Cynthia Sax's Blog, page 149
April 12, 2020
North Bound – Fourth Scene Of The First Chapter
North Bound, the fifth standalone story in the Cyborg Space Exploration series, is releasing next week on April 21st.
I’ve shared the first scene from the first chapter.
You can read that scene here:
This week I’m sharing the fourth and final scene of that first chapter.
***
“I would never ask that of you.” Dissent’s female repositioned herself so she could more easily look at her warrior. “You enjoy taking part in the missions. That you would give that up for me—” Her voice broke.
“I would give up my lifespan for you.” Dissent’s tone was gruff. “I would do anything for you, my female.”
“Awww….” The other females gazed at the couple with soft eyes.
Truth made a gagging noise.
If North was one of the crew, he would reach out to the never-serious D Model via a private transmission line, ask him if he had ever projected a warrior like Dissent would place the happiness of a female over the well-being of his brethren.
But he wasn’t part of the crew. Not truly. He was Captain’s second-in-command. And confiding in another warrior wouldn’t benefit his role. That chatter would undermine the position, be unworthy of him.
North remained silent, keeping his processing to himself.
“You’d do anything for me?” Dissent’s female smiled at her warrior.
“I’d do anything.” The J model’s reply was vehement.
“Then take part in the mission.” She touched Dissent’s face. “Fulfill the role you enjoy.” She took a deep breath. “But be careful. Come back alive.”
“I’ll return to you.” The warrior made a vow there was a probability he might not be able to honor. “Nothing will stop me from doing that.”
Many things could stop him from doing that—the primary one being death. Missions were dangerous. Beings died. North, as the team leader, would utilize all his skill, all his experience, to ensure the male returned to his female. But there were no guarantees.
He processed that, had lost too many warriors in the past to not accept that possibility, would never make such a rash promise to anyone.
Dissent was a newer model, however. He seemed to have no qualms about uttering those reassuring words.
His female was emotionally as well as physically fragile. The projection of her warrior’s possible death would damage her.
Dissent and his female cuddled, exchanging softly spoken statements of caring. North couldn’t follow some of their logic.
Doc and his female lifted their handhelds. They then compared readings on their devices, verbalizing the results, confirming both of the handhelds were fully functional.
Chuckles rested his chin on the top of his female’s head. She leaned back into him, chattering about the significance of the design she’d utilized in the neck decoration.
Captain brushed his hands over his female’s fingers as she tapped on their embedded viewscreen. She bumped her shoulder against Captain’s, didn’t look up. It was as though she didn’t require that visual verification. She processed Captain’s processing, had that link to him.
North had no link with any being. Loneliness engulfed him.
He ignored that emotional damage and surveyed the terrain he and his team would soon explore. That team would consist of Dissent, Truth, and himself. There was no need to recruit an additional warrior. For that, he was grateful.
He had completed missions with Dissent and Truth in the past, was familiar with their capabilities, their strengths, their quirks. Dissent would be eager to return to the Reckless and to his female, would complete tasks as quickly as possible.
That pleased North. He would craft a plan to better accomplish their mission. His gaze shifted to the right of the main viewscreen. There was a clearing near the planet’s sole settlement. It would be an ideal landing site.
They would chart the uninhabited areas first, learn the layout of the land, look for the threat his processors relayed existed. Once they had defeated or subdued that danger, they would approach the humanoids, collect their genetic information.
“North.” Dissent’s female’s voice cut through his projections.
He lifted his head, met her gaze. “Dissent’s female.”
“You’ll do your best to bring my warrior back alive, won’t you?” Trust and hope and a smidge of fear shone from the female’s eyes.
Dissent rumbled his discontentment and shifted under his female, jostling her.
“One of my mandates is to bring every team member back alive.” North’s lips twisted. She didn’t have to ask him to do that. That was part of his role, should be assumed.
“Thank you.” She released her breath.
“It isn’t always possible.” North was honest with her. He’d lost warriors in the past, many, many warriors. “But I will do my best.”
“Oh.” The lines reappeared around her mouth.
“North is referring to battle.” Dissent cast him a hard glance. “He has never lost a warrior on an exploration mission.”
“I have never lost a warrior on an exploration mission.” North conceded that point.
He would utilize his skill and experience to ensure that remained true, would trade his lifespan for his brethren’s if that was necessary. Dissent and Truth would return safely to the Reckless or North wouldn’t return at all.
And he would set specifications for future missions, would create optimal conditions for his team’s survival. That could result in banning females permanently from participating in off-ship assignments.
Humans and humanoids were slower, weaker, more fragile than cyborgs. Females were also rare and precious. Their place was on the Reckless, where they would be protected.
Cyborgs could complete the dangerous assignments. That was what they had been designed to do—go where humans couldn’t, confront the unknown enemy, respond quickly to hostile conditions.
North would be hated for that decision, but he would bear the disapproval…again. He could tolerate being excluded, could endure the silence, the loneliness.
As long as he completed his missions and brought his warriors back alive.
That, not the state of his emotional system, had to be his priority.
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
North Bound
A mission-focused cyborg battles a captivating and dramatic distraction.
***
North, the second-in-command of a cyborg crew, has two priorities—he has to explore and collect data on Balazoid Minor, a small planet in their sector, and he must bring his three-being team back to the ship alive and fully functional.
When he encounters his brash, bravado-wielding female, the one being genetically designed for him, he recognizes her for what she is—a distraction that might get him and his brethren killed. He WILL claim her, but only on his terms, when his mission is complete and everyone he is responsible for protecting is safe.
Myrina the Magnificent is the best warrior on her planet and possibly the universe. She has captured an unparalleled fourteen males for her all-female tribe. Once she has secured the fifteenth male, she will be a legend. Her name will live forever. She’ll earn the undying adoration of her sisters. Glory will be hers.
The male in her sights—and in her snare—is a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg with a skill for war and lips designed for kissing. One emotionally charged battle is all it takes for Myrina to realize she wants North for herself. She won’t share his caresses with anyone.
Their forbidden love might be destined to be, but it won’t be easy to maintain. Myrina will have to fight her sisters, an all-powerful male-eating plant, and her cyborg’s unbending will to make North hers and hers alone.
***
North Bound is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the fifth of six core stories in the Cyborg Space Exploration Series.
Book 1: Choosing Chuckles
Book 2: Doc’s Orders
Book 3: Dominance And Dissent
Book 4: Passion Surge
Book 5: North Bound
Book 6: Testing Truth
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/north-bound/id1500291657
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/north-bound-cynthia-sax/1136528667
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/north-bound
Smashwords:
April 5, 2020
North Bound – Third Scene Of The First Chapter
North Bound, the fifth standalone story in the Cyborg Space Exploration series, is releasing on April 21st.
I’ve shared the first scene from the first chapter.
You can read that scene here:
This week I’m sharing the third scene of that first chapter.
***
“I’m a survivor.” Dissent’s female had delusions of strength. “And I’ll be armed. I didn’t die on Khambalia 5 or Altair Alpha. I won’t die on this planet. The environment is hospitable. You said that yourself.”
“The oxygen levels can sustain a human.” Doc displayed the specs on the main viewscreen. “And—”
“Hospitable isn’t equivalent to safe.” North severed that discussion, not wanting to hear it. “The planet is dangerous.”
“We don’t know that.” Dissent’s female persisted in arguing with him.
She was right. He didn’t know that with 100.0000 percent accuracy.
“I’ll protect her.” Dissent relayed what everyone on the bridge had already processed. Any warrior would die before allowing his female to be damaged.
“I’ll protect her also.” Truth stated another known fact. Females were rare. Honorable warriors would safeguard them.
“We’ll all protect her.” North hid his impatience under a flat tone. “That’s the issue. Her presence will delay the completion of our mission.”
“I can protect myself.” Lines appeared between the eyebrows of Dissent’s female.
“We have numerous planet rotations to complete this mission.” Truth sought excitement. It didn’t surprise North that the restless D Model preferred to spend a longer duration exploring a new planet over roaming around a familiar-to-him warship. “Three or four extra planet rotations won’t make a difference to us.”
“Every additional planet rotation spent on the surface of a hostile planet increases the probability of death.” That calculation was absolute.
“The planet isn’t hostile.” Dissent’s female’s voice was edged with frustration.
It was a frustration North shared. “100.0000 percent of the planet’s population is situated here.” He circled that area a second time. “Based on my observation, humans and humanoids spread over any hospitable terrain.” They greedily grabbed planets and other land. That was one of the reasons the Humanoid Alliance had manufactured cyborgs—to clear areas of the local occupants. “The humanoids aren’t doing that on Balazoid Minor.”
Dissent, Truth, Doc, Chuckles and the females gawked at main viewscreen.
Captain dipped his head. “I projected you would process that, Second.”
The approval in his superior’s voice warmed North’s chest.
“Something is stopping them from spreading over the land mass.” Dissent’s female expressed the conclusion North had already reached. “That something is a threat to the humanoids.” She glanced up at her warrior. “And it could be a threat to me.”
Dissent tightened his grip on his female.
North quashed his envy. Females were a distraction, and as Captain’s second-in-command, as the leader of other warriors, he couldn’t afford to be distracted.
Splitting his focus could result in the loss of beings he had a duty to protect. “The unknown something could be a threat to cyborgs also.”
“I love this planet.” Truth grinned.
North wasn’t as enthusiastic about Balazoid Minor. Truth’s and Dissent’s lifespans would be placed in peril. Every decision he made or didn’t make could impact their survival.
He took that responsibility very, very seriously.
“I’ll remain on the ship.” Dissent’s female, thankfully, eliminated one of those decisions for him. “You should be focusing on potential dangers, not on protecting me.”
Dissent studied her for a long moment, his expression grave. “Then I’ll stay on the Reckless also.”
Fraggin’ hole. The J Model’s illogical decision was another reason why North couldn’t have a female. Females caused warriors to malfunction, to base actions on their emotional systems, not on their processors.
Every cyborg had tasks to perform, a role to hold. Refusing to complete those tasks was akin, in North’s processors, to rebellion.
It put all of their kind at risk.
He concealed his disappointment with Dissent under a blank mask and considered alternatives.
Participation in the exploration missions had been a benefit extended only to the senior warriors, the cyborgs stationed on the bridge, members of Captain’s most trusted inner circle. They had earned that reward based on their loyalty and their dedication to their roles.
But, for this mission, one of the less-experienced, less-skilled, warriors could take Dissent’s place. Many of the cyborgs would battle for that opportunity.
That solution wasn’t optimal, but it was a possibility.
***
Read the next scene (available April 13th) here:
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
North Bound
A mission-focused cyborg battles a captivating and dramatic distraction.
***
North, the second-in-command of a cyborg crew, has two priorities—he has to explore and collect data on Balazoid Minor, a small planet in their sector, and he must bring his three-being team back to the ship alive and fully functional.
When he encounters his brash, bravado-wielding female, the one being genetically designed for him, he recognizes her for what she is—a distraction that might get him and his brethren killed. He WILL claim her, but only on his terms, when his mission is complete and everyone he is responsible for protecting is safe.
Myrina the Magnificent is the best warrior on her planet and possibly the universe. She has captured an unparalleled fourteen males for her all-female tribe. Once she has secured the fifteenth male, she will be a legend. Her name will live forever. She’ll earn the undying adoration of her sisters. Glory will be hers.
The male in her sights—and in her snare—is a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg with a skill for war and lips designed for kissing. One emotionally charged battle is all it takes for Myrina to realize she wants North for herself. She won’t share his caresses with anyone.
Their forbidden love might be destined to be, but it won’t be easy to maintain. Myrina will have to fight her sisters, an all-powerful male-eating plant, and her cyborg’s unbending will to make North hers and hers alone.
***
North Bound is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the fifth of six core stories in the Cyborg Space Exploration Series.
Book 1: Choosing Chuckles
Book 2: Doc’s Orders
Book 3: Dominance And Dissent
Book 4: Passion Surge
Book 5: North Bound
Book 6: Testing Truth
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/north-bound/id1500291657
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/north-bound-cynthia-sax/1136528667
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/north-bound
Smashwords:
March 29, 2020
North Bound – Second Scene Of The First Chapter
North Bound, the fifth standalone story in the Cyborg Space Exploration series, is releasing on April 21st.
Last week, I shared the first scene from the first chapter.
You can read that scene here:
This week I’m sharing the second scene of that first chapter.
***
There wasn’t much of a choice. Doc preferred to stay on the ship, performing unauthorized tests on the crew. Chuckles had a damaged knee. That would slow the completion of the mission. “I choose Dissent.”
That male nodded. His expression was blank.
Dissent’s female was less reserved in her response. She grinned and linked her fingers with her warrior’s, appearing happy on Dissent’s behalf.
North’s gaze moved to the third member of the team. “And I choose Truth.”
“Yes.” The D Model grinned and pumped the air. “My kill rate will increase.”
“There will be no killing…unless those beings attempt to kill you.” Captain frowned at the frivolous warrior.
All of them had been designed for two things –to breed and to end lifespans. Many cyborgs would never find their females, would never experience breeding. But they all relished killing. North was no exception to that reality. His kill rate was extremely high.
Killing beings wasn’t their current mission. They were to catalog the planet for Power and the cyborg council.
North had his projections about why that action was required. The cyborg Homeland was crowded. There was a 74.0973 probability the council would choose one of the planets to claim as their own.
Evaluating prospective sites was an important task. His chin lifted. He wouldn’t fail his brethren.
Dissent’s female nudged her warrior with one of her elbows.
“My female wishes to join the team, Captain.” Dissent forwarded that absurd request. “She can be outfitted with sensors on her fingertips.” He looked at Doc.
The medic nodded. “The sensors are functional with humans.”
North’s lips flattened. A human female on his team would also slow the completion of the mission. In the past, cyborgs would have died due to that delay, and he couldn’t process with 100.0000 accuracy the dangers they would now face.
“Three warriors are sufficient.” Minimizing the size of the team held less risk.
All of the females, with the exception of Captain’s, glared at him.
His jaw jutted. It wasn’t the first time he had dealt with the disapproval of others, as the right decisions weren’t always the most popular decisions. Their responses wouldn’t sway him.
“Four beings would complete the mission faster.” Dissent’s female gazed at Captain, not at him.
Four cyborgs would complete the mission faster. The addition of a human female to the team would delay them. Dissent would move at his human female’s slower pace. All of them would allocate part of their processors to protecting her.
That was unacceptable.
“Dissent, can you confirm that statement?” North transferred that task to the J Model.
Truth, that foolish warrior, laughed.
Dissent levelled a hard glance at North.
Cyborgs couldn’t lie. That was a specification of their programming. The male couldn’t confirm the statement.
“There is a 68.9846 probability there are female humanoids on the planet.” The J Model’s calculation was correct. Most humanoids…and cyborgs…required females to reproduce naturally. “Female humanoids might feel more comfortable if we have a female on our team.”
The females on the bridge, with the exception of Captain’s female, nodded, approving of that non-answer. Dissent’s female patted her warrior’s arm.
They then turned their heads and gazed at North.
All of them were aligned against him. Captain didn’t voice his opinion, remaining neutral. Captain’s female was also silent.
North was alone. There was no one supporting his stance.
But he processed it was the right decision and he wouldn’t deviate from it. “The comfort of the local population isn’t a parameter of this mission.” That output wasn’t important to him. “Our primary objective is to explore the planet, document it, employ force only when force is utilized against us.”
“That’s no fun.” Truth expressed his unhappiness about that last restriction.
“I can help you achieve your primary objective.” Dissent’s female wasn’t deviating from her position.
“My secondary objective is to ensure all our team members return to the Reckless alive.” That was North’s responsibility as the leader of the team.
“That should be your primary objective.” Captain frowned at him.
If it was his primary objective, the team wouldn’t leave the safety of the ship.
North said nothing.
“Dissent is part of your team.” Dissent’s female, in contrast, didn’t remain silent. “I would never put him or any other cyborg in danger.”
Merely by fighting his orders, she could put them in danger. A moment’s delay in battle caused deaths. “You would be part of that team.”
Being a human, she was slower and weaker and more fragile than a cyborg. She would have been the first being the Humanoid Alliance decommissioned if his team hadn’t achieved their objective.
A failure could cost them a precious female.
North inwardly shuddered. He wouldn’t be responsible for such a huge loss to his kind.
***
Read the next scene (available April 6th) here:
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
North Bound
A mission-focused cyborg battles a captivating and dramatic distraction.
***
North, the second-in-command of a cyborg crew, has two priorities—he has to explore and collect data on Balazoid Minor, a small planet in their sector, and he must bring his three-being team back to the ship alive and fully functional.
When he encounters his brash, bravado-wielding female, the one being genetically designed for him, he recognizes her for what she is—a distraction that might get him and his brethren killed. He WILL claim her, but only on his terms, when his mission is complete and everyone he is responsible for protecting is safe.
Myrina the Magnificent is the best warrior on her planet and possibly the universe. She has captured an unparalleled fourteen males for her all-female tribe. Once she has secured the fifteenth male, she will be a legend. Her name will live forever. She’ll earn the undying adoration of her sisters. Glory will be hers.
The male in her sights—and in her snare—is a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg with a skill for war and lips designed for kissing. One emotionally charged battle is all it takes for Myrina to realize she wants North for herself. She won’t share his caresses with anyone.
Their forbidden love might be destined to be, but it won’t be easy to maintain. Myrina will have to fight her sisters, an all-powerful male-eating plant, and her cyborg’s unbending will to make North hers and hers alone.
***
North Bound is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the fifth of six core stories in the Cyborg Space Exploration Series.
Book 1: Choosing Chuckles
Book 2: Doc’s Orders
Book 3: Dominance And Dissent
Book 4: Passion Surge
Book 5: North Bound
Book 6: Testing Truth
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/north-bound/id1500291657
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/north-bound-cynthia-sax/1136528667
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/north-bound
Smashwords:
March 22, 2020
North Bound – First Scene Of The First Chapter
North Bound, the fifth standalone story in the Cyborg Space Exploration series, is releasing on April 21st.
As we wait for North Bound to release, I thought I’d share the first chapter. This week I’m sharing the first scene of that first chapter.
***
Chapter One
North was 100.0000 percent focused on his role.
He proudly stood to the left of Captain on the bridge of the Reckless, having earned that honored place on the cyborg warship. His simulated spine was rigidly straight. There wasn’t a speck of dust on his black body armor. His boots were polished until they shone.
His conduct was as exemplary as his appearance. As the warship’s second-in-command, he was acutely aware he set an example for the other warriors. He was known for his loyalty, his dedication to duty, his discretion.
His reputation had come at a cost.
That was emphasized by the exploits and the silence on the bridge. With no verbal prompting, Truth, a never-serious fellow D Model, suddenly grinned at Dissent.
The J Model met his gaze. His eyes glimmered with humor. Dissent’s human female rested her cheek on her warrior’s shoulder. The lights reflected off the sunstones hanging around her neck, that glow cast on her face.
Chuckles, the ship’s communications officer, shook his head and grunted. His human female sat on his lap fabricating a neck decoration for a miljoonasuut, a creature Dissent had taken under his protection. It would be presented to Nibbler the next time they visited Khambalia 5.
Doc, the ship’s medic, looked at Truth and then returned to perusing something on his embedded viewscreen. His humanoid female, a medic-in-training, was as engrossed as he was with that unidentified image.
Those cyborgs must be engaged in a conversation via a private transmission line he hadn’t been extended an invitation to follow. North pushed away the emotional damage that inflicted on him.
The pain wasn’t justified. They weren’t excluding him due to his character. They were excluding the being holding the role of second-in-command. That being was an extension of Captain, who wouldn’t have been included in their chatter either.
His gaze flicked to the warrior. He had served Captain since escaping the Humanoid Alliance, their harsh manufacturers. The male’s human female pointed to something on the private viewscreen. Captain nodded.
Communications with his superior had decreased by 23.5969 percent since Captain had found his female, the one being genetically fabricated for him. North told himself that was for the best. His processors were better allocated to other issues.
Like the small planet appearing on their main viewscreen.
“Truth, slow our speed as we orbit Balazoid Minor.” Captain assigned that task to the D Model. “North, perform lifeform scans and other readings.”
He didn’t have to specify which readings to complete. Balazoid Minor wasn’t the first planet they’d explored. Power, the self-appointed head of the cyborg council, had given them the mission to document the details of every planet in the cyborg-controlled sector.
North performed the scans and readings. “Oxygen levels are within acceptable range. Early scans indicate the surface is stable. There is one large land mass. The rest of the planet is covered in water.”
“I’m relaying all the information I could find on Balazoid Minor.” Dissent sent those files to all of them. “There isn’t much. It was a Balazoid outpost. Those humanoids were known for being secretive. When the main planet blew up, their databases ceased to exist also.”
“The population of the planet is low, and it is stable.” North had performed two lifeform scans to verify that fact. “Two thousand, two hundred and thirty-five humanoids were detected, and they are all cloistered around these coordinates.”
He circled the area on the main viewscreen. A three-warrior team could log their details in a single planet rotation. The tension in his shoulders eased. They could complete their assigned task quickly.
The Humanoid Alliance would reprimand cyborgs if they failed to complete their missions within the duration allotted to them. 77.8907 percent of the time, that reprimand was the decommissioning of one or more members of the unsuccessful team.
The sound of those warriors’ screams often replayed in North’s processors. Decommissioning was the most painful death projected. The males were sliced apart while they were alive, their functioning mechanics salvaged for parts.
“The genetic data for those two thousand, two hundred and thirty-five humanoids has to be gathered.” Captain relayed information they already processed. “And information on the planet has to be collected.”
“I volunteer to lead the mission, Captain.” North, as second-in-command, considered that to be his duty.
Captain’s head dipped. “A team of three should be sufficient. Choose your two warriors.”
***
Read the next scene (available March 30th) here:
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
North Bound
A mission-focused cyborg battles a captivating and dramatic distraction.
***
North, the second-in-command of a cyborg crew, has two priorities—he has to explore and collect data on Balazoid Minor, a small planet in their sector, and he must bring his three-being team back to the ship alive and fully functional.
When he encounters his brash, bravado-wielding female, the one being genetically designed for him, he recognizes her for what she is—a distraction that might get him and his brethren killed. He WILL claim her, but only on his terms, when his mission is complete and everyone he is responsible for protecting is safe.
Myrina the Magnificent is the best warrior on her planet and possibly the universe. She has captured an unparalleled fourteen males for her all-female tribe. Once she has secured the fifteenth male, she will be a legend. Her name will live forever. She’ll earn the undying adoration of her sisters. Glory will be hers.
The male in her sights—and in her snare—is a huge, gray-skinned, blue-eyed cyborg with a skill for war and lips designed for kissing. One emotionally charged battle is all it takes for Myrina to realize she wants North for herself. She won’t share his caresses with anyone.
Their forbidden love might be destined to be, but it won’t be easy to maintain. Myrina will have to fight her sisters, an all-powerful male-eating plant, and her cyborg’s unbending will to make North hers and hers alone.
***
North Bound is a STANDALONE Cyborg SciFi Romance set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
It is the fifth of six core stories in the Cyborg Space Exploration Series.
Book 1: Choosing Chuckles
Book 2: Doc’s Orders
Book 3: Dominance And Dissent
Book 4: Passion Surge
Book 5: North Bound
Book 6: Testing Truth
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Amazon Australia:
https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0853DFY1B
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/north-bound/id1500291657
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/north-bound-cynthia-sax/1136528667
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/north-bound
Smashwords:
February 19, 2020
Warlord Reunited Mentioned On Veronica Scott’s SciFi Romance New Release Post
Woot!
Veronica Scott has featured Warlord Reunited on her awesome weekly SciFi Romance New Release post (a must read for SFR lovers)
See the full post here: https://veronicascott.wordpress.com/2020/02/19/new-releases-in-scifi-fantasy-and-paranormal-romance-for-wednesday-feb-19/
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Warlord Reunited
This barbarian warrior’s cold demeanor hides the warmest of hearts.
* * *
Solar cycles ago, Berke, a savage Chamele Warlord, found his gerel, the one being he is destined to be with for all time…except he couldn’t embrace that fate. He was fighting a series of brutal wars.
To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.
His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.
When Elle was a young bounty hunter, she bonded with an arrogant warrior on a distant planet. She was deliriously happy…for a while. Then he dumped her in a strange settlement far from his home and left, never to return.
Their parting caused her excruciating pain—both physical and emotional. She endured it, earned the esteemed role of head bounty hunter of an academy, salvaged a bit of a life from the disaster her primitive warrior had made of it.
Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.
While she is in the sector, she plans to kill the warrior she’d once considered hers. Elle is ending her relationship with Berke…permanently.
* * *
Warlord Reunited is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a warrior hero and a take-charge heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlord-reunited/id1491702046
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlord-reunited-cynthia-sax/1116110455
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-reunited-1
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/995680
February 18, 2020
Talking Warlord Reunited and Fated-To-Mate Reunion Romances With Delilah Devlin
I’m talking about Fated-To-Mate Reunion Romances today on Delilah Devlin’s online home.
Here’s a snippet…
“I also love reunion romances. The couple (or more) connects and then, for some usually heartbreaking reason, they part. Years later, they reunite and fall in love all over again. They’re older, wiser, more appreciative of what they have and they don’t make the same mistakes this time. They make different ones. (grins)
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I have never had to part for a long time, thankfully, but merely the prospect of that happening to us makes me emotional. I feel for the heroines and heroes in that type of situation.”
Read the full post here:
https://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/2020/02/18/cynthia-sax-fated-to-mate-reunion-romances-and-warlord-reunited/
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Warlord Reunited
This barbarian warrior’s cold demeanor hides the warmest of hearts.
* * *
Solar cycles ago, Berke, a savage Chamele Warlord, found his gerel, the one being he is destined to be with for all time…except he couldn’t embrace that fate. He was fighting a series of brutal wars.
To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.
His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.
When Elle was a young bounty hunter, she bonded with an arrogant warrior on a distant planet. She was deliriously happy…for a while. Then he dumped her in a strange settlement far from his home and left, never to return.
Their parting caused her excruciating pain—both physical and emotional. She endured it, earned the esteemed role of head bounty hunter of an academy, salvaged a bit of a life from the disaster her primitive warrior had made of it.
Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.
While she is in the sector, she plans to kill the warrior she’d once considered hers. Elle is ending her relationship with Berke…permanently.
* * *
Warlord Reunited is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a warrior hero and a take-charge heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlord-reunited/id1491702046
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlord-reunited-cynthia-sax/1116110455
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-reunited-1
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/995680
February 17, 2020
Warlord Reunited Releases!
Woot! Warlord Reunited, the next story in the Chamele Barbarian Warlords series, has released!
I joke that this is a lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers reunion romance.
I had a blast writing it and I hope you enjoy reading it.
Warlord Reunited
This barbarian warrior’s cold demeanor hides the warmest of hearts.
* * *
Solar cycles ago, Berke, a savage Chamele Warlord, found his gerel, the one being he is destined to be with for all time…except he couldn’t embrace that fate. He was fighting a series of brutal wars.
To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.
His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.
When Elle was a young bounty hunter, she bonded with an arrogant warrior on a distant planet. She was deliriously happy…for a while. Then he dumped her in a strange settlement far from his home and left, never to return.
Their parting caused her excruciating pain—both physical and emotional. She endured it, earned the esteemed role of head bounty hunter of an academy, salvaged a bit of a life from the disaster her primitive warrior had made of it.
Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.
While she is in the sector, she plans to kill the warrior she’d once considered hers. Elle is ending her relationship with Berke…permanently.
* * *
Warlord Reunited is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a warrior hero and a take-charge heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
Buy Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlord-reunited/id1491702046
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlord-reunited-cynthia-sax/1116110455
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-reunited-1
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/995680
February 9, 2020
Warlord Reunited – The Fourth Scene Of The First Chapter
Warlord Reunited, the fourth standalone story in the Chamele Barbarian Warlords series, is releasing on February 18th.
Last week, I shared the first scene from the first chapter.
You can read that scene here:
http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=7056
This week I’m sharing the fourth scene of that first chapter.
***
“You’re safe where
you are now.” He yelled that into the wind, needing to hear those words. “Don’t
leave your academy. Don’t come here, gerel.” He clenched his jaw so hard it
cracked. “That’s an order from your warrior, your Warlord—your barbarian, as
you call me.”
The prospect that
she might make the journey filled him with both a savage anticipation and an
equally fierce trepidation.
He missed his
gerel. Those too-few planet rotations shared with her had been the happiest of
his lifespan.
But he couldn’t,
wouldn’t, place her in danger. She was his light. Without her, he would be in
eternal darkness…as he had been over the past solar cycles.
“If you die—” His
voice broke.
He prided himself
on his resolve, on his strength, yet he knew he wouldn’t survive her death. It
would claw out his heart, his soul.
“If I fail you, if
I am unable to find Tolui, and he gets to you first—” His Ellie was his
greatest weakness. His enemy, being a fellow Chamele, would know that.
Tolui would hurt Berke’s
little human, torture her, kill her.
Berke fell to his
knees, sinking into the snow up to his ass. The cold hitched his breath. The
stress remained. It had flattened him, yet he still couldn’t expel it. The
pressure was building inside him, locked behind a thick layer of ice.
He parted his
furs, flipped up the strips of leather serving as his ass coverings, exposing
his bare skin to the elements. Rows of straight white scars curved around his
upper thighs, a tally of the planet rotations he’d spent apart from his gerel.
Reaching behind
him, he extracted his sword. The blade gleamed. He drew it across an unmarked
expanse of skin. The wound was thin, shallow yet effective. Blood streamed over
his thigh, dripped on the snow. The crimson was vivid against the white.
The pain was sharp
enough to shatter his walls. The tension coursed out of him. Berke tilted his
head back and howled, releasing his fears, his agony, his wanting for the
female he couldn’t yet have. He freed all of the fervent emotions he normally
kept locked inside him.
If his warriors
could see him now, they would be appalled, might question his leadership, his
control. But they couldn’t see him, would never view this side of him. To them,
he was the cold Warlord of their equally cold planet and he would remain that
way.
His loneliness,
his solitude, the pain of his sacrifice, was his to bear alone, to purge in
moments like this. His bellows were sucked into the wind. His face, twisted by
his distress, was concealed by the blowing snow.
Here, in this
place, with merely the ghost of his Ellie for company, he shamelessly shared
what he normally kept hidden deep in his heart, roaring his outrage at the
unfairness of it all until he had nothing left, his voice hoarse, his throat
sore.
He slumped,
drained of everything, hollow and empty and cold, oh-so cold. The tension was
temporarily gone. His pain had dulled. The situation was…manageable.
His gaze lowered
to his thighs. Gauze of ice had formed over his self-inflicted wound. The blood
had stopped flowing. He should trek back to his underground chambers, apply a
healing balm, prevent the slash from scarring.
Yet he wouldn’t.
The mark would be a reminder of his weakness, a covert badge of shame only he
was aware existed.
Berke’s thoughts
returned, as they always did, to the female he had hidden from the beings in
his universe, his most precious secret.
“Give me time,
Ellie.” His tone was edged with a pleading no one else had ever heard him utter.
He was admittedly a proud male, but with his gerel, all arrogance was
discarded. “I need more time. There’s only one enemy remaining. I have to
defeat him before I can retrieve you. Then we can start our life
together. For once in your rebellious lifespan, delay your actions.”
Yet he knew her.
He knew her impetuous, too-brave-for-his-sanity personality as he knew the
curve of her cheeks and the gold flecks in her eyes. She would come for her
bounty hunters, would consider that to be her responsibility.
His Ellie was a
leader, as he was. She had surprised him by breaking her vow, that was true.
But she wouldn’t leave one of her females stranded on a faraway planet, let
alone two of them.
Berke covered his
bare skin once more and rose to his booted feet, squaring his shoulders. He had
to prepare for her arrival, had to find and subdue Tolui, the last threat to
his gerel, the last barrier between them.
That was the best,
the only way to protect her.
With Tolui’s surrender
or death, the Succession Wars would end. Finally. Berke and his brothers would
be the undisputed rulers. The Chamele sector would be at peace. He’d retrieve
his Ellie.
His little bounty
hunter would be in his arms again. His fingers twitched as he sheathed his
sword. The tension in his form, the ache in his heart, would be replaced with
contentment and happiness.
He would be warm
again. His Ellie would banish the cold like she had before.
Berke took one
last look at the cloud-covered sky, gazing toward his gerel’s location, and he
turned in the direction from which he’d come, determined to make his
projections a reality.
Or die trying.
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Warlord Reunited
This barbarian warrior’s cold demeanor hides the warmest of hearts.
* * *
Solar cycles ago, Berke, a savage Chamele Warlord, found his gerel, the one being he is destined to be with for all time…except he couldn’t embrace that fate. He was fighting a series of brutal wars.
To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.
His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.
When Elle was a young bounty hunter, she bonded with an arrogant warrior on a distant planet. She was deliriously happy…for a while. Then he dumped her in a strange settlement far from his home and left, never to return.
Their parting caused her excruciating pain—both physical and emotional. She endured it, earned the esteemed role of head bounty hunter of an academy, salvaged a bit of a life from the disaster her primitive warrior had made of it.
Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.
While she is in the sector, she plans to kill the warrior she’d once considered hers. Elle is ending her relationship with Berke…permanently.
* * *
Warlord Reunited is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a warrior hero and a take-charge heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlord-reunited/id1491702046
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlord-reunited-cynthia-sax/1116110455
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-reunited-1
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/995680
February 2, 2020
Warlord Reunited – The Third Scene Of The First Chapter
Warlord Reunited, the fourth standalone story in the Chamele Barbarian Warlords series, is releasing on February 18th.
Last week, I shared the first scene from the first chapter.
You can read that scene here:
http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=7056
This week I’m sharing the third scene of that first chapter.
***
Berke forced
himself to concentrate on the upcoming search. “Are we ready for sunrise?” He
had relayed his plan to Jochi earlier in the planet rotation.
“Yes, my lord.”
The male’s head dipped. “We merely await your order.”
“Good.” Berke
expected nothing less than total obedience from his warriors, had a low
tolerance for incompetence.
His parents’
deaths had taught him that mistakes killed loved ones. The bloody Succession
Wars that followed that tragic event had reinforced that lesson.
“Assign three more
warriors to the control chamber.” Finding Tolui wasn’t his only priority. “They
are to monitor the border. If any ship approaches Chamele space, I am to
be informed. Immediately.”
His brothers had
claimed two of Ellie’s bounty hunters as their gerels. He knew his female, knew
how her mind worked. She would respond to that.
He had to prepare
for her arrival.
“Three more
warriors will be assigned to the control chamber, my lord.” Unspoken questions
glimmered in his Second’s eyes. The male knew better than to ask them. “You
will be notified immediately if a ship approaches our borders.”
“Ensure that
happens.” Berke arrived at the exterior doors. Two warriors guarded it. He
stopped, waiting for Jochi to leave his side.
The male remained
beside him.
“You have a task
to complete.” He reminded his Second of his request.
“No task is more
important than safeguarding you, my lord.” Jochi could be as stubborn as his Warlord.
His Second’s
loyalty was admirable. And the concerns over his safety were warranted. Tolui
remained on the loose. The would-be Warlord could target Berke.
But Berke needed
to be alone. “I can protect myself.” He’d take that risk.
Jochi’s jaw
jutted. The warrior was going to be a pain in the ass about it.
Berke couldn’t
berate him for it. If…when his Ellie returned to Chamele 1, he would want his
Second to be as protective of her. And she, knowing his defiant gerel, would be
as adamant about safeguarding herself.
“If I don’t return
in one-tenth of a shift, follow my trail.” He made that concession.
Jochi blew out his
breath. His shoulders lowered. “I will do that, my lord.”
The warriors
standing in front of the exit moved.
Berke pulled his
furs upward, partially covering his face, placed his right palm on that control
panel, and pushed through the doors.
Cold blasted him.
Snow pellets bombarded his garment, tiny projectiles seeking bare skin. He hunched
his shoulders, bowed his head, and trudged through the knee-deep banks of
white.
Chamele 1 was
permanently covered with ice and snow. Many beings, including his two brothers,
questioned why he, as the eldest, would choose that planet to rule.
Destiny had made
the decision for him.
Chamele 1 was
where he had first met his Ellie. Her single-being ship had crashed near the
settlement. He had been defending his right to rule, had been waging war
against a cruel and ruthless uncle. There had been a break in fighting. He’d
ventured to the crash site to investigate, had smelled the most delectable
fragrance on the crisp cool wind, and his fate had been set.
And now it was the
closest planet in the sector to his gerel.
Berke trekked up
the mountain, moving as quickly as he was able. His muscles strained. Wind
whipped his hair. Crystals of ice formed on his eyelashes.
The effort shaved
off some of his tension. The air grew thinner. The terrain below him was
concealed by the falling snow. The howling of the never-ending storm would mute
the loudest of screams.
Berke reached the
peak, tilted his head back, and gazed up at the sky. “Ellie, my Ellie.”
It was here that
he felt closest to her, here that he spoke to her, not hiding his loneliness,
his caring, his need.
The stars above
him were covered by thick clouds, yet he was aware they were there, knew
exactly where Dorian 2’s distant sun was situated.
He had left his
Ellie on that planet. Where she would be safe.
That had been the
toughest decision he’d made in a lifespan filled with tough decisions. Walking
away from her had almost broken him.
But he had done
it…for her, because a universe without his gerel in it wasn’t a place he ever
wanted to be. He had to protect her…from his enemies, from his inability to
think rationally when he was around her.
Not that she had
appreciated that.
Planet rotations
after he’d left, she’d left also, breaking her vow to stay on Dorian 2. She had
returned to the bounty hunter academy she now led.
That had been
devastating, a betrayal of his trust and a blow to his heart. The new planet,
her current location, was farther from Chamele 1. It hosted more-violent
beings, was the site of more gruesome deaths than the planet he’d chosen.
Berke lifted his
right hand, reaching for his gerel, aware she was too far away to grasp yet
needing to try…because he needed her. He craved her touch, her voice, her
scent.
But he had to keep
her safe. When he’d heard of her departure from Dorian 2, his resolve cracked.
A wild impulse to pull her back to him, to re-capture her, had seized him.
Only the
realization that he might lead his enemies to her had stopped him from chasing
after her. Berke dropped his hand. He couldn’t risk his adversaries following
him.
And while the
academy was situated on a more violent planet, it was surrounded by high walls
and hosted skilled bounty hunters. Sources of his stealthily checked on his
gerel from time to time, relayed her circumstances to him.
He never revealed
to those sources why he was interested in the leader of the bounty hunter
academy. The warriors were loyal, obeyed him without asking any questions.
No one residing in
the structure was in any danger. His Ellie would never place the girls she
trained in peril.
***
Read the next scene (available February 10th) here:
http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=7064
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Warlord Reunited
This barbarian warrior’s cold demeanor hides the warmest of hearts.
* * *
Solar cycles ago, Berke, a savage Chamele Warlord, found his gerel, the one being he is destined to be with for all time…except he couldn’t embrace that fate. He was fighting a series of brutal wars.
To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.
His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.
When Elle was a young bounty hunter, she bonded with an arrogant warrior on a distant planet. She was deliriously happy…for a while. Then he dumped her in a strange settlement far from his home and left, never to return.
Their parting caused her excruciating pain—both physical and emotional. She endured it, earned the esteemed role of head bounty hunter of an academy, salvaged a bit of a life from the disaster her primitive warrior had made of it.
Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.
While she is in the sector, she plans to kill the warrior she’d once considered hers. Elle is ending her relationship with Berke…permanently.
* * *
Warlord Reunited is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a warrior hero and a take-charge heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlord-reunited/id1491702046
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlord-reunited-cynthia-sax/1116110455
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-reunited-1
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/995680
January 26, 2020
Warlord Reunited – The Second Scene Of The First Chapter
Warlord Reunited, the fourth standalone story in the Chamele Barbarian Warlords series, is releasing on February 18th.
Last week, I shared the first scene from the first chapter.
You can read that scene here:
http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=7056
This week I’m sharing the second scene of that first chapter.
***
Berke rolled back
his shoulders. A loud crack reverberated through the space. That action didn’t
ease the weight bearing down on him, didn’t dissipate the tension that was slowly
coiling tighter and tighter around him.
The jagged shards
of ice piercing his core no longer alleviated the pressure either. That excruciating
pain was always there, reminding him his gerel wasn’t by his side. He’d become
accustomed to the hurt.
More was needed. He
glanced around him. Some of his favorite weapons were displayed on the walls. A
tinge of regret tugged at him. His Ellie would rave over the new additions. She
shared his love for unique killing instruments.
He could picture
her slender fingers wrapped around the handles, the sparkle in her big brown
eyes as she tested them. Zondoo. He had to leave the chambers he’d once shared
with her before he lost his renowned composure.
Rejoining his
warriors didn’t appeal to him. He was too wound up, too close to breaking. They
were loyal and skilled, deserved the cool, rational leader they expected. He
couldn’t give them that right now.
Leaving the
underground was a better option. He donned his furs, layering the garments over
his form. Holsters and sheaths were strapped to his waist, his arms, his legs.
They were filled with guns and blades, an assortment of weapons.
He opened a wall
compartment, paused, gazing at its contents. Another stratum of stress settled
on his chest.
Two swords in
leather sheaths were stored there. One was wide and long and heavy. The other
was thinner and shorter and lighter, yet no less deadly…like his gerel.
Berke ran his
fingertips along the smaller weapon’s sheath. It was fashioned from the finest materials
he could find. An image of a solar eclipse was imprinted on it. Rays of a
solitary sun illuminated the curves of the moon, light emerging after a brief
duration of darkness.
He craved that
brilliance, that heat. The sheath had taken him almost a solar cycle to craft.
The twenty-three previous attempts hadn’t met his severe specs. The bindings
hadn’t been strong or straight enough. The images hadn’t the precision of the
final version.
His fingers drifted
over the hilt of the sword. The metal warmed to his touch, seemed as alive as his
Ellie, its intended recipient.
Horologium carbide
was coveted by warriors throughout the universe, was the best material to construct
blades. Berke had sourced enough of it for the fabrication of the two swords,
had that precious compound conveyed to the most skilled weapons designer alive,
an elderly Silian female who had dedicated her long lifespan solely to that
craft.
His lips lifted
slightly. The result was perfection. It was a flawless sword for a flawless
female. His Ellie would love it.
And she would be
the first being to wield it. He reluctantly lifted his hands from the smaller blade,
grasped the larger one.
That weapon was
his. It was identical in design, would have been a joy to handle if he could
still experience pleasure.
That emotion
required a functional heart. His was frozen, had been enclosed by ice from the
moment he and his gerel had parted.
The holder for his
sword was much older, had been worn by time, battered by past battles. He could,
and would, never replace it. The sheath had been constructed by his father, the
previous Warlord.
That male had been
a great leader, a loving parent, and Berke missed him.
His gaze shifted
to the smaller sword. His losses, both temporary and permanent, haunted him. The
tension inside him increased to unbearable levels.
He had to expel it.
In private. Where no one could see or hear him. As he stalked across the
chamber, he strapped his sword to his back.
His warriors were also
aware he had found his gerel. Most of them assumed he’d somehow survived her
death.
Berke preferred they
believed that. If everyone thought his gerel was dead, unscrupulous enemies wouldn’t
use her existence against him. They couldn’t hurt her, kill her.
The stress he was
under threatened to break him. He sealed his emotions under a chilly mask,
placed one of his palms on the control panel.
The doors opened,
revealing two Chamele guards. They stepped aside.
Berke strode
forward.
Jochi, his second,
waited in the hallway. His best warrior’s expression was as studiously blank as
his own was.
“My lord.” The
male fell into place beside him, matching his pace.
They marched up
the incline, heading toward one of the less-utilized entrances to the
underground settlement.
It was the
passageway his Ellie had preferred. She believed it to be her own and he had
allowed her to think that.
Zondoo. He had to focus, had to stop thinking about her. That was one of the reasons he’d sent her to safety. When she was around him, he couldn’t hold another thought in his head.
That was
dangerous…for her, for him, for the beings under his protection.
***
Read the next scene (available February 3rd) here:
http://tasteofcyn.com/?p=7062
***
Subscribe To My Monthly Newsletter: http://tasteofcyn.com/2014/05/28/newsletter/
Warlord Reunited
This barbarian warrior’s cold demeanor hides the warmest of hearts.
* * *
Solar cycles ago, Berke, a savage Chamele Warlord, found his gerel, the one being he is destined to be with for all time…except he couldn’t embrace that fate. He was fighting a series of brutal wars.
To protect his little human female, he conveyed her far from the Chamele sector. He then returned to the endless battles, concealing his pain, his anguish, his need, under a thick layer of ice.
His gerel was safe. That was all that mattered to him.
When Elle was a young bounty hunter, she bonded with an arrogant warrior on a distant planet. She was deliriously happy…for a while. Then he dumped her in a strange settlement far from his home and left, never to return.
Their parting caused her excruciating pain—both physical and emotional. She endured it, earned the esteemed role of head bounty hunter of an academy, salvaged a bit of a life from the disaster her primitive warrior had made of it.
Now, two of her bounty hunters have made the same terrible mistake. Elle is determined to rescue her friends and break their connections with their Chamele Warlords.
While she is in the sector, she plans to kill the warrior she’d once considered hers. Elle is ending her relationship with Berke…permanently.
* * *
Warlord Reunited is based on a much shorter story sharing the same title.
It is a STANDALONE Alien Barbarian SciFi Romance featuring a warrior hero and a take-charge heroine set in a dark, gritty, sometimes-violent universe.
Pre-order Now:
Amazon US:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Amazon UK:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B082RM76RF
Apple/iTunes:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/warlord-reunited/id1491702046
B&N:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/warlord-reunited-cynthia-sax/1116110455
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/warlord-reunited-1
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/995680
