by Amy Hopkins
Marcus took Julianne’s hand and pulled her away from Danil. “Dance with me,” he begged.
Julianne shot Danil an apologetic look, but he waved her off.
“See! Julianne’s dancing!” a voice said in his ear.
“Polly, I can barely stand!” Danil complained. Still, he grinned when she passed him a plate loaded with roast beef, gravy, potatoes, and bread.
“This should perk you up,” she said.
“Or send me into a food coma,” Danil said through a mouthful of food.
“Oh, for Bitch’s sake, at least sit down.” Polly dabbed a napkin on his shirt where he’d already dripped some gravy.
“Yes, boss.” Danil shuffled over to a seat and balanced the plate on his lap. He sighed happily.
“I knew a good feed would cheer you up,” Polly said.
“A plate like this could cheer up a dead remnant,” Danil pointed out. “Have you tasted this beef? I’ve seen melted butter that’s tougher.”
Polly picked a morsel off his plate and put it in her mouth. She closed her eyes in bliss.
Danil leaned over and kissed her cheek. Polly’s eyes snapped open in surprise. “What was that for?” she asked.
“Because I love you.” He held out another bit of meat and popped it in her mouth.
“Oh. Well, I am quite lovable.” She opened her mouth, waiting for another bite.
Danil put the plate down. “Food can wait,” he said, standing. “Tonight, we dance.”
He swept her out into the crowded dance floor and twirled her around. “Tonight, we dance. Tomorrow, we fight. Then, we eat.”
“Sounds like a perfect date.” Polly twirled around, then drew in close to him and rested her head on his chest.
“Just perfect,” he said, resting a hand on her head.
FINIS
Author Notes Amy Hopkins
Written March 22, 2018
Wow, guys, long time no see!
I feel like I owe you all a bit of an apology, or at least an explanation. Christmas/New Year’s was an utterly CRAZY time for me. We moved to our beautiful new dream house in a tiny valley town. We had no internet for about three weeks (hullo, astronomical phone bill!) and my kids were on the equivalent of what I think is the US summer break - seven weeks of summer break, trapped inside due to constant rain and an unfinished yard, overly-excited about the new changes but also incredibly anxious about new schools.
It was incredible, but also hell. Writing didn’t come close to being on schedule, but I’m trying to be ok with that - after all, family comes first! Still, not having my writing, which is kind of a sanity break amongst the chaos, might have made me a bit of a cranky beast.
This year, I expect things to be a little smoother. My smallest has started day care, and apart from tantrums on the days she goes (because she doesn’t want to leave) and the days she doesn’t (because she wants to be there), it’s going really well!
Side note: I just leaned over to type a note to Steve and Jami, that “I’m just knocking up my author notes now”. Steve was a little perturbed until I explained I like my notes to gestate for a while, then emerge fresh and pink and wailing, and make everyone in the room cry tears of joy. Please, feel free to cry while reading this.
Anyway… Broken Bones, the next part of the vagina-rift arc, is underway and shouldn’t be too long of a wait. I’ve got two weeks of school holidays in the middle, because the school system exists purely to torture parents, but daycare will continue so I’m hoping my middle kid is old enough to respond to hard cash bribery so I can keep working.
Ok, now Steve is going to be a character in one of Jami’s books. I can’t wait to read that one…
I hope you guys have a really happy Easter, which falls a few days after you’ll get this book. If you see me online begging for wine a few days after that, it’s because the bribery didn’t work. Send babysitters.
Happy reading!
Amy
Author Notes Michael Anderle
Written March 26, 2018
First, THANK YOU for not only reading this story, but our author notes here in the very, very, very back as well.
Now, I KNOW I’m not supposed to laugh at other’s trials in life, but Amy makes it so damned hard NOT to. If I go to hell for laughing at your shit, Hopkins, I’m totally grabbing you on the way down.
Just saying.
It is pretty damned amazing what our little group of friends (family if you will) have gone off to do since we started all of these collaborations a little over a year ago. Houses have been bought (I don’t know if LMBPN books had anything to do w/ Amy’s new house, but I do know of two other authors who have purchased homes due to their success) and careers have been supported and helped.
Not every effort went well, unfortunately, and I hold out hope that some of the series will catch on as we re-cover the books and figure out how to get them back into the market for another swing.
For example: this series is going under the knife and we are going to redo the covers. Except, this time we are going a 3D model route.
This is a TYPICAL type of interaction with Amy when stuff goes down. I’m beginning to wonder if it is a typical AUSSIE type response and if it is? Then I need more Aussie’s in my life, you people are fucking hilarious!
Imagine this: Jude delivers the following image (low-res see below) to us in SLACK (our company communication platform). Jude is just trying to get an idea if we are moving in the right direction because 3D can be very challenging and sucks to have to undo a lot of work or start over.
When I see the image, my answer is a very simple: “Oooohhh. I like this!”
Amy’s however, is this: “I love it and hubby thinks she’s hot and wants to meet her, so.... good?”
I’m just wondering what kind of relationship she has with hubby? Because, my Hispanic wife wouldn’t react the same way.
At all.
Period.
I think Amy’s books deserve a fresh effort and a lot of time has been spent thinking HOW to do it. Covers are usually the first to be considered (after story.) Hopefully, we will have this project done in the next 6-8 weeks tops.
At least, that would be nice.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for reading (and reviewing, and telling friends) about our work. It is because of you that WE get to write for a living!
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
CHAPTER ONE
Julianne looked down at the tattered ragdoll at her feet. It was splattered with mud and missing one of its little button eyes. She bent down and gently picked it up. She cradled it in her hand and wondered what had happened to its owner.
On second thought, maybe I don't want to know.
"What have you got there?" asked Marcus. He glanced at the small scrap in her hands and frowned. "I'm sure they got away, Jules. We haven't found any bodies so far."
"Course ye had ta bloody say that," Garrett grumbled. "Look."
The rearick jutted his chin at Polly as she stumbled out of a barn. Her face was pale and her eyes were rimmed with red.
"What do ye think she found?" Garrett asked quietly.
"Stay here." Marcus briefly gripped Julianne's shoulder and strode off toward the barn.
Julianne shuddered, but knew she couldn't leave him to deal with this alone. She took a moment to center herself, blew out a slow breath, and marched after him. She darted to the side as he and Garrett stumbled back out of the barn, Garrett almost stepping on her foot in his haste to evacuate.
Julianne gritted her teeth against the sound of Polly retching behind her. She prodded the squeaky wooden door open, then reeled back from the foul smell. She stumbled back, then sucked in a big breath of fresh air and plunged inside.
Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, but she had a hard time dealing with the carnage inside. Rotting bodies covered the floor and blood and limbs were strewn about like unwanted rubbish.
"Well," Garrett said, peeking over her shoulder. "At least
it weren't people. Well, not this time, anyway."
Julianne quickly realized he was right. Past the rotting and decaying dead flesh, she saw their clothes. Tattered and loose, some of them missing altogether, and all of them mismatched as if the owners had no idea how to dress appropriately.
There were broken teeth and crude handmade weapons scattered about. Still, she needed proof, and her eyes roamed the violent scene in search of it. There it was—a pair of red eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling.
"Remnant," whispered Julianne. Relief made her limbs sag and she stepped back, closing the barn door behind her to stifle the cloying stench of death.
"Whatever they are," Polly said from behind her, "they smell even worse than what Garrett made for breakfast yesterday.”
"Hey!" Garrett protested. "That were a fine meal."
"Yeah," Marcus interjected, "if you want to eat something that smells like that."
Julianne exhaled. "Would you three stop bickering already?" She held a finger up when Garrett tried to interrupt. "Not a word, you. You lot have been arguing since we left Tahn."
"They keep insultin’ me cookin’," Garrett grumbled.
Julianne rolled her eyes. "Garrett, I know you miss Bette but it’s making you crotchety. And I know you think you cook quite well.” She steeled herself to deliver the blow. “But you don't."
She winced at the wounded expression on his face. "I know you try, and maybe..." Julianne grasped for something to say. "Maybe it's just a regional thing? We mystics have our elixir, and rearick have the…the...” She gestured helplessly, looking to the others for support.
"The slop you made for breakfast," Marcus said.
Marcus, you're not helping, Julianne thought to him. Her eyes snapped the warning she couldn’t say aloud.
He shrugged apologetically. "I'll stop complaining about your food, rearick. As long as you let me cook from now on."
Garrett snorted and stomped over to the remains of the tiny village. Julianne understood the prickle of unease that had the rearick on edge.
They had left Tahn knowing that danger lurked on the open road, but no one was willing to leave the outlying villages and settlements to fend for themselves against the monstrous beasts pouring through portals. At least, they thought there were more portals.
Ruefully, Julianne admitted that they were going by the word of a single remnant who had only divulged the information under threat of torture. But even if they had closed the only portal in the region which kept the strange Skrima from coming through it, there was still the remnant threat.
Why are they on the move? Why now, after all these years? The question tumbled about Julianne's mind endlessly.
The hordes were traveling the countryside as they fled from the threat—real or imagined—of the Skrima. They had descended on Tahn twice. The townspeople were prepared and fought the beasts, but there was a real concern that those in smaller settlements would not have the same capability.
Looking around, Julianne's heart was heavy. The remnant trapped inside this building were dead, and though they hadn't found any human corpses, whoever had lived here had still lost their town— their home. She just wished she knew where they had gone.
CHAPTER TWO
Twilight descended on the abandoned town and shadows stretched long over the grass. Glowing embers pocked the evening darkness, creating an eerie map of the buildings that had been burnt to the ground by the invading marauders.
"At least we have somewhere to sleep tonight," Marcus said. He gestured toward one of the intact buildings.
"Are you serious?" Polly screeched. "I wouldn't sleep in the house of a dead person if you paid me."
"We don't know that they're dead," Marcus protested. "We haven't found a single body to suggest they are."
"As much as I hate ta admit it," Garrett said, "the lad has a point. We'll be safer if we've got solid walls between us and whatever’s out there."
"I’m with Polly." Danil shuddered. "Give me an open sky and plenty of room to run away any day."
"Of course ye'd run, ye pansy," Garrett retorted. "But I'm not freezin’ me arse off just cuz yer a wee scaredy-boy."
"Freeze?" Danil scoffed. "You spent last night complaining it was so humid that your ball sweat kept dripping down your ass crack and making it itch."
Polly slapped him. "Thanks, Danil. I spent all day trying to get that image out of my head. Now it's stuck there forever."
"I can jump in there and take care of that for you if you want," Danil said with a wink.
"Not a chance." Polly slapped him again, this time hard enough to make him wince. "After what you did last time you were in there you're banned for life, Mister."
Julianne arched an eyebrow. "And what exactly was that?"
Danil coughed, Polly blushed, and both shuffled their feet. Neither answered her question.
"Look, whatever kinky mind-sex play you two are up to in your spare time, that's your business." Marcus winked at Danil. "Until later tonight, anyway—then I want all the details. But right now I feel like I’ve been dragged ass-backward through a meat grinder, so I'd really like to settle in and get some sleep for the night. Can we just decide where we’re going to be sleeping, and be done with it?"
Julianne just watched as the fight erupted. Polly and Garrett argued and Danil backed Polly up, which only seemed to make the rearick more stubborn. Marcus occasionally threw in a point in Garrett's favor but seemed half-hearted about it.
"We'll sleep outside," Julianne decided, using a touch of magic to make sure they listened to her. "Danil, Polly, would you please set up camp on the outskirts of town? I'd like to have a look around before we settle in."
Julianne waited until the young couple had disappeared before gesturing to Marcus and Garrett. They followed her over to one of the smoldering buildings.
"What exactly do you think went down here?" she asked. "It doesn't make sense. How would you coax an entire group of remnant into one building?"
Marcus shrugged. "Maybe they set a trap of some kind. If the remnant thought there was an easy mark in there they'd be on it like flies on a turd."
"If the people ‘ere were expectin’ an attack they might have fled ta safety." Garrett scratched his whiskers as he thought. "Not a bad plan, really. Get the old an’ the weak to safety, lure the bastards inside, an’ trap ‘em in there."
Julianne nodded. "Maybe these smaller settlements aren't as helpless as we thought they would be."
"When you're on your own you learn to survive." Marcus brushed her arm gently. "And I'm sure they did survive this. There's nothing to tell us otherwise."
Hot timbers cracked and popped in the cooling air and Julianne shivered. Indecision tugged at her . If they had abandoned Tahn to come on this wild goose-chase for no reason she would never forgive herself. Of course, if they saved just one life it would all be worth it.
Garrett let out an irritable grunt and stomped away. Marcus edged closer to Julianne and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"We're doing the right thing out here," he murmured in her ear. "These people may have gotten away, but we don't know who else is out there waiting for help."
"I know," Julianne said with a sigh. "I just hate not knowing what's going on."
They wandered toward the campsite. Polly had already erected the tents and Danil blew on a small pile of sticks that was just beginning to smoke.
“What’s for dinner?” Julianne asked. She stole a glance at Garrett, willing to use a compulsion spell on him if he insisted on cooking again.
"I err… I have ta be…" Garrett's face turned beet-red and he scowled. "I'm busy, all right? Some other ugly bastard’ll just have ta cook dinner." He stomped back into the town.
Danil laughed. "Thank the Bitch for that."
"I suppose I should slap you for that." Polly giggled. "But I'm as relieved as you are. Now, you two toddle off and do whatever it is you do while Danil and I make up for that awful breakfast."
"J
ust keep an eye out," Marcus told her. "We don't know what's lurking around out there."
Polly rolled her eyes. "We know, soldier boy. I swear you've reminded us of that every five minutes since we left."
Marcus gave a wolfish grin. "Then you‘ll expect me to remind you every five minutes for the rest of the trip too."
"I'm sure they'll be careful, Marcus," Julianne said. "Why don’t we go find something to eat? If we don't replenish our stores we won't last the week."
"Wait a minute," Polly begged. "You're not going to look for food in there, are you?" She pointed toward the empty buildings.
Julianne shook her head. "No. There's a small chance the people who lived here will return. I don't want to take anything that belongs to them. They've lost enough."
"Try to catch something bigger than a rabbit this time." Danil ducked away from Marcus's glare.
"If you're going to complain about what we bring back, next time you can go hunting instead," Marcus growled at him.
"Let’s go," Julianne said, "before you two find anything else to argue about."
Julianne unstrapped her staff from her horse and slung it over her back, then pulled a pair of shiny daggers out of her pack. Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"I haven't seen those before," he said.
Julianne shrugged. "Bette had them made for me. She said that as much as I enjoy beating things over the head with my stick, I at least need something sharp to cut my meat with."
Marcus snorted. "And I suppose it had nothing to do with the mess you make when you beat things over the head."
"You really think disemboweling with a sharp blade is going to be any neater?" she asked.
Marcus chuckled and walked into the dense forest surrounding the little town. Despite the late hour, a full moon hung low in the night sky. Shafts of moonlight speared the canopy, allowing them to see.
"You do remember where you set the trap, don't you?" Julianne asked quietly.