kurtherian gambit 23.7 - tales of feisty druid 07 Read online

  “This is where it ends?” Esmerelda asked.

  Arryn nodded. “You had an opportunity when your husband was killed; you could’ve used your terrible experiences to become an advocate for the downtrodden. Instead, you chose to be just like him.”

  Esmerelda only smiled, shaking her head as she met Arryn’s statement with silence.

  “You might be fine with dying, but I’m not,” Selena spat to her leader.

  The Storm Raider’s eyes flashed, and lightning webbed across the sky. Arryn surrounded herself with a shield just before a wave of water crashed over the side of the ship.

  A barrier wouldn’t save her if a bolt hit the deck—charging the water beneath her feet.

  Arryn leapt as high she could, unsure if this would work or if she was about to kill herself. Lightning crashed to the deck as her eyes flashed black. Just before she landed, ice ropes wrapped around her ankles to anchor her to the ship as a torrent of air twisted around her body. Staying afloat was already draining her, so she had to move fast.

  Get ready! she sent to Lorelei.

  Arryn grunted as she flung her arm forward, and frozen shards of ice whipped out of the maelstrom, impaling Esmerelda and Selena as she anchored them to the ship as well. Finally, Arryn screamed as she sent a blast of telekinetic energy straight down into the deck of the ship, blowing it apart.

  Water began to rush in, and within seconds, the ship turned over, and Arryn was thrown into the maelstrom. Something struck her in the head, knocking her unconscious, as she was pulled deeper down and thrown about like the debris from the ship as the ocean swallowed them whole.

  EPILOGUE

  When she finally awoke, Arryn found herself lying on the beach with the sun shining down on her. She vaguely recalled being grabbed by several people and carried through twisting currents back toward the other ship. Slowly, her eyes opened, then she sat bolt upright to be met by faces all around her.

  Mariana, Veren, and their crew were sitting off to the side, and her own group was hovering closely around her.

  “I know I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am,” Samuel said.

  “I wish I could’ve been there!” Corrine said enthusiastically. “They told me all about it, and I’m so mad I wasn’t there!”

  Arryn shook her head, fighting a migraine. “That was not a place you wanted to be, believe me.”

  “Thank you,” Mariana said. “I have been hunting that ship for months, but every time we got close, they would flee.”

  “And because of you, we can feel safe again,” Lorelei said. “Thank you for everything you did to help us.”

  “We were all just in the right place at the right time,” Arryn shrugged groggily as she closed her eyes from the brightness of the sun. “We saved potentially hundreds of lives from their influence. We all deserve credit.”

  Cathillian hissed a little. “Yeah, but not all of us crushed a ship while flying.”

  Arryn laughed. “Slacker.”

  “So, what’s next?” Lorelei asked.

  “Yeah, where will you guys go now?” Brann asked.

  Arryn yawned. “First, we nap. I need sleep. Then we go to Kemet and fight whatever is going on there. Speaking of, we are going to need to find a way southeast,” Arryn said.

  “I might know a ship willing to take a few kind souls in that direction,” Mariana smiled.

  Arryn nodded as she sighed. She collapsed back into the sand, putting her hands under her head as she closed her eyes. “That sounds great. Thanks. Oh, and don’t let me forget to test this damn bracelet. If I don’t send a message to Margit, bad things will happen.”

  “Maybe you can try to send Amelia a message, as well,” Cathillian said. “She could pass one on to the Dark Forest, instead of us having to send Echo.”

  Cathillian had barely gotten his last words out, when Arryn quietly moaned ‘mmhmm’. Then she drifted back to sleep under the peaceful warmth of the sun, surrounded by her friends.

  FINIS

  Author Notes - Candy Crum

  Written April 10, 2018

  WOW!!! It’s been a LONG time, guys! It’s kind of hard to believe how long it’s been since I published an AoM book. Sorry about that! So, an update… lots of things have happened since I wrote one of these.

  First: December 29, 2017, we signed on the house I grew up in! Long story, but this is actually the third time I’ve lived there. It was owned by someone else the last time, and I was renting it when it went through a foreclosure. We moved into a duplex for a year, and my house went up for sale just in time for our lease to run out.

  Here’s the cool part… Because of you guys—because of the KGU—I was able to buy back my home. My childhood home. Every day I wake up there, I go out to my office and work. I get to look out my back window and see the MASSIVE tree that I planted with my mom when I was a little girl. So, I deeply appreciate the support. When I say that… I absolutely mean it. You guys and LMBPN have been nothing but a blessing.

  Next. I’ve been busy… I have been writing like crazy. It’s April 10th, and I have Into the Maelstrom publishing tomorrow and the second (third counting the prequel) book in my Therian Chronicles series publishes FRIDAY! Two books in less than a week. Boom. My goal is the get two more books out this month (one in each series) but that’s a lot to do in one month. We shall see, and I’ll keep you updated!!

  For those interested in checking out the series… They ARE available on KU (the prequel isn’t YET, but it’s only .99c). And you can find them here:

  Origin (Prequel): books2read.com/u/mVZorP

  The Dark Professor (book 1): books2read.com/u/mqpYDO

  I’m very excited for that series! So many cool things happening in it already. Book three will be out April 27th! Not too much longer. I’m excited to see what it can do!

  Now for the future of Arryn… I have ten books planned, potentially twelve, though I am planning to do a small series on Corrine as well. I have lots of plans. But now that Arryn is heading for Kemet, we will see a whole new world open up. I wish I could talk about it, but I can’t!!! Michael Anderle helped me figure out exactly what I wanted to do. I had some ideas, but I wanted something REALLY cool and REALLY set apart from other series. And damn it… Michael delivered. I’m so fucking excited and I know all of you will love it. Because he’s a genius haha!

  Thanks to everyone again for sticking by my side and reading this series. And thank you to everyone that’s been reading the new series!!! You’re amazing!

  Don’t forget to check out The Candy Shop: Candy Crum Fan Club Facebook group for updates and fun stuff like sneak peeks on covers and things like that.

  See you next time! <3

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Written April 10, 2018

  THANK YOU for reading all through the story, and through these author notes as well.

  I am a big believer in supporting people working their asses off to accomplish good things in their live(s) and working to do better for their children. I am very aware that not all opportunities exist for all people. However, I’m also very aware not all people take the opportunities in front of them, or quite early.

  Candy didn’t give up when she wrote and published her books starting a LONG time ago. You remember a few of the stories in the Bible where someone was promised a blessing, and they ‘just about’ gave up before their blessing was delivered?

  THAT is Candy’s story in a nutshell.

  She worked eight (8) years on her stories, trying time and time again to get a story out which readers would read and sell well enough to continue the series. The challenge (and there are a lot of challenges in our profession) beat against her for EIGHT YEARS.

  She was not successful

  Candy was to the point of giving up. (Hell, I probably would have after eight years – I suck like that.)

  As Candy was contemplating throwing in the towel, she got the job of editing Chris (CM Raymond) and Lee’s (LE Barbant) Rise of Magic series in order to bring in a
ny extra income she could for her boys. From there, she was an integral part of their success and effort and was invited by those guys to write in the Age of Magic in the Kurtherian Gambit Universe…and if you are reading these books, you know the rest.

  Candy brings her own version of WONDERFUL!!!! to our little happy family (I give her SUCH grief over her massive use of exclamation points. Now it seems like it has become a damned meme).

  I still remember when she and I worked out the tweaks to her character and the series name, “The Feisty Druid” came about. I was driving back from Austin to Dallas when we had those conversations.

  I believe it was just under a year ago or so that we were talking… In indie publishing, that feels like a decade.

  I’m going to give Amazon major KUDOS for providing the Indie Writers the tools and infrastructure to create our own publishing businesses. Whether it is just one person publishing their book, or something a bit larger…all the way to our size at LMBPN Publishing.

  If Amazon had not created the KDP system so many of us would not have the life we do today, and likely Candy would not have her family home back.

  Amazon has facilitated the opportunity for creatives like Candy and myself to write stories and put them on sale through their distribution tools to get them in front of you, the fans.

  But without you supporting us like you have? Well, I wouldn’t be in this home I’m sleeping in tonight, either.

  We wouldn’t have had Bethany Anne or any of the other stories.

  I always tip my hat to you, the fans. This time, I’m going to also tip my hat to Amazon for making what we do possible. As a reader, the first time I was able to just order ‘book 02’ of a series from my Kindle (DX) and start reading right away?

  It was a magical experience.

  I wish I had been smart enough to buy Amazon stock way back then, but I was too busy reading to be bothered with something like potential future wealth.

  Or sleep.

  Or even eating sometimes.

  I’m blessed that Candy was afforded this opportunity to grow her own publishing company. I appreciate another feather in the Kurtherian Gambit Fans’ hat of author lives you have changed.

  Thank you from all of us.

  Ad Aeternitatem,

  Michael Anderle

  Candy Crum

  For a chance to see ALL of Candy’s different Book Series

  Check out her website below!

  Website: http://www.candycrumbooks.com

  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/thecandyshopgroup/

  Michael Anderle Social

  Website: http://kurtherianbooks.com/

  Email List: http://kurtherianbooks.com/email-list/

  Facebook Here: https://www.facebook.com/TheKurtherianGambitBooks/

  Books by Candy Crum

  TALES OF THE FEISTY DRUID

  *with Michael Anderle*

  The Arcadian Druid (01) - The Undying Illusionist (02) - The Frozen Wasteland (03) - The Deceiver (04) - The Lost (05) - The Damned (06) Into The Maelstrom (07)

  THE THERIAN CHRONICLES

  *with Amanda Browning*

  The Dark Professor (1) The Therian Prince (2)

  Books by Michael Anderle

  For a complete list of Michael’s Kurtherian Gambit Universe books please click this link.

  Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:

  FIRST ARC

  Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04) - Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) - Kneel Or Die (07)

  SECOND ARC

  We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10) - Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13) - Don’t Cross This Line (14)

  THIRD ARC

  Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17) - Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20) - Life Goes On (21)

  THE SECOND DARK AGES

  *with Ell Leigh Clarke*

  The Dark Messiah (01) - The Darkest Night (02) - Darkest Before The Dawn (03) - Dawn Arrives (04)

  THE BORIS CHRONICLES

  *with Paul C. Middleton*

  Evacuation (01) - Retaliation (02) - Revelations (03) - Redemption (04)

  RECLAIMING HONOR

  *with Justin Sloan*

  Justice Is Calling (01) - Claimed By Honor (02) - Judgement Has Fallen (03) - Angel of Reckoning (04) - Born Into Flames (05) - Defending The Lost (06) - Saved By Valor (07) - Return of Victory (08)

  THE ETHERIC ACADEMY

  *with TS Paul*

  ALPHA CLASS (01) - ALPHA CLASS: Engineering (02)

  *with N.D. Roberts*

  Discovery (03)

  TERRY HENRY “TH” WALTON CHRONICLES

  *with Craig Martelle*

  Nomad Found (01) - Nomad Redeemed (02) - Nomad Unleashed (03) - Nomad Supreme (04) - Nomad’s Fury (05) - Nomad’s Justice (06) - Nomad Avenged (07) - Nomad Mortis (08) - Nomad’s Force (09) - Nomad’s Galaxy (10)

  TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

  *with Natalie Grey*

  Risk Be Damned (01) - Damned to Hell (02)

  ~THE AGE OF MAGIC~

  THE RISE OF MAGIC

  *with CM Raymond and LE Barbant*

  Restriction (01) - Reawakening (02) - Rebellion (03) - Revolution (04) - Unlawful Passage (05) - Darkness Rises (06) - The Gods Beneath (07) - Reborn (08)

  THE HIDDEN MAGIC CHRONICLES

  *with Justin Sloan*

  Shades of Light (01) - Shades of Dark (02) - Shades of Glory (03) - Shades of Justice (04)

  STORMS OF MAGIC

  *with PT Hylton*

  Storm Raiders (01) - Storm Callers (02) - Storm Breakers (03) - Storm Warrior (04)

  TALES OF THE FEISTY DRUID

  *with Candy Crum*

  The Arcadian Druid (01) - The Undying Illusionist (02) - The Frozen Wasteland (03) - The Deceiver (04) - The Lost (05) - The Damned (06) Into The Maelstrom (07)

  PATH OF HEROES

  *with Brandon Barr*

  Rogue Mage (01)

  A NEW DAWN

  *with Amy Hopkins*

  Dawn of Destiny (01) - Dawn of Darkness (02) - Dawn of Deliverance (03) - Dawn of Days (04) - Broken Skies (05)

  TALES OF THE WELLSPRING KNIGHT

  *with P.J. Cherubino*

  Knight’s Creed (01) - Knight’s Struggle (02)

  ~THE AGE OF MADNESS~

  LIVE FREE OR DIE

  *with Haley Lawson*

  Unleashing Madness (01)

  ~THE AGE OF EXPANSION~

  THE ASCENSION MYTH

  *with Ell Leigh Clarke *

  Awakened (01) - Activated (02) - Called (03) - Sanctioned (04) - Rebirth (05) - Retribution (06) - Cloaked (07) - Bourne (08) - Committed (09)

  CONFESSIONS OF A SPACE ANTHROPOLOGIST

  *with Ell Leigh Clarke*

  Giles Kurns: Rogue Operator (01) - Giles Kurns: Rogue Instigator (02)

  THE UPRISE SAGA

  *with Amy Duboff *

  Covert Talents (01) - Endless Advance (02) - Veiled Designs (03) - Dark Rivals (04)

  BAD COMPANY

  *with Craig Martelle*

  The Bad Company (01) - Blockade (02) - Price of Freedom (03)

  THE GHOST SQUADRON

  *with Sarah Noffke and J.N. Chaney*

  Formation (01) - Exploration (02) - Evolution (03) - Degeneration (04) - Impersonation (05) - Recollection (06)

  VALERIE’S ELITES

  *with Justin Sloan and PT Hylton*

  Valerie’s Elites (01) - Death Defied (02) - Prime Enforcer (03)

  SHADOW VANGUARD

  *with Tom Dublin*

  Gravity Storm (01)

  ETHERIC ADVENTURES: ANNE AND JINX

  *with S.R. Russell*

  Etheric Recruit (01) - Etheric Researcher (02)

  Other Books

  *with Craig Martelle & Justin Sloan*

  Gateway to the Universe

  THE UNBELIEVABLE MR. BROWNSTONE

  Fear
ed by Hell (01)

  SHORT STORIES

  You Don’t Touch John’s Cousin: Frank Kurns Stories of the UnknownWorld 01 (7.5)

  Bitch’s Night Out: Frank Kurns Stories of the UnknownWorld 02 (9.5)

  *with Natalie Grey*

  Bellatrix: Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 03 (13.25)

  Challenges: Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 04

  AudioBooks

  Available at Audible.com and iTunes

  CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL LMBPN BOOKS ON AUDIBLE

  Table of Contents

  Contents

  Kurtherian Gambit

  Dedication

  Legal

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen