Part Nine

Aaron decided that he needed to speak with Abner Throne as quickly as possible. If nothing else, he wanted to correct whatever impression Mannequin had left him with. Therefore, instead of trying to make an appointment, he simply arrived in the man's office early the next day. Throne, busy poring over some documents, didn't even notice him until Aaron noisily cleared his throat. Throne's reaction then was one of annoyance.

"Who are you!? How did you get in here?!"

"I'm Aaron Labelle. I understand you've been trying to talk to me."

Part Seven

The gathering was held in a large, outdoor venue, one with a permanent stage. It currently also had folding chairs set on the concrete. Those seats nearest the stage had padding, for the comfort of honored guests (mainly donors). However, most of the chairs were unoccupied, padded or not. Over half the attendees for the event, "honored" or not, were actually in the padded chairs and still many were empty. The campaign organizers had seriously overbooked the facilities.

Part Five

"I don't understand," said Carmel. "What could IRA possibly get from being a mobile unit that it doesn't already have?! It has input from the entire world."

"Immediacy of presence," said Sharon.

* * *

Short part, this time.

Part Three

Chapter 55: New Balance in Life

The rest of the week in the cabin passed like a quiet dream. Each day began with the gentle crackle of the fire and the smell of pine drifting in from the woods. Yuqi would wake to the sound of her parents humming softly in the kitchen, the sun filtered through frost-laced windows, casting golden patterns on the worn wooden floor. Outside, icicles glittered from the porch roof, and the snow piled so high that it muffled even the sound of footsteps.

Chapter 56: Return of the Queen

Chapter 11: Fire and Fertility

The livestream build-up was a masterclass in suspense. Before a single face appeared, the feed flickered to life with jittery, disjointed shots: the moon caught in the lens, a boot crunching over brittle grass, the distant echo of voices just out of range. The narrator’s breaths quickened, and every shaky pan of the camera suggested something forbidden waited just beyond view. Then, as the tension peaked, an ominous caption stamped across the screen:

"WITCHES CAUGHT IN THE ACT — DARK RITUAL EXPOSED LIVE!"

Chapter 26 – Official Debrief and Relaxation

Morning cycle aboard the Queen’s Rage came painfully early. The aftereffects of last night's celebration clung to the air—dry mouths, pounding temples, and the unmistakable weight of regret shared by half the crew.

Chapter 15: Simultaneous Feeds

The confirmation slipped in through the consort lines, shrouded in cryptic layers of protocol and double-blind verification. Not a single alarm tripped. No hint of change rippled through the palace routine. Yet Helena, attuned to the undercurrents, sensed the shift the instant the final timestamp decrypted.

Connor had chosen his moment with the precision of a seasoned operative, every variable accounted for, every risk meticulously weighed.

Chapter 53: Dragon Politics and Family

For two thousand years, demons and humans waged war against each other. Twenty-five years ago, that all changed. Now two demon princesses must navigate a world that's been forever altered - and yet they'll soon find that far too much of it remains the same.

This is the story of Mikaela, and Charlotte, twin princesses (born to the protagonists of Demon Queened), forced to become adventurers as a rite of passage. In theory, it'll be easy! They're literally demi-gods after all. It's not like anything can hurt them... but will it really be so simple for two pampered princesses to live the life of adventurers?

From prejudiced humans to old demonic grudges, hidden villages, romance and potential heartbreak, the girls will soon find that there's a lot more to life than they realized.

This is a sequel to Demon Queened, but I'll do my best to make sure you don't need to read the original to make sense of it. I still recommend the original - it was a good series, in my opinion! - but reading it shouldn't be a necessity.

Chapter One – The Moment the World Stopped