The Sorcerer's Ring (Book 1) (21 page)

“Yeah, right,” he laughed. “If anything, it’s the other way around. She’s the reason I am who I am today. Just like Kace back there.” Remi turned to look at him. “I don’t know what your future with him holds, but who you are…it will be determined by him. Just like his character will be determined by you. When it comes to love, that’s how it works. For better or worse.”

“I see.”

“I want you to keep growing on your terms. You’ve gotten yourself this far so it’s apparent that’s what works. Nothing I say or do is going to help you more than you can help yourself, though I will assist in any way I can.”

“And what about everyone else? What are they fighting for?”

“Paragon’s safety,” he said, getting serious. “As well as Terra’s. One key element about Terra is that people can still be born there. Should the war go on for too long, Terra will be the most important asset we have, as that’s how armies can be replenished. Even now, both Paragon and Cimmerian are sending out scouts to recruit others to their side. That was one great thing about your arrival. Some people in Paragon were inspired by your story of courage and so they joined the school. We’re gaining more members each day now.”

“Then why would you let me leave? I could die out there. Wouldn’t you want me to stay back here so that I can inspire others?”

James scoffed. “Are you kidding? You need to get back out there and have some more adventures. It’s what you did to those guys from Cimmerian that everyone’s really talking about? I mean, sheesh, taking out that armored guy with an eidolon in your teeth? While having no arms? I was psyched up.”

Remi beamed in delight.

“You’re the baddest Sage we’ve got around here. You think I’m going to let you sit here and twiddle your thumbs? No. You need to go out there and kick some butt. Find those weapons. Take down some Cimmerians, and just do what you do best.”

James shook his head and stood to his feet.

“If I’m going to be honest, you scare me a bit. And I’m on your side! Imagine how your enemies feel about you right now.”

James walked away, but Remi was stilling feeling the high off of his words. She looked to the left. She looked to the right, and then she bowed her head and smiled as a single tear fell from her eyes.

“Awesomeness achieved,” she whispered under her breath.

THE PREQUEL TO THE SEVEN SORCERERS SAGA

Now Available at a discounted price:

The Last of the Sages (Book 1 of the Sage Saga)
[FREE!]

The Last of the Sages (Book 1 Deluxe Edition)

The Sage Academy (Sage Saga, Book 1.5)

The Dark Kingdom (Sage Saga, Book 2)

Hail to the Queen (Sage Saga, Book 3)

Of Heroes and Villains (Sage Saga, Book 4)

The Legendary Warrior (Sage Saga, Book 5)

End of the Fantasy (Sage Saga, Book 6)

Rise of the Sages (Sage Saga, Book 7)

Rise of the Sages (Sage Saga, Book 7)

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER
HERE

James thought his story was over.

But with the convergence of Terra, Oblivion, and Paradise, it has only just begun.

Once again allied with his former teammates, the reunion is found to be bittersweet, as they are soon targeted by ruthless assassins, overcome by betrayal, and pursued by an enemy so relentless that it could be nothing but personally driven.

In a world void of second chances, James realizes that he has to push his Sage abilities to the limit and beyond if he, and everyone he loves, is to have a fighting chance. But with time being short, and whispers of war riding the winds, there is little time to prepare.

The Sages have indeed returned.

But for how long?

The Sorcerer’s Dragon (Seven Sorcerers Saga, Book 2)

AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER
HERE

Walking the line between life and death, Remi Fonteyn continues the rough journey she started out on. For every ally she gains, she also acquires a new enemy, and the bounty on her head increases by the day. Those closest to her prove they can’t be trusted, yet she has no choice but to keep them by her side until her quest is finished.

And above all, the Seven Sorcerers are watching and waiting—for the perfect moment to cut her down for good.

Remi knows she is one step closer to victory. She just has to hold on a little longer.

And while finding the legendary weapons of the Seven Sorcerers is proving to be a difficult task, she has never been one to back down from a challenge.

Picking up where The Sorcerer’s Ring left off, Remi’s quest is far from over as she navigates a world full of magic and wonder, mystical beasts and songs of legends, political intrigue and breathtaking romance.

An Excerpt from:

My Immortal Playlist

TRACK 1 – Like a Horror Movie

“
I never loved another as much as I loved him. Somehow our souls just spoke to each other on a level that no two human beings ever could. Sure, it sounded crazy, but it was no more insane than a small town girl falling for a vampire, or a werewolf, or a ghost, and I had learned through those traumatic relationships to embrace the simpler things in life. And there was no one simpler…than my lover, Frank. A zombie.”

With the voiceover now over, the credits began to roll, and I heard several snickers and sucks of the teeth ring throughout the movie theater. A single round of applause came from the girl sitting to my right, caring little for my embarrassment and instead giving her favorite actress the respect she didn’t necessarily deserve. I sunk further down in my seat and covered my face, hoping no one recognized and associated me with the sadist.

“That may have been
Stewart’s
best performance yet!” she exclaimed, whipping her head toward me and almost slapping me in the face with one of her golden, curly locks.

“I can’t believe you dragged me to see this,” I groaned, chucking an empty Snickers wrapper to the sticky floor, which coagulated immediately with mounds of popcorn, butter and unknown substances. I swear I saw a donut lying there at the end of the row.

“I can’t wait for the sequel! Just think, when she finally decides to become a zombie…she’ll be the sexiest zombie in Hollywood!”

“Doesn’t it take her six books for that to happen?”

“Yes, but it’s totally worth it.”

“Which book out of the series was this movie?”

“This was the first one.”

I closed my eyes and counted to five. It was better than bugging out on her. I knew I should have gone to the movies alone, but then she called just as I was out the door, and like an idiot, I answered, and then to add more dirt to my coffin, I told her where I was headed. And
then
she cried and cried that she had no one to watch the latest gag fest with her, and of course, I gave in to the terrorist’s demands. I almost believed that it wouldn’t be so bad. But once the movie started and the eerie, banjo music started blaring over the loudspeaker, I realized I had made a terrible mistake. I mean, who uses a banjo? Name one famous person who plays the banjo.

Seriously.

I’ll wait. 

“I should’ve stayed home,” I sighed under my breath.

“You didn’t put up much of a fight,” she said, her blue mascara strangely accenting her vibrant green eyes. What was with this new fad of mixing strange colors together?

“Yeah,” I said. “But that’s only because someone told me this movie was different. It wasn’t what I thought it was going to be at all.”

“Okay, and what were you expecting? A horror movie?”

“Exactly. I mean c’mon, the movie is called
Zombie Kisses
. How do zombies kiss?”

“Like everyone else.”

“Well, it didn’t look appealing.”

“You’re not supposed to like horror movies anyways,” she huffed.

“And why is that?” I scoffed, sitting up in my seat quickly. Margaret flashed an award winning smile and made her voice all cutesy.

“Because you’re a woman,” she said. “You’re not supposed to like horror movies.”

“Ugh,” I groaned again, closing my eyes and turning around to see our fellow moviegoers leave in frustration and disappointment. I thought I heard one old guy say that he was surprised that Snow White was in love with zombies now instead of Prince Charming. I had to giggle. I loved it when the elderly saw an actress and assumed she was the same character in every movie.

“I’m serious. If we’re ever going to graduate high school and snag a husband, we can’t give off the image that we’re into blood and gore and all of those unattractive things.”

“Not like horror movies…snag a husband…what is this? The 50’s? Seriously, Margaret, you’re being unrealistic. And a little bit of a hypocrite. Do you seriously think that just because this movie is classified as a romance, it means you’re not into the supernatural? Think about it. A girl gets tired of her marriage with a vampire and decides to fall for a zombie! Who, I might add, tries to eat her shoulder when they’re making out! Listen, I don’t care if Malcolm Maximus looked nothing like a zombie. Yes, he was as gorgeous as always, but the concept is still gross and creepy.”

“This is completely different and you know it! There was no gore or violence whatsoever!”

“Yeah, but it’s a girl and a zombie…”

“Which if you ask me, didn’t look so bad.”

Silence filled the theater and I realized that her face was not giving off its usual amused glow.

“
You’re serious
,” I said.

“Dead serious.”

“Okay, that’s not funny…I think I’m going to be sick.”

“What do you want to me say, Alexandra? I love these types of movies, but I still think it’s improper to engage in viewing gory flicks like that stupid torture one that’s making all the headlines these days.”

“Oh, you mean
Screwdriver VIII
.”

“Yes. Absolutely disgusting.”

“It’s classic horror. A carpenter teams up with a mechanic on this one. Double the screwdrivers. Double the terror. Double the fun.” I really wasn’t
that
fond of horror movies, but I was willing to say anything to get under Margaret’s skin.

“Are you like doing a commercial for them or something? You sound way too excited.”

“Um,” a voice interrupted our conversation from below. We looked down to see a pimply faced, red-haired attendant brushing some nachos under a chair in row six. “The movie’s over. I gotta clean up the aisles before the next showing starts.”

“Sorry about that!” I called down as we awkwardly retrieved our purses and jackets in one swoop.

“How was it by the way?” he asked me as I began to pass him. I stuck to my honesty.

“It made me want to become a zombie,” I said, and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“You really liked it that much, huh?”

“No, I mean it made me want to die, come back reanimated and feed on the flesh of the Zom-hards that fall in love with this garbage.” He laughed out loud and nearly dropped his broom. I heard Margaret snicker behind me, and I suddenly gained my composure. I knew what she was thinking—that I was flirting with the attendant. And if I dared to show my face in school the next day without the entire student population thinking I had a new love interest, it was best that I cut the conversation short.

“Uh, I have to go,” I said to him before he could say anything else. The attendant must have realized what was going on because he just shrugged his shoulders and turned back to his cleaning. I sighed wearily and followed Margaret out the door. She started loading her mouth with a clip full of questions.

“So…he was cute, wasn’t he?”

“Not really,” I muttered, trying to attempt damage control. “His face was so greasy I could see myself in his forehead.”

“Isn’t that your type?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to drown out my annoyance by taking loud footsteps on the parking lot asphalt.

“Well, you went out with that Elliot kid, and that was
after he changed over the summer
, I might add.”

“Well,” I muttered, unsure of what to say. I kept my head down in shame as we walked, but then I miraculously remembered that we drove separately. I didn’t actually have to suffer through the whole conversation today. Maybe if I got to my car in time, I could change the subject. Make a comment about how rusty and old it was before Margaret had any follow up questions. But of course, it was Three Dollar Tuesday at the movies, which meant every high schooler with a half-beaten go-kart was in attendance, and my car suddenly blended in like a toenail in a bag of rice…don’t ask.

“He was so dreamy before,” she continued on. “I mean, I almost broke my own dating rule and asked
him
out, but you know, a lady has to have standards. After his…um, change…he didn’t appeal to me as much.”

“You wouldn’t have liked him,” I muttered before I realized what I was saying. I was such an idiot sometimes. Why didn’t I just keep my mouth shut?

“Oh? And why is that? Did you two…”

“Ew. No,” I shuddered, “and I’m surprised a woman of your class would ask such a thing.”

“Some things transcend class.”

“Apparently,” I said, fumbling with my car keys. Why couldn’t it have one of those convenient beepers that let you know where your car was located? I would be spamming it like an elevator button.

“So tell me about you two. I know you went out for at least a month last summer. What was it about him that attracted you?”

“To be honest? He was a little obsessive. Kept hounding me for a date.”

“Oh? Do tell!” Margaret said excitedly as she grabbed my arm and made me face her. I guess the search for the missing rust bucket was at a halt for now.

“All he wanted to do was touch me…or grab me,” I said, smiling like a maniac. “And he liked the taste of my flesh.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Margaret backed away, wrinkling her face. “Why do you have to put it like that?”

“It’s true though, and it started getting crazier too. He would chase me around the neighborhood, roaring away as he picked at his face, peeling off dead skin like he had just gotten the worst sunburn imaginable, yelling how he wanted to lick my sweat…”

“Stop! Just stop!” Margaret shrieked, stamping her feet to the pavement. “That’s just disgusting! And you know how I can’t stand it when you’re being gross! Just…just see me at lunch tomorrow!”

And with that, my best human friend ran away like I had been infected with a plague. I didn’t get why she was so upset. I thought she liked zombies.

Oh well, people just liked dreaming. They never thought about how unromantic it was in reality. Deep down, they didn’t really want to be a part of that paranormal world…

And I would know.

After all, I was living in it.

My cell phone rang and I picked it up absent-mindedly as I finally recognized my car, shining like a beacon of poverty. Never could tell what the original paint color was. The seats had springs sticking out of it, and the windows were wide open due to an electrical problem, but I didn’t care. No one would steal it. And it didn’t rain. So that meant today was a good day. It was never sexy driving in a wet interior that clung to your body and gave you a lingering wet dog smell. Actually, speaking of things that smelled…

“Hello?” I answered my phone as I got ready to leave, jimmying the keys into the crooked key hole.

“Where are you?” the voice on the other end said.

“I’m at the movie theater,” I sighed, regretting my words as soon as I said it. 

“And you didn’t invite me?” I could smell the snobbery from where I stood, even through the cell phone.

“I’m sorry, but we didn’t have extra cash for snacks, and we both know how hungry you can get. I’m sorry if I want Margaret to live through graduation.”

“You act like I’m an animal.”

“You are an animal.”

“If I’m such a monster, then why did you go out with me?”

I didn’t exactly have an answer for that, so I just waited for him to speak again. It irritated him to no end, but it was better than lying.

“Have it your way, Alexandra,” he said. “But could you at least do me a favor? I’m kind of stuck in the back of the old gas station on Parker Street. I’m lying in the grass.”

“What are you doing over there? No one uses that station. The prices are ridiculous, and you can get mugged occasionally.”

“
Yes. I know
,” he stressed. “But I can’t exactly have people watching me if I have an accident,
so
I have to go there—where it’s a little more private. Which also happened to work in my favor today because I did have an accident, and I was forced to crawl ten yards on my stomach.”

“Okay. Geez. You sound like my grandfather, telling me how he used to walk ten miles in the snow to school. I know you’re exaggerating.”

“Considering the circumstances, I’d rather be him at this point. His leg probably doesn’t fall off whenever he takes a spill.”

“No, just his hip.”

“Ha. Ha, Alexandra. Can you get me?”

“Sure, just don’t get eaten by vultures in the meantime.”

“That’s not funny. I was actually jumped by a gang of them yesterday.”

I giggled at the thought and quickly disconnected the call so he wouldn’t have a chance to scold me. He was getting crankier by the day and the only way I could deal with it was by humor. It wasn’t funny to him, but how else was I going to cope? Especially since I feared the worst…that someday he would be completely dead, and it was all my fault.

It was a good thing he had his accident at a gas station because my car stopped just as I rolled up to a pump. And I had filled it up right before going to the theater too. There must have been a leak.