Goblins, Dragons, and Humans, Oh My! - Cradle Rock cover reveal

CRADLE ROCK

by Tara Tyler

Release Date: December 1, 2016

Welcome to the forest.

Gabe and his girlfriend Ona are headed in opposite directions for Spring Break. After finding out humans might be a real part of their history, Ona is determined to dig up evidence of them in the mysterious mountains at Camp Cradle Rock. Being a logical goblin, Gabe tries to talk her out of it, but there's just no reasoning with a stubborn ogress.

When Ona goes missing, Gabe and his friends fly to Cradle Rock to search for her and discover a village of trouble, igniting an age old war. His physical skills may be lacking, but Gabe won't give up. With the help of his diverse group of friends, he will find a way to save his girl and maybe all beastkind. Humans, bah!

Mark it to read on Goodreads!

And here's the book trailer! With sketches from my super fantastic inside illustrator, Laura Kramer.

The Nightmare Collection blog tour - Interview with Cassie Richards and giveaway

I'm very excited about Cherie's The Nightmare Collection. Three chilling tales of horror. You can read my review of it here. Two of the stories feature a brave young woman named Cassie Richards, and I'm lucky enough to get a chance to sit down with her today. Getting through my questions won't be nearly as difficult as surviving what happened in the woods!

Thank you for joining me, Cassie. Let's start off easy. I know you're a teacher. What do you teach and what made you go into teaching?

I teach high school history, mainly American History and World History. I’ve always loved the past, so I knew I wanted to study history. But my choices were limited in what to do with a history degree, so teaching was the most likely option.

I'm a history fan myself, and I had a lot in my hometown. What's your hometown? Do you miss it?

Although I was born in Roanoke, Virginia, I lived in New Haven. It’s about as small southern town as you can get in Virginia, filled with rednecks. I was glad to leave. But there are a few things I miss. The mountains, my family, the familiarity of home.

My town was really small too. What was your family life like? What's it like now?

I suppose my family life was pretty normal. I’m an only child, so their focus tended to be on me. I was in everything— soccer, theater, choir, etc. I was an overachiever, and I always felt they were there for me. But everything changed overnight. Now we rarely talk and our relationship is strained. Before I went with Tim to Virginia, I had only seen them twice in ten years.

Ah, that fateful night. It's absolutely horrifying what happened. Do you consider yourself a heroic or just lucky?

I’m no hero. I just got lucky. If that car hadn’t come by and struck me, the monster would’ve likely grabbed me, dragged me back into the woods, and killed me too.

Then you were accused of the murders. To what lengths did you go to convince people to believe you about who actually committed those atrocious acts?

I begged them to believe me when I woke up in the hospital. They thought I was crazy, so imagine how hard it is to get people to believe you then? When I got out of Grayson Sanatorium, I used my resources as a history major to research local history. We couldn’t be the only ones to cross the monster’s path. I sent my findings to New Haven Police, but they didn’t believe me. Eventually, I stopped trying. It was easier that way. If I hadn’t, then those other people might not have died.

Do you feel any anger towards those people who wouldn't believe you?

Uh, yeah. Wouldn’t you? The worse was they wouldn’t believe me. I knew what I saw. Even when my name was cleared, they wanted to believe the worse in me. It wears a girl down.

I have no doubt. Do you think there's anything different you could've done that night to help your friends survive?

I go over that night every day. It’s the first thing in my mind when I wake up and keeps me awake at night. I still don’t know what I could’ve done differently. Maybe I could’ve been stronger, faster, smarter. I just don’t know.

I guess we'll never know. Thank you again for being here, Cassie. It was a pleasure chatting with you.

Author Bio: A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her e-books include the horror series Nightmare, a short story collection with authors Aubrie Dionne and Lisa Rusczyk titled The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, the futuristic space fantasy novelette trilogy Gravity, and The Foxwick Chronicles, a series of fantasy stories. She is a member of Valley Writers and the Virginia Writers Club.

Author Links:
Website: http://cheriereich.webs.com
Blog: http://cheriereich.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookworm0753
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4268457.Cherie_Reich

Book blurb: A legend is hungry tonight.

A child monster will get its first taste of blood in Nightmare at the Freak Show. Four friend will enter the forest on December night, but only one can survive in Once Upon a December Nightmare. Almost ten years after Cassie's December nightmare, the monster awakens to hunt again in Nightmare Ever After.

Add to Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16089321-the-nightmare-collection

Buy the book!
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/256004
Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A93EMNE
Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A93EMNE
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-nightmare-collection-cherie-reich/1113808878?ean=2940015726503
Nook UK http://uk.nook.com/ebooks/the-nightmare-collection-by-cherie-reich/2940015726503
Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Nightmare-Collection/book-NTs2Bn-DK0-ypSR2cseCvA/page1.html?s=K9KRpcbL8UC68DBm7NN-KA&r=9
Createspace https://www.createspace.com/4043291

GIVEAWAY!

Cherie is giving away prizes to two lucky people!

The prize packages are open internationally and include: a signed copy of The Nightmare Collection, a signed copy of Gravity: The Complete Trilogy, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Nightmare Collection cover reveal and review

The Nightmare Collection

By Cherie Reich

Genre: horror

Mark it "to read" on Goodreads

Blurb:

A legend is hungry tonight.

A child monster will gets its first taste of blood in NIGHTMARE AT THE FREAK SHOW.

Four friends will enter the forest on December night, but only one can survive in ONCE UPON A DECEMBER NIGHTMARE.

Almost ten years after Cassie's December nightmare, the monster awakens to hunt again in NIGHTMARE EVER AFTER.

My review:

Three chilling tales that will keep you awake on long winter nights.

We begin with a short terrifying piece that gives the reader a peek into how a monster is born. Nightmare at the Freak Show pulls at your heartstrings and leaves you pale and horrified, sitting with your mouth agape. Cherie Reich builds great tension in this opening tidbit. It'll leave you hungry for more.

Once Upon A December Nightmare grips you with its vivid detail and nail-biting suspense. It seemed like a normal night for the young folk, but I fast on the edge of my seat, and I couldn't relax even when I reached the end. The most unique part of this story is that the reader is allowed to see through all the characters' eyes. Each of the four characters have their own sections, and it's like peeling back layers of an onion. More is revealed about the dynamics of the group and each individual's inner most feelings. Cherie does a marvelous job with characterization.

Nightmare Ever After is my favorite of the stories. It takes place a decade after the last tale, and lets the reader peek into the life of someone who survived one horrible night. Cassie is a fascinating character that must not only deal with living with the trauma of that night, but also with the fact no one believes her. She struggles with her fears, but she's a survivor. Tim is the perfect complement to her character. They're thrown into the chaos of a case that's never been solved. The mystery haunts the reader through the pages, slowly unveiling the horror. The tension builds as the number of murders grow until you're on the edge of your seat waiting to see what's going to happen. The story has a definite X-Files feel. Though Tim is more Scully where as Cassie would be Mulder.

This is an amazing collection of horror stories. An intriguing mystery, masterful characterization, and heart pounding suspense. Oh, you'll see your fair share of horrific things, but there's so much more to these tales.

Author Bio: A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her e-books include the horror series Nightmare, a short story collection with authors Aubrie Dionne and Lisa Rusczyk titled The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, the futuristic space fantasy novelette trilogy Gravity, and The Foxwick Chronicles, a series of fantasy stories. She is a member of Valley Writers and the Virginia Writers Club.

Author Links: 
Website: http://cheriereich.webs.com
Blog: http://cheriereich.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookworm0753
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4268457.Cherie_Reich

Nightmare Ever After review

Blurb:
Almost ten years have passed since that fateful December night.

But the monster is hungry again.

As the killings start again New Haven, Virginia, FBI Agent Timothy "Tim" O'Conner sends for the lone survivor from the '02 murders to help him catch a killer. Cassie Richards wants nothing to do with the monster who killed her friends or the agent's investigation, but she can't forget the night that has haunted her nightmares. She returns to Virginia in search for closure, but will she be able to catch and kill a legend in time?

My review:
Ten years ago, Cassie Richards survived a waking nightmare. Now the monster is back and killing again. FBI Agent Tim O'Conner is assigned to the case, and he's determined to get the only living witness of these vicious attacks to help him. Even though Cassie doesn't want anything to do with the case or the little Virginian town that scorned her, she hopes this trip can bring her some closure. Tim pushes her for details as the murders escalate, and Cassie finds herself opening up to the handsome agent more than she originally intended. While she stands by her supernatural story hoping to convince Tim it's the truth, the monster hunts the one that got away. Will Cassie be lucky enough to survive its hunger a second time?

Nightmare Ever After is the chilling sequel to Once Upon A December Nightmare. It takes place a decade after the first tale, and lets the reader peek into the life of someone who survived one horrible night. Cassie is a fascinating character that must not only deal with living with the trauma of that night, but also with the fact no one believes her. She struggles with her fears which grow with the re-emergence of the monster.  She's a survivor, though. A strong and sympathetic protagonist. Tim is the perfect complement to her character. He's calm and logical, but willing to listen to Cassie when no one else will. They're thrown into the chaos of a case that's never been solved. The mystery haunts the reader through the pages, slowly unveiling the horror.

The monster stalks the woods of Virginia. They can be beautiful and romantic, but Cherie Reich can take the smallest detail and twist it to make the woods a creepy setting. Even in broad daylight! The tension builds as the number of murders grow until you're on the edge of your seat waiting to see what's going to happen. The story has a definite X-Files feel. Though Tim is more Scully where as Cassie would be Mulder.

This is the perfect scary tale to cuddle up in bed at night and read. Make sure you have someone to keep you company, though, or else keep a light on the rest of the night. Nightmare Ever After might just give you nightmares!

Nightmare Ever After is now available on Amazon, Amazon UK, Smashwords, and B&N.
Mark it to read on Goodreads!

Author Bio: A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor, book blogger, and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies. Her e-books include the horror series Nightmare, a short story collection with authors Aubrie Dionne and Lisa Rusczyk titled The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, the futuristic space fantasy novelette trilogy Gravity, and The Foxwick Chronicles, a series of fantasy stories. She is member of Valley Writers and the Virginia Writers Club.

Please stop by Cherie's website and blog. Say hello and congratulate her on her newest release! You can also find her on Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook.

Montrous Monday Blogfest

This frightening and fun blogfest is hosted by Timothy Brannan. The rules are simple. Post a monster. It can be any monster. One from your current WIP or from your favorite movie. Tell us why you love/hate/worship it. Then visit the other participants and check out their monsters.

There's so many good monsters out there. Oh, the fun ones I could tell you about from Syfy Channel! I want to introduce you to an ancient creature, though. One that has stuck in my head since recently reading the new YA series by Caitlin Kittredge called the Iron Codex. Loved the books. So very Lovecraftian. At one point, the heroes come across an oozing nightmare. A thing called a shoggoth.

A shoggoth is a monster created by H.P. Lovecraft. It's part of the Cthulhu Mythos. I didn't include a picture here not because I was fearful of an artist getting upset about me using his work, but because I couldn't find an image that fit exactly what I imagined a shoggoth to look like.

Here's what Lovecraft says in At The Mountains of Madness: "It was a terrible, indescribable thing vaster than any subway train—a shapeless congeries of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and un-forming as pustules of greenish light all over the tunnel-filling front that bore down upon us, crushing the frantic penguins and slithering over the glistening floor that it and its kind had swept so evilly free of all litter."

I imagine it as a gigantic tar-like blob with several bulbous eyes and mouths with sharp teeth. It has no body shape and seemingly no heart or brain. Yet some might have a keen intellect. It moves faster than you expect for something of its size. It engulfs its victims and slowly digests them.

They say true fear cannot be given a shape. That's because it's a shoggoth.

What was your childhood monster?

First, a reminder that I'm over at Aubrie Dionne's blog today. We had a fun talk! Please stop by and say hello.

My monster came a little later in my childhood. From a really young age, I've always had a fascination with the supernatural. I was never afraid of ghosts or the dark. I never needed a nightlight. I grew up beside a cemetery and it was my favorite playground. When I was a teenager, I'd sleep with my window wide open - even in the winter - with the hope that a vampire would fly in from the graveyard and bite me!

I had a captain's bed growing up, so there was never room for a monster to hide under it. I never thought about closet monsters until I was ten and picked up Stephen King's Cujo. I've always been mature for my age. This was the first King book I picked up, and he nabbed me within the first few pages.

No, it wasn't the dog that scared me. I actually felt sorry for Cujo. It was the monster in Tad's closet that chilled me to the bone. It wasn't the stereotypical growl and drool I'm-going-to-eat monster. It talked, and it was intelligent. That made it super creepy. To top it off, I was home alone after school when I started to read the book. I was sitting in the living room in the big chair, one of my favorite reading spots. As I read about this monster, the basement door slowly creaked open. Logically, I knew it was probably because I didn't shut it properly when I put in the laundry downstairs. But all I could think about was this monster. A smart and evil beast. Dumb ones I might be able to trick, but this was no ordinary creature. I sat in the chair frozen, unable to move, until my father and brother came home about twenty minutes later.

I couldn't sleep that night. My room was tiny, only six by eight. The foot of my captain's bed was very near the closet. I piled my stuffed animals around me and kept the lamp on all night. I swear I could hear the monster chuckling from behind the closed sliding doors of my closet.

Of course, though the monster was smart, I was a clever kid. The next morning, I removed my closet doors. No closet, no monster. The remedy was as simple as that.

I guess my idea inspired other children in the neighborhood as well. My little brother removed his closet doors that week and so did half a dozen other neighbor kids. Closet doors are good for building forts!

Stephen King remains one of my biggest inspirations.

Don't forget to spread the word about FEARLESS! And Tawa wants to know what was your childhood monster?

A to Z Challenge - Y is for Yes

This is part of an ongoing story throughout the Challenge.

If you're just joining me now, please start with A is for Abby.

Y IS FOR YES

Burrows howled and tackled Abby. The two fell to the floor, but Abby felt none of the dreadful strength of the monster. The shadows melted or fled from her touch.

Abby rolled them until she was on top and put her hands on either side of Burrows' head. She held her in place with surprising ease.

"I'm sorry, Myrtle, that no one could save you from your monster. I'm sorry that you lived so long with such darkness within you, but you don't have to be afraid any more." Abby's voice was tender. The tips of her glowing fingers dipped into Burrows' head as if it were made of pudding.

The beast screamed, cursed, and then pleaded. The big bad wolf would not win this time. Abby would make sure it never won. That was no world for children.

There was silence.

The monster was obliterated. Not a trace of it left. Abby was certain of it as she removed her hands from the writer's head. The glow faded from her body.

Burrows was breathing. She was unconscious, but she was alive.

Abby didn't pause to wonder about it. She crawled across the room until she could take Demetrius' hand in her own. She tried to will her full body glow back, to demand it bring him back to her, but it didn't come. The ache in her chest came back and she could do nothing for it.

For several minutes, Abby sat there hugging his hand to her chest. It was only when she heard a soft snore coming from Burrows that she snapped out of her sorrowful trance.

"Your debt is paid. Thank you." Abby kissed the back of his hand. It twitched, and with her surprise, she dropped it.

"Don't let go of me yet, darling. I've got several other bits that need kissing too." Demetrius' voice was weak, but he was talking. He was alive.

Abby laughed and scooped up his hand again to kiss it. Then she bent forward and kissed his swollen lips. Her body tingled with sudden elation. "I'll kiss whatever you want. I thought you were dead. That thing had stepped on your head--"

"Yes, my head." Demetrius chuckled and winced as he did so. "It'd take more than a woman stepping on my head to kill me."

"You are pretty damn hard headed," Abby said and kissed his forehead. He was alive. There was still a great mess to clean up and wounds to heal, but Demetrius was alive. She wanted to laugh, cry, and kiss him all over at once.

What kept her from giving fully over to her emotions before was gone. The next time he tempted her into bed, she would say yes. Only if she didn't take him there first.

A to Z Challenge - X is for Xenophobic

This is part of an ongoing story throughout the Challenge.

If you're just joining me now, please start with A is for Abby.

X IS FOR XENOPHOBIC

The world seemed to shatter around her, but it was only Abby's heart. She fell to her knees, shaking her head as the tears streamed down her cheeks. It was her fault Demetrius was dead. She knew honor meant much to him, but she knew the real reason he stayed. He protected her because he fell in love with her. And she had let him stay because she loved him too.

"Now I have the mighty warrior on her knees before me." Burrows chortled and walked over the fae's body toward Abby. "Brought down not by my fighting prowess, but by her own fear of loss. This is better than when I killed my first Fearless. She was pathetic compared to you."

Abby didn't move. She couldn't take her eyes off Demetrius. She'd never feel his lips on hers again nor hear his sexy, gravelly laugh.

"Soon the rest of the Fearless will fall just as you did. Warriors you might be, but you're all so pitifully human." Burrows spat onto the floor. "Then I will rule. The big bad wolf wins in this story."

"What?" Abby wasn't sure she had heard the beast's mad ramblings, but it was slowly sinking into her head. "All the Fearless?"

"Oh yes." Burrows clapped her hands with an excited little hop and stopped five feet in front of Abby. "Why do you think I wrote all those books? Do you honestly think I have aspirations to be an author?" She snorted. "No, no. I want to rid the world of you Fearless and then the monsters can roam free. I'm seeding the minds of children. Not every one of them will be special enough, but there are more and more out there with imaginations fertile enough to create magnificent creatures like me. Children are not as xenophobic as adults. They will live with us and we will live off them."

The children.

No one in this town had protected the children. And if this beast had its way, there would be no one left in the world to protect them.

Abby's hands grew brighter and the glow slowly worked its way up her arms.

"Powering up for one last desperate attack?" Burrows smirked, rolling her eyes. "Ah, how you amuse me."

The glow picked up speed. It went past Abby's shoulders across her chest and back. The empty ache within her dulled and determination replaced it. Her whole body glowed as she raised her head.

"This your imitation of a nightlight?" Burrows' snark wasn't as confident as it had been a few seconds ago.

"The big bad wolf never wins." Abby rose to her feet. Her purpose had never been more clear. "You will never harm another child."

"I've rewritten the ending." Burrows hissed and struck out at Abby. The first tendril that hit her sizzled and melted with no effect. The monster screeched and lashed out with several tendrils. Each one withered if it didn't retract.

"You're not one of the Fearless. I broke you." Burrows shuddered with rage. "I took from you what you feared most to lose. I will take your pathetic life!"

"I've never feared death. And now you've taken away those I care about." Abby stepped forward, feeling lighter than she ever had. "There's nothing left I fear. You didn't break me. You made me truly one of the Fearless."

A to Z Challenge - W is for Weakness

This is part of an ongoing story written for the Challenge.

If you're just joining me now, please start with A is for Abby.

W IS FOR WEAKNESS

"I'm not going to make it that easy for you." Burrows laughed and motioned with her hand for them to come at her again.

Demetrius roared and tried to zigzag his way closer to the writer, but with such little space, there was no way his strategy could work. Abby held her ground as he was slapped back again.

"It's just toying with us." Why? What was it up to? Abby knew it was waiting for something. Her usual way to go about it was to think like a child, but Burrows was no child. The monster had grown as the woman had. Yet it was still was a monster. It wanted to kill.

"Toy with this then." Demetrius rammed his club into the desk and sent it into Burrows.

The writer let out a girlish shriek as she was pinned against the wall. Her face contorted into something ugly and unnatural as the beast howled. A dozen tendrils smashed Demetrius into the ceiling and wall. The wood cracked and split as he was repeatedly slammed against it.

Abby cried out and leapt at Burrows. She was thrown against the filing cabinet and landed hard on one shoulder. She didn't drop her swords as she sped to Demetrius and sliced through the tendrils to free him. He slumped to the floor. His breaths coming in shuddering gasps.

"Demetrius, no. Stay with me." Abby laid her swords down to put his head on her lap and brushed his hair back from his handsome face. Her chest was so tight, it hurt to breathe. She used her sleeve to wipe the blood from his eyes. "Please."

"Abby." His whisper was accompanied by a bubble of blood. His hands curled into fists.

"That's right. Don't you dare die on me. Fight. Fight, you stubborn freakin' fae." She couldn't contain her tears nor the trembling of her body.

Suddenly, Demetrius was yanked away and dragged across the floor. Burrows, free from the desk, grinned as he came to rest before her. She put a foot on the side of his face and pressed into it with her heel. He barely had the strength to groan.

"So that's it. Your weakness. I didn't think you were that much into him." The monster's gleeful laugh echoed in the room.

Abby swiped at her cheeks and picked up her swords. Her legs were shaky as she stood up. She wanted to beg, to promise to give the thing whatever it wanted if it let Demetrius go. Her heart couldn't take losing him. She choked back a sob.

"This is what I waited to see. The Fearless isn't so fearless in the end." Burrows stomped on Demetrius' head and there was a crack.

This time, the beast's insane laughter made Abby scream.

A to Z Challenge - V is for Villain

This is part of an ongoing story throughout the Challenge.

If you're just joining me now, please start with A is for Abby.

V IS FOR VILLAIN

Abby started to move to check on Demetrius, but had to stop as Burrows rounded the desk. She couldn't turn her back on the thing no matter her desperation to know if Demetrius was dead or not. It had killed one of the Fearless when Burrows was a girl, and she wasn't a young woman. That meant it had several years to get stronger.

"I have no qualms about killing Burrows to kill you." Abby had several, but she wasn't going to let the monster know that. Perhaps if Tawa was with her, she might be able to tell her a way to kill the thing without killing Burrows too, but she was on her own.

She heard Demetrius then, stomping up the stairs and growling curses. Abby felt a warmth spread through her. No, she wasn't alone. She had Demetrius.

"I didn't think you would. That's what makes this even more thrilling." Burrows stopped in front of her desk and pushed her glasses up her nose. It was a silly human gesture, but somehow chilling in this moment. "I've always wanted to be the villain, the big bad wolf of the world. It's hard to do stuck in a pathetic little body."

"So you want Abby's? Not going to happen." Demetrius limped, but it seemed his pride was hurt more than anything else. He readied himself for another charge, but Abby put a hand on his arm.

"It doesn't want my body. It can't leave Burrows." It seemed easy enough to just kill the host to kill the beast, but Abby doubted it was going to be that easy. Something else was going on. Something she hadn't figured out yet.

"Then let's get on with the fight." Patience wasn't one of Demetrius' virtues. He ran head-on again, but wary of the dark tendrils this time. He dodged two and was smacked back into the bookshelf with a third.

There was no point standing around playing Twenty Questions. Abby used the fae's distraction and dove in, targeting Burrows' mid-section. She was swept back, stopping herself just before she fell down the stairs.

Demetrius and Abby made a second attack together, and then a third and fourth. Each time, they were knocked back. Neither of them were able to get close enough to land a hit on Burrows. The attic was small. There was only so much room to maneuver and the monster was aware of every tiny movement.

Abby threw one blade as Demetrius bellowed and swung from the opposite side. He was thrown back and Burrows caught the glowing sword. She held it in one hand, examining it with a childlike fascination.

"Interesting. It burns my essence, but human flesh can hold it. Perhaps it isn't so bad being trapped in this form." Burrows gave Abby a sly look. "Or maybe it's a sign that you can't kill me after all."

Abby recalled her sword and it re-emerged from her palm. "I don't know. Let me run you through with it and see what happens."

A to Z Challenge - R is for Reflex

This is part of an ongoing story throughout the Challenge.

If you're just joining me now, please start with A is for Abby.

R IS FOR REFLEX

Abby's hands glowed and the swords slid out. She gripped the slim hilts, trying to ignore the nervous perspiration. She and Demetrius moved to stand back-to-back with one another. Instinctive reflex.

Who turned out the lights? Tawa squawked from the other room.

"I guess I'm not getting any dinner." His humor didn't hide the tension in his voice.

"I think that's the least of your worries." Abby listened for something, anything, but the house itself didn't even creak. "Too bad you didn't bring your club. Anything else you could use as a weapon here?"

"Ah, but I did bring it." Demetrius reached into his pants' pocket. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped as he withdrew his enormous weapon. It was like watching a cartoon. It wasn't physically possible. Her mouth opened and shut wordlessly.

"Bet you're wondering what else is in my pants." He smirked, clearly enjoying her reaction. She elbowed him. "Magical weapon. It can be a twig or a trunk depending on your needs."

"I'm not going to say anything." There was no way Abby could do without thinking about what else was in his pants. Focus. She needed to focus. "Burrows was expecting us to do something. We search one room at a time."

"Main floor first," Demetrius said. "Then--"

Staircase! Tawa shouted. Something's coming down the stairs!

Abby and Demetrius raced from the TV room. She managed to catch sight of what looked like a black magic carpet hovering beside the bannister before it pounced on the fae. It wrapped itself around him and his club like an inky cocoon. He twisted and fell, rolling on the floor.

The thing was smothering him, and Abby couldn't wildly stab it without hitting Demetrius too. "Hold still!" It was like trying to tell a cat in a bath to stop fighting. He was a fighter. He couldn't stop himself.

Let him fight it. Go after Burrows. She's the real threat here. Tawa barked.

"No. Dammit." Abby cursed. She tried to shallowly slice at the monster, and though it squealed, it didn't release its hostage. Her heart hammered in her chest. She refused to let him die. She stepped on either side of Demetrius and trapped him between her legs. She raised her right sword and brought it down through the most bulky part of the cocoon.

The monster wailed and let go of Demetrius. He gulped in a huge breath. It shuddered before flopping down to lay motionless between her legs.

Demetrius stared at her and then at her blade still embedded in his club. "You could have hit me."

"There's nothing about you that big." Abby yanked her sword free and stepped away. She scooped up her backpack, hitching it over her shoulders.

"That you know of." Demetrius picked himself up. "You should have listened to Tawa. If Burrows gets away--"

"No." Abby replied too quickly. The thought of leaving him behind to die tore at her soul. She cleared her throat and motioned to the stairs. "Besides, she's not going to leave. All monsters want to fight. And you deserve better than death by blanket."

Demetrius grabbed on of the backpack's straps and pulled her to him. He kissed her. Nothing gentle about it. Teeth clinked as his tongue rolled around hers. Her world spun and went out of focus. When he pulled back an inch, all she could see was him.

"You saved my life again. If I had two lives to pledge to you, you would have them." His eyes bore into hers. "Honor or not, you already have me. Blood for blood, breath for breath, heart for heart."

Abby didn't have time to respond before he let her go, turned, and marched up the stairs. It wouldn't have mattered. His words left her more breathless than the kiss.

A to Z Challenge - O is for Obscene

This is part of one story through the month of April.

If you're just joining me now, please start with A is for Abby.

O IS FOR OBSCENE

Abby couldn't sit at the table any longer. Demetrius had all the subtlety of a rampaging ox. Yet for all his dramatic gestures and cliched lines, Myrtle Burrows was enthralled.

Excusing herself to go to the bathroom, Abby breathed out a sigh of relief when she entered the cafe's empty restroom. One of the lights flickered making a soft sizzling sound. She had expected to do all the questioning of Burrows, but the other woman would barely look her way. The fact her hands had glowed when she first met Burrows threw her off, but she hadn't meant for Demetrius to take it all over.

She sat down first of the two stalls. Abby hated seeing him behaving like that with another woman. She hated herself for feeling that way. She knew he was only acting. Besides, he made it clear he wanted her and she had turned him down. It was her own doing.

When Burrows met them in the cafe, Abby's hands didn't glow. She even shook the author's hand. Nothing.

It didn't make sense. The light flickered again and made her jump when it popped. Dark shadows settled in the stall with her. Only the single light over the entry door remained.

Abby shook her head and stood up. She should get back to the others. She was sure the answer was with Burrows. She walked to the sink and frowned as she saw her hands glow.

Looking up into the mirror, a hideous melted face grinned at her from the darkness in the far corner before it leapt at her. Abby didn't have time to scream as she whirled around, dropped low, and let her blades slide out. She slashed at the monster, but it flew up and over to rebound off the wall and come for her again.

She hissed with the pain in her ankle as she twisted and stood, holding her ground against the thing. It laughed lowly; the sound seemingly coming from all around her. A trick for amateurs.

Abby crossed her blades, and when the monster was near enough, she used them like scissors to cut through its skinny neck. The grotesque face fell to the right, but from within the ragged black robes, a second beast kept coming at her. It was like an obscene version of Russian nesting dolls.

It slammed into her chest and Abby fell back onto the tiled floor. She kicked up, sending it sailing to smack against the wall. She threw one sword pin it there, lancing it through one of the empty eye sockets. Abby was ready for the third monster when it launched itself out of the second's robes.

Standing and slipping on the floor, her swing missed and the thing grabbed her wrist with a bony hand. It smashed her hand against the sink, but couldn't force Abby to drop her sword.

"You're mine now. What a tasty meal you'll make." Its voice was a dry rattle, but its teeth didn't look old and brittle. Its mouth yawned, opening wider to impossible angles. 

The blade disappeared from the wall and emerged from Abby's free hand.

"I'm not on the menu." She jammed the blade up under the monster's chin and out the top of its head. No more came forth as it sank into a black mass onto the floor.

A to Z Challenge - G is for Giggling Gorilla

I'm writing one story over the course of the month for this challenge.

If you're just joining me now, please start at A is for Abby.

G IS FOR GIGGLING GORILLA

Abby sliced through the thick hide of the monster with the party hat. Copious amounts of black blood splattered her, but that wasn't what made her curse. The beast laughed as its wound stitched itself together within a matter of seconds.

It swung its meaty arm at her with the force and speed of a wreaking ball. Abby jumped to the side, trying to focus on an alternative method of killing this beast other than hacking it to bits. Her line of thought was interrupted as Demetrius roared and made another attack.

"Stay back!" Abby shouted and leapt back into the fray with her blades whirling.

"You get out of the way. Let me crush the beast." Demetrius growled as he brought his huge club down upon the monster. It squealed as it was struck, but it wasn't hurt that badly.

What is it with men and thinking they can solve all their problems with a big chunk of wood? Tawa said with her usual bitter bite.

"Let's not even go there. I need to find a way to kill it." Abby hissed as she was smacked across the face. There was a bright flash of pain before she forced it down. Warm blood trickled from her nose. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"Then leave it to me." Demetrius was like an animal when he fought. All brute force, instinctual, and deadly grace.

Are you ever going to let him pay his blood debt to you? Tawa sighed. Let him kill it. He'll eventually find a way.

"No. This is my job." Abby would not step away from her duty. Every monster she faced represented a child's life. She would end it as soon as possible. She dodged another flurry of blows.

Demetrius was noisy as he fought. Snarls and battle cries. Three days ago she had brought him home andm after resting the first night at her loft, he had gone to a nearby park and returned with his club. He claimed that it had to come from a tree spirit who willingly gave its limb for the purpose of being used against evil. It made one hell of a weapon, but it wasn't going to work quickly with this monster.

"Think like a child." Abby tore her gaze from the impressive display by the fae and zipped out of the way of the beast. She scanned the child's room. Books, lots of books, and airplane models. A row of hats neatly hung from a coat rack. Some other toys and a teddy bear with its eyes plucked out thrown into a corner. Monsters were always so cruel to the children's favorite toys.

Yes, what weakness would a child attribute to this beast? Bananas? Tawa sounded as frustrated as Abby felt.

Demetrius was thrown into her and they crashed into the wall. Chunks of plaster fell around them. He was quick to his feet and stood in front of her, bare chest heaving. He never lost hold of his club.

"Is it laughing at us?" He swung at the beast again.

Abby could hear a strange coughing noise and the monster was holding its shaking belly. She stood up and moved beside Demetrius. "It's giggling."

"I will not be laughed at by an overgrown monkey!" He roared and launched himself at the thing. He was promptly thrown against the other wall.

"It's a gorilla." The nightmares that came to life from children's minds never ceased to amaze her. Why the boy who lived there was afraid of a giggling gorilla, she didn't know, but it was sharper than the typical beast. It also had to have a weakness.

Head-on attacks weren't working. It was too clever to let her get behind it. It did a little dance as it and Demetrius exchanged blows. The polka dots on the hat sparkled in the dim light coming from outside.

The hat.

Abby darted forward. She did so without fear of the horrific beast or for her own life. Her only fear was that she so easily fell into working with Demetrius and liked it. Not that she'd ever tell him.

She swung with her left blade to distract the monster. When it dodged it, she brought the right sword down to slice through its hat. It howled. Its giggles turned into sobs. Abby rammed both her swords through its chest. This time, its wounds didn't heal. It sank to the floor with a pitiful sob and shuddered once before it died.

"The hat was its weak spot?" Demetrius scoffed. He rolled his shoulders, brushing off blood and plaster. "That makes no bloody sense at all."

"It does, but I don't expect a caveman like you to understand." Abby's glowing swords disappeared into her palms.

"Caveman? You're the one that snores." He shot back.

"You're the one carrying the club." Abby adjusted Tawa on her back and headed to the window.

"Perhaps I'm the one with the club, babycakes," Demetrius said as he hefted it over one broad shoulder. "But at least I resisted the urge to knock you out with it and carry you back to my cave while watching you towel off after your shower this morning."

Abby's mouth fell open and her cheeks flushed a brilliant crimson. There was little privacy in her loft and she had thought he'd been sleeping. She heard him chuckle as she hopped out the window. She slammed it shut and walked off without waiting for him.