by John Hook
That stopped me for a moment. “Okay, you have my attention.”
“You said where Guido was concerned, what we do is up to me.”
“Yes, and you said you thought that Roland was right.”
“Yes, he is. For Zaccora and the Rockvale forces.”
“Then what...?”
“I cannot leave Guido in that place. I also don’t think a conventional military operation will be successful. I think it will fail and a lot of people will perish needlessly.”
“They’ll be ready for that, you think?”
“More than ready.”
“So what do we do?”
“We go to find Guido.”
“Just us? Like we did before?”
“Not exactly like. We didn’t know Guido was there at the time.”
“He will be more guarded this time.”
“True, but I suspect they will not expect a few people using guile and magic.”
“You think guile and magic will work?”
Saripha let a mysterious smile lay on her lips.
“Always has for me.”
“I bet it has.” I laughed.
“Izzy and Anika too?”
“I didn’t want to tell everyone, but I felt I owed it to Izzy. He insisted and, well, we might need a few different role players. Archery is a good skill to have on hand.”
“And Tweedledum and Tweedledee?”
They stood grinning, saying nothing.
“They are dedicated to Guido and, thus, to me. Besides, since I don’t have a broomstick, they are my—our—transportation.”
“They can transport all of us?”
“Two each is their limit.”
“So we get there and what?”
“I’m not sure. Although I’m not sure I’ll take any criticism from you on that score.”
I bowed. “And none given.”
“I just have to do this. I have to try. It could be a suicide mission and I wouldn’t blame anyone else for backing out.”
“But you do know we won’t?” I put my hand on her shoulder. She laid her hand on mine.
“Yes. I almost didn’t ask for that reason. Then I realized how unfair that would have been after all you’ve been through.”
“Training’s over, I guess.”
“Training never stops. For me either.”
“When do we leave?”
“Now.”
We were no longer standing in the room, but in the shadow of a rocky cliff. No one looking from the direction of Antanaria, spread out across the desert floor in front of us, would have seen us. Atop the central tower, the being that was what Guido had been transformed into sat in a deep pain-filled sleep on his throne. Sky horsemen circled the tower. The city gleamed blindingly in the hot sun.
“I don’t much care for this city, but I think this time I will join you.”
Azar came up and stood next to us.
Saripha was wrapped in a gray cloak with a hood. Her eyes shone and I could see licks of energy dancing over her eyeballs.
“It begins,” she whispered.
And we followed her down in the shadows of the cliff.
A sword to make the world weep!
Coming Next Time
The Battle for Hell
Quentin and his Girlfriend Have a Spat
The Sword Is Completed
Plus
The Secrets of the Angels
In Volume 4 of the Quentin Case Saga
Hard Mettle
(I better wrap this up soon. I’m running out of “Hard” puns)
I love to talk with my readers.
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Read how it all began in the first volume of the Quentin Case saga!
Hard Case
Available exclusively as a Kindle eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054DW2ZO
“The heat was off again. What a stupid little problem to end your life with.”
Quentin Case is a writer of pulp fiction and action heroes in New York City, but mostly his life involves getting to the next rent check. All that changes when he dies and finds himself transported to a world that seems to be Hell. Literally. However something changed in Quentin when he crossed over. He is angry at being where he ended up and he plans to fight demon and devil alike to hang onto his small piece of humanity.
Hell seems deceptively—normal. Nonetheless, this is a world where human souls are the torture toys of demons and manipulated by psychotic magical beings. Many lost souls have withdrawn to being little more than tormented automatons. Somehow, Quentin has found a small group of souls living precariously off the grid. He has found companionship, even love.
There is pain, sudden violence and dark magic here. Quentin is determined to mount a revolution and take the fight to the devil himself if he has to. However, unless Quentin can learn this world's secrets, he and the small group of souls he has allied himself with will learn that there are worse things than dying.
A blend of horror, science fiction and high adventure, this is a gritty fantasy story with character, humor and twists and turns that will intrigue and astonish you.
The Rebellion Continues:
Hard Corps
Available Exclusively as a Kindle eBook:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AG2ESL4
Quentin Case is getting restless. That usually means trouble.
Trapped in a world of torture and magic that might be Hell or simply a hellish world, the "Citizens" of Rockvale have managed to carve out a sanctuary under the protection of a mysterious Manitor. Quentin is not satisfied with this momentary lull. He is still angry. Reluctantly, he has been trying to keep the peace while Kyo builds up Rockvale’s defensive force. However, when one of Rockvale's own goes missing, Quentin runs headlong into the unknown.
Exploring this world, making more enemies than friends, Quentin sets out to raise an army to go up against a giant Demon King, a new Manitor and his psychotic Shade, as well as the strange angel-like being that seems more powerful than all of them. What he will do when he faces them isn’t clear, but long range planning has never been his long suit. He will need magic of his own. Quentin doesn’t trust magic. The trouble is, unless he can learn the true nature of his power, those closest to him --Rox, Saripha, Izzy, Kyo, and the new arrival Blaise-- are at terrible risk.
Quentin stumbles upon a tantalizing secret. In the midst of this world of both ordinariness and pain is a place where people are left alone, allowed by the powers that be to live unmolested. Quentin is skeptical, and rightly so, but that is where the path to the missing person leads. What Quentin discovers is so terrifying it will change the Citizens’ lives immeasurably.
This is a world where few choices are good ones. Maybe, in such a world, making the right choice is even more important.
A rousing blend of high adventure, science fiction and horror, this sequel to Hard Case will thrill and surprise you!
About the Author
John Hook is the pseudonym of John Warner who started out as a freelance magazine writer and editor in New York City in the 1970s and early 80s, right out of high school. He later picked up a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology. He spent the next years doing research and teaching as both an assistant professor and an adjunct professor. He now works as a policy and program analyst. Although everything he has done has involved a good deal of writing, he has only recently begun producing novels.
He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, two dogs and a cat (Bandit, not Rooni).
