TOKEN HUNTRESS
BY KIA CARRINGTON-RUSSEL
EXCERPT
The
sun’s light dimmed many centuries before; now in the year of 2,341
rampant vampires now stalk their victims in a half-lit world. Humanity
has been overtaken by a new society: one comprised of vampires, the
supernatural beings that hunt them, and the remaining humans they fight
over. The laws and rules that once bound our world have long since been
lost. Now, the Hunter Guild struggle to stay one step ahead of the
Vampire Council.
Esmore,
Token Huntress, has exceeded all expectations at only 18 years of age.
She is fearless leader to her team, and she is relentless in her pursuit
of the enemy. There is only one problem: Esmore is struggling to
repress the growing darkness that seduces her from within. Esmore takes
another step into the darkness when she encounters a teasing,
tantalizing -- utterly unignorable -- vampire.
The lines between right and wrong are
blurred further as Esmore gives into her temptation, and her reality becomes deliciously tainted both with evil and with lust.
Prologue
Even
when I conjured all my strength, his speed was unmatched. He grabbed my
sword with his hands, blood spurting everywhere, his eyes now savage on
me. In one swift movement he threw it away, grabbing my throat, ready
to rip out my heart. His fangs were very large and blood dripped
over them. Had he bitten into one of his own comrades? I could not
breathe, but I did not gasp for air. I would not fall so far as to want
mercy from his kind.
Before he plunged his fingers into me a hand stopped him.
My heart pounded, yet I was not scared to face death. A swift movement
was made and I fell to the floor, holding my throat. Whoever had grabbed
his hand tore him away from me. I looked up in front of me to see the
familiar coat. It was Chase. His back was to me as he faced the vampire
who had almost killed me. Did the Council really have such old and
strong vampires right under our noses?
“Don’t touch her. She’s mine,” Chase snarled, holding two swords.
“She threatened Whitney!” the other vampire spluttered.
“Tythian.” The small voice of the woman from behind him broke the tension. “It’s okay, we can go now.”
He
buckled to his knees in front of her, cupping her face gently. “I’m
sorry,” he whispered to her. “I did not know they would use you for
this.” She gently caressed his face. In amidst the ghastly noises of
weapons scraping against one another, it seemed to them that nothing
else mattered as they gazed into one another’s eyes devotedly.
“Let’s
go home,” she said with a reassuring smile. I was mortified how
comfortable she was in the blood war that raged around her.
Before I could stand, the vampire had grabbed her chair and, with lightning speed, they were gone.
Chase turned to me, his fangs not as large as Tythian’s, but I could see he too was a very old vampire. “Esmore,” he
whispered. Before I could run for my sword to use it against him, he had already vanished, leaving me by myself.
Kora
and Kasey were the reason why he fled. They had advanced on him, trying
to entrap him. For what reason he hadn’t tried to kill them I wasn’t
sure. He simply hid amongst the dark. I could still feel his presence
close by, but it felt as if he were only watching. Not fighting, but
just watching how everything would play out. Realizing Chase was gone,
they focused on another three vampires, entrapping them as Dillian and
Tori covered their backs. One by one, the girls trapped more. There were
so many of them.
Teary
was fighting off four. Except for Tythian and Chase, they all seemed
like younger vampires. You could tell by their strength and speed.
Usually we could challenge vampires if they were no more than one
hundred and fifty years old. After that it became very
difficult to compete against a vampire who had lived for so long.
James
was now by my side. He had gathered my Barnett bow and sword for me. I
used my arrows instantly on a vampire who ran for me, piercing his
chest. He crumbled to the ground, quickly decaying. I roared in anger at
how easily I had been overcome by the previous two vampires. I sliced
through another vampire, cutting down his throat and through his belly. I
cut across another’s head, slitting their throat and puncturing their
chest. I raged again, feeling myself fill with hatred and a need to see
their blood. I cut off one’s arm, plunging my sword into its chest,
driving so deep into it that after a few steps I had nailed it to a
tree. It slumped around my sword, its skin turning a shade of black. I
pulled it out, watching it begin to decay.
A
huge fire lit behind me. Teary was controlling the flames, sweeping
over the
ten of them that encircled her. There must have been one hundred
vampires. This was a well-thought out ambush. James grabbed one
vampire’s throat and then another as it ran from behind him. Smashing
both their heads together, they shattered from the impact. James steely
skin was impenetrable. He grabbed his sword from the ground. A vampire
must have knocked it out of his hand. He punctured both in the chest
before they could heal.
In
the distance I could feel the presence of many more coming. For that
many we would have to use the grenade. It was us against many. As if
knowing what I was thinking, James ran to Teary as she continued to
sweep her hand containing the fire around.
In
the distance a vampire stalked toward Teary. He too was strong and old.
I had the feeling that others followed him as their numbers grew. James
now had the grenade, and he was pulling the pin. Inwardly I
counted the short seconds in my head. Ten, nine. Teary continued to
control her flames, still engulfing the many around her. Eight, seven.
Two vampires came at me and quickly I thrust my sword into them, before
shooting an arrow into another oncoming vampire. Six, five. James threw
the grenade at the large army that stampeded toward us.
The
leading vampire swept one hand across them both. Teary’s flames were
instantly put out as a gust of wind extinguished it. The wind not only
pushed James and Teary back but Dillian, Tori, Kasey, and Kora as it
smashed into their backs, throwing them forward. It had even taken the
Council vampires along with it. This vampire had the gift of control
over wind. The grenade was thrown toward my team.
Four, three.
With all the speed I could muster I ran for them, grabbing a hold of the grenade in the air. I ran into the
distance so the grenade was nowhere near them, throwing it at the army that charged toward them.
Two, One.
The
grenade exploded near the army, but shattered much more than just that.
Quickly a burst of dust swept over me. The burning flames of the
explosion encased my body. I heard my name whispered by an angelic
voice, but noted it was probably the afterlife calling for me. This must
now be my time of death.
Sneak Peek in to the first chapter Free below!
http://www.thethreeimmortalblades.com/token-huntress-chapter-one/
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MEET KIA
Kia
Carrington-Russell is a young author writing from her Australian home.
Kia is supported by her helpful friends, family and readers. Most of all
she is assisted by her Ying and Yang kitties, Isa and Forest, as well
as her Cavoodle, Sia, who are always by her side as she busily types
away in her office.
Kia
completed her first manuscript, Possession Of My Soul: The Three
Immortal Blades, when she was fifteen. After graduating from high
school, Kia pursued freelance journalism. After working for half a year
within the sales section of the local paper, Kia realised journalism was
not what she wanted to focus on.
Kia
started Ther Precious Living website, which is a self-help blog
publishing weekly affirmations. It was a way to express her enjoyment of
photography as well as reaching out to readers who might not be feeling
positive in their current lifestyles. She often published motivational
stories, hoping to fill many with gratitude for what they had, instead
of focusing on what they didn't.
In
the year of 2014, Kia took her first manuscript seriously, and on May
15, Kia's first book was published. Since then Kia has continued writing
and publishing many works from the Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, and
Action genres. Kia has many more books planned for the future.
In
2015, Kia's self-publishing services and promotional services became
live. She is now CEO of both Crystal Publishing and Crystal Book
Promoters, which have been designed to help other authors at an
affordable price. The mission is to guide writers through the perilous
journey of self-publication.
Kia enjoys
dancing, cooking, painting, manga, anime, eating (loves eating),
reading, and is very competitive in all games, no matter what game.
From Kia:
Thank
you to all my friends, family, and readers who have supported me. You
have no idea how much it truly means to me; the support inspires me to
keep writing. I am very grateful for the kind words you offer me and for
telling others of my books.
Thank you everyone so much,
Kia
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