Six paragraphs from HEARTCRYSTAL
(Sequel to HeartFast)
An erotic sc-fi romance novel
Word Count: 98,600
Available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
https://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=369
1. Star played some more with the empty bottle. “We went on a couple of easy missions. Then there was this one assignment. It got...hairy. It exhausted us. For me, I’d never had to face something that drained me so emotionally, and I was a wreck. I couldn’t stop crying. Next thing I knew, Hunter was there. He was this... rock. This solid, comforting, gentle man who let me cry on his strong chest. He held me and let me cry all I wanted, without making any kind of derogatory remark about it. No roaming hands. No insinuating comments. I couldn’t help myself. Whenever things got really tough, he was always there for me, without any snide remarks about me being weak.”
2. Ca Fadici nodded. “They’re the only black crystals ever unearthed by the miners. And for some reason we haven’t been able to fathom, we can’t date them. We have no idea how old these crystals are. We can place a pretty clear age on the other jewels in terms of how long it took for them to form, and how long they’ve been in the miasmic rock. But these babies.He shook his head. “They don’t conform. Our equipment can’t get a handle on them. So we’ve dubbed them the Temporal HeartCrystals. And to be honest, we had no idea how they would react.” He ran a finger over the crease between his chin and lower lip. “About a half-hour ago, Peldark called me to tell me he was getting some weird readings from the Temporals. I’ll bet you that was when you two entered the palace. He told me it had to be a reaction, but since we’d had no prior experience with these jewels, we were working in the dark, let me tell you.”
3. The wormhole had appeared out of the nebulous void like death silently stalking its prey. Ovoid, flat, and dangerous, it loomed behind Transport Two, sucking space into its core with unimaginable power. It grew faster than thought as its maw whirled in a voiceless rotation—a roar that was felt in the very marrow of her bones, even if she never heard it.
4. The petite woman watched as her friend buried her face in the tunic and breathed it. Something was wrong. Something that Morning Fire couldn’t name or put her finger on was happening, and it scared the hell out of her. Her internals bells were going off in her head like a double claxon alarm. This wasn’t right, this sudden, nonchalant, almost reserved way Star was acting. She should be crying. She should be beating her hands against the floor or the walls and screaming in rage. Or she should be like Sender, oblivious to the world around her until she could come to terms with her loss, and later begin the long, painful journey to acceptance.
5. There was nothing. Nothing. No Guardian Command, no base, no transport bay, no meeting room or dormitories or labs or training room. Not even the remotest clue that such structures had ever existed or once stood there. And if there was no sign of past occupation, that left little doubt in Hunter’s mind as to where he stood. No, not where. When. They had come home. Into the past.
6. Without a second thought, Hunter threw a dark, swirling mist of obedience over the already terrified Guardians. Using his powers, he kept the others at bay, giving him the chance to steer the craft and keep it directly in the center of the vortex. The ship could not touch the sides of the wormhole. How he knew such a thing, he couldn’t explain. He just knew. The ship couldn’t touch the inner walls, or else they would all die.
******
They were the Guardians. Sixteen special men and women with incredible powers, who had sworn their lives to the protection of their galaxy, while upholding the laws of their world.
For Master Hunter and StarLight, it seems the worst is over. With StarLight still recovering from her near-death experience with the Ombitra, they are ready to resume their lives as the first-ever married Guardian couple in history. Ready for a new life filled with love and extraordinary passion.
But there are unknown perils when working in outer space. There are dangers beyond description--unforeseeable events and catastrophes that can bring nightmares to any sane person.
They had sworn they would share a lifetime together.
The universe had other plans.
