Anne mumbled a response into Tabitha's chest, "Brgrlfllrrrckraghen."
Tabitha pulled away and looked down at the teenager. "What did you say?"
Anne smiled. “I said, ‘I can't breathe!’” Anne pulled Tabitha back in for a hug before releasing her. "I know that now, but it was pretty scary when the Queen emancipated me in the first place. I'm super excited to be working on the Etheric research, and it's kind of cool that I sometimes get to talk to my dad about it as well."
Tabitha turned and started walking to her own room in the suite. “Well, he did all of that work with that stupid black-ops shell company, so some of this is not that far out from what he was working on.”
Her voice came from inside her room. "Who knows, maybe you and your father will become famous for research on Etheric travel!"
Tabitha didn't see the small tear that Anne reached up and wiped away. She waited a moment to get her emotions in order. “Maybe. That would be pretty rad."
Tabitha's voice called back out from her room, "Hey, so, while I go on this operation with a few of the Tontos, what you going to be doing?"
Anne walked to Tabitha's door and leaned against the opening. "I've been told that I will get my own small suite in about three or four days. So, when you get back you won't have a roomie anymore."
Tabitha looked up from the little gym bag of extra supplies she was taking with her. “Really?” Tabitha looked around her room. “God, it will be so good not to have to be so clean all of the time."
Anne looked at her, annoyance on her face. “What? Are you saying you're not naturally this clean?" She pointed around the room to all of the areas that were spotless.
Tabitha chuckled. "Hell no. I'm only this clean because I had a teenager here sharing my suite all of the time. I had to set a good example. If you weren't here, I would have been messy. When I know somebody is coming over, I will throw it all into a basket and stick it somewhere in the back of the closet. I'm not that much older than you for Pete's sake."
Anne continued looking at her roomie, mouth open. Finally, she threw up her hands and turned around. "I'll bet you I'm cleaner than you are without you putting in the extra effort." Tabitha smiled as the young woman walked away.
Two and a half hours later—no way Anne was going to add being late on top of everything else—Anne and Jinx walked into the workout area. When she saw Peter glance over at the clock on the wall and smile, she figured she’d been right to be early. To her surprise, Peter motioned for them to follow him. Anne, with Jinx holding tightly to her side, followed Peter through a door into what turned out to be some kind of office. Peter sat behind the old primer-gray metal desk and motioned to a bench that could double as a seat for some of the four-legged Yollins.
Peter watched as Jinx hopped up on the bench, and had to work to keep the smile off his face as Anne sat nervously beside her dog. “I know that you have been through some issues that could bother anyone. Combat is almost second nature to us Weres, but I can understand why a person might not desire to fight. However, you two have targets painted on you.” Peter was amused at the fish-out-of-water expression on Anne’s face, and he held up a hand to forestall comments before she was able to get her voice working. “You,” he pointed at Jinx, “are one of only seven dogs on this station, and sooner or later some rich person is going to offer enough money that someone is going to try to dog-nap you.” He held up both hands while shaking his head to keep the two silent. “Now, if someone puts a bounty on a dog, do you think the slimes trying to poach a canine will go after Bethany Anne?”
Anne and Jinx looked at each other, eyes widening as they went through the list of people who were dog companions.
Matrix and TOM, which also meant Bethany Anne.
Devi was with the two Academy administrators.
Snow was with Kael-ven.
Which left her and Jinx, or… Oh my God!
“Dio is unprotected a lot of the time,” Jinx growled.
Peter nodded, smiling like a sensei whose student finally understands. “He’s the most vulnerable, so we’ll have extra observation on him. But he can hole up with Yelena and Bellatrix and not be seen. You two, however, have school, training, and now work. And that brings us to Point Number Two. Anne, why were you on a bed full of explosives?”
It was clear that Jinx actually connected the dots faster than Anne because she started to growl, hackles up, before Anne replied. “Some bad guys wanted …”
“The research information that your dad was involved in.” Peter finished for her, once again nodding his head. “There are only a couple of us in the know right now, but it’s not going to stay secret forever. Once you start working with others, and especially once the Etheric Empire exhibits or implements the results, people are going to start taking a lot of interest in finding out who is responsible for those ‘results.’” Peter finished with air quotes on the last word. “If they can link that research back to you, then you, or maybe your parents, are targets. As distasteful as it may be, you’re going to have to become another Bethany Anne. Someone who is so powerful and frightening that people will think twice or three times before trying to attack you or those you are protecting.”
Peter actually looked apologetic at this last statement, and that more than anything eased Anne’s mind some. She still didn’t like the idea of hurting people, and she really detested getting sweaty and bruised, but…
We’re going to have to commit and do this. Jinx sent to her partner, and heard Anne’s mental sigh.
I know, I really do hate bruises though.
You bruise less since we came out of the Pod-doc, Jinx observed.
You’re right, and there’s a way to bruise even less.
Anne looked at Peter and stood. “I believe we have three hours of training scheduled.”
Anne turned and led Jinx back into the gym, sending a final thought.
We need to be the ones handing out the bruises.
FINIS
Author Notes - Stephen Russell
August 7, 2017
First and foremost a big THANK YOU to all of you who have read this far.
As a volume reader myself there have been a lot of books that I’ve started that I was not able to finish, so if this has held your interest long enough for you to get here … Woohoo!
I’ve always had a very active imagination, and I’ve thought of hundreds of stories over the years but I’ve never tried to publish anything because I’ve always felt my writing style was too minimalist. Then almost two years ago I had a ‘recommendation’ from Amazon for a story by some guy called Michael Anderle, and hey, he already had three other books written. So, instead of jumping in at Bite This, I happily started Death Becomes Her.
A day and a half later and the fateful passage asking for beta readers. Having just recently been placed on long term disability I thought, why not? Now I have the time to do something like this.
I’ve never claimed to be a professional editor, and I didn’t make that claim to Michael either. However, it seemed I was better than the system he was using at that time and that earned me a seat on the crazy ride of Michael Anderle trying to publish a book a month.
What has this to do with my writing, you ask? Simple … Michael is another minimalist author. He’s been living proof if you write a compelling story with characters the readers become invested in, you don’t need paragraphs of descriptive content.
One of the things I’ve done over my years is breeding, training and showing dogs, so when Ashur entered the story I was quite happy. Well except for the messages to Michael complaining that some of the things he was writing were not factual. Probably not a big surprise to him considering all the complaints I had about his firearm information.
Once we had Bellatrix and then puppies, I decided I would try to write a story for one of the pups, and since Anne was already somewhat special in her ability to understand Ashur, it seemed like an obvious match, so I asked Michael to ‘save’ Jinx for me to write ab
out and you have just read the result. Unfortunately, I type extremely slowly and I can’t keep pace with Michael’s output. However, now that I’ve managed to churn out one story I’m working on plot lines to see what sort of mischief Anne and Jinx can get into in the future.
Stay tuned …
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
Written 09/13/17
First, thank you for not only reading through this book, but through STEPHEN’S author notes, and now mine, as well!
This book represents (to me) an incredible journey of people helping people, and how each of us can help make dreams come true.
When I was first publishing, just 90 days into my effort to make a living writing (Jan/Feb 2016) I had asked ‘for a little help’ and Stephen Russell raised his hand and said ‘I’ll help.’
I can imagine he has wondered about doing that at least once or twice since then.
(Stephen, if you have wondered three times, don’t tell me that. Let me live in my little cocoon of ignorance and bliss, please.)
Stephen, like me, read thousands of books…But, he read thousands more than I. As a long haul truck driver, he had beat the shit out of his body over the decades and was willing to do what he could to help another fellow follow some dreams.
Thus was born the Production Editor role. I’ll allow Stephen to share more of his story in future author notes (the ****** will author note block me, for sure!)
Stephen was instrumental in becoming the liaison between the Beta Reader teams, and me as I pounded away at the keyboard, threw the (mostly) finished manuscript to him to edit the stupid out and manage the beta reader process.
We still use that core process today with The Kurtherian Gambit series.
Like me, Stephen had a desire to write a book but had never really been able to manage it. We played with a couple of his ideas, and then I talked about how you, the fans, wanted more dog stories. The problem is I’m not really a dog person and don’t know dogs extensively, and Stephen does.
How do you think I got German Shepherds into the mix? He was an advocate and had my ear… Or, I just don’t remember what I said, and he tweaked the document, and I looked at it thinking “I’m a damned genius!”
(That part isn’t true. We did go German Shepherd after a discussion, and he didn’t change it after the fact. But that would be funny as hell if he had.)
So, I get to introduce you to my friend, production editor, badass firearm knowledge support and previously a Dog breeder who knows how to help me put out stories.
That includes our furry friends.
WELCOME Stephen Russell to the MADNESS that is authoring in The Kurtherian Gambit.
It is now my turn to laugh my ass off when the fans give you shit!
Ad Aeternitatem,
Michael
Etheric Researcher
Etheric Adventures: Anne and Jinx Book 2
Chapter One
Jinx twisted as far as she could, but she wasn’t able to evade the kick. Her armor protected her from serious damage, but when a Yollin mercenary kicked a hundred-and-twenty-five-pound dog with three hundred pounds of force, the dog went tail over nose.
You all right? Anne asked her friend and partner.
Seeing Jinx flying across the room ignited a part of her she didn’t like to acknowledge—the part that didn’t mind hurting people. She pushed her speed even higher, faked a punch at the head of the man in front of her, and drove her left foot through his knee joint. She ignored the satisfying scream he gave as he collapsed, and moved to intercept the Yollin focused on Jinx.
Yes, Jinx assured Anne. My armor is working fine. It’s just that guy who got hit in the head with the apple that bit me that time.
What? Anne sent back, not a hundred-percent focused on their conversation once she was assured Jinx was all right.
She dodged the kick the Yollin sent in her direction and grabbed the leg that was still in the air, then flung him ten feet into the three humans who accompanied him.
Jinx had recovered and was circling their opponents looking for an opening. Some human from years ago. Matrix was telling me about him. He was sitting under a tree, and an apple fell and hit him on the head. Supposedly caused him to write some laws or something. What it comes down to is, if a raging bull hits a china shop, shit’s gonna get broken.
Oh my God, you’re hilarious! Anne couldn’t stop the smile that resulted from Jinx’ banter.
She was reasonably certain that if Jinx had been talking with Matrix about Newtonian physics, there hadn’t been any conversation concerning bulls in china shops. There had been a time when Jinx had difficulty understanding nicknames and other odd human phrasings like “hot dogs,” but nowadays she seemed to collect metaphors.
“Bull in a china shop” indeed.
Anne ignored the Yollin, who was still tangled with two of the humans, to duck and spin, hands spewing fireballs in an arc toward a new threat she sensed.
“Shit!” Gabrielle hit the floor. “Enough! Stand down, everyone!” She waited for the blast of heated air to subside before she got to her feet. She looked at Anne, who was hiding her hands behind her back. “Was that an invitation to spar?”
Anne shook her head vehemently. “No. Sorry! I sensed someone approaching. Peter surprise-attacks sometimes, so I didn’t realize it was you.”
“Good reflexes,” Gabrielle declared, then surveyed the carnage in the training room. She knelt beside a Were with his leg bent the wrong way. “This is going to hurt.”
He nodded, used his hands to brace against the pull Gabrielle was going to exert, and gritted his teeth. It was a testament to how tough Weres were that he only grunted when Gabrielle yanked on his ankle to straighten his leg so it would heal faster.
“I’m going to have to learn to cover more area with my fireballs …” Gabrielle heard Anne mutter. “I totally missed her when she hit the floor.”
Gabrielle straightened from attending to the wounded Were. “Anyone else need treatment?”
A chorus of “No” and “I’m fine” came back to her from the group who had made up the aggressor force attacking Anne and Jinx.
“What happened to the young lady who didn’t like to hurt people?” Gabrielle couldn’t help but ask as she walked over to Anne.
“Bethany Anne and Jinx,” Anne replied cryptically.
“You want to expand on that?” Gabrielle arched an eyebrow.
“Bethany Anne declared that we had to train as strenuously as everyone else. Jinx and I decided that if we had to work out, we were going to go all in and hand out more bruises than we took.” Anne stood from checking Jinx. “Jinx took a hard kick that sent her flying across the room, and I always get more aggressive when I feel them getting hurt. Well, Jinx especially, but any of the dogs, really.” Anne looked down at her feet for a moment, then back at Gabrielle. “If the dogs get hurt… Well, all bets are off,” she finished ferociously.
“Excuse me, Lady Gabrielle?”
While Anne had been talking, Gabrielle had been peripherally aware of the Yollin approaching and Jinx positioning herself between Anne and the alien.
Gabrielle turned to Gre ’Zon. “Yes?”
Bethany Anne had given her the task of recruiting Gre ’Zon. The Yollin was rumored to have contact with ex-military personnel on Yoll, and Bethany Anne hoped Gabrielle could persuade Gre ’Zon to convince those people to join the Etheric Empire’s military. Gabrielle had been giving the Yollin a look at some of the training facilities when they had come upon Anne and Jinx’s session.
“The animal… It’s related to the Empress’ companion?” Gre ’Zon asked.
“No way! I have human parents!” Anne exclaimed.
Gre ’Zon looked confused when the human girl answered, and he pointed to Jinx. “I meant—”
Anne cut him off. “You have four legs. Does that make you a lesser being?”
Gre ’Zon clenched his mandibles and bit back the instinctive response that four legs made him higher on the social
scale. The Empress had decreed that all Yollins were equal, regardless of the number of their legs. “I apologize. I might have been guilty of grekchlopz.”
“Of grekta-what?” Anne was completely confused, and she looked at Gabrielle for clarification.
Gabrielle quickly put the clues together. “He’s using a word our implants don’t understand, so we’re hearing it in his native language.”
Gre ’Zon’s translator allowed him to comprehend the conversation between the humans. He tried again using different words, hoping the human devices could translate these. “Guilty of making assumptions?”
Anne sighed. “Sorry, it just really cranks me up when people define Jinx as an animal as if she’s not a person.”
“I think it’s the lack of hands that does it,” Jinx chuffed.
“Wait!” Gre ’Zon held up his hands in supplication. “What did you say?”
Anne took a deep breath, releasing some of her anger as she exhaled. “What part?”
“After ‘sorry.’”
“Oh, just something random,” Anne replied. “Probably why your implant didn’t translate it.”
Gre ’Zon reached to his left ear and removed a small device. “Normal Yollins don’t have implants. We use a translation device,” he explained, then replaced it. He looked carefully at Anne. “Why does your ani…companion make those noises?”
Etheric Adventures Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Page 11
