by Hylton, PT
“I’ll know more soon, but first we need to return home. Dahlia left an army of Barskall warriors on the Kaldfell Peninsula. We need to deal with them first. Hopefully I’ll have more information by the time we’re done.”
“Let’s hope so,” Syd said. “But if you say someone needs our help, I’m there.”
“Me too,” Dustin added.
“I figured,” Abbey said. “You’d never let me have all the glory for myself.”
The Foggy Day sailed east from Gren, gliding across the water toward a place they hadn’t been in a long time. Home.
Author Notes - P.T. Hylton
Written September 11, 2017
Thank you for reading Storm Breakers!
Figuring out Gren and the Stone Shaper culture was a ton of rocky fun, and CM Raymond and LE Barbant played a big role in helping me determine what their magic and their society would be like. Huge shout out to those guys.
I don’t have a wrap-up video for this book (much to Michael’s delight, I’m sure). I considered creating a video that just said: “What are you doing? Go read Michael’s author notes!” But they keep me chained to the writing desk these days, and my camera isn’t within arm’s reach.
Please, send Cheetos and Coke products.
It felt a little sad saying goodbye to Dahlia. Just kidding, she deserved everything she got, and seeing her finally face justice brought a big old smile to my face.
Even though Dahlia’s gone, she left quite the mess behind. Abbey and company are going to have to take care of Eril’s Barskall army and the conniving councilmen of Algon in Book 4 That will end the first story arc of the Storms of Magic series.
Books 5-8 will deal with the mysterious dreams Abbey started having in this book, and they’ll take her and her friends to a new area we haven’t yet seen in the Age of Magic. We’ll start to see hints of that in book 4, as well as something left behind by a KGU character you might be familiar with.
Storm Raiders (Book 1) is now available in audiobook, and I’m delighted with how it turned out. Gabra Zackman narrated the book, and she’s an absolute powerhouse. Seriously, do yourself a favor and listen to the free sample chapter on Audible. The way she brings these characters to life is incredible.
Storm Callers (Book 2) should be out on audiobook any day now as of this writing. Gabra once again nailed it.
One more thing I have to say: LMBPN publishing has some amazing people working behind the scenes. Not only do we have the best readers; we have the best team. There were people dealing with actual hurricanes during the final days of this book’s production process, and they still got it done.
It feels kind of strange to be writing about magical storms while so many in the real world are dealing with the devastation of real storms. If you’re among those affected by the hurricanes, my thoughts are with you. If the people I’ve chatted with online are any indication, my readers are tough as nails.
One more thing… There’s now a Facebook group for fan fiction in the Kurtherian Universe, if you want to join us there. It hasn’t really gotten off the ground yet, but maybe you can help us out with that! https://www.facebook.com/groups/TKGFansWrite/
Okay, that mild electrical shock I just felt means it’s time to start working on Book 4. Thanks again for reading.
Best,
P.T.
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
Written September 14, 2017
WOOHOO! Thank you. Not only have you read THIS BOOK. But P.T. didn’t authornote block me with a video, and now you are reading MY author notes.
Sweet!
I’ll double P.T.’s comments about the Houston (where I have family and friends) and Florida (where we have friends and co-workers…same thing actually) hurricanes.
Our hearts are with you as you clean up. I have to say, the Texas and Florida people have some damn gumption. Perhaps occasionally obstinate, but they are the type of people I’m proud to have around me in tough times.
I’ve told the story in other notes that my youngest brother, Paul, is into guns. He has (and I have shot) a legit sniper rifle.
It was a little scary, I’ll admit.
Anyway, if it comes to a Zombie apocalypse, I’m trying to make our way to Brenham, Tx. Those people are going to be safe. Just saying.
We have a fantastic team of people working in the Age of Magic, and now Age of Madness (stories in editing next week!) that are headed by CM Raymond and LE Barbant. Not only P.T. Hylton, but Justin Sloan, Candy Crum, Amy Hopkins, and now Hayley Lawson, Dan Wilcox and I think I might be forgetting someone (I know of another, but I don’t know if he is joined, yet. These guys keep me in the dark.)
We have more stories in this Age planned here shortly. As we wrap up The Second Dark Ages (with stories by Justin / Craig and myself), we give way to the Age of Madness that begets the Age of Magic.
It’s all tied together, you will see.
If you have a favorite author (Kurtherian or not, doesn’t matter) give them the gift of a review. It helps their livelihoods in the future in a positive way and helps us moving forward to push to get these stories out.
We can’t make it happen so amazingly well without your support.
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael
Storm Warrior
Prologue
Arcadia, Sixteen Years Earlier
When they came to kill Lara, she was reading the letter she’d written to her daughter.
She’d read it dozens of times, at least once a month ever since Abbey was born. There was a ritual to it; it soothed her troubled heart to read the words she couldn’t say aloud. The things Abbey was too young to understand. The things Lara wasn’t sure she’d be there to say later.
Lara had long ago resigned herself to the fact that she might not live to see her daughter grow up.
It was early afternoon and Benjamin and Abbey were visiting the home of one of Benjamin’s fellow Hunters, a man with a son a year older than Abbey. With her three-year-old daughter out of the house, Lara had a rare few hours to herself.
And yet, she was spending the entire time reading and rereading this piece of parchment.
She finished the letter and refolded it so the word “Abbey” showed on the front. Then she stared at it for a long time, considering what her daughter would think of her on the distant day when she finally read it. Would she understand? Or would it make her hate the woman who’d given her life?
A loud pounding on the door startled her, interrupting her thoughts, and a chill ran through her. That wasn’t the knock of a neighbor wanting to have a casual chat.
That knock had authority.
She briefly considered ignoring it—just pretending she wasn’t home—but if her visitors were who she suspected, that would only lead to them breaking down the door. They weren’t really the “We’ll come back later” types.
She stood and straightened her dress, using the time to steady her nerves. If it came to it, she’d fight. Taking a deep breath, she mentally prepared herself for that possibility.
She strode purposefully to the door, forced a smile onto her face, and pulled it open.
Her heart sank at what she saw.
Four Hunters.
“Hello, gentlemen,” she said in a chipper voice. “Here to see my husband?”
The grim looks on their faces made it clear they were not.
She recognized all four of them, but she couldn’t remember the name of the one in the back. He’d only been a Hunter for a month. She knew the rest of them all too well. These were her husband’s friends.
Daryl, the man in front, looked her in the eye. “No, ma’am. We’re here to see you. Let’s step inside.”
Lara stood firm. “We’re very busy. I’m making dinner, and Benjamin—”
“We know Benjamin isn’t home, Lara.” Darryl sounded almost regretful.
Luke, the man who spoke next, did not sound sorry at all. “You think we’d do this when your husband was here? How dumb do you think
we are?”
“Very.” Lara shouldn’t have said it, but she couldn’t help herself.
Daryl grimaced and pushed his way past her into the small home.
Lara forced herself to stay calm, to remain composed. Yet she held onto the fear and anger that was forming a tight ball in her stomach. If it came to a fight, she would use that emotion.
“Come right in.” Her voice sounded remarkably calm considering the fear raging inside of her. She had to get through this for Abbey’s sake. “Such brave men, waiting until my husband’s gone before paying a visit. Were you watching the house?”
Darryl cleared his throat. “We didn’t come alone.”
All four Hunters had entered now and they stepped aside, allowing another man to come through the door.
Even though he was draped in shadow, Lara recognized him immediately. She let out a gasp of surprise when she saw him.
He stepped into the light and flashed his signature wide, toothy smile. His raven-black hair was shorter, but other than that he looked exactly as she remembered. It was difficult to believe it had been five years since she’d last seen him.
“Hello, Lara.” He crossed his hands in front of his waist and stared at her with those piercing eyes, so dark they were almost black even when he wasn’t using magic.
She froze, torn between running away and slapping him square in the face. “Carter. I didn’t know you were back. Last I heard, you were following a lead south.”
“Indeed I was. Then I went east. Farther east than you could imagine possible. I’ve seen things that you wouldn’t believe. Places where the sand stretches so far you think you’ll never see the end of it. Places so cold you practically have to put your hands in the fire just to get the feeling back in them. And the people…” He made a strange scoffing noise in his throat. “Such people. And I thought the scum on the Boulevard were bad! But I’m back now.”
Lara fought to keep her voice level. She wanted nothing more than to get this man out of her home as quickly as possible. If he was still here when Benjamin arrived…well, she didn’t want to think about what might happen.
“Does this mean you’ve finally completed your mission?” she asked.
Carter’s gaze cooled a few degrees. “I’m afraid that’s still a work in progress.”
“And how’s Chancellor Adrien feel about that?”
The man paused a moment before answering. “He understands the difficulty of the task. That was why he assigned it to me.”
Lara wasn’t so sure that was true. Some claimed Adrien had given Carter the job because it would send him far from the city. Carter was the only person in Arcadia who could hold a candle to Adrien when it came to power, so he was a threat. Or so some people speculated.
The Hunters stood on either side of the room, flanking Lara. They held their shockers ready.
Carter cast a disdainful eye around the room. “Tell me, does your husband really believe you picked up your magical skills from some uncle? Or has he figured out you’re lying to him?”
Lara practically snarled her response. “I’m protecting him!”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night. Fortunately, your story provides the perfect cover for your death.”
Lara had known he was there to kill her the moment he walked through the door, but hearing it spoken plainly sent an icy chill through her. If she was going to get out of this, she needed to fight.
Carter gave her a pitying look. “Lara, you had to know this day was coming. After everything you’ve seen? Everything you know? You refused to help us, so there’s no other choice.”
“What about my family?” It was a foolish question, but she needed to keep him talking.
He chuckled. “That’s the beauty. We’ll claim you’re just another Unlawful who was caught practicing magic. You provided us our alibi. Isn’t it rather convenient that after—”
Lara raised a hand and cast, sending a dagger of ice flying through the air toward him.
For a gratifying moment a look of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly recovered, moving his right hand before the dagger reached him. A tiny piece of ice hit him, cutting his right cheek, but the rest turned to water and splashed harmlessly onto his shirt.
He shook his head sadly. “You’ve gotten slow. Time was that ice dagger would have been through my throat before I even knew you were casting. Domestic life has not agreed with you, Lara.” He turned to the Hunters. “Take her.”
“No!” she turned and grabbed the nearest piece of furniture, the dresser. But the Hunters were soon on her.
One of them knocked into the dresser and she watched in horror as the letter she’d written to Abbey slid backward and fell behind the heavy oak piece.
As they dragged her from the house, she gave no thought to the loss of her own life. She’d known for a long time that this could be coming, and, in a way, she’d been the cause of her own downfall.
Her only concern was for the letter.
How many years would it be before Benjamin moved that dresser? Or would he even stay in that house once she was gone?
In her heart, she knew he would not.
And with that knowledge came a terrible realization. Benjamin would never know the truth. Abbey would never know the truth.
Chapter One
The Foggy Day glided across the water and raced towards her target, propelled by a powerful wind.
“She’s turning!” Elliot called from the crow’s nest.
Abbey shielded her eyes from the sun and gazed in the direction Elliot was pointing. It took her a moment, then she saw it through the spray. Sure enough, their target was angling toward port. Tempest Chaser, the stormship they’d been hunting for the last three days.
“Set us three degrees port,” Captain Syd shouted.
“Aye!” a sailor called in response as he made the adjustments to the wheel.
Abbey marched to the quarterdeck, where her captain stood. Syd’s arms were crossed as she watched over the crew carrying out their well-orchestrated dance.
“Think they’re angling back for a fight?” Abbey asked Syd.
The captain didn’t take her eyes off the ship in the distance. “Not if they’re smart. Running won’t do them much good either.”
Tempest Chaser was a mid-sized stormship, one that held no special renown. It was one of the many ships in the fleet that spent most of its time sailing the fishing routes, making sure they were safe for the fishermen and women.
Her captain was an older man who had spent much of the last few months complaining about the state of Holdgate to anyone who’d listen. He didn’t approve of the fact that the city had turned on its most favored son, Tor. He didn’t like that they’d given Thunderclap, the flagship of the fleet, to an underachieving, easygoing captain like Roy. Most of all, he hated the Barskall Storm Callers who had recently been brought to the city, and he was indignant that the Holdgate fleet was actually using some of them on the stormships.
So when Tempest Chaser hadn’t returned from their latest voyage and a handful of villages along the southern Kaldfell coast had reported devastating attacks, it wasn’t difficult to put two and two together.
Captain Syd spoke, her voice thick with disdain. “Storm Raiders. I thought we were done with this idiocy.”
Abbey chuckled, but there was no joy in it. “If there was one thing I learned in our travels, it was that idiocy wasn’t the private property of Captain Tor or Dahlia. It’s a widespread affliction, and those who have it are all too happy to share.”
Syd nodded toward the bow of The Foggy Day. “Check on our Storm Caller for me?”
“Aye, Captain,” Abbey said. As she walked to the other end of the ship, her eyes scanned the deck, appraising her crew. She was happy with what she saw. They were working hard, quickly and diligently going about their tasks. The pre-battle energy practically crackled in the air, yet they remained focused.
It was a credit to Captain Syd, and to the crew themselves. They’d been t
hrough a lot together, this ragtag bunch. They’d fought Barskall and Stone Shapers. Now they were back on the Kaldfell Peninsula and things had come full circle. They were home and fighting Storm Raiders, just like the good old days. It was almost enough to make Abbey smile.
Almost.
She’d been to three of the villages these assholes had raided. She’d seen the devastation they’d left in their wake, and she’d spoken to the families of those they had killed. Abbey wouldn’t be smiling until this was over and done with.
She’d almost reached the causeway to the foredeck when Olaf stopped her.
“Hey, Abbey, did you tell Dustin my idea?” His eyes were so big and hopeful it almost made her laugh.
“Just to be clear, your idea was that he not destroy them with storm magic, right? That he get us in close, and we try to board them?”
He nodded eagerly.
“No, I did not tell Dustin that idea. Because it’s horrible.”
If he was insulted by her comment, it didn’t show. “Okay, yeah, I can see why you’d think that. But we need to show these guys that Storm Raiders don’t get off easy. I mean, a massive wave and it’s over? We need to strike fear into their hearts. And nothing strikes fear like a warrior with a flaming sword rushing at you.”
Abbey shook her head. After everything they’d been through, Olaf still thought battle was a glorious game. She almost admired his ability to keep his Holdgate ideals.
She put a hand on his shoulder. “Listen, Olaf, I know you’re excited about your magic abilities, and you want to put them into action.”
“They basically turned the tide at the battle in Ammaas,” he interjected.
She decided to let that one go. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of opportunity to strike fear into your enemies’ hearts with your flaming sword, but we’re going to take care of this the most efficient way possible.”
