Today is the last of the excerpts and it is from the upcoming release LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE: THE COMPASS KEY.  Coming to Amazon Kindle in August!  More importantly this is the blog introduction of ‘Bob’.

By Kayla Matt

The blast of solid fire strikes Stephen in the side and sends him flying while Fizzle slips from his grasp. He lands in a pile of rubble and starts to get up when a pair of air fists appear above him. They land with enough force to shake the island and drive Stephen a few feet into the ground. Repeated blows rain down on him until the hole fills in with the surrounding stones and dirt.

“I’ve wanted to crush you since Hero’s Gate,” Nyx triumphantly growls. She has the fists slam down a final time before they dissipate. “Are you okay, Fizzle?”

“Fizzle tired and safe,” the drite replies, enjoying his perch on Delvin’s shoulder. With a curious glint in his eyes, Fizzle stares at the warrior. “Shield melting. Go back inside?”

Mad laughter erupts from where Stephen is buried as he pulls himself out. Shaking dirt out of his hair, Stephen calmly eyes the heroes before him. A look of disdain crosses his face when he looks at Delvin, but it is quickly replacement by an amused expression. In the blink of an eye, he is in front of the warrior and grabs him by the face. Fizzle whips Stephen in the face, causing him to drop Delvin and focus on the drite again.

“Leave them alone!” Nyx screams, knocking Stephen away with a lightning bolt to his back. “I don’t know what you are, but I’m not afraid of you.”

“You should be, little champion,” Stephen says as he stands up and appears behind her. “I control the essence of the world. Time is mine to manipulate, so you can’t hurt me. I am where you and your friends die.”

Nyx moves to hit Stephen with a fireball, but he grabs her wrist and takes the spell out of her hand. Unable to break free, Nyx can only watch as he throws her spell at Delvin. Still reeling from having his head squeezed, the warrior manages to get his ice shield up to block the roaring flame. The shield shatters and the explosion sends Delvin slamming into the mountain, his aching body slumping to the ground.

“He is a lucky one,” Stephen whispers, impressed that Delvin is still breathing. With a carefree sigh, he knees Nyx in the stomach and picks her up by the chin. “I had a lot of fun testing out your friend, but I really want to play with you. A creature with such beauty and power needs to be explored. You smell even better than Trinity and she’s nearly intoxicating. I think your life has matured your essence perfectly. Not bitter and harsh like her, but sweet and smooth.”

“Leave Nyx alone!” Fizzle screams as he barrels toward Stephen. The drite misses when Stephen vanishes, the villain appearing several yards away.

“Try that again and I snap her neck,” Stephen threatens with a wide grin. He squeezes Nyx’s throat until she starts turning blue, her hands slapping at his wrist. “I don’t want to kill her yet, but I will if it teaches you a lesson.”

“What do you want with me?” Nyx asks while feebly kicking Stephen in the side.

“I learned a lot about you champions by working on your friend,” Stephen claims, ignoring her weak hits. He licks his lips as he flips her and slams her onto the ground, his hand tight around her neck. “Unfortunately, her powers prevented me from having my favorite type of fun. I don’t like cold women. Now, I already know how to get around the defenses of a channeler thanks to Trinity’s . . . help.”

Nyx looks into his blackening eyes with fear and confusion. “A channeler?”

“Yes, but it’s more exciting for you to get the details yourself,” he whispers into her ear, his tongue touching the sensitive point. He groans at the feel of her trembling body underneath his touch. “Now, where should I begin with you? With your friends nearby, I think it’s best that I skip playing and get to work.”

Stephen’s hand starts to move down Nyx’s stomach until she figures out what he is about to do. With a scream of rage and fear, Nyx bursts into white flames and struggles against Stephen. The smell of his burning flesh makes the half-elf sick, but the thought of what he plans to do to her drives her to stand up. Nyx is almost on her feet when Stephen flips and slams her headfirst into the ground. The flames sputter as Stephen repeatedly hits Nyx against the ground until her fire fades away.

“You are beautiful, so please don’t make me do that again,” Stephen coos, waving a hand over Nyx’s bloody face. Her wounds vanish as a sickening power flows into her aura. “Now we have even less time for our fun. Please don’t struggle or I won’t be as gentle as I want to be during our first time.”

As his hand grips her shirt, Nyx tries to cast a spell only to find that her aura has been pinned down by the magic Stephen used to heal her. She closes her eyes and whimpers, her eyes flying open when she hears a blood-curdling scream. The moment she falls free of Stephen’s grasp, she scrambles to her feet and runs toward where she saw Delvin land. She skids to a stop when she sees that he is not there and the familiar sounds of a brawl are behind her. With a yelp, Nyx realizes that Stephen’s severed hand is still hanging from her shirt. Ripping it off, she turns around to throw it back, but pauses at the sight before her.

The action continues in
The Compass Key!