As the youngest Battle Prince,
Lucien D'Jacques is discouraged because the affinities with weapons
that his siblings have shown aren't showing up in him. Being
half-Mutah, that little something extra should be a given, but he's
no better than the average Normal soldier.
Meanwhile, the
Damaged are back and slowly taking over. After receiving word that
neighboring compounds are suffering, Lucien is tapped by his
parents, Yulen and Atty, the Battle Lord and Lady of Alta Novis, to
accompany them on a rescue mission to Green River. Now would be a
great time for those specialties to shine, especially after he
encounters another half-Mutah warrior huntress named Johna, whose
eyes can look deep into his soul.
When fighting an invisible
enemy, it's almost impossible to tell who is friend or foe. But if
left unchecked, that enemy could wipe out all Mutah. It's up to the
D'Jacques, with the help of their army and newfound allies, to
defeat the Bloods and stop the spread of the maddening disease
before it's too late.
Warning! Contains sneezing, tainted
blood, mutant insects, rabid bats, a diabolical plan, a fake battle
lord, a haunted compound, and one man trying to prove himself, as
well as protect the woman he's come to love, as they struggle to
survive.
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Stories of the Battle Lord and Lady of Alta Novis’s exploits have
reached far and wide. Some sound almost unbelievable. That’s why
Brass Cullum, along with his sons Dyer and Rayburn, have made the
long trek to the D’Jacques compound to seek the help of the
notorious battle lord in training an army of his own, to enable them
to protect themselves from the increasing tribal attacks on his own
compound.
However, not everyone is quick to trust the newcomers, and with good
reason. They don’t know the Cullums have another plan, and it all
hinges on luring the battle lord and lady away from the compound.
With the D’Jacques gone and disposed of, they’re certain the
compound will collapse on itself, making Cullum’s job easier.
Agreeing to accompany the Cullums back to their compound, the
D’Jacques assemble their own small army and head out, along with
their only daughter, Mistelle, and their oldest son, Mattox, leaving
their youngest son to run Alta Novis in their absence. Cullum’s
youngest son, Rayburn, has captured Mistelle’s attention, and he has
plans to work his magic to win her over. Mattox and her best friend,
Nevo, only hope she opens her eyes to see his true colors before
it’s too late.
Kidnapping. Pain. Humiliation. Degradation. Mistelle won’t be
beaten. She’s a D’Jacques, and she will live up to her name. But
defeating the darkness in herself could prove to be more difficult.
Warning! Contains brown powder, wormy snakes,
midnight talks, a lethal mutation, retaliation, a stone obelisk, and a life-long
friendship that becomes the love of a lifetime.
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Every five years, Yulen D’Jacques, Battle Lord of Alta Novis, holds
a conference to continue strengthening relations between the Normals
and Mutah. Both battle lords and Mutah councilmembers from far and
wide are invited in an effort to prove how important they could be
to each other, and to dismiss any misconceptions Normals may still
have toward the people they once considered their inferior enemies.
This time, it’s determined Mattox D’Jacques, Battle Prince of Alta
Novis, should take on some of the responsibilities of running the
conference. After all, he eventually will be the one to take the
reins from his parents, but his Mutah “tell” usually scares people
off rather than gains him respect.
Caralas Edge is the battle princess of Vega City, the biggest
compound in the west. But she doesn’t want to just be a princess,
and have someone coddling her because of her title. She can hold her
own. It’s moot anyway. She knows she’ll never take over Vega City,
fearing someone wants to get her father out of the way so they can
claim it for themselves. She’s long had her suspicions, but her
father will hear none of it.
She and Mattox clash like two swords when they first meet. They’re
too much alike in temperament. But when the red-eyed battle prince
saves Caralas’ life, they discover the danger is not over. It seems
someone is interested in the inner workings of the compound, and
it’s more than a little suspicious. But who? With this many battle
lords in attendance, trouble is sure to be found.
A possible takeover is brewing, but everyone is completely taken off
guard when faced with an enemy no one can fight off. And when it
becomes a battle to the death, Mattox and Caralas discover a deeper
connection between them than they ever thought possible.
Warning! Contains flying weapons, tasty grilled
snake, massive troop deployment, head-butting, the destruction of a
compound, treachery and deceptions, and a deadly force of nature
that makes two people realize they need each other physically and
emotionally in order to survive.
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