_
Excerpt from book two, Dark Horizon.
Izzy adjusted her eye patch and tied her blonde hair into a messy bun then she slid the gun into the holster at her thigh. Jago would be here soon and she was as prepared for him as she could be given the circumstances. One of them would die tonight and she was damn sure it wasn’t going to be her. She thought briefly of their kiss but only briefly; she couldn’t allow any old feelings to resurface and ruin everything. In the distance she could hear Piper yelling at Niam; same old shit, she thought with a rueful smile. She wondered if it would all end for everyone tonight. If the Nafari had their way, the lot of them would be exterminated like rats. Izzy glanced at the tracking moniter strapped to her left wrist. The colour was a dark pink and that meant that the Nafari were close. Jago would have told them where they all were by now; she had no doubt about that. She slid a hunting knife in the other holster at her waist then she stepped to the window. The sun was melting messily into the horizon and the first stars were just beginning to show. She watched as Piper and Niam walked together up the garden; Piper small, dark haired but strong and fierce like a lioness; Niam, tall and fair haired, his glasses reflecting the last of the dying sun. He looked like a librarian but in a fight there was no one she would rather have by her side. Once upon a time, there had been a chance of happiness with him; she recalled that one night back in the village, lying next to him as he held her and she cried for her mother and the feel of his fingers stroking her hair. His breath had smelt of toothpaste and the sneaky cigarette that he had smoked just before she had climbed through his window. Their lips had touched so briefly it had been as if she had dreamt it but that had been then, which seemed like a lifetime ago. She knew that he had given up on any hope of them being together and besides Piper was so much better for him. Her heart was still an open unexplored terrain.
Izzy chewed on her bottom lip. Love was a fleeting and frail animal that always seemed to pass her by, to touch her enticingly before laughing and running away. Jago and his brother Jevon had left her heart closed and cold and she had no intention of opening it again. At the thought of them, an image of Jevon’s blue eyes came to her, that and his smile. He always seemed to be laughing unlike his more moody and surly brother. If kissing Jago had been a mistake then being with Jevon was the worst thing of all. He had betrayed her and had gotten her sister killed and there was no going back from that.
Excerpt from book two, Dark Horizon.
Izzy adjusted her eye patch and tied her blonde hair into a messy bun then she slid the gun into the holster at her thigh. Jago would be here soon and she was as prepared for him as she could be given the circumstances. One of them would die tonight and she was damn sure it wasn’t going to be her. She thought briefly of their kiss but only briefly; she couldn’t allow any old feelings to resurface and ruin everything. In the distance she could hear Piper yelling at Niam; same old shit, she thought with a rueful smile. She wondered if it would all end for everyone tonight. If the Nafari had their way, the lot of them would be exterminated like rats. Izzy glanced at the tracking moniter strapped to her left wrist. The colour was a dark pink and that meant that the Nafari were close. Jago would have told them where they all were by now; she had no doubt about that. She slid a hunting knife in the other holster at her waist then she stepped to the window. The sun was melting messily into the horizon and the first stars were just beginning to show. She watched as Piper and Niam walked together up the garden; Piper small, dark haired but strong and fierce like a lioness; Niam, tall and fair haired, his glasses reflecting the last of the dying sun. He looked like a librarian but in a fight there was no one she would rather have by her side. Once upon a time, there had been a chance of happiness with him; she recalled that one night back in the village, lying next to him as he held her and she cried for her mother and the feel of his fingers stroking her hair. His breath had smelt of toothpaste and the sneaky cigarette that he had smoked just before she had climbed through his window. Their lips had touched so briefly it had been as if she had dreamt it but that had been then, which seemed like a lifetime ago. She knew that he had given up on any hope of them being together and besides Piper was so much better for him. Her heart was still an open unexplored terrain.
Izzy chewed on her bottom lip. Love was a fleeting and frail animal that always seemed to pass her by, to touch her enticingly before laughing and running away. Jago and his brother Jevon had left her heart closed and cold and she had no intention of opening it again. At the thought of them, an image of Jevon’s blue eyes came to her, that and his smile. He always seemed to be laughing unlike his more moody and surly brother. If kissing Jago had been a mistake then being with Jevon was the worst thing of all. He had betrayed her and had gotten her sister killed and there was no going back from that.
_
From book one The Tilting Sky.
Jevon stared at Jago and shook his head, ‘You know that’s not why I’m here. I don’t want a part of it Jago.’
Jago pushed his hair from his face and walked to the window. He wiped the condensation from the glass and stared out at the falling snow. Somewhere out there, their father was hunting for them and he wouldn’t show much mercy if what he required wasn’t completed.
‘If you don’t you know what will happen,’ he said, quietly.
Jevon glanced at the monitor strapped to his wrist. He knew full well what would happen. He raised his eyes to his brother, ‘You’ve told him haven’t you?’
Jago’s back stiffened slightly and he sighed. ‘We do what we have to do to survive. You must have known it would come to this eventually. Father won’t let anyone disobey him.’
He turned and faced Jevon, blue eyes on blue, ‘I won’t let you do this.’
Jago loosened his scarf, ‘Brother, you have no choice. I told you before how dangerous it was to involve yourself with human affairs.’
‘Our mother is human!’
Jago picked up his coffee cup and knocked back the rest of it. Jevon wondered if he could rush his brother right now and whether or not he’d really have a chance. Jago was much more experienced in the art of fighting than him.
‘It doesn’t matter Jevon. Our father is not human and lest you forget, our mother is a weak vacuous idiot who father only chose because of her looks and breeding possibilities.’
Jevon’s jaw clenched and he took a step towards his brother. ‘You stupid fool.’
Jago held up a hand, ‘I wouldn’t do that. You know you can’t take me in a fight not to mention the fact that I’m the only one who can, if I choose, stop father’s decision.’
Jevon exhaled and tried to suppress his anger, ‘But you won’t though will you? You want to be father’s pet; you’re like a little lamb following him, licking his boots. He’s just using you, don’t you know that? He’s setting you up to take the fall if it all goes wrong. He doesn’t love you Jago. He doesn’t love anyone.’
Jago threw the coffee cup across the room where it crashed against the log wall. Jevon knew he had hit a nerve. Growing up, Jago had always tried to please father, to make sure that he received all the praise. He liked to bask in the glow like a sun worshiper.
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Jago said, his teeth clenched, ‘your head has been spun by the woman, the one eyed freak!’
‘The woman that you kissed so she can’t be that much of a freak,’
Jago strode across the room, ignoring the comment. He opened the door and stood framed against the snow and rising hills in the distance.
‘I suggest that you get out of here,’ he said quietly over his shoulder, ‘father is not far away now and when he arrives, he will not be merciful.’
Jago left the cabin and shut the door behind him. Jevon listened to his footsteps crunching in the snow and then the sound of the snow mobile. So, he was being given a small chance then, a minor window of opportunity although he knew that the chances of reaching Izzy and the others and finding a good hiding place were slim. He had to try though.
Jevon grabbed his coat and left the cabin.
From book one The Tilting Sky.
Jevon stared at Jago and shook his head, ‘You know that’s not why I’m here. I don’t want a part of it Jago.’
Jago pushed his hair from his face and walked to the window. He wiped the condensation from the glass and stared out at the falling snow. Somewhere out there, their father was hunting for them and he wouldn’t show much mercy if what he required wasn’t completed.
‘If you don’t you know what will happen,’ he said, quietly.
Jevon glanced at the monitor strapped to his wrist. He knew full well what would happen. He raised his eyes to his brother, ‘You’ve told him haven’t you?’
Jago’s back stiffened slightly and he sighed. ‘We do what we have to do to survive. You must have known it would come to this eventually. Father won’t let anyone disobey him.’
He turned and faced Jevon, blue eyes on blue, ‘I won’t let you do this.’
Jago loosened his scarf, ‘Brother, you have no choice. I told you before how dangerous it was to involve yourself with human affairs.’
‘Our mother is human!’
Jago picked up his coffee cup and knocked back the rest of it. Jevon wondered if he could rush his brother right now and whether or not he’d really have a chance. Jago was much more experienced in the art of fighting than him.
‘It doesn’t matter Jevon. Our father is not human and lest you forget, our mother is a weak vacuous idiot who father only chose because of her looks and breeding possibilities.’
Jevon’s jaw clenched and he took a step towards his brother. ‘You stupid fool.’
Jago held up a hand, ‘I wouldn’t do that. You know you can’t take me in a fight not to mention the fact that I’m the only one who can, if I choose, stop father’s decision.’
Jevon exhaled and tried to suppress his anger, ‘But you won’t though will you? You want to be father’s pet; you’re like a little lamb following him, licking his boots. He’s just using you, don’t you know that? He’s setting you up to take the fall if it all goes wrong. He doesn’t love you Jago. He doesn’t love anyone.’
Jago threw the coffee cup across the room where it crashed against the log wall. Jevon knew he had hit a nerve. Growing up, Jago had always tried to please father, to make sure that he received all the praise. He liked to bask in the glow like a sun worshiper.
‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Jago said, his teeth clenched, ‘your head has been spun by the woman, the one eyed freak!’
‘The woman that you kissed so she can’t be that much of a freak,’
Jago strode across the room, ignoring the comment. He opened the door and stood framed against the snow and rising hills in the distance.
‘I suggest that you get out of here,’ he said quietly over his shoulder, ‘father is not far away now and when he arrives, he will not be merciful.’
Jago left the cabin and shut the door behind him. Jevon listened to his footsteps crunching in the snow and then the sound of the snow mobile. So, he was being given a small chance then, a minor window of opportunity although he knew that the chances of reaching Izzy and the others and finding a good hiding place were slim. He had to try though.
Jevon grabbed his coat and left the cabin.