In this scene, Six, member of the Ghost Corps (a human resurrected with Ultra blood), has been taken hostage by Mahikos, Pietas’s father. Pietas and Joss have just found him.
Blink Twice
“Are you looking for this?” The unmistakable voice of his father came to Pietas before the man’s faint outline revealed itself in the dark.
Mahikos had captured Six and pressed a knife blade to the ghost’s throat. At the point where the blade dug into him, blood oozed.
The blank passivity on his friend’s face revealed what Pietas had feared. Six had been compelled into submission by the psychic gifts Mahikos wielded. He would stand there and let the man kill him.
Rage propelled Pietas forward.
“That’s far enough, Son.” Mahikos dragged Six backward. “Unless you want your own hands covered in this human’s blood.”
Pietas ground his teeth. For this, his father would forfeit his life. “I will end you, old man.”
“Will you?” Mahikos dug the knife edge into Six’s neck. “You dared bring this abomination into our camp after it threatened your mother–the woman I love–and you want to end me? This thing is going to die by my hands!”
Time slowed to a crawl.
Pietas drew every vestige of Compulsion he had and threaded Chaos along its invisible bands. Mahikos was immune to both, but aligned, they might soften his will.
Wait. Immune. Immune!
That word rattled around his head, a stone bouncing off the sides of a bottomless metal pit.
Pietas had practiced compulsion, sending command after command to Six. The man was immune.
Six, blink twice if you hear me.
He gave two quick blinks.
How he treasured this man! Good job, ghost. You stalled him. If you’re hurt, blink once.
Six remained steady.
Excellent. I should never have left you. I’m sorry. On my mark, drop and get out of the way. Joss, go right. Distract him.
I serve. Her mindvoice packed the simple Ultra vow with raw emotion.
Now!
Joss screeched a war cry and bolted right.
[bctt tweet=”Blink twice if you hear me, ghost #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor #SciFi” username=”kayelleallen”]When the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone. But that’s the problem. He’s not.
Half a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped in their pods and it’s up to Pietas to rescue them. Before he can save his people, he must take back command from a ruthless enemy he’s fought for centuries. His brutal, merciless father. Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever…
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I loved this book. Read it one sitting and will re-read more slowly later. Can’t wait for the next one.
So appreciative, Kryssie. 🙂
Are there any non-intense parts to this book, Kayelle? ;^)
I keep waiting for the ginormous kitty!
I think there’s one somewhere in the middle… lol Not really. 😉 Next week – the kitty!
Wow! I don’t normally read science fiction, but every time I read one of your excerpts I think I should make an exception.
Awww… thank you! <3
Remember the excerpt. What a psychopath his father is.
His picture could be by the word in the dictionary. 😉
This scene proves it’s a lot harder to hold a hostage when he can communicate psychically with his rescuer.
That was a great snippet. This sounds like a fabulous book. Tweeted.