This week I have a new release, Dark Magic, which is a short prequel story for my Elfhame Academy Series. It’s available on Amazon and only 0.99.
Dark magic has been unleashed and Nether creatures are on the loose in the mountains of Elfhame…
As an agent of the Elhalan, Ashland Rhys is tasked with stopping the creatures, and exposing the person responsible. He doesn’t expect to see a familiar face on his quest.
Cassie is a slayer, the only one strong enough to destroy the creatures escaping from the Nether Realm – and she has failed. Now they threaten the whole kingdom but there may be hope. Cassie and Ash were once best friends, destined to stand by each other’s side. Can they beat the darkness back?
With the help of a baby dragon, the duo go head-to-head with creatures long thought extinct, using all the training they have to try and win the fight. If they fail, all hell will break loose in the human and elven realms.
Excerpt
Wind rushed by me as I rode towards the border crossing and held up my ID to the guard.
“Ashland Rhys.” I gave him my civilian ID instead of my official one.
Being an agent for the Elhanan didn’t make you welcome anywhere. Among fae, elves, or humans.
“Why are you going to Elfhame?” The guard raised an eyebrow. He stood a little taller than me with short, cropped blond hair, pointed ears, and wore a blue uniform. A sword was strapped to his back and knives were sheathed at his waist.
Did they really expect that much trouble border crossing? Then again, elves were always paranoid about security. Especially when it came to people entering their realm.
Great. He just had to ask questions. Why couldn’t he wave me through? I wanted to get this assignment over and done with.
“I’m travelling and planning to sightsee.” I motioned to my motorbike. They didn’t need to know the real reason I needed to visit the elven realm.
“That’s hardly a good way to travel. What are you going to do when you run out of fuel?”
“It is for me. And fuel won’t be a problem. Can I pass?” I didn’t bother mentioning the bike was solar-powered.
The guard glanced at my ID again, brow furrowed.
An elf on a motorbike might raise eyebrows, but I needed to travel light and move fast. Elfhame was too unpredictable to use magic all the time. Besides, I looked human with my glamour in place. Any human looking at me would see a guy with short, dark hair, blue eyes, and a muscular body clad in a leather jacket and jeans.
The guard checked my travel paperwork again. “Where are you headed?”
I repressed a sigh and shrugged. “Don’t know. That’s the fun of travelling. Seeing where you end up.”
“You don’t have a route planned?” The guard’s frown deepened.
“Nope. I go wherever the wind takes me.” That sounded cheesy. I should be better at this. Some agent I am.
“Are you going to let me through or not?” I demanded. “Because I want to get moving. There are a lot of places I want to see and I’d like to get going before dark.”
The guard smacked a stamp on my paperwork. “Go ahead.”
My mouth almost fell open. I wasn’t about to argue, so I put my bike into gear. The engine roared as I finally headed for the bridge. The bridge that separated Elfhame from the human realm looked like a normal stone bridge made from grey bricks. Nothing special.
Something flashed past and the feeling of being weightless washed over me as I headed across. The sensation didn’t bother me. I’d been back and forth from Elfhame since I was a kid. It still felt weird, though. Even after I gasped for breath once me and my bike emerged on the other side.
The sky appeared almost blue here. The sun beamed down without a cloud in sight. The trees stood like dark sentinels. The smell of grass smelt fresh and welcoming.
The guard stood waiting for me. Geez, wasn’t the checksum human side enough?
“ID and paperwork.” The guard held out his hand.
Again. I just wanted to get moving. Why didn’t they just let me get on my way? I had work to do. Every second I wasted meant the job wouldn’t get done.
I handed over the ID card and marked paperwork.
Damned guards; I couldn’t blame them for doing their jobs, though. Elves were always strict about their rules. Both guards read through every bit of my travel papers. And double checked my ID.
Finally they handed them over and waved me on. Kicking my bike into gear, I rode off.
Trees and other landmarks flashed by.
