Forged in FIRE
Forged
in Fire
Bringer
of Chaos Book 2
by
Kayelle Allen
Genre:
Sci-Fi Romance
Immortals
may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever...
When
the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and
few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone.
But that's the problem. He's not.
Half
a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped inside their
pods and it's up to Pietas to free them. He can't release one at a
time. It's all or nothing. He's facing over five hundred thousand
hungry, thirsty, homeless immortals who will call on him for rescue
and he has no way to answer.
It's
not all bad. The beautiful telepathic warrior he's loved for
lifetimes is at his side. He's bonded with a sentient panther. He
hates humans but the one dumped on this planet with him has become a
trusted friend.
Before
Pietas can build shelter, figure out how to grow food, or set up a
government, he must take back command from a ruthless enemy he's
fought for centuries. His brutal, merciless father.
Immortals
may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever...
"WARNING"
Contains
humor, sweet romance, betrayal, angst, vengeance... and a ginormous,
sentient black panther who wants to be Pietas's "kitty."
**FREE
from 3/23 – 3/27!!**
In this scene from Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, the
not-quite-human Six offers water to the immortal king, Pietas.
Six slid their canteen off over his head and held it out to
Pietas.
Accepting anything from a human, an altered one at that, had
violated every instinct at first. To take from an enemy, yes. Always. Let one give you something as if you needed it? Admit a weakness before an
enemy?
Never.
But this was Six.
Pietas took it.
Ultras could go days without water, but they consumed it when
they had it. He wiped one dusty hand across his mouth. The satisfaction of
assuaged thirst never failed to please. What simple things in life brought
pleasure! In captivity, he'd dreamed of even a drop to cool his tongue. He'd
sworn he'd never take water for granted again.
Six had offered it to their companions during the climb, but
the entire lot refused anything a mortal's lips had touched. Yes, Six was a quasi-immortal. A dead human soldier
who'd been resurrected and enhanced with Ultra blood. A "ghost." But
to the others, that gave him even less status.
Pietas wavered on few things, but on this? Should he call the
man human, mortal, quasi-immortal, or ghost? He'd elected to choose as the mood
struck. But one in particular annoyed Six.
"Thanks, ghost." He thrust the canteen against Six's
chest.
Staggering, he swore in Spanish. "Find another name for
me."
"Tell me your mortal name then."
"You know I can't." Six scratched his cheek.
"Gotta protect my family. If your kind knew who they were, they'd
slaughter them. You wouldn't, but them?"
Now they were getting somewhere. "So you do trust
me?"
"Pi, there's more honor in your left big toe than your
entire race combined." He tipped up the canteen but then paused. "No
offense."
"None taken. But we're stranded, my friend. Unless a
miracle happens, by the time we get off this world, your family will be long
dead." He added, "No offense."
Six finished his drink and plugged the canteen. "None
taken. Sorry. Can't do it." He lifted the strap back over his head and
settled it onto his shoulder, the canteen at his back. "Seriously, Pi,
your people hear you call me you-know-what, it'll give away I was Ghost Corps.
We both know what they'll do to me."
Kayelle
Allen did a tour in the US Navy, where she climbed around airplanes
(on the ground, thankfully) fixing black boxes that helped pilots
find their way home.
She
wrote her first science fiction novel at 18 and to this day, it's
hidden under the bed, where she vows it will remain. Gems from it,
however, launched several series in her galaxy-wide universe of
stories.
From
childhood, Kayelle was the victim of an overactive imagination and
inherited the Irish gift of gab from her mother. From her father, she
got a healthy respect for mechanical things.
No
wonder she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy peopled with
misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and
warriors who purr. She's been married so long she's tenured.
I loved the book cover design!The expert is making me need to color this!
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