by Dee Benson
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
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From the Back Cover
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
Books by Dee Benson
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Dee Benson
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Origin
© Copyright 2017 by Dee Benson
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From the Back Cover
Black Thunder vs. The Firemaster. Who will win?
Michael: What do you do when you're in love with your best friend?
Katie would be mortified if she knew how I feel. She's an aristocrat in the Super World while I'm a lowly Netherling refugee. I have activated powers, become a general in the Super army and gained acceptance among the Supers, but that doesn't make me worthy of one of their most beautiful aristocrat women. Especially not when my Commander, Prince Dresden, has his eye on her too.
Katie: What do you do when the wrong guy is interested?
Something about Michael makes my heart wobble and my skin tingle, but he's my best friend, so…it's complicated. Actually, it's worse than complicated because I have to marry either an aristocrat or royalty. And royalty is interested. Prince Dresden is handsome and powerful. But I think I'd actually rather die than marry him.
Prince Dresden: What do you do when your father, the king, chooses your younger brother to be his successor?
You kill. You assume a Super name that puts fear into people: The Firemaster. And you don't let anybody stop you from claiming the throne.
You also start building your harem. Katie Frankel will be part of my harem.
What do you do when you are tasked with saving the nation?
When Katie receives the call to greatness, she is sure they have the wrong person, but the forces are insistent that she is to be the hero who will stop The Firemaster's tyranny. No sooner has she donned a black Super suit and mask than amazing new powers begin to manifest in her. The nation even christens her with a suitably terrifying Super name: Black Thunder.
Will she be paralyzed by insecurity?
Will she be distracted by her secret relationship with Michael?
Or will she get it together and defeat The Firemaster?
Katie doesn't know why she has been chosen, or whether she will succeed. But one thing is certain:
All hell is about to break loose!
Prologue
PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS SUCCUMBED to the love of power as opposed to pursuing the power of love.
Aeric Regle observed the two princes, sons of King Daniel Devin of the Land of the Supers. They were playing in the grounds of their palace in Temsah City, three light years away. Darkness filled the heart of the eldest prince, the heir to the throne, the one who'd been gifted with Firemaster power.
His power had gone to his head.
Aeric looked at Riel, one of his most trusted messengers. Riel immediately bowed his head. "We have put into the king's mind a recognition of his son's dark heart," he said.
Aeric nodded. Aeric had ordained that all kings would be Firemasters, but any rule could be broken. The King of Supers didn't necessarily have to be a Firemaster.
A flash of strange, black light zipped through the air around Aeric's throne room. Aeric didn't flinch. Djall liked to make spectacular entrances.
"Should we forbid him entrance?" asked Chael, the head of Aeric's military host. His hand went to the flaming sword in the sheath at his waist.
Aeric shook his head. He was interested to know what Djall wanted.
The black light whizzed around Aeric, accompanied by wisps of smoke and a strong smell of sulphur.
"I am close to taking over his heart and his will," came an eerie voice that sounded like the hissing of a million snakes.
"I see that you are," Aeric replied.
Slowly, Djall materialized from within the black light. His eyes, once a soft brown, were black chips of coal. His brown halo of curls had turned into snowy white tresses that matched his deathly pale skin. A snarl curled his lips.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Aeric asked him.
"You summoned me." Djall replied.
Chael stepped forward, his hand still on his sword.
Aeric raised his hand, stopping Chael's advance. "I summoned you yesterday."
"I was busy," Djall said, nonchalantly. "Why did you summon me?"
"I will not allow you to take over humanity."
Djall's gaze narrowed. "Humanity has free will. If humans want to accept me, to prevent them is to overrule their free will."
Aeric studied Djall. Djall was desperate to find a human that would accommodate him and give him their life. There were many Netherlings who might do that. But it would never happen among Supers. Supers loved their lives way too much. Only a Super whose gift was many lives would be willing to give up one of their lives to Djall. As a result, Aeric had stopped the Gifts and Graces from giving that gift to Supers—unless they found a Super who would be a good steward of the gift.
Aeric leaned back in his throne. "Very well. Do as you please. But you will not succeed because I have found a human after my own heart."
Djall's sneer intensified. He cast Chael, whose hand was still on the handle of his sword, a derisive look. Then he vanished in a puff of smoke and black light.
Chapter 1
KATIE FRANKEL SLIPPED A pair of dark sunglasses over her eyes as she watched Michael Adams walk along the shoreline, just on the edge of the ocean. His pale skin gave him away as an ex-Netherling.
She wasn't sure why it mattered that he was an ex-Netherling when seventy-five percent of the Super population was comprised of the descendants of ex-Netherlings.
She summoned her remote touch power, reached towards Michael with her mind, and slapped him on the butt.
Michael jumped, and then looked around.
Katie bit back a smile. He would never suspect that it was her who'd been slapping him since day one of college. She'd told him her superpower was lasers.
Michael was still looking around, obviously wondering who, among all their college friends, had slapped his butt.
All over the beach, scores of Temsah University students were swimming, sunbathing, or dancing to the loud music blasting from a boom box. A handful of the boys was playing soccer in the distance, while a bunch of girls playing volleyball had attracted a crowd of ogling guys.
Katie reached for her sunscreen and slathered some onto her arms and legs. Brett, her best friend since childhood, skidded over, sending sand flying everywhere. He was h
olding two ice cream cones.
He held one out to her as he lowered himself onto his towel, which he'd spread out beside hers.
Katie screwed up her nose as she accepted the ice cream. "There's sand on it."
Brett took it from her, licked off the parts that had sand and then handed it back to her.
Katie made a face. "Eww."
Brett grinned. "Where's Michael?"
Katie pointed. Michael usually hung out with them, but he seemed to want to be alone today. She reached out towards him with her mind again and shoved him. She bit down hard on her lip as he tumbled into the ocean, landing on his butt.
"That was you, wasn't it?" Brett asked.
Katie licked her ice cream, giving him an innocent look.
Brett rolled his eyes. "Instead of tormenting the poor guy by touching him and freaking him out, why don't you just tell him how you feel?"
Katie snorted. "What's the point?"
"Your dad still won't hear of you marrying outside of the aristocracy?"
"You know what he's like."
"You don't think he'll ever change his mind?"
"I don't. We've argued about it a million times."
Brett was already crunching on the cone of his ice cream. Katie frowned at him. "I can't believe you've already finished that."
"I can't believe you've only taken one lick of yours."
Katie took another lick. In the distance, Michael was dragging himself to his feet.
"What are you doing for Valentine's Day?" Brett asked.
"Nothing. As usual." Being a member of the aristocracy, she wasn't allowed to put herself in situations in which her virtue may be compromised.
"You should come out with Michael and me, since neither of us has a date either."
Katie lifted a brow at Brett. "Are you serious? You don't have a date?"
"Why is that so shocking?"
"Mr. Lady Killer doesn't have a date? Are you losing your touch?"
Brett chuckled. He draped an arm around Katie's shoulders. "Maybe I'd rather spend Valentine's Day with my best friend this year. You'll probably be getting married as soon as we finish college. You should get to go on a normal, fun date before some boring aristocrat dude snaps you up."
Katie knew he intended it as a joke, but instant melancholy filled her heart anyway. Her father had a list of suitors who would approach her once she finished college in a few months.
Her father was Lord Frankel. He had been instrumental in stopping a civil war that had broken out when Katie was young, and was thus held in high regard. It seemed lots of aristocrat men were eager to marry his daughter.
One of Katie's suitors was even the Crown Prince. Most girls would have been excited about that, but Katie attended college with Prince Dresden and knew he wasn't the kind of man she wanted.
Brett nudged her. "So will you come out with us?"
She should say no. As an aristocrat, especially one whom the Crown Prince had his eye on, she wasn't allowed to date or have a boyfriend. She was expected to save herself for an elite man.
But it won't be a 'real' date, she told herself. It was just Brett and Michael, her best friends.
But she had a crush on Michael.
Nothing will happen. Michael didn't know she had a crush on him. And if he found out, he'd be freaked out. It would probably ruin their friendship. So Katie would make sure he never found out. Besides, Brett would be there. Nothing would happen with Brett there.
A flash of fire over by where the girls were playing beach volleyball drew their eyes. It was Prince Dresden. It looked like one of the teams had scored, and he was throwing fire around in celebration.
Katie watched him, wondering why she wasn't interested in him. He was a nice guy, in his own way—as nice as a man who'd been brought up to be commanding and borderline arrogant could be. He was also handsome, albeit in a blond-haired, blue-eyed, pretty boy kind of way that did nothing for her.
She looked over at Michael again. There was a jolt of electricity in her heart. Something about Michael just undid her. Maybe it was his swoony dark eyes, or his deep, gravelly voice.
Why couldn't Michael be an aristocrat rather than a Netherling refugee who came to the Super World with his family after his mom accidentally activated powers? Better still, why couldn't Super society be indifferent to status?
Michael removed his shirt, wrung it out, and then started heading over.
With her glasses in place, Katie watched him approach, certain that he wouldn't know her gaze was on him. She loved the way he moved. Slowly, like he had an abundance of raw energy that he was keeping in check.
He was a general in the Super army, which was led by Prince Dresden. Katie had seen him in his combatwear. It made him look formidable.
Brett plucked her ice cream cone from her hand and began to eat it. "I'm going to tell him you like him," he whispered.
"You wouldn't dare," Katie replied. She wasn't worried. Brett had threatened to do that numerous times, but he never had. She knew he wouldn't.
When Michael reached them, there was a dark frown on his face. "Whoever it is that keeps hitting me is getting really shameless," he growled as he dropped down beside Brett.
"Really?" Brett asked. "Why do you say that?"
Michael glowered. "Whoever it is slapped me on the butt a few minutes ago."
Katie could feel heat creeping into her cheeks. Hopefully, Michael wouldn't notice. She snatched her wide-brimmed sun hat from her beach bag and tugged it over her head.
"That makes me wonder if it's a girl," Michael continued. "I don't think a guy would slap me on the butt."
"It could be a gay guy," Katie said.
Brett shook his head. "No, I think it's probably a girl."
Katie felt like punching him. In fact, she did. She punched him hard in the chest with her remote touch.
"Ouch!" he gasped, dropping the ice cream cone.
Michael frowned at him. "What?"
Katie lifted her sunglasses and shot Brett a look.
Brett banged his chest, coughing. "I think I just choked on some ice cream."
Katie banged on his back. She'd been careless. Her remote touch punches were a lot harder than her physical punches. She had trained herself in remote touch to the point that she could use five times more force than she normally could, physically. "You eat way too fast," she told Brett.
Michael grabbed Katie's sunscreen and began to slather his bare chest and arms. He'd bought Brett's excuse.
"Are you okay now?" she asked Brett. Michael wasn't looking, so she gave Brett a small smirk.
"I'm just great," he replied dryly.
"I swear, I'm going to find out who it is that keeps hitting me," Michael muttered as he rubbed sunscreen over his pale skin. It wasn't that pale any more. More of an olive tone. However, everyone else here was a couple of shades darker.
Soon, Michael skin was glistening with sunscreen. His arms bulged with muscles. His abs were ripped. Katie dragged her gaze away.
Brett cursed under his breath.
"What?" Katie asked.
"Prince Dresden is coming over."
Katie looked up. Sure enough, Prince Dresden was heading in their direction. "Let's hope he's just going to the ice cream van."
"Even if he is going to the ice cream van," Michael said, "he's bound to notice you in your bright yellow bikini and come over."
Something in Michael's tone made Katie look at him. He was looking in Prince Dresden's direction, a slight frown on his face.
"Will it be totally obvious if I walk away now?" Katie asked.
Michael looked at her.
Katie always felt exposed under his direct gaze, and now was no different. She was glad she was wearing sunglasses.
"Why don't you like him?" Michael asked.
"He's… annoying."
"But he's going to be the king. Wouldn't you like to be queen?"
Katie had asked herself that same question many times. She shrugged. "I'd rather mar
ry someone I love and be happy, than marry someone I don't love and be powerful."
Michael's brows lifted slightly.
"Deep, Katie," Brett said. "Very deep. You should have your own book of quotes."
Katie grabbed a handful of sand and chucked it at him.
A sudden, powerful breeze blew the handful of sand back at her. She managed to turn away before any hit her in the face. Then she slapped Brett's shoulder. His power was air currents.
"He's not going to the ice cream van," Michael murmured under his breath. He tossed aside Katie's sunscreen and sniffed his arm. He made a face. "Great. Now I smell like a girl."
Katie watched Prince Dresden approach out of the corner of her eye.
Brett and Michael rose to their feet.
Katie looked up at them in annoyance. "Don't you dare leave me on my own with him."
"I want to play soccer," Brett said.
"Ciao," Michael sang.
Katie glared at them both.
Michael ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, we'll stay close by," he said under his breath.
Katie felt utterly abandoned as the two of them sauntered away. She jumped up to follow. A flash of fire appeared before her. She jumped backwards. She turned to escape in the opposite direction, only to find that she was completely surrounded by fire.
A portion of the wall of fire parted, like a doorway, and Prince Dresden walked in. The fire closed behind him. He grinned. "Ah. We have some privacy."
Katie could only manage a tight smile.
"Katie Frankel," he drawled, his gaze trailing over her lazily. "I didn't know you were here."
Katie wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to say in response to that. "Oh. Didn't you?"
"I didn't. My understanding is that aristocrat ladies don't appear in public in bikinis."
Katie felt her smile tighten further. "But it is quite all right for aristocrat males to appear in public in swimming shorts." Prince Dresden was wearing the tightest swimming shorts she'd ever seen.