me. " He grinned and wiped at the tears that had trickled down his cheeks.

Molly harrumphed indignantly, and crossed her arms.

"I heard about the new knight, Sir Lancelot, isn't it?" she asked curiously. Slowly, she moved away from Arthur and began gravitating toward the large stone. If she were lucky, he'd be able to tell her whom the swords were meant for.

"Aye," Arthur answered thoughtfully, winking playfully at Adria, who beamed back at him. "Why are you so curious?" he shot back, settling himself on the grass beside Adria.

Molly rolled her eyes. If anyone saw the great warrior, King Arthur, sprawled out as if he were a little boy, next to his daughter and her friend, they would most surely be dumbstruck. But she loved Arthur, more than she would ever be able to say.

Finally, she stood next to the swords, hoping that Arthur would make some comment about them, but he merely gave her a lazy grin and plucked some wild violets from the grass.

"Tell me about Sir Lancelot," she eagerly invited.

Arthur sighed heavily, and his face sobered. But he always indulged her, and she knew that soon she would have all of the information she wanted.

"He is a man of great strength and skill, and all of the ladies swoon when they are around him. Merlin tells me the Lady of the Lake raised Lancelot and he bears a sword less powerful than Excalibur but made by the same kind of magic. My knights tell me, that the bards shall write ballads about him," Arthur muttered, unconsciously scrunching the dainty violets between his thumb and forefinger.

"Father," she gasped in horror.

He suddenly realized what he had been doing, and he stared up at her sheepishly.

"Good heavens," he exclaimed, "I suppose I was not paying attention," he whispered, dragging his gaze away from the crushed violets, to stare in the direction of the grand lake, which they sometimes referred to as The River.

"I shall go and see if Lady Gwenhwyfar is by the lake," Molly rushed out, feeling an uneasy sensation take hold of her.

If Arthur were made to wait much longer he may just be inspired to go and investigate on his own.

"Pray, wait here," she begged. She dashed over the hills past some rowan trees and then slowed her pace when she came to the edge of the riverbank.

"She isn't a lady, she is my queen," Arthur called after her, causing Molly to snort indelicately.

In truth, she hadn't wanted to be reminded of that fact. Lady Gwenhwyfar did not deserve the royal title, nor did she deserve to have Arthur as her husband.

Molly stood on the embankment and let a silent oath pass her lips. She caught sight of Sir Lancelot, or at least she thought it was Sir Lancelot, for she did not recognize him, and she knew all of Arthur's knights.

Sir Lancelot was struggling desperately to impale the water beast, which had risen from the lake. The beast had Lady Gwenhwyfar held tight in his massive paws, and Gwen was so frightened that no sound came from her berry stained lips.

Drawing her magic to her, Molly flew down the embankment and ignored the utterly stunned look Sir Lancelot gave her.

Summoning her blue fire, she let it rip out at the beast that resembled a Celtic Dragon. It howled with pain, and dropped Gwenhwyfar, whom she caught in her magical hold.

She brought Gwenhwyfar over to her, and the woman sank into Molly's welcoming embrace.

"Thanks be to the Goddess," Gwenhwyfar muttered. Molly bit her lower lip, and awkwardly patted the woman's golden head.

By now, the ruckus had attracted Arthur and Adria who came scrambling down the embankment toward them.

"Oh, my stars above," Adria breathed. The dragon puffed hot air through its massive nostrils.

Eagerly, Molly gave the shocked Gwen to Arthur, and then pushed up her sleeves, preparing to continue her battle.

Instead, the crimson colored dragon began changing form and in its place stood a smiling Merlin.

"My dear child, you have passed the trial," he murmured, grinning from ear to ear. Adria skipped down to stand beside Molly. Merlin nodded his head at Adria and murmured, "And you dear girl, passed the trial last sennight when your male cousins were visiting. You never used your magic once, even when they were teasing you senseless. " He winked fondly at Adria.

"But you Princess Mary, you were my biggest concern. I needed to know that you would set aside whatever thoughts or notions you had of Lady Gwenhwyfar, if her life were in grave peril. "

A woman's beautiful figure emerged from the sparkling depths of the water, and Molly instantly recognized her as The Lady of the Lake and Queen of the Water Faeries on Earth. Lady Vivienne smiled affectionately at Molly and Adria, and Molly's mouth gaped open slightly as she stared at Lady Vivienne's glorious beauty. Her flawless skin glowed with purity, and her deep blue eyes were full of love. It was as if Molly gazed upon a heavenly creature. Vivienne's glamour was so brilliant that it nearly brought Molly to her knees.

"My Lady," Molly said, falling into a deep bow, as Adria followed suit.

"They are ready, Lord Merlin," the Lady Vivienne murmured in her singsong voice.

"Aye they are," Merlin agreed.

Merlin the Magician, levitated himself above the water, and smiled serenely down at Molly and Adria.

Sir Lancelot leaned upon on his own Elvin sword that had been dubbed Arondight. He seemed unfazed by the magic transpiring between the Faerie Queen and the White Wizard.

Lady Vivienne summoned forth two glistening blades, and Molly instantly recognized them as the ones that had been sitting on the grand stone earlier.

Molly exchanged an excited stare with Adria. They shuffled toward each other and clasped hands.

Arthur had released Gwenhwyfar, who now stood smiling at his side. In a bright flash of light she transformed into a faerie that Molly did not know. With a wistful smile, she stepped away from Arthur and disappeared. Arthur reached for Molly's hand, and gave it an encouraging squeeze.

"Come forth, Princess Mary Pendragon, and Princess Adria ap Owen," Lady Vivienne said, smiling as she beckoned to them.

Molly and Adria walked into the ankle deep water, and fell to one knee, as Merlin took Adria's sword, and the Queen of the Water Faeries held Molly's sword above her head.

"I dub thee Warrior Witch Mary Pendragon, leader of the High Order of Merlin, and huntress of all dark creatures," she proclaimed grandly. Tears gathered in Molly's eyes. "You shall command the Elvin blade Anwyn, wrought by the Avalonian Elf Smith, Gofannon and brought here for your capable hands," Lady Vivienne said, grandly giving Molly the sword. "Whenever you are in need of Anwyn, you merely summon her with your magic. "

Lady Vivienne then turned her attention to Merlin, who held the sword above Adria's raven crown.

"I dub thee Warrior Witch Adria ap Owen, co-leader of the High Order of Merlin, and huntress of all dark creatures," he proclaimed, his rich baritone booming across the rugged landscape. "You shall command the Elvin blade Ely, wrought by the Avalonian Elf Smith, Gofannon and brought here for your capable hands," he said, grandly giving Adria the sword. "Adria, whenever you are in need of Ely, your magic shall summon her forth," Merlin declared, watching his two students proudly.

"Thank you both," Molly and Adria breathed in unison. Clasping her sword tightly, she and Adria stumbled back onto the riverbank.

"From this day forth, the two of you shall be the brightest lights amongst my Light Bearers," Merlin proclaimed.

Arthur drew Excalibur, and motioned for Molly and Adria to fall to one knee. Perplexed, the two girls did as they were commanded.

He brought Excalibur down just above Adria's one shoulder and then the other, as his voice carried forth. "I dub thee Princess Adria, my Lady Knight of the Round Table. "

Shocked, Adria gave Molly a confused stare.

Then, Arthur moved toward Molly, and allowed Excalibur to go through the same motions. "I dub thee Princess Mary, otherwise known as Princess Molly, my Lady Knight of the Round Table, and sworn protector of my Queen, Lady Gwenhwyfar. " Molly's heart fell, as she listened to her adopted father's words. "All hail, Princess Mary, my blood daughter, and Princess Adria, daughter of my loyal friend Ranulf ap Owen," he murmured.

Molly stared up at him in dismay. Realization hit her as if a rock had been hurled at her stomach.

"What did you say?" she managed to choke out, feeling Anwyn hum in her hands.

* * * *

Tintagel Castle, 517 AD

It was the night of the gathering. Molly shifted her weight to her other foot, resting her hand on the jeweled hilt of Anwyn.

The night was young, and she was incredibly nervous. Arthur was holding an emergency meeting with the other Knights of the Round Table. But she was not allowed to attend. It was the first time in a year that she had been forbidden to sit with the other male knights. She stared restlessly out at the full moon, tensing, as she felt Adria slowly approach.

"I am not allowed to sit with the counsel either," Adria murmured. Molly glanced away from the full moon and shrugged her shoulders.

"I knew it would be this way. I knew as soon as he revealed to me he was my true father that I would be shoved off into the corner. Even now, whilst Lady Gwen sleeps, he will not allow me to stand beside him. They will be riding out to battle tomorrow, to deal with the terror in the East. " Sadness flowed through her. She turned her body to look Adria straight in the face. "What if they don't return?" Molly asked. Fear wound its invisible tentacles around her heart.

Merlin suddenly materialized in front of them, and he held out his hand to them, as they moved to his side. "Make haste, my Lady Knights!"

Molly reached out for his offered hand and clasped it tightly.

"Arthur shall need help upon the morn, and we will be the ones to give him that assistance," Merlin murmured. He raised his hand and they disappeared into a flash of white light.

"Where are we?" Molly wondered, staring around at the large hall. It was ornately decorated, and filled with art the likes of which she had never seen before.

Trumpets sounded off in the distance, and Molly and Adria raced to the window.

"We are at Castle Breena in Avalon," Merlin murmured, calmly folding his hands in front of him.

Six crimson-cloaked figures with the hoods drawn over their heads filed into the Great Hall.

Molly watched, entranced, as each hood was flung back to reveal the faces of seven women that suddenly summoned forth their magical Elvin blades.

"Princess Mary, Princess Adria, allow me to introduce you to the other Light Bearers of my High Order. Once united, you shall all be known as the nine mystical ladies of Avalon," Merlin said in his entrancing tone.

"You already know Princess Morganna, and Princess Anna from Tintagel. " As he introduced each Light Bearer, he gestured to her. Molly and Adria knew Morganna and Anna well. They were Molly's aunts, and Molly went to great lengths to distance herself from the pretentious Morganna. Anna on the other hand, was sweet and kind, and uncannily resembled Arthur, except for her silver colored hair.

"This is Princess Iseult from the Isle of Eire. " The Irish Princess stepped forward, and Molly gasped as her eyes fell on the lovely woman. Iseult's hair seemed to be spun gold, and her eyes were an intense emerald green. But she was a solid statue and would make a formidable Light Bearer and Lady Knight.

"This is Princess Ciara from Lothian. " Merlin paused briefly, as a small red-haired woman stepped forward. She wore a circlet of gold on her forehead not unlike the other women, and her skin was frighteningly pale and speckled with freckles. If Molly didn't know better she could have sworn that they were related. Merlin's voice broke into Molly's thoughts.

"This is Princess Amelia from the Fourth Faerie Realm, and with her is her cousin, Princess Beatrice from the Elvin Realm of Ardara. "

These two women nearly brought Molly to her knees. Molly was part faerie, and she knew that her ears were enchanted to seem more humanlike. But Molly had never glimpsed pureblooded elves or faeries. They were said to be the cousins of angels, and now Molly could understand why. They gave off a radiant light, and she felt a comforting emotion pass through her. For some strange reason, these women reminded her of her mother. But she was being fanciful; she had inherited her fey blood from her father's mother, not from her mother. Her father had not inherited the gift of magic as she had, but fortune had still smiled down upon him.

"And last but certainly not least, is Princess Millicent from the Welsh kingdom of Powys. "

Molly scrutinized this last Light Bearer even more closely than she had the others. She knew that Millicent was Lady Gwen's cousin, and yet she bore no resemblance to Gwen whatsoever. Moreover, Millicent's eyes reminded her of her own.

The Light Bearers all bowed their heads in respect for Merlin.

"All of you belong to the High Order of Merlin, and are my Light Bearers. I summoned you here on an issue of serious consequence. King Arthur plans to ride out and meet dark forces from the East. His knights will not be able to stand against these unearthly creatures, but my ladies, you have the power to prevail over the ungodly creatures of the dark. " He flourished his hand, and gave them a frightening scene of Arthur and his knights being mercilessly slain.

"So we shall," Molly vowed, breaking the uneasy silence.

Her heart filled with dread at the tragic vision, but she had to be strong for the sake of the brave, chivalrous Knights, and most of all, her father.

Deliberately, she drew Anwyn, from its scabbard, and the others followed her lead. They formed a circle, and extended their swords, their silver tips touched. When the Elvin swords connected, a blindingly glorious burst of multi-colored light streamed up from the tips and danced around the room.

"Let us be off to Camelot," Molly cried, as their magic continued to dazzle, and dance around the room.

"To Camelot," they all cried.

She was off to fight by her father's side, and for the first time, she was on the hunt with her fellow Light Bearers. She would not fail Merlin, for if she did, there would be no worse fate.

Chapter One

New York City, 2010

Molly Pendleton slumped farther into her chair, pulling the brim of her hat down to conceal her eyes. She studied every person that entered the Chinese style restaurant, and was nearly at her wits' end when the man she had been waiting for finally sauntered in. It wasn't unexpected. He always took his sweet ass time.

Looking around the dining area, he put out his cigarette at the insistence of the hostess.

Molly narrowed her eyes. Her gaze followed him as he moved over to a nearby table. She could feel the pent up energy inside of her, just battling to be released. But she had to wait. Now was not the time, she had to wait for the opportune moment.

The man was none other than Royal St. Ives. She'd been trailing Royal for nearly two weeks. She was tired, impatient, and almost at the end of her already short rope. She wanted to be at home in front of a roaring fire, but that was not to be her fate on this gloomy cold night. Reaching for her purse, she slung it across her chest. She slipped to the edge of the booth seat, and waited for the precise moment when she would close in on her quarry.

Standing up, she breathed in deeply, and straightened her clothes. In a feat of wondrous agility, she maneuvered her way through the crowded dining area, and stared sourly down at Royal.

He glanced up over his open menu, and his mouth gaped when he realized she wasn't his waitress.

She deftly slipped into the chair opposite him, and had her fingers locked around his wrist, before he could yank it out of her reach.

"What's up Moll? Long time no see," he muttered. His face contorted with pain, and his eyes flickered with fear.

Smiling, she increased her already solid grip on his wrist.

"Did you actually think you'd be able to give me the slip?" she whispered, even as she laced her faint murmuring with something that resembled vocalized arsenic.

He shrugged his shoulders, and she caught herself before she smacked him soundly across the face. He reached for a cigarette, with his free hand, and she scrunched her face up in disgust.

"Don't you know those things are killers?" she asked angrily. He smirked, and continued to reach for his lighter.

She tore it out of his hand, and he gave her a dirty look before she reconsidered.

"Actually, maybe you should smoke three packs of fags a day. Getting rid of you for good would be a Godsend," she rushed out, tossing him his lighter. Her raised voice had caught the attention of the other patrons. Several pairs of eyes suddenly rested on them. Molly grimaced. She hated attracting unnecessary attention. Usually, discretion was her middle name.

"Why can't you just leave me in peace?" he whined.

She darted her gaze toward the entrance of Chung Lee's. Her heartbeat quickened, as she noticed the striking silhouette of one of the hottest men she had ever laid her greedy eyes upon, from the 21st century that is.

She pulled roughly on Royal's wrist, which yanked him straight off his chair. She had him so close to her face that she could smell what he had eaten for lunch. His breath stank like dead fish.

"Listen up good, Roy," she muttered, as his face became mottled. "I want to know where you stashed those trinkets you stole from me. Spill it, or I'm going to take you with me, when I leave this establishment," she threatened. Sweat began to bead across Royal's forehead and his eyes bugged out. She didn't have much time. She had to leave before the gorgeous hunk reached their table.

Luckily, he was having a hell of a time getting past the hostess drooling all over him.

"I didn't steal anything," Royal hedged stupidly. She let out a long drawn out snort.

"Yes, and I'm the Queen of England," she shot back, trying to control her volatile temper.

She watched the handsome man out of the corner of her eye and wished she knew his name.

She had one way of finding out, but she had sworn off those mystical practices long ago. Right now, she really wished she hadn't. Royal followed her hungry gaze and smirked, just as she stood up, then pulled him toward the back exit.

He tried to resist, but stopped obediently when she pulled out her gun and rammed it into his gut.

"I don't want to do anything I might later regret," she murmured.

Royal's face flushed, and if she were a good reader of expressions, the one he wore signaled that he was very close to wetting his pants.

"Fine," he rushed out, "I sold them to Wisteria Enterprises. They matched my price, so I handed them over. "

"You're a son of a bitch, and when I recover the items you sold so easily, I'm going to come back for you. And this time, I'm not going to be so damn nice," she drawled out.

Royal lost all of his color, and his lower lip began to tremble. "Aww, come on Moll, I'm sure we could reach some kind of agreement. "

She let out another loud snort and wrenched open the exit door.

"You are getting on my last tattered nerve, Royal," she muttered, plastering him up against the wall. "Don't you even want to know what you stole from me?" she demanded, watching with intense frustration as he shook his head.

"They were a bunch of dirty old leather bound books, what do I care what they were? It's not like I read them or anything," he muttered, causing her to nearly throttle him.

"They weren't just dirty old books, you asinine fool!" she muttered, between clenched teeth. Her heart plummeted in her chest.

She was going to have to go through hell and back if she wanted to get those books back from Wisteria Enterprises. They had people working for them that were more than a potential match for her. She loosened her hold on Royal, and glanced back at the man that was now striding purposefully toward her. She quickly read the insignia on his suit jacket and let out a loud gasp.

"Shit," she cursed, letting go of Royal completely. She ducked out into the alleyway. Blending in with the wall, she listened attentively to the exchange between Royal and Mr. He Means Business.

"Hello, Royal," the man drawled out.

Molly stiffened with apprehension and fought back the desire to use her magic.

"Uh, hello," Royal said.

She strained to envision what the two of them looked like. Skinny Royal, up against the buff man, probably seemed quite ludicrous.

"Mr. Remington wants to see you again. He requires some more information concerning the person that you acquired your books from. " The hot Wisteria Enterprises agent spoke in a no-nonsense tone that sent a shiver rippling up and back down Molly's spine.

She swallowed past the dry lump in her throat, and fought her feet, which now seemed to have a mind of their own. Her feet said go, while her mind said stay.

She chose her mind, even though she knew she might be screwing herself. She had heard about this Mr. Remington, and none of the reports had been all that good.

Crossing her fingers, she waited on baited breath as Royal continued. Surely he wouldn't be foolish enough to betray her twice.

"I took them from a Ms. Molly Pendleton, and if you're super fast, you'll be able to catch her and take her to Mr. Remington," Royal blabbed.

Groaning, she nearly slapped her forehead. She bolted down the alleyway, not even waiting for the man's response.

When she met up with Royal again, she'd forget the fact that they used to be friends. She was going to treat him just as she had treated all of her other sworn enemies over the years.

She released the security alarm on her car and dove into the driver's seat. Speeding out into the congested traffic, she checked to see if Remington's men were following her. When she noticed that they were, she grimaced, and floored the gas.

"Royal, you are so dead!" she muttered. Lifting one hand off of the steering wheel, she quickly snapped her fingers.

Out of seemingly nowhere, a garbage truck appeared, blocking the cars that followed her. If Wisteria Enterprises were after her, she'd have to run through unimaginable gauntlets to get away from them. That meant she'd have to cheat a little.

She stopped at the red light, and glanced in her rearview mirror. They were gone. Thank God.

She threw her vintage 1940's fedora onto the seat beside her, and reached for a Celtic CD to shove into the CD player. She stared out into the falling darkness and groaned, as she understood something….

Eventually, Wisteria Enterprises would catch up with her; her only choice was to face the music.

She tensed when her cell phone rang. She reached hesitantly into her purse and glanced at the display pad. Biting her lip, she flipped the titanium phone open.

"Hello," she barked.

The light turned green and she put her foot on the gas pedal. She was driving very fast, and she knew she was exceeding the speed limit. All she needed to top off her already spectacular day was to be pulled over by a cop.

"Hello, Ms. Pendleton. " A warm baritone voice, with a thick Scottish accent caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. She did have a weakness for Scottish accents.

"Well, what do you know, it is the exalted Mr. Remington, calling little old me. Whatever did I do to deserve such royal treatment?" Thankfully, the bravado in her voice hid the nervousness she felt rolling through her.

Rain began pelting against her car and she turned on her windshield wipers. Heaving a great sigh, she trained her vision on the road ahead of her.

"I have a business proposition for you," Mr. Remington continued, as she quickly switched lanes.

"I'll only consider it if it involves oodles of money, which at the moment is the least of your concerns, Mr. Remington. I'm coming after you, and I'm going to get back what is rightfully mine. "

"And what is that?" he asked, with mocking innocence that riled her to no end.

"The Avalon Diaries. And I will get them, make no mistake," she whispered.

Her heart lodged in her throat and she gripped the steering wheel so tightly, she feared the imprint of her fingers would be left behind.

"Ah, but from what I gleaned from your diary, Ms. Pendleton, I thought you had sworn off magic, except in combat situations. The passage was marked, the 25th of June, 1888, to my recollection," he murmured in his damnably sexy voice. Why did he have to sound like such a hottie when all she wanted to do was throttle the life out of him?

She let out a muffled curse and slammed her balled up fist against the steering wheel.

"How the hell did you figure all of that out?" she demanded, feeling her blood run cold.

If he had read the diaries already, that meant he knew everything about her and her kind. She could rest easy in knowing that he didn't know their true identities. When they began writing The Avalon Diaries, they had all by then changed their names.

Anything linking her to the golden age of Camelot didn't exist in those diaries, except for her age. She may have mentioned that.

There was so much that she had experienced in her long lifetime, and sometimes she had a hard time recalling every little facet and nuance. But she remembered the important, life-hanging-in-the-balance moments. Oh, aye, she remembered those.

"I'm a fast reader," he said nonchalantly. She imagined him shrugging his shoulders in her mind's eye.

She wanted to pummel him black and blue or turn him into a frog with a million warts, but that was unthinkable. The first option was much more viable.

"I've seen a recent photograph of you," he continued.

She snorted and turned onto the street of her B&B.

"Really," she was trying to sound disinterested, but doubted that she was pulling it off.

"Yes, and I could hardly believe that you were over fifteen hundred years old. Why, you don't have a grey or white hair amongst your copper-gold tresses. And if you don't mind me saying so, you are by far the most beautiful woman that I have ever laid my eyes upon," he said seductively.

She was beginning to feel affected by the genuine emotion conveyed in his voice. Lord, if she ever met him in person she'd be a goner for sure.

She hadn't ever been truly in love and the thought of finding such a miracle, would have brought her to her knees had she not been sitting down. As it was, she merely snagged her bottom lip with her teeth and turned into the driveway of the old Victorian-style mansion.

Taking a few moments to gather her wits, before she opened her car door, she breathed deeply. Realizing she could stall no longer, she stepped out into the rain. She pulled her hood up over her head and began breathing heavily into the phone.

"Ms. Pendleton, are you still there?"

She walked up the steps to the mansion. Standing under the canopy of the magnificent white verandah, she opened her senses to the world around her.

"Yes, I am," she said shortly, finally managing to control her breathing.

She yearned for a hot-blooded sensually charismatic man to fall in love with her, but all of the men that she had ever come across had instantly been turned away by her independence. That said something, since she was fifteen hundred years old, and counting.

"Listen to me, and listen well, Remington," she started, purposefully dropping the respectful Mister from his name. "If you ever reveal any of the secrets locked within those diaries, I will make sure that you rue the day you were born. There I things I could do to you…that would make you cringe. "

"Are you threatening to kill me, Molly, or are you just having some fun with me? Because from what I read in your diary, and let me tell you, yours was by far the most fascinating, you wrote that you never take the life of an innocent. And let me assure you, I am innocent. "

She raised her eyebrow, and snorted loudly into the phone. "And my ass is green. " She rolled her eyes.

"I concede that perhaps my body is not as innocent as it once was, but I have never done any of the troubling things which you describe in your diary. "

She groaned, and turned toward the mansion's front door.

Grunting, she began rummaging around in her purse for her keys. Her fingers were glowing when she found the key, and she grimaced as she concentrated to make the glow disappear. She had taken a vow not to use her magic for anything but the hunt. She'd only cheated once that day…there was no need to blacken her record again.

Right at the moment, she was really regretting her decision. Finding the diaries would have to be done the hard way, because she didn't have to use her magical abilities to tell her that Remington wasn't as bad as everyone thought. After all, he wasn't the only one that had been doing their research.

When the diaries had gone missing from her safe spot, she had quickly run through all of the possible people that might be in the market for them. She'd known that Royal had taken them and that he would be looking for the highest bidder.

Collin Remington had money, brains, power and good looks. All in all, he was a force to be reckoned with. He also harbored a secret that only she was aware of, and if she played her cards right, she might just be able to use that secret against him.

Slipping the key into the lock, she heard the deadbolt slide back, and pushed open the door.

The scent of cinnamon and brown sugar lingered in the air, telling her that the owner of the B&B was making another batch of her famous cinnamon rolls. It was nearly ten o'clock, but then, Mrs. Carpenter was known to do her baking at late hours.

She stepped all of the way into the entryway, and quickly took off her coat, setting her phone aside. The bastard could wait until she was good and ready to talk to him.

With any luck, he might have already hung up on her. She was fully prepared to pay Remington a visit tomorrow afternoon, but right now, she just wanted to have a soothing cup of tea, a hot shower and then go to her bed. Her empty bed. She pursed her lips and reached for her purse and phone.

She heard a noise from the guest family room, and it immediately caught her attention. Fighting the impulse to use her magic and pop into the room, she instead slung her purse over her shoulder, and put the phone back up to her ear.

Marching resolutely toward the family room door, she expected to see Mrs. Carpenter, or even one of the many ghosts that haunted the B&B.

When she did open the door, she saw one ghost by the window, but sitting by the fire was someone that was definitely made of flesh and bones. Man, was he made of some good-looking flesh…and bones. She swallowed.

Crossing her arms angrily against her chest, she huffed out a gust of hot air.

His smoldering green eyes made her heart miss a beat, and she absently placed her cool hand against her face that had become unexplainably hot.

She thought it was desire making her burn up, but as soon as he parted that luscious mouth of his to begin speaking, she knew the desire was merely anger, boiled down to its purest form.

"Hello, Molly," he said, saying her name with a caress, which jolted her senses. "I thought I would pay you a visit, in person. "

She slowly moved toward him, blazing daggers at him all the while.

"Where are my diaries?" she clipped out, trying desperately to master the fury that rioted through her.

If she weren't careful, she would turn him into some hideous creature without really meaning to.

"You are even more beautiful in person. The photographs my men took of you didn't do you justice," he mused, staring hungrily up at her. "In fact, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine a witch of your talents would even be pretty. In all honesty, I think I expected a crooked backed hag, with a long hook of a nose, and a wart on the tip of it," he continued, his words caused her hands to start glowing with blue fire.

Reacting on instinct, she tucked them into her pockets, and plopped her butt down on the overstuffed sofa.

"You have bewitched me, my dearest Molly. "

She held her hand up, imperiously ordering his silence. "If you weren't the only child of one of my oldest and dearest friends, you'd be dead right now, even if you are an innocent," she decided, flashing him a mischievous grin.

LENGTH: Full Novel
SENSUALITY: Spicy

Cover art (c) Alex DeShanks 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60394-316-1
Download $5.99
Trade Paperback ISBN 1-58608-
Retail price $12.99
(s&h not included in price)

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Shaylee Nyx is a fairy with unconventional ideals. When she spurns the advances of an undesirable suitor, she is exiled from her fairy realm. Cast out into an unforgiving universe filled with mortals and magical beings alike, she has to fight to survive.

Prince Flynn Ap Owyn searches the known galaxies for ancient magical artifacts. There is only one prize he as left to claim—Shaylee.

Rating: Spicy.

Genre: Futuristic Romance.

Exiles of Magic:

ROGUE

By

Marly Mathews

© copyright by Marly Mathews, May 2009

Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, May 2009

ISBN 978-1-60394 316-1

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One

The Caledonian Commonwealth

2890

Shaylee Nyx tapped her fingers restlessly on the antique walnut table. She looked around the smoke-filled pub. The establishment was a poor imitation of the pubs found on Earth.

She breathed in deeply, and felt the Caledonian smoke lodge in her throat. Many said the smoke was therapeutic and that it would add years to your life. She found it irritating and constricting on her air passages. Raucous laughter erupted in the room, followed by the familiar sounds of men and women playing a competitive game of pool. The sound of pool cues hitting balls mingled with the other sounds in the bar. Several men stood in front of holographic gaming tables, where they actually took part in the game, while others were hooked up to Virtual Reality Escapist Games. A select few sat at tables playing an old fashioned game of Poker in the secluded area of the club.

They came from all different walks of life, but unlike her, everyone gathered in the pub was devoid of magic. Mel’Vara was located in the Meloran solar system, and though it wasn’t as large as its Prime Planet, Melor it was larger than some of the planets located in the Dru Morn Sector.

If her contact within the Caledonia Royal House didn’t show up soon she’d get up and leave. She’d already been waiting for well over two hours. If he didn’t show, it either meant he couldn’t get away or his true identity had been exposed and he’d been dealt with.

Melor and the vast expanse of planets that made up the Dru Morn Sector were all a part of the Caledonian Commonwealth. The Dru Morn Sector was a wide expanse of space. It was a dangerous sector yet; the Caledonian’s class and culture made it the sector to visit.

She sipped at the Meloran Tea and looked around the pub for anyone that could possibly be her contact.

“Captain Nyx?” She looked up. Her heart hammered in her chest. The man in front of her was obviously a native Caledonian for his sun-bronzed skin, dark violet eyes, and pitch-black hair made her at a loss for words for exactly two minutes.

“That would be me.”

“Indeed. My contact’s description of you didn’t do you justice.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s so.” He relaxed and looked at the chair in front of him. “Do you mind if I sit down?”

“Not at all. What do you have for me today? I must admit when they told me my old contact, Dryfus had gone into retirement I was quite shocked. He seemed to live for the job he did.” He thought he was pulling the wool over her eyes. But she already knew who he was. He was a Prince of the Caledonian Commonwealth, and he was also a well renowned relic hunter. He sought out and usually found ancient magical artifacts. If he believed he was going to tag her as another coveted prize to add to his collection he was dead wrong. Coupled with the fact that he was somewhat of a black sheep in his royal family, and he added up to being one complicated yet, exceedingly interesting man.

He was also drop dead gorgeous. Her heart fluttered again. Steeling herself, she waited for his reply.

“Well, you know…we all need to take time to see the solar systems and find our own sort of peace.”

Narrowing her eyes, she leaned forward. Something unidentifiable flickered in his eyes.

She looked around the room. Was someone following her? Her heart hammered in her chest; despite her rioting inner emotions she kept her facial features as placid as possible. It wouldn’t be the first time, or the last that someone had placed a bounty on her head.

He leaned toward her—in a sudden swift movement, he’d grabbed a hold of her chin, pulling her toward him. Instinctively, she reached for her sidearm. Before he could blink, she had it drawn and pointed to the location directly over his groin.

He had to be wired wrong. No one would try to do to her what he’d just done. She was a fairy wielding unimaginable power and yet he touched her as if he had the right to do so. It galled her and yet, she also found it deeply attractive.

Suppressed fury shot through her. If she acted out on her anger right now, she’d most likely be looking at a mouse sitting on the chair rather than the fine specimen of man that gripped her chin.

“You should leave now. The bounty hunters are on your tail. You’ve pissed off the head of the Meloran Mob.” His voice remained steady despite where she had her pistol trained.

Snorting, she studied his face. Why didn’t he look just a little panicky? “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve pissed off Lord Ranulf. He’s never gotten over the fact that I took off one of his balls. What can I say…” she curled her lips into a dazzling smile, “he got a little too close for my comfort level.”

The Meloran Mob was an organized crime syndicate that ruled over twelve planets on the rim of the Dru Morn Sector. In fact, Mel’Vara was the last planet in the crime syndicate that still remained relatively free from Ranulf’s constant tyranny. Ranulf’s home planet of Ranara had been devastated years ago. Now it was a lifeless planet, the thirteenth planet in the Melor Solar System and a planet that now looked like a dried up dust bowl. Ranulf fed off the tragedies of his past, using his hatred to ruin countless lives. Crossing Ranulf’s powerfully connected crime syndicate was about as good as signing your own death warrant. She had crossed Lord Ranulf many years ago, and she still drew breath. The stranger’s eyes flashed again—but she didn’t know if it was with humor or respect.

“I can cover you for about five minutes, do you have a ship somewhere nearby?” he asked, his eyes flashing with dark violet fire.

“I might have,” she drawled out, eyeing the man intently. By all appearances, he was telling her the truth. The question was, why was he so damn motivated to help her out? She certainly wasn’t accustomed to having strangers the likes of this man trying to help her out.

She thought to the Fairy Space Corvette she’d left in stealth mode over on the next parking lot.

“You might have?” He shook his head, tilting her face up so they looked directly into each other’s eyes. “You need to stop joking and get serious, my little lovely lady. This time, Ranulf isn’t going to let you get away. He means business, and he’s put the bounty on your head for you to come back to him—dead or alive.”

“Dead?” She chuckled, though her heart felt like it had lead in it. “He’s never done that before—he’s obviously starting to get a clue.”

“I guess that’s what happens to a man that has lost something to you.”

“Guess so.” She darted her eyes to the rough and ready men filing into the establishment. They violently shoved the other patrons out of their way. Looking to the bar area, she watched the barman reach for a wicked looking energy pulse shotgun. Fixing her gaze on him, he caught her looking at him. She shook her head. To try and attack these men right at this point in time would be murder for Tom Ra’Danley the owner and man tending bar. Slowly, he lowered his gun and held it steady, ready to use it if the need presented itself. “Why are you helping me? I’m not usually a two-person act—I’m more than used to going it alone. So cough it up…I want to know what’s motivated you to give me a warning.”

“Because…I’ve got my own score to settle with Ranulf. If I help you, you can return the favor and help me.”

“What makes you so certain that I’ll put myself out on a limb to help someone I barely know?”

“Because you seem like the sort of woman that repays in kind—I’m sure the old adage, the enemy of my enemy is my friend rings true with you.”

She didn’t like the fact that he seemed to read her so well. “You wouldn’t happen to be partially telepathic, would you?”

His reply was nearly drowned out by the commotion going on in the pub. A nasty brawl was starting and it looked like the regulars of the establishment were getting their assess kicked in. These men that Ranulf had sent after her were definitely no amateurs. From her semi-secluded table in the bar, she had a bird’s eye view of anyone coming in from the front of the building and a real handy escape out of the back shipping door.

“Maybe.” His eyes glinted with humor.

“Maybe,” she echoed. “I don’t care for the way you give me lukewarm answers.”

“Well, let’s put our differences aside, and try to get you out of here alive, shall we? We don’t seem to have much time. They’ll be done beating the shit out of those men over there in oh, two minutes, flat.”

“Why are so concerned about getting me out of here alive? You must have a secret agenda.” She looked away. “Besides, if I were you, I would be more concerned about your health—I assure you, nothing much can make me ill.”

“Oh, I have several secret agendas. But let’s just say we share a commonality in the fact that I don’t like the Meloran Mob anymore than you do. They just tried to splinter the Caledonian Royalty into pieces .…”

“What happened?” she demanded, staring at him intently. She’d been on radio silence for the past month or so—

Cutting herself off from all media organizations seemed a bad idea, now that she’d been presented with such catastrophic news.

“They’ve killed the king, queen and the heir. They also wiped out whoever moved to intervene.” He set his jaw into a grim line.

“No.” Dread coiled deep in her belly, and she fought the sickening sensations rushing over her. She’d had this particular itch for the last few days, and that itch almost always meant that a catastrophe was in the winds of fate. Now, that wind had blown. Ranulf had killed more people. Fury started to burn through her.

“Oh … yes. The palace is a literal bloodbath.”

“What about their guards?”

“Dead. Ranulf’s not the one to leave behind witnesses.”

Now that she thought about it, he looked like he’d been to hell and back. His eyes were haunted with overwhelming grief.

“You wouldn’t happen to have been there when this attack took place, were you?”

“Not exactly. I was away from—from the palace at the time. I came back too late .…”

Grunts and shouts of rage carried to them from the front of the bar. The sound of glass shattering and chairs being broken over backs carried to her. They were running out of time. Even though she was rarely rattled by events such as this one, she knew she should be listening to the man sitting in front of her. Someone had even ripped the fire extinguisher off the wall and they were using it to blow away their attackers. When it ran out, they started using it as a blunt weapon.

“And, found them dead or dying.” She nodded her head grimly. Her heart went out to him. Anguish plagued his features. The man sitting next to her had lost his entire world, and now he was looking for a lifeline in a sea of loneliness and doubt. He had revenge on his mind—and he’d go to any lengths or any danger to see it fulfilled.

“Yes.” His voice filled with trembling emotion. She felt another twinge of sympathy for him. She wasn’t Caledonian … and so therefore, she didn’t have any loyalty or allegiance to the Crown, but still—she didn’t like what the Meloran Mob had done to them.

Ranulf had risen to become head of the Meloran Mob when he in fact wasn't even Meloran. It boggled the mind.

Underhanded business like that really made her see red. The Caledonian Royal Family had gone against Lord Ranulf’s racketeering, prostitution trading, dark magic practicing and trading, drug poisoning and other crimes against humanity, for one too many times, and finally, they’d been eliminated in the most brutal of ways.

“I am sorry.”

“Yeah, well, we can’t dwell on that right now. The thing is I need your help.”

“I come with a price. Nothing in life is free as you should well know.”

“Anything you want to charge me, I can pay.”

“Can you?”

“I can,” he promised, giving her a serious gaze.

“Then, if you’re willing to help me get out of here without getting my ass shot off—then, I’m willing to help you with whatever you need done. I’ve gotten my ass shot off before, and I’m not looking forward to another painful recovery period. Just as long as you’re not hiring me to kill anyone, that’s not how I do business. I’m not a gun for hire. I won’t be anyone’s assassin.”

“No?”

“No. I don’t do that sort of thing—anymore. And even when I did—I didn’t kill innocents. Only the foulest scum of the galaxy felt my wrath.”

“Good. I’m going after the worst scum of the galaxy.”

She hesitated. More men entered the establishment. Shit. They were really coming out with all guns blazing this time. Fighting a posse this size wasn’t going to be a cakewalk. “Look, I’m starting to feel a little hot—I think we should scat like now.”

“I think you would be right,” he agreed, giving her a forced smile.

“You cover my rear, and I’ll blaze a trail for us to my ship.”

“I have no issue covering your rear,” he paused, “This ship of yours … it is space worthy, right?”

“It might not be the fanciest ship in the galaxy but I can tell you one thing—it does the job. It’s never let me down before—well, there was this one time on Jupiter Four when—”

“Save it. I don’t care. We need to go. Now!”

“You know what? Every man I meet is always in a hurry to go nowhere fast. And if you tell me you have a bloody shortcut out of here, I’m going to give you a black eye!”

“Actually, I’m hoping we aren’t going to be doing that. I have a destination plotted, it’s called the destination to get the hell out of here!” he shouted, eyes widening when he noticed that the patrons of the bar were losing—badly.

“Like I said … we need to blow,” she muttered.

“Big time.”

“Behind us there’s a back exit. When it’s time, follow me, and don’t stray far, or else we could lose each other.”

“I’ll stick to you like Caledonian glue.”

Shaking her head at him, she drank the rest of her Meloran tea and calmly pushed her chair back. Smoothing her dress down, she fixed her hair.

Unfazed by the commotion going on around her, Shaylee stood up at the same time he stood. They moved so they stood back to back. Shaylee hadn’t realized how tall he was before this—but now, his size nearly overwhelmed her. “You’re one big boy.”

“I know … and you are one little girl.”

“I’m not a girl … I’m a lady.”

“Not in that getup you are wearing. I have no idea how you can even walk around without having men all over you like a bloody second skin. That’s just not proper, and you call yourself a Captain.” His eyes raked hungrily over the long easy flowing dress she wore, and the knee-high boots she had on that matched the dress. She’d heard a few men call them fuck me boots. Skintight leggings covered her legs, and her strawberry blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail to keep it from impairing her line of sight. The top of the dress had a plunging neckline and showed off her tits a little too much. That was just the way she wanted it though, hanging her ample cleavage out distracted a lot of the men she had to deal with, making it easier for her to blend in. When they were staring at her knockers, they were less likely to notice her fairy ears. When she’d been exiled they had made it so she could hide her wings, but try as she might to shape change the appearance of her ears, she couldn’t. Everything else from her hair color to the features on her face could be manipulated but her ears were a shining testament to her origins. Of course since she no longer had fairy wings, many mistook her for an Elf .…

“Hardy, har, har.” She pulled out her other sidearm. The pistols were Elvin manufactured. They shot out silver bullets or magical stun blasts depending on what she needed. Either way, they put down the enemy for a long time, and that’s what she needed right now.

The men that surrounded them weren’t opening fire. Strange. If they weren’t going to shoot first, she had no compunction. Pulling the trigger on her pistols, she screamed when they jammed and burned her hand. The Elvin white magic quickly overtook the dark magic, but her hands still burned. “Holy shit! They’ve got a shadow fighter with them. Your weapons are useless. Don’t even try unless you’d like to become a piece of human toast.”

She tossed one of her pistols to him. Holstering his weapons in a flash, he caught her pistol and held it ready.

Reaching down, she pulled her dagger out that she had holstered to her leg. Throwing it, she used her magic to suspend it in midair. Blue light magic streamed out from the tip of the dagger erecting a magical shield between them and the enemy. She didn’t have to worry about the people fighting by the bar, the shadow fighter would target Flynn and she, and ignore those he didn’t deem a threat.

“That’s how they wiped out the Caledonian Royal Family,” Flynn said dryly, all levity disappearing from his voice.

“Great. Why do I always have to get involved in this freaky crap? All I want is a nice little life filled with normalcy. What I get is weird assed men and women coming after me and pulling their hocus pocus shit off on me. For once, just once, I’d like to get away from that. These weapons aren’t going to do us good for long…I’m going to need to use my own magic to counterattack the shadow fighter. The shield should hold for a second but that little bastard could figure out how to bypass it.”

“How can you escape what you are?”

“Listen, dude, I’ve tried. I’ve been running for most of my life—and I’m going to keep on running for as long as I can.”

“You can’t keep running. Your past is catching up to you—and I need your help.”

“So, what you’re saying is you don’t want to hire my gun—you want to hire my abilities?”

“Indeed. Don’t tell me you aren’t magically shielding us right now. That shield you’ve put up with your dagger can’t be the only thing you’re doing. I haven’t felt anyone trying to get into my head, that must be your doing.”

“I might be. Out of pure need, I assure you. Magically, you could say I’ve gone cold turkey. I only use my magic when it comes to helping innocents fight the dark forces that seem to be bleeding across the galaxies.”

“Oh, that’s rich. A fairy that’s gone cold turkey on magic.” He laughed.

“Don’t call me that.” She gave him a loathsome look. “I told you … I’m abstaining—except for when I have to use my magic for the good of others—and then, you breeze in here and blow all of my convictions to hell in an instant. Soon, I’ll be using my magic to transport myself short distances instead of walking.”

“I’m sorry for dashing your dreams against the rocks.”

“They aren’t dreams, they are my reality. For now, I’ll help you … you’ve hired me to protect you … isn’t that what you want? I don’t have to be psychic to know who you are and what you are. You need my help more than I need your help. Since you obviously know what I am, you know that no matter how many times they try to shoot me, they can’t kill me. I’m invulnerable.” While they argued, he pinged off several of Ranulf’s men. The shadow fighter was trying to shield them, but the Enchanted Elvin guns had sensed the dark magic and they were magically reprogramming themselves to account for the insidiously dark magic. They also shot through Shaylee’s magical shield with ease.

“I’m not,” he mused.

“As I said, you need my help more than I need yours. I could eventually get out of here alive. You, on the other hand, would be killed in the attempt. They’re not after me—they’re after you. I’m in a charitable mood, though. I think I’m going to help you. I’m also going to take your money. But I can assure you that I will protect you with my magic and my life. After all, I wouldn’t want the last of the Caledonian Royal Line to get himself killed, would I?”

Despair plagued his features. The events of the last day or so were really wearing thin on him.

“Just stick close to me. I’m one rogue fairy with a hell of a bad attitude when people rub me the wrong way.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll always endeavor to rub you the right way.”

“I think you just might be able to do that.” She smiled. He forced a grin onto his face for her benefit. “Get ready … cause I’m moving into full out magical assault mode. Give me my pistol back. You won’t require it any longer. I’m about to clean house.” He handed it over to her quickly, and stepped discreetly behind her. She knew he had to stick out like a sore thumb behind her as he made her look like a pixie.

Holstering her pistols, she looked at the men closing in on them. Holding her hand out, she motioned for the dagger to come back to her. The shield released momentarily as she brought the dagger back to her and placed it back into its sheathe.

“I’m going to give you all the chance to run screaming from this establishment,” she proclaimed, successfully blocking any curses that the shadow fighter flung at them.

“Shove it up your ass, bitch. We are here to kill the spare, so you can fuck the hell off,” the lead man sneered.

“The spare? That’s not nice. I happen to like the one you call the spare. He falls under my protection. Got it? Get lost, or I will have to show you the full force of my fury. You don’t want to catch me on a bad day, and this day is slowly shaping up to be a really bad one. One of the toppers actually.”

One of the men laughed derisively. The others started to shift their feet uneasily. She could tell she scared the living daylights out of some of them—just not all of them. That was a misconception she’d have to correct, posthaste.

“What are you going to do? Some say you’re a washed up cock-sucking whore. Others say that our boss found you in the gutter and made you into what you are today … a stone cold killer.”

“Stone cold, huh? I’m no killer. Make no mistake, asshole, when I kill, I kill evil.”

“When we kill, we kill for pleasure and money,” the man sneered, making her skin crawl. She watched the bruised and bloodied patrons of the public house run to take cover behind the bar.

“Get them Shaylee!” Tom shouted, popping his head up over the bar, and shaking his fist rigorously in the air. “Give them a good old fashioned fairy style ass kicking!”

Shaylee did a mock bow to Tom. “Tom, fairies do get pleasure out of granting wishes .… That’s why I’m here to give you something to take back to your boss, you little fuck wit,” she said turning her attention from Tom back to the leader of Ranulf’s pack. “I’m going to give you the rest of your men’s ashes. Tom, I might need one of those small spittoons you have over there.”

“No problem, Shaylee.”

“We have a shadow fighter with us. You can’t touch us, woman.” The way he drawled out woman like it was a dirty word made her see red.

“Want a bet? Watch and learn, dickhead,” She inhaled a deep breath. “Do you know what I do when I want a clear path to the door?” she asked, directing her question at Flynn. In that instant, his mind brushed against her psyche. She smiled, despite herself.

“No,” Flynn muttered. She glanced back at him. His good looks startled her. She didn’t know why he looked so nervous, since he had to have confidence in her, else he wouldn’t have come for her help.

“I make one.” With that, she lashed out with her multi-colored fairy fire. “You might want to plug your ears,” she shouted, smiling when he quickly followed her instructions.

Agonized screams filled the room. The shadow fighter was wiped out along with the rest of the vicious looking thugs. She should have felt remorse—but she didn’t. She knew what all of those men had been at one stage of their lives. They were living evil—and now they were dead and she could breathe easier. Come to think of it, she’d just done the entire Dru Morn Sector a big favor.

“We should have enlisted your aid a long time ago,” Flynn said softly, awe and respect coating his tone.

“I might not have allowed anyone but you to hire me.” She held him back until the area in front of them cleared. Standing alone in front of them was the man she’d promised she’d keep alive. “Go back to your Master and tell him to stay away—unless he wants me to come and finish him off once and for all.”

The lone survivor remained silent. He’d been struck speechless by her merciless act of retaliation. His eyes were locked in horror on her. He looked ready to piss his pants.

Nodding his head, he backed out of the bar and ran from the building so fast, he tripped over a few broken chairs outside of the bar in the process.

“Thank you.” Flynn’s voice turned soft. He was creeping into her heart, and if she didn’t take care, she’d end up losing her heart completely to him. Lock stock and barrel.

“Don’t thank me. We certainly aren’t out of the woods yet. There’s no telling what Ranulf is going to send after us now. If you thought I had him ticked off before—he’s going to be angrier than hell now.”

“And yet, you don’t sound scared.”

“Little men like him never scare me. I’ve seen far, far worse and lived to tell the story.”

“Aren’t your kind immortal?”

“We can be killed. I’m not going to tell you how, though. That’s a secret we protect most closely. Only a select few know how to kill a fairy. And, when they do, they damn their souls for all eternity. There is no redemption for the person that kills the cousins of angels.”

“Okay … I don’t want to venture into that volatile territory. Don’t worry. I don’t need to know how you can be killed. That’s certainly none of my business. As I stand, I want you to live for a very long time. You’re my only hope to get vengeance against Ranulf.”

“I never said I’d help you gain revenge against him. I told you I’d protect you until Ranulf lost interest in you. He’ll find someone else that needs to be murdered, and that will divert his attention long enough so that he will eventually forget you in the end.” She looked over briefly at the men slowly standing up from behind the bar. Tom looked at her aghast.

“He’ll never lose interest in me,” Flynn said resolutely. “I won’t let him.”

“Oy, you, boy! You’ll pay for the damages caused here today. Fork over fifty thousand Meloran Pounds, or I’ll make hamburger out of your face.”

“Don’t listen to Tom, Flynn. He’s all talk. Tom, I’ll make sure you get paid the next time I visit Mel’Vara,” she said calmly.

“You’ll get your man to pay now. I’m sick of having my bar torn to shreds around me because you attract danger every time you sashay that delectable ass into my building. Hellfire follows you, Nyx, and in a way, that’s good ‘cause you know how to vanquish it right back to where it belongs, but I ain’t got the dough to keep this going.”

“One minute he’s cheering me on to get rid of the bad guys, the next minute he’s soaking me dry for monetary compensation,” she grumbled.

Glancing at her briefly, Flynn sighed and moved toward Tom. They exchanged a few muttered words, and Flynn seemed to be paying Tom by transferring funds into his business account.

“Good to do business with you, Nyx,” Tom said smiling happily at her. “Hell, I think I’ll move shop. I’m getting sick of this tired old place anyway. The next time I see you, I’ll be living it up in the Mel’Vara Tropics!”

Flynn swaggered back to her. They couldn’t stick around much longer. She had no doubt that Ranulf had more creeps lurking around the planet.

“Ranulf gets tired with his vendettas. There’s always someone that comes into his line of fire that needs to be dealt with far more than you will be. You are harmless,” she said, continuing where they’d left off before Tom interrupted them.

“I am the remaining survivor of a Royal House that he wanted to obliterate. I don’t care if he loses interest in me. I’m never going to lose interest in him.”

“If you don’t—if you continue to pursue this course of action you are proposing, you will die. Going after someone like Ranulf when you are just a human male, is sheer lunacy. Don’t be an idiot. Mourn your family, protect yourself, and live your life. It would be a shame to see someone as vibrant as you be cut down in your prime.”

“Not if you protect me. Will you be my bodyguard?” Reaching for his arm, she pulled him out of the bar. Waning sunlight hit her in the face. Checking to make sure that no ships laid in wait for them, she led him to her own ship. He walked along behind her, and she knew what she was going to say next wasn’t going to make her a happy fairy. She stopped. They’d reached their destination. Glancing over at him, she savored his good looks. The man had been blessed with the looks that some male fairies would envy.

“Even I can’t protect you from Ranulf.” She looked away from his penetrating stare.

“Why?”

“Because,” she whispered, “We are equally matched … and he knows how to kill me.”

LENGTH: Long Mid Novel
SENSUALITY: Sensual/ Spicy

Cover art (c) Alex DeShanks 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60394-260-7
Download $5.50
(s&h not included in price)

Independent and free spirited, Gemma St.Martin wanted to dictate her fate in life. When she sets her sights on a totally unsuitable husband, however, Mallory St.Martin intervenes and hires her a keeper—the mysterious Highlander, Hart MacKinnon.

MacKinnon loses his heart to Lady Gemma the first time he sets eyes on her and decides to make her his, but a secret connects both families that just might destroy their chances of finding happiness.

Rating: Sensual/Spicy-some frank language.

Genre: Historical Romance.

HIS LADY'S KEEPER

By

Marly Mathews

© copyright by Marly Mathews, Jan. 2009

Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, Jan. 2009

ISBN 978-1-60394-260-7

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Prologue

England, 1822

Only Ann, the sister next in birth order to her remained behind. Their mother rushed out of her morning room, stopping briefly to regard them.

“Allow me to ascertain the situation first, Gemma, dear, before you make your appearance. I shall see for myself what sort of a woman this Elizabeth Caulfield truly is.”

“Mother, her name is Elizabeth St. Martin now,” Gemma said gently, watching her mother’s face flash briefly with deep sorrow.

“I know.” She sighed. “I must remember that she is indeed Mallory’s wife. Why did he have to marry her at sea? Couldn’t he have put it off long enough to announce the banns and do everything the traditional way?”

“I guess he ruined her honor so he had to make her respectable,” Ann said softly. Gemma could see how it pained her to realize that her surviving son had made their sworn enemy’s daughter his duchess. Her mother’s face drained of color.

“I shan’t know why he would do this to us, but we must be brave, my darling girls. The younger ones, especially those younger than you, Ann and Maud don’t really understand what this means for the family and how it will impact our way of life.” Their mother stepped toward them taking their hands into hers. “You’ve been brave young women these last few years, helping me to run what is left of our estate, and I want you to both know how much I appreciate you.”

“We know, mother.” Ann sounded choked up.

“He’s going to take us away from this place. As soon as he remembers how old and dilapidated it is, he’ll whisk us off to one of our more stylish estates, now that he has them back. No wonder Old Caulfield never wanted this terrible place, it’s barely staying together,” Gemma sighed.

“Terrible or not, it’s the original seat of the St. Martin power and glory. William the Conqueror himself gave these lands to your ancestors. In its day this castle saw many kings and queens, we should be proud of its history.”

“We are, mother. But Mallory isn’t. We’ll never be as happy as we were here again.” Gemma sighed mournfully.

Her mother’s gaze rested on her. “Gemma, you shall be happy again, our little piece of heaven on Earth couldn’t last forever. These should have been the most trying years of our lives, and yet, through the hardships, my daughters became good women. I am so happy for that. You both have level heads on your shoulders, and even though your life is about to change, you must always remember that Mallory loves you all.”

“He has a funny way of showing that by flaunting that woman in our face. She’s the daughter of the man that ruined us! That fat pig, Geoffrey Caulfield put father into an early grave—and now, I’m supposed to embrace his spawn and call her sister?”

“She didn’t choose her father, Gemma. You shall do well to remember that. I don’t want either one of you snubbing Elizabeth. Nor do I expect you to call her sister until she has earned that coveted place in your heart. You will be civil and you will grace her with all of the ladylike manners I tried so hard to instill in all of you. Please don’t let me down.”

“We won’t mother,” Ann said, darting a furtive glance at Gemma.

Gemma smiled at Ann and then at her mother. “Of course we won’t … but who’s going to make sure that Elizabeth doesn’t let you down?” Gemma grumbled.

Their mother gave them a quick kiss and then walked toward the once grand entryway. Mallory had just stepped inside of the castle.

“Mother!” His voice boomed out at her.

“Mallory, my dear boy.” She embraced Mallory, forcing Mallory to release his hold on Elizabeth.

Elizabeth stepped further into the entryway, and at that precise moment their gazes locked. Gemma bowed her head at her, forcing a smile for her new sister-in-law’s benefit. Elizabeth returned the smile with a curt nod. She nodded at her! Good lord!

“Gemma, come and step out of the shadows,” Mallory said. She obeyed her brother, wincing as the bright sunlight hit her full on in the face. “Elizabeth, this is my sister Gemma. She’s the eldest sister, and as a matter of fact, I think you and she will take to each other like ducks to water.”

“Don’t bet on it,” Gemma mumbled.

Elizabeth shivered. Mallory caught the shiver, and reached out for her pulling her close. “Don’t worry, Elizabeth, we’ll leave this place as soon as we can get the family packed up. I wouldn’t want you to have to live in this old moldy castle.”

Gemma’s heart sunk down into the pit of her stomach. Mallory had done exactly what she’d predicted, all to please his little wife.

Life as they knew it was over.

The enemy was in her house, and now, she had to call that enemy family.

She’d never forgive Mallory—not for as long as she lived.

Chapter  One

Scotland, 1824

Lady Gemma St. Martin was a woman that lived outside the conventions of her society. She dared to do what women weren’t supposed to do and she balked at the rigidity of her position as a Duke’s daughter, even though she embraced the benefits her noble position afforded her.

The strong wind whipped her long blond plait back into the wind. The riding hat she wore blew off of her head and fell around her shoulders. She felt so free when she rode through the forest that bordered their highland estate. She rode toward the loch, where she intended to have a nice afternoon dip. It would cool her off after her long ride.

Despite her brother’s protestations, she rode alone. He hated the thought of her being without a chaperone, especially since it was rumored that highwaymen had taken up residence not too far from Mallory Hall. But since he’d married Elizabeth, he’d become a lot less controlling, and for that she would always be immensely grateful to his wife. If nothing else, Elizabeth’s presence was a calming influence on Mallory. Over the last two years, she and Elizabeth had come to an understanding, Elizabeth stayed out of her business, and she stayed out of hers. So far, it had been a smashing success.

Gemma leaned forward on her horse and stroked Midnight’s mane. She could beat any other rider on her mare. No one could stand against them.

She emerged into the clearing, and stared at the peaceful loch rippling before her. Dismounting her horse, she shook out her riding skirts and tried to tuck her plait back up under her hat. The cool air made goose bumps erupt across her flesh. Perhaps, she’d forego on her dip into the lake after all. Holding the reins to Midnight, she started to walk toward the loch. She reached for a blanket from one of her saddlebags and laid it out on the sandy beach. The mountains in the distance caught her eye. Sighing, she settled herself on the blanket and stared up at the white clouds in the sky.

A rustling sound in the near distance made her snap out of her reverie. Sitting up, she looked over to Midnight.

“Did you hear that?” she asked Midnight. Her horse neighed and turned toward the bush. Stiffening, she stood up and in a moment, she’d hoisted herself up in the saddle.

“I’d stay right where you are, if I were you.” A deep husky voice made her sit up straight in the saddle. The voice came from behind her. Fighting the urge to turn around, she bit her lip and prepared to take flight as soon as she could. “Unless you’d like a bullet in your back, my lady, I’d stay right where you are. I have need of that beautiful piece of horseflesh you ride.” His voice affected her in a way she was quite unprepared for.

Remaining silent, she listened as soft footsteps approached her. In the blink of an eye, the man stood in front of her, holding his pistol steady in his hands.

“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into! You obviously have no idea who I am.” She tried to sound regal and influential but doubted she was pulling it off.

“Oh, I think I have a fair idea. By the looks of you, you came from Mallory Hall. With those fine clothes you’re wearing, you must be some sort of a grand lady. And with your cultured British accent, I can tell you were not raised in these parts. If you were, I’d already know you.”

She stared at the mask he wore. His thick Scottish brogue belied his heritage.

“For a man who knows so much, you know very little. You are a coward for hiding behind that mask. Only a man weak in the knees would stoop so low.”

He laughed. “A coward isn’t something I’ve ever been called. Alas, I’ve been called a great many things, but never, never a coward!” His voice took on a dangerous edge. A shiver ran up and down her spine.

“You give me that horse, or so help me, I will shoot you!”

“Only a man without honor would shoot an unarmed woman.” Stealthily, she reached down to the side of Midnight, where the saddlebag hung that held her lady’s pistol. Her brother insisted that if she rode alone, she didn’t ride unarmed.

“You do look familiar. With those eyes like green sparkling jewels, and that Saxon blond hair of yours, you make a right lovely young lass. I could do with having a tumble with you in the sand.”

“Keep dreaming.” She just needed to strain her fingers a bit further … she’d have the pistol in her hands before she knew it.

“I’d like to see that other wayward hand of yours.” He directed his gaze to where her hand searched in her saddlebag. “Stop bobbing it about in that bag and show me your pretty little hand.”

“Would you? Why?” She asked, adding an innocent air of sweetness to her voice.

“Because I have a thing for hands … especially when they could be reaching for a weapon. Get to it, show me that dainty little hand of yours, little lady.”

She had it.

Her fingers touched cold steel. When she pulled her hand out of the saddlebag it clasped the pistol tightly. Before he could react, she had it leveled at him.

His black eyes twinkled. “What do you intend to do with that, my lady? I don’t think you have the guts to spill my blood. And, I’d make a fair bet that I’m a quicker shot than you, with probably a steadier aim.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised about what I’m capable of. My brother has a reputation for being a dangerous man and he taught me how to defend myself against bloody blackguards like you. If he was here, he’d wipe the ground with you,” her voice trembled. Not with fear, but with anticipation. What was wrong with her? The man was trying to steal her horse, and yet, all she could think about was how attractive he looked in the tight trousers he wore. She had to be losing her mind.

“And would your brother happen to be that grand blond haired, English duke that just took up residence at Mallory Hall with his raven haired wife? In his fine clothes, I’d warrant I’d be the one besting him if we got into fisticuffs. He’s just such a little dandy. I doubt he’d even know how to block a punch.” His eyes danced with humor.

“You seem to know a lot about my family for being a common outlaw.” Snorting, she was reassured by the cool steel of the pistol’s trigger pressing against her finger.

“Yes, well, I have my moments. And besides, I don’t think your brother has that clean of a past himself,” he whispered, making her arch her back at the intimation.

“My brother is a distinguished war hero.” She proudly lifted her head and then, lowered it so she could stare him straight in the eyes. They were dark, and save for the way they had a constant animated look to them, they were impassive. For some reason, she just couldn’t believe that he’d shoot her in cold blood and leave her for dead. The warm feeling he exuded warred with the hard nature he tried to let on he had.

“Is that what you think?” he chuckled. “Aye, he is at that … but he has a few more skeletons rattling in that grand wardrobe of his than you’d think. ‘Course, I would expect no less from his sister. No doubt, he has you thinking he is a man without faults. I bet you worship the very ground he prances on.” He rested his gaze directly on her lady’s pistol again. He sighed heavily. “It would seem that we are at an impasse. Why don’t you tell me your name so that when I finally shoot you, I’ll know who I’ve harmed?”

“You seem to know quite a good deal about my family. You should already know my name.”

He sighed. “Well, that’s where the problem arises, isn’t it? You are one of six … I can’t keep track of all of you. I salute the duke for keeping the six of you straight in his head. I’d go mad with so many sisters! The shrieking in your household must give one migraines.”

“I don’t think I like the tone of your voice. Your impudence is galling!”

His rich laughter boomed across the still landscape. “Oh, you are amusing! Beautiful and entertaining, that’s a deadly package that is.” His eyes sparkled. “Here I am holding you up for your horse at gunpoint, and you are appalled by my sleight against you and your sisters. You are a rich little lass.”

She tilted her head. “You are making fun of me.”

“Am I?” He sobered. “Perhaps I am poking fun at you. I can’t help it. The look you get on that ravishing face of yours when you are put out is enough to undo any man, let alone me. You have turned both of my heads, my little one.”

The look he had in his eyes now, she recognized well. “I could take my chances, and turn tail and ride away before you had time to react.”

“Perhaps. Though I daresay you aren’t fast enough for me.”

Somehow, in the space of a few seconds, he had crossed the short distance between them. Midnight remained calm, why didn’t the braggart unsettle her? She was very in tune when it came to the threat of incoming danger, but not with him.

“If you’d like to know my name, I should know yours, so that when they catch you and hang you, I can say a prayer for you. You should know we don’t take kindly to horse thieves or horse thieves that would steal a helpless woman’s most cherished horse, while holding her at the threat of gunpoint.”

“You don’t look too helpless to me at the moment. In fact, I think you look well in control of your senses. You have steel running through those veins of yours, my lady, and I admire that stunning trait more than you’ll ever know.”

Reaching out with his free-gloved hand, he gently stroked Midnight. “Oh, you are a pretty lady.” Midnight actually had the audacity to neigh in reaction.

“You seem to have more affection for my horse, than you have for me.” Her words startled her. Why would he even have any sort of regard for her? She didn’t know him … and he didn’t know her. As far as he was concerned, he was ready to shoot her and toss her in the loch.

“Oh, if I had the time, I could show you that though I love horses, I do love women with more fervency. There are things I could show you that would make your ears turn red, your breaths quicken, and your body quake.”

“I doubt that … and besides, you may put that romantic notion out of your head. I am otherwise engaged.”

He looked up almost as if he’d been stung. The look of rage in his eyes resembled that of a jealous lover. He was definitely jumping the gun in that regard; he didn’t know her from Adam.

“Engaged?” His question came out as a hoarse whisper and his eyes widened dramatically.

“Indeed. I am set to be wed to the Earl of Kilworth in three months.”

“That little prick? He isn’t good enough for you. He can’t take care of you the way you deserve.”

“Well, you seem ready and willing to take care of me, though I don’t think I care for the outcome. I’d much rather welcome married life with Kilworth.”

“You will be in utter misery. That man could bore a priest, and he has some questionable fetishes if you ask me.”

“He is quite entertaining when he puts his mind to it.”

“I’m sure he is. But I warrant if you do marry him, you’ll be asleep for most of your married life. You might even die of the monotonous and tedious lifestyle that man has, and I assure you, you would not enjoy your wifely duties.” His eyes narrowed, and hardened. The sparkle ebbed out.

“You seem awfully knowledgeable when it comes to the lives of the members of the haut ton. Almost as if you have contacts within the inner circle. Ah, that must be it, you were a valet for a lord, weren’t you?”

She caught his slow crafty smile. A shudder rippled through her.

“Yes, I must keep myself appraised of the lives of the rich and famous … so that when I go to steal from them, I know what I’m getting. It certainly pays for me to be in the know so to speak.”

“You are unbelievable!”

“Thank you. You know, now that I think about it, I could take you with the horse. There is no need to shoot you and get you to leave the horse … I shall just take you as an added bonus with the package.” He took a step toward the side of Midnight. She followed him with the pistol aimed at him. “You aren’t about to shoot me.” He snorted and shook his head. “You are more bluff than action. I can see your finger wavering. The look in your eyes belies what you’re trying to let on. Despite your better intentions, you are completely besotted with me. Come a little closer, darling, and I’ll make you mine. You wouldn’t shoot me then in a million years. I’m already making your pulse race, and your heart quicken, come a little closer and I’ll show you more pleasure than you can possibly dream of. You don’t want to shoot me, no more than I wanted to shoot you .…” His voice started to lull her along. He had the sort of smooth manly voice that could intoxicate a woman with every whispered promise. She had to snap herself out of the trance he was trying desperately to lead her into.

“Yes … I will shoot you, if you take one step closer to me.” Her shaky voice betrayed her true intentions. How could she in good conscience shoot him when he hadn’t hurt her yet, and for all of his bravado the kind look in his eyes made her hesitate to actually cause him harm. Not to mention the fact that she was getting a little hot, even with the cool breeze rustling the branches of the foliage surrounding them.

Gemma, you will rue this decision … you are acting foolishly. Mallory would box your ears if he knew what you were doing … you can’t allow this horse thief to kidnap you. Can you?

“Within minutes, help will arrive. My brother will hear the gunshot since he and my sister-in-law are out in the gardens. Heed my warning and leave immediately. I assure you, being caught is something you wouldn’t want to suffer.”

“It will take him time to summon a horse and ride to this spot. Even he can’t cross a distance of ten minutes by horseback in a few seconds,” he calmly countered.

He had it all in hand. Nothing could ruffle this braggart’s feathers.

“You are not making this easy for me. You will be in irons soon, and yet, you are shooting the breeze with me as if you haven’t a care in the world.”

“Maybe I don’t … or at least, I didn’t until I met you. You’ll waste your life on marrying Kilworth. He can’t fulfill what you truly desire. I think now, contrary to what I used to believe, that love at first sight truly does exist. You must give in to what you truly desire, my dearest.”

“What do I truly desire?” She watched him holster his pistol, and jump up behind her in the saddle.

This was sheer madness. She’d gone to Bedlam! Why oh why was she allowing him to put her in such a dangerous situation?

He’d broken down her defenses, and now he was closer to her than she’d ever allowed a strange man to be.

“You truly desire, adventure and freedom.”

“I’ll have my freedom with Kilworth. He has money … so my brother will not have to support me for the rest of my life, and he has—”

“Aye, what does he have?” His hot breath caressed the nape of her neck. She bristled at the odd sensations his breath created within her.

“He has stability.”

“Ah, I see. Stability. So, in other words, you have a place to put down roots and settle. Well, that fits, since you’re settling for the bastard in the first place. I can’t believe you haven’t had other offers.”

“Most of the men on the marriage mart … are shall we say—” She cleared her throat. “Why do you want to know so much about me?” She lowered her voice to a mere whisper.

“I have an innately curious nature.” He reached around her, taking a hold of the reins from her. She shivered.

Why was she allowing him to take control of the situation?”

“Tell me, what exactly are your objections against the men on the marriage mart?”

“They are, shall we say, intimidated by my brother. He has a certain effect on other males when he meets them, and he’s terribly protective of my sisters and me. He can be quite the thorn in a young lady’s side when it comes to snagging a husband.”

“I can imagine. And then, there is your unconventional ways to consider.”

“Come again?” She lost herself in considering what he’d said.

Midnight went into an easy canter as he directed her back into the forest. What was this man playing at? Didn’t he know her brother would be arriving soon? The steady rhythm of Midnight’s movements coupled with the intoxicating feelings the nearness of his body made her experience, sent her careening almost to the breaking point.

“Well, first off, no sensible, gently bred young lady would ride astride on horseback. You must give your insanely sensible brother a fit whenever you go out riding. Strange men might think you have loose morals.”

“Loose? Well, go ahead. You have continually insulted me so far, and you have me at a disadvantage.”

“You could have fought harder, and yet you let me get up on this horse. If I was a betting man, I’d bet that I could ease my way between your legs just as effortlessly. I think I’d like to partake of the honey I’d find there.”

“You are a vile, snake-tongued creature.” Sighing with pent up frustration, she gave him a hard jab with her elbow. He groaned. “Besides, I am a sound judge of character, and I do not believe you are a threat to my person. I have always possessed an uncanny knack of summing up one’s character.”

“Indeed? You seem quite confident in that talent.” He gave her a gentle squeeze and pulled her closer against his chest. Her heart thundered so loud, she wondered if he could hear it.

“I must say, I would have wanted my sister to fight a bit harder … you hardly gave me a struggle at all. Why don’t we dismount and have a little splendor in the grass? Would you like to feel my hands caressing your body, my mouth giving you sweet ecstasy and my .…”

“Cease your teasing at once! You are too much to be borne.” She sighed tiredly.

“I don’t think I’d be too much for you. I rather think we’d fit together perfectly. I would make it quite pleasurable for you, my beautiful lady.”

She closed her eyes and prayed for strength in dealing with him. “You are a nuisance of the first class.”

“Thank you. From you that is most certainly a compliment.”

She stared around at their quickly passing surroundings. This couldn’t be right, this couldn’t be happening. “Where are you taking me?” she demanded.

“Well, I’m kidnapping you. I found you, and captured you, so now you belong to me,” he purred against her earlobe.

“I belong to no one, least of all you!!!”

“Ah, that is where you are partially mistaken. I grant you, no one will ever own your heart, no one but me.”

She seethed. Fire ran through her as she jabbed him in the ribs hoping that her sudden movement would unseat him.

No luck. Damn the bloody man. Was he made of pure rock? He hadn’t grunted or made any indication that her jabs were causing him discomfort. That riled her up even more.

“I must know my kidnapper’s name,” she insisted.

“My name is Hart … or at least that’s what you can call me, Lady Gemma.”

“Gemma? Wait, you said you didn’t know my name! Upon my word .…” Realization dawned on her as they emerged in the clearing and started to approach Mallory Hall.

“You dirty rotten bastard. I’ve been tricked. You’ve led me through a merry little ruse, orchestrated no doubt by my dear brother.” She craned her neck around to look at him, and found not to her surprise that he had rid himself of his blasted mask. His pleasant visage was an improvement to the mask he’d worn before. And if her heart had been racing before, it bore no comparison to the way it raced now.

Anger continued to build within her when Mallory came strutting into view. He had a very pleased with himself look on his face. Elizabeth walked arm in arm with him, and her complacent expression guaranteed than she had no knowledge in her husband’s devious plot.

“You are right, St. Martin. She does need a keeper. I’ll be most happy to take up that post, if you’re still offering it to me. Someone needs to tame this woman’s wayward ways. She must be taken into hand—and I will have supreme satisfaction in taking her into my keeping.”

“What?” She blustered. She was so furious that she could feel her cheeks burning. She wanted to strangle both her brother and Hart, but she couldn’t decide whom she would deal with first.

“I grant you one token. You are right, she is quite capable of handling that pistol of hers.” Hart inclined his head to Mallory.

“Mallory, you must tell this man at once to stop talking about Gemma as if she isn’t here. That is most insulting—and beyond galling.” Elizabeth looked up in disdain at Hart. Gemma smiled. Elizabeth could always be counted on to give Mallory quite the challenges when the need presented itself. “What is he talking about, Mallory? Out with it, this instant! Why ever would Gemma require a keeper? Oh, what have you done this time?”

“She needs one, much like you required one before you found me. Gemma is too reckless. She has a penchant for finding trouble, and she hankers after adventure. That worries me. She will end up getting herself burned badly one of these days. It is my job as the only male presence in her life to protect her.”

“She will be getting married soon,” Elizabeth countered, shaking her head in disapproval. “Once she is wed, her husband will take precedence over you. You must learn to capitulate to that event.”

“That’s my point—her choice in husbands is something to be desired. I thought you already understood that, Elizabeth. Admit it, our Gemma makes grievous errors in judgment on a daily basis. I can’t understand why. Mama raised her the same way she raised me.”

Gemma seethed. Shrugging Hart’s hand off of her, she jumped down from Midnight. “Well, I hope you are quite happy with yourself, dear brother,” she spat. Holding her sense of decorum, she restrained herself from hitting Mallory. “You are a hateful brother! If I had heart troubles like Ann does, well, you would have given me a fit.”

“Ann isn’t like you. She has a level head on her dainty little shoulders.”

“Ah.” Elizabeth snapped her fingers. “I think I understand now. You and Gemma are two peas in a pod. The two of you are so much alike, and yet, Mallory, you can’t see that. Why she is the female version of you … though I daresay she looks every bit a woman. Thank heavens for that.”

A muscle jumped in her brother’s cheek. “That’s just it, darling. Gemma is like me. Do you now know why I’m worried?”

Gemma shook her head. “What is going on here? Some sort of secret society discussion? If this has anything to do with your adventures at sea, you can spare me the details.”

Realization appeared on Elizabeth’s flawless features. She touched her hand absently to the one black curl that blew around her face. “Oh, I see.” Now, Elizabeth looked more than just a little flustered. “Can you trust this man you’ve hired to watch over her?” Elizabeth asked, her little mother hen instinct was rearing its pretty little head again.

“I would trust Hart with your life, my life and our child’s life.”

“Then, I think, Gemma, that you now have a guardian angel. Be happy for it, dearest. I’m quite certain that Mallory is only working in your best interest. Besides, it will be quite a few months yet, before you are wed.” An uncomfortable expression crossed Elizabeth’s face. “Nothing is truly set in stone, Gemma, until you take those vows. Life is a game of chance. We never know what our destiny holds in store for us. I certainly didn’t see Mallory coming into my life, and finding him and sharing in the love we have for each other, makes my life worth living.”

Gemma couldn’t believe it. She didn’t want to listen to Elizabeth’s sage words of advice. She’d given up on finding love long ago. She wanted to marry just so that she could be out from under Mallory’s watchful eye, and she was making a grand marriage bargain, why couldn’t anyone see it the way she viewed it?

“Well, you can all go and stuff it! I will not have my own personal bodyguard. I should have gone to Kilworth’s sister’s house this season, instead of letting you two whisk me off to the barrens of the Scottish Highlands.”

“Barrens? You should be honored by the majesty of my ancestral lands. You do need a personality change, my dear lady,” Hart hissed, his eyes narrowing at her.

“Mallory? Are you going to let him talk to me in that way? He is nothing but a hired man for pity’s sake! You are a duke, I am your sister, live up to the station that you have been born into!” Gemma shouted, surprised by her tone. In fact, she could care less what station he held, she was still smarting from their manipulations. Mallory had planned all of this, and now, now, she was stuck with a keeper of all things! Hart might be a foul wretch, but he set her heart pulsing faster than any other man. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to jump right into his little web and be happy with her sticky situation.

Mallory took Elizabeth’s hand and guided her back to the gardens. “There is no reasoning with you, Gemma, when you are in this sort of foul temper … you are acting like a petulant child! Hart, have fun, she’s yours to deal with now.” With one last wink in her direction, her brother and Elizabeth were off.

“Don’t even say it, Hart. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t belong to you! Contrary to what my brother seems to believe I don’t belong to any man!” Taking a hold of Midnight’s reins, she walked toward the stables. “Oh, and don’t follow me. In fact, why don’t you go and find a nice fire in hell to bathe in?” A stable groom came to meet her to take Midnight off her hands.

“Give her a good brushing, and make certain she’s well taken care of.”

“Yes, my lady.” The groom lowered his head, and talking softly to Midnight they wandered off toward the stables. She quickened her pace, trying to cross the long distance between the stables and the house in the shortest time possible.

“Yes, Her Grace was correct. You are just like your brother. Oh, this will be the most enjoyable season I’ve spent in ages.” A grin cracked across his dark features. Tossing her head, she walked further away from him.

LENGTH: Full Novel
SENSUALITY: Sensual

Cover art (c) Alex DeShanks 2008
ISBN: 978-1-60394-218-8
Download $5.99
(s&h not included in price)

Annabelle Hawthorne Morton hails from an ancient mystical line—even though she herself has not been endowed with the mark of magic that the magic-kind of Thaliana are born with. Despite this, she aspires for magical greatness, and while performing a spell the enchantment backfires in her face, robbing her of half her sight. But it doesn't take her long to realize that within a few months she will be completely blind. When her father enrages the local lord and he's imprisoned for his crimes, Annabelle must muster her courage and save her father from the beast's wrath.

Lord Malachi Hawthorne, Earl of Markham has been horribly disfigured during a magical battle. His sister betrayed him—and now her curse has put him into his own living hell. Believing that the outside world will revile him for his monstrous appearance, he retreats to his enchanted castle. He is determined to make Annabelle's father his indentured servant, until he meets Annabelle. He quickly decides that she is the one that might finally set him free from his living hell, and knows he must have her as his own.

Rating: Sensual.

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal Romance.

ENCHANTED BEAUTY

By

Marly Mathews

© copyright by Marly Mathews, August 2008

Cover Art by Alex DeShanks, August 2008

ISBN 978-1-60394-218-8

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One

“Annabelle, you must come quickly! Your father has done it again … he’s determined to ride up to The Beast’s castle.”

“He isn’t a beast. He’s just a war torn lord that prefers to live life in seclusion. With the many bloody battles our lands have seen since the Queen went to war with her husband, it is a very wonder that we have any males left with a sensible head on their shoulders. Too many have ridden off to battle never to return.” Sighing, she stirred the lamb stew she was cooking over the hearth. Tonight’s stew wouldn’t be very filling, but it at least it was food. That was more than she could say for many of her neighbors. Now that so many provisions had been sent to the front lines to the troops, many people were almost dying with hunger. They just couldn’t go on at this rate. Their crops had been burned the year before by the invading army, and though they had driven their enemy away, they still had to fight for every single day of freedom as if it were their last. “You know perfectly well that he almost lost his life in the last great battle between the magic kind. He was lucky to escape with his life … that dark sorcerer could have easily killed him, had his sister not saved his life.”

“Some say he was the one that saved his sister’s life.”

“Some might say that. But I daresay his sister views it much differently. She sacrificed herself to that madman Oliver Blackburn because she believed it was the only way to save her brother from a most horrible fate. You forget I heard it straight from a witness.” Glynnis nodded her head in silent triumph.

“You forget that Lady Eleanor has a habit of telling tall tales especially when it comes to her service in the Queen’s Legion of Warriors. We shouldn’t even be pitted against each other like this. It is insanity. Our kingdom was once so peaceful.” Annabelle didn’t believe Eleanor’s story at all. Glynnis’ lament didn’t affect her one bit. Her cousin was to put it delicately, battle shy. She hadn’t offered her services to the Queen at all. Annabelle had signed up for the Queen’s Legion of Warriors as soon as the call for fighters had been put out. Unfortunately for her, she had been rejected because of her physical handicap. Many believed her to be a liability on the battlefield, if only they knew how quickly she could move despite her so-called disability. She’d been stricken half-blind two years before when a spell she’d been concocting backfired in her face.

Some believed her sight would return … others believed she deserved her partial blindness as a punishment for dabbling into the unknown world of magic. Only people ‘gifted’ with the sign of magic could be instructed in the enchanted ways. When she’d been born, she had lacked the necessary star birthmark that all of the witches and wizards of the land carried on their body in some location.

“So peaceful, my arse. We have been torn apart for as long as I can recall. Ever since the Queen was forced to marry that thing she had to call, husband. I feel deeply for her … her suffering must have been great. And, when he named himself King of Thaliana, he took all of her power and put her in the tower. She would have withered away there had her subjects not stormed the tower and freed her. Indeed, we have acted in the only way loyal subjects should behave. King Roland can go back to the lands of his birth and live out his last dark days there. We don’t need his type here in our beautiful lands anymore. They cast their shadowy magic across our lands and we are rewarded with hunger, death and suffering,” Annabelle pointed out.

“Yes, yes, I know your viewpoint and your belief that this war is a just one … but I really think you should be giving more concern to your poor father. He’s gone up there to stick his nose into the beast’s lair. He believes that Lord Markham harbors something that could cure your ailment.”

“It is not an ailment. It is an injury sustained from a terrible accident. I shouldn’t have been toying with that healing potion … I certainly learned my lesson to leave the mystical ways to the chosen ones. Look at the hand the Fates dealt me. They surely must have been laughing.” Annabelle heaved a heavy sigh. She gazed at the hazy outline of her cousin. Her vision was blurred so badly that she could only usually make out fuzzy shapes and colors. If the person were standing too far away from her, she wouldn’t be able to see them at all.

“Annabelle, you should go up there … with your lyrical tongue I’m sure you could convince his lordship to release your father.”

Annabelle stepped closer to her cousin. “What are you talking about, Glynnis? You must be out of your mind … you just said that father was traipsing up to the castle, why would he need to be released?”

“Because … well, you see .…”

Dawning clarity filtered through Annabelle’s mind. She chewed her lower lip. “Glynnis, you wouldn’t happen to be leaving out some very important details would you? As in pertinent information that would definitely cast some light into the confusing words you’ve just given me?”

She could hear Glynnis shuffling her feet. “Well, okay. I admit it … I’m telling you half of the story.”

“That’s not too unusual for you, Glynnis.”

She sighed. Her cousin wasn’t related by blood to her father and yet, sometimes the two of them could find trouble so easily … it boggled the mind as to why Glynnis was so much like her dear old Da, when she was so different from him. They were like night and day, and Glynnis was his perfect match. She went back to the fire, and stirred her stew once more.

“Glynnis, tell me everything I need to know … I can’t help father if you’re keeping me in the dark.” She put her hand up. “Don’t even say it, Glynnis. The barb you could give me right now would be downright petty. You might feel guilty for your part in whatever has befallen my father, but I don’t care one stuffing over what you feel, right now. Right now, I just want to get this mess that the two of you have created cleaned up.”

“Well, we … that is … we went up there initially to see if his lordship had any food that he might be willing to give the villagers. You know what they say about his castle, no food ever gets delivered there and yet, none of his staff ever starves … well, from what people have seen of his staff ....”

“Yes, fine, get on with it, Glynnis, before I whack you with my wooden spoon,” Annabelle threatened.

“When we arrived, the castle courtyard wasn’t exactly teeming with people. So your father, being the inventive man that he is, walked right up to the castle’s entrance .…”

“He didn’t .…”

“He did. Then, something went terribly wrong. I don’t really know what led up to it, as my memory just seems hazy now, but a bluish colored smoke billowed in the air when he tried to gain admittance to the castle, and then … it was lights out for me. I woke up three hours later with a note pinned to my chest. I can read it out loud for you if you want. The writing is very hard to read.”

“No … give it to me, these eyes still work when I hold things up to them closely.” Annabelle extended her hand for Glynnis to press the note into. Squinting, she held the letter close to one of her candles. The writing was quite expressive but Glynnis was right, the old fashioned tight script was quite hard on the eyes, and with the kind of vision she had, she was getting a headache just looking at it.

“Read it aloud to me, then.” She handed Glynnis back the note. As the note left her hand, a funny feeling lingered on her palm. She licked her lips. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but the paper had given her a sense of hope. A sense of promise, coupled with an undeniable sense of urgency.

Dear Intruder,

You are trespassing. Take this sign of mercy as a warning. Do not return to my lands. Do not attempt to rescue your husband … he is paying his penance for his greed. You were spared because I do not prey upon the weak. Spread these words of caution to your fellow villagers. I will not be as forgiving the next time an outlander steps foot on my grounds.

Yours in annoyance,

Lord Malachi Hawthorne, Earl of Markham

Annabelle paused to reflect on what Glynnis had just read to her. After a moment or two, she snorted in contempt. “He thinks my father is your husband … well, he isn’t too damn swift, is he?”

Glynnis dropped the letter and began wringing her hands. “Aren’t you even worried? The man is a beast. He is terrible. The Fates only know what horrible punishment he has in store for your poor father,” Glynnis whined.

“Poor was never a term I’d used to describe my father. Aye, his financial straits might put him in that category, but my father has always been able to take a licking and keep on ticking. He’s survived worse.”

“Worse? Are you mad, Annabelle?”

“Well, I have been accused of that before, dear cousin. But in this case, there’s nothing mad about my words. You forget, he spent some time in the royal dungeons a spell back.”

“Indeed he did. And he came out of there twenty pounds lighter and a full head of hair shorter.”

She sighed. “Listen to me carefully, Glynnis. I doubt Lord Markham will do anything of dire consequence to my father. In fact, father is probably trudging down the path as we speak, with his thoughts on my homemade stew.” She inclined her eyebrow, and lifted her gaze to the closed door. Nothing. Annabelle could almost taste the foreboding in the air. Deep down, she knew that her father was in it over his head. But what could she do? She was but a feeble sighted, young woman. “Wait a minute. Did he say he released you because he did not prey on the weak?”

“Aye.”

“I thought so. In that case, he must believe womankind to be weak.”

“I told you, he was a hideous man.” Glynnis shuddered.

“For being so hideous I haven’t heard any tales of terror concerning Lord Markham in the past. He desires his own privacy … can we really blame him for that?” Annabelle said.

Glynnis could not contain her rage any longer. Annabelle sighed as she watched her begin to pace the length of the small cottage. “What a foul beast. Doesn’t he know women were granted full rights two centuries ago? Now we stand proudly shoulder to shoulder with our men in battle.”

Annabelle shook her head. “You would say that. Why don’t you go and stand shoulder to shoulder with one of our brave men in battle? It would get you out of my hair, and keep you from finding all sorts of mischief with my lovingly devoted father.” She narrowed her gaze and stepped closer to Glynnis. “Glynnis, tell me the truth. I don’t think your motivation for daring the beast’s castle was as honorable or noble as you would have me believe. What did you and father really go up there to pilfer?”

“Pilfer? My dear sweet cousin … you know I wouldn’t go against one of the highest laws of my land. You know how poorly the crown views stealing. It is too shameful to even contemplate.”

“Glynnis.” She tapped her foot and held her hand up. A breeze blew in through one of the open windows almost extinguishing the flames of her lit candles. “I’m waiting, cough it up.”

“I give up. Your father will have my head for this, but if coming clean is the only way to make you see sense about the type of danger your father faces, then so be it.” She sighed and then went head long into her full disclosure.

“We were going up there to steal his collection of rare jewels that we’ve heard he possesses. Some of the gems are said to contain mystical powers … some of them were created for protection....”

Annabelle interrupted her before she could continue. “I’ve heard enough. I thought you and father would have something devious up your sleeve. No wonder, The Earl was so enraged. You tried to steal from him. To be enraged about taking food from him when half the country is starving is one thing … but to try to steal his family jewels … oh, Glynnis.” She gave her cousin a withering stare.

“It was your father’s idea. He said we’d make a killing on any of the pieces we didn’t decide to pawn, and he also hoped to locate the Hawthorne Family Jewel of Wishes. With that jewel, all of our worries would disappear—we’d have our hearts desire. And, if he couldn’t locate the Jewel of Wishes, we’d have some pretty valuable trinkets to pawn. You know the Ortri Black Market Place is still going strong despite the war … and well, we thought ....”

“You thought of profit and only profit!” Annabelle raised her voice to such a pitch that her ears screamed against the loud noise. She slumped down onto a stool. “So, what are we going to do?”

“We? Well, I thought you’d be the one to go and collect your father.”

“Collect? I’ll be lucky if I’m able to step foot on those enchanted lands of his. Let alone collect him as you say. No, I’ll have to find something to barter his freedom with. Something … alas, we don’t have anything of real value left in the house, except for .…” she trailed off and looked to her mother’s wedding ring, that she’d worn since her mother’s death. It was an ancestral ring, and it had been in her family for four centuries.

Glynnis’ eyes followed hers to rest on the ring. She gasped. “No, anything but that. That’s a Hawthorne Heirloom. I can’t let you trade it for your father … that ring has brought good fortune and prosperity to many of our ancestors, your mother entrusted it to you on her deathbed.”

“That’s why I have to take and use it. It hasn’t served me so well in the last few years has it? I’ve not been blessed with good fortune, nor have I been blessed with prosperity.” Annabelle looked around at the small two-bedroom cottage her father and she rented. “I must do this. As you said, my father faces a grim future, if he faces a future at all. There’s no telling how infuriated the Earl has become. I must go at once and talk some sense into him.”

“I’ll go with you as far as the borders of his castle lands. Then, I’ll leave you to it.”

Annabelle smiled and reached for her walking staff. She used it to guide her way. “I thank you for that much.” She patted Glynnis on the hand. “It will be alright you know … when have I ever failed you or father before?”

“Never, my dear, Annabelle. Never.” Glynnis smiled, hope shining in her eyes.

Annabelle heaved a great sigh. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach making her feel queasy. She looked around at the cottage one last time before she followed Glynnis out the door. Resting her eyes on the mantle above the great fireplace, she smiled at the image of her mother. Drinking in the lasting memory of the only home she’d ever known, she stepped over the threshold into what she knew would be the second part of her life. For if she failed tonight, nothing else would matter.

LENGTH: Full
SENSUALITY: Sensual/ Spicy

Cover art (c) Amber Moon
ISBN: 978-1-60394-121-1
Download $3.99
(s&h not included in price)

Doorway to the Stars, tour guide, Freya Kirkland is a veteran of the last great war that was waged across Earth and its many planets that it has colonized. The new government has been in power for ten years now, and Freya is still struggling to come to terms with the strange new world Earth has become. Thrust back into an archaic age where slavery and other barbaric practices are now in use, she must fight just to get through another day.

Rumors of Outlanders that have infiltrated the star traveling system start to run rampant throughout Earth's many media outlets. Knowing that she must continue her job as a tour guide, she knowingly places herself in danger just so she can continue to earn her much needed paycheck. Her world is turned upside down when she meets Gaian Warrior, Aries D'Halen. Will their love be able to mend a broken world and lead her people and his people into a bright future for all?

Rating: Sensual/Spicy.

Genre: Futuristic Romance.

DOORWAY TO THE STARS

By

Marly Mathews

© copyright December 2007, Marly Mathews

Cover art by Amber Moon, © copyright December 2007

ISBN: 978-1-60394-121-1

New Concepts Publishing

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author's imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

Chapter One

Earth, 3000 AD

"They say the hijackers have hacked into some of the doorways to the stars."

"Piffle." Freya Kirkland eyed the miniature holographic newspaper that had been activated in front of her. It detailed the latest hacking attempt on Jupiter.

"We, as tour guides should be worried." Macy Smyth looked at her with wide doleful eyes.

"You are too jumpy for your own good, Macy. No one has ever been able to break into the Earth system, and I'm still placing my total faith into our security programmers."

"Have you seen some of our security programmers? They ask us to do some pretty dangerous tours and now this! They say the hackers are men from the Outer System looking for wives. They found out that most, if not all of our tour guides are women."

"Listen, I really doubt a man from the Outer System would want me-or you for that matter. We're both red heads, and it's rumored that the males from that region of space think redheads are curses upon humanity."

"Curses, my foot. Most of their females have either married men from other planets or they're infertile from the last war. I wouldn't put anything against those Outlanders."

"I don't know why they were dubbed Outlanders. Sure, they are not humans from Earth, but they're still humans in their genetic makeup."

"The first time Terrans made contact with them, they shot the ambassador. They're not exactly a civilized race."

"We don't have their worlds programmed into the doorway to the stars, so I don't even know why we're wasting our lunch hour dwelling on this. Jupiter's staff of tour guides always has been a bit nutty. Maybe someone entered in the wrong sequence into the database by accident. They probably had had too much Moon Wine the night before."

"Moon wine, my ass. I'm telling you, Freya, we should just quit while we're ahead. I heard they're looking for more tour guides on the space cruise ships that tour our solar system. That's a great opportunity for us, and we don't have to worry about being kidnapped while on duty, as we always have a military escort."

"I don't want to talk to you, today. There is just no reasoning with you. I need the money from this job, and you know it. It's the only way I'll get my Uncle out of debtor's prison. If I can't pay up his bills, he'll be in there for the rest of his bloody life!"

"I know. I'm sorry I even brought the subject up. Excuse me if I'm just a tad bit worried about you. I don't know why, we've only been friends for all of our lives!"

"Macy," She dropped her voice to a whisper. The other tour guides in the canteen were giving them funny looks. "I'm sorry. Why don't you take this afternoon off? I can handle the tour scheduled for 2 pm."

"No … we're a team. I'll go with you. We-I mean, I can't lose you." She sighed, placing her hand to her temple. "But I do have one major headache. Maybe I will take it off, go back to the flat, take some pain meds, and have a lie in."

"Good idea. I should be home by eight, and I'll make you some pasta, you know how a good meal filled with carbohydrate rich foods helps your headaches."

She smiled. "You know what? We should have been born sisters, because you sure do treat me like the little sister. Problem is, I'm the older one." Macy laughed. "Do you think Mr. Callahan will have an issue with me crying off early?"

"No … he understands how a bad migraine can affect your job performance. Don't give it a second thought. Just go home and try to think of happy things … put all of your thoughts of nasty Outlander hijackers out of your system. I'll be fine."

"Yeah." She snorted. "You're right. The Earth System is the most secure in the galaxy. We don't have to worry, and, besides, we don't go out unarmed like the ones from Jupiter do."

"That's the spirit." She looked up at the clock. "Damn. It's late … I have to go and get down to the Travel Chamber, and get my co-ordinates programmed into the system. I'll tell you all about my afternoon, tonight. Let's just hope I don't get someone with a gas problem like I had on my last afternoon shift. Having that Mexican restaurant move into the canteen was a really big bad idea." She laughed.

"Be careful, Freya. Don't forget to take your pistol."

"Right you are."

She stood up and walked away from her friend. Before she left the canteen she darted one last look back at Macy. She smiled. Macy was always a bit paranoid. She'd been a good soldier in her day-but now, she was more jumpy than a cat in heat.

She walked to the elevator and moved up to the twenty-fourth level of the building they were in. Using her security card, she accessed the restricted area meant only for certified tour guides. Walking into the Travel Chamber, she stared over at the operator that was on duty.

"Hey, Morris. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, Miss Freya. Mr. Callahan told me that the desk officer would be bringing up the tour group in five minutes. He told me that he hoped you already had your route mapped out."

"I certainly do. I think I'll take this group to the Tropical planet, Willowbane."

"Excellent. I've always wanted to go to that planet with my wife, but we haven't been able to afford it yet."

"Yeah … maybe Mr. Callahan will give you the trip as an Anniversary present."

Morris's eyes gleamed. "It will be twenty-five years on the 31st."

"Congrats, Morris. The two of you must be in love."

"We are."

He looked down at his computer console. "I've entered in the co-ordinates for you, all you have to do is take your personal computer and open the doorway when the time comes."

She looked down at the nine wooden doors that were built into the wall in the travel chamber. If you opened one up without activating the planetary travel system you'd be staring at a brick wall, but once the system was activated a gateway formed between Earth and the other planet. She chewed at her lip. She had three minutes before the tour group arrived.

"Morris?"

"Yes, Miss Freya?"

"Did you read the report in the Earth Chronicle this morning about the recent hijackings?"

"Yes, Miss Freya, I did. And Mr. Callahan has ordered the security programmers to be especially diligent this morning …. He doesn't want to lose any tour guides."

"Phew." Her heart stopped hammering.

"He isn't insured."

Morris's last statement did nothing to ease her rattled nerves. Ever since Macy had brought her attention to the article, despite the fact that she'd blown it off to Macy, it still bothered her. If Macy didn't have a heart condition, she never would have dismissed it, but her friend couldn't take the extra stress.

"Oh, boy." She shook her head, nervousness fluttering through her stomach.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Miss Freya, I can keep the doorway open so we can stay in constant contact if that would make you feel more at ease. Are you carrying your government issued pistol?"

"I certainly am."

"Then you shouldn't be in trouble. You at least have a way of defending yourself. They say the Outlanders only have ancient weapons at their disposal, and your laser pistol is light years ahead of the weapons they'll be using."

"Somehow, that doesn't make me any less frustrated about this. I don't know why Callahan doesn't just put the program on hold until this issue is resolved."

"Because he can't afford it … and I can't afford not getting my weekly paycheck … it might take the Interstellar Task Force weeks to catch the Outlanders that are hacking into the Doorway system … and well, think of how many missed paychecks that would mean."

"I see your point, Morris. Thanks for pulling me back into the living reality as opposed to the one I wish I lived in."

"I don't understand how a lady of your fine breeding ended up working for Mr. Callahan, you are the daughter of an English Earl and American Senator … and yet here you are."

"And yet here I am." She sighed. "You're right … if we hadn't lost all of our money in the last war … I probably wouldn't be standing here today, but that's what you get when you support the losing side." She looked up at the sound of the automatic doors opening. "We're going to have to cut this chat short, it's show time for me."

"Good luck!" Morris smiled at her, giving her an encouraging wink.

"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen." She looked at the small group that Callahan had brought her. Cocking her head to the side, she looked at her boss.

He had a look in his eyes that told her he wanted to talk to her before she disembarked.

"Ladies, and Gents, I just have to have a short word with my tour guide. Mr. Jones here will give you some background history on the Doorway to the Stars and how it was invented, etc. Your tour will begin directly at 2 o'clock, have no fear! Here at Callahan Enterprises, you always get your moneys worth out of your inter planetary tours." Callahan had strength to his voice that she admired, even if he did get on her last nerve sometimes.

She started tapping her foot against the floor. Realizing that she was acting out with her nervous energy, she stopped when Callahan looked down at her foot.

"Miss Freya, I'd like to take this time to assure you that I have clamped down on the security of the system. I don't want you to fear for you life or those of your tourists."

"I have three people to take on the tour … why don't you just cancel it for today? You can see that the news stories about what happened on Jupiter are having a negative effect on consumers."

"Nonsense. Today is the day of the …."

"I know what today marks. It marks the end of the last war."

"Yes, well, the war was won by the side that was acting in the best interests of Earth."

"Do you think so? I don't know. I really don't appreciate many of the archaic laws such as capital punishment, the right to own slaves, and the reinstitution of debtors prison among so many other negative institutions. We're supposed to be in the age of enlightenment, we're traveling amongst the stars, and yet, we've regressed in so many ways. I can't say I prefer this existence to the one I knew when I was a child."

Callahan's eyes darkened. "You should learn to keep quiet. Those three tourists happen to be fervent supporters of our new government. I'd keep your liberal views to yourself if I were you when you're out on the tour. I don't want to lose their patronage. They book monthly, if not weekly, tours when they're hectic schedules allow."

"Where are their bodyguards? If their supporters of our current government, shouldn't they have a bloody team of bodyguards?"

"Freya, my patience is straining. I could dismiss you and take this tour out myself."

She thought of the money this tour would bring her and bit her lip to keep from saying more.

"I apologize. My passions got the better of me."

"I'll say they did. Just don't let it happen in the future. You know I value you as a tour guide. No one knows more about the worlds than you do, Freya, not even Macy."

"Thank you … and you do know that I enjoy my work here … you gave me a job when everyone else turned me away because I was part of the ...."

"Shush. Don't say it … they could be listening. Look at Master Gold, he isn't paying attention to Morris anymore. I'm sure that man is just itching to hear something that he could string me up by my balls for … anything to make him look good."

"Okay. Well, I'm taking them to Willowbane. It should be a planet right up their alley."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure it will be. I told them to dress for a hot climate since you told me you'd be taking them to one of the tropical planets. Just be on your guard, Freya. Watch your back, your front, and your side. I don't want anything to happen to you-I might be money hungry, but I'm no bastard."

"Hey … I served in the last war, I should be able to handle a few rough and ready Outlanders if they do somehow manage to get through our security barriers."

"Now you're talking. I like the way you think. You had your pistol checked at the last maintenance update, right? I don't want you to get into a fix and find out that your pistol is jammed ...."

"It's been checked out thoroughly by one of the weapon engineers. Don't fret, I'll be back on Earth by 8 pm our time."

"Good. They're only paying for a six hour trip anyway."

"As always it's excellent to know that you're consistently on your toes when it comes to running this business." She smiled. Callahan had a wife and children to think of, and, though he seemed totally fixated on money, specifically making more of it, he was a good man at heart.

Clearing her throat, she walked down the ramp to the lower level where the doorways stood ready and waiting.

"Ladies and Gentleman, thank you so much for choosing Callahan Enterprises once again, for your off planet excursions. Today we will be traveling to the Earth protected tropical planet of Willowbane. The native inhabitants of this planet co-exist in harmony with the colonists from Earth."

"And well they should. They should be grateful that our great civilization has allowed such primitives to mix with us." Master Gold snorted and thrust his chest out in a pompous gesture. She wished someone would deflate his gigantic bubble one of these days.

"Indeed." She narrowed her eyes at Master Gold. Her stomach churned. At this moment, he was probably trying to pass legislation that would make it legal for slave hunters to take the natives from Willowbane for their interplanetary slave network. She hated the man. Her side should have won ….

"I can't wait to start the tour, Miss ...." The one lady that was Gold's wife looked at her name badge.

"Freya. My name is Freya Kirkland."

"Kirkland … I must say that name does ring a bell." Master Gold looked at her in newfound interest. If he recalled her for her hand in the last war, this wouldn't be an easy tour-not easy at all. In fact, it would be more like pulling teeth, without the anesthetic.

"Does it? Well, it's quite a common name."

He nodded his head. "No doubt it is. Let us start the tour, Miss Freya. I have been anticipating this all week. Long days spent cooped in my office behind a desk … and now it's time for some excitement. Lead the way, my dear lady." His eyes flared as they raked over her entire body. She stiffened. She didn't like the hungry look in his eyes. Reaching into the bag she wore slung across her shoulders, she withdrew her traveling device and pressed the activation button. "I will be the first one through as is customary, the tour guide is the first one through en route to the destination, and they are the last one through on the return trip. This way, we are protecting our tourists to the best of our ability." Reaching for the doorknob, she turned it, and opened it. White light streamed out at them. Through a slim tunnel, she could barely make out the outline of a palm tree. "It looks as if our destination is secure. As soon as I am through please follow me."

Dragging in a deep breath, she stepped through the doorway.