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Category: Character Insights

Insights into characters and how they act or react.

When a team of reanimated special ops soldiers pits itself against Pietas, the immortal learns a new truth. Even the dead feared him.

30 Days of Chaos: Day 14

To celebrate the launch of Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas I’m sharing 30 Days of Chaos. Each day during April, I’ll post one excerpt from the book, along with a poster of a quote by Pietas. On the final day, members of my Romance Lives Forever Reader Group will receive a full color book containing all the quotes and posters. Unlike my website, the book posters will have only a quote and a beautiful image. Look for another giveaway at the end of this post.

Even the Dead Feared Him

Even the Dead Feared Him #ChaosIsComing #scifi @kayelleallen #chaos #quoteThe stasis pod Pietas hid behind rested on the floor, and came up to mid-thigh. It hid him, but allowed no view of the door. A sudden change of light told him soldiers had entered. Grunts, they wore beams on their chests to light their way. The idiots had left them on, which let him calculate the level of brightness. At least six.

That was all he warranted? He hardly knew whether to be amused, or insulted.

He waited for a stirring of emotion, but felt none. Smart. They’d sent either androids or ghosts with those new anti-emo chips. The latter would be fun to fight. When he killed them, would they experience a human death, or did they have to be terminated like an Ultra? How well did the chips work?

He’d find out in a minute.

A tiny trickle of fear leaked. That meant three things.

One: ghosts.

Two: anti-emo chips? Worthless.

Three: even the dead feared him.

More fear leaked, and then frustration. The ghosts were fighting the effect of the chip. They were afraid of being afraid. Typical. Humans underestimated the power of death. They thought dying and coming back to life meant you’d overcome the fear of dying. He had died thousands of times, yet he still avoided it. Their anti-emo chips had given them no edge whatsoever.

Excellent. He could use that.

Another hint of fear surfaced. It zinged over Pietas’s skin like a cool breeze, good as a waft of air. How interesting! Emotion from the reanimated energized more than emotion from the living. He drew the aetheric fear into himself, gathering strength.

The silence meant no air had entered the room. He’d miss his favorite sound: bones breaking in his enemies.

Remaining on his side, Pietas let them get all the way inside the room.

Crowded as the space was between his pod and the wall, two ghosts crept into it. Six spots of light showed on the other side. Eight ghosts then. That would be a much better fight. One nudged him with a foot.

Suppressing a smile, he continued to play dead.

Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas
Immortal. Warrior. Outcasts. Traitors took everything. Except their honor.
Preorder on Amazon http://amzn.to/1R8DAbb (Out May 1, 2016)
Read now in print on CreateSpace http://bit.ly/boc-origin-csp

Giveaway – Free Download

Download free printable #scifi bookmarks www.kayelleallen.com/chaos-origin #ChaosIsComing @kayelleallen

free bookmarks

Download and print three PDF Bookmarks. The first features Six, the human warrior. The second is Pietas, the immortal warrior. The third is the two, back to back.
Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-six.pdf
Pietas https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas.pdf
Pietas and Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas6.pdf
Download a free adult coloring book you can print and share. Relax and color with friends. It’s fun! https://kayelleallen.com/media/pietas-coloring-book.pdf

The return of his sister brings chaos into Pietas’s life. As usual, when she shows up, there is trouble. Especially when dragons are involved.

30 Days of Chaos: Day 8

To celebrate the launch of Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas I’m sharing 30 Days of Chaos. Each day during April, I’ll post one excerpt from the book, along with a poster of a quote by Pietas. On the final day, members of my Romance Lives Forever Reader Group will receive a full color book containing all the quotes and posters. Unlike my website, the book posters will have only a quote and a beautiful image. Look for a giveaway at the end of this post.

Dessy plus Dragons

Dessy plus Dragons equals Trouble #ChaosIsComing #scifi @kayelleallen #chaos #quoteThe nameless, empathic bond between him and his twin drew Pietas, and he caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Dess, have you–” He yanked back his hand, biting off the words. “Never mind.”

“It’s all right. Go ahead. Ask me.”

He held her gaze, reading the depth of her knowledge with the innate connection their bond afforded him. “Have you– No.” He turned away. “Never mind. It wasn’t important. Forget I said anything.”

“Dragons.”

The single word stopped him cold. He faced her, chin lifted. “What?”

“You heard me. Dragons. That’s what you wanted to ask, isn’t it? If I’ve been dreaming about dragons.” She unzipped her leathers down to her rounded bosom, and pulled out a fine chain dangling a dragon charm. “In the dreams, yours are teal and silver. Mine are ruby and gold.”

He returned to her, and took the pendant in hand. The golden creature sparkled, its eyes glistening as if wet with blood. “Beautiful.” He rubbed a thumb over it, and the dragon warmed to his touch. He smiled into Dessy’s pale eyes. “How often do you dream them?”

“Every night. Tas, what does it mean?”

At hearing her childhood name for him, he dropped the pendant. “Dragons are primal protectors. They symbolize defeat of the beast within and show selfless courage.”

She tucked the chain back inside her top. “How do you know that?”

“How do you not?”

She called him a rude name, and shoved him.

It broke the tension, and he laughed. “Come on, Sis. Let’s do what you came to do and be done with it. I’m busy.”

“Fine, you big spoilsport. You never let me have any fun.”

“Father wouldn’t approve if I did.”

“And we all know how much you want Father’s approval.”

One thousand nine hundred and sixteen years old, and the truth behind her teasing still stung. Pietas spun away from her and crossed the room.

Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas
Immortal. Warrior. Outcasts. Traitors took everything. Except their honor.
Preorder on Amazon http://amzn.to/1R8DAbb (Out May 1, 2016)
Read now in print on CreateSpace http://bit.ly/boc-origin-csp

Giveaway – Free Download

Download free printable #scifi bookmarks www.kayelleallen.com/chaos-origin #ChaosIsComing @kayelleallen

free bookmarks

Download and print three PDF Bookmarks. The first features Six, the human warrior. The second is Pietas, the immortal warrior. The third is the two, back to back.
Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-six.pdf
Pietas https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas.pdf
Pietas and Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas6.pdf
Download a free adult coloring book you can print and share. Relax and color with friends. It’s fun! https://kayelleallen.com/media/pietas-coloring-book.pdf

In this scene between the immortal Pietas and his father, the two are arguing a familiar topic: humans. It opens with Pietas speaking.

30 Days of Chaos: Day 3

To celebrate the launch of Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas I’m sharing 30 Days of Chaos. Each day during April, I’ll post one excerpt from the book, along with a poster of a quote by Pietas. On the final day, members of my Romance Lives Forever Reader Group will receive a full color book containing all the quotes and posters. Unlike my website, the book posters will have only a quote and a beautiful image. Look for a giveaway at the end of this post.

They All Die

Humans! They All Die #ChaosIsComing #scifi #immortals @kayelleallen #chaos #quote

“You want us to treat humans as equals. They never treated us as such. Even now, we’re hated and reviled. Putting them on the council will make them haughtier. I want nothing to do with humans.”

“Then you want nothing to do with me, Son. Humans are all I care about.”

And wasn’t that the naked truth of his father’s betrayal? He had turned his back on their people. He had turned his back on his son.

“You’re right, Father. I want nothing to do with you. I care nothing for mortals.” He flipped his silver circlet into the air and caught it. “They all die.”

Bringer of Chaos: Two enemy warriors: one human, one immortal. Different in belief, alike in spirit, marooned together on an alien world.

Imprisoned and in isolation over a year without food or water, the immortal Pietas survives. Though broken in body, his intellect and will are intact, thanks to Six, the special ops warrior who captured him, but kept him sane. The warrior had no hand in his deprivation and, like Pietas, was betrayed by his own kind. When Pietas is abandoned on an alien world with nothing but his honor–and Six–he must find and rejoin other immortal exiles. After centuries of war, Pietas detests humans and kills them on sight, but he is too damaged to continue on his own. Though he despises needing help, he allows Six to nurture and restore him to full strength, and then accompany him. As they cross the planet together on foot, the immortal begins to wonder if he has found his first human friend, or if Six is loyal only because Pietas could keep the others from tearing him to shreds. This human will either be his closest living friend, or the one whose betrayal will trigger all-out vengeance by the most powerful immortal ever born.

Immortal. Warrior. Outcasts. Traitors took everything. Except their honor.

Read the first chapter https://kayelleallen.com/chaos-origin/
Preorder on Amazon http://amzn.to/1R8DAbb
Read now in print on CreateSpace http://bit.ly/boc-origin-csp

Giveaway – Free Download

Download free printable #scifi bookmarks www.kayelleallen.com/chaos-origin #ChaosIsComing @kayelleallen

free bookmarks

Download and print three PDF Bookmarks. The first features Six, the human warrior. The second is Pietas, the immortal warrior. The third is the two, back to back.
Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-six.pdf
Pietas https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas.pdf
Pietas and Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas6.pdf
Download a free adult coloring book you can print and share. Relax and color with friends. It’s fun! https://kayelleallen.com/media/pietas-coloring-book.pdf

Pietas is the current Chancellor of the Council. His father, Mahikos, has stepped down from that position. They agree on little, and argue about plenty. But the chief source of contention is humanity.

30 Days of Chaos: Day 4

To celebrate the launch of Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas I’m sharing 30 Days of Chaos. Each day during April, I’ll post one excerpt from the book, along with a poster of a quote by Pietas. On the final day, members of my Romance Lives Forever Reader Group will receive a full color book containing all the quotes and posters. Unlike my website, the book posters will have only a quote and a beautiful image. Look for a giveaway at the end of this post.

That Must Be Pietas

Oh, gracious, that must be Pietas #ChaosIsComing #scifi @kayelleallen #chaos #quote

“Son, humans are the reason we exist.”

“Perhaps that was true in your reality. Humans have abused, misused, and betrayed their creations throughout their history. This peace everyone clamors for comes from concern about humans. I care less than nothing about them. As for their good graces? I have no faith they exist.”

“You know, Pietas, one day you’ll rely on the mercy of humans.”

“You think humans show mercy? How amusing.”

Head down, Mahikos rubbed a spot between his eyes. “I hope I’m there to see it. When you realize even humans have value, that will be a good day for all of us.”

“How well you preach love.” If only he gave it half as well.

“Son, when the conference starts tomorrow, all your mother and I ask is that you try to be gracious.”

“I’m certain I already am. Just this morning when I knocked on your chamber door, I heard Mother say, ‘Oh gracious. That must be Pietas.'”

“Why can you not be serious about this?”

“I consider these talks of utmost importance. It is you I do not take seriously.”

Mahikos glowered, but for once, did not argue.

“Such a lovely chat, Father. Do give me an evening alone before I subject myself to the presence of humans.”

His father made a bow, far from genuine in respect, and stalked away. At the door, he paused and turned back. He shook his head as if coming to a decision, opened the door, and left. Quite unlike the man to leave without getting in the last word.

Later, Pietas stood before the wall-sized viewscreen, taking in the change of station lights as the ship began docking.

His father was right about one thing. The almighty council ruled as it wished, and one either obeyed, or it removed you from power. His entire family might be members, but they served at the council’s command. Pietas, as elected leader, made the final vote, but his office could overrule no one.

The powerless authority chafed.

The council voted in favor of the treaty. Pietas had cast the sole dissenting vote. Equality and balance of power was the cornerstone of Ultra rule. It had worked for centuries, but now they wanted to apply those principles to humans.

“Humans. On the council. Equal to Ultras. Not in my immortal lifetime.”

After he destroyed these peace talks, he’d suspend the council. He’d already united the soldier class as First Conqueror, War Leader of the Ultras. They’d accept his rule when he took command as king. Then, and only then would he be free to accomplish his most vital goal, keeping humanity in chains–where it belonged.

Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas
Immortal. Warrior. Outcasts. Traitors took everything. Except their honor.
Preorder on Amazon http://amzn.to/1R8DAbb (Out May 1, 2016)
Read now in print on CreateSpace http://bit.ly/boc-origin-csp

Giveaway – Free Download

Download free printable #scifi bookmarks www.kayelleallen.com/chaos-origin #ChaosIsComing @kayelleallen

free bookmarks

Download and print three PDF Bookmarks. The first features Six, the human warrior. The second is Pietas, the immortal warrior. The third is the two, back to back.
Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-six.pdf
Pietas https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas.pdf
Pietas and Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas6.pdf
Download a free adult coloring book you can print and share. Relax and color with friends. It’s fun! https://kayelleallen.com/media/pietas-coloring-book.pdf

The Council is mighty, but its days are numbered unless they learn to believe.

30 Days of Chaos: Day 5

To celebrate the launch of Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas I’m sharing 30 Days of Chaos. Each day during April, I’ll post one excerpt from the book, along with a poster of a quote by Pietas. On the final day, members of my Romance Lives Forever Reader Group will receive a full color book containing all the quotes and posters. Unlike my website, the book posters will have only a quote and a beautiful image. Look for a giveaway at the end of this post.

The Council Refuses to Believe

The Council will not believe #ChaosIsComing #scifi @kayelleallen #chaos #quote

At the appointed time, Pietas entered the elevator with the council, ignoring the warning looks from his father. His mother tugged his father to the rear of the elevator, and cast a hopeful smile at her son. Seeing the two of them together, with his father newly reborn and his mother aged, reflected their differences. He had always been hot-tempered; she, wise.

Pietas turned away, wishing he did not have to disappoint her, but he could not in good conscience carry out the council’s command. Lock his people into a treaty with these oath breakers? Never.

The entire council would be furious with him. As usual.

Dessy arrived as the doors were closing, and slid into place on his right as second-in-command.

On her bosom sat an oval-shaped gold and black brooch, the glass front of which revealed a plait of his hair interwoven in a complex pattern. His sister said nothing, but he felt her empathic outpouring of assent. Yet despite her emotional support, she had voted against him.

Would he never understand this woman? Shoulder to shoulder they faced front.

The closed car meant the sting of emotions in the small space bombarded him from all angles. His skin twitched, and he rubbed his arms as if cold.

A cadre of humans waited in the assigned receiving chamber. Ten humans would be given in exchange for ten members of the Ultra Council, as Mahikos and the council had requested. While the Ultras were on board Enderium Six, the humans would act as hostages. If anything happened to the Ultras, the humans would die lingering deaths.

A crawling-ant sensation on his skin escalated to a sting. These creatures hid some secret he did not yet fathom. Pietas bit the inside of his cheek, fighting the urge to lash out, to rip away the life of these mortals.

As agreed, the council members had come unarmed. Ultras had no need to carry weapons. They were weapons.

“You!” He gestured toward the human who approached. “I want more.”

“I beg your pardon?” The man stopped, and looked up at him. Average height for a human, he was over a foot shorter than Pietas, and clothed in nondescript gray from head to toe. The dark-skinned man gave him a quizzical look. “More what?”

“More hostages. Ten for ten implies you are our equals. You are not. I want thirty. That will not come close to matching the worth of one of our warriors. Since I doubt you have more than thirty brave enough to face our wrath if you fail, that will suffice.”

Grimacing, the man looked over his shoulder. A woman in the group gave an almost imperceptible nod. He turned back. “Very well. We’ll need more time.”

“You have ten minutes.”

“It will take longer than–”

Pietas lifted a hand. “Power up the guns.”

Mahikos came up beside him, and flickers of heat traced over Pietas’s skin. His father’s emotions announced his displeasure, but a council member who interfered with negotiations risked being banned from service.

A hum in the background escalated, and lights on the wall panels switched over to red. “Activated,” replied a robotic voice.

“You can’t do this!” The human emissary stretched out both hands. “There are half a million souls on board. You said you’d come in peace. We can’t–”

“Nine minutes.”

“Please!” The man raised the hands in a placating gesture. “Please. Give us thirty minutes. “We need thirty minutes to find–”

“Your repetition bores me. Do you need thirty minutes because you include children among your hostages?”

A cold smile tightened the man’s bland features. “We sent all the civilians and their families off station five days ago, knowing you were coming.”

This underscored what Pietas had said all along. Why would the council not believe this was a trap? They had believed none of his warnings. He would have to get them out of this on his own.

“So you feared me, did you? First intelligent thing you’ve said today. If laying waste to this station will kill human soldiers, so much the better.”


Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas
Immortal. Warrior. Outcasts. Traitors took everything. Except their honor.
Preorder on Amazon http://amzn.to/1R8DAbb (Out May 1, 2016)
Read now in print on CreateSpace http://bit.ly/boc-origin-csp

Video

Giveaway – Free Download

Download free printable #scifi bookmarks www.kayelleallen.com/chaos-origin #ChaosIsComing @kayelleallen

free bookmarks

Download and print three PDF Bookmarks. The first features Six, the human warrior. The second is Pietas, the immortal warrior. The third is the two, back to back.
Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-six.pdf
Pietas https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas.pdf
Pietas and Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas6.pdf
Download a free adult coloring book you can print and share. Relax and color with friends. It’s fun! https://kayelleallen.com/media/pietas-coloring-book.pdf

In this scene from Bringer of Chaos, Pietas is returning from a meeting where he refused to accept the ten hostages offered by a group of humans. He insisted on thirty instead. His parents, both former leaders and still on the council, trail after him.

30 Days of Chaos: Day 6

To celebrate the launch of Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas I’m sharing 30 Days of Chaos. Each day during April, I’ll post one excerpt from the book, along with a poster of a quote by Pietas. On the final day, members of my Romance Lives Forever Reader Group will receive a full color book containing all the quotes and posters. Unlike my website, the book posters will have only a quote and a beautiful image. Look for a giveaway at the end of this post.

Never Negotiate

Never Negotiate with Humans #ChaosIsComing #scifi @kayelleallen #chaos #quoteHis parents trailed him back toward private quarters. “Pietas,” his mother called. “Wait!”

For her, he stopped, and turned around.

Small compared to most Ultras, and delicate of face, Helia ap Lorectic was as tough as any soldier. Like him and his father, she possessed an eidetic memory, and a fine scientific mind. If anyone was the hope of their people, it was she.

“Pietas, you know this is wrong. We agreed to those terms before we arrived.”

“It is not wrong, Mother, and the terms were made by the previous council head, not by me.” He opened the door to his quarters, and turned back to Helia. “They’ll agree to my terms or they’ll die.”

Mahikos stepped in front of his wife. “You will destroy these talks, you inflexible, intractable narcissist!”

“Why, Father. I’m impressed you know words that big. Thank you.”

The man lurched toward him.

“Stop it!” Helia positioned herself between the two. “Pietas, please. It took–”

“No, Mother. I never negotiate with humans from a position of fear.”

Mahikos jabbed a finger toward him. “You never negotiate at all.”

“Your precious humans have five minutes.” He shut the door in the man’s face.

His father’s shout of anger followed, and then his mother’s calmer tones, soothing. The thud of a fist rattled the door before Mahikos gave way to whatever it was Helia was saying to him.

“Just like old times.” The message board lit up. Furious texts and outraged faces filled the screen. “It seems I made every council member angry at the same time. How efficient of me.”

The device on his wrist let Pietas portal anywhere on the ship, or to the side of whichever member he wanted. He could use it to communicate. He kept his on private mode, always. No one entered his presence or spoke to him unless he wished it.

His empathic senses, however, he left open. Politicians lied as a matter of policy. Emotions did not.

“Better the enemy you know, than the enemy you do not.”

He stroked a fingertip over the bracelet’s smooth black surface, and then gave it one tap. “Security! Keep the guns hot.”

Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas
Immortal. Warrior. Outcasts. Traitors took everything. Except their honor.
Preorder on Amazon http://amzn.to/1R8DAbb (Out May 1, 2016)
Read now in print on CreateSpace http://bit.ly/boc-origin-csp

Giveaway – Free Download

download free printable bookmarks

free bookmarks

Download and print three PDF Bookmarks. The first features Six, the human warrior. The second is Pietas, the immortal warrior. The third is the two, back to back.
Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-six.pdf
Pietas https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas.pdf
Pietas and Six https://kayelleallen.com/media/boc-bookmark-pietas6.pdf
Download a free adult coloring book you can print and share. Relax and color with friends. It’s fun! https://kayelleallen.com/media/pietas-coloring-book.pdf