“Don’t tell me you’re scared now? Just treat him like any other bear. We’ve got this. We’ve taken down hordes of Mad, we’ve liberated towns, we’ve taken on a friggin’ lycanthrope when we were exhausted. If we can’t take down another bear amongst the—”
Caitlin cut off the encouragement and uttered a cry of surprise at the bear’s speed. He tore through the street, an enormous, furry missile, aiming straight at the Revolutionaries like a bowling ball at the pins.
“Dive!”
They moved as fast as they could. Joe lacked the speed of the others and barely managed to avoid the impact as the bear skidded forward and slammed into a building.
The animal roared at his comrades, who regrouped and joined the action. Kain held back reluctantly, until the bear—presumably, Caitlin thought, the leader Kain had spoken about—caught his gaze and he was forced to join the fray.
Now Caitlin saw red. Her adrenaline was on overdrive. Goddammit, if these Weres thought they had the upper hand… Super-bear or no super-bear, she was Caitlin Harrison, and these were the Revolutionaries. They had yet to lose a fight or a member of their team. Today would not be the day that changed.
“Ma!” Caitlin shouted, about to give the vampire orders. But Mary-Anne had already charged ahead, her eyes a blazing red, and focused her attack on the big one.
With a bat of his paw, her course was diverted. She flew backward, crashing into the side of a car next to Caitlin.
Mary-Anne groaned.
“Look out!” Laurie shouted, her bow and arrow ready as she sent a missile flying through the air. It landed in the side of the panther’s leg. The animal had been speeding towards them, and it buckled and crashed to the ground. Tom, Joe, and Jaxon moved to eliminate the wolf and the original bear—which Caitlin would later call “baby bear” in comparison to this beast before them—and demanded their attention, swords and guns flashing as they caught the moonlight.
A chuckle seemed to bubble in Superbear’s throat as he advanced slowly on the vampire. He stood on his hind legs and in an instant, changed back to his human form.
“I wondered what had happened to vampires as the Madness spread,” the man said. “If we Weres were to become nothing more than degenerates, then what was the punishment inflicted on those who stood at the top of the food chain for years?”
Mary-Anne spat out a mouthful of blood. “To have to endure your ugly mug, it seems.”
“Pathetic.” The man leered at her, cocking his head to the side. “Weak. Your strength has gone, too, it seems.” He studied her for a moment. “How could it be that humans get all the gifts these days? While the Unknowns degenerate, fade and die? It’s almost laughable, really. Even the great vampires can now be squashed like bugs.” He cricked his neck then began to shift back into a bear. “Well, this will be fun…”
Caitlin, seeing what was to come, took her sword and dragged it across the flesh of her arm. A steady stream of red began to trail down the skin.
“Ma, here,” she offered, placing the arm directly beneath Mary-Anne’s face.
Mary-Anne stared up at her, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Kitty-Cat… Not you—”
But before she could finish her sentence, Caitlin pushed Mary-Anne’s head to the blood.
She was hesitant at first, but then Caitlin felt the vampire take the blood. It was a strange feeling in which the battle, the Weres, and the entire situation seemed to fade. All that existed then was Caitlin and Mary-Anne.
And then the world re-appeared. Superbear looked at them with unbridled anger, ready to pounce on Mary-Anne. In a movement so fast it seemed impossible, Mary-Anne healed Caitlin’s arm, shoved her to the side, then moved before the bear could hit her.
The huge bulk of the bear crashed into the car, compressing the metal and flattening it almost to the ground.
“Ma! Go for the face. Something—keep him distracted,” Caitlin shouted, watching in awe as Mary-Anne’s demeanor changed entirely. Her body took the blood, and the strength it gave her was almost visible, as though an aura of power now surrounded her. “Let’s get this shit sorted.”
As the vampire dove for the bear and gripped into his back, Caitlin searched for the others.
She found them almost instantly, her face falling. Jaxon was locked in a whirlwind battle with the wolf, all bared teeth and snarls. Laurie and Tom were locked in battle with the other bear, spending more time ducking and diving than attacking—although it looked like Tom had taken a few good slices of the bear’s leg. Meanwhile, the panther had Joe cornered and was advancing slowly. Joe’s gun lay on the ground a few feet away.
Caitlin’s eyes widened in alarm. She raced towards Joe, weaving around the bear with a speed that surprised her. As she passed, she took her blade and aimed a perfect slash into one of the already existing wounds Tom had inflicted. The animal buckled with a roar. She charged past the wolf, shouldering into him as he snapped at Jaxon. The dog bounded back on top and looked for the advantage.
With a final burst of effort, Caitlin slid across the ground, picked up the gun, and aimed it at the panther’s face.
The Were didn’t notice at first until Joe pointed. As soon as it saw the gun, its ears flattened and it began to retreat.
“That’s right. Kitty hates a teeny bullet, huh?” Caitlin smirked. “Wouldn’t want your entire face to rip off now, would we?” She tossed the shotgun to Joe who caught it and kept its sight trained on the panther. “Here. Keep Kitty in line.”
Joe looked confused. “Oh, you mean him. Not you?”
She rolled her eyes, then nodded as she searched for Kain. Her heart sank when she found no sign at first, then she almost fell with laughter when she saw him ducked behind a car at the far end of the street.
He caught her eyes and raised a finger to his lips. She understood. This was one fight it was better for him to remain impartial in so that he could see the outcome. He neither wanted to hurt the Weres, nor his Revolutionaries. For that, she could forgive him.
When another roar sounded, Caitlin looked back down the battlefield, watching in awe as Mary-Anne went toe-to-toe with the Superbear. With a final nod at Joe, she sprinted back to help her. The vampire clung desperately to the bear’s fur as he bucked and tossed into the air.
As she advanced, Caitlin held her sword ready. She stood tall, moving more slowly the closer she got. The bear caught sight of her and seemed to grin mockingly.
“I give you one final warning, Were. Surrender Kain and end this stupid vendetta against the humans…”
The bear cocked its head as if to say, “or what?”
“Or we kill you all, here and now.”
With a final surge of brute strength, the creature stood on its hind legs and roared into the night sky. Caitlin held her ground, goosebumps rising on her flesh.
The bear slammed down on all fours and leaped for her. With its size and mass, she wondered what strength the beast possessed to gain so much height and distance.
“So be it,” she murmured.
With a final evasive roll, Caitlin ducked out the way. As he made contact with the ground, she gritted her teeth, screamed, and drove the blade straight into the flesh at the side of the bear’s body.
He bellowed his rage and bucked furiously.
Mary-Anne toppled off, driving her blade into the other side of the bear.
For a moment, the Were panicked. As the pain set in, he thrashed and sprinted away. The swords were still stuck in his side as he crashed into buildings and smashed cars. At one point, the baby bear had to move out of the way, limping as he did so, to avoid a collision with the larger beast.
Until, finally, with one last roar of pain, the bear fell still.
A tense silence fell over the battlefield. The Weres looked at their leader in disbelief.
Caitlin walked towards the bear and climbed his body. She stood on his back and spoke to the Weres. “This fight was one that we did not want to have. We offered negotiations. We offered talk. I exten
d one final offer to you all. Transform back into your human states. Talk to us. Help us find a path to peace in this city, and I promise you, we can all flourish and make the Broken City something the world hasn’t seen in years.”
A pause, long and tense, followed her words.
Baby bear advanced slowly, transforming back into his human form. Caitlin waited for the others to follow suit, but they did not follow suit.
“You offer peace after slaughtering our leader,” the man growled.
“In self-defense,” she clarified.
The man spat on the ground, his eyes blazing. Blood poured down his leg as he limped closer. “There is no peace to be had between humans and Weres.”
With that, he spat on the ground, transformed, and sprinted back down the street. The panther and wolf joined him, and they disappeared around the corner. The heavy padding of feet seemed to echo through the city.
“Well…there goes that plan,” Mary-Anne said, wiping the blood off her face with her sleeve. “We may have taken down the Alpha, but we’ve angered the hive.”
Caitlin’s heart sank. Mary-Anne was right. In one way, progress had been made. But what would happen next once the bear made its way back to the lair? If they wanted to heal this city and make it hospitable for everyone, there was a lot of work to be done. And much of that would involve getting the humans on their side before a full-scale war broke out.
They had but one hope. And that hope took the form of the Were now emerging from behind the wreckage of a car, a sheepish grin on his face as he waved and called down the street. “So…what did I miss?”
Felicia watched them from high up in the tower. Her hunch had proven right. The newcomers were already making something of a nuisance of themselves.
She waited a moment before peeking back around the old metallic filing cabinet of the office building and watched them walk back down the street.
“Quite the battle,” she muttered, her lips still slick from the blood that stained her lips. “Impressive to see another vamp fight after all these years. And to take down the Alpha, too…now that is admirable.”
From behind her came the squeaking voice of a woman who looked similar enough to be her twin, the collar of her top speckled in blood. “She doesn’t hold a candle to you, ma’am.”
Felicia smiled, licking her tongue across her fangs. “Shucks, Miriam. You know all the right things to say.”
“What are you going to do with them, ma’am?” Miriam cowered in the corner.
Felicia thought for a long while before replying. “We toy with them. Play them. Use them to show us the way to the lair of the Were scum.” She thought back to the moment when the Were and the human girl hid in the alcove and talked. They clearly had no intention of killing each other. “One of the Weres is with them, I’m sure. If we play this right, we could flush out the filth in no time. It’s already made easier now that Geralt is destroyed.”
“And then?” Miriam asked.
Felicia grinned. “Well, there’s only room enough in this city for one vampire. Don’t you think?”
FINIS
Author’s Notes - Dan Willcocks
September 3, 2018
Wow, things are really starting to heat up…
To jump in ahead of Mr Anderle, thanks again for not only reading this book, but staying for the author notes (sorry Michael)! Keep tuned and I may just stick in a Marvel-style additional line or two at the end to whet your appetite for book 4…
This series has been such a blast to write so far. Usually I’m in at the deep end of the swimming pool, up to my neck in monsters, blood, and guts. Now I’m… well… pretty much the same, but who knew writing a kickass heroine could be so much fun?! Caitlin, Mary-Anne, Kain and Co are incredibly fun to play with, and there’s so much more story to tell.
Werewolves, vampires, zombies. What Michael has created is an elegant tie to bring all these creatures together. If you’re a long-standing fan of the Kurtherian Universe, you’ll definitely know what I mean, and hopefully this series is delivering a nice feeling of satisfaction in your stomach as we work to bridge the Second Dark Ages and the Age of Magic together. If this is your first investment in the epic, then what are you waiting for?! Check out Michael’s other works with some of the industry’s finest talented authors to keep your imagination fed for a good few years to come.
Seriously, even Nana’s Christmas pudding won’t fill you up like this.
To say that I had been excited to get this series started would be an understatement. And now, just a few months later, I can’t believe I’m writing the author notes to book 3. It’s a tepid evening in England, the nights are getting darker, and I’m sat in a darkened room with only the light of the screen to keep me company. It’s bliss. My son is snoring next door, and there’s a coffee by my side (milk, one sugar—if anyone wanted to know). Not only that, but I’m looking at the amazing reviews you guys have given, and it all makes it worth it. I can’t count the total hours poured into these books, but to know it’s being picked up and enjoyed by so many people is pretty incredible.
So, what’s to come from the rest of the series? Well… the majority of that is well under wraps by now but suffice to say that we’re definitely going to see more of Caitlin as she grows and liberates the world. With Hayley paving the way in the Age of Madness, there’s so much that can be done in this new wave of monsters on Earth, so I’ll just say this for now… Fans of older series will get some kicks over what’s to come.
Oh, and for fans of Mabel—Jamie’s geriatric grandmother—don’t worry. I’ve already made a start on book 4, and rest assured that I’ve heard your reviews of book 2, and Miss Mabel will definitely be making a comeback.
If you’re hungry for more work from myself, then be sure to head on over to www.danielwillcocks.com and check out my other stories written with my Hawk & Cleaver brothers. We’ve got horror, sci-fi, thrillers and more.
And if you’re a fan of audio fiction, make sure to check out our hugely successful short fiction podcast, ‘The Other Stories’, which has recently celebrated over 2 million downloads since April 2016 (20 minute horror in your ears every Monday).
And, finally, once again a huge thank you to everyone involved in the making of this book. The guys at LMBPN could not be more helpful, inspirational, encouraging, accommodating, and forgiving.
No authors were harmed in the making of this book.
Some Mad died though.
Poor Mad…
Until next time,
Daniel Willcocks
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
September 3, 2018
THANK YOU for not only reading this story, but these Author Notes as well!
I’m typing this author note having just sat down on my desk at home about an hour ago from a ‘world wind’ tour. For once, I’m not taking literary license with that phrase.
August 15th, I left Vegas to go to San Jose, California for my first Worldcon. Five days later, hit the airport and went to Beijing, China for the Beijing Book Fair (walked a little bit of the Great wall of China while there… WAY too many steps for this keg-pack writer) and then Shanghai and Shen-Zhen.
Global Ignorance
Now, when I went to China, I feared I wouldn’t be able to find food to eat. The ironic part is I think I gained weight because of the good food, and easy availability of Coke (the drink, not the drug.) Pepsi can apparently suck it in China.
(Except in the Pizza Hut… You bastards.)
Our third city to visit (as a stepping off point to visit JED Toy Manufacturing a train trip away) was Shen-Zhen. We didn’t look at a map, or read up on the city at all, so imagine my surprise to visit one of the most interesting HUGE cities in the world with skyscraper architecture that boggles the mind.
I had thought Beijing had amazing buildings – it just kept getting better.
I grew up near Houston and have visited Los Angeles and New York a lot of times. I’ve visited Rio, London, Paris, Roma, Venic
e, Barcelona, Madrid, Dallas, Chicago and other cities that I’ve forgotten to mention.
None of them prepared me for my sheer ignorance of Chinese cities. I watched (and saw) the buildings that seemed vacant so I know there are issues with the building in China but my hat's off to them for Shen-Zhen.
That light show running across HUGE buildings was jaw-dropping.
(If you are ever in Shanghai, check out Lost Heaven or Lost Heavan Bar for Chinese food – BOTH are delicious. Lost Heaven is in the old French Quarter area and has a small-neighborhood feel. Lost Heaven Bar is in the city near one of the rivers and feels like a very cosmopolitan crowd.
Mardi Gras For Geeks
I have just had a damn near religious experience at Dragoncon 2018 in Atlanta Georgia. Pull together 80,000 to 100,000 people within about eight city blocks, all focused on having fun and celebrating comics, games, books, movies and tv. I never expected to find myself in the MOST inclusive group I’ve ever witnessed. It didn’t matter if you were a corporate-looking person (which I had to be seen as with my LMBPN UA collared shirt and jeans) or one of the many, many unique cosplayers I witnessed, everyone was polite, kind, inclusive, and giving.
I went there for the Dragon Awards (Craig Martelle and I lost to David Weber, Timothy Zhan and Thomas Pope – which is as fine a group to lose to if one is going to go away in second place.) However, I came out of it wanting to go back.
If you get a chance, check it out.
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael Anderle
The City Revolts
Caitlin Chronicles Book Four
For you. This one is definitely for you. You know who you are. You.
—Dan
To Family, Friends and
The Caitlin Chronicles Boxed Set Page 69
