Dovetailed

by RaShelle Workman

  Amberlee stood and searched the landscape. With head held high, she walked over to Venus. “Will we recover?” she asked quietly.

  “Yes. With your love and support, yes.”

  Their eyes locked.

  “You mean it?”

  “I promise.” It was in kelarian genetics to survive.

  Amberlee clasped her hands in front of her. Venus sensed her resolve. “Can you give them any hope? Let them see recuperation is possible?”

  “I can,” Venus replied.

  The scene in front of Venus was both incredibly beautiful and extremely wretched. She’d used her powers to heal the land and clean the Alayeahian Sea.

  Gone was the burnt gray that had permeated the landscape. In its place were grasses, flowers in shades of indigo, lavender, and navy, and trees blooming with flowers from the lightest pink to the brightest yellow. The ash was gone and the skies were a glorious shade of blue with the faintest hint of orange.

  Both suns shone brightly, their rays dancing on the clear aquamarine water. Warm sand took the waves and then pushed them away, taking with them those who’d died.

  Thousands of kels lined the shore. They wore their best clothing; around their necks hung necklaces of iridescent pearl flowers. A mourning song filled the air

  Amberlee stood in front of them, her bare feet sinking in the wet sand. Seth, her Formytian guard stood to her right. Venus had watched the two of them grow fond of each other over the past weeks. There was a mutual respect and more blooming. Love would come over time, as Amberlee matured.

  Their union was inevitable and it would be amazing.

  Seth would become more than a guardian, he would become Alayeah’s new King and he would love Amberlee the way she so desperately needed and deserved.

  Michael and Venus stood at the top of a mountain overlooking the Alayeahian Sea. He looked incredibly handsome in his white clothes. She wore a matching long white dress. Her hair hung in a braid down her back.

  Have I mentioned that you are incredible?” Michael whispered.

  Venus leaned into him. “Not nearly enough,” she said, wiping a wayward tear.

  When the last of the dead were sent into the sea, Amberlee turned and faced the crowd. Their mourning song ended. “I know we are a broken people, a broken country.” Her voice was loud and rang out so everyone could hear. “But if you’ll let me, I promise to help rebuild this country and make it great once again.”

  Venus sent a feeling of peace into the hearts of the people. She wanted them to know without a doubt that Amberlee was sincere.

  They all bowed and made a path so she could walk through the crowd. To as many as wished it, Queen Amberlee spoke a word of kindness, and offered her condolences.

  As Venus watched her heart swelled with pride for her sister.

  When the funeral ended, the Alayeahian people returned to the makeshift homes that had been created until their homes were rebuilt. Even the castle was rubble.

  “Are you ready to give these people the hope they deserve?” Venus asked Michael, a smile playing on her lips. She was excited.

  “What can I do?” Michael asked.

  “Stay by my side. Don’t ever leave me again.”

  Michael kissed her cheek. “With pleasure.”

  Clasping Michael’s hand more tightly, she thought of Amberlee and the two of them were suddenly at the Queen’s side.

  Amberlee squeaked out a yelp, placing a hand to her chest. Her epsis was racing and Venus realized she’d scared her.

  Seth had drawn his sword. They’d scared him as well.

  “Apologies,” Venus said, taking her sister’s hand.

  Amberlee tried to smile. “I’ll never get used to that,” she whispered.

  Venus and Michael walked with her until they reached the castle.

  “This is going to take years,” Amberlee said, a hint of tiredness in her voice.

  Venus didn’t answer. She was too giddy. Amberlee looked at her. “What?”

  “Watch,” Venus said, letting her enthusiasm explode from her lips. She waved her hands in front of her and as she did, she thought about a beautiful castle she’d seen in Amberlee’s favorite book as a child.

  She imagined every spire, the colors, the windows, the doors, the walkways, and blossoming gardens. Everything from the fluffiest pillow down the most comfortable chair.

  Venus thought of all of the technology Kelari possessed and added it into the castle in her mind. She created luxurious quarters for the Formytians and staff that would work in the castle. She created stables, and corrals, and feeding troughs. She left nothing out.

  And as she thought it, the building began to erect right in front of them. Rubble shook and reformed. Pieces flew through the air, and stacked one on top of the other.

  Amberlee let out a very non-Queenly yelp. “Holy cret!”

  “I know, right?” Venus agreed, but kept her focus on the building. She wanted it to be perfect.

  Michael stood next to her, giving her strength and warmth. He was her rock. When the castle was finished, Amberlee clasped her hands together. “Thank you, Venus.” She paused, as though worried about what she was going to say next. “But…” Amberlee began.

  “What?” Venus asked.

  “My people,” she said. “Will you… can you do this for them as well?”

  Venus hugged her and this time Amberlee returned the embrace. “Of course.” As they stood together, Venus closed her eyes and pictured Alayeah, the way it’d been before. She redesigned all of the homes, the waterways and bridges. She filled the streams with fish, crustaceans, and all manner of water creatures. Then she filled the fields with cows, sheep, and… irrihunters.

  “Cret,” Amberlee swore again when an irrihunter flew close to them.

  Venus released Amberlee and checked out her work. It was better than she imagined. The crowds cheered. She felt their hearts lighten and the tiniest bit of hope returned to them.

  “Everything’s going to be fine, Amberlee.”

  “Thank you so much.” Amberlee kissed Venus’s cheek. “I love you… Your Majesty.”

  “I love you, too.”

  After Amberlee and Seth went inside, Venus grabbed Michael’s hand. “I need to go to the cave of Ith and Aetha; do you want to come with me?”

  “Do you even need to ask?” Michael grasped her chin and pressed a kiss to her lips. “I go where you go. Always.” His voice was leathery soft and caressed her like a warm breeze.

  “Always,” she whispered against his lips.

  A roar sounded behind them.

  Michael smiled. “There’s someone here to see you.”

  Venus turned and felt a big smile fill up her face. “Sadraden.”

  Mind if I give you both a ride? Her question filled Venus’s mind. When Michael nodded, she knew he’d heard as well.

  Venus ran toward her. “I’d love it.” She wrapped her hands around Sadraden’s black furry neck, then climbed on her back. “Let’s do this,” she yelled.

  Michael hopped on behind her. “I have to admit I love flying with Sadraden.” He wrapped his arms around Venus’s waist and kissed her neck.

  Sadraden took off. She beat her wings three times and then leapt into the air. “Does that cave have a bed, candles, and rose petals?” Michael asked. He smiled and his lips brushed against her neck again.

  “That can be arranged.” Her body heated and she shivered at the thought of being with Michael. “Can you fly faster?”

  Sadraden chuffed. I suppose. She went faster.

  Venus leaned against Michael, enjoying the wind against her face. She knew her life was just beginning and that eternity with Michael would be fabu.

  It was twilight on Earth when Dervinias landed his Transport. His secret base remained and he quickly entered. A thick coat of dust hung in the air that smelled like chemicals, making it obvious no one had been inside for a while.

  The scientist in him sighed. He’d had such high hopes when he built this place.
Even the American government had supported his trials, as did other many other governments. It was time for him to end it. This planet didn’t need him or his technology. In fact, he knew they’d be better off without both.

  He was here for three reasons:

  Destroy any trace of his laboratory.

  Retrieve the Ostwallow sword.

  Check in on Chev.

  He’d even debated going to high school, just so he could see her again.

  Dervinias flipped open the panel and pressed a red button. “The self-destruct command has been activated. Complete body scan to verify,” a computerized female voice said. He stepped into the scanning chamber. “Scanning. Scanning. Scanning. Activation complete. This facility will self-destruct in sixty seconds.”

  Dervinias got out of the scanner and looked around the room. He had decades of notes within the building. He thought of trying to retrieve them, saving them for a later date. Forever was a long time. He might need them.

  “This building will self-destruct in thirty seconds.”

  He initiated the computer sitting at his desk.

  “Twenty-nine.”

  Pulled up the files.

  “Twenty-eight.”

  And quickly scanned through them. The first set of notes was on Chev. He’d been so excited when he learned she was pregnant with his child. If only he could find a way to… He froze, remembering all that’d happened to Chev. Had he really been willing to kill female humans in order to create a super race? He shook his head.

  “Fifteen.”

  He ran across the room, opened the door, and exited. The door closed.

  From the outside, the facility was invisible. Using Britorent, he ran for the trees a half-mile away and then turned. The explosion was a charge of blue and green flames. Two seconds after it appeared, the fire was gone. Nothing remained.

  Sadness welled up inside him, but he pushed it away.

  He needed to get the Ostwallow sword. That would be tricky, especially if A.L.T still had the poison his father had given them.

  The A.L.T. headquarters was in New Mexico, so he decided to go see Chev first. He ran to her ranch and peeked in the windows. She was there, having dinner with her family. They were laughing about something.

  “So this is what you’ve become? A peeping tom?”

  Dervinias turned and saw Venus and Michael walking toward him. They were holding hands, looking disgustingly in love. He envied them.

  “What are you two doing here?” He stepped from the window and met them near the corral out front.

  “We figured we’d help you get the Ostwallow sword,” Venus said, smiling.

  “Helker knows you could use it,” Michael said sarcastically.

  Dervinias smiled. It was weird having the two of them on his side. He liked the feeling, embraced it even. Though he knew he’d never be able to make up for all the death he’d inflicted on humans, he wanted to try.

  Earth was his home now too. Someday it would be his daughter’s, and hopefully at some point he’d be able to have Chev in his life again.

  The Transport room was quiet, except for Zaren. He turned on the machine.

  “Greetings, Zaren. Where would you like to go?”

  The Transport surprised him. He’d forgotten that the latest models could enter the coordinates instead of the need to do it manually.

  Zaren sat back and thought about it. He ached. For Palamina. He’d found her and lost her again all in a few short weeks. The pain in his soul was substantial. Kelari held too many painful memories. Venus no longer needed him. She had Michael. More than that, she could protect herself better than he ever could now. Amberlee’s first order of business had been to hold a world conference and discuss the Kelvieri’s boots and whether they still wanted Venus to rule as god of this world. The overwhelming consensus was that they did want their goddess and the boots.

  During the process, Amberlee had taken a liking to the Formytian, Seth. After Zaren, Seth and a couple of other Formytians hunted down all those who’d been part of The Order of Eternal Fire, Amberlee had dismissed Zaren and made Seth her personal guardian.

  The traitors were imprisoned in Helker. They weren’t dead, just in special cells that would hold them for eternity. Venus had said they needed to suffer for all the death and destruction they’d been part of. Once that was done, there was nothing more for him to do. He was free.

  Zaren wanted a change. More than anything, he wanted to get off this planet. Sometimes eternity felt like a curse instead of a blessing. He’d never grow old. He’d never change… unless… there was always the Leviathan planet. One touch of their poison would end him and then he could be with Palamina.

  Zaren sighed. No matter how difficult living had become, killing himself wasn’t an option. At a young age, he’d had an interest in the world of Dyotha. It was filled with dinosaurs. He’d start there.

  “Dyotha,” he told the transport.

  “Very good, Zaren.” The transport closed, sending the cockpit into darkness for a moment. “Would you like the lights on?”

  “No, thank you.” It was better this way. “Actually, can you circle Dyotha for a hundred years before landing?”

  “Of course.” He watched the flight plan change on the screen in front of him. “Would you like to rest in CyberSleep until you arrive?”

  Zaren closed his eyes. “Yes, I would.”

  Tight buckles strapped around his body while his seat tilted backward.

  “CyberSleep will begin in ten seconds.”

  Zaren knew it was a warning, just in case he changed his mind. He wouldn’t. Sleep couldn’t come fast enough.

  We have need of you, Zaren.

  The time has come to serve another.

  Cyanthia .

  Zaren’s mind seemed to fill and expand as the female voice entered his head.

  “Seven,” the transport said.

  “Who are you?” Zaren asked.

  We are the Sistine Sisters the voices said together.

  “Why are you inside my head?” Zaren sat up.

  There is one who is in need of your assistance.

  We don’t have much time.

  Hurry.

  “Four,” the transport said.

  Hurry.

  Hurry.

  Hurry .

  Zaren sat up and pressed a button on the console in front of him.

  “CyberSleep has been cancelled. Do you still want to go to Dyotha?” the transport asked.

  Where to, ladies? Zaren said in his mind.

  Thank you so much for reading the Immortal Essence series. I wrote the story as a way of easing my mind about what else could be out in the Universe. The story started as an alien girl, whose physical form looked similar to that of a human. She ends up on Earth and falls for a human boy. Of course from that point all sorts of helker broke loose. When I finished the series one thing became apparent. Yes, there may be others out there that look like us, but there are most definitely beings that don’t look like us, that aren’t similar in our thinking. They don’t possess empathy and regret.

  If anything, I made matters worse for myself. But that’s okay. The ride was fun.

  If you enjoyed Dovetailed I hope you’ll take a moment to leave a review. It only takes a few minutes but means a great deal to me.

  Sincerely,

  RaShelle Workman

  Vampire Lies

  Book 1

  Blood and Snow Season 2

  Eyes like violet sapphires. Wings of smoldering fire. Consume your true love's blood. Become the Eternal Vampire.

  Born of the seven magics, Jasmine is different in every way, including the obnoxious wings on her back courtesy of the original Vampires. She wants to be normal, to be a regular teenaged girl.

  When a gorgeous dark-haired boy named Laeddin shows up and promises to sneak her away from all her problems and hide her in the human world, she agrees.

  But an evil lurks in her nightmares, a man with red eyes. It doesn’t take lon
g for Jasmine to realize that no matter how far she tries to run from who she is, he’s only a dream away. He wants her. He needs her. He acts as though he loves her.

  It’s becoming harder and harder to tell the difference between the path that’ll lead to her happily ever after, and the path that’ll lead to her destruction as well as all magic.

  Add it to your GoodReads TBR pile .

  Coming April 2014.

  IMMORTAL ESSENCE SERIES

  Aligned (An Immortal Essence Pre-Story)

  Beguiled (Immortal Essence Book Two)

  Dovetailed (Immortal Essence Book Three)

  Summary:

  Venus's home planet of Kelari is at war.

  She must decide the fate of her world and do so without losing her heart.

  BLOOD & SNOW

  Blood and Snow: The Complete Season 1

  RaShelle Workman is the international bestselling author of the Dead Roses series ("Sleeping Roses," book 1 in the series, has been translated into Turkish and is NOW available wherever Turkish books are sold), the Immortal Essence series, the Blood and Snow series, the Cindy Chronicles, and Touching Melody (A Forever First Novel). She's sold over three hundred thousand copies of her novels worldwide in the past year, including Japan, Canada, and Europe. You can find RaShelle all over the web, but the best place to start is on her blog: rashelleworkman.com.

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Praise for the Immortal Essence Series

  1: Rule the World

  2: Whole Again

  3: Fireflies

  4: When Love Takes Over

  5: Someone Like You

  6: Can't Get You Out of My Head

  7: White Horse

  8: Advertising Space

  9: Forget You

  10: Empire State of Mind

  11: Bleeding Love