She paused and found Neal staring at her with concern etched on his face.
Ryder's broken voice returned.
“I know, Dana, but I also know that you'll know what to do.”
They hung up after she received specifics on Ryder's location.
Dana called her contact in New York. Her next call was to the pilot her father kept on standby. She didn't use their private jet often, but this was an emergency. Neal offered to go along, but Dana told him it wasn’t necessary. He insisted.
“Dana, I caught the gist of your conversation. Your friend is in trouble, and if I can help, I would like to. Please. You wouldn't let me protect you; the least you can do is let me help you.”
She smiled. She couldn't tell the man no and hoped she wasn't doing something she would regret by letting him further into her life of madness and mayhem.
***End of Sevyn***
NOTE: Don’t worry readers. This is not the last you will see of Dana, Sevyn, and Neal. They have more v-word creatures to hunt and heads to burn. The couple will show up in other reads from The Smoke & Fire Series. Also, a novelette is in the works for Neal. Nineteen missing years and a wicked scar—sounds like an interesting concept to me.
Questions to ponder from Sevyn:
1. Were you surprised to find that Dana was a descendant of vampires? Were you surprised to find her mother was still alive?
2. Do you think, Top, Neal’s Agency is responsible for his memory loss?
3. Why do you think Neal found it hard to believe that Dana was genuinely interested in him?
4. Dana found out life-changing secrets because she was relentless in chasing down who she believed killed her mother. Do you think she would have eventually found out the same secrets had she not sought to avenge her mother?
5. Dana unknowingly killed her own family members, do you think that Linkin let her off the hook too easily or is he not finished with her yet?
6. Why do you think Top placed Neal with Dana?
Check out this short Synopsis of Guardian Sixx - The Smoke & Fire Series – Coming in 2017
Running from a past that keeps kicking her while she’s down, Zara is forced to live on the streets. Years of drugs and forced prostitution has her contemplating suicide. After meeting her savior Ryder, she knows that her prayers have finally been answered…until her brutal past comes calling.
Ryder believes he has the perfect drama free life with his feisty and sexy fiancée Nicole. When unseen forces lead him to Zara, one of the most remarkable women he’s met; he keeps his distance. Caught in the middle of comfort with Nicole and happiness with Zara, he maintains his nobility…until a moment of jealousy causes Nicole to snoop into Zara’s past and dredge up a monster that can kill them all.
Will the secret guardian that lingers at Zara's back be enough to ward off a demon from her past?
Check out this synopsis of Rain - The Smoke & Fire Series – Coming in 2017
Born a female into a family of vampire hunters should have been Rain's curse, but she embraces her legacy. The undead are not only drawn to her blood, they want her body. Their compulsion for a taste of her is just as strong as her impulse to kill them…until she meets Taden.
With two centuries on the planet, Taden believes he is well equipped to handle just about any situation…until Rain pours into his life. Not only does he have an unrelenting thirst for her blood, but she lights his passion and sends sparks into his non-beating heart. Sensing she would like nothing more than to rip his heart out, he can’t help being drawn to her.
Forced to work together, Taden and Rain struggle to set aside their differences to track one of the most gruesome killers walking the planet—a monster capable of ripping both humans and vampires into shreds. Things are moving along swiftly....until Darian closes the triangle.
Darian walks into their home and finds his father playing house with their sworn enemy—a huntress. Although she has the ability kill them, he can’t ignore the fact that he fell for her the moment he met her. Flirting with temptation, Darian learns that Rain is more than your average huntress; one drop of her blood would obliterate him.
Check out this excerpt from:
Sparks - Smoke & Fire Book #1 Prequel Novelette
Introduction
Much too often we find ourselves wondering how a character was born. What made them into the hero they have become? What made them such a nice guy or girl? How did they become such a villainous monster or mass murderer?
This novelette gives off a few sparks of the flame that ignite two explosive characters from Smoke & Fire, Book #1 of the Smoke & Fire Series. Rage and untapped emotions are what ignite the fumes that make these characters burn off the pages.
Sori “Smoke” Knight and Mycale Thomas Phillips “Fire” are known for being deadly, sometimes lovable, and totally emotionally dysfunctional. Despite their flaws, they somehow manage to keep fighting for the good guys.
This novelette sneaks a peek into Sori and Mycale’s younger years, pulling us into the tragedies that tore into their core so deeply it left lingering sparks of madness. Learn what fanned Sori’s smoke and lit Mycale’s fire.
Part 1
Mycale Thomas Phillips - Fire
Waking up in an unfamiliar environment sparked panic. The hardness of the mattress, the stale musty air, and the suffocating stillness were all indications that he was no longer in his own room.
Shaking off the clouds of sleepiness, ten-year-old Mycale squinted against the stinging brightness of a blinding light.
“Mum. Dad,” he called out.
He even called out to his twelve-year-old big brother Mateo, but no one answered. Sure he was stuck in a dream, Mycale struggled to remain calm.
Lying flat on his back, Mycale made out a dirty white ceiling. The ceiling tiles had holes as if rats bore into them. The walls showcased white paint and nothing more. His football and race car posters weren’t there. His shelf, lined with football trophies, wasn’t there either.
Mycale focused, looking for anything familiar. A light shined, like a beacon, over his bed. There were no windows from his vantage point, and more beds started to come into focus.
Unable to move his hands, he couldn’t shield his eyes. Blinking rapidly, the brightness made him fight to keep his tortured eyes open. Mycale scanned the area as best he could. As he struggled to clear his mind, he focused, taking in other kids. Beds with children atop dirty and torn mattresses filled the large space. The sight of other kids should have relaxed him, a little; but he didn’t know them and had no idea where he was.
He fought the urge to yell for help. Not knowing how he had gotten there frightened him more than actually being wherever there was. As his eyes darted back and forth, a flash of movement stopped them.
Lifting his head as far as he could, he called softly, “Hello.”
Another boy, in a bed a few feet away, didn’t answer. The boy was too busy fighting against wrist restraints.
Tears ran down the other boy’s face as thick leather straps anchored his hands to the bed frame. About Mycale’s age, the boy sported a black eye and badly bruised arms and legs. His attire was nothing more than an ill-fitting hospital gown. Becoming aware that Mycale looked his way, the boy’s hand pulled against the restraint as he pointed.
Mycale’s first instinct was to reach towards the boy, but the exigent look on the boy’s face urged Mycale to look in the direction in which his shaking hand pointed.
A sharp snap kept Mycale’s hands near his waist. Taking in the sight of his own bound hands was only one of the reasons his heart stopped. The unnatural silence of the room and the hospital gown he wore were a few other reasons to have a heart attack.
He yelled, “Let me out of these things. This isn’t funny. Let. Me. Out.”
His chest heaved with nervous energy.
Why can’t I hear myself?
“Where in the bloody hell is the sound?” he asked no one in particular.
His parents would have d
isciplined him for having said ‘bloody hell’, but he was sure this time was justified.
The boy still pointed. Raising his head as far as he could, Mycale’s eyes took in what his mind couldn’t understand. A woman and a man stood over a girl, two beds away. They unstrapped her as she screamed and desperately fought them.
No sound. She’s screaming with no sound.
Speaking to the boy next to him, Mycale asked, “Where are we? Why are we here? Where are they taking her?”
The boy gave no reply, but his haunted eyes held Mycale’s attention.
Panicked, Mycale needed answers. He was surrounded by at least twenty beds, all filled with children.
Some of the children were asleep, some were awake, and some were crying and making desperate attempts to free themselves. Unable to hear what he saw, Mycale’s terror intensified. This had to be his punishment for some long ago delinquency he’d gotten away with.
Pulling at his bound hands, he noticed his torso was also strapped to the bed. Wiggling and kicking his feet, Mycale yelled at the top of his lungs; but he couldn’t hear a thing. The sound vibrated throughout his body; but his voice was lost in space, never reaching his ears. The sound had been turned off, like it was vacuumed from the room.
Exhaustion was the only thing to temper Mycale’s fight with the restraints. Fear and terror fought for the number one spot in his mind. He wondered if his mom and dad knew he was missing.
Were they searching for him? Had his dad peeked into his room like he usually did? Was he ever going to see his family again?
His father and brother would tell him to be a hard man. Fighting fatigue, he continued trying to free himself.
Mycale didn’t realize he’d fallen asleep until he was shaken awake by the same man and woman who had taken the girl. They stood above him, two soundless monsters. Immediately, Mycale fought them with everything he had.
Twisting and turning his body, he yelled and screamed, “Don’t touch me. Leave me alone. What do you want with me?”
Silence prevailed. Sound would not break free, and his words were neither heard nor acknowledged.
Being dragged forcibly from the bed, Mycale intensified his fight. He flailed about, like a fish out of water; but the man and woman together were too much for him. The lady held him by his arms while the man held his feet.
Once out of the room, Mycale was struck by the sudden potency of sound. His flailing came to a screeching halt. Sound was back; the beautiful rhythms of life vibrated against his ears. Calmed by the familiar blanket of sound, his body went limp as the man and the woman carried him towards the unknown.
Stay calm and be a hard man, he reminded himself.
While carried down a dimly lit hall, he scanned his surroundings. The nauseating smell of cleaning products, and the sight of varied areas lined with medical equipment and medical supply cabinets, suggested he was in some type of hospital.
Turning into the only open door, they entered a larger room which housed two smaller rooms. The smaller rooms were nothing more than large rectangular glass cubes. Fearing he was about to be put into one of the cubes, Mycale started to struggle again.
Once inside the cube, the man and the woman released him at the same time, dropping him. Before he had a chance to get up and protest, the woman and the man quickly exited, and a knob-less glass door slid shut.
Locked inside, Mycale slammed his hands against the door and demanded to be let out.
He yelled, “Let me out of here. When my dad finds out what you’re doing, he’s going to kick your butts.”
Since the room was see-through from all angles, he sensed being studied. He beat against the door until his hands became sore. Eventually, he took a seat in the only chair in the room and waited.
The man and the woman watched from behind a desk, their eyes scanning him as if observing a display. Both had notebooks in front of them, hands poised, pens ready to take notes.
Watching the man speak to the woman, Mycale didn’t expect to hear anything while trapped inside the large cube; but he heard the man’s muffled voice. All of a sudden, the man’s voice projected loudly inside the room. Looking around, Mycale spotted a honeycomb-shaped button that must have been a speaker.
The man said, “Mycale, if you show us your ability, we will send you back home.”
Mycale didn’t understand.
What ability? What exactly was the man asking him to do?
The man continued, “We know you have an ability, Mycale. There is no need to be afraid to show us. We are people who specialize in finding children like you. We are here to identify your ability and then send you back home as quickly as possible.
“If you listen to us, and do what we tell you to do, you can go back home. We have the means to make you forget this entire incident. As a matter-of-fact, one of our unbreakable rules is to ensure you forget any of this ever happened, therefore you can think of this as just a dream. You won’t remember any of this, Mycale. We promise.”
More confused, Mycale didn’t know how to respond. He noticed the man didn’t speak with an English accent like he did. Mycale asked the only question on his mind.
“Can I go home? I want to go home. I don’t know what you want me to do. Can I go home…please?”
The lady had the nerve to smile.
“You need to show us your ability, Mycale. Your being here means, at some point, you showed the potential for manifesting or having an ability. You may not be aware of it, yet.”
After a moment of waiting, the man asked, “Have you ever done something amazing that you didn’t think possible? Have you ever done anything you saw a superhero do?”
Although only ten, Mycale was smart enough to know he couldn’t do anything he had seen superheroes do.
He told them, “Az if. I can’t do anything like a superhero. That’s stupid.”
The lady addressed him.
“Now, that simply is not true, Mycale. You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
He desperately wanted to give these people what they wanted so they would let him go home. He stood. His movement captured the attention of the woman and the man, making them sit straighter in their chairs.
Since he’d always done well in his karate classes, he decided to show them some of his best moves. The man and the woman didn’t stop him as he wore himself out, showing them jabs, kicks, and spins.
Eventually, Mycale took his seat, winded and out of breath.
Once he caught his breath, he asked, “Was that good enough? I also know how to fish and hunt and catch insects.”
The two didn’t appear impressed with his display.
The man asked, “Can you fly, or make objects hover in the air, or move faster than a person’s eye can see, or shift your body into animals and objects, or walk through walls? Do you have dreams and visions of things before they happen? Can you move objects with your mind?”
Stunned by the unusual questions, Mycale stared, unblinkingly. They were asking him things he knew to be impossible. Shaking his head, he wasn’t sure how to answer.
Exhausted from the constant mix of unusual questions, all Mycale wanted to do was go home. Instead, he was dragged, kicking and screaming, back to the room with no sound and strapped to the bed. Taking in the scent of urine, and maybe even feces, he closed his eyes and prayed he would wake up in his own bed. Too tired to fight, he quickly fell asleep.
****
When the woman and man unstrapped him again, he wasn’t sure if he had slept for minutes or hours. Thirsty, his scratchy and dry vocal cords refused to project the words he attempted. Words didn’t matter in this room, anyway; he remained silent despite his attempts. He didn’t fight while being carried back to the glass room; there was no use.
This time, the boy who had been in the bed next to him was seated in the adjacent glass room. The portable rooms were in the same position as their beds and sat like two giant cubes. The other boy’s head constantly swiveled as the man and the woman sat, watching.
Mycale took his seat. Both he and the boy waited, wondering what the man and the woman had planned for them. Jumping about, like a puppet, his legs refused to stay still. Then, someone approached.
Mycale took in the presence of two large men, built like all-star NFL football players. Passing his room, he watched the men enter the boy’s room. Seeing the boy cower, as the men stood on either side of him, was a sign they weren’t there to be friendly. The boy’s body sank inward as he dropped his head low to his chest, too frightened to look up at the men. Watching, Mycale prayed they weren’t planning to hurt the boy.
Without warning, the men slapped and punched the boy. The boy’s head jerked and snapped with each blow, making Mycale flinch and jump. Hearing the boy’s muffled cries, the vibrations penetrated Mycale’s body. All attempts the boy made to fight back were futile.
Mycale stood, pounding his glass wall, facing the boy’s room. Screaming for them to stop, he hoped to draw the men’s attention.
The woman’s voice continuously flowed through the speaker, but Mycale ignored her request for him to show his ability. Fearing for the boy’s life, he screamed louder and pounded harder.
“Stop it. He’s only a boy. Stop hitting him, please!”
The lady’s voice never stopped.
“Mycale, show us your ability or they will continue to beat Ivan.”
Hearing the boy’s name made the incident more personal.
He yelled towards the speaker, “I don’t know what you want me to do. I don’t have any abilities. Please, make them stop. We didn’t do anything.”
Ivan’s beating commenced as the woman’s voice became nails on a chalkboard. Mycale pounded the wall harder, suddenly making it shatter. Glass peppered his arms and he instinctively protected his head.
Sevyn: Adult Paranormal Romance (BWWM Romance) (Supernatural Thriller) (The Smoke & Fire Series Book 4) Page 16