Shakuita Johnson's Blog: The Ramblings of Me, page 21
June 22, 2014
Blog Tour – Taking Back Sunday by Cristy Rey
Title: Taking Back Sunday (Incarnate Book One)
Author: Cristy Rey
Genre: Supernatural Suspense/ Paranormal Romance
Publication Date: March 11, 2014
Tour Host: Dreams Come True Promotions
After five years on the run, Sunday has finally settled into a seemingly normal life in Columbia, South Carolina. What her two best friends don’t know is that Sunday has a secret past. She is the Incarnate, a conduit of mystical energy transcendent of the mundane and the divine. For most of her life, she served under Bernadette, the most powerful witch in the Northwest. Her power is terrifying, and what she remembers of her past—and what she doesn’t—haunts her. In the year that she’s been attempting to be anything but the Incarnate, Sunday has fought her abilities tooth and nail, but it’s been worth it. When Sunday joins her friends’ coven for an innocent gathering, Sunday discovers a darkness hidden beneath the blanket of the coven’s magic and she is determined to find out who is behind it and what she has planned.
For the last four years, Cyrus has been the point man on the contract to recapture the Incarnate and deliver her to the Pastophori of Iset. A gifted tracker and a fearless werewolf, he harbors a wild, inexplicable passion for the Incarnate that has driven him to hunt her. He was one of the original captors that brought her to Bernadette when his obsession with her began. Having found her, Cyrus and his pack find themselves torn between two objectives: take her by force and deliver her to yet another group of fanatics, or help her uncover the traitor among her coven.
Indie writer. Reader. Knitter. Short hair-enthusiast. Fairy godmother. Coffee-addict. Pet-parent. TV show marathoner. Ostrich-human hybrid.
Cristy Rey lives in Miami, FL. She is a reader and writer most of the time, and a knitter much less of the time than she was six months before she took up writing again.
Cristy writes the books that she likes to read. Her women are strong and out-spoken (most of the time), and her men run the gamut. Love stories abound in Cristy’s work because, really, aren’t love stories the best? Her stories also touch upon themes of identity, intimacy, family, and social issues. There’s always a killer soundtrack running in the background of her novels – all you need to do is turn to the playlist to know what’s up.
If you met Cristy, you’d probably tell her that she’s tall since people seem to think that she needs to become aware of said fact. She and her friends get together to drink tea, eat scones, and talk about Sherlock—they sometimes pretend they’re a book club but that’s just their excuse to get together
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cristywrites
Author Website: www.cristyrey.com
Author GoodReads: http://bit.ly/1gsKgPk
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/Q4P6IE
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1eBDhQ1
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/Szr5uk
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1hM5AuX
SmashWords: http://bit.ly/NtEUaL
June 17, 2014
Blog Tour – Little Things by Madison Street
Genre: New Adult/Romantic Suspense
Release Date: June 2, 2014
Photography: Lindee Robinson Photography
Synopsis
Everything in Duke Grayson’s life was all he could ever ask for: A loving family, loyal friends, a beautiful girlfriend, and a scholarship to his top choice college. It’s his senior year of high school, and all he needs is to focus on his grades, lacrosse, and keeping his girlfriend happy. That is until Raya walks into his life.
From the moment they meet, Duke is drawn to her, not only for her natural beauty and her stunning crystal blue eyes, but because he’s aware there’s more to this girl than just his alluring pull to her. He senses secrecy and fear.
Throughout the year, their bond grows stronger, and his feelings for her become undeniable. Just when he is about to express his love, tragedy strikes and Raya disappears.
For six years, Duke is tortured by his struggles, as he’s unable to find her and blames himself for failing to protect her. Until the day, she’s found, and he’s given a second chance. Will Duke become her beacon of hope and make her see that it’s the little things that make life worthwhile? Can Raya overcome her fears and fight against the terrors that haunt her? Or will her dark and torturous past be too much for her to battle against?
*Warning: This book contains some disturbing situations, strong language and sexual content. Suited for 18 years and over.
Excerpt
I hear a whisper come up from behind me, “So, how’s your first
party?” I know that voice anywhere. I turn around to find Duke smiling at me.
“It’s great! I’m having so much fun!”
“I’m glad. You’ve danced with Taylor all night. Usually he doesn’t
dance at parties, so that was surprising.”
I glance towards Taylor who’s across the room, talking to Adam.
“Oh well. He’s a good dance partner.”
“Wanna bet?” Duke grabs my hand and leads me onto the dance floor
just in time for a new song to start. The speakers start to play “Timber” by
Pitbull and the crowd goes wild as people begin to flood the dance area. My
heart literally stops beating and I swear I can’t even breathe, I’m so freaking
nervous. I notice that my hand fits so perfectly in Duke’s hand.
The crowd is so packed together that Duke and I are forced to
dance closely; maybe a little too close. As the song starts, he sings the
lyrics and we begin to groove to the music.
I laugh out loud and raise my hands above my head and sing along
with him. The crowd is compact and everyone’s bodies continuously bump into one
another. Duke looks at me and places his hand on my lower back. A shocking jolt
of electricity flows through his touch and my eyes widen. He immediately
removes his hand from my back and instead keeps his hand by his side. I can
still feel the heat flow, where his hand was placed, and I miss it being there.
We continue dancing as I give him a reassuring smile. He winks and continues to
sing and twirls me around.
I bob my head to the beat and shake my body with every fiber I
have. As we dance together, I no longer pay attention to what’s around me. It’s
as if Duke and I are the only ones dancing and as I stare at him, I get lost in
the wonder of what could be. Someone from behind me pushes me forward and I
fall against Duke’s strong and broad chest as he catches me. We stare into each
other’s eyes for a brief moment before he breaks the contact and helps me stand
on my own.
“You alright?”
I laugh nervously, “Yea sorry. Just crowded, that’s all.”
The song ends and the crowd begins to clear leaving only a few
stragglers. Duke looks at his watch. “It’s getting late. We should get going.”
“Ok. I have to use the restroom first.”
After I use the restroom, Duke finds Melanie among the crowd and
we say our goodbyes. Taylor tells me he will call soon and he hugs me and
kisses me on the cheek. As we pull up to my driveway, Melanie asks, “So, was it
a night to remember?” I smile and catch Duke looking at me through the rearview
mirror, “Yes, yes it was.”
Play List
Dream Cast
Buy Now
AMAZON/AMAZON UK/B&N
Giveaway
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About the Author
Madison Street was born in New York City and was
raised in the Bronx, where she resided until she was 17 years old. After 9/11,
Madison joined the United States Navy to serve her country. During the deployments, Madison constantly wrote
short stories and she discovered her passion for writing. You will find Madison
always on the computer, whether she’s on Facebook, designing websites, messing
with Photoshop, or writing for her blog.
Besides writing, her second passion is music and
dance. Even though she’s a terrible.
Website: http://madisonstreet.me
Email: Authormadisonst@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madisonstreet
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June 13, 2014
Cover Reveal – Shhh… by M. Robinson and Jettie Woodruff
Synopsis
Cold, empathetic and step-ford. The good little girl syndrome on steroids. McKenzie Perry and Gia Edwards were at the top of the list. Spoiled rich girls, living the dream of every American girl. Flaunting looks, million dollar homes, talent, head cheerleaders, expensive cars, clothes, and any boy they chose to have.
They shared dreams, plans, and a lifetime friendship, never dreaming one night could be the end, changing it all with a speed so forceful, it couldn’t be stopped, a wildfire caught in the middle of the wind, spreading like a diseased outbreak.
McKenzie graduating at the top of her class, occupied her mind by landing a reporting job for one of New York’s most popular magazines.
Gia dealt with the horrific night in her own dangerous way. Gia partied hard, and when that didn’t work, she partied harder, lost in a world of sex and drugs, all angel with no wings.
This book has been rated for mature audiences only. Adult content not intended for persons under the age of eighteen.
The Covers…
You decided…just click the banner below to vote.
About M. Robinson
M. Robinson loves to read. She favors anything that has angst, romance, triangles, cheating, love, and of course sex! She has been reading since the Babysitters Club and R.L. Stein.
She was born in New Jersey but was raised in Tampa Fl. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D in psychology, with two years left.
She is married to an amazing man who she loves to pieces. They have two German Shepherd mixes and a Tabby cat.
About Jettie Woodruff
Jettie Woodruff is a practicing physician and has been a Civil War buff for decades. No. Not really, she is not a doctor nor is she a Civil War buff. She is however a goof-off and has a hard time being serious for too long.
She does enjoy a challenge when it comes to her writing. She feels as though she needs to pull every emotion possible from her readers. She wants you to be pissed off, questioning your sanity, depressed, happy, and hopefully turn your mind from wanting to cut the villain into tiny little pieces to loving him by the end of the book.
Underestimated was her first dark endeavor. It was a goal alongside of writing a series, a standalone romance, a young adult, which she can’t check that one off. She tried she really did, but her mind just doesn’t work outside the gutter and it quickly became rated X.
Jettie lives on 163 acres in a rural part of Ohio. She loves living in Ohio, except maybe the snow, and the long winters, maybe the hot summers too, Ah, hell, she hates Ohio. She does love the land and the solitude of the country. She just wishes it was in a geographically in a better part of the country.
Jettie has two grown children and one who will be eighteen in a matter of days. YES!!! She has also recently just had her first, cutest ever, most adorable, granddaughter in the whole world. Her oldest daughter just hit her with the news that she will be adding another grandchild to the family in February. Although she is sure she will fall in love with the little creature, she still can’t say the G word.
Jettie enjoys reading as much as she loves writing. She has way too many favorites to list, but one of her all-time favorites from years ago was the Casteel series from V.C. Andrews. One of her new favorites is C.J. Robert’s, Captive series. Reading it gave her that needed push that she required to say the hell with what people think and write Underestimated.
By day Jettie is wearing business attire and managing a mattress store. By night she is in front of a keyboard or her Kindle, wearing, well let’s not go there. Underestimated was her fifth book published. The first one was just shy of a disaster, not that it was a bad book. People liked it. She just knew nothing about it, no revising, no editing, just a spur of the moment…. “Oh, I wrote a book, lets publish it.” Train wreck and a half. Her Star series was one of her favorites and is held dear to her heart. She is now working on an adult romance that should be live around the end of August, early September. She
can’t seem to stay focused on it at the moment, due to a much needed Bahamas vacation coming up with Adam Levine’s walking around half naked, buying her drinks.
June 10, 2014
Welcome To The Real World
Hello. It’s been awhile. To say I started my journey full of excitement and wonder would be correct but I’m slowing losing the excitement and starting to wonder what the hell was I thinking.
The job search is hard as hell and most places that do want to hire are commission jobs. Now I wouldn’t be adverse to taking one of these positions but I’m trying to buy a condo and it just won’t happen with a commission only job at the moment.
So I’m at a loss of what to do really. Hope my books mysteriously sell a million copies overnight? One can only dream until then I’m going to try not to put myself in a mental hospital worrying about it. I can always sleep in my car right??
June 9, 2014
50 Awesome Moments Only Writers Would Understand
Originally posted on Christina L. Rozelle:
50. That awesome writer moment when you type “The End.”
49. That awesome writer moment when you reread something you just wrote and it’s like reading something somebody else wrote, and you wonder where the hell it came from.
48. That thankful writer moment when you get the kids to bed and you FINALLY get to sit your ass down and write.
47. That sad writer moment when you discover that a character you’ve grown to really like/love . . . has to die.
46. That awesome writer moment when you realize that what you are writing is bigger than you, is coming from some place beyond you, and you are but a vestibule for the creative workings of the Universe to materialize. . . . When that Universal truth comes to you as a gift to be shared through your talent, humbly, a light for others to see themselves…
View original 1,023 more words
11 Rules for Being the Best Writerly Soul You Can Be
Very sage advice…
Originally posted on Christina L. Rozelle:
11. Don’t be an asshat
It’s unfortunate how many of us are afflicted with this terrible disease. Asshatedness is a virus of the writing world, spreading to unsuspecting and unfortunate others, who may in turn, spew asshatedness onto others. I have been both a recipient of the side effects of this illness, as well as a host. Though I try my darndest not to let the asshat fever take over and make me do asshat things, I admit, sometimes I get delirious and lackadaisical, and forget I’m trying to not be an asshat. It can be easy to let this sickness rule your life. Beware its repercussions. Just because someone is an asshat to you, doesn’t mean it’s okay to be an asshat back to them. A few months down the road, when that sexy little book of yours comes out–and that asshat hasn’t forgotten or forgiven you for that asshat…
View original 1,162 more words
June 1, 2014
Cover Reveal – Seeking Nirvana by V. L. Brock
Release Date: June 16th 2014
Synopsis of Seeking Nirvana:
They say that old habits die hard, and twenty-seven year old, Kady Jenson, is about to discover how true that statement actually is.
Waking up in the hospital with a complete stranger at her bedside should have caused panic and confusion, but for a reason unknown to her, Kady finds herself drawn, and calmed by the presence of the rugged, devastatingly handsome man with the pleasant Irish brogue. It’s when she discovers that she has just woken from a four day coma, with a three year void in her memory, which spawns confusion and panic.
Kady soon comes to realize that things change with time, and not only appearances.
Not only is the sexual chemistry she once shared with her long-term boyfriend, now a long-ago memory, but Kady also begins to unconsciously fall back into unremembered habits, and with each day, the increasing sense of foreboding becomes increasingly harder to ignore.
Left on her own when her boyfriend goes on a business trip, Kady seeks help from the Irish stranger as they go on a quest together, in a race against time, to piece the puzzle together.
May 29, 2014
Guest Post – Researching Urban Fantasy by Cristy Rey
Researching Urban Fantasy
By Cristy Rey: Writer, librarian, slayer of demons, romancer of stones…you know, all the stuff that matters.
For Shakuita Johnson’s blog, The Ramblings of Me, at http://dark-indiscretions.com/
I write urban fantasy. This means I weave imagined fantastical creatures and themes through the “real world,” or the world that we live in. I create a mythology for my characters. I impose order in the world they inhabit. I write the rules and, sometimes, I even break them.
In this genre, as in all the genres and subgenres that fall under the fantasy banner, authors are like gods. We can choose to create from scratch and fill readers in along the way, or we can leave you as much in the dark as cavemen before Prometheus gifted them with fire. Alternately, we can take what is already out there in the popular consciousness and tweak it to our liking. We can re-create myths, legends, and fairy tales. We can take Barbies and rip their heads off and reform their limbs so they become something different, something all our own.
I have done the latter.
As much as my series, the Incarnate series, has been called “different” and “new,” it’s not altogether unfamiliar. I write witches and werewolves. I skew existing concepts derived from sources as far-ranging as Western neo-paganism, Greco-Roman mythology, contemporary pop culture, Gothic literature, Modernist poetry, and wildlife photography…to name a few.
Shakuita invited me to guest blog for her and, at first, we thought I’d provide sources on the writing craft and the indie publishing business. I was gung-ho until we started talking about our next projects and our conversations moved from “How can we hone our business skills?” to “What information is out there about X, Y, and Z for researching our next novels?”
This blog post is an extension of that. As a good librarian (spoiler alert: I am a great librarian), I want to share a selection from my personal bibliography. I invite you to take a look at it and, most importantly, to evaluate the sources for yourself. In the immortal words of Obi-Wan (a character built on the archetypes of Campbell’s seminal Hero with a Thousand Faces), “Use the Force.”
Below is a list of books. All links provided are to Google Books:
Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft , by Rosemary E. Guiley, published 1989.
The Essential Guide to Werewolf Literature , by Brian J. Frost, published 2003.
The Golden Bough , by Sir James Frazer, originally published between 1906 and 1915, later abridged in 1922.
Celtic Myths and Legends , by TW Rolleston, originally published in 1911.
Mythology , by Edith Hamilton, originally published in 1942.
Hero with a Thousand Faces , by Joseph Campbell, originally published in 1949.
From Romance to Ritual , by James and Jesse L. Weston, originally published in 1920.
Here are some free Internet resources:
Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
Myth*ing Links
University of Alberta: English Language and Literature library guide
Encyclopedia Mythica
Internet Sacred Texts Archive
Cristy Rey is the author of the urban fantasy Incarnate series. The first book, Taking Back Sunday, and a short prequel novelette, Edge of Seventeen, are available now at online retailers. She also writes and publishes unconventional romantic women’s fiction. Weeping Angels will be released in July 2014, and The Heart Grow Fonder will be released at the end of the year.
Cristy lives in Miami, FL where she is a reader and writer most of the time, and a knitter much less of the time than she was six months before she took up writing again. She writes the books that she likes to read. She describes her writing style as riot grrrl Jane Austen sprinkled with a little magic. There’s always a killer soundtrack running in the background of her novels – all you need to do is turn to the playlist to know what’s up.
Find Cristy Rey Online
Cristy’s website http://www.cristyrey.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/cristywrites
Goodreads http://bit.ly/1iD1Ujy
Twitter @CristyReyWrites
Sign up for Cristy’s monthly updates http://eepurl.com/SHB1j
Get Cristy Rey’s Books
Amazon http://amzn.to/1g4erJ0
Barnes & Noble http://bit.ly/1inMdi8
Apple iTunes bookstore http://bit.ly/1sIbP9v
Smashwords http://bit.ly/1nvp7rF
May 28, 2014
Book Promo – A New Life Series by Samantha Jacobey
TITLE: Captive, Bound, Entwined (A New Life Series #1-3)
AUTHOR: Samantha Jacobey
GENRE: Thriller, Suspense Romance
PUBLISHED BY: Lavish Publishings
BLITZ HOSTED BY: Scandalous Book Blog (Scandalous PRomotions)
Captive – A New Life Series
To what lengths would you go to break away from a life filled with pain and suffering?
Tori Farrell has lived a dangerous life. When you grow up with a Motorcycle Gang of Mercenaries and Drug Lords like the Dragons, a normal life is more like a fairytale. For years, she accepted her dark reality, a world consisting of drugs, sex, violence and murder. In the end, she learned the most valuable lesson: survival.
After years of being ruled by the Dragons, Tori uses her skills of seduction and assassination to free herself from the grasp of the people who vowed they would never let her go. Taken in by the FBI, she fears not everything is what it seems, and soon finds herself lost in a web of lies and deceit. She thought getting away from the Dragons would put her on a path to a new and better life, but now she must face the cold hard truth”� there is always a price to be paid.
WARNING ~This book is intended for readers 18+ and contains scenes that may cause distress to some readers: Domestic Abuse, Kidnapping, Rape and Substance Abuse are described in detail.
Trailer~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DO_pbJK1zXk
Tori shook her head slightly; a little sad she had been right about his visits. Deep down, she would have liked that he came to her because he cared. But no one cared for her, not since Henry died. “They were into whatever was paying. As far as details, why should I give you those things? What I have already told you could cost me my life—why should I give you any more?”
“Because it is the right thing to do,” Eli said flatly. “And because you will get your freedom. You tell us everything you know, good or bad, your fault, Eddie’s fault, whatever it is, and you get your new life…”
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N
Bound – A New Life Series
Raised by bikers and held by the FBI, Tori Farrell has literally walked over dead men to get to where she is today.
When she broke the ties to her dark and twisted life with the Dragons, she thought it would give her a fresh start and a chance to live a normal life. However, she soon discovered the demons from her past have no desire to let her go.
Bound to a halfway house under orders of the FBI, Tori takes things day by day, working to move forward and to face her own addictions. With her true identity a mystery and no family to turn to, she must learn to accept the love and support of those around her. When a mysterious and charismatic man walks into Tori’s life, she believes she’s finally found someone who wants her for who she is. But sometimes danger doesn’t hide cloaked in darkness”�it comes out into the light of day in the form of a smooth talking bad boy who appears to be everything you’ve been looking for, but is really the one thing you should be running from”�
Trailer~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ic0S...
“You know, I been thinking about you all day,” he spoke in a low voice, “and I just want you all to myself.” Tori’s heart began to thump in her chest as they continued to sway together to the beat of the jukebox. “You don’t know it, but you are my fantasy, baby girl. I dreamed about you a long time now.” He was smiling at her, and he was right, she didn’t know it… and even as he said it, she really didn’t believe it.
Amazon US | Amazon UK| Amazon CA| B&N
Entwined – A New Life Series
There is nothing crueler than getting a taste of something you’ve fought hard to reach, only to have it ripped away, sending your world into a tailspin
Tori wants to put the past behind her, but it’s a daunting task when you have the FBI trying to force you back into the life you’ve escaped. When a ghost from her past visits, it could be the leverage they need to do exactly that ”” put her back into the game of murder and deceit. Tori has decided to run, in an attempt to protect her new friends, by fleeing from LA.
Wanting a place to call home and feel safe from the madness, she sets out with a plan to disappear and hide in anonymity. Her idea only holds one flaw ”” a man she can’t shake, who won’t take ‘No’ for an answer.
She soon discovers that getting a new life means she must first lay to rest the demons of her past.
Trailer~https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oZKG1vV4nY
…he laid her down on the bed and removed his own shirt and boots for comfort, then lay over the top of her, stroking her body with his palms.
Tori wasn’t sure she could take it, breathing erratically, then catching his hands for a moment, “I don’t like to be touched,” she whispered. “It’s almost more than I can bear.”
Confused for a moment, Michael shook his head. “Just relax,” he whispered. “I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m gonna make you feel real good. I promise.”
Releasing him, Tori put her hands on her face and pushed her hair back, struggling to control the spasms…
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | B&N
Samantha Jacobey is a middle aged woman who earned a BS in Business Management and has worked in half a dozen fields. With a relentless zest for life, she enjoys action and adventure, as well as all the love and romance it has to offer. Creating stories in her mind for many years, she has put some of them into print for the world to share, and hopes you will enjoy reading them as much as she did creating them. What drives her most is the love of a good story and is confident you will enjoy her latest creation.
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Book 4 of the series – EXPOSED -
When Tori walked away from a life of crime, she set forth on a path of redemption and discovery. She found a man to call her own, and a life she would give anything to keep. Suddenly faced with her true identity, and the danger of having friends and family destroyed by the world she left behind, she finds herself once again lost in a dark world filled with sex, drugs and murder. She thought that a life of normalcy is what she wanted most, but when she gets a small taste of the dangerous life she once lived, she is forced to face the fact… not all of the demons are found on the outside. LOOK FOR IT – JUNE 22nd!!!
May 25, 2014
Sneak Peak – Dark Indiscretions: A Prequel Chapters Prologue-2 by Shakuita Johnson
Copywrite 2014 by Shakuita Johnson
Just finished the first draft of A Prequel last night and thought I’d post a little sneak peak…Please if you haven’t read Dark Indiscretions and Dark Indiscretions: Monster Unleashed read with caution. I would hate to spoil it for anyone. Here are chapters Prologue-2…it’s unedited and subjected to change. Just throwing that out there :) So leave me a comment letting me know what you think…
Prologue
20 A.D.
Six-year-old James Johnson was lonely. His parents had decided that they weren’t going to have any more kids after him, so he was the only child. It wasn’t supposed to be that way. James and his family were Mystics – vampyra shape shifting witches. They were the monsters other monsters were afraid of. They killed without remorse or preamble. They were fanatics about maintaining a “pure” bloodline. Mystics would marry a brother or sister from the family and reproduce other Mystics. It was a long-standing tradition. His parents deciding to only have one child went against their culture and everything they believed in.
James wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do now. After his birth his parents should have tired for a girl so he would have someone to grow up with and marry. They were supposed to be so closely bonded that they would be like an extension of each other. Only it wasn’t going to happen. He was going to be alone for a very long time. He couldn’t marry anyone else because all his other family members were already spoken for. At six this was a hard reality to face. While his cousins were running around hand in hand with their chosen he only had himself to keep him company. Something his six-year-old mind didn’t understand or was capable of comprehending. All he knew was he should be paired up just like his cousins.
James looked up from his dirt piles he was playing with at the sound of someone shuffling up the valley. It was midday and the sun was hot and shining. He saw a small boy making his way to where James knelt in the dirt. He looked smaller than James. He had never seen this boy before and because of that James was wary. His species was the top of the food chain. His father would kill him if he let someone get the better of him. It didn’t matter that he was only six. It wouldn’t do to be taken by surprise by this stranger. He stood and bared his tiny fangs.
“Who are you? Why have you come here?” James demanded in a tiny but fierce voice. Even at only six he was a trained killer.
“My name is Kain. My parents were talking with your parents down towards camp and they said you were here playing. I asked if I could come join you and here I am,” Kain explained with his tiny hands curled to his side and his head cocked.
“Are you new here?” James asked but didn’t retract his fangs yet.
“Yes, we walked about two weeks time to get to this part of the hillside,” Kain said. “Would it be alright if I played with you?”
“You don’t have a sister?” James asked.
“No. It’s just me,” Kain said.
“Me too! Want to be bestest friends?” James asked excitedly finally putting away his fangs at this new prospects before him.
“Yes!” Kain shouted just as excited.
“Good. We will be friends forever and ever.” James said with confidence.
The each nicked their finger with a fang until blood swelled up to the top. They touched their fingertips to each other’s and in an instant a bond was made. Best friends forever and ever as long as they both still lived.
Chapter 1
30 AD
Today was James’s birthday. He was going to be sixteen. Kain was coming over and they were going to go hunting by themselves for the first time. Her couldn’t wait! Kain’s birthday was two days before but he waited for James so they could celebrate together.
They had remained best friends for ten years now. He was the brother James would never have. They were as thick as thieves. They did everything together. If they could they would spend every waking moment together.
James made sure his tunic was secured and raced to the door.
“For goodness sakes James he will knock once he’s here. You don’t have to seem like an eager puppy every time Kain’s around,” Marcella Johnston said for the hundredth time.
She was beautiful. His mother. She had long raven hair with tiny ringlet curls and blue eyes. She had the same hair and eyes that James saw every time he saw his reflection. She was fairly tall for a woman. Five feet, seven inches tall with bronzed skin. His mother loved walking outside in her gardens. It was weird for a Mystic but whatever.
“Please Mother. No teasing. I don’t have anyone else to play with since you and father refuse to have anymore children,” James sulked.
“Not this again. One is all I wanted. I don’t have time to be running around a bunch of little monsters. You and Kain are quite enough. He’s here half the time. Some days I swear it’s like I have two children.”
“You should have had two children at least. One boy and one girl, then I wouldn’t be the laughing stock of the entire family. It’s unheard of! Whom am I supposed to marry now?”
His mother made a face at him. Gah! She was such a child sometimes. For once he wished she would take his complaints seriously.
“Don’t be such a baby Jamie.”
“I hate it when you call me that!”
Just as his mother went to respond with probably something else to make him angry there was a knock at the door.
“I’ll get it. It should be Kain,” James said.
When James opened the door he was a bit surprised to see not only Kain but also his parents. What the hell where they doing here?
“It’s a bout time! We have to come up with a hunting plan. It will be dark soon,” James stated.
“Well about that…seems our fathers think they should come with us,” Kain said with a sad smile.
“What? No! We are sixteen and more than capable of hunting on our own. Every other Mystic does,” James raged.
“You are still so young. Your father and I will just trail behind the both of you. You will hardly know we are there,” Daniel O’Grady said calmly.
He was a big man of about six feet, seven inches. He had darker brown hair and brown eyes on fair skin. He was also very muscular for a Mystic because they tended to be leaner. He looked like he could bowl over a whole field of people. Even still, James wasn’t afraid of him.
“No! Where is my father? Father, come out here right now,” James demanded.
He knew he was acting like the child they still believed they were but he didn’t care. It was his damned birthday! His father walked in like he owned the place. Well technically he did but James was well into his tantrum and wasn’t about to stop now.
Besides his father didn’t scare him either. Well not much anyway. Michael Johnston’s very presence in a room commanded respect. Sometimes James didn’t like to give it to him. This was one of those times. Strangely his father loved when James challenged him. Claimed it kept him on his toes. They had a very strange relationship.
His father was just as attractive as his mother. His father’s skin was much paler in comparison to hers and his eyes where a vibrant green. He kept his fire red hair in one long braid down his back. He was six feet, five inches of lean muscle but one should never let that lead them to believe he couldn’t do a great deal of damage to anyone bigger than him. His father played to win. Always.
“You bellowed,” Michael said with mirth.
“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t come tagging along on my first solo hunt. What will people think?” James was screeching at this point.
“Shit James with all that screaming you are doing people will probably think you’re a girl,” Michael mocked.
“You’re not fucking going!” James yelled. “We are sixteen and it is our right.”
Michael just gave his only child a long look. He was his baby boy regardless of what anyone else thought. His son was a good egg. Yes he was a killer but he had honor. He had values. He wasn’t ready to send him out on his own. Even if Kain would be accompanying him on his first solo hunt. Daniel felt the same way so they had came up with this unheard of turn of events. Michael knew it was time to take a gamble.
Mystics where know as cold and uncaring but it wasn’t entirely true. He loved his family and he would be damned if his only son was hurt on his first hunt. He was fucking going with him or he wasn’t going at all.
“Either Daniel and I are going with you boys or you want be going at all,” Michael said looking his son right in the eyes.
“This is total fucking bullshit!” James screamed as he smashed anything he could find that was breakable.
Kain just shook his head. He wanted to go hunting. He didn’t care if both their damn parents watched from the background. He was hungry. He hoped James got over his tantrum before the sunset and they needed to be out the door. All these years later and James still insisted on acting like a toddler whenever he didn’t get his way. Kain was losing patience with his best friend really fast.
Chapter 2
“Well now you’ve done it Michael. He’s going to break every piece of pottery he can find in his outrage,” Marcella said. “This is entirely your fault you know. You let him get away with bloody murder.”
Marcella looked at her husband in amusement. James was a handful and spoiled. She didn’t mind in the slightest. She was glad they had only one child. She loved being able to have one on one time with her son whenever she wanted. She didn’t have to compete for his attention. She hated being second best, and that would include the daughter she was supposed to have for James to marry. She was selfish and she didn’t care. That may be were James got it from.
“He will get tired soon enough,” Michael replied. “So Kain are you ready to go on your first hunt?”
“I’ve been ready for the last two days. If I hadn’t told James I would wait for him I’ve had already been on a hunt,” Kain said.
James was still smashing vases in the background but stopped at the sound of Kain’s voice.
“You would have left me?” James asked with a pout.
“Will you cut it out James. I want to go on a hunt. Who cares if they follow behind us?” Kain pleaded.
Kain was used to James’s outbursts by now but sometimes he just wanted to shake his best friend. They had a damn hunt to go on and James was throwing one of his famous tantrums. Kain was an only child too but he never acted this way. His father would kill him. After his mother beat him first to soften him up!
“I care. This hunt is supposed to signify our independence. How can it do that if our daddies are tagging along?” James whined and stomped his foot for good measure.
“Oh come off it James. We are going. You’ll hardly know we are there,” Michael said firmly.
James knew it was a losing battle. His father was getting impatient with him. He would only let him act out so much before he would have to punish him. James hated being punished.
“Fine but not so close,” James compromised.
“You won’t even know we’re there,” Michael agreed.
“Excellent. Abaigeal dear we will be back before you know it,” Daniel said to his wife.
She was as pale as James’s father and had hair just as red with emerald green eyes. She was a short and tiny thing though. James wasn’t sure how she carried Kain’s big ass in her small body.
“Of course dear. Marcella and I will just have ourselves a bit of girl talk while we clean all these vases James smashed,” Abaigeal replied.
James felt a little guilty about his outburst but not enough to offer to clean it up himself. He was spoiled he admitted it. Perks of being the only child. Sometimes it didn’t suck so badly. This was one of those times.
“Come on boys let’s go scout out an area. Has to be some humans out roaming around, begging to be eaten,” Michael announced. “Tell your mothers goodbye so we can go. The sun is setting.”
James and Kain gave their mothers a kiss on the cheek and quickly made their way to the door. They were pumped and ready to feed. They were that much closer to being men in the eyes of their fathers. They didn’t want to mess it up.
***
James could barely contain his excitement. He couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into some poor unsuspecting human. Usually his father or mother would take someone down then he would drink after them. There was no struggle or fight by the time he feed. They were already close to death and he just finished the job. He wanted a challenge.
He was determined to show his father he didn’t need a babysitter. Kain was the only backup he needed. The only backup he ever wanted. The sun had set completely and James walked side by side with Kain and they scanned the horizon and listened closely to their surroundings. True to their words, their fathers weren’t seen or heard but James knew they were watching and waiting. Ready to jump in if need be.
James spotted the people first and nudged Kain to look as well. Kain gave him a brilliant full on smile and shook his head in agreement. They would have to be silent, deadly, and fast. There were twelve kids who looked to be around the same ages as Kain and James. This would be easy. Six and six, surely they could each handle a few tiny humans.
They continued their slow approach to the twelve unsuspecting humans but blended more with the shadows. No need to spook them before they were right upon them and able to stop them from getting away or screaming. The shock of what was about to happen would keep them occupied long enough for them to drain everyone dry before anyone could think to make a single move or run away.
James heart raced in excitement, anticipation, and a small dose of fear. This was it. The moment he had been waiting for, for sixteen years. Once James felt he and Kain were close enough he gave the signal they had discussed days ago.
They pounced at the same time and that’s when they realized they had made a mistake, a very big one at that. These weren’t just your average slow, ill-prepared humans. These were something more and they were prepared and ready.
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