Family (26 page)

“Absolutely,” Reed said with a nod and a half-smile of his own. “Anything you want to know.”

“Mind if I join you all?” I turned at the sound of the voice, and my jaw dropped more than slightly, my eyes fluttering in surprise. Zack walked up with his tray supported in his hands, a neutral look on his face.

I turned back to the table, and met the three of them looking to me, and realized that the decision was mine. “Have a seat,” I said, and nodded at him.

He turned and pulled an empty chair from a nearby table, and slid it up to sit next to me with a nod to everyone else. “How are you holding up?” he asked.

I thought about it. My mouth came open, and a million responses, both probable and improbable, threatened to fall out, every one of them carrying far more detail than was actually needed. “I’m…” I blinked, and a thousand more ran through my mind before I settled on one that came out. “I’m good,” I said, and I wondered if it was true. I thought for a second, and decided it was, or as close to it as was possible at this stage in my life. “I’m good. How are you?”

He chewed on a french fry, and averted his gaze. “Not as good as you, it sounds like.”

“Well,” I said, swallowing a bite of food, “it’s a tall order to fill, you know, what with all the awesome life events I’ve experienced lately…”

He broke a slight smile at that one. “Sure. Tons of fun stuff has happened, right?”

“Exactly,” I said, nodding. “Lots of big stuff. Crazy stuff. Like, I have a brother.” I reached back and slapped Reed on the shoulder. He looked up from his meal, surprise turning to annoyance from my slap.

“I heard about that. Well, I’m glad it’s all been going good,” Zack said, and paused, searching my eyes for something.

“Not all of it,” I amended. “There are some things that haven’t been so fun.” I lowered my voice a notch. “Some things I regret, if you know what I mean. Things I’m…sorry about.”

I caught the flicker in his expression, the subtle nod. “Yeah. I’ve…had one of those myself.” He cleared his throat. “I hate regrets.”

“Me too,” I agreed. I tried to smile, and did. “I don’t really like having regrets. I tend to like to…resolve things, if I can.”

“Me too,” he said with a shake of the head. “What do you do about something like that? You know, to resolve it?”

I took a deep breath and pretended to think about it. “You know…I think it depends on what the wronged party wants to do. For my part…I’m sorry.”

I thought I caught a little relief, and he nodded. “Me too. Things happened…that I wish had never happened. And…if I could have anything I wanted, it’d be to go back to the way things were before.”

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Even after…everything?”

“Yeah,” he said finally, after clearing his throat again. “Because…’everything’…isn’t as bad as…what would happen if…” He looked up, as though trying to straighten out what he was trying to say in his head. “Oh, geez, I just…” He met my eyes, and his hand reached out for mine, and I felt his hands take mine, watched his bare skin stroke against the leather of my glove. “The physical isn’t everything to me. I just want to go back to the way things were.”

“You sure?” I waited, and he nodded. “I wouldn’t mind that either, because…you’re right. It’s not. But going back to the way things were is a better deal for me than you, so…yeah. I’ll take it. And…I really am sorry.”

“I know,” he said, and he looked me in the eye as he said it.

“Wait…” Kat said, staring at the two of us with squinted eyes, “did you two just get back together? Is that what that was?” She blinked twice. “No, really. I honestly have no idea.”

Reed laughed, followed by Scott, and then Zack. Kat finally let out a little guffaw of her own, and I started to join them but stopped. I was here, in my little oasis, hostile people all around, but my friends closest, surrounding me.

And yet Zollers’ last words, his warning, came back to me, and as they laughed, the sound was cold to my ears, and I was alone in the midst of them all. I felt those little hairs on the back of my neck tingle, the nerves firing off one by one, as the laughter grew at the table around me. I felt the feeling fade, and slowly, painfully slow, I let a smile spread across my face as I put that thought out of my mind.

A Note to the Reader

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I wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading this story. As an independent author, getting my name out to build an audience is one of the biggest priorities on any given day. If you enjoyed this story and are looking forward to reading more, let someone know – post it on Amazon, on your blog, if you have one, on Goodreads.com, place it in a quick Facebook status or Tweet with a link to the page of whatever outlet you purchased it from (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, etc). Good reviews inspire people to take a chance on a new author – like me. And we new authors can use all the help we can get.

Thanks again for your time.

Robert J. Crane

Acknowledgments

Whenever I put one of these books out, I’m always afraid I’m going to mess it up by failing to mention someone who deserves it. Writing the book may be a solitary effort, done in a locked room after chaining myself to the keyboard, but the state it comes out in is one that is totally unfit for print, a disaster of epic proportions filled with grammatical errors, misspellings and failures of continuity both minute and massive. To my editorial squad of beta readers, I give thanks:

Shannon Garza, for not only fixing the grammar and spelling, but helping me to improve flow and clarity, and keeping Sienna on the correct emotional keel.

Robin McDermott for letting me know when I was getting too “wordy.” Or as I would put it before she corrected it, “diffuse.” She also caught lots of other errors, but this is what I get the biggest kick out of, reading her notes.

Calvin Sams always does a readthrough and provides notes, and this time is no different. Thanks, Calvin, for keeping an eye out for me!

Damarra Atkins focused on the geek aspects, as she is well attuned to geek culture and managed to even pick up on some of the more obscure references in the manuscript. And that is why I have left them in; so long as one person gets them, they stay.

Debra Wesley once more kept an eye on the technical aspects of the manuscript, letting me know when things don’t quite work the way I think they do. I know I write fantasy, but that’s no excuse for a complete departure from any sort of reality, and Deb keeps these books grounded nicely.

And what can I say about Heather Rodefer that hasn’t already been said? She’s the nicest Packer fan I’ve ever encountered, and I mean that in as complimentary a fashion as possible coming from a Minnesotan to a Wisconsinite. She is the error correction patrol, the final authority when it comes to mistakes in the manuscript. Without her, I shudder to think what horror I would be producing, and I know it would not be fit for public consumption.

Once again the cover of this work has been created by the excellent Karri Klawiter of Artbykarri.com, who I can’t say enough nice things about. She’s great to work with and always seems to come up with a fantastic idea for the covers.

The final editing duties were handled once more by Nicholas J. Ambrose of everything-indie.com. In addition to being a superb Halo player he can also fix a manuscript in record time, then make it beautifully presentable in every e-format known to humanity. And all this just weeks after Halo 4 came out – this makes him quite the wonder.

Last of all, it seems appropriate that in a book titled Family that I take an extra moment to thank mine. My extended family has been ridiculously supportive of my career, far beyond what I could have expected and miles better than what I’ve heard of other authors in similar situations. Thank you all.

Also, thanks to my mom and dad, and my kids, who have given me both the tools and the reason to use them in this field of endeavor I have chosen.

I’ve heard it put in better terms than mine that “faith is the evidence of things not seen.” My wife had faith in me when there was literally nothing to see, and believed in me enough to back my crazy play to be an independent author back when it made zero sense to anyone but me. For that (and much more), I am eternally grateful.

About the Author

Robert J. Crane was born and raised on Florida’s Space Coast before moving to the upper midwest in search of cooler climates and more palatable beer. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in English Creative Writing. He worked for a year as a substitute teacher and worked in the financial services field for seven years while writing in his spare time. He makes his home in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.

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Sienna Nealon will return in

OMEGA

THE GIRL IN THE BOX, BOOK FIVE

Omega – a shadowy organization that is synonomous with power in the metahuman world. They have hunted Sienna Nealon since the day she first left her house, killed countless Directorate agents and operatives, and now they unveil their greatest plot – Operation Stanchion, a phrase whispered to Sienna by an Omega operative almost too scared to speak the words aloud. Now Sienna must track the pieces Omega has in motion, journeying across the upper midwest to confront the forces that have plagued her since she first stepped into the metahuman world before they can land their final stroke – and bring an end to the Directorate forever.

Coming Early 2013

The Sanctuary Series

Epic Fantasy by Robert J. Crane

The world of Arkaria is a dangerous place, filled with dragons, titans, goblins and other dangers. Those who live in this world are faced with two choices: live an ordinary life or become an adventurer and seek the extraordinary.

Defender

The Sanctuary Series, Volume One

Cyrus Davidon leads a small guild in the human capital of Reikonos. Caught in an untenable situation, facing death in the den of a dragon, they are saved by the brave fighters of Sanctuary who offer an invitation filled with the promise of greater adventure. Soon Cyrus is embroiled in a mystery - someone is stealing weapons of nearly unlimited power for an unknown purpose, and Sanctuary may be the only thing that stands between the world of Arkaria and total destruction.

Available Now!

Avenger

The Sanctuary Series, Volume Two

When a series of attacks on convoys draws suspicion that Sanctuary is involved, Cyrus Davidon must put aside his personal struggles and try to find the raiders. As the attacks worsen, Cyrus and his comrades find themselves abandoned by their allies, surrounded by enemies, facing the end of Sanctuary and a war that will consume their world.

Available Now!

Champion

The Sanctuary Series, Volume Three

As the war heats up in Arkaria, Vara is forced to flee after an ancient order of skilled assassins infiltrates Sanctuary and targets her. Cyrus Davidon accompanies her home to the elven city of Termina and the two of them become embroiled in a mystery that will shake the very foundations of the Elven Kingdom – and Arkaria.

Available Now!

Crusader

The Sanctuary Series, Volume Four

Cyrus Davidon finds himself far from his home in Sanctuary, in the land of Luukessia, a place divided and deep in turmoil. With his allies at his side, Cyrus finds himself facing off against an implacable foe in a war that will challenge all his convictions – and one he may not be able to win.

Coming Early 2013!

Savages

A Sanctuary Short Story

Twenty years before Cyrus Davidon joined Sanctuary, his father was killed in a war with the trolls and he has never forgiven them. Enter Vaste, a troll unlike most; courageous, loyal and an outcast. When Cyrus and Vaste become trapped in a far distant land, they are forced to overcome their suspicions and work together to get home.

Available Now!

A Familiar Face

A Sanctuary Short Story

Cyrus Davidon gets more than he bargained for when he takes a day away from Sanctuary to visit the busy markets of his hometown, Reikonos. While there, he meets a woman who seems very familiar, and appears to know him, but that he can’t place.

Available Now!

The Girl in the Box

Contemporary Urban Fantasy by Robert J. Crane

Alone

The Girl in the Box, Book 1

Sienna Nealon was a 17 year-old girl who had been held prisoner in her own house by her mother for twelve years. Then one day her mother vanished, and Sienna woke up to find two strange men in her home. On the run, unsure of who to turn to and discovering she possesses mysterious powers, Sienna finds herself pursued by a shadowy agency known as the Directorate and hunted by a vicious, bloodthirsty psychopath named Wolfe, each of which is determined to capture her for their own purposes…