Cursed Throne: Lord of the Ocean #2 Read online

  Down to the seabed, then. He would lead the torpedo down to the ocean floor and hope that he could twist away in time from the impact of the explosion.

  He turned to dive, then felt the whisper of a different current brush against his skin.

  Not strong enough to be an approaching submarine. And the Endling was too far away.

  Another torpedo.

  And it was headed straight for him.

  Kai did not have enough time to detonate the first torpedo before picking up the second.

  If he turned away from the second—and he still could safely turn away—the torpedo would travel straight on, past him, and fix on the Endling.

  And he did not dare pick up both. Two motion-sensing torpedoes traveling side by side behind him would likely explode, and at a time he could neither predict nor control.

  Kai’s mind churned through the rest of his limited possibilities. Leading the first torpedo into the side of the second was likely the safest recourse for him, but the margin for error was too large. If he miscalculated his speed, if the first torpedo did not graze close enough to the second, he would not have time for another run before the second torpedo fixed its sights on the Endling.

  Head on.

  It was the only way.

  Teeth gritted against muscle fatigue and the rapid—too rapid—pounding of his heart, he twisted into a turn and led the first torpedo toward the second. The water trembled, peeling apart before him and before the second torpedo to create a dead zone between them, absent of currents—like the quiet before a storm.

  The second torpedo emerged, like a pinprick in the darkness, then expanded rapidly as it closed the distance.

  He was mad. What he was doing was insane.

  What he was attempting, no Beltiamatu had ever been crazy—or desperate—enough to try.

  But a torpedo strike on the Endling would be catastrophic, so what choice did he have?

  The first torpedo pursued him, so close its warhead almost touched his toes. Perfect, his mind noted clinically. The smaller the distance between him and the two torpedoes, the higher the chances of mutual detonation.

  Willpower and raw nerve kept him on target until it seemed as if the second torpedo was the only thing in his field of vision. The surroundings blurred, the information pointless in the face of nearly certain death.

  Turn now, his instincts screamed at him. Turn!

  Not yet. The several feet of water between him and the second torpedo still gave the first torpedo enough space to eke out a sharp turn to follow him.

  He needed inches between him and the incoming torpedo.

  Or better yet, almost no space at all.

  Turn! Turn! Turn!

  His rapid heartbeats flooded his body with adrenaline. He was so close he could have merely extended himself to touch his fingertip to the warhead of the second torpedo.

  Instead, in a single, swift motion, Kai rolled aside. The sudden motion wrenched pain through his shoulder and back, but even that was nothing compared to the searing blast of heat, the rolling sound waves, and the shrapnel that sprayed outward like an exploding star.

  His world flashed white-hot with anguish.

  Read CURSED LEGACY now!

  Lord of the Ocean

  CURSED PRINCE

  Never accept gifts from strangers…

  Especially if it glows…

  Ginny’s first mistake was becoming one of the world’s leading experts on ancient civilizations...

  Her second mistake was getting kidnapped by Atlantean cultists who believed she knew more than she did...

  Her third?

  Accepting an energy vortex from a captive mer-prince.

  Its reality-altering power entangles her in the millennia-long conflict between Atlantis and the Lords of the Ocean—the mer-people.

  To free the mer-prince, she will have to trust a man afflicted with a chimeric personality and tormented by conflicted memories. She’ll have to figure out how to control the devastating power the mer-prince entrusted to her…

  Because if she doesn’t succeed, Atlantis will rise again, and all the human nations of the Earth will fall.

  CURSED THRONE

  He shattered his empire to save the world.

  Rebuilding it could kill him…

  To save the ocean and earth from a devastating pandemic, the mer-prince Kai destroyed his capital city and its diseased merfolk.

  Now, he wonders if he made the right decision.

  Reduced to scattered colonies, the mer-people can no longer defend humans from the empire-building ambitions of their Atlantean offspring.

  To rebuild his kingdom, Kai needs the aether core buried in the sunken ruins of ancient Atlantis, but the way is guarded by Ancients—gargantuan titans, monsters of myth and legend.

  Yet the greatest peril lies not in the journey, but in the destination. A creature of immeasurable power is entombed alive within Atlantis.

  And the only thing it craves, far more the priceless aether core, is absolute vengeance upon the royal bloodline...

  CURSED LEGACY

  Family is all he has left...

  What—or who—will he pay to save the Earth?

  Transformed by dark energy, the mer-king Zamir is a chimera—a seamless tapestry of skills...a mangled mess of memories.

  Yet through all the catastrophes he has witnessed—many of his own making—he has learned one thing.

  Family matters; especially the last of his bloodline, his grandson, Kai.

  A straightforward quest to rebuild his shattered empire and set his grandson upon the throne is thwarted by the soul shards in his chimeric personality.

  Zamir has enemies, far more than he imagined.

  And their hate is brutally raw.

  One of them, Marduk, possesses the power of a god, and in his attempt to right a perceived wrong, he will incinerate the Earth.

  To stop Marduk, Zamir must draw upon all facets of his fragmented personalities, even the one he despises and cannot trust.

  But nothing prepares Zamir for the devastating realization that sacrificing Kai may be the only way to stop Marduk’s apocalyptic plans...

  Daughter of Air

  “You will be swept away by this genre-blending masterpiece of urban fantasy, science fiction, fairy tales, and mythology.”

  CURSED TIDES

  She no longer wants to be a part of his world. But he must convince her to save it…

  Ashe is one mission away from earning her soul. Nearly three centuries after her disastrous on-land escapade, the former mermaid has a final assignment: protect a marine biologist on his quest to save the oceans. Perhaps it's pure coincidence that Varun Zale is the descendant of the prince she once chose not to kill.

  Varun can't explain how storms obey Ashe or why her eye color changes to match the tossing waves, but he suspects she is more than the mute ship captain she pretends to be. His growing fascination leads him from the shallows of a fairy tale to the depths of a mystery older than recorded time. In the midnight reaches of the ocean, monstrous titans stir. An unstoppable disease becomes a weapon in the hands of the mer-king.

  Nothing Varun has ever imagined or believed about mermaids is true. And being wrong could cost him everything…

  CURSED BLADE

  A cursed dagger. A desperate king. His quest will damn his kingdom, and the entire Earth.

  The mer-king has bargained with demons, trading the death of the oceans for his soul. As the seas churn with disease, the marine biologist Varun Zale and the mermaid Ashe battle the mer-king's army across the black tides to the ancient stronghold of Atlantis.

  They cannot hold back the mer-king forever, but there might be another way to end his rampage before the demonic bargain is fulfilled. When Ashe's cursed dagger claims a life, it can gift the soul to the king, and the way Ashe looks at Varun makes him wonder if she has identified him as the perfect target.

  When the dagger finally strikes, it will rip the shroud of deception. For the mer
-king, three centuries is a long time to live with hate, but it's even longer to believe a lie…

  CURSED FLAME

  When gods battle, worlds shatter. Now it's the Earth turn…

  The queen of the underworld has stolen the mermaid Ashe's most treasured possession. To reclaim it, Ashe must unravel ancient mysteries to find the doorway to hell.

  She doesn't need or want the marine biologist Varun tagging along. There is no safety for a mortal in a war between elementals and vengeful gods, but curiosity is one of his greatest vices, second only to his love for Ashe.

  Love does not guarantee access to all her secrets. Without the facts, Varun cannot possibly understand the risks, especially when the queen of the underworld is convinced that Ashe is far more than she pretends to be…

  …a goddess in hiding—the queen of heaven and earth.

  CURSED HEART

  Before aliens became gods and reality became religion, the war began. It's time for it to end—one way or another.

  Pandemic sweeps the earth while humanity's ancient protectors watch helplessly. Societies and governments crumble before the advance of Nergal, the god of pestilence.

  The mermaid Ashe possesses the power, the passion, and the audacity to challenge Nergal, but she is trapped in the underworld. Engineering her escape forces Varun, the marine biologist, to seek out unlikely allies, but freeing Ashe is only the first step.

  The only weapon that can slay Nergal is a cursed dagger forged in a demon's heart from the core of a fallen star. And that dagger is buried in the depths of a living volcano…

  Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction entwine in the world of the DOUBLE HELIX

  “The Double Helix is the kind of series you’d expect to see with a movie deal. I loved, loved, LOVED it. I fell in love with the characters and will be reading all four books again in the future…a treat I reserve for my favorites.”—Full Time Reader

  “I wish I could award more than 5 stars. This phenomenal series continues to astonish and delight.”—Hillel Kaminsky

  THE DOUBLE HELIX COLLECTION

  Finally available as a single collection, the books in the Double Helix series have gathered over 100 reviews with an average of 4.5 stars.

  “Higher octane than Heroes. More heart than X-Men.”

  His genetic code sourced from the best that humanity offers, Galahad embodies the pinnacle of perfection. When Zara Itani, a mercenary, frees him from his laboratory prison, she offers him a chance to claim everything that had ever been denied him, starting with his humanity.

  Perfection cannot be unleashed without repercussions; Galahad’s freedom shatters Danyael Sabre’s life.

  An alpha empath, Danyael is rare and coveted, even among the alpha mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution. He wields the power to heal or kill with a touch, but craves only privacy—an impossible dream for the man who was used as Galahad’s physical template.

  Galahad and Danyael, two men, one face. One man seeks to embrace destiny, and the other to escape it. But destiny has a name. Zara. Assassin.

  The multiple award-winning Double Helix series, consisting of Perfection Unleashed, Perfect Betrayal, Perfect Weapon, and Perfection Challenged, will defy your notions of perfection and humanity and plunge you into a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution.

  MIRIYA

  Her destiny collides with a man who can kill with a touch…

  Thirty years into the First Genetic Revolution, society’s tolerance for human derivatives is wearing thin. Clones and in vitros are regarded with suspicion, and mutants with resentment. Yet in spite of the hostile environment, some alpha telepaths—like Miriya Templeton—have thrived.

  Not for much longer…

  Destiny has set her life on a collision course with Danyael Sabre, the alpha empath who can kill with a touch. Whether he becomes friend or foe, whether he and she live or die, will depend on the choices she makes. On her decisions hang the outcomes of the Second Genetic Revolution.

  Miriya does not believe in destiny, nor want any part of the revolution, but she will risk everything to save a beloved friend, even if it means returning home to New Orleans. The decadent elegance of the Mardi Gras krewes conceal treachery and brewing death.

  It’s too much for a novice like Miriya.

  Natural talent and courage won’t save her.

  Conviction might, but first, she has to decide what to believe in…and who to fight for…

  PERFECTION UNLEASHED (Double Helix #1)

  Winner of six literary awards, including Gold Medal, Science Fiction, Readers Favorites 2013

  He shares a face with the perfect specimen. Together, they’ll reshape a divided nation… or shatter it completely.

  Years as an assassin taught Zara to steel her heart against weakness. But she believes no creature deserves to be caged and prodded… much less the man who embodies human perfection. Against her better judgment, she ditches a recon mission to spring him free. She wasn’t counting on an irritating empath joining the chase.

  Doctor Danyael Sabre hides his healing powers in plain sight. With tensions between unmodified humans and mutants intensifying, the empath vows to stay clear of the coming storm. But when his doppelgänger—a top-secret genetic experiment—escapes the lab, he is yanked into the fray. His only choice is to team up with his lookalike and the cold-hearted assassin who can't stand him.

  As they fend off enemy forces and puzzle out the mystery of their past, Danyael faces an impossible dilemma. Should he use his healing powers to inflict pain or will he risk a lifetime in a cage?

  PERFECT BETRAYAL (Double Helix #2)

  1st Place, Royal Palm Literary Award 2013

  One man's choice will shatter the impasse. He can defeat his enemies, but can he defeat his friends?

  Danyael Sabre, an object of desire, would much rather not be. An alpha empath by birth, a doctor by training, and an empathic healer by calling, he is stalked by the military that covets his ability to kill, not heal. Bereft of two days of memories, he goes on the run under the protection of an assassin, Zara Itani.

  The more he uncovers of his lost hours, the more he doubts everything that once anchored him. He knows only that he endangers those around him and that he is falling in love with Zara, who hates him for reasons he no longer remembers.

  As forces—both powerful and ruthless—threaten those he cares for, Danyael has only two options. He can betray his values and abandon the path of the healer, or he can wait to be betrayed, not by enemies, but by his friends.

  ZARA

  1st Place, Royal Palm Literary Award 2016

  She’s an assassin-for-hire.

  Everything has a price—

  Except love…

  When the U.S. ambassador’s daughter is kidnapped in Beirut, a SEAL team is sent to retrieve her. Their “advisor” is the master assassin, Zara Itani. She has as many ties with the Lebanese government as she does with the country's militant factions; friends and family on both sides.

  She is pregnant—but that is nobody’s business.

  She is also torn by her inexplicable feelings for Danyael, the alpha empath she betrayed into a life-sentence in a maximum-security prison, but that is definitely nobody’s business. After all, everyone knows that you can’t trust anything you feel when you’re around an empath.

  The kidnapping is the prelude to far deeper treachery, and the mission goes terribly, desperately wrong. As international political conspiracy edges toward renewed military conflict, Zara’s loyalties will be tested; her beliefs challenged. She could start a war, or she could stop it.

  Or she could trust the difference Danyael has made in her life—

  Tell me who you love and I will tell you who you are….

  Zara will finally discover who she is, but what will her discovery cost the world, her allies, enemies, and ultimately, Danyael…?

  PERFECT WEAPON (Double Helix #3)

  Don't fear the army of genetically engineered perfect killers.

&nb
sp; Fear the cripple who leads them.

  An alpha empath, Danyael Sabre is powerful, rare, and coveted, even among the alpha mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution. Betrayed by his friends and abandoned to a life sentence in a maximum-security prison, Danyael receives freedom and sanctuary from an unlikely quarter—the Mutant Assault Group, an elite mutant task force within the US military. Physically crippled and emotionally vulnerable, Danyael succumbs to the warmth of friendships and the promise of love he finds within their ranks.

  Friendship and love, however, demand his loyalty, and Danyael rises to the challenge of training and leading the assault group's genetically modified super soldier army. The super soldiers are faster and stronger than the military's human soldiers; their animal instincts spur ferocity and fearlessness in battle. Who is the perfect weapon, though, the super soldiers or Danyael, the alpha empath, who can, with a touch, heal or kill?

  Adversaries swarm like vultures around carrion; the pawn is once again in play. The threads of betrayal that sent Danyael to prison spin into a web, ensnaring him. When a terrorist group strikes Washington, D.C., how far will Danyael go to defend a government that sent him to prison to die?

  SILENCE ENDS

  2nd Place, Royal Palm Literary Award 2013