Avae is in a predicament. The Nefarious Knave starts where The Broken Bond left off. Avae finds herself trapped by the Colossus Circle. What information can she collect about this infamous organization? Please enjoy the teaser excerpt below.

Chapter 1 Awake

The next time Avae woke, she was bound and naked. At first, she couldn’t see what was restraining her. Looking around, she could see that she wasn’t on a bed. It was a large vine grown wider than most beds, and vines were coming from this main stem that bound her wrists and feet. Avae felt panic rising within her as her memories rushed back.
 
Kaze found her.

Zavyr/Etris betrayed her to the Colossus Circle.
She looked around the room she was being held in. Cabinets, a table, and a sofa where Kaze had fallen asleep. Nothing she could use to get out of here. Usually, her wind magic would have been a swirling storm by now. Why wasn’t it?
Kaze opened his eyes. “You’re awake, good. How are you feeling?”

 Avae didn’t answer him. She was not about to have a normal conversation with him, as though nothing was wrong.

He continued as though she had answered. “At first, I was mad that you slept with him, but I suppose it couldn’t be helped. I had my assistant bathe you.” Avae looked down at herself. Except for a pendant around her neck, she was naked, but it wasn’t her mother’s pendant. They made it from the crystal she’d found sapping the farmers magic in Utopia. Her face flushed with both anger and embarrassment. “You are so cute to become embarrassed.”

 “I hope you like my pendant as much as mothers. You know all about those crystals, don’t you, Avae?” He stepped over to the table and picked up a cup he filled with water from the pitcher next to it. “Drink some water. You’ll feel better. The effects from the transfer haven’t begun yet, so I suppose we have some time before you meet your Gladjutor and Puriajuctant.” He stepped closer to bring the water to her mouth, but Avae turned her head away. “Still angry with me, huh?” The vines around her wrists and feet tightened slightly as his smile hid his agitation. As the pull between them amplified, He set down the cup and reached over to touch her. Avae shrank back as much as she could. Kaze reached further and cupped her breast. “You are more alluring than ever,” he slid his hand up under her chin, gripping it with his fingers, forcing her to look at him. “You will be mine, Avae. Make no mistake.” Their auras blended, but she glared at him angrily. “So furious with me, but you can’t do a thing about it. I wonder if your latest lover felt the same way.”

Kaze was always somewhat arrogant, but he couldn’t seem to shut up. “You see, Avae, I knew you were in Karakrek, and I knew when you left. It took me some time to track you after that. But when you caused such an uproar with Etris in Sragos. We called in some favors. Etris owed us a debt, and now he’s paid it. And I got you back.”

The door burst open, and a man in elaborate clothing walked in with two other men following. Avae squinted against the brightness; she missed her glasses. All of these bright auras were giving her a headache. Kaze must have purposefully kept the room darkened to help. Well, that was something. “Has she started having chills and fever yet?” His cold jade eyes studied and cataloged her.

“No,” Kaze said, “She’s just woke from her sleep after the transfer.”

“It won’t be long then,” He said. “You said she was your twin sister. Interesting, you don’t even look alike.”

“I take after our father, and she favors our mother,” Kaze said. His countenance was obedient. Whoever this was, they had power over Kaze, and he knew it.

The man walked over to Avae. “What is her name?”

“Avae,” Kaze said
 
“Avae,” He hovered over her. A good-looking man, his white hair fell gracefully around his angular face. He would have been more than typically handsome with his full pouty lips, but his jade-colored eyes were cold and detached as the stone itself.  

 His magic was powerful. Stronger than Kaze, but not as strong as Zavyr. He was a powerful person but not a God. This realization meant that Avae could tell how powerful someone was by their proximity. Who was this man? “I haven’t seen a Choris in centuries.” He said studying Avae.

 Centuries? Was this man an Exarche?

 His finger sparked with electricity as he reached over to trace a path from her ear to her collarbone. She felt nothing but the static and a light feathery touch of his finger as her hair floated into the air. “You are a Choris, after all. He turned his head to look over at Kaze. “If I had done this to you, you’d be screaming in pain.”

 Kaze paled when he saw the energy pulsing from the man’s hand, but the man turned back to Avae. He reached over to tug the vines gently. “Why have you bound her? She is in no condition to fight back.”

 “I know my sister. She’s better with a weapon than most soldiers, and magic doesn’t directly affect her. She’s bested me more than once.”

 “Resourceful,” the man said, stroking Avae’s cheek as she turned her head away. “A rare specimen indeed. Only the best Choris had this youthful appearance.” He pulled his hand away quickly as Avae’s body was heating. “Release her.” The man commanded. “It’s starting.”

 Kaze released Avae’s bonds, and she fell forward. The man quickly caught her and called over to the other two men. “Jaro, you need to keep her cool. Ice yourself over first. She’s scorching hot.” He stepped away, and Avae noticed the angry blisters already rising on his pale skin.

 Avae couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as Jaro’s icy armor hit her searing skin. “Jaro and Colrin will take care of her until it passes. Then you will take her to Radona.” The man said.

 “Radona, so soon?” Kaze asked with a frown.
 
 “Take heart, boy. I will keep my promise. You will marry her and father 3 of her children. No one else will be allowed that many."

 Avae cringed. They were planning for her future children. As if she was just going to lie down and play dead. The men continued talking, ignoring her entirely, and she could see a dagger hanging from the Puris’ belt. If she reached out…

 Avae’s hand flashed, and she grabbed the weapon and whispered, “I’m sorry,” before stabbing the man holding her. She and the now-dead Jaro dropped to the floor. Avae pushed herself to her feet and ran for the door.

 Colrin stepped back in shock at what had just happened. “Stop her!” The man commanded. Kaze’s vines reached for her, grabbing her ankle. Avae stumbled and turned, holding the knife to her own throat. Kaze looked at Avae in amazement.

 Avae glared at him. She could feel herself getting hotter. Her vision was going hazy.

 “Avae, my dear, you know you are outnumbered and in no state to make demands.” The man said, “but….” He continued talking, but Avae could no longer hear him. The roaring in her ears was too loud and grew in volume as her vision went black.

Paperback and full-eBook will be available on Amazon and other retailers on June 1. If you haven’t picked up your free copy of The Broken Bond – The Chronicles of Discovery Book 1, the precursor to The Nefarious Knave get your free eBook at your choice of link below (paperback is also available at Amazon if you want to support my work).

Links:

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