Rebirth

by H. P. Mallory

  Once he was down, I rushed from the room and grabbed the lever to close the door. Alaire was still trying to pick himself up off the floor as the door swung shut again.

  “That’s what you get for thinking with your dick!” I yelled through the door before kicking off those ridiculous heels and making a mad dash for freedom. I heard him yelling and beating on the door from the other side, which confirmed that it didn’t have any exit lever on the inside. Still, I knew it wouldn’t keep him trapped for long. It was time to make a break for the open front door he mentioned.

  The Watchers just looked at me as I rushed past them. Sure, I wanted to cut a few of their heads off, but I didn’t have time. The big ogre that played caddy to Tallis’s sword stood in front of the door like a temporary wall. He just looked at me in confusion when I circumvented him and then passed him altogether. I figured without any specific orders to stop me, he wouldn’t. None of them would.

  All the Furies were gathered around a ring of pebbles that was set up for the imminent match date between Alaire and me. One that would never happen. One glance at me running at them and they knew what time it was. I heard a commotion of what sounded like the guards right behind me and I figured somehow Alaire must have released himself or managed to get the word out that I had to be stopped. I jabbed a finger at two of the Furies.

  “Keep them back!” I yelled, pointing behind me with my thumb. While the Furies began to comply, I pointed to the last Fury and ordered, “Fly me out of here!”

  The Fury turned around just in time for me to reach her. Being careful not to cut myself or the Fury with my sword, I jumped onto her back and held on for dear life as she began to flap her impressive wings while she ran forward. Fairly soon we were airborne. I could hear the sounds of battle fading behind me but I was staring at the neverending blackness we were flying into, now so far from the castle walls.

  Once the noise below diminished altogether, I breathed a sigh of relief. My plan had worked! Now I just had to find Bill and Tallis so we could get out of the Underground City once and for all. And once we found ourselves in the safety of the Dark Wood, my next stop was to Streethorn’s office at Afterlife Enterprises. I wasn’t sure how much he knew about what had happened down here but he was going to get an earful.

  As I was contemplating all of this, I felt my sword humming underneath my hand and before I knew what was happening, the landscape before me faded away, to be replaced with a dreamscape I had come to know so well.

  ###

  I was back in the green field. Fergus Castle, the loch and every other detail I knew and loved about this place appeared as usual. But this time, I was holding onto my blade. As I raised it, I saw the reflection of my Self in it. Purely from curiosity, I glanced down at my body and saw that it matched the reflection. I felt my face with my left hand and it was the perfect match for every contour I viewed in front of me.

  Then the reflection looked at me and smiled. “Go to the morgue…”

  ###

  The dreamscape faded again and I was returned to myself, still flying in the starless, moonless sky on the back of the Fury.

  “Go to the morgue,” I told the Fury.

  Apparently, that was a place the Fury knew well. It made a lazy one-hundred-and-eighty degree turn in the opposite direction and soon we were headed to parts unknown.

  I could only hope I wasn’t too late.

  To Be Continued…

  Stay In The Know!

  Be the first to know whenever HP releases a new book by joining her email list! Signing up takes a few seconds and HP promises never to share your email with anyone else and she will only contact you with information about her books.

  A Note From The Author:

  Thank you for finishing this book and I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews are crucial to writers and readers alike so please take a minute or so to leave a rating or a quick review. I greatly appreciate it!

  Leave a Review

  Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

  Attention all Jolie, Dulcie and Lily fans:

  Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Jolie met Dulcie? Or if Sinjin found himself stuck in a room with Bram? Would Knight, Rand and Tallis get along? Would Bryn want to murder Bill?

  Well, you’re about to find out!

  It’s with great excitement that I’m announcing a brand new series coming in early 2019.

  This series is something I’ve been throwing myself into night and day and it’s going to be BIG! As in epic fantasy big!

  And…

  It will be narrated by Jolie, Dulcie, Lily, Tallis, Knight, Rand, Bryn, Bill, Sinjin and Bram! Yes, all the characters will be meeting each other in a foreign, fantasy land! I am so excited about this new series and I can’t wait for you to read book one!

  If you haven’t already signed up to my email list, make sure you do. Then you’ll be the first to know once I release this epic book!

  Sign up to my email list by visiting: www.hpmallory.com

  More info coming soon!!

  HP

  INTRODUCING MY VIRTUAL REALITY/ FANTASY TRILOGY!

  West World meets Sherlock Holmes with a touch of Ready Player One thrown in for good measure!

  NuLife Trilogy

  Book One: Valhalla

  As the top detective in her small Alaskan town, Claire Darrow has seen her fair share of cases. But when a distraught widow comes to Claire with the suspicious details of her husband’s death, Claire is forced into new territory—virtual reality gaming territory.

  Following the trail set for her by billionaire playboy, Seth Channing (the owner of NuLife, an exclusive VR gaming company), Claire goes on the adventure of a lifetime into the Viking world of Valhalla.

  Caught in a web of secrets, lies, attraction, and skeletons from her own closet, Claire heads into a world she never knew existed. Braving treacherous quests, handsome kings, and dangerous computer-generated characters is only half the battle as she sets out to collect the details of the case to decipher whether NuLife is really behind not one, but three murders.

  While Claire uncovers more and more layers of the mystery, she begins to wonder if she’s actually playing the game… or if she’s the one being played.

  LEARN MORE

  ALSO BY H.P. MALLORY

  Virtual Reality Series:

  NuLife Trilogy:

  Book One: Valhalla KINDLE

  Epic Fantasy Series:

  The Lily Harper Series:

  Better Off Dead KINDLE

  The Underground City KINDLE

  To Hell And Back KINDLE

  Persephone KINDLE

  Rebirth

  The Lily Harper Boxed Set (Books 1-4) KINDLE

  The Dulcie O'Neil Series:

  To Kill A Warlock KINDLE

  A Tale of Two Goblins KINDLE

  Great Hexpectations KINDLE

  Wuthering Frights KINDLE

  Malice In Wonderland KINDLE

  For Whom The Spell Tolls KINDLE

  A Midsummer Night's Scream KINDLE

  Grave New World KINDLE

  Pride And Poltergeists KINDLE

  Book 10 Coming Soon!

  The Dulcie O’Neil Boxed Set (Books 1-8) KINDLE

  Paranormal Series:

  The Jolie Wilkins Series:

  Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble KINDLE

  Toil and Trouble KINDLE

  Witchful Thinking KINDLE

  The Witch Is Back KINDLE

  Something Witchy This Way Comes KINDLE

  Be Witched (Novella) KINDLE

  The Bryn and Sinjin Series (Spinoff to the Jolie WIlkins Series):

  Sinjin KINDLE

  The Scent KINDLE

  The Gentleman KINDLE

  The Flame KINDLE

  The Bryn and Sinjin Boxed Set (Books 1-4) KINDLE

  The Peyton Clark Series:

  Ghouls Rush In KINDLE

  Once Haunted Twice Shy KINDLE

  Brown Eyed Ghoul KINDLE

  Book 4 Coming Soon!

&nbs
p; The Ice Wolf Series (Co-Authored with JR Rain):

  Ice Wolf KINDLE

  She Wolf Coming Soon!

  INTRODUCING MY STANDALONE CONTEMPORARY ROMANCES:

  BRONCO:

  SUMMER

  Two people I trusted betrayed me.

  Because of that, I don’t ever want a relationship again.

  But I can’t stop looking at Jake.

  He’s not just a cowboy.

  He’s the devil with blue eyes and hard muscles.

  I don’t want to want him.

  But I do. Badly.

  JAKE

  It was lust at first sight.

  She’s a spoiled Back East girl but an elite horsewoman.

  My boss says Summer is off-limits but that just makes me want her even more.

  She’s all wrong for me, but I can’t stop thinking about what could be.

  Temptation never tasted so sweet.

  LEARN MORE

  THE HANDBOOK:

  NIKKI

  This year, college is the school of hard knocks and I seem to be the perfect example of why Mars and Venus can't play nice with each other. Dumped by my longtime boyfriend, I'm not exactly having the greatest year of my life.

  But thanks to The Femme Fatale Handbook, a handwritten notebook I found buried in the annals of the library, things are about to change. I'm taking the notebook's advice about how to become the ultimate seductress and I'm running with it. There is no way that I will ever grant another man the ability to break my heart.

  And then there's Derek Anderson, bad-boy professor—rumored to be in trouble for sleeping with a student—who's taken over one of my classes. He's moody, opinionated, rude and egotistical and he might just make the perfect target for this seductress in training...

  DEREK

  I'm not a relationship kind of guy. I take what I want from women, usually just a one night stand, and then I move on. I'm not about to get locked down by anyone, especially not a silly undergraduate student, no matter how hot she is.

  But Nikki is whip-smart and she won't put up with my BS. I want her like crazy, but no matter how hard I pursue her, she's cool and confident about keeping me at arms' length. I know she's trouble, but there's something about her that makes me think she isn't just one of my easy 'love 'em and leave 'em' girls.

  Somehow, I have to keep this ice queen in close proximity. I'm intrigued, but frustrated, too. I don't know how she did it, but the little vixen's got the upper hand—something which is about to change...

  LEARN MORE

  MOUNTAIN MAN:

  ANGEL

  William Black is about as rugged as a man comes. He’s a true mountain man. And he’s enormous, a few inches over six feet with pitch-black hair, a thick beard, and the deepest-blue eyes.

  I like it that he’s wild and answers to no one. He doesn’t care about all the gossip that always circles around him whenever he makes his way down from the mountain. But I don’t just admire him. I need him.

  He calls me ‘Angel,’ but he’d be shocked if he knew the thoughts I have about him. I know I shouldn’t go there because he’s my customer and what would he want with a naive, innocent girl like me anyway?

  WILLIAM

  Angel’s the only one in this town who doesn’t look at me like I’m trash even though I’m sure she’s heard all the rumors. She makes me feel like I’m worth something. She also makes me feel other things—stirrings I haven’t experienced in a long time.

  Ever since I spotted her in the bank, every longing I have centers around claiming her in every way. She’s the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen. Pure. Innocent. Wholesome. And completely out of my league. I know I’m not good enough for her and I never will be. But I also can’t help wanting her with every fiber of my being.

  So when there’s a robbery at the bank and I see the perp putting his hands all over her and the fear in her eyes, you bet it’s gonna go down. My past be damned, I go for my weapon and pray I don’t send a bullet into the only person in this town I care about…

  LEARN MORE

  About the Author:

  H. P. Mallory is a New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author who started as a self-published author.

  She lives in Southern California with her son and her enormous dog, where she is at work on her next book.

  Find HP Online!

  Website: www.hpmallory.com

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/hpmallory

  Instagram: @hpmalloryauthor