by Brey Willows
Table of Contents
Synopsis
By the Author
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Epilogue
About the Author
Books Available from Bold Strokes Books
Fury’s Choice
Fury Tisera Graves needs a break. She wants a normal life, but she can’t see a way out of Afterlife. When the gods begin running marketing campaigns in an effort to woo followers, she steps in to keep them in line, although she really just wants to get away from it all.
Playgirl philanthropist Kera Espinosa made a nearly fatal mistake, and now she’s trying to make up for it by doing good work around the world. She’s got no time for the gods, who don’t do nearly enough. And she’s still searching for the people who nearly destroyed her. When she finds them, she’s prepared to sacrifice it all to make them pay.
When it comes time for both women to choose, will they find love or destruction?
Fury’s Choice
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Fury’s Choice
© 2017 By Brey Willows. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-62639-870-2
This Electronic Original is published by
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: September 2017
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Cindy Cresap
Production Design: Susan Ramundo
Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])
By the Author
Fury’s Bridge
Fury’s Choice
Acknowledgments
Thanks to my editor, Cindy, who makes the process painless and always makes me laugh more than she makes me cry. Thanks to Radclyffe and Sandy, who gave me the chance to do what I love on an entirely different scale with a concept that’s a little on the fringe. Thanks to all the Bold Strokes staff who do so much behind the scenes to get the books to readers.
Unquestionably, thanks goes to my wonderful partner, Nic; my biggest cheerleader and fan, who keeps me writing even when I get stroppy about it.
Dedication
For Nic, who saves me each and every day. Thanks for not giving up on me, babe.
Prologue
Kera Espinosa woke slowly, sweating, chilled, breathing fire through parched lips. “Please. Water.”
The head of the rebel group smiled down at her with his broken, blackened teeth. “I told you. As soon as we’ve got the rest of your information, we’ll take care of you. Our scientists are working through your formulas, but you’ve done a superior job of making them senseless. All you have to do is give us what we need, and you’ll be free to go with all the water you like.”
“Don’t do this. It wasn’t meant to kill people.”
His laugh was like sandpaper on a chalkboard. “Stupid woman. You know as well as I do you can’t control nature. You wanted knowledge not meant for people, and you got it.” He squatted down next to her to look her in the eye. “Just like the man who created the nuclear bomb. What did he think the information would be used for? Geniuses seem to be the stupidest idealists. Fortunately for us, you’re an attractive one, which makes trying to get you to talk far more interesting.”
He was right. She’d known what could be done with it, with any number of the deadly airborne illnesses she’d investigated, but the incredible power it gave her, the feeling of being God, had been a temptation she couldn’t fight.
She would have spit on him if her mouth didn’t feel stuffed with dry cotton. He gave her cheek a hard pat and left, his bad guy whistle echoing off the cell’s cement walls.
She coughed and winced at the pain of a broken rib. A scream from another cell crashed through the silence, until it was abruptly cut off.
As she slipped back into blissful unconsciousness, she briefly wondered if anyone would answer her prayers.
They say you always reach for God when you’re at your lowest. She knew another few days of this, and her body would give out entirely. If you’re listening, whoever you are…please.
Chapter One
“Thank you, Lord Shiva, for that enlightening information. And with that, we’ll leave our audience to, as always, consider what’s been said, think critically about it, and make their own decisions. Good night.”
Tisera Graves laughed as Selene signed off on her weekly TV talk show. When they’d begun the process of the gods coming out months ago, after several more months of administrative wrangling, she hadn’t been sure what would happen. None of them were. But once the ball started rolling, there was no stopping it. God after god appeared to their followers, primarily in their places of worship. And then Selene started the show, where she not only interviewed the deity of the week but asked them some tough questions. Foremost, she asked the audience to think, to really consider what the gods’ answers were, what they were offering, and the way of life they embodied. She asked them not to follow blindly, but with forethought.
Tis wasn’t sure how she felt about all of it. When she and her sisters were in their heyday, the gods had been public figures. They’d appeared to their people all the time in various forms. There hadn’t been any question they were real, and people took prayer and sacrifice seriously. But then the gods had moved away from the public view as the world expanded, and new gods made their way into new lands. Humans continued to worship, but soon they started to take it on faith that their gods existed. Proof was no longer necessary.
The phone startled her from her reverie, and she glanced at the display. She smiled as she answered. “Hey, superstar. How’s my celebrity sister?”
Alec laughed. “Glad I kept my day job. Dealing with murderers and psychopaths is easier than dealing with gods and their egos. I’m heading to a job on the East Coast. Want to come?”
“Sure. Tough one?”
“I think it might be. One of those cult leader things. With the gods out in force, the extremists are coming out of the woodwork. I think we’ve got a Kool-Aid situation.”
Tis sighed inwardly. This was the kind of thing she was worried about.
There was no telling how humanity would react. Apparently, following people who made promises, but only if their followers offed themselves, was one of those reactions. “Sure, when do you want to leave?”
“About an hour? We’ll take the Hummer, unless you want to drive?”
Tis’s top-of-the-line Range Rover Evoque had a glass roof, and the inside was like sitting in an upscale hotel suite. “Since it’s a long one, let’s take mine. We’ll see the night sky that way.” She’d gotten the car for that reason. She didn’t like the openness of a convertible, especially as it messed with her hair and wings, but she hated feeling boxed in. Gone were the days they’d fly everywhere, and she missed them, but larger territory meant longer trips, and it wasn’t practical to go everywhere on their own.
“Cool. See you soon.”
Tis hung up and wandered into her bedroom. Every wall in the house was floor to ceiling glass. The back of the house looked out onto the Pacific Ocean, with a steep cliff path leading past an opulent gazebo-cum-guesthouse and down to a private beach. Trees surrounded the house, providing a deep sense of privacy, even though the outside world had no idea the house was even there. It reminded Tis of the old days, of nature and peace, away from the constant noise and distraction of the modern world. It was her sanctuary, and she protected it fiercely. Only her sisters had ever been inside, and even then, only when she invited them.
She heard Alec’s Hummer a short time later and grabbed her things. She was outside before Alec had climbed out. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself. Feeling okay?”
Tis winced slightly. If anyone would notice something wasn’t right, it would be Alec. Their other sister, Meg, wouldn’t notice unless someone pointed it out. “Yeah, fine. Just had a long job in Africa. I’ve only been home a few days.”
“Damn, Tis. You should have said. I can do this job on my own, no problem.”
Tis shook her head. “No, it’ll be nice to spend some time with you. Really, I’m okay.”
Alec looked at her searchingly before she smiled. “Let’s get on the road then.”
They got into the Range Rover and set off. Soon, scenery was whizzing past at the typical supernatural rate they often traveled. Alec put her seat back and stared at the sky as they drove in silence for a while.
Tis asked, “So, how is life in the limelight? How’s Selene handling things?”
“So far, it’s going okay. A lot of questions are coming up in the organization, and plenty of people are coming back to the office more than a little frazzled. It’s been a long time since the gods had to work instead of lounge around, but their egos are growing with the flock of believers. It all feels a little unstable, and Selene’s in the middle of it. But the gods seem to respect her, and she’s doing better than she thought she would on stage.” She shrugged. “We’ll have to see how it goes, I guess.” She looked at Tis. “How are you holding up? Really. No bullshit.”
No bullshit. Then what is there to say? More than anything, Tis wanted to tell Alec the truth. But it wasn’t the right time. She didn’t know if there would be a right time, but now definitely wasn’t it. She wasn’t ready. “Honestly, I’m okay. Better than the last time we talked, I guess. You know how it gets to you. Sometimes I wish we were angels, or leprechauns, or tooth fairies. The beings who get to see the good stuff, hand out miracles or gold, or pull pranks on people. Not the ones always dishing out the nightmares.”
Alec nodded and closed her eyes. “I sure as hell get that. It’s funny, I didn’t really notice it until I met Selene. Now, being around someone so…human, I get to see the nicer side of life a lot more than I used to.” She opened her eyes and grinned. “Maybe you just need a girlfriend. Maybe one of the happy goddesses. What about Ame-no?”
“The goddess of orgasms? Too much sex is distracting, as well as boring. Have you ever had to sit on a chair after her? She always leaves a wet patch. No thanks.”
Alec laughed. “Okay. So Aphrodite is out too.”
“Without question. I couldn’t deal with all the orgies, and that whole lingerie line she has going makes me vomit in my mouth a little every time she brings it up.”
“Let me tell you, there’s nothing wrong with lingerie.” Alec grinned. “Is there anyone you would consider?”
Tis thought about it. She pictured their various colleagues and discarded them quickly. “Not a one. I’ve been with the ones who were options, and they’re old news. And besides, everyone is busy getting back to their followers. I’m not looking for anyone right now.” She sighed and swallowed back the feeling of isolation she really felt. “I would need to be with someone who could take me like this. All the time, not just when I’m working. Or having sex.” She threw Alec a small smile to show she was teasing. She shifted to adjust her wings, liking the way their pearlescent white glowed against the black interior of the SUV.
“I get that. I’m not bothered by staying in my more human form, but I know you’ve never been totally comfortable in it.” She reached over and squeezed Tis’s hand. “Just remember you’re not alone, okay? You’ve got me and Meg. And of course the rest of Afterlife.”
Tis squeezed her hand in return. “I know. You and Meg are my rocks. You always have been.”
“Good. I think we’re nearly there. Take the next exit.”
Alec guided them to the farm in the middle of a massive cornfield. There were no neighbors, but a dozen cars were parked behind the house. Only one light was on inside.
Tis parked a distance away so they could get a feel for the scene before they got too close. It was always good to know if there were victims beyond the immediate area, so they could be counted among the perpetrator’s crimes. They got out, and Tis stretched her wings. She sniffed the air, and mixed in with the fresh earthy smell was the scent of the recently deceased, underscored by the harsh tang of fear. She looked at Alec and saw her wings were out, her eyes had gone completely black, and her fangs glinted in the moonlight. Tis raised her arms and let her true form come completely to the surface.
Her white hair was replaced by a multitude of thin, long white snakes with eyes the same color red as her own. She welcomed their presence like old friends and felt her fangs extend. Together, she and Alec flew toward the house, following the smell of human destruction.
* * *
An hour later, Tis and Alec leaned against the Range Rover and stared up at the night sky. The full moon looked back at them, and Tis wondered, as she often did, how so much ethereal beauty could be matched with so much violence and death.
“That was messy.” Alec sounded tired.
“I think it will get messier. With the gods coming out, humans will have a hard time coping, especially those not strong enough. It’s like some bizarre, paradoxical natural selection.”
Forty of the people inside were already dead, having ingested the “elixir” their leader promised would take them straight to the home of the gods, where they’d be welcomed as gods themselves. Of course, at the last minute, he’d chickened out and not had any himself. They’d found him in a corner, wide-eyed and mumbling about new worlds and other planets. When he’d looked up and seen them, he’d begun to laugh. That laugh had quickly turned to screams as Tis punished him for the murders by creating a terrible, painful illness in him that would lead to a short, horrible death, and Alec punished his lack of morality by giving him nightmares he’d endure for the rest of his brief life. Such was the punishment of the furies.
“Hey there.”
Tis looked over to see Dani walking toward them, dressed in her ceremonial garb of black cloak and massive scythe.
“You look fancy,” Alec said, giving her a hug.
“Yeah, well, wouldn’t do for Death to show up looking like a slob, would it?” She threw her hood back and breathed in the night air. “Besides, we’re being watched so damn closely these days, I have to have my A game on all the time. I’ve warned my team to do the same.”
Tis winced. “I hate that we’re being monitored tha
t way. Like we’re under some kind of performance review.”
Dani nodded. “I know what you mean. Thankfully, some of us don’t really need approval. In fact, maybe it would be better if they saw me as just a normal person, doing a different kind of job. Maybe they wouldn’t be so afraid…”
She stopped talking, clearly lost in thought. Tis cleared her throat slightly. “Guess we’ll leave you to it.”
Dani looked startled and then laughed softly. “I’m always distracted lately. Yeah, I’d better get to work.” She pulled her massive hood back up and gave them a little wave. “See you at Meg’s party Friday?”
Alec shook her head. “Not me. Selene’s got a press release thing going, and I want to be there to support her.”
Tis couldn’t imagine the pressure Selene was under. She didn’t envy her at all. “I think I’ll head to Venice, actually. Meet up with a friend and relax away from it all.”
Dani started toward the house. “Okay, well, don’t be strangers.” She disappeared into the house, and the air around the area cooled dramatically.
“I wonder why that happens?” Alec wrapped her wings around her to ward off the cold.
“Weird, isn’t it? There’s no logical reason for it. It’s as though the souls give off heat, and when she takes them, there’s a void.” She shrugged. “Or something.”
“I feel like we’re asking questions we’ve never had to ask.”
“That’s because it’s a new era. We just have to learn to live in it, right?” Tis flexed her wings. “I think I’ll catch that flight to Venice today. Get away for a few days. That okay with you?”
Alec nodded thoughtfully. “Sure. Meg and I can handle it for a few days, and I’ll get another department to jump in if things get too crazy.” She punched Tis’s shoulder. “Just come back, okay?”
