Hope's Light

Chapter 4

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Four - Enemies

When appearing again in front of Krux and all his gun-toting troopers, I’d changed clothes. Gone was the casual jogger garb, replaced with biker’s gear of white leather: boots, chaps over jeans, gloves, and an armored jacket - one with enough pockets to wedge in all the currency I’d just recovered. My bike, of course, was stuck in a galaxy far, far, away - but I knew the pattern of this outfit well enough to replicate it.

Being an angel had certain advantages.

Julina's travels begin

 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles

by Julia Phillips

033 – The Silence Of The Lands

Mercy had a rough couple of days and now it looks to be getting worse.
Wil she manage or will she drown in it?

Nothing in Brady’s life has turned out as he’d hoped, and every time he closes his eyes, he sees ghosts. When a specialist offers help, they look for answers in memories of his last perfect day-- a time when anything in life seemed possible, and the day he met the girl he can’t forget.

Hope's Light

Chapter 3

by Erisian

Book 6

Chapter Three - Sin

Languages are magic.

Think about it. By making weird sounds or scribbling strange markings against a surface, we transmit ideas, conjure images the recipient has never seen, and organize the very way we think. And it’s not limited to only verbal or written mediums; there is language in music, in mathematics, in dance and motion, and yes, in the act of making love. They are the tools by which we interact with each other and the universe at large, coordinating our very perceptions into meaning.

Mostly we use language to manipulate the thoughts and ideas of others, but some…well, some use it to manipulate the world directly. And what lies behind it.

It’s so easy, so natural, when they’re little. I wish it stayed that way! I snorted as my grammy's old saying ran through my head: If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.

Julina gets a little forceful as developments continue

 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles

by Julia Phillips

029 - Storms

It was a Monday, I had just showered after PE and was alone in the middle school locker room. I usually was since I almost always helped coach tidy up after class. Coach had reminded me many times that “sucking up” wouldn’t get me any better grades. That didn’t matter, I LIKED helping people. Why shouldn’t I? It wasn’t like I lost anything by doing that. Coming into the locker room late meant that I didn’t have to deal with the crowd in the rather small locker room. Much less stressful. After PE I had lunch break and coming late meant that I didn’t have to hustle in the queue in the canteen.

Anyway, I was sitting there alone in the locker room scratching my chest that had been bothering me for some time. Maybe I had some kind of inflammation since I had developed mounds there. I didn’t like to see doctors but if this continued I just might have to. That was when coach happened to come into the locker room.

A little something light to start the weekend. . . .

Natalie looked at the coin on her wrist. “Three mornings in a row.”

“Life’s a bitch,” I said philosophically — or as close to it as I can manage, first thing in the A.M. “Two eggs, over easy, and dry toast for me,” I added helpfully.

“There’s a man out there, right now,” Braddock said softly, pointing generally in the direction of outside. “A man who’s responsible for her being in your hospital today. Out there, on the run. We need her help to find him, before he hurts someone else.”

There was a knock on the door and Innie poked her head in. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah, looks like it. No surprises. Like the saying goes, you can’t fight something with nothing.”

“Some members of the family, maybe, might be sad to see me go. But the family as a unit? As some sort of community?” I shook my head. “It’s like I’ve knocked over a beehive or something.”

Her dark eyes were thoughtful, weighing my words. “Maybe it needed to be knocked over.”

It seems strange, even if it’s true, that the ends of our adult lives shall precede their beginnings.

The tragedy of it was it didn’t matter what Nixxi wanted to be, for she already was a girl and she had been since just after conception.

It is time for Mercy to confront Victoria about how she knew Mercy's spell.
Good thing Victoria invited her to a sleepover. Or is it not?
The next curveball in Mercy's life is approaching fast. Can she dodge this one?

New clothes, newcomers and new dishes – Julina's education continues apace

 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles

by Julia Phillips

019 – A Room With A View

Mercy is in panic.
Not only is Victoria acting strangely.
Her visit at the self-help center goes nowhere near as planned.

With the weekend coming Mercy prepares herself to find out more about her magical talent.
However other truth, large and small, reveal themselves.

Hope's Light

Prologue & Chapter 1

by Erisian

Book 6

Part One

Prologue - Bargain

“Are you certain this is the right path?”

Two figures crept down a narrow underground passageway, shoes slipping across shallow puddles lining the curved concrete floor. Their coats, one jet black and the other a lighter brown, flickered in the weak light offered only by a white crystal held forward by the taller and much darker-skinned man.

“They didn’t provide a map, Callas. I told you the same instructions they told me, and your memory is as perfect as mine. If you think we’ve misapplied the sequence, you should’ve spoken up.”

“Hmm.”

Mark lives in a world much like our own.
With the added benefit of people having access to magic.
When Mark comes into contact with a certain aspect of magic his previous boring life is about to change forever.
It is time for him to fall down a rabbit hole that is deeper than he could ever imagine.
His only lifeline: the teachings of Loki. A famous mage that trailblazed understanding of this aspect of magic.

“For all his flaws – and for all of mine – I’d just like to have my father back. Maybe now, after all these years, we can do better.”

Raquel looks at her reflection in the full-length mirror mounted on the back of her bedroom door. It finally took her eighteen years to become how she felt inside herself. A smile appears on her cute youthful face.

“Are you ready to go yet, Raquel?” Larry comes walking out of the main bathroom, fully dressed.

“Yeah, I’m ready, sweetie.” Raquel turns around to look at her boyfriend.

Others might see them as simple, working-class folks, but they had been the powers of my very small world when I was growing up. And here they were, assembled together, looking for all the world like some kind of family court.

False Positive

“Aaron McMaster, come to the principal’s office.”

The whole class went “ohh, you’re in trouble ...”

After the evening meal Garia has the difficult task of telling a select few about the Beings and what they have proposed. This results in further revelations for all concerned.

Somewhere Else Entirely

by Penny Lane

128 - The Impossible Choice

Julina tells us more about some Blackstone traditions, introduces another family to us and clears up something that concerns all Palarand and maybe even all Alaesia! (A little warning — this gets quite technical!)

 
Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles

by Julia Phillips

004 - Zytan

Julina provides reports of life in Blackstone. This is her introduction to herself.

 

Julina of Blackstone
Her Chronicles

by Julia Phillips


000 - Let Me Please Introduce Myself

Milsy begins her day by trying to find out what the Quadrants think of Captain Merek's request. Senidet has an idea, but designing the system proves difficult. Then, overnight, Tarvan arrives back at the palace and decisions have to be made.

What Milsy Did

by Penny Lane

32 - Tarvan Returns

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Wherein all your questions are answered. Happy Halloween, everyone!