D.C. Akers's Blog, page 6

J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan now rewriting screenplay — ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’:

 

Obi-Wan Kenobi said act on instinct — but others might see this as a disturbance in the Force …

Lucasfilm has announced that Star Wars: Episode VII director J.J. Abrams and Raiders of the Lost Ark writer Lawrence Kasdan have taken over screenwriting duties from Michael Arndt, an Oscar winner for Little Miss Sunshine and nominee for Toy Story 3, who had previously been working on the story.

The movie is slated for release in 2015 but no firm date has been set. In its announcement about the screenwriter shuffle today, Lucasfilm said the current plan is still to begin shooting in Spring 2014.

Abrams started out as a screenwriter with such films as Regarding Henry and Forever Young before becoming more genre and sci-fi focused with Alias, Lost, and movies such as Mission: Impossible 3, Super 8, and the Star Trek reboot.

Kasdan has a rich history in the Star Wars universe. While best known as a writer-director of dramas such as Body Heat, The Big Chill and The Accidental Tourist, Kasdan also co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. He had been consulting on the development of the new trilogy, which picks up with the Rebellion after the death of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine.

Kasdan was also working with screenwriter Simon Kinberg on the development of spin-off prequels being developed by Lucasfilms. Sources tell EW that one film will follow the adventures of young Han Solo, while the other focuses on Boba Fett and his rival bounty hunters.

More here: http://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/10/24/star-wars-episode-vii-j-j-abrams-and-lawrence-kasdan-now-rewriting-screenplay-breaking/

 

Haven Series (Books 1 & 2) – OFFICIAL COVER

Take a look at the official book cover for Haven: Two Book Set. This book will include  Haven: A Stranger Magic (book 1) and  Haven: Revenge of the Viper (book 2). More details coming soon!

In celebration and to say thank you for all your support we are giving away Book 1  A Stranger Magic for FREE!

Amazon’s Top 100 Best Selling Fantasy Fiction Novella is now available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo Books, IBooks/Itunes, and Smashwords.

If you already have a copy, get a new one! Each version (PRINT and DIGITAL) have been reformatted. You will love the new look. Also when you buy the PRINT copy of Haven: A Stranger Magic at Amazon.com you still get the DIGITAL copy in a bundle package for FREE.

Make sure to LIKE/SHARE with your friends!

Enjoy the journey!

DCA

Start the journey today! The first book in the Haven Series is FREE!  This cover was created by Roy A. Migabon, a professional freelance Graphic Artist and Illustrator.

Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries – Chapter 11

Gate of Monticule

It was a tall, sweeping gate, similar in shape to a teardrop and embedded in the face of the rock. Water rushed through the bottom and over the edge, cascading down into the beautiful twin waterfalls they had seen earlier.

The gate had been meticulously crafted in gold and inlaid with silver ivy tracery that ran like lace across its outer edges. It was everything she had imagined, but what made the gate so remarkable was it had no point of entry, unlike most gates, which had a latch, to one side or the other, or a swing gate that opened in the middle.

The Gate of Monticule instead had, near the top corners of the gate, two small openings, each shaped in the form of a small skull, which served as its locking mechanism.

In the distance, beyond the gate, a small golden podium stood in the center of the rushing stream. Hovering in the center of the podium was a crimson-colored orb–the Orb of Time.

Terra eyed the Orb through the golden gate as if in a trance. To see it with her own eyes after all this time was a dream come true. She had waited, planned, and fought so hard for this moment, and finally here it was. She would soon possess the power to control her destiny and change the past as well as her future. The world would no longer know her as just a thief. It would know her as the most powerful woman in the world!

Terra quickly pulled off the rucksack strapped to her back and removed the twin Skulls of Aries. Holding a skull in each hand, she walked over to the rushing stream and stepped into the water. The water was cold, and the current fast–so fast she almost lost her footing. Slowly she moved forward, inching herself closer to the gate.

“Careful, Vixen,” Coven said as he watched in anticipation.

Marcus, on the other hand, stood as if he were ready to advance. His eyes fixed on Terra as she moved closer to the gate. He knew the first person to touch the Orb of Time would become the keeper, and he had every intention of that person being him!

Now standing just inches away, Terra placed the first skull in the top right corner of the gate. The silver skull slid into place perfectly. There was a slight humming sound before the emerald eyes of the skull illuminated. Holding steady, Terra placed the remaining skull in the top left corner of the gate and stepped back as the emerald eyes came to life in a brilliant flash of light.

Terra watched as the gold gate began to glow a bright green. The top right skull burst into purple flames, followed by the second skull. Slowly the gate began to disappear, taking with it each of the flaming skulls. Terra took one step back, as did Coven, while Marcus took one step forward.

“Marcus, what are you doing?” Coven asked.

Marcus turned and smirked at Coven. “Sorry, old friend, but I need that orb!”

Marcus leaped into the water, sloshing his way past Terra and toward the entrance.

“Vixen!” Coven shouted, but it was too late. Marcus had already reached the entrance.

“Marcus… NO!” Terra shouted.

Marcus was not listening. He entered with his hands outstretched, reaching for the floating orb just as three razor sharp scimitar blades swung out from each side of the entrance. He never stood a chance. In an instant, the blades reduced Marcus to three separate pieces–head, torso, and legs.

The rushing white water turned scarlet as what remained of Marcus floated past Terra and over the edge to the pool below.

**I will post one Chapter each week, so this may take a while. If you just can’t wait, you can the complete book at Amazon for FREE.

You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page. For more information, see my website dc-akers.com . Your support is appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Haven Shorts – Chapter 10 – Episode 15 – A Stranger Magic

Chapter 10 – Episode 15

Travis turned toward the mirror. Sam was right; the mirror was floating above the water.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Travis said, his voice barely audible.

Sam stood, taking in every detail. This was the most extraordinary moment of his entire life. It was unbelievable, incredible, and frightening all at the same time. His mind was racing; I’m no longer crazy, he thought. This proved it. Travis was here; he was a witness now. Did this have something to do with the dark stranger outside his home, he wondered. Sam didn’t know whether to stay or flee, but he had to find out. He had to know if there was a connection between the two.

He stepped forward into the cold water, inching his way little by little toward the ornate mirror.

“Ummm Sam, where you going …?” Travis asked. His eyes widened as he watched Sam move past him as if he were in some kind of trance.

Sam didn’t utter a word as he anxiously inched his way forward through the emerald water.

The water was freezing. It felt like a thousand needles were stabbing his feet as it seeped into his shoes and socks. But that didn’t matter to Sam. He had to know what was going on.

Travis stood resolute near the edge of the pool, reluctant to follow his friend.

“Sam, what are you doing? Come back here!” he said through gritted teeth.

But Sam continued to move forward, wading through the water that was up to his knees now.

Disinclined, Travis put his foot in the water, then quickly snatched it back out.

“Crap, that’s cold!” he said, his voice ringing out.

A small squeal echoed above them from something they could not see. Travis whirled around, swinging the lantern in all directions. Sam, who was several feet ahead of him now, stopped, turned back, and glared at Travis. “What in the world are you doing?”

“Sorry,” Travis sighed, looking at Sam remorsefully. He placed his foot back into the water followed by the other and waded through the water quickly trying to catch up to Sam.

“This is not a good idea, Sam. I have very bad feeling about this!”

Sam turned back toward the mirror.

“I mean, I am not sure if you are seeing what I’m seeing, but that’s a mirror, and it’s floating in mid-air!” Travis said.

Sam didn’t respond; he kept walking toward the unbelievable sight.

“Mirrors don’t do that, ever! Not to mention we’re a few hundred feet down in a cavern. That’s not a good sign in any movie! Oh, and we are standing in freezing cold water up to our knees. Now, I don’t mean to dampen your spirit buddy, but we need to get out of here!”

Sam finally stopped. He stood quietly, analyzing the mirror, deep in thought.

“Sam, are you listening to me?” Travis asked, his voice quivering from the cold water.

“Hold the lantern still,” Sam finally said.

“Fine!” Travis replied hastily. “But if my grandmother wants to know how their only grandson died you can tell them—Noo, wait, you can’t tell them anything! Want to know why Sam? BECAUSE YOU WILL BE DEAD WITH ME!”

As Travis approached, Sam turned and grabbed the lantern and held it closer to the mirror.

The mirror was gigantic, at least eight feet tall and trimmed in gold. It hovered about a foot above the water, as if it were hanging by invisible strings. The top was pointed and cambered down on each side to the base, much like a teardrop. The gold trim was heavily etched with the same twelve symbols on either side. An elaborate pattern of scrollwork and vines had been scored in silver between the ciphers.

“I’ve seen these symbols before,” Sam said, and lifted the candle lantern high into the air.

“What? Where?” Travis asked, scrutinizing the bizarre mirror.

“Here along the edges.” Sam pointed to one of the symbols that looked like the letters M and P written together in cursive. “I’ve seen this one for sure.”

“Hey, that’s the sign of Cancer,” Travis exclaimed, pointing to a symbol that looked like the numbers six and nine turned sideways.

“That’s it!” Sam said, his eyes wide with enthusiasm. “They’re Zodiac signs!”

“But what about this?” Travis asked, pointing to a different set of symbols. These symbols were a bit larger than the Zodiac signs. There were four in all, set in a silver inlay near the outer edge of the mirror, just beyond the gold and silver trim of the Zodiac signs. The positioning of these larger symbols reminded Sam of the four cardinal points on a map, one at the top, one at the bottom, and one to each side.

They stared at the strange design. Travis was still shivering, but Sam stood entranced. He was cold too, but it was like white noise to him now, just something in the background. His mind was focused on the bizarre floating mirror.

The first symbol looked like a pyramid with the top of a question mark inside it. The second resembled waves or water. The third looked like three separate coils in the shape of the number nine, and last was most definitely fire.

“Wait, water, fire … ELEMENTS!”

“Yes!” Travis bellowed, “The pyramid is Earth and the other must be Air!”

Suddenly, without warning, a mechanical grinding noise reverberated from the mirror, as if large gears were turning somewhere inside of it. Each Zodiac sign began to glow a brilliant gold. The grinding sound picked up speed. The two boys stepped back in alarm. Travis gasped and Sam’s mouth fell open.

“Sam! What … what’s happening?” Travis asked, but his voice was drowned out by the grinding sound that echoed through the chamber.

The Fire sign at the top of the tear was the first element to illuminate. The scarlet glow was blinding. Each symbol radiated its own individual color; Earth with a brilliant jade, Air, a stunning amethyst; and Water, a spectacular sapphire.

Both Sam and Travis covered their eyes. Sam almost dropped the lantern.

“Sam, what’s happening?” Travis repeated.

Sam removed his hands from his eyes just in time to see his reflection disappear from the surface of the mirror. Next to go were the glimmering cavern walls, followed by the emerald water. It was all vanishing, like a portrait being torn away piece by piece.

“Travis, our reflections—they’re gone!” Sam shouted, trying to speak loud enough so Travis could hear him over the grinding noise.

The mirror was blank for a moment, but then quickly revealed an unfamiliar image. Moonlight appeared, then tall trees, and all the makings of a forest from somewhere else beyond the cavern. The sound resonating from the mirror was getting louder, like that of a car engine being revved to top speed.

Squeals and shrieks rang out from above, as thousands of bats flew from the ceiling, flooding the cavern with a swarm of black fluttering wings.

Sam and Travis looked up in shock, stumbled backward, and fell into the icy water. Two of the small votives in the candle lantern went out from the sudden movement as they struggled to reach their feet. A barrage of colors bursting from the mirror streaked across the cavern in every direction. Shards of light reflected off the water in rapid flashing succession. It was like they were trapped in the center of a rainbow. Every corner of the cavern was illuminated now.

“Sam, the mirror!” Travis cried.

The glass on the mirror was quivering and rippling like water. Suddenly, hundreds of small black and green spiders fell from the mirror, splashing into the shallow water.

With their bodies soaked and freezing, the two boys scrambled backward, their feet sliding on the smooth rock beneath them. Sam and Travis watched in horror as the splashing wave of spiders moved toward them.

“Run, Travis. RUN!”

Good news! We are ramping up for  BOOK 2 in the Haven Series: Revenge of the Viper. So in celebration and to say thank you for all your support we are giving away Book 1  A Stranger Magic for FREE!

Amazon’s Top 100 Best Selling Fantasy Fiction Novella is now available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo Books, IBooks/Itunes, and Smashwords.

If you already have a copy, get a new one! Each version (PRINT and DIGITAL) have been reformatted. You will love the new look. Also when you buy the PRINT copy of Haven: A Stranger Magic at Amazon.com you still get the DIGITAL copy in a bundle package for FREE.

Make sure to LIKE/SHARE with your friends!

Enjoy the journey!

DCA

Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries – Chapter 10

The Guardian

With the Vanquisher leading the way and her men behind her, Terra Vonnel was officially scared. The long passageway finally opened up into a vast cavern with twin waterfalls that funneled down like white, snowy curtains into a pool of crystal clear water.

The view was spectacular, with long, lush ivy and beautiful green ferns that protruded from small crevasses in the cavern walls. A water rainbow lay visible in the thin mist just above the falls where she finally saw the golden gates of Monticule.

Overwhelmed, they took in the magnificent sight. Nowhere in all their travels had they encountered such a tranquil oasis.

“Heaven…” Coven whispered. “Vixen, we must be in heaven.”

If it were not heaven, Terra thought, it was close enough for her. The men stood gazing up at the extraordinary beauty they had stumbled upon. They were so engulfed for that brief moment they had forgotten about the passageway and the loss of Vallenbore. They had forgotten about the danger that was now slithering up behind them in the form of a dark shadow.

Moving like a snake, inching its way closer to the party, the dark force crept slowly behind the first of its prey.

Rip was a tall, gangly man. He weighed a hundred pounds, if that. Like the rest of the men, Rip stood mesmerized by the breathtaking scene and was in no way aware of the danger looming behind him.

The dark shadow moved closer, rolling over the jagged terrain before stopping behind Rip. Suddenly a body sprung from the shadow, with a long scorpion-like shape and the head of a dragon.

The barbed stinger exploded through Rip’s chest from behind, sending blood and flesh flying in every direction! Rip screamed in agonizing pain as his body flew high into the air and thrashed aimlessly around.

Startled, Terra spun quickly, withdrawing the Diablo 9 Shooter, and in one swift motion, she fired a shot into the demon’s face.

The three silver bullets ripped through the thick exoskeleton of the dragon’s head. The creature let out an ear- piercing shriek before bursting into green flames and charring the body of Rip.

The remains fell from a height of at least twenty feet. Upon impact, the body shattered like glass.

“This is no heaven, Coven, this is the devil’s lair!” Quinn said, his lip quivering and hands shaking.

“Vixen, what have we done, what evil have we unleashed? I… I… think we should leave and never return to this place!” Marcus said, his wide eyes peering from side to side, searching for the devil beast.

“Enough!” Terra said. “We are here for one thing and one thing only. I suggest you remember that! We stay close to one another, and we move as one.” Terra stared into Marcus’ eyes. “And do not let me hear another word about leaving or I will kill you myself! Do I make myself clear?”

The three remaining men looked at one another then back to Terra. Scared and worried, they acknowledged the Sea Vixen with a simple nod of their heads.

They were all expendable except for Coven. She would miss them, of course, but there was nothing more important than reaching the gate and retrieving the Orb of Time.

“We need to make our way up the rock face to the top of the waterfalls,” she said, pointing the Vanquisher in the direction of the rushing water. “From there, we open the gate, take what we came for, and leave!”

She stared into the eyes of each of the men as she spoke. Quinn and Marcus still looked frightened, but Coven smiled back, nodding his head in agreement.

“Lead the way, Vixen!” Coven said.

Terra turned and made her way to the right side of the rock face. Holstering the Diablo 9 shooter and sheathing the Vanquisher, she began to climb.

Coven, Marcus, and Quinn sheathed and holstered their weapons and followed close behind. The rock face was extremely slippery due to the humidity from the waterfalls and the texture of the onyx-type stone.

As they ascended, Quinn was the first to notice an oval- shaped shadow moving from the cavern floor onto the wall in a sweeping motion.

“Vixen, look… look below!” Quinn yelled.

Terra stopped, her hands and feet placed firmly in the crevices of the cavern wall. She looked down to see what Quinn was squawking about and at first saw nothing. Then a dark shadow crept over the glimmering stone surface, inching its way up behind them.

“Quickly!” she yelled. “To the ledge!”

Terra turned and began to climb as fast as she could. The higher they climbed, the more treacherous it became. The mist had grown thicker, and the rock face dripped with condensation.

Terra was less than twenty feet away when she heard Quinn cry out, “HELP me!” followed by the loud roar of the devil beast.

Terra did not look back. She climbed faster and faster with no time to waste. She knew she had to reach the ledge if she were to stand a fighting chance.

Coven and Marcus were close behind, placing one hand in front of the other as fast as they could. The beast roared behind them as it approached, its heavy breathing just inches away from them now.

“Faster, Coven, faster. The devil is almost on me!” Marcus yelled.

The beast roared once more. The sound of its massive jaws snapping together rang out as Marcus reached the edge of the rock face and heaved himself over.

The beast cleared the edge only to see the Sea Vixen standing before it. With another blast to the face from the Diablo 9 shooter, the beast howled in agony! Quickly she withdrew the Vanquisher from its sheath. Its brilliant blue flame ignited in a blaze of fury. With all her might, Terra Vonnel swung the mighty sword, slashed through the neck of the devil beast, and sent the head and its scorpion torso back to the depths of the onyx cavern.

Coven, on his back, and Marcus, face down, lay gasping for air. Terra was not about to take any more chances; she had already lost more than half her men to the protector of the gate. So to be on the safe side, she called in reinforcements.

Once again she reached for the amulet and summoned her Sea Ghouls. Within minutes, the Ghouls were at Terra’s side.

“Guard!” she commanded. The ghouls turned an about-face and withdrew their swords.

Coven and Marcus slowly got to their feet, their faces still white and drenched in sweat.

“Glad you guys could join us,” Coven said panting.

Terra turned, and for the first time, she was able to see the mysterious Gate of Monticule in its entirety.

**I will post one Chapter each week, so this may take a while. If you just can’t wait, you can the complete book at Amazon for FREE.

You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page. For more information, see my website dc-akers.com . Your support is appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Haven Shorts – Chapter 9 – Episode 14 – A Stranger Magic

Chapter 9 – Episode 14

The breeze felt good on Sam’s face; the rain had cooled things off so it actually felt quite nice now. The sky was clear and the birds chirped as they flew by. It was a great day to go to the caves.

They talked about several things on their way, first was about a guy named Kane who had joined Travis’s online Halo team.

“Sam, this guy lives in the Hamptons and is crazy good with a sniper rifle. He can run, jump, and shoot with that thing. I’m telling you, he gets a bull’s-eye every time. He’s gonna be a great addition to the team.”

Then Travis talked about his grandparents. Travis had lived with his grandparents for about nine years now. His parents had died in a car wreck when he was four, so he had been staying with his grandparents ever since.

“It’s like they forget things all the time, Sam. Grandma is worse than Grandpa. I’m constantly reminding her to take her medication. She has one of those little pill boxes with the days of the week on it. But that doesn’t help because she can’t remember where she put the box.”

Sam nodded, not sure what to say exactly. You couldn’t tell by the tone of Travis’s voice, but the gloom in his eyes betrayed him. He was worried.

“Sometimes it’s so bad I have to remind her what day of the week it is. My grandfather, on the other hand—well, his back is getting worse. He barely gets around now.”

Sam nodded.

Sam and Travis had an unspoken, common bond between them. They had both lost parents that they missed dearly. But at least Travis could vaguely remember his. Sam never knew his father; he didn’t even have a picture. He didn’t know which was worse—knowing your parents and losing them, or never knowing them at all.

Since they had both lost their parents at such a young age, Sam and Travis had not suffered through the normal stages of grief. There was no period of accepting the loss, or working through the physical and emotional pain associated with grief. There was no adjusting to living in a world without their parents. They just simply moved on with their lives.

But it was that very notion of “moving on” that bothered Sam the most. He felt cheated, deprived of what could have been. Sam didn’t want to just move on. He wanted his father. He wanted all the memories children are supposed to have growing up. He wanted to share a peanut butter sandwich with his dad, and to hear stories at bedtime. He wanted to build the perfect snowman, and take summer trips into town for a snow cone. He wanted that life, not the one he had now.

Sam and Travis crossed the main street from Giddyup Lane onto Roundtree Drive, which was a much newer subdivision. The street had a nice slope to it, perfect for skateboarding. Roundtree Drive ended in a huge cul-de-sac where many kickball tournaments had been played when the boys were younger. Even though they were always picked last—Sam because he couldn’t kick the ball that far, and Travis, well, because he was Travis—they always had fun. The cross street in front of the cul-de-sac was Quail Creek Drive, which dead-ended into a large field and the Saginaw Quarry, better known as The Caves.

Sam and Travis made their way beyond the beautiful, manicured lawns and overgrown gardens to the open fields behind the development to the quarry.

The mounds of rock looked like pyramids from a distance. Most of the caves were formed by dynamite years ago. Explosives had been used to loosen the ground and harvest rocks. The caves were off-limits to everyone due to cave-ins, but that did not bother Travis or Sam. They had been coming here for years now, and had never seen any kind of cave-in. They figured it was just something the city said to warn off curious and unsupervised adolescents.

They maneuvered around the organized heaps of rock until they reached the back of the quarry. The cave entrance was nestled behind nine large oak trees and camouflaged by overgrown weeds and wild juniper.

Sam and Travis loved the caves. It was their sanctuary, their Fortress of Solitude. Travis called it his Yavin, which was a planet from Star Wars, of course. Sam liked it because it was a place of refuge, a retreat from the daily stressful surroundings, like the stranger in black, Sarah, and Daniel Harris. There were no rules in the cave. It was a place where other people’s standards of cleanliness were not observed. Sam could spill a coke in the cave or leave a sandwich overnight, and no one cared. It was their way of creating some space and freedom that they so badly needed. Sam often thought it must be similar to living in a frat house or a college dorm room, where they could come and go as if they owned the place. Where you didn’t have to be on your best behavior, and there were no evil older sisters to make fun of you, or make you feel like pond scum. It was a place where you could just be yourself, and it was perfectly acceptable.

The opening to the caves was located at the back end of the quarry. It was surrounded by large trees with fluted trunks that leaned to one side. Sam followed Travis around the attractive, miniature shrubs that were gathered at the base of the trees. Clusters of colorful, berry-like drupes clung to the bushes. The entrance to the cave was nothing more than a hole in the ground that stretched at least five feet across. There were flat pieces of tan limestone placed in a circle around the hole. The opening resembled a large sunflower with faded petals.

Travis was the first to hop down into the cave and disappear from sight; Sam quickly followed. They were standing on the first ledge. Together they looked down into the ominous void; it was a vast sea of darkness. The canopy of tree branches let in very little light. Sam thought this would scare most people who had never been here before. It had scared him at first. Years ago, when they had discovered the opening, they debated and dared one another for hours as to who would go down first. Finally, Sam had agreed to go. Travis had followed shortly after, and they had been coming back every month since then.

Inside the cave the light was dim; they could barely see one another now. Travis sat down on the ground next to Sam, who was still standing, and shuffled himself to the edge of the next drop-off which was about four feet down. He dangled his feet into the darkness, then rolled down on his side and stomach, sliding his body over the edge.

Sam watched and then did the same. By the time Sam had reached the ground, Travis had grabbed an old candle lantern and opened the top to light the three candles inside. Travis had borrowed the lantern from his grandfather long ago, and it had stayed in the caves ever since.

Travis removed a box of matches from his pocket, took out a match and struck it on the cave wall. The match burst into flame, casting shadows that danced around the cave. He lit each candle, shut the lid, and handed the lantern to Sam. Sam breathed in the familiar smell of dank cave air. It was rich with earthy sediments from the rock and dirt around them. The temperature was much cooler, and the air was more damp than outside.

He held up the lantern to survey their surroundings. The narrow vein serving as the main pathway stretched on in front of the two boys before it curved off to the right and gradually disappeared into the darkness. The cave walls were made of jagged gray and tan stone with thick limestone layers that traveled vertically the length of the tunnel. With the candle light flickering causing numerous shadows to move around the cave walls Sam almost missed it. To his surprise there was an additional passageway on the right—one he had never seen before.

“I don’t remember that before, do you?” Sam whispered.

“No, that was never here before,” Travis replied in hushed tones.

Sam walked toward the entrance of the new tunnel and lifted the lantern into the opening. The light stretched down the dark tunnel; the jagged rocks cast their own shadows making it difficult to see anything.

“What do you think?” Travis whispered as he surveyed the entrance.

“Well, we’re here. Might as well see what’s in there,” Sam said.

Travis looked at Sam with a childish grin. “That’s the spirit, Dalcome!” he said, and took the lantern from Sam.

Sam smiled back at Travis. Travis stepped forward with the lantern dangling in front of him and Sam stayed close behind him. Their footsteps echoed and the gravel beneath them crackled as they made their way down the long corridor.

It was becoming colder and more and more damp the farther they descended. The tunnel twisted and curved until it finally opened into a large cavern.

Travis held the lantern high and moved it slowly from side to side. Sam’s mouth fell open and Travis’s breath caught in his throat. They stood in astonishment; it was simply magnificent. It was as if they had stepped into another world. The cavern walls sparkled like diamonds when the light struck them. Enormous stalactites covered the slanted ceiling, suspended like huge stone daggers ready to fall. The cavern was vast, with a large emerald pool in the center surrounded by massive stalagmites protruding from the ground.

“Wow, what is this place?” Travis whispered, his voice echoing through large chamber.

“A cavern. A really old one from the size of the stalactites,” Sam said with bated breath. “The water from the lake must feed into here somehow.” They were amazed by the sheer size of the cavern, and by the beauty of its stone landscape. Tans, pinks, and greens were fused together in the rock, coloring the cavern walls.

“It’s fantastic. I mean really beautiful, don’t you think?” Travis marveled.

“I’ll say. Hey, what’s that?” Sam grabbed Travis’s arm, guiding the lantern toward the center of the cavern.

There was something shining in the middle of the pool, something large and round.

“I’m not sure what that is,” Travis said leaning over to whisper more quietly than before.

“Me either. Let’s have a look.”

“You think that’s a good idea?” Travis asked with hesitation.

Sam looked over to Travis with a devious smirk. “Come on, where’s your spirit?”

The rocks where jagged and extremely uneven; each step was carefully planned so they didn’t fall on one of the many stalagmites that surrounded them. The lantern swayed back and forth as they pushed forward. The light shimmered on the walls of the cavern and reflected off the calm body of water in front of them.

It took them several minutes to get to the body of water, but at last the ground finally smoothed out near the water’s edge. It was a murky, luminescent green and still, like a solid sheet of glass.

Both Sam and Travis stood at the edge, staring at the object in the center of the pool.

From a distance it looked like a very large mirror perched on something they could not see. The lantern light was clearly visible in its reflection.

“How in the world did that get down here?” Travis asked, his voice crackling just a bit.

There was no sound; it was deathly quiet. Travis realized that Sam hadn’t replied, and turned to look at him.

Sam stood frozen, his gaze fixed and full of fear. Whatever Sam was staring at had rendered him momentarily speechless.

“Sam … what’s wrong?” Travis asked. There was no hiding the fear in his voice now.

Sam swallowed hard, then slowly lifted his hand and pointed.

“The mirror … it’s floating …”

Good news! We are ramping up for  BOOK 2 in the Haven Series: Revenge of the Viper. So in celebration and to say thank you for all your support we are giving away Book 1  A Stranger Magic for FREE!

Amazon’s Top 100 Best Selling Fantasy Fiction Novella is now available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo Books, IBooks/Itunes, and Smashwords.

If you already have a copy, get a new one! Each version (PRINT and DIGITAL) have been reformatted. You will love the new look. Also when you buy the PRINT copy of Haven: A Stranger Magic at Amazon.com you still get the DIGITAL copy in a bundle package for FREE.

Make sure to LIKE/SHARE with your friends!

Enjoy the journey!

DCA

FREE – Haven A Stranger Magic – GET IT TODAY!

Good news! We are ramping up for  BOOK 2 in the Haven Series: Revenge of the Viper. So in celebration and to say thank you for all your support we are giving away Book 1  A Stranger Magic for FREE!

Amazon’s Top 100 Best Selling Fantasy Fiction Novella is now available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kobo Books, IBooks/Itunes, and Smashwords.

If you already have a copy, get a new one! Each version (PRINT and DIGITAL) have been reformatted. You will love the new look. Also when you buy the PRINT copy of Haven: A Stranger Magic at Amazon.com you still get the DIGITAL copy in a bundle package for FREE.

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Enjoy the journey!

DCA

Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries – Chapter 9

Mount Aries

 

The full moon hung high in the night sky like a shining beacon, guiding her through the vast sea to the shoreline of Mount Aries.

In no time Terra and five of her crewmen made their way to shore in a small wooden boat as the Aspen lay anchored in the distance. Terra was the first to step ashore, her black boots sinking deep into the soft sand as she made her way out of the boat and up the beach toward the cavern.

The cave entrance was narrow and damp, and the smell of natural sediments lingered in the warm air. Jagged cavern walls glimmered like onyx as they made their way over and around the sharp stalactites that hung from the ceiling.

“Vixen, we need light,” Coven whispered.

Terra stopped and looked back at the men that trailed behind her. Hunkered down, scared, and with only the whites of their eyes visible, she knew Coven was right. It was too dark and treacherous to continue like this. Each man carried a sword and a pack of supplies. She knew this would be the most dangerous part of the journey, so they had prepared for the worst.

Terra reached for the Vanquisher and unsheathed it. Its blue flame ignited, casting a warm glow throughout the cold, dark cavern, and for the first time, Terra felt her skin crawl.

The cave walls shimmered like diamonds. Emerald-colored water lay stagnant in small pools at their feet, filled by the slow, continuous drip of water from the stalactites above.

Terra lifted the Vanquisher high into the air, so she could survey the area more closely. Now visible were hundreds of human bones that littered the ground, scattered into the far corners of the cave and down the passageway they would need to travel.

It was just fear, she told herself, fear of the unknown, fear as she had faced many times before. It was the devastation surrounding her that gave her good reason to fear the unknown. Whatever was protecting the gate was deadly, perhaps so deadly they might not escape.

Terra made her way up the rock face and back down into the passageway with her men close behind. Coven was closest to her, followed by Rip, Quinn, Marcus, and Vallenbore. Her men could take care of themselves, and she knew that. They were all capable seamen and notorious pirates in their own right. Terra also knew if they were going to survive they would need to stay together and alert. This was going to be dangerous, possibly more dangerous than any of them could conceive. She knew something was here lurking, waiting for an opportunity to strike, but she told herself that was not going to happen.

As Terra made her way deeper into the passageway, she thought she heard a faint whisper. She stopped, turned, and signaled for her men to stop.

“What is it, Vixen?” whispered Coven.

Terra’s wide eyes scanned the passageway as if she were searching for something she could not see. “I… I thought I heard something,” she whispered back.

They stood in silence. Only the echoing of heavy breathing from the men could be heard now.

“Maybe it was nothing, maybe the wind,” Coven said.

“Maybe…” she replied.

Terra turned and started down the passageway once more when the voice whispered again.

“W-w-w-why do you come with six souls?”

The voice was coming from behind them. Terra turned, raising and pointing the Vanquisher back down the narrow passageway as the men shifted and turned to get a better look. The pale blue flame illuminated the passageway, but there was nothing to be seen but darkness.

“Vixen, we need to leave. It is the devil!” Quinn said, terrified.

“We are not leaving. Stand your ground, Quinn,” she snapped back. “And arm yourselves, because whatever is here wants us dead. I will not let anything stop me from reaching that gate!”

Terra turned around and hastened down the passageway. All four crewmen drew their swords; Coven drew both of his revolvers and scurried behind her. The passageway grew higher and wider as they moved forward. Suddenly a piercing cry rang out behind them, and the clank of a sword hitting the ground echoed through the dark passageway.

Terra turned, shining the Vanquisher behind her, to find only four of her men remaining. Vallenbore had vanished.

“Quickly,” she said. “Follow me and do not look back!”

The men did not argue. Their eyes shifted from side to side in panic, a shroud of fear covering their faces as they moved quickly through the passageway, hoping to survive.

**I will post one Chapter each week, so this may take a while. If you just can’t wait, you can the complete book at Amazon for FREE.

You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page. For more information, see my website dc-akers.com . Your support is appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Haven Shorts – Chapter 8 – Episode 13 – A Stranger Magic

 

Chapter 8 – Episode 13

The sound of rumbling lawn mowers and weed eaters started early Saturday mornings on Giddyup Lane. Most of the neighbors tried to get their lawn work out of the way before the heat and humidity set in, which occurred about mid-day. This Saturday was no different. Sam listened as he lay motionless in his comfortable bed, staring up at his dragon posters. He was tired; he had stayed up until three o’clock in the morning, riddled with guilt for making his mom cry. He had spent the time cleaning his room. He felt that was the least he could do.

His clothes sat in eight neat piles on the floor. His shoes, video games, controllers, books, and magazines were all painstakingly organized in his closet. His computer sat neatly on its desk with the words UPDATES AVAILABLE flashing in the lower right corner. He had removed mugs and drinking glasses from the top of his dresser. Only the family Christmas picture that they had taken when he was five remained. Sarah and his mother had the same short haircut, and Sam was wearing that ridiculous blue and white snowman sweater.

Sam glanced up at his alarm clock. It was ten o’clock, and the smell of bacon was wafting through the air from the vents above. He could hear the sounds of pots and pans banging around down below. If Mom’s fixing breakfast maybe she wasn’t that upset after all, Sam thought.

He rustled out of bed and grabbed a pair of tan shorts and a blue t-shirt from the organized pile of clothes. He opened his door, turned back, and grabbed the largest pile of laundry he could carry. The robust smell of bacon quickly turned into the smell of something burning as he made his way downstairs. The bottom floor was one big cloud of smoke. Through the smoke Sam could see Sarah running around frantically, trying to open the kitchen windows.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked with a puzzled look as he held his large pile of clothes with both arms.

Sarah stopped in her tracks, awestruck by the sight of Sam attempting to do laundry.

“What are you doing?” she asked with a chuckle.

“I’m doing laundry, but I could help you burn the house down instead.”

“Funny. I was trying to cook you something,” she said through gritted teeth while trying to pry open the stuck kitchen window.

Sam placed the large pile of clothes on the floor in front of the washing machine. He walked over to the stove, turned it off, and moved the pan with the burnt bacon to another burner. Then, without missing a step, he went to the stuck window that Sarah had been working on and gave it a hard yank. The window flew open and Barron jumped inside.

“Out, Barron!” Sarah commanded.

Barron stood there staring at Sarah as if she were crazy, like most cats do when humans talk to them. Sam went back over to the stove and grabbed the pan with the charred bacon. He walked back to the window and threw it out. Barron followed, jumping back out the window to pounce on her crispy treat.

“Hey, that was ours!” Sarah said, looking out the window.

“Really? Were you going to eat that, ‘cause I wasn’t,” Sam replied in a matter-of-fact way.

“See if I ever make you breakfast again!”

“Yeah, what’s with that? Where’s Mom?” Sam asked, heading back over to the large pile of clothes.

“This was her Saturday to work. She took another double at the diner, I guess.”

Sam felt worse now; he had really wanted to tell her he was sorry first thing this morning.

“She looked like she was kind of worried or upset maybe. Did you guys fight?”

Of course Sarah would naturally blame Sam for Mom’s mood, even if it was true.

“Um, no. Why does it always have to be my fault?” he snapped back.

“I didn’t say it was your fault, big hair! I was simply asking! Wow, grouchy much? By the way, when did you start doing laundry? Do I need to call CNN?”

Sam didn’t say a word as he angrily shoved his clothes into the washer. He kept telling himself to calm down and not to say a word.

“By the way, that dork Travis called three times already—once while I was sleeping, and two other times to see if you were awake yet. He said you didn’t answer your cell phone. Really Sam, why have a cell phone if you never turn it on? Anyway, in the future, can you tell your boyfriend not to call before twelve o’clock? I would appreciate it! I mean can’t that guy take a hint? Oh, I can’t get a hold of Sam, so let’s blow up every single phone in his house!”

Sam felt his blood starting to boil, and his scratches from the rosebush were starting to itch. He was in a bad mood already. He hadn’t gotten much sleep, he had hurt his mother’s feelings, and he hadn’t gotten a chance to apologize before she left for work. And now, Sarah wanted to chastise him about Travis. She never stops, he thought to himself. She just goes on and on and on.

“I mean some of us need our beauty sleep,” she continued. “Not that either of you would know anything about that. But I need it!”

That was the last straw. Sam couldn’t take it anymore. Mom was wrong; this she-devil was incapable of loving anyone other than herself, and he was going to let her know!

“Shut up, will you!” Sam said, turning around to face her. “Why do you always have to go on and on? You’re so mean to everyone! Travis has never done a thing to you but like you! But you’re horrible to him, you’re horrible to me, you’re horrible to everyone you come in contact with! So please, just for one day … just one … SHUT UP!”

Silence filled the room, snuffing out even the most infinitesimal pocket of sound. You could hear a pin drop from three blocks over. Barron poked his head up from the porch, eyes wide, and then quickly ducked back down to safety. The air became so thick with tension that it would take a chainsaw to cut through it.

But it was worth it, Sam thought. He had carried that around for so long. It felt like a fifty-pound boulder had just rolled off his back.

Sarah stood there in shock. Her mouth was open, and for the first time in her life she was speechless. The first sound Sam heard again was the birds chirping in the background, followed by lawn mowers humming in the distance.

Sam stood there staring at her. He was breathing hard; his ears were red, his nostrils flared, and his crazy bed head hair was standing at attention.

Finally, Sarah gathered her composure. Tears welled in her eyes. She brushed a single strand of hair around her ear and said softly, “I made you breakfast …” She wiped the tear from her cheek and walked slowly from the kitchen.

Sam didn’t say a word as he watched her walk away. She had never walked away before. She had always fought back. Sarah never got her feelings hurt, never. But he couldn’t be blamed; he didn’t know she had any feelings. Sam could feel something growing in the pit of his stomach. Was that remorse? Did he feel bad for saying what his sister had coming to her? But that wasn’t fair; he shouldn’t be the one to feel bad. No, it should be Sarah; she had it coming. Didn’t she? All of a sudden the lines were blurred. Things were not as clear as they once were.

Sam walked to the table and sat down. He stared at the plate she had set out for him and the glass of water that had a long crack in it from top to bottom. Sam was bemused; he had never been in this position with Sarah before.

He had single-handedly managed to make another women cry in the Dalcome household, and he hadn’t even been awake for thirty minutes. Surely that must be some kind of record, he thought sadly. Deep down he was starting to think that this day may not turn out any better than yesterday.

By that afternoon Sam had officially finished five loads of laundry, folded, and hung them all. His room was clean and dusted. It didn’t smell bad either, because he had doused the room in one of his mother’s air fresheners, something called Mountain Mist.

Travis had called four times while Sam was doing laundry, and he had finally convinced Sam to go to the caves with him later that evening.

It was six o’clock when Travis arrived, knocking on the door. You could tell it was him because of his annoying Twentieth Century Fox drum roll knock. It was similar to the one at the beginning of Star Wars.

Sarah answered it before Sam could reach the door. Sam waited behind her, expecting some snide remark to come flying out of her mouth. But what she said instead left him speechless.

“Oh, hi Trav, how are you?” She backed away, and opened the door to invite him in.

Travis stood there, dumfounded. He didn’t say a word. His mouth hung open like he wanted to say something, but he was evidently in shock.

In the all the years that Sam and Travis had known each other, Sarah had never once spoken to Travis that kindly. Never. It was almost like he mattered to her, almost.

Sarah turned and casually strolled from the doorway, as if nothing extraordinary had just happened. Sam and Travis both watched her walk off around the corner into the living room.

There was no way this was the same girl from this morning, Sam thought. Was she acting hurt? She was up to something; Sam’s spider senses were doing more than just tingling. They were screaming RED ALERT!

Sam looked at Travis. His mouth was still open. “Um, so are you coming in?” he asked.

“What? Oh yeah, I uh … what just happened?” Travis asked with his head tilted a little to the left, like dogs do when they’re trying to figure something out. “I mean, you saw that, right? I didn’t imagine that, did I?”

Sam turned and looked back into the house, then back at Travis. Did she mean what she had said, or was she simply trying to prove that she could be nice if she wanted to?

She was evil that way. Sarah always had a reason for doing something, and it was usually at Sam’s expense. Whatever, it had happened; regardless of what it was, it had happened. Sam waved Travis in, and the two made their way through the living room and into the kitchen.

“So, what did you end up doing last night?” Travis asked, as he sifted through the refrigerator.

“Nothing, really. I cleaned my room and went to bed early,” Sam replied, not wanting to relive the whole “I can’t find the words, wish dad was here” disaster.

Travis grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, twisted off the cap, and took a large gulping drink. After three more gulps he put the bottle down. With water dripping from his chin he suddenly realized what Sam had said.

“What, you cleaned your room?” he asked. Travis thought for a moment—you could see the wheels turning in his head. “Yeah right, here pull the other one,” he said, sticking out his leg.

“I’m serious, I did,” Sam said.

“Really, wow, well, that I didn’t see coming. Did you get in trouble or something?”

“No, I just felt like cleaning it. What’s the big deal?” Sam said defensively.

“Well it’s just that I’ve never seen your room clean since … well since … never.”

“Well whatever, it’s clean now,” Sam said sharply.

“Can I see it?”

“Um, no, you said you wanted to go to the caves, so let’s go.”

“Okay, okay, let’s go!”

Travis finished the rest of his water with three giant gulps and slammed the bottle down on the counter top.

Sam, who had already turned to walk off, quickly turned back around, annoyed.

“What are you doing?”

“You got spiders!” Travis said holding the bottle firmly on top of a splattered bug.

Sam walked back to take a look at the spider and saw the same green marks on it that the previous spiders had. He made a mental note to tell his mom about it, not to mention he still owed her a huge apology for last night.

Sam cleaned off the bug guts from the counter and headed for the front door. Before they left he called up the stairs to Sarah.

“Sarah, we’re going to the caves. Tell Mom we’ll be back later.”

Seconds later, Sarah’s voice answered back in a surreal, yet oddly friendly voice.

“Okay, have fun! Bye, Travis.”

Travis looked at Sam with the same “What is going on?” look from earlier.

Sam shrugged and gave him a look as if to say she was crazy. She’s evil and diabolical, he thought. If she thought for a moment that he was dumb enough to believe this bizarre and somewhat childish act, she had another thing coming.

“Let’s go,” he said gruffly.

“Uh, bye Sarah … See you later!” Travis hollered back.

**I will post one EPISODE each week, but there are 50 EPISODE, so this may take a while. If you just can’t wait, you can buy (Just .99) the complete book and the rest of the HAVEN series (More Coming Soon) at Amazon.

You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page. For more information, see my website dc-akers.com . Your support is appreciated. Thanks for reading!

Terra Vonnel and the Skulls of Aries – Chapter 8

A New Heading

Terra reached for the first skull, lifting it from the table and turning the base so it was facing her.  There, carved in a foreign language, was half of the incantation, just as her father had claimed.

Just great, Terra thought. I risk my life for a skull with writing I can’t read.  Terra turned when she heard a loud knock on her cabin door.

“Vixen, the Mont Delia is below the sea, and it looks like the storm has passed.  Do we have a heading yet or should we head to Tortuga again?”

It was Coven. Maybe he knew what the writings said. He was, after all, fluent in several languages.  He had been to every port she had heard of and a few she had not.  As a pirate he had been just about everywhere and seen just about everything.  After all, he had been her father’s sailing master ever since he was Terra’s age.  Her father had always said, “I trust few in this world, and that’s why I have stayed alive so long. But if there is one person I trust with my life, it’s Coven.”

“Come in,” she replied.

Coven entered, displaying his typical swagger and boyish grin, then stopped, looking at the skulls and then Terra.

“Well, from the look on your face I can see you haven’t made much progress. Although you are sitting in front of them now so I guess that’s a start.”

Terra rolled her eyes and turned back around. “Yeah, I’m having a bit of a problem.”

She knew Coven was smiling at his own humor, but she was not about to give any indication she thought it was funny.  Even though it was probably something she would have said to him.

There was a brief moment of silence as she waited for Coven to give in to curiosity.  Finally he cleared his throat and asked, “Okay, I give. What sort of problem?”

Terra began to grin but quickly composed herself as Coven moved to her side.

“I can’t read the stupid thing.  The incantation is split between the two skulls, and according to my father I need to recite the entire thing in order to get the map.”

“Hmmm, well, John was seldom wrong, especially when it came to treasure. But it does sound like a bit of a problem for you there, Vixen.”

Terra turned and looked at Coven. “I don’t suppose you know what it says.”

Coven pulled out a pair of thin bifocals from his vest pocket and placed them on the bridge of his nose.

“Let me see.”

Coven took the skull in his hand and brought the base of the skull close to his face, almost touching his nose.

Terra couldn’t help but grin. “Are you sure those things work? Because I have some Night Hag Elixir on the shelf over there that might do the trick!”

Coven’s eyes shifted from the skull to Terra. “I can see just fine, Vixen, but thank you for your concern.” Then he placed the skull back on the table, removed his glasses, and placed them neatly in his pocket.

“Well?” she said.  You could hear the excitement in her voice now.

“Well what?” he replied.

Terra’s head tilted slightly to one side. “Can you read it or not?”

“Yes, I can read it,” he said with a smirk then turned and walked away.

“Coven!” she proclaimed.

Coven stopped, turned, and faced Terra.

“Take it back?” he said.

Terra looked puzzled. “Take what back?”

“The eye thing. Take it back or I will not read your silly little skull!” he replied with one eyebrow raised.

Coven was more than a little sensitive about his eyesight. He was only twenty-three and hated the fact he needed bifocals to read.  The two revolvers strapped to his chest lost a lot of their intimidation factor when he was wearing bifocals.  Besides, who wanted to be known as the four-eyed pirate? Terra understood this, and she almost laughed out loud just thinking about it.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry about the eye joke, but I hear the elixir does wonders for the old. Why do you think I got it?”

Coven didn’t say a thing. He just turned again and headed for the door.

“Coven, stop. I’m sorry. I won’t say another word.  I’ll be nice.” Coven sighed, and turned again to face her.  This time Terra stuck out her bottom lip and batted her eyelashes.

Coven rolled his eyes. “Please stop. You look pathetic!”

Coven walked back to the skull, putting on his bifocals. He picked it up once more, holding it to the tip of his nose.

“It’s written in Vendelli,” he said.

Terra sighed. “That much I know.”

Coven peered down at her through his glasses again and signed.

“Sorry,” she said, looking like a scolded child.

Coven cleared his throat and continued. “Blocked is the way unless you posses my mate.  She is my soul and she is my fate.”

Terra reached for the other skull and handed it to Coven.  He took the skull and read on. “Separate we are nothing and hold no answers.  But together we are one and shall show you the gate.”

They stared at each other for a moment, waiting for something to happen.

“Now what?”  Coven asked.

Terra shot him a frustrated look.

“You’re asking me?” she replied.

Coven stared into the emerald green eyes. “Hmmm, maybe we should put them down next to one another and say it.”

Terra nodded her head. “Why not!”

Coven placed the two Skulls of Aries back on the table facing one another. Then he grabbed a piece of parchment and a pen from the table and lifted each skull, writing down its portion of the incantation. Once he was done he turned to look over at Terra one last time.

“Ready?” he asked.

Terra stood up slowly and grabbed the Diablo from the table and strapped it on.  Next she took the Vanquisher and unsheathed it.  The light blue flame ignited, and Terra took one step back.

“I am now.”

Coven took a deep breath and began to recite the incantation.

“Blocked is the way unless you posses my mate.  She is my soul and she is my fate. Separate we are nothing and hold no answers.  But together we are one and shall show you the gate.”

Terra and Coven held their breath, their eyes fixated on the silver skulls. A soft hum began to resonate from each skull, and the emerald eyes began to glow.

Terra slowly pulled the Diablo from its holster and targeted the closest skull just to be on the safe side.

With each passing moment the glow became brighter.  Coven took one step back and placed his hand on Terra’s shoulder.

Terra was about to join him when two streams of green light burst from each of the skulls, connecting in the space between them. There was a quick flash, and Terra and Coven shielded their eyes.

The humming grew louder. They could feel the vibration in the floor beneath their feet. It was as if they were in an earthquake in the middle of the ocean. Terra heard the mug of tea fall from the table, followed by the sounds of other objects crashing all around them.  She felt Coven’s hand grip her shoulder, then just as quickly as it had started the sound suddenly stopped.

Terra’s body felt numb. She could still hear the humming sound coming from somewhere in front of her.

Slowly she opened one eye and then the other.

“Will you look at that!” she said in astonishment.

Still standing next to Terra, Coven dropped his arm from his face and opened his eyes.

There floating in mid air a few feet away was a map made of emerald light.

“And I thought I had seen everything,” he whispered and pulled off his bifocals.

Terra lowered the Diablo and Vanquisher at the same time and took one step forward.  Coven followed.

“I know this place,” Coven said, his eyes moving rapidly over the map now.  “It’s beyond Dead Man’s Lair. It’s uncharted.  No one has ever been out that far.”

Terra took another step forward, running her hand underneath the map as if expecting to find something.

“Well, apparently the Vendelli have,” she said, looking over at Coven.

“Yeah, looks that way,” he replied, still staring at the floating image.

Terra holstered the Diablo and sheathed the Vanquisher.

“It looks like we have our heading now,” she said.

Coven looked down at his glasses, folded them neatly together, and placed them back in his vest pocket. Then he turned to Terra and with his boyish grin replied, “Yes, I think we do.”

**I will post one Chapter each week, so this may take a while. If you just can’t wait, you can the complete book at Amazon for FREE.

You can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page. For more information, see my website dc-akers.com . Your support is appreciated. Thanks for reading!